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Kim was home mowing the lawn, Keaton was visiting from college for a long weekend and I was chasing the wind for a second day in a row! After Saturday’s nice blow on Seneca where I scored a nice session on my 95L Freewave and 6.3m Ezzy, and the entire local kite and windsurfing community showed up at the same site for some great camaraderie, I was hesitant to press my luck but the forecast was just too interesting to not explore! A Groupme alert went out and teased me into another trip to one of my favorite spots, Seneca Lake. The forecast had questionable wind quality with huge gust differentials and although Hamburg look like it was going to go off big I opted for a local site.
Arriving lakeside at the newly renovated and landscaped Chamber of Commerce that was jammed the day before, I was greeted by an empty parking lot. Winds were moderate, 12-17mph per my handheld, but out in the lake I spotted one blue shark totally on plane but staying in the middle section of Seneca. I promptly headed over to the park where several kites were already engaged in some fair weather Fall sailing. At the shark launch, I didn’t recognized the sailor’s vehicle but could clearly see that he was consistently maintaining plane. The wind shadow at launch was huge and I had no choice but to rig big. Quickly I rigged my light air old school setup; a 6.9 Ezzy Wave and 115L Fanatic Ray with a 42cm G10 slalom fin that I was sure to get weeded up!
I waded out towards the end of the pier to find a bit of air to pop up onto the board. There was no wind and I waited for a puff. Popping up on a puff, I pinched out into the lake. It took forever to reach the wind line. As I approached the wind line I could now clearly see the waves and wind awaiting me and I hooked in, the adrenaline instantly arriving as the board rose up onto plane! Totally powered I slipped into the front foot strap, sheeted in, raked the sail back and loaded up the fin. Just for fun I dragged a weed along for the ride that was quickly shed at my first gibe. With little effort I punched deep into the lake; I was all by myself, no distractions, just focusing on technique, speed, foot pressure, arm pressure, wave and wind interaction. Ripping, JUST RIPPIN! In the middle I estimate the wind at low twenties and lulls seemed non-existent, no match for speed and momentum. A small weed island was even no match as my G10 fin plowed through it. Deep out into the blue water of Seneca I slipped my back foot into the weather worn Dakine foot strap and beared off the wind for some screaming reaches. Every once in a while you get it dailed in right and this was perfect. The heat a of Fall southerly wind and constant exertion took its toll, I was hot, parched and tired after a good hour long session. I adjusted my course northerly where broad reaches flew me back to the park where I was joined by the blue shark, Swan, who unknowingly had influenced my perfect rig and session. Seneca Fall sailing at it best! I LOVE windsurfing!
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Way to go Scott. Great write up! Thank heavens for that 6.9, supremely fun. I couldn’t get out Sunday morning, and was gun shy to pull the trigger on and afternoon shot at Long Pond.
I felt exactly the same way following Saturday’s Wind, Sun, and Stoke with a beach full of wind nuts. It’s a great venue on my favorite lake. Sal from Buffalo (kiting/foiling on an RRD kite) put a comment on the WNY Kite, windsurf, SUP etc. Facebook page about his session and he highly recommend the Buffalo area folks not overlook Seneca.
Another funny thing is that I know the exact feeling of sheeting in at the wind line on Seneca from the park. I get that rush most of the time on the first run, but I am always more acutely aware of it at that launch. Maybe the quick transition from the flats in the wind shadow into the ramps and swell.
I know you were wanting more on Saturday, so stoked to here you LOVE windsurfing.
Suan is good fun to ride with, he even offered to wear the GoPro on the water so I could get some footage of me…batteries were minutes from dying though.
Wdoug
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Suan (Yong) is the correct spelling. Very good rider from Ithaca, but (my editorial) he suffers from Ithaca-ism. Since I first met Suan, he’s gotten quite good despite riding most of the time in the flukey winds of East Shore at Cayuga Lake. Hopefully, we’ll get Suan and others up to Seneca more often.
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