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Canadian Open Raceboard Champion!!

The Pirate coming in for a landing off some voodoo chop

Ian Matthews from Toronto sendin' it!!

A tow back to shore results from equipment failure during the race

Just presented the gold and silver medals from John Darling of Windsurf Canada!
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Can you belive it!? I won the gold medal in course racing AND tied for a gold medal overall of Silver Fleet with our Pirate friend Wellsy! We still can't figure out how that happened for Wellsy (kidding), but to determine our overall scores, course racing along with slalom scores were added together for the final count. What a day it was today!! God damm I'm so stoked as you can well imagine!! What a reward for working hard all year long at various regatta's and keeping focused for this one event!!

Day 4 race report: It started when we woke up in the morning (a little later than others due to us watching Down Child's Blues Band play in a club), but the wind was already crankin' and it was a sure sign of things to come for the rest of the day. We had a last breakfast in our friendly Greek eatery to fuel us for the day. We arrived at the skippers meeting with a light drizzle of rain and lots of texture on the water. Everyone was running around trying to figure out what to rig, what board to take, etc, etc, and with the blow of a whistle it was time to get on the water to do some figure 8 slalom racing. Paul was on his 126l starboard/7.4m, Wellsy went old school with his Ken Winner Bic board/retro 6m, while I decided that I could handle the conditions on my Prodigy/8.5m. When we hit the water, I soon realized that 20 knots of wind on Lake Ontario is far, far different than 20 knots of wind on our home turf of Wabigoon Lake. With current in the channel at Kingston, it created some voodoo chop that is almost too hard to describe, and something that we're definately not use to. Waves were left, right, 3', 6', flat and dark, big and rolling, basicly everything! CRAZY!! I soon realized after getting totally trashed trying to get to the start line I better get my butt back in to shore and change gear. So after a long, very trying time to do a downwind reach back to shore I was beat! I ran back to the trailer and rigged up the 6.4m Neil Pryde Excess and popped it on the 125l Bic Astro Rock which turned out to be a great combo for me. Heading back out to the start line was unreal! Jumping on every wave, and I mean JUMPING! With all the mess of changing gear (bad race strategy again!!) I missed my first three heat races in slalom, but made the next two and opted to miss my last heat race due to the fact I was just totally beat up. I sailed back to shore to find Paul behind me and the Pirate was towed to shore after his u-joint on his relic Bic board exploded during a heat race. So funny how he explained it to us. He said he was charging hard down the lake during a heat race, then he hit a big wave, jumped in the air and when he landed he wiped out and his rig was in his hands, but his board was 50' away and rolling in the waves away from him. Wellsy had to swim like a mad man to get his board and in those water conditions, that's tough. If (when) you wiped out, you were in the troughs of some pretty big waves and couldn't see anything until you rode to the top of the next wave....CRAZY stuff!! We all got beat up pretty bad, but in a good way. After the racing was complete, most everone headed back out for some good ol' free riding. Barney was hucking forward loops, the 'frat boys' from Toronto were spinnin' spocks and stuff, and the Pirate headed back out on the Astro Rock with his retro 6m sail while Paul and I loaded up the trailer. Just an all around awesome day!!

We are now sitting at a Best Western around Orillia, Ontario somewhere eating a pizza and totally exhausted from our big event at The Canadians in Kingston!

We'll be home tomorrow sometime!!!

WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!

Posted by Brad at August 27, 2006 11:14 PM

Comments

Congrats to all of you guys for doing so well up there. It looked pretty narly out there, impressed with how you guys handled the conditions. I wish I could have been there, but after tonight I am just happy to be alive. I am sitting on my couch in my basement, it is 1:35 AM and I can't sleep, cause Brook and I cheated death by the mater of luck tonight. My whole life is flashing through my mind right now and I am not sure how to deal with it. I will send you guys a message tomorrow, a freaky thing happened tonight with a BIG ol oak falling over my Jeep when it was parked at Chris and Aarons, I was loading the car up runining in and out to it right before it happened. Just puts everything in perspective. I am so glad I have friends like you guys. My Jeep is completley bust since the Oak branch that fell and hit it was probably 2000 lbs and about 100 ft long, it fell from over 40 feet right on top of my Jeepski... :(

Drive safe on your way home and don't park under any trees...
- Uffe
USWE 22

Posted by: Uffe at August 28, 2006 2:48 AM

Wow....awesome job guys. You've certainly represented us northerners in the best way.

Posted by: Big Al at August 28, 2006 7:23 AM

I can't wait for my Golden Boy to come home!!! We have to have a party!!!! I'm so proud of you!!!
Uffe - oh my God!!! You had an angel watching over you last night!!! We'll talk to you soon!
The jeep can be replaced but not you and Brook!!!

Posted by: Woodette :) at August 28, 2006 7:33 AM

OMG guys! Way to go! Congrats Woody!
(computer difficulties at home so have been out of the loop for a couple of days. I need the Cable Guy!)

Posted by: Shan/Surfybstratfd at August 28, 2006 3:16 PM

way to go Woody, you deserve it after all your hours of work!! Enjoy the glory:) We are all proud of our GOLDEN BOY

Posted by: Links at August 29, 2006 5:48 PM

You are so right! What an accomplishment on the highest level of competing in Canada and to finish first! That is such an amazing victory!!!. I'm happy they are home sound and safe and it deserves a big celebration! Time to chill the champagne!!!

Posted by: Woodette :) at August 29, 2006 7:22 PM

Congratulations Brad and to Wellsey too! What a wonderful accomplishment for the "Northern Boys"!!
I hope that your are recognized by the City and the Mayor too for all the good publicity you have given to Dryden!!
We are all so very proud of you --words just fail me--you are just the BEST!!! Love Mom and Dad X0X0X0X0

Posted by: carol Orvis at August 30, 2006 11:36 AM

Posted by: carol Orvis at August 30, 2006 11:37 AM

Oh wow, that is awesome!!!! We came & watched on the wrong day man

Congrats big bro!!! Proud of you kickin' butt!

Posted by: Guinevere at August 31, 2006 7:57 AM