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The Columbia Gorge IS BIG WINDS
Yes, the weather phenomenon that is the Columbia Gorge is a natural generator of the wind that propels the sports we love. Ever since I first stepped foot in the Hood River wind sport hub – Big Winds...
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Springtime at the Hood River Inn
For the past decade, our “home away from home” in Hood River has always been the Hood River Inn, a special gem situated along the wide and mighty Columbia River. Although we have stayed there in...
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Wind and Wing – Day One
Isn’t it always the way? On these spring days when it’s warm enough for a paddle the wind is blowing like stink – and usually in the face as I travel upstream in the Deschutes River. With a string of...
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Wind is Wonderful
There has always been something magical about paddling my SUP on a glassy lake or river. But ever since I got my Freewing AIR V2 I have been obsessed with my Windy App. If wind is promised in the...
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Wind, Water, Waves – and Customer Care
Wind, water, waves – and the companies that make or sell the goods that get us out there. This is a story about a hat! I write a lot about about Starboard founded in 1994 by Svein Rasmussen. Why not...
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Fluky Winds – Size Matters!
Being a newbie at any sport is always daunting – and taking lessons is the best way to improve. But I live in Central Oregon about 3 hours from my nearest lesson site (Big Winds in Hood River) so I am...
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More of a Kite Than a Sail
I am a water fanatic – in it, on it, around it. If there is a way to move, soar, glide, surf or adventure on the water I am on happy kid! My daughter excels in many sports but around water she is...
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A Woman Wishes to Fly
A wing and a prayer! The water is still bone-chilling COLD here in Central Oregon and the winds have ranged from 8kn to gusts in the 11-18kn range on the days I’ve been out with my Freewing AIR V2....
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Leash Up for Safety
When I started SUP about 15 years ago it was a relatively new sport here in Bend and there was a very tight-knit SUP community of friends to paddle with and to learn with. The learning curve was very...
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Begging for Breeze
Summer finally arrived here in Central Oregon but steady breezes are still being elusive. I have yet to be patient enough to wait to get out on the water after 3 PM when the wind is more dependable....
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Old Dog New Tricks
It’s a tired and trite saying, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” But if the old dog is inspired, curious, open-minded and finds the right team for learning – then “new tricks” are fully...
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The Wing Clock
Part 2 in a 3-Part Series You can read Part 1 here You can read Part 3 here Feeling where the wind is coming from while winging is a skill that can be practiced anywhere – on or off the water. During...
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Zoom Winging – Then You’ve Gotta Turn
Part One of this series HERE Part 2 of this series HERE Wow – the feeling of zooming across a rippling body of water powered only by a lofting wing that you hold onto while directly powering your...
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Elder Peeps Deserve to FLY!
Maybe everyone who starts out with a Starboard Freewing AIR V2 has an end-goal in mind: getting up on a foil. I got my first wing just AFTER my 73rd birthday. I live in the high desert of Central...
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The Yin and Yang of SUP
About 10 days ago I saw the movie Where the Crawdads Sing. I think the film brought out my inner “marsh girl” and inspired a paddle far different than my usual SUP time when I head out for training,...
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Sunday Funday Winging!
It’s a roll of the dice to make the one hour drive from my house to one of three lakes where wind and wing come to play. Of the three I choose the one with the most fluky wind because the lake is just...
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Caladesi Island Adventure
Winter days along the west coast of Florida can be exquisite – and this morning dawned high overcast, barely a breeze and the wide open Gulf of Mexico beckoning me to take a paddle from the Clearwater...
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Big Winds – Small Customer
During the summer of 2022 I trekked on up to Hood River for a lesson that would launch me into the sport of winging. As always, I stopped by Big Winds to chat with the team and get insights on which...
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Starboard 4-in-1 Wonderful!
The joy of the Starboard 4-in-1 inflatable during my winter on the west coast (of Florida, not Oregon) was endless. From the ease of packing it into its bag for the flight south, to its versatility...
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Plant a Mangrove – Your Blue Life
It’s great news! Starboard Launches Blue Tiki Token ($BTIKI) Blockchain Technology with Celo We returned to snowy and cold Oregon after spending a part of winter down in Florida paddling among the...
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