SPI belt & an urgent board meeting

I'm always looking for new bits of gear to make my adventures on water and land go a little smoother.  A friend recently turned me on to SPI Belt, which stands for 'small personal items' belt.  It's a pretty cool little pack for bringing essential items on a run, hike or paddle.

There are two versions of the SPI Belt... one for dry land activities and one with a waterproof pouch for folks who stand a chance at a dunk in the old H2O.  You can guess which one I went for.

The pouch is made of stretchy fabric so it expands to hold your cell phone, wallet, ipod or whatever other small items you need to bring along.  

In my case, I brought along my GPS to record mileage and speed on today's training run.  I usually don't run much, but in a moment of weakness let my sister convince me to join her in a 10-mile race in Minneapolis next week.  In typical fashion, I figured 6 days out was the appropriate time to start training (procrastination is a particular skill of mine).  I ran 3 miles today, half at a moderate pace and half doing sprint intervals.  I found the SPI Belt comfortable... I barely noticed I was wearing it.  During the sprints the GPS got to bouncing a bit, but I tightened up the belt and it held fast.  Overall the belt performed perfectly.  The one criticism I have is that the waterproof pouch is just a single ziploc type seal.  All the dry pouches I have, especially for electronics, have multiple seals... either a double ziploc or a zip along with a rolled seam held with velcro.  As it is, I wouldn't trust the SPI Belt with my cell phone on a paddle where I was likely to take a swim.  No worries though... when I want to use it for a paddle I'll just put my cell phone in my tried and proven dry-case then put that inside the SPI Belt. Good to go.

Here's the label... look for SPI Belt at your local running/outdoor shop or online.  But be sure to do it tonight, because tomorrow is looking pretty epic.  It's been blowing out of the North since mid-afternoon today and it's expected to persist through the day tomorrow.  There should be a nice wave by morning and enough wind to sail or kite, so load your gear and get some rest for tomorrow's 'board meeting'.  

See you on the water!

long island

Windy City Waterman is on the road.  Last week we pointed the Element toward the rising sun then put the pedal to the floor and kept it there until our toes were in the ocean.  Here are some pics from the first stage of our epic trip...

Once we landed on Long Island, I rang up Hampton Watersports to inquire as to where we might do a bit of windsurfing.  "Mattituck Yacht Club" was the answer and the right one at that.  It was blowing 25 knots when we arrived and over 40 by the end of the session.

Unfortunately I had only brought sails down to 5.5, but on the beach I met Jimi, who was missing a few vital rig components.  Between the two of us we pulled together a 4.2/75 ltr kit and hit the water, taking turns enjoying the epic conditions.  I mounted the GoPro to the boom, so look forward to a nice video in the near future.

I was watching this lanky fellow throw forward loops on the water and when he came in he just seemed familiar... turned out to be Jace Panebianco, former PWA pro turned film maker (and not just late night skin-emax films either... Sorry Jace but some things can never be forgotten).  Jace is the man behind The Windsurfing Movie and The Windsurfing Movie II.  If you haven't seen them, stop reading this and go find a copy.  They are must have's for any windsurfer.

Later, we headed out to Montauk, stopping in at the local Starboard dealer for some info on the conditions at the best surf breaks.

They sent us to The Ditch, a point-break famous for great waves and tasty snacks from the Ditch Witch food cart.  Bummer for us she had closed down by the time we got there...

The day's conditions are posted under Old Glory.  Now that's what I call 'America the Beautiful'!

The beach scene...

The surf scene...

And then it was on to Oak Island.  Kim's cousin George keeps the family cottage there.  No electricity. No phone.  No TV.  Working toilet.  That's right... PARADISE.

The paddleboards had their own mooring...

Tizzy lost her first tooth...

Kim took about 12,427,385,354,966,435 photos...

There was only one way to get to the island... by boat...

Well, only two ways...

Tizzy caught her first fish...

We did some clammin'...

We did some chillin'...

We did some singin'...

And some goofin' around...

We're having a blast and hope you are too!  See you on the water... SOON, I hope!

a big adventure

   
     Today marks the beginning of a big adventure... we're hitting the road for the next six weeks or so to SUP, windsurf, and visit wind/watersports shops all over the Midwest and on both coasts.  There's a lot to get caught up on... my new relationship with Starboard SUP/WIND/KITE and exciting plans for the future... but for now I've got to get on the road, heading East until our feet are in the ocean.

     Keep an eye out for updates along the way... and get out on the water!  See you soon.

GO TIME!!! The Chicago Shoreline Marathon is this weekend!!!

It's almost GO TIME!  This Friday and Saturday The Chicago Shoreline Marathon will be happening in a HUGE way at Leone Beach in Chicago.  If you're not registered yet, you can do so by clicking here.  We are so excited to be bringing WPA racing to Chicago... but remember this event is not just for elite racers.      Even if you're more of a recreational paddler, you can enter the fun 3-mile course race being held right off the beach.  And if you're not into racing at all, there will be paddle clinics, board demos and great events all day long.        The awesome Hummingbird Food Truck will be on site providing amazing snacks too!      Post-race there will be lots going on, including SUP clinics by my buddy Westy from YOLO Boards.  Be sure to pre-register for the clinics cause they're sure to sell out fast.        Below you'll find the full schedule of events.  A few things to note... there will be security all night on Friday so feel free to show up, get to know the course, enjoy the awesome Hummingbird dinner and leave your board on the beach so you're ready to rock first thing on Saturday!  Check out the details below and email me if you have any questions.  Can't wait to see everyone there! FRIDAY, AUGUST 10th, 2012 – All activities at Leone Beach: 1pm-5pm – Clinics top paddlers  - Clinics will be offered again this year. Courses and schedule TBD. Please contact info@chicagoshorelinemarathon.com if you are interested in participating. 2pm-5pm – Boat demos with Chicago Paddle Sports  Come out early and try out the best and newest in kayaks, surfskis and paddle boards. Reps will be on-hand to answer all your questions. We will be featuring Epic, Fenn, Custom Kayaks.                 2pm – Registration Check-in Opens 2pm - Friday Night Boat Drop-Off Opens Competitor boats may be stored (no racks provided). Security will be on duty all night.  5:30pm - Friday night Pre-race Beach-Side Dinner and Meeting: Hummingbird Kitchen is $15.00/person (cash only). Meeting to follow will include marathon course review. SATURDAY, AUGUST 11th, 2012: 6:00 AM – Leone Beach site opens, Check-in opens 7:00 AM – Shuttle for Marathon participants and their equipment leaves for 63rd Street Beach 9:00 AM – Marathon event start gun 10:00 AM – 2 Beach and Elite SUP Start guns 10:30 AM – Rec SUP start gun Saturday Post-Race Awards and Meal: Post-Race meal will be provided to registered paddlers. Hummingbird foodtruck will be serving up delicious sandwich boxes with beverage, fries and salad. Vegetarian option is available - just ask! Turn in your meal ticket from your race bib to receive your box. Accommodations: Local Hotels: Super 8, one block from Leone Beach. Convenient and a definite budget option. Heart O' Chicago Motel, 8 minutes from Leone Beach. Outdoor, car-top friendly parking. Best Western University Plaza, 10 minutes from Leone Beach. Indoor parking ramp (if no racks on truck.) Street parking also available. Hotel Orrington, 15 minutes from Leone Beach Hilton Garden Inn Evanston, 20 minutes from Leone Beach. House 5863. 20 minutes from Leone Beach:  5863 N. Glenwood. Bed and Breakfast, executive 4-person suite available. Breakfast included. Inn on Early. Bed and Breakfast, about 20 minutes from Leone.      Camping: Illinois Beach State Park, 1 ½ hours from Leone Beach. In the event of race cancellation, Friday and Saturday parties will go ahead as planned! We have to off-load those raffle prizes somehow!!!

SUP YACS race proves that SUP is catching on in Chicago

     As you know, I started Windy City Waterman last year because I just couldn't understand why SUP wasn't catching on faster here in Chicago.  Well, I am very excited to report that IT FINALLY IS!  Yesterday's SUP YACS race at Montrose beach was a tremendous success.  Over 60 participants got on the water, many of them first time racers, and the beach scene was buzzing with clinics, yoga and a non-stop dance party for the kids.  Here are a few pics...

We had a perfect day with wispy clouds and warm temps...

There were trophies and very nice prizes for the winners... I won a sweet Patagonia backpack!

Here's my buddy Christoph getting his trophy... look at all those kids... the future of SUP is looking bright!

Winners...

     Congratulations to everyone at True North Treks for putting on a fantastic event for a great cause!  

SUP YACS & a teaser

     Remember, tomorrow is the SUP YACS race at Montrose Beach... if you haven't registered you can still show up by 8:30 and get in on the fun.  If you don't want to race, there will be yoga on the beach, clinics, a band and fun throughout the day so get down there.  I'll be racing then hanging out, so come say hello if you can make it.

     This photo of Connor Baxter has been making the rounds on Facebook... here he's catching a big swell during a training session for the upcoming Molokai2Oahu race.  I had the pleasure of meeting Connor earlier this summer and we had a few things in common... well now we have one more.  Want to find out what it is?  Keep an eye on the blog... there's some news coming soon!

is this your SUP man of the year?

     If you don't know this guy, you should.  This smiling face belongs to Shane Perrin, one of the baddest-ass paddlers in the Midwest... and probably the world.  Almost everything Shane has done on a standup board in the past few years has been a 'first'.  First SUP to do the MR340, a multi stage race covering 340 miles of the Missouri river.  First SUP to race the 179-mile La Ruta Maya Belize Challenge.  And most recently, Shane completed The Texas Water Safari, considered the world's toughest canoe race... 260 miles non-stop.

I love this shot... check out the paddlers in the canoe looking at Shane like, "What the hell is this guy doing?"

     While there are other athletes out there doing ultra-endurance standup paddling, what's unique about Shane is that he's entering all these canoe and kayak races.  From the start, he's had to fight just to enter these races, organizers telling him there's no way a SUP could even finish their event.  Then, once he convinced them to let him enter, the real pressure was on.  If he'd failed to complete any of these events, the "I told you so's" would have been heard around the world.  Fortunately for all of us who love SUP, Shane is not a guy to give up on anything.  He not only finished but placed pretty well in all these events, and now Standup is definitely on the radars of all the top river race organizers.

     Shane has recently been recognized for his work through a SUP Connect nomination for SUP Man of the Year.  Here's why I think he should win:

     Besides the fact that these are some of the biggest paddles anyone has done on a SUP, Shane has done his paddles in rivers in the middle of America.  Shane's been bringing SUP culture to a part of the country that thus far has missed the sport completely, still happily plying the waters in canoes and kayaks.  Not that there's anything wrong with canoes or kayaks... I'm happy to see people get out on the water any way they can.  Unfortunately, to a lot of these conventional paddlers SUP has been seen as little more than a passing fad or an extension of surf culture only fit for coastal locales.  Shane has proved that SUP athletes can do anything our paddling brethren in canoes and kayaks can, which exposes and authenticates our sport to a huge number of people that love the water but most of whom never thought SUP was for them.

     For all these reasons, Shane has my vote for SUP Connect SUP Man of the Year.  You can vote for Shane, or any of the other nominated paddlers, by going to the SUP Connect Facebook Page.  I hope you will!

   
     On the local scene, we have a bit of wind in the forecast, so drop what you're doing and get to the beach!  I had two nice SUP surf sessions yesterday on the small waves that came in on the beginnings of this cold front.  Today and tomorrow look to be even better.  Windsurf, surf or SUP downwinder... these are the glory days of wind, waves and warm water that we'll all be remembering in January.  See you out there!