Thanksgiving Day Report from Ego Beach

NE swell with WSW wind made for a wild wave sailing sesh on Thanksgiving Day at Ego Beach. It was apparent very quickly, to the first few sailors to venture out, that the "Bermuda Triangle" came to Ego Beach on Thanksgiving Day... cauldron style current was the setup on the inside, caused by the mast high set waves coming in against the wind. The water on the inside didn't know what to do...and had no where to go. If you were unlucky and went down on the inside...you were done. Several sailors were witnessed being trapped in the molasses water for 30 minutes, unable to even clear their sails! All you could do was keep your head above the water and wait for the current to let you go or spit you out. A good sized windsurfing crew was on hand to try their luck. Chad, Billy, Bowairs, Alan, Jim, Dan, Charlie and myself all gave it a go. Chad and Billy get high marks for persistence, and both made it out after some brutal beatings on the inside. While the crew watched in disbelief as "Moses" (aka Charlie) parted the sea as usual and sailed out without getting his hair wet. There was some carnage... Dan ripped a sail in half, billy blew out a batten, and Bowairs was bleeding from a wack to the head. Overall it was fun to be sailing in 70 degree air and 64 degree water on Thanksgiving Day, but the wave sailing kinda sucked."
Reporter/Photographer: Keith McCulloch

More photos from the day:

Thanksgiving at Ego Beach


The wave crew eying conditions


Billy E heading out to meet the approaching whitewater


Billy E back on dry sand after rigging down


Charlie M working a mast high bomber!


Billy E out ahead of the wall


Billy E heading out, while a denied board flops in the air


Charlie M in another BIG set!