Stories and profiles from 2010
Surf Day 2010 photos
06.24.10
We had a glorious summer day on Saturday, June 19 at Nauset Light Beach in Eastham. And even though the waves were ankle-biters, they were wave enough to have some fun.
Hey - it's better than sitting on the beach. Right?
Next up is the Junior Clinic on June 26th and then Windsurf Day on July 10. See you there!
Photos from the second annual SUP clinic with Sailworld
Carrie Crook, surfing and SUPing wahine
06.22.10
We lucked out with the weather and the conditions this year for the Sailworld SUP Clinic on June 16 at Monument Beach in Bourne. Jim and Pam of Sailworld brought a great selection of SUPs ranging from a fast 9’8” Starboard Pro (which was my favorite!) to some big 11’ + Naish cruisers. Sailworld gave the Wahines a brief lesson then sent them paddling on the calm waters of Buzzards Bay to test their new skills. Everyone had a great time and they are now hooked on SUPing!
This clinic is a great way to try out the sport and see what equipment works for you and your needs. Jim and Pam are extremely knowledgeable and have a variety of SUPs at their shop in Buzzards Bay. If you are interested in trying SUPing or looking into some gear, be sure to stop by Sailworld!
Kite session photos from a windy May day
06.04.10
We had a good share of windy days in May and here are some pictures from Lisa Brown from a recent session at Chapin. Included are Wahines Des Moyer and Cathleen Creedon along with Des' husband Luke and their friend Dave. It's not that easy to get photos of Des in action, so good job Lisa!
Update on plovers and kiting in Wellfleet
05.31.10
This just in from the Wellfleet kiters:
"By the way, there is a plover nest and a roped off area immediately south of the path to the Gut in Wellfleet."
You know the drill: this means you have be super careful about not coming ashore outside the town landing because the roped off area with the nest is immediately south of the town landing. And that means that once again, it's not a good spot for anyone learning to kite until the plovers from that nest fledge.
For a refresher about this issue, see "News for kiters: Wellfeet beaches and the CCNS 1/4 mile rule."
Don't forget about the 2010 Learn-to-Rig Session
05.25.10
No idea how to set up your gear? Learn to rig with gearhead extraordinare, Liz!
This is a friendly, low-key chance for newbie Wahines (or anyone arguing with gear) to get your rig tuned, your questions answered, and finally get your tush out on the water sailing!
When: June 5, 2010
Location: the windsurfing area at West Dennis Beach (Chair 8, about ½ mile from the entrance)
Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members
Note: the town charges $20 to park for the day
Contact: contact Liz Patton for more information
Still time to sign up for the Wellfleet SUPathalon
05.23.10
Calling all Wahines who SUP. The Wellfleet SUPathalon fundraiser for Christopher's Haven is on Saturday, June 12. They've set it up as a Battle of the Paddle format with 8 laps of an 800 yard paddle and 200 yard beach run. You can do it solo or as a team.
Here's the flyer in a larger format: click here.
Here's the signup form: click here.
Spring Party was a big success - thanks sponsors!
05.09.2010
The second annual spring potluck dance party on May 1 was a blast. Our sponsors generously donated goods and services for the raffle (the funds raised offset the cost of clinics and lessons for members), our official band raised the roof, our official brewery provided delicious libations, and we gained several new members!
Here are a few photos of the fun:
Q: Why did the surfers go to Cape Hatteras, a windsurfing mecca, in April?
Marietta Hitzemann, surfing wahine
04.23.2010
A. To stare at the ocean and watch dolphins for a week.
Actually, there's surfing to be had on Cape Hatteras and at least one pro surfer from Buxton, NC. Sadly for me, I'd forgotten my contacts and had limited success with surfing while blind. But our week in Buxton (April 10-17, 2010) was a great start for our surfing season, several of our windsurfing friends were there at the same time (they stayed in Avon), and here are some photos from our very brief week in the sun:
Now that we're back, we're watching the local water temps daily in hopes that it will warm up enough to get out there without a winter wetsuit. (Water temps at Lighthouse Beach in Buxton were in the mid-60s while we were there; water temps here are in the mid-40s right now...)
Stand up paddling with Penny Pug
Carrie Crook, surfing wahine
04.09.2010
I’ve wanted a stand up paddle (SUP) board ever since Sailworld gave us that great demo last summer. The demo gave us a great opportunity to try all the different SUP boards and learn enough of the basics to get us on our way with a piece of equipment that we could use anywhere and anytime on the Cape. SUPs are great for ponds, rivers and even the surf and it’s a great all around workout (especially the abs!).
Travel tip from Bonaire: pack an extra sports bag
Elizabeth Babich, windsurfing wahine
03.29.2010
Mothers learn early on that the art of bag packing is a prerequisite parenting skill. In fact, months before delivery, it’s one of the first recommendations they make in the birthing class: “Pack the overnight bag for the hospital.” The bag you take to the hospital is important; an initiation of sorts to your life as a parent. Then you leave the hospital with another bag, a diaper bag, and you pack that bag dutifully for years to come.
Wahine spotlight on: Chatham Wind and Time
Marietta Hitzemann, surfing wahine
03.11.2010
Time and tide may wait for no one, but you can keep track of both with a little help from Janice DiGioia and Jerry Evans of Chatham Wind and Time. Janice has been a wahine since the CCW’s beginning and Chatham Wind and Time has been a sponsor since the beginning, too.
Here’s the abridged version of how their paths brought them to the Cape, brought them together, and brought Chatham Wind and Time to life.
Sponsor puts CCW in the news
02.28.2010
One of the people at our Second Annual Midwinter Wahine Movie Night earlier this month was a reporter from the Cape Cod Times. He came to interview Ned from the Wachusett Brewery.
Here's the story, complete with a (very brief quote) from one of our fearless leaders, Desiree:
(You have to scroll down a bit to see it...)
Movie Night stokes anticipation for 2010 season
02.15.2010
The second annual Midwinter Wahine Movie Night, held at the Shipwreck Tavern in Eastham on February 6, was a chance to catch up with old friends, make new friends, and make plans for the 2010 season. Several new Wahines joined us and the lucky folks who stayed until the end got a lovely parting gift: beer from the Wachusett Brewery.
Pinky (Forest Beach Design) brought the movie that won the prize for “movie most people paid attention to.” The footage of amazing women longboarders in Girls Rip was impressive enough to get folks to stop talking and start watching.
Next year we really want to see some home movies of you, Wahines. Des and Luke are too busy with MyGeneration Energy to fiddle with their video camera any more during their precious time on the water. Janice and Jerry (Chatham Wind and Time) had some cool on-the-water footage from their January trip to Baha, but hadn’t had time to get it transferred to DVD yet which meant they couldn’t show it that night.
So it’s up to you: get those video cameras on the beach with you this year! We want to see the best of 2010 at the 2011 Movie Night!
Teenagers attempt to break world sailing record
02.06.2010
This may be old news to some, but there are two young women out there trying to become the youngest sailor to make it around the world solo: Jessica Watson and Abigail Sunderland. Abby just turned 16 in October of 2009, so she’s five months younger than Jessica, who will be 17 in May of 2010.
The current record holder is Mike Perham, who was 17 and a few months when he completed his journey. He’s held the record since August of 2009, when he took it from Abby Sunderland’s brother, Zak, who had held it for only a month.
Jessica Watson is sailing Ella’s Pink Lady, an S&S 34. She departed from Sydney, Australia on October 18, 2009 and is currently somewhere in the South Atlantic Ocean. She reached her half-way point on January 25, 2010.
You can track her voyage here: Jessica Watson – youngest to sail solo and unassisted around the world
Abby Sunderland is sailing Wild Eyes, an Open 40. She departed from Los Angeles, California on January 23, 2010 but had to stop in Cabo San Lucas on February 2 for repairs. That means she has to re-start her voyage from Cabo.
You can track her voyage here: Abby Sunderland and her quest to become the youngest circumnavigator
Sharing the waves with sharks
Marietta Hitzemann, surfing wahine
01.30.2010
Last fall several great white sharks followed the food all the way to Chatham and had many of the local kiters, surfers, and windsurfers justifiably nervous.
It’s always a good idea to respect the predator, but are sharks on Cape Cod really something to worry about? And, if so, what do we need to know to lessen the risk when we’re on the water?
Have you met Sick Chick?
01.21.2010
One of our wahines has started posting to a new blog named Sick Chick. They write about stuff “for women who are interested in surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, snowboarding, and anything but sitting.”
Bookmark it today!
Can you surf in your diving gear?
Sara Grady, surfing wahine
01.03.2010
I have a secret. I am also a diver. Chances are, if you see someone wandering around a parking lot in a wetsuit, they're either going surfing (of some variety) or diving, but it seems never the twain shall meet. The diver’s realm is below the waves, the surfer’s realm is on top of the waves. When I imagine a surfer in a wetsuit, even if they're dressed for winter surfing it somehow conjures up a sleek, seal-like image. When I think of a diver, it seems to conjure up something more along the lines of a walrus. It must be the gear.