Philip Soltysiak has spent more time at home in Hood River and he got some epic sessions on the windy river with his iGnite and UltraKode boards! Enjoy the clip below and read Phil´s update from the Gorge where you can windsurf every day from April to November!
Words by Phil:
HOOD RIVER
It’s crazy to think back on this season and realize how little I traveled compared to when I was doing the PWA Tour. I managed to squeeze in a trip to somewhere warm early this year before the pandemic broke out to create a magazine project, which I’m sure you will be reading about in your local windsurf magazine shortly, but since then I’ve been doing all my windsurfing at home in Hood River. All the North American events have been canceled and postponed until next year, so there’s been no travel for me.
To be honest, when you live in Hood River and you’re a windsurfer it’s a beautiful thing to be hunkered down and keeping it local. The clips in the video are outtakes from a few days of action at 4 different spots, each between 5 minutes and a 1-hour drive from home. Between these 4 spots, there are another 10 launches that we regularly windsurf at, each with its own unique conditions. Some days it’s windy at all these spots, other days you have to know the forecast well and choose the right one to have a good session. Thinking back on the summer months I think the wind blew every single day! I know I live in the right spot when I tell my friends from home (Toronto, Canada) that I now live in Hood River, and their eyes twinkle as they look off in the distance and mumble: “One day, I would love to do a trip to the Gorge.”
GREAT WINDSURF COMMUNITY IN THE GORGE
There is a great community of windsurfers in the Gorge with varying levels of stoke. Some have a 3.0m as their biggest sail and only go when it’s crazy windy at their local spot 2 minutes from home, others will drive 5 hours from Seattle to optimistically expecting a forecast of no wind to turn into decent windsurfing. All in all, there is a great crew here, excellent stoke, and good vibes.
During the main season from April through November, we generally windsurf the majority of days. Winter came a bit earlier this year so the water sessions have become more sparse, and fresh snow on the mountain has been calling my name. That being said, the wetsuits and boards are on stand-by ready for the next strike mission, whether it be 2 minutes from home at “The Event Site” or a couple of hours drive on the Oregon Coast.” Stay tuned to my website www.philipsoltysiak.com and social media accounts to follow the adventures!”
