09 Epic Baja – Swine Free
May 2nd, 2009
09 Epic Baja – Swine Free
by Kevin McGillivray
!!!!!Hola amigos!! I’m back from Baja and didn’t bring back any SWINE!!! Although some of my friends are questionable, technically, I wasn’t hanging out with pigs!
“Playing with Horseshoes”
Kevin McGillivray
Photo courtesy Clark Merrit
“Ponch Take-Off”
Kevin McGillivray
Photo courtesy Clark Merrit
“It’s Getting Dark in Here”(2)
Kevin McGillivray
Photo courtesy Clark Merrit
“Casey Lit Up”
Casey Hauser
Photo courtesy Clark Merrit
“JP Finds the Spot”
J.P. Bowles
Photo courtesy Clark Merrit
As most have heard from previous emails, we had a killer two week trip to Punta San Carlos. I crossed the border early Friday morning on the 10th and had a no problemo drive down. Actually
added about an hour to my trip when I got to Ventura and realized I forgot my passport. AWWWW MAN!!! You’d think with all the traveling I do, that would be the one thing I would remember! No worries, that was about 3:00am so still no traffic. For the first time ever for me, I got to experience the San Carlos dirt road under cloudy skies and occasional rain. Since the dirt there is a great substitute for an industrial lubricant, I had to put my Baja Flyer into 4-wheel for a couple sections. It was only off and on rain, so it was no big deal. Since I figured it wasn’t blowing, I even slowed down a bit and enjoyed the Baja desert scenery more than usual. BEAUTIFUL!!! Rolled into camp at about 2:00. No wind.
Woke up to sunny skies the next day and a light sailable breeze starting up by 11:00, chest to head-highs rolling in. Around 2:00, the planes started landing with the 12 clinic-ers jonesing for wind and on the water by 2:30. Man, that’s too easy!! The next few days were the official start of the clinic and the official start to the wind and waves! A nice south started firing into The Point and Chili Bowl hitting up to logo high for a few days. Wednesday was nearly too windy and I was completely wound out on my 4.5. Made for a good show with all of the talent that showed up. I had Casey Hauser and Tyson Poor helping me with the clinic and we also were treated with the wind stylings of Ingrid LaRouche, Tanya Saleh, Bryan Metcalf-Perez, and Sam Neal. Everyone was just going for it and the show was GOOD!
As the first week came to a close, the wind and waves gave us a little break. The first week’s clinic-ers started making their way out and were quickly replaced by the 18 for the next week. Saturday was quite the change over at the Solosports campo. There was still enough breeze for everyone to get wet, although the waves had backed off to waist high. For the first few days, there was a lot of wavesailing “theory” going on for the clinic and everyone was feverishly checking the swell forecast (and sucking up all the bandwitdth to the point we had no internet the next day!) There was good news on the horizon, though, and THE BIG SOUTH was on it’s way. Wednesday started off in the waist high range again, but then……BOOM! All of a sudden, right before sunset, the logo high sets just started rolling in. And so did part time Baja resident, JP Bowles. Once he showed up, we knew it was going to get good.
Over the next few days we SCORED some of the best waves I’ve ever sailed at PSC. Consistent logo high 8-12 wave sets. Most of the time, the last waves of the sets were mast highs. Everything was working: The Beachbreak for the new-to-wave sailors, The Point for the pros and stronger sailors and the Chili Bowl for those who dared to take a crack at it……..and yes, many of us tried. Photographer Clark Merritt commented how he’s never seen so much swimming in the Chili Bowl. Lots of durability R&D for the gear manufacturers (refer to the “Carnage” emails coming soon.) Quite a surprise at how little damage to body and rig was sustained over the next few days.
After taking some beating for a few days, the swell gradually let up and by my last day for the two weeks….waist high again. Perfect. Hands were hurting, so I called it a trip, jumped back in the Baja Flyer and rolled north with no problems.
Attached here and in future emails are some shots by (and the property of) photographers Clark Merritt and Chris Hughes. Hope you enjoy and hope to see you on the water soon!! It’s getting windy as I hit send!!!
Happy winds to you all!!!
-Kevin
Categorized in: Baja, Haulass Hotline