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New Jersey Windsurfing and Watersports Association Newsletter Vol. 4, Issue 4. Winter 2012/2013

Editing and Layout: Alasdair Gilfillan Contributors: Andrei Aroutiounov, Terry and AnnMarie Dekyne, Bill DeStefano, Alasdair and Corinne Gilfillan, Jim Karabasz, Tom Latham, Marah Shiels Photographs: Andrei Aroutiounov, Terry and AnnMarie Dekyne, Alasdair and Corinne Gilfillan, Jim Karabasz, Tom Latham, Eileen Pfafmann, Marah Shiels

Contents: Page Article 1. From the Editor 2. From the President 3. Superstorm Sandy: Recollections, the aftermath, and the recovery 3. South Jersey Shore: The eye of the storm 3. Lakes Bay, by Jim Karabasz 3. Long Beach Island, by Alasdair and Corinne Gilfillan 5. Sandy Clean Up at Bayview Park and ISS, LBI 7. ISS Thankful for NJWWA, from Terry and AnnMarie Deakyne 7. Central Jersey Shore Seaside Heights by Bill DeStefano 8. North Jersey Shore Rumson/Sea Bright, by Marah Shiels 9. Sandy Hook, by Marah Shiels

9. North Central Jersey: My Sandy, by Tom Latham 10. Club News 10. 2013 Watersports Calendar 10. Fun Fest @ Sandy Hook 12. Other News 12. Windsurfing reestablished as an Olympic sport 12. Windsurfing Initiative How do we recruit more windsurfers? by Andrei Aroutiounov 13. On the Water 14. Sponsors

From the Editor Superstorm Sandy really took the wind out of our sails during the last couple of months. As with a significant percentage of the population of the affected areas in NJ and NY, many of our club members and associates were directly affected with the effects of the storm; suffering damage to property, incurring significant loss of personal belongings or, in some cases, even being displaced from family homes. The storm also impacted club activities; forcing cancellation of our annual Gala in addition to producing significant damage to some of the major sailing sites up and down the Jersey Shore. We have therefore made a decision to postpone several of the planned articles for this issue and focus on some of our experiences with Sandy and its aftermath; and how it has affected, not only our favorite sailing spots, but also the adjacent coastal areas in NJ. Before the storm hit, things were actually looking good on the water with some nice windy days. In September, the club was able to hold yet another successful Fun Fest, this time

Sandy: the gathering storm; Holgate, LBI; Sunday October 28th 2012

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at Sandy Hook and some of the club members did manage to experience some great windsurfing on the weekend of the storm in the strong pre-Sandy winds. Nevertheless, that weekend essentially was the end of the windsurfing/watersports season for most of us. There was a little bit of good news, however. As we reported in a previous issue, the ISAF voted to remove windsurfing from future Olympics and replace this sailing class with kiting. Due to strong pressure by the windsurfing community, including a petition campaign which NJWWA participated in, during November, a decision was made to re-instate windsurfing as an Olympic sport starting with the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. The details of this decision are further discussed on page 12. Sometimes taking a stand and speaking out does make a difference. We feel that this decision can only be good for the sport as it may help to keep windsurfing in the public eye and to promote interest in the sport by a younger generation. One of the major objectives of our club, indeed has been how to maintain interest in the sport of windsurfing and how to get new blood into the sport. This has also been an interest of one of our windsurfing friends from Canada, Andrei Aroutiounov. He has decided to tackle this issue by turning to the web to provide information on windsurfing schools in an effort to reduce the “barrier” to beginners to the sport. As a concluding article in this edition, we have included a piece written by Andrei where he discusses this initiative. On a final note, we would like to wish one and all a happy, prosperous and windy (preferably less than hurricane force) year.

From the President by Tom Latham

The Jersey Shore took a real hit when hurricane Sandy landed on Oct 29. While many of us have recuperated from the inconveniences it brought, many who call the shore their home are still struggling to renovate or rebuild, and get back to a new normal.

After superstorm Sandy hit, all planning for the annual NJWWA Gala and election halted. The generosity of our members allowed the board to donate all funds raised to go directly to the relief effort in New Jersey. The NJWWA has since promoted a variety of cleanup efforts via email and Facebook. On Nov 24, we arranged for a crew to clean up Bayview Park and help gut a local surf shop. As more areas get re-populated and public access is granted, we will promote more beach cleanup efforts as they become available. The 2013 calendar of events is dependent on both our own volunteerism, and how quickly local communities can recover. We’ve been dealt a new hand, and with it, an opportunity to re-define the NJWWA and its purpose and programs We would like to start the spring off with a Spring Gala and elections, possibly tied in to a 2-hour, indoor Windsurfing Clinic Tour in May 2013. By now the news has spread that windsurfing is back in the Olympics. In the hopes of increasing interest in windsurf racing, we will be focusing our race efforts on the NJWWA Flip Flop & Fly Race Series, our spontaneous slalom race series created in 2011. We will continue to promote this as our primary windsurf racing program. We also have our own NJWWA Forums technology available. The NJWWA has previously been involved in an ongoing access issue with the Island Beach State Marina. It is still a dicey situation that involves both windsurfers and kiteboarders launching in close proximity to each other. Unfortunately, nobody seems to want us to be proactive about it, so only time will tell. While superstorm sandy has changed the topography of the bay, there is the hope that maybe the storm surge has helped to cleanse the upper Barnegat bay of sea nettle jellyfish. We can hope… Unfortunately, many boardwalks and piers are trashed, the bay may be unsafe to traverse in spots, Sandy Hook is possibly closed for the summer, and there are still some curfews in effect, allowing only residents on the northern islands from 9-4. I look forward to being a part of restoring the shore, and helping it to prosper in 2013.

Superstorm Sandy:

Recollections; the aftermath

and the recovery On the evening of Monday October 29th 2012 Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy slammed into the coast of New Jersey, New York City and Long Island, bringing with it gale force winds, heavy rain and, most damaging of all, the record storm surge. The eye of the storm hit just north of Atlantic City, however, was there was little difference in the impact of the storm between the southern NJ counties and the NYC / north NJ areas. Both regions received catastrophic damage.

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South Jersey Shore: The eye of the

storm Lakes Bay by Jim Karabasz

Lakes Bay took Sandy hard, but we are coming back.

BETTER THAN EVER

What happened?

Well Sandy’s eye came ashore right here at Lakes Bay. In the first part of the storm, we were doing well: north wind, outgoing tide. After the eye passed, it was a different story. The wind shifted and the waves of the storm surge over 6 feet deep rolled through the property. The Comfort Inn was pretty much unscathed. It opened immediately (Interesting point: the owner kept his same off season pricing during the clean up while others raised their rates 30% to 50%). On the beach side, it was another story. The whole beach operations (6,000 sq. foot deck, 2 gazebo’s, 2 board racks, 16 lockers and 2 shops) were severely damaged or destroyed!

This is what it looked like shortly after the waters receded.

Where we are at now?

Sitting here (in San Clemente CA) 60 days after Sandy, I’m happy to report that the entire cleanup effort is complete. The deck is well underway to be reconstructed. The lockers are under contract to be rebuilt soon. The snack stand and rental shop have been temporarily repaired. I’m waiting for quotes to replace the shop building.

2 weeks ago Reconstruction well underway:

If the next 60 days are as productive as the last, we’ll be well on our way to be ready to open in early April. In the meantime, we are in full winter operation out of our warehouse in PA. We are stoked for a great windsurfing, SUP & kitesurfing 2013 season, our 20th year in business on Lakes bay.

Happy New Years to all our NJWWA friends

Jim Karabasz, Owner Extreme Windsurfing

Long Beach Island by Alasdair and Corinne Gilfillan

Long Beach Island (LBI), opened up to home owners for a limited time on the Monday following the storm and shortly thereafter to the general public. Although we had seen some of the footage of LBI on the TV and YouTube, the first glimpses of the island came as a bit of a shock, with the sight of many damaged houses, littered boats on sides of roads and elsewhere, and the complete destruction of the

Home ripped from it’s pilings, Brant Beach, LBI

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ocean-side dunes. Particularly disconcerting was the damage inflicted to the local sailing spot, Bayview Park, where the boardwalk and benches had been completely washed away with the storm surge. The surge there had indeed been powerful enough to move the handicap ramp for the rest rooms almost 50 feet along the beach, and to tilt over all the lampposts in the parking lot. It was especially sad to see the loss of the Paul Smith’s memorial bench/plaque, the dedication ceremony for which had only recently been held during the Memorial Day weekend.

The initial visit to the island was especially surreal due to the very limited people on the island and the significant presence of armed military (National Guard) patrolling the streets. It was almost like a scene from a disaster movie, only this was the real thing!

The damage was highly localized; being largely dependent on the size of the protecting ocean-front dunes and the proximity of properties/businesses to the bay. Areas, such as Holgate, North Beach, and parts of Brant Beach and Beach Haven, where the beaches were narrower and the dunes lower, sustained substantial damage. Over the coming weeks, however, the full extent of the damage to the properties nearer the bay became evident with large piles of personal belongings beginning to appear on the sides of the streets. Indeed, based on the amount of the furniture and other items discarded, it seemed that much of the property

damage on the island had been inflicted as a result of water surging from the flooded bay.

Unfortunately, many families have been displaced from their homes and it may be up to another 4-6 months before some of them can return.

It was really awful (and we were greatly saddened) to see the huge piles of people's possessions on the streets and to realize the significant amount of work that needed to be done to the inside of these properties to remove and replace the moldy drywall, flooring and insulation.

Leaning lampposts and sole remaining bench, Bayview Park

National Guard presence in remnants of Bayview Park

Trashed interior items, Buckalews, Beach Haven

Typical flood damage debris, Beach Haven

All too common sad sight, Brant Beach

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Island Surf and Sail was one of the local businesses damaged by the flooding. As discussed below, members of NJWWA volunteered to help Terry and AnnMarie with stripping their property prior to reconstruction.

As bad as the damage was to LBI was however, we had heard from others that some areas on the adjacent mainland, particularly around Tuckerton, and Little Egg harbor, had been hit worse.

The good news is that the local townships and FEMA have been very aggressive with the repairs and endeavoring to get the infrastructure, utilities and beach and dunes repaired as quickly as possible. The debris at the side of the roads is rapidly being picked up, the businesses are gradually opening up, most, if not all power and gas is restored. More people are back on the island, reconstruction is going on, and the dunes are being rebuilt.

We believe that most of the island should be back to some degree of normality by summer. Other areas such as Holgate, however, are unlikely to be the same as before. The status of Bayview Park is currently unclear although we have heard there are plans to rebuild it. As we hear any news about the status of the park, we will pass the information on.

Sandy Clean Up

at Bayview Park and ISS, LBI

To help with the recovery effort after the devastation caused by Sandy, a number of our members volunteered to participate with the organized cleanup at various points up and down the Jersey Shore. On Saturday November 24th a group from NJWWA focused their efforts on Bayview Park and Island Surf and Sail on LBI.

As mentioned above, Bayview Park suffered significant damage from the storm and much debris littered the beaches on both the north end and the south end of the park.

Despite the very cold and blustery conditions, we had a decent turnout of NJWWA members and associates and, later on in the morning, we were joined by other volunteers from Manahawkin who had just turned up to see if they could help out in any way. Although they did not windsurf or SUP, they were most interested to hear about the club activities and we hope that they may join us sailing next year at Bayview when the season starts up again.

The devastation at Holgate

Rebuilding the dunes, North Beach Haven

Eileen, Corinne, Caroline, and Laurie: Bayview park

Teamwork, Alasdair and Laurie

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Most of the debris at Bayview consisted of wooden planking, trash cans, plastic, and even a garage door. Although much of this material was quite heavy to move, with concerted team effort, we managed to get most of this material stacked for future pickup. The beach areas at the park certainly looked a lot better after our efforts. However, much repair work to the boardwalk, benches, and toilet facilities (mainly the handicap ramp) will need to be done in the coming months.

As with many bayside home and business owners on LBI, Terry and Ann Marie (Deakyne) suffered a significant amount of damage to their shop (Island Surf and Sail, ISS) and attached home due to the storm-induced flood waters. The flood levels reached a height of almost 5 feet in the shop and according to Jack (Bushko), when the water came in, it looked like the swirling waters inside a washing machine. So, after doing as much as we could at Bayview Park, a number of the NJWWA volunteers headed over to ISS to help with the demolition process, prior to the necessary repairs. In a way this was a pleasant break for us as we were finally able to get out of the cold air into a nice warm environment.

Our efforts focused on stripping the living area attached to the shop. Unfortunately the dampness produced as a result of the flooding had started to induce mold growth on the paneling and insulation underneath so everything had to come off.

After a solid afternoon’s work, we managed to get most of the walls stripped down to the beams. Eventually even the ceiling tiles were also ripped down. The reconstruction of the house and shop is now well underway and it should be open in early 2013.

The cleanup crew, Bayview park

A garage door is no match for strongman Bill

Terry supervising the demolition

Alasdair and Laurie removing paneling

Jeff cutting water-damaged paneling

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Both Terry and AnnMarie were touched and extremely grateful for the help provided by all the volunteers and they wished to share with the membership their words of gratitude below: ISS Thankful for NJWWA

from Terry and AnnMarie Deakyne

“We would like to take this opportunity to send a heartfelt thank you to the entire NJWWA community for your support and helping hands during the demolition at Island Surf &Sail. Late October brought many of us an unexpected challenge; as the days unfolded we realized it was quite overwhelming.

Island Surf & Sail took in over five feet of flood water and our attached home took in over two feet...Jack stayed with the "ship" and saved as much as he could while battling mother nature. We thought we could do it ourselves; then the outpouring of support showed up from NJWWA; complete with tools and smiling faces. A special thanks to Alasdair and Corinne; your support each weekend was invaluable-giving us the strength to keep moving forward.

There was muck everywhere, waverunners to be retrieved, walls to remove and appliances to haul out. The store just celebrated a 25 year anniversary this past summer. Hurricane Sandy has proven to be the most challenging hurdle for us. However, with the support of our customers who are a family to us, we are almost back to pre-Sandy conditions. Island Surf & Sail looks forward to a fresh new year this Spring--getting back into the bay and ocean to enjoy what we all love, spending time in our beautiful waters.”

Terry & AnnMarie

Central Jersey Shore: Seaside Heights by Bill DeStefano

I visited Seaside Heights on November 23, to assist an in-law with storm cleanup, and found extensive property damage, particularly to on bayside structures. Most homeowners had gutted, or were in the process of gutting, first floor living areas, and most side streets were barely passable, due to the 7-8 foot tall mounds of demolition debris and household trash.

At that time, there were no operating utilities and residents and homeowners, as well as contractors with valid re-entry stickers or work permits, were only allowed on the island from 9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m.. Stickers and permits were borough-specific, so residents of Seaside Park could not gain access to South Seaside or other neighboring

Terry with Barb and Jeff

AnnMarie with Corinne and Alasdair

ISS, Words of wisdom

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boroughs. Police checkpoints were set up at town lines and access was tightly controlled. Conditions have improved somewhat since late November. Utilities are being re-connected and residents with valid stickers are allowed 24 hour access, while contractors still have limited access. However, movement is still tightly controlled. Residents/homeowners and contractors are permitted to only travel directly to and from their residence or job site. Civilian pedestrian traffic and unnecessary vehicular traffic is prohibited. While these restrictions will ease over time, that process will take many months and is subject to many factors.

As far as launch sites, I was only able to visit the municipal park at 14th Avenue; site of NJWWA funfests for the last two years. The recently constructed pier was severely damaged. While most of the pilings were still standing, portions of the decking had been washed away or were underwater. Reconstruction, if undertaken, will be a major project and, will likely not be completed any time soon. In the interim, access to the park launch is unclear. In its present state, the pier presents a safety hazard, and it is reasonable to expect that access to the park will be restricted until the hazard has been mitigated.

Unfortunately, I was not able to visit the Flats, as it is in South Seaside Park. There are no structures in the Island Beach Park “Flats” Launch area which might have sustained damage. However, the condition of the piers at the former Marina is unknown. Any damage to those piers may present a safety hazard which may restrict access to the launch area once non-residents gain access to South Seaside Park. There are no updates on the Yakity Yak Kayak web site, at this time.

So, in terms of 2013, future access to bayside launches is extremely unclear. Non-residents will be allowed back onto the island at some point, and it is assumed that a push will be made to salvage some, if not all, of the tourist season. However, the actual time table is unknown. It is probably best to check municipal web sites. Once non-resident island access is granted, access to either bayside launch site will be subject to municipal approval, based on real or perceived safety hazards.

North Jersey Shore by Marah Shiels

9:00 AM Tuesday, October 30, 2012 – Rumson/Sea Bright, NJ –

Before the National Guard arrived to prohibit people from walking onto the bridge; before the multitude of municipal and gas company crews began working to secure the open gas lines; before the bulldozers moved the six to seven feet of sand obscuring Ocean Avenue, Sea Bright’s only thorough-fare; before Chris Wood (owner of Woody’s Restaurant) and countless volunteer chefs (including the National Guard) tirelessly manned a makeshift kitchen with donated food and beverage in the Sea Bright firehouse serving over 2000 meals a day for weeks-on-end to victims, workers and volunteers; before the three story pile of debris containing a lifetime of water-logged personal items was loaded onto trucks and hauled off to God-knows-where for its burial or burning; before gas rationing and curfews were enforced; before Coast Guard ships guarded the coastline;

before we knew the extent of the damage in the coastal New Jersey/New York/Connecticut area – We stood at the crest of the Rumson-Sea Bright draw bridge (that would not open for ten days due to the power outage) and silently cried, moved by what we saw – and what we didn’t see.

The beach clubs, with their large club houses and sprawling ocean front cabana setups, which are historical and business mainstays of Sea Bright, were badly damaged or all together gone - leaving us a clear view of the ocean which we didn’t have the day before. Those aforementioned cabanas and their previously summer stocked refrigerators were scattered amongst the Rumson lawns bordering the Shrewsbury River, along with boats of all varieties which had been faithfully dry-docked in the days and weeks prior. The tip of the hull of a boat floated under the bridge as onlookers shook their bewildered heads. Residents of the low lying neighborhood immediately south of the bridge patiently waiting for the water to subside; the inevitable discovery of flooding damage and destruction awaiting. Time stands still while the wind continues to howl up to 30 knots. Yet the American Flag that flies from the bridge tower remains – just like the rest of the community – seriously tattered and weather weary – but still there. The same flag I use to gauge my chances of having a good session on the water is a tell-tale of a different kind on this morning.

The ocean had met the Shrewsbury River and then drove further inland to join a large pond – flooding everything in its path. This scene repeated in town after town along the coast, testing the faith and fortitude of many.

Other Monmouth County coastal communities that did not receive as much media attention but were severely damaged are Highlands where 1,200 of 1,500 houses were condemned; Union Beach where of 2,400 homes, 50 were flattened by Sandy, and 160 so badly damaged they need to be demolished; and Keansburg, just under 2,000 homes were damaged or flooded and about 50 to 60 of them totally destroyed. Much recovery work is underway and will be for quite some time.

But there is progress for our local oceanfront community. The first businesses in Sea Bright have re-opened: Bain’s Hardware and AMA Ristorante have lead the recovery. A local non-profit organization has been created to help Sea Bright rebuild – Sea Bright Rising. It is devoted to the relief of the needy and/or displaced and the general recovery of the town of Sea Bright, New Jersey as a result of the devastation created by Hurricane Sandy in the Fall of 2012. For more information, please visit:

http://www.seabrightrising.org/.

The destructive power of the storm, Union Beach

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Sandy Hook

Sandy Hook, home of our beloved windsurfing and kitesurfing launches, was one of many of Hurricane Sandy’s war zones. According to the National Park Service (NPS) Hurricane Response Team, Sandy Hook will open when it is safe to do so – hopefully portions of the park to open by May 2013, but the status is evaluated from day-to-day. The focus has been on emergency stabilization to prevent further loss or destruction. The fresh water and sewage systems were incapacitated and there is currently no electricity unless it is by gas-powered generators. The Multi-Use Path, which was ruptured at several points, needs repair. Beaches are being inspected for unexploded ordnances from Sandy Hook's days as an Army fort. The next step is to identify medium and long term sustainable strategies to provide for safe visitor access, beach clean-up and recovery.

One question on the watersports enthusiasts mind is: what hazardous debris remains in the water (especially bayside at Lots B and C) and who is responsible to locate and remove it? According to the NPS, their jurisdiction is approximately a quarter of a mile from the coastline and the NPS will be addressing any hazards in the water within those boundaries. A timeline has not been established for this monumental task at the time of publishing.

To follow Sandy Hook’s progress and for more information, please visit the Gateway National Recreation Area Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gateway-National-Recreation-Area/172526666126896?sk=wall.

We are incredibly thankful to all of the first responders: police, firefighters, EMS, countless volunteers - locals and those who have come from all around the country, who have nobly put community over self. It has been painful to watch the suffering and loss first hand, and heartwarming to witness, give and receive this outpouring of love and good will.

The sign that hangs above Sea Bright’s Angelica’s Restaurant speaks to the resilience of the residents – and appropriately draws inspiration from long-time Monmouth County resident, Bruce Springsteen. It reads: No Retreat – No Surrender.

We could also look to another of his tunes for the forecast: Better Days – because they are just around the corner.

North Central Jersey: My Sandy by Tom Latham The morning of Monday Oct 29 was an easy bread delivery day to the empty supermarket shelves. The 1pm drive back down the turnpike found the meadowlands whitecapping out and water rising. The Monday morning high tide of Newark Bay @ the Passaic River and Hackensack River confluence flooded the Orograin Bakeries parking lot slightly. The fleet of 50 trucks was moved to higher ground at the River Terminal Development Complex in South Kearny. It turned out that the entire complex, along with our fleet, ended up totally under water once Sandy made landfall. We’re kind of in the same plain as the NJ Transit railroad terminal, which also flooded. Replacement trucks were brought in and we began sporadic deliveries 4 days later to those who had power. The building ran on limited generator power for 3 weeks, and Verizon service returned after 4 weeks.

Monday afternoon in Boonton found the trees swaying wildly. By evening the darkness provided a light show of transformers blowing up throughout the area. Power was out for 4 days. We had hot water, a fireplace, and a gas stove to make it bearable. Flashlights, candles, and radio were welcome additions. A car charger was used to charge cell phones, while our iPhone allowed us to stay informed and check Facebook. Thankfully we had full gas tanks, and didn’t have to wait the 3+ hours to get gas.

Tracey’s job in Parsippany was without power for 14 days. By the 10th day, deadlines were looming and out of state clients were getting impatient. Access to the building was granted to retrieve files while the computer servers were relocated to allow employees access from their home computers.

Up in the mountains of Highland Lakes, Ally lost power for only 2 days, but much of Vernon was inaccessible, and schools were closed for 6 days. 2 days were made up when the NJEA teacher’s convention was cancelled.

I happened to be in Toms River for the Nov 7 nor’easter. The forecast for 1-3” of snow soon became a 10” storm that knocked out power for a full day. As I drove up the garden state parkway north in the Laurence Harbor area, I saw the sailboats from the Cheesequake Creek Marinas all tangled up like pick up sticks. There was even a motorboat upside down in the saltwater marsh on the western side of the parkway.

All in all, we fared well, with just some food being discarded, and family bonds nurtured.

Angelica’s Restaurant in Sea Bright

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Club News

2013 Watersports Calendar

Judging by previous years, the NJWWA Calendar has

always been a big hit at the annual GALA, featuring local talent both on the water and behind the lens. This year is no exception. The 2013 spiral bound wall calendar proudly showcases the NJWWA's best. Now available for a limited time online:

http://windsurfnj.org/membership/calendar_1.cfm

Buy one for home, one for work, and one for the shore. They also make great party favors and stocking stuffers. All proceeds support the New Jersey Windsurfing & Watersports Association.

Fun Fest @ Sandy Hook

While September 22 may seem late in the season, the forecast called for 79° air and 70° water temperatures, with winds SSE 9 mph building to 20 mph by mid-afternoon. We soon determined the need to shut down registration for introductory windsurfing lessons as we reached our maximum capacity by Thursday night.

The morning calm readings were certainly no indication of what was about to come. It took quite an effort by both our sponsors, H2Windsurfing and Aloha Guides, to transport everything across to the bay. A dozen sailboards and sails and half dozen stand-up paddleboards and paddles were made accessible for 22 beginners.

Ken Hoff teaches during the intermediate clinic

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Students were given brief onshore instruction before trying their hands at uphauling, tasking and sailing. Many beginners were kept at bay with 100’ tether lines, while some more proficient novices were let loose to explore further, with the cross-shore winds allowing for an easy reach back to shore.

The Kiteboard Q&A session took place just north of the area, with 6 participants gaining knowledge and getting to try their hand at flying a trainer kite. The increasing winds started making it challenging for our beginners, facilitating the need for even smaller sails. The building 15 mph+ winds soon took stand-up paddleboarding out of the picture, as Aloha Guides was forced to pack up early. It’s always a gamble planning these events.

As much as we love SUPing, it’s solely reserved for calmer winds. By the time lunch arrived, we all worked up quite an appetite, which was easily satisfied by catering from Primo’s Tratorria in Sea Bright. Not only was the parking lot was bustling with activity, but the high tide created a jam-packed beach full of windsurfers.

As the Intermediate Windsurfing Clinic kicked off around 1:30, the wind was cranking 20 – 25mph. This caught some of the 11 students off guard and over-rigged. We even had to rig a static simulator- just a board, mast, boom, and rope- as handling a sail safely on land became dangerous. With no wind in the sail, Ken & Jeff were now able to go through a planning step jibe lesson (considered by some the holy grail

of windsurfing). Waterstart instruction was also performed on the water.

The wind soon reached peak gusts of 30mph. Windsurfers were scrambling to rig their 3rd sail for the day. At one point, we counted 40+ windsurfers on site, and another 20+ kiteboarders ¼ mile south at lot B. This was truly an epic day!

After a buoy course correction, the Race Committee finally got 3 slalom races off at 4:00 in, can you believe, dying winds? Competitors scattered to bring back their bigger boards, and wished they had kept their bigger sails rigged. The cross shore winds were perfect for a LeMans beach start, with the course reduced to 1 lap foe the final 2 races.

Race Results:

Women’s Open Fleet First. Barbara Bauer Second. Ally Latham Third. Marah Shiels

Men’s Open Fleet First. Carl Buchbinder Second. Jeffrey Bauer Third. Tom Latham

A beginner tries tacking

Jeff & Ken guide Ying through the static simulator

Awards ceremony included: medals, pumpkins, and toilet tattoo's

Ally makes her jibe

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Special thanks to our sponsors:

New England Windsurfing Journal, who advertised the event and provided journals for distribution.

WindSport, who provided the overall grand prize of a magazine subscription to Carl.

iWindsurf & WindAlert, for their accurate event forecasts, Brian & Janet from Aloha Guides, who had hoped for lighter morning winds.

Ken & Eileen from H2Windsurfing, who literally supplied a dozen sails and boards to teach beginners on, and even a kayak “just in case”.

Thanks to out NJWWA volunteers:

Tracey, Tom, Ally, Marah, Jeff, Barb, David and Carl, and even more who helped assist us everywhere.

Other News

Windsurfing reestablished as an

Olympic sport

In the summer edition of the NJWWA newsletter (volume 4.2), we reported that, after intense lobbying from the kiting community including Sir Richard Branson, the ISAF voted to remove windsurfing as an Olympic event to make way for inclusion of Kiting at future Olympics commencing in 2016 in Brazil. We discussed the many reasons why we felt that this was a flawed decision and we suggested that our members who wished to do so should join in an online petition to have this decision reversed. As a result of the intense outcry from the windsurfing community, a decision was made in November to have this decision reversed.

Reversal of the initial decision required a 75% majority vote of the council at the ISAF AGM meeting held in Dublin, Ireland in November. Unfortunately only a 68% vote in favor of reversing the original decision was achieved. Nevertheless, the General Assembly determined that a simple majority was all that was required to change the initial decision.

It appears that there had been some confusion with the voting process in ballot with several representatives of the voting nations subsequently apologizing for voting for Kiting in the earlier round.

The Sailing classes at the 2016 Olympics will now comprise:

Men's Board -RS:X (windsurfing) Women's Board - RS:X (windsurfing) Men's One Person Dinghy - Laser Women's One Person Dinghy - Laser Radial Men's second One Person Dinghy - Finn

Men's Skiff - 49er Women's Skiff - 49erFX Men's Two Person Dinghy - 470 Women's Two Person Dinghy - 470 Mixed Two Person Multihull - Nacra 17

This decision can only be good for the sport. However, perhaps a place can be found at future Olympics for Kiting and indeed SUP, but not in the Sailing division and certainly not at the expense of windsurfing.

Windsurfing Initiative

How do we recruit more windsurfers?

by Andrei Aroutiounov, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Few can argue that windsurfing has been in some degree of decline over the past ten years. There are fewer sails at once crowded Caribbean spots, some paper magazines became extinct, and windsurfing had until recently been dropped from the Olympics (since reversed – see above). One of the reasons (in my opinion), is what I call a barrier for newcomers: first steps may be very difficult and frustrating for those who try in a wrong place, on a non-beginner board, in a bad weather, or under a poor instruction. I built a web site www.na-windsurfing.com, with the main objective to lower the barrier for people, who are interested in getting into windsurfing. As part of the project, I'm publishing a map of windsurfing schools: http://www.na-windsurfing.com/WhereToLearn/schoolmap.html No doubt more can be done to promote our favorite sport. We could discuss it in the NJWWA Forum. As for the web site, I'm open to any suggestions and comments how to improve it, add useful links, or publish a story (travel report, learning experience, etc.). You can reach me at info@na-windsurfing.com.

Andrei cruising in Bonaire

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On the water

by Tom Latham

Sunday previous to the storm, there were definitely opportunities to windsurf some higher winds. Lakes Bay was clearly 18-29 hold onto your hat sailable, while Little Egg Harbor showed 30-40 handkerchief sailing.

The swell & chop at Trixies Landing in 30-40 mph may have brought out only the most seasoned experts. Across the bay, the shallower waters of Barnegat bay had an even more unforgiving 35-45 readings midday.

Consisting of an enclosed cove, the southeast corner of Sandy Hook bay could have provided some degree of a safety net for intrepid explorers. 26-32 mph seems somewhat forgiving, and definitely less gusty readings, could have allowed for an appropriate sail size to be keyed in to both the average and the gust. While almost all of the wind vanes faced some form of destruction, the top of the Seagull’s Nest restaurant in Sandy Hook clearly registered 90 mph Monday night.

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