2012 4th Annual Cold Stroke

Back from the wildest race I have been in.  Winds at over 30 on Mac's SOS surf SUP board made this both tough and a fun challenge.  I had a great start on the race (I was dong the 3.5 mile rec division) with an amazing leg of downwind....boy that was fun.  It was so amazing seeing the carnage of people falling off their boards, with many of them totally losing their board downwind and having to open their Co2 blow up flotation devices.  There was one time on the backside of the race when I was going directly in the wind, and the tide was also against me, where I was paddling forward, but actually moving back.    Very early on in the race I passed a guy who lost his board and did not have a flotation device (as it was tied to his board)....big lesson for everyone out there....to wear your pfd.    I was able to get his board and hold it enough while he swam to it.   I lost a lot of time, but this ended up being one of the greatest things for me.  My girlfriend Dawn was now in front of me and I ended up catching up to her about half way through the race....just before it got really tough.  We ended up paddling together and going through many of the same struggles (wind turning our boards around, getting dunked, wondering if we could go on, cold water).  We thought we were done with the big wind and were on the home stretch when the wind picked up even more and we found ourself in one last up winder.  Dawn's arm was really sore at this point and my back was not liking me at all.   With side wind, white water and rolling chop we crossed the main channel and both made it to the finish with a lot of pride in what we just did.   The beers really rated good that night!  A big congrats to everyone who gave this race a go....whether you finished or not....just getting out there in those conditions is impressive.

I did not get many photos but did take a few short videos of Mac .   The first of of him starting the sprints.  As he was in the elite race, he could enter the sprint races to earn some extra dough.

Here is a video of Mac coming in from the race.  Look at those white caps and the wind pushing him downwind.

Here are some great shots take by Kris Barnhardt....thanks Kris

Picture of Mac getting through traffic...with casualties around.  Also, notice the cap Mac wore....very appropriate for the windy day.

Shot of Dawn before the race and at start

Picture of Nick kicking some butt in the race

Pick of me coming in to finish

SUP Surf on Lake Norman - Awesome Fun!

On Saturday, Mac and I took off on his boat and had some SUP surf fun on the boat's wake.  It was a beautiful day with very few boats out and glassy conditions.  It took a few minutes to find the right speed.....which is under 10 mph.  We used his Starboard Wave SUP and it performed so much better than the single fin, larger boards we had used in the past.

Mac catching some

Mac

Me (Rob)

Baja - Oh What Fun We Had!

A week back from Baja and I am missing the early morning wave dawn patrol, the awesome Mexican food, the fantastic windsurfing and biking, hanging out in a beautiful place and the new friends made (oh and of course the Baja fogs...corona topped with tequila and fresh lime).  Mac and I were talking last night about the great balance in fun we had during the week.   We really took advantage of all that Baja has to offer.....and it is alot.   When we first booked our Baja trip we had no idea that they would be scheduling the Matt Pritchard wave camp for the same week.  That was a no brainer to join in there, and it turned out to be an awesome experience to learn more about wave sailing techniques.  I am already looking forward to the next trip out there.   Check out more detail on the trip at Mac's site: thewaterturtle


To get a sense of the Baja experience, check out the video below:


Punta San Carlos, Baja - August 2011 from Rob on Vimeo.

Paddle Palooza - June 2011

Paddle Palooza is a Stand Up Paddle race, with family fun Stand Up Paddle events (dizzy dash, tug of war, tandem races) and other fun activities (BBQ, live music, board demos) held at the outer banks of NC at Frisco Woods camp ground near to Cape Hatteras. 2011 was the first year for the event, and it was the most fun my friends and I have had at a Stand up Paddle event! I only had a few video shots of some of the events, and there is so much more than what you see here. Come join the fun next year.


Paddle Palooza from Rob Cornwell on Vimeo.

SUPing Fun at Old Lifeguard Beach

Mac, Ken, Ralph, Sam and I had some great waves yesterday. It was a day of big rides and big wipe outs.....and tons of fun! Here are 2 shots of Mac and me. Go check out waterturtle for more.



Rob



Mac

A SUPing Day

Mac and I hit the waves yesterday with our SUP boards and some small sails. The girls paddled the sound. A beautiful sunset last night with some Margaritas.




Mac and I hit the waves yesterday, and the girls paddled the sound. A beautiful sunset last night with some Margaritas.

Awesome Saturday

Boy it is great when wind blows on a Saturday, and especially when it blows hard. Saturday was a blast over at Ramsey. Great to see some friends and to get some blasting in. I caught a few pics of Alan on his camera and he got a few of me too...thanks Alan. I am so ready for the Hatteras trip next week. This was a great warm up to get the hands nice and rough.


A Nice Day for a Cruise



Me



Alan Flying High



Me on the Jibe



Alan Jumping to the Turn