The Gorge is my Gym

First off, thanks to everyone who helped make Kiteboard for Cancer a success yesterday, especially local sponsors Da Kine, Slingshot, Second Wind, Gorge Performance, Big Winds and Windance. Today’s freeride day down at the Event Site, so go watch some incredible kiting!

While I’m thanking sponsors, I’d like to personally thank Second Wind, Hot Sails Maui, Chinook, Da Kine, Mistral sailboards and Gath Helmets (if you don’t have one, you need to go buy one) for making the best windsurfing gear on the planet, (and biking gear and packs and socks and damned cute jerseys in Da Kine’s case) for supporting me, and for helping motivate me to do this every day. Go buy something made by one of these fine companies (I wouldn’t ride for them if I didn’t believe in their gear 100%) and you’ll be supporting your free forecast.

Oh. Right. Forecast. We’ll see some wind later today. Sunshine in the desert combines with frontally-sustained and shortwave enhanced clouds over the west for another windy day today. Early gradients of .06 will be enough for corridor winds in the 13-15 range. As the desert warms, winds build into the 22 -26 range from Hood River out to Maryhill this afternoon.

An offshore low digs in off the coast Monday, keeping Cascadia cloudy and letting the desert soak up the sun. Gradients won’t be strong with this setup, but they’ll be enough for upper teens to low twenties by afternoon (for day 8 – can anyone confirm that? Ron? – of the windy streak)

Models aren’t handling Tuesday very well, so I’m going to take a wait-and-see stance for now.

If you’re looking for something cool to do today, head down to Cascade Locks and check out the Moth National championships. If you haven’t heard yet, Cascade Locks is turning into one of the premier sailing venues in the country. I know many of you would rather see sailboat racing than a casino or water bottling plant (personally, I’m not going to take a stand on gambling or water, but I do think anyone in the Ice Mountain Water District who buys bottled water is a big loser), so get down there and support Cascade Locks, especially the East Wind Drive Inn and their delicious milkshakes!

Coming up this week is the peak of the Perseid Meteor shower on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. I know, not very sporty, but still cool. The moon will wash out the weaker meteors, but the bright Perseid fireballs will still be visible.

If your arms aren’t tired yet, they will be after today. West winds keep blowing through the Gorge. The early gradient was .10 and the cloudline was east of Hood River. That means best winds today will be from Mosier to Maryhill early, filling in from Stevenson to Mosier later on. It’ll be 21-24 this morning, building to 25-29 later.

It’s going to be kitabel conditions for the Kiteboarding for Cancer event at the Event Site today. If you’re not a kiteboarder, there are standup paddle races, live music, hot BBQ and cold beverages. Go check it out! If you’re an Event Site windsurfer, head to Luhr Jensen or The Hook today, since KB4C has reserved the event site for the weekend.

This evening is the King of the Hook longboard contest. Get your costume and your longboard gear and head to the hook. Registration opens at 4:30 at the west end of the Hook.

A weak front pushes across the Northwest tonight, sending clouds up the Columbia. The west winds probably shift eastward tomorrow. Even if that happens, upper teens start the day, building to 23-27 later on.

If you have a chance to head to Cascade Locks today, go check out the Moth National Championships. Those hydrofoil boats rip, and with this much wind, there’s bound to be spectacular carnage. While you’re down there, stop at the East Wind for a delish malted milkshake.