Well it has been a full day of action! Started by looking relatively flat this morning, and all the slalom boys were rigging huge barn door sails, and then of course the wind strted to pick up, the waves started to roll in, and soon we were into proper SURF-SLALOM... yeeharrr !
I entered both the waves event and slalom event... which are on at the same time... so it's a bit hectic to say the least.
My very first slalom race was on 4.5m FLY and JP Freestyle Pro 90!. The outside gybe mark was in logo high breaking waves and was carnage for some. Funniest thing today was seeing Maurice Owens (Team DiscoverIrleland.com) Wiping out from an involuntary jump on his 6.7m RS slalom and slalom board, while I was on the way back in on my 4.5, I nearly fell off laughing (sorry Mo!).
Anyway, got 2nd in that heat after Jamie Hawkins (on full racing kit), and that was the way most of the slalom went... though I had to change down to 4.2m FLY as it was getting even windier! I even managed to win a heat against Jamie on this kit, while he was still on 5.4 slalom or something. Surf-slalom is wicked fun :)... and of course you have to do the obligatory forward loop over the line.
I think I got 5th in both slalom finals, leaving me in 4th overall so far :)
Also doing the wave event, downwind of the slalom in the bigger waves, which were pushing in nicely at over mast high in the sets. Fully windy, on 3.6 fly and 68 twin, got through first heat, did some more slalom, and then in wave semi, up against John Skye. The wind decided to drop a bit just as we went out, and I got stuffed on 3.6, underpowered for almost all of the heat. Bit of a nightmare.. but there you go... it was always going to be hard beating Pozo-Skyeboy in a port tack jumping contest.. but at least he went on to get 4th, having to sail against Phil Horrocks in the losers-final.
Jamie Hancock was in the final against local boy Ben Proffitt, and this time Ben got the win, with some sweet doubles, takas, wave 360s, tweak pushies etc etc..
And if that wasn't enough exercise for the day, after a mammoth de-rig, we went to Llandudno SKi slope for some snowboarding and a party.
Bring on tomorrow... hope its windy!
Sorry no pics here (too busy sailing!).... but have a look at BOARDSEEKER magazine, who are doing live heat by heat updates from the beach.
Don't forget, you can also view the Rhosneigor webcam.
www.surfdock.ie
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