Good thing I didn't go for the Goslings Rum! As you know, the wind picked up substantially after the race. I felt pretty good and decided to finish the rest of the ride to Miami after the awards.
Starting out it was pretty rough getting through the first inlet to the South of Ft. Lauderdale, but after that it smoothed out. The tide was lower and I guess that the water is a bit shallower for a longer way out the further South you go.
It took me about 30 minutes to shake the cob webs off and then the ride was very nice. The water flattened out a bit and the waves were smaller, but much cleaner. I really wanted to check my new board out a bit with out having to grind so hard like we did in the race. I was really surprised to see how good the board turned given the straighter outline and flat rocker. I know that the board is very fast, but the fun factor was a surprise.
As I rode, I thought that I must be getting closer to Miami, and then I saw the “beach ball” water tower in Hallandale! Actually, I was having a great time and just airing it out a bit. It really is amazing how easy it is to just ride down the coast, often switching tacks, etc., rather than racing. The sun was just going down when I was just about to South Beach. I looked out to sea and saw about 25 sport fishing boats heading toward Government Cut. I guess they must have had a sailfish tournament. I’ll bet that there were some sea sick fishermen out there. Going through Government Cut was the worst of any previous inlets during the race. The tide was ripping out against 20 25 plus knots of wind. I made it through and went to Virginia Key hoping to hop out as the sun was down. Nobody would grab the kite as they were all well into the party mode and so I kited down to Crandon. There was one last kiter out and I saw Paula, my Fiancé waiting for me on the beach. I guess that I owe her, because those of you that know me know that I’m probably a handful… (Probably not as bad as Neil, but pretty bad anyway). Thanks Paula!
After the ride, I was totally stoked. We all remember our best solo rides, and this was in my top ten. I really wanted to hit 100 miles, but ran out of sun. My board worked very well and I still had plenty in the tank. A great time.
Kent
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