South Padre Island Windsurfing Pages

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Winter is almost behind us and the spring sailing season is just a few months away. Are you ready? This spring will be the 26th Annual SPI Windsurfing Blow Out. By the way, did you know that the Blow Out has races for all skill levels? So if you are interested in testing your racing skills be sure to sign-up for the event. Great events along with three Swap Meets and our annual Spring Dinner will make this
a fun spring season.

Do you have your 2006 sticker? - It’s that time of year again.
Your old 05 stickers are no good anymore, duh. The new 06 decals are ready to go. So fill out your release
form (attached and also available on our web site), sign it and get it to Herman or Jibber. When you send in
your release form make sure you include any changes in your address, phone number, and email address.
Please print clearly when filling out the registration form. Also make sure you SIGN the release. In order to
sail at the North Flats every sailor must have a signed release form on file. The North Flats property owners are leasing the use of this property to the members of the South Padre Island Windsurfing and Kiteboarding
Association with the requirement that all members of this organization submit a signed release form. Be sure
to put the sticker on the upper corner passenger side of your windshield.
If you have any questions about your registration email Herman at sbsso@awesomenenet.net. Be sure to put SPI Windsurfing in the subject field of your email.

Fall 2005 - This past fall season was a lot of fun. The season started outslow with the wind not sure if it wanted to wake up from it’s summer nap. But it finally decided to show up and when it got here I don’t think anyone was disappointed. With the Fall winds came some old friends like Monty and Arlene Montgomery from CA. It was really special to have Arlene here for a long visit. Plus we had a lot of first time visitors from around the country. This Fall season came complete with three swap meets and a clean-up day at the Flats. We’ve also added some no-tech message boards. One at the main gate and one each in the windsurfing and
Kiteboarding launch areas.

Fall Fajita Feed - Over 120 members and guests
attended the annual Fall Fajita Feed sponsored by SPI Windsurfing and
Kiteboarding Association. Chef Jibber grilled up beef and chicken fajitas
and polish sausage to perfection. The event was held at Dolphin Cove,
Isla Blanca Park. Many members helping out with the preparing, cooking,
and serving managed to make this a pleasant evening. This is a kick-off
event to the new membership year.

Kiteboarding and Windsurfing Launch Areas - The North Flats is one of those rare sailing areas
where windsurfers and kiteboarders share the same “general” launch area. What makes this work is both groups respect and obey the Associations launch rules. The rules are simple, kiteboarders should park and rig in front of their launch area leaving at least a 100 yard buffer between the two disciplines. The Launch areas are clearly marked with bright orange buoys. Kiteboarders should always launch and land down wind of the buoys.
We’d also like to give a special thank you to Rob Piirainen and Kenny Minnotte who are volunteering their timeto represent the kiteboarders at the SPI Windsurfing and Kiteboarding Association meetings. Rob recently provided us with some Kiteboarding Safety guidelines that we’ll soon have up on our website. In the mean time you can check out the guidelines at: http://fksa.org/viewtopic.php?t=478.
Just a reminder that everyone using the North Flats is expected to follow these safety rules. These are the same rules posted on our website at http://www.spiwindsurfing.com/safety.html

Lost and Found (an almost true story) by Diane Szymanski -
Every story should have a happy ending. It was a blustery Monday in
October on South Padre Island. Winds were registered at 44 mph (or was
that knots?). Mark Scranton, of Colorado, decided it was finally windy
enough for him to go out on his 5.7m sail. He and his chase crew drove to
the "Flats", which were flooding because of the north wind. After rigging
in the ankle deep water, Mark planned to sail to a local windsurfing site.
His chase crew, Dessa and Caren --"the Girls"-- would meet him there.
However, there was a little glitch in this plan because of the water
covering the sand, getting stuck, rental cars, etc. But that's another story.
Mark failed to show up as expected. Dessa called Caren and drove all the side entrances to the Laguna.
No Mark. Where was Mark?

General News…. Been to the association’s web site lately? Spring and Fall pictures are on line. We’ve
also added the new safety guidelines along with some new links to Laguna Madre wind forecast. We’ve also
added some articles from some of our members. In particular we’ve posted some articles on eateries on SPI.
We also want to thank Diane Szymanski for the article she submitted for this newsletter and we would like to
encourage anyone who would like to contribute a “related” article to our website. Please send your article or
announcement to SPIBOB1@yahoo.com.

BTW, the fastest recorded speed at the Flats is 35.6mph. Kansas sailor Joe Blanchard set this record on
1/5/06. He was sailing an 118L board with a 5.0M sail. Wind was out of the North with gusts in excess of
40mph.

North Flats Safety Rules
Now that windsurfers and kiteboarders are using the same winds and waterways in close proximity, special
attention needs to be taken to accommodate these different sports. Do to the large areas needed to launch a
kite; it is best for the two sports to have separate launch areas. Here are a few rules that will make the North
Flats safer for all of us.
1. Kiteboarders will always rig and launch downwind of windsurfers, the area will change according to wind
direction. Orange buoys mark these rigging areas plus there is a No Rigging area between the windsurfing and
Kiteboarding areas that creates a safe zone between the two sports. Do not use this No Rigging area.
2. When a kiteboarder arrives at the beach he should quickly take notice of the wind and at what end of the
beach they are going to use for rigging and launching.
3. Kiteboarders and windsurfers should not sail straight out from or in close proximity to the others launch
area.
4. Port Tack (left arm forward) windsurfers/kiteboarders Stay Clear of Starboard (right arm forward)
sailors. Starboard sailors have the right of way!
5. Upwind windsurfer/kiteboarder Stay Clear of downwind sailors.
6. Faster (overtaking) windsurfer/kiteboarder Stay Clear of slower sailors.
7. Tacking, Jibing, Free styling (jumping) windsurfer/kiteboarder Stay Clear of all sailors.
8. A windsurfer having trouble staying upwind when on the water should launch as far upwind from the
kiteboarders as possible. Give yourself room.
9. A windsurfer who drifts downwind from lack of board speed or experience into the Kiteboarding area
should be alert to his direction, right of ways, and hold his course. An experienced kiteboarder upwind of a
windsurfer will fly his kite high over head when passing the windsurfer.
10. A beginning kiteboarder upwind should be alert to all windsurfers and kiteboarders downwind of him.
11. A windsurfer should be alerted to any kiteboarder upwind of him, but especially a beginning kiteboarder
with lack of experience and control of his kite. Take precautions and stay clear before it’s too late to escape.