Windsurf State of Mind & Gear Separation

Alright, it is the year 2026, and I (Baskin) is re-evaluating if I still have in me to windsurf. I should still be in it, right? Someone still has to do it. Is it still fun or is it too much work, too much gear to carry around in addition to what I have.

The Big Day

About two years ago (July 22, 2024 to be exact), on a very windy day in the Gorge, I have experienced a gear separation incident first time ever in my wind riding past. On the first day of trip, the forecast called for BIG MONDAY - the expectation was high, haven't windsurfed for a whole year and putting myself into a situation where my windsurfing limits would be tested. Many other riders sat on the sidelines as 50+ mph gusts whipped across the Hatchery starting around noon. Earlier, I rigged a 4.2, had one reach and came out thinking this is too much, that was around 10 AM or so, then rigged a 3.7 which lasted just me being in the water, lifting the sail and pulling back out. Then the 3.2, a sail I had purchased as an insurance policy but never rigged and sailed before. So had to try that.

Gear Separation

Rigged the 3.2 and went in the water, went out one reach, fell on the other side. Water start was fine but it was a struggle, then coming back fell in about 100 yards or so away from the Hatchery shore. I barely got the sail oriented and tried to waterstart and then a huge gust hit me. It litereally took all my strength and the boom, the sail and the board away from in one large tumble. Up to that moment, never ever experienced anything that big. I tried to swim after my gear, and fell short as it kept tumbling away from me (even the current pushes the other way as most Gorge riders know, the current and wind goes the opposite in west winds), I could not simply get back to it.

The Rescue

Now separate from the gear, started bobbing in the water, one kiter came by, I flagged him and he was going to make another pass, I got approached by a foil SUP downwinder (Matt G) asking if I needed help. And yes, sir, I needed. I grabbed on to his board and for about 20 minutes, he pulled me onto the shore line. I think I was in the water for about an hour or less when I stepped on the rocks at the Point view at the Hatchery. People were watching and I had a few eye contacts with a few riders concerned about my safety, especially Jason Watts, who is an excellent kiter on a 6m kite that session. He is local and he also admitted that never before he was scared that his kite would blow up in the air because the gusts were super strong. I don't have a scale to measure what really hit me that moment on the river, it took away some of my pride as I lost my gear on the river, floating up & down on the river, but gained respect against the nature and its elements.

Tow in image taken from a video summing up the epic action on that day - Not For ME! 😊

Recovering the Gear

Visibly shaken I have left the Hatchery and contacting people, especically Bob Stawicki, owner of the Zodiac, IwasPhotographed.com whom I have used his services before (similarly a few year back, he helped me recover my board in another board / sail separation incident but that is probably another blog post on its own, but in short, I didn't connect the sail properly to the board, and it popped out at Maryhill, I left go off the board down wind, but held on the sail which I was able to pull to the shore on my own. No real struggle then, at least compared to the last one, but it was under control. I didn't feel like I was helpless. On July 22nd, I was really struggling having no gear and floating on the river.

Bob at first said he didn't see my gear, but rather said that he spotted a windsurf gear on the rocks at Springcreek hatchery see pic below. After receiving the picture, realized that this is my gear. Tim, Kelly and I in my car and started heading to the Hatch. Unfortunately there was traffic congestion on the Hood River Bridge and we took the longer route to Cascade Locks / Stevenson and took us another 40 + minutes to get to the scene.

While visiting the Swell city for board, there was smoke on the water

The Damage

Windsurf Gear - 2026 edition

Since that incident, instead of figuring out the gear at the Hatchery and openinng and rigging things up, I have decided to inventory the gear, rig the sails up and figure out a few connections, what goes what and what are the optimum settings for downhaul and outhaul setting numbers in between the gear. Since 2005, I have purchased and sold the below boards:

• Mistral Explosion 161 lts - 2005 (sold to Piotr in 2024 board swap)
• Mistral Syncro 115 lts - sold at Gorge Surf Shop by Bart - 2014
• Mistral Syncro 82 lts - 2005, bought second hand in BigWinds in 2007, sold to Randy in 2023 direct
• Mistral Syncro 76 lts - 2007, bought at Windance in 2008, sold second hand at BigWinds in 2022
• Naish 90 lts - 2010, bought second hand and sold to Randy in 2023 direct

Also bought:

• HT Custom 84 lts glass board (pictured below) from 2007 at a Gorge shop that is closed since
• Goya Thruster C3 81 lts board (pictured below) from 2021 at BigWinds which suffered damage from above.