Friday afternoon blew.
The wind jinx called in sick for the U.S. Open, and the opening races on Friday were blessed with 20 knots. Some of the top guys in the world, including Kevin Pritchard, Phil McGain, and Micah Buzianas, had their ample gear rigged and spread out across the grassy bluff. U-Haul trucks full of thick triple board bags, skinny mast bags, tear drop boom bags and stuffed sail bags were backed up side by side in the tiny parking lot. Blue shade tents flapped in the wind, alongside brightly colored sponsor flags whipping on their temporary poles.
Rigs on the bluff.
The kiteboarders hopped out on the water throughout the evening, exhibiting their incredible wares and taking their place as the dominant crowd pleasers. The event announcer, Doc Doolittle (no lie), kept referring to them as "dopes on ropes." But we're sure he meant it in a nice way. When the sun started falling, we rounded up a group to head to Snoopie's for fish and chips, and dined outside on the pier with our buds Jeremy, Teresa and her daughter Jasmine, the Monganni Olaf, Keith from Wipika and pro kiteboarders Mauricio Abreu and Darian Smith.
Mauricio in the midst of a no-handed double backflip.
With full bellys and the Friday night jitters, we headed to downtown Corpus to find someplace to get our groove on. We'd had a tip to head to Dr. Rockets, a blues bar that didn't quite live up to its name. Must have been an off night. We walked down the street to Planet Luna, a discoteque carved into the side of the wall, blaring hard driving music as loud as possible onto the street. It lured us in, and we stuck around through the lull long enough to catch the upstroke of the party, which crescendoed to a ridiculous "lovely legs" contest. We danced there til they turned off the music, then loitered purposeless in the street until indecision crashed the party and we all went home.
Kites on the water.
Next morning we headed out to Bird Island in light winds, and I attacked the beach with the 6.5. Not quite ready for the contest, but getting better slowly but surely. BP played shuttle jockey and instructory so the camera was stowed away in the camper. Next time we'll have to get it on film before folks start calling me a fibber.
BP tucked up in the judges tower.
Saturday afternoon the contest proceeded, including race after race for the windsurfers, and a 40-minute freestyle heat for the kiteboarders, during which time they went OFF! Tricks included no-handed flips, 1080s, and Mauricio even pulled an incredibly technical front-to-blind flip.
Brant hooked up with some old buddies on the windsurfing circuit, and the weekend went on. Sunday was light wind, and the kiters got skunked. Brant pulled out the old backgammon board, and as a result Mauricio declared that BP had loaded the dice. (It was those triple doubles he kept rolling.) Monday's competition included a Winduro race, and another heat for the kite heads. The wind wasn't as strong as they would have liked, but there was enough power to have fun on the water, and the Open closed with the wind still blowing.
Darian just hangin'.
We plan on sticking around for a few more days to get in a bit more time on the water in guaranteed wind. Then (we promise) we'll head out of Corpus. But it will be a temporary leave, for this is a spot to which we will certainly return again and again.
