DOWNWIND CAMP 2023: 3 is the magic number
What is downwinding?
Downwind paddle boarding (downwinding) uses strong winds and the waves (or swell) it produces to paddle and navigate from one place to another. This means you start in one place and finish in another, paddling with the wind and waves.- Google
I first learned about downwinding back in 2018 when I heard of a race, The Gorge, held at Mt. Hood, Oregon. I would watch the youtube footage and look at all the Instagram pictures, and I hoped to one day have the chance to try it. In 2021 I did! After meeting Anthony Vela, coach, and leader of Performance Paddling, who I trained with for a month, he informed me his group would be going, and I was welcome to join them. I didn’t hesitate to make arrangements. A month later, I met the group in Oregon and had an amazing time. The event left me wanting more training and more time to play in the windy conditions. Since that race, I have had many more open ocean practices and races and learned to surf, but still not any actual downwinding. So when Anthony invited me to this invite-only camp, I WAS IN!
The camp was being held in Avila Beach, CA. We’d be camping at Fly Right campgrounds. The daily schedule was planned for a meeting at approximately 10:30 am, Loading up the trailer at 12:30, warm up Yoga with Lindsay, and paddling in the water. Times were subject to change according to the winds. So even though we had a planned schedule, we really had to be ready to go at any notice. Three days in a row. Three opportunities to experience different conditions, work on new skills, and continue to grow as paddlers. We were not disappointed.
DAY 1
I woke up before the sun and headed north for the 4- 5 hour drive. Besides driving through LA traffic, I was excited about my drive. A new adventure, seeing parts of California I have never seen. Unfortunately, there was a heavy marine layer most of the way, but at one point, I literally drove above the clouds and saw the sun.
I arrived at camp in time to check in and set up my camp. Specifically, put my hammock up, set up my tent, and food prep for the first run. I knew I would be tired and on the verge of Hanger after our paddle, so it was important to be prepared. I would later be so grateful I did.
I made a quick protein/green juice shake and prepared a hummus veggie wrap to leave in the van to eat as soon as we got off the water. I had already been adding electrolytes to my water for the two days leading up to the camp, so I was feeling ready, and the butterflies were kicking in.
Aaron, the same Aaron from the Salt River Getaway, arrived, and we loaded up the trailer with the boards and paddles. Now the butterflies were really kicking in. Anthony called all of us together for our first meeting, and we were surprised with a goodie bag. Inside the bag was a very bright orange shirt and we had the choice of a hat which I chose hot pink. When out on the water, in wind and swell, it is important to be seen. As Anthony joked,
“we will make it fashion.”
I will wear this hat and shirt every time I go downwind. The shirts were one of the most important pieces of safety we had, as you are about to learn.
We were also introduced to Vincent Shay, a local paddler and photographer, and he is the man you want to take you out on the water. He was born, raised, and lives in Avila. He and his wife own the Mermaid Market, where we had our morning meetings. His knowledge is priceless, plus his energy is infectious! As we discussed our plan, we could feel the wind picking up, and the white caps were starting to appear. Butterflies were now full-blown, and we loaded up to head to the beach. We quickly unloaded the boards and gear, and while Aaron and Jason drove to drop off the van, Lindsay led us all through a nice yoga session. Personally, I loved it. It helped me keep my focus, find my breath, calm my nerves, and have extra time to watch the water. As soon as Aaron returned, we hit the water and began our paddle to the end of the jetty.
The Jetty is just a little more than a mile, so a great warm-up and more time to feel and judge the wind. Anthony had planned for us to stop at the beach and take a look over the jetty to get a look at the conditions, cue more butterflies. The white caps were alive, and you could feel and hear the wind. We decided we would paddle out of the jetty and a little more upwind in order to catch better waves. Nothing left to do but paddle. As we neared the end of the jetty, Jason Meffe flew his drone over for one last picture, and we were off.
Photography by Jason Meffe
The first 15 minutes were great. Everyone was smiling, some wahoo’s were heard, ok I yelled, and the anticipation of amazing conditions were at an all time high. The plan was to stop and gather and go over any changes in conditions every fifteen minutes. During our second stop we noticed that the white caps were starting to dissipate and the wind wasn't as strong. No big deal but it does mean we will have to paddle a little harder than planned. Mind you it's only a little over 6 miles and we all train 2-3 times a week, so for our group it's not that far of a distance.
Then it happened…. As we continued to paddle the wind turned on us. Suddenly I could feel the brim of my hat being blown back. For those that don’t know what that means, we were now paddling into the wind. No longer a downwinder, we were paddling upwind. Soon that wind made white caps, but not in the direction we wanted.
Have you ever been on a trampoline and been double bounced, or tried to jump in an elevator when going up, well that’s kind of what this felt like but also in a bowl of soup all at once!
There were moments when it felt like my board was launching in the air, and then it would slam down between two waves. I really thought a few times my board would snap. At one point, I looked down at my Garmin watch to check the miles and I swore my watch was broken. 2 miles!!! We had only gone 2 miles. I knew this was not going to be easy. I won’t lie, for a while, I was good but slowly, I felt my mind start to wander. Where is the end? Is this ever going to end? Can I make this? What if I can’t make it?
At this point, I was paddling on my knees and I could feel my neck starting to tighten up. I was nervous. Just when I needed her, I could hear and then see Teri Plunket off to my side. I looked at her, and she looked at me. We both paddled a few strokes, silently pushing one another on, but I finally broke and said,
”WILL THIS EVER END?”
Teri looked at me and said,
“I’m just keeping it positive”
but if her eyes could speak, they said,
“BITCH, Keep paddling!”
That was all the motivation I needed. It reminded me that I have the skills to be out here on the ocean in some wild conditions. The last time this happened to me, I was on an inflatable and barely knew how to paddle, with NO safety plan. That was what convinced me to go out and learn how to really paddle. It’s what started my journey and I just have to put my head down and dig. I can do this, and I'm actually very safe. I mentioned our fantastic shirts Anthony gifted us, well they were the unicorn of this paddle. No matter how far apart we got we could always see each other. Soon I saw Dave taking a wave in, and I knew the end was near. Still another mile but near. I took another swig of my water, stood up, and paddled for my life. I controlled my breathing, slowed my rhythm down, and found my form so my neck could release. Soon I met up with Anthony who was waiting to help guide us into the beach. Finally,’ I felt those last few waves push me in. Before I could get too excited, one last little hurdle, carry my board overhead up two flights of stairs.
We did it. We made it. What should have been approximately an hour paddle took three hours! This group is truly full of rockstars. Led by our coach, Anthony, who has one rule when we train. No negative comments. For every negative comment we have to give 3 good comments (Law of 3) . In that moment on the water, when I let my head get involved in my paddle, when I saw Teri, TP, this ONE RULE, was our common thought. She reminded me not just with her words but her body language. As we all celebrated being back on land and loaded up in the van, we related our experiences. Remember that veggie wrap I prepared, it was the best thing I had eaten in days!
Back at camp I was again grateful I had arrived early and set up camp. My body was sore and I was starting to wonder what tomorrow's paddle would bring. Too exhausted to make my dinner, I chose to go out and eat with a few others. We returned to camp and soon I made my way into my tent and slept to the sound of the ocean and seals.
DAY 2
I woke up bright and early. In Avila the marine layer is thick until mid day. Everything was damp and misty when we woke up. My body was sore! I didn’t stretch properly after yesterday’s paddle and I was paying for it. Luckily, Lindsay was going to be teaching a morning yoga session. I made my coffee and breakfast and prepped what I would need for later in the day. Lindsay’s class was just what my sore body needed. One of the great things about myofascial stretching is you can sneak it into any movement. So while Lindsay guided us through a lovely morning flow I was also able to get a little extra stretch in. Slowly I could feel my body waking up and the butterflies were starting to swarm in anticipation of what would happen on our paddle that day.
After class, Anthony had us all meet at the Mermaid Market to review the day before and discuss our next paddle. Anthony would ask us three different questions and we would write our answers on notecards. We then would go around and share our answers. I found it extremely helpful to hear what the other paddlers were thinking or feeling. Hearing Vincent’s point of view was even more helpful and started to settle my nerves about our coming paddle. We wrapped our meeting up and headed back to camp to gather any last things we would need.
Just like the day before we loaded up the van, Aaron dropped us off at the beach, and Lindsay led us through a warm up while we waited for him to return. The wind was picking up and it was a little colder today. I was full of nerves, so I got on my board and started to warm up.
Soon Aaron was back and we headed out to the jetty. This time the wind wasn’t as intense as the day before so no white caps but still plenty of bumps to catch. Vincent was going to be following us in his boat to get some good photos. Just like before, we paddled a little upwind in order to get a better line back. The paddle the day before, I wasn’t really sure where we would be landing, but we had a marker to look for. This time the fog was still pretty thick and we couldn’t see the landscape or our marker. This is when our bright orange shirts were key and also who doesn’t love the Garmin watch’s map! The first 15 minutes I was a ball of nerves and couldn’t find my rhythm. We gathered for our first stop and Anthony gave us all a drill to try.
Three strokes, Glide. (law of 3 again)
Soon I found my rhythm and then that feeling of my board lifting and gliding. All nerves were gone, I was trying my best to find the next bump and keep gliding. It was fantastic. Vincent would drive ahead of us and capture some great shots as we paddled by. Unlike the day before this paddle ended too quickly. We were full of smiles and high fives after.
Photography by Vincent Shay
When we got back to the camp grounds, I did my ELDOA postures right away. I learned my lesson the night before. My go to ELDOA postures after a paddle, I start with the pelvic torsion then, C5/C6, C7/T1, all upper thoracic, and lower lumbar. I took a shower, and gathered with everyone at the campfire. Thank you Jason for the fire! It was a great time full of laughter and stories. Those kinds of memories you have to be present for. No secrets revealed here!
DAY 3
Waking to the sound of the ocean and seals while in a tent is something I highly recommend at least once in your life. I took my time this morning getting out of my tent. I wrote a little, did some meditating and finally got out of my tent to get the day started. Coffee, Breakfast and prepped my gear, I headed up to the area where we met for morning yoga with Lindsay.
On the first day as we headed out on our paddle, Aaron reminded us all to take a moment and look at where we are. Well that paddle was so intense that I purposely didn’t look around. All I could focus on was the nose of my board and the end zone. So I took a moment and really looked at the harbor where I had already paddled twice. Where if you stand long enough you’ll see a whale breach. I took a nice long breath and exhaled. I had no butterflies today. Just a sense of calm and that no matter what the conditions ended up being we could handle it, but also we really wanted more wind!
After yoga and our morning meeting at the Mermaid Market, it was back to camp to gather our things and head out. The winds were looking really good and we were pumped. The paddle out to the jetty was tough with a strong head wind but that was a good sign for our paddle down. We took a quick look over the jetty and we were happy to not only see white caps but hear and feel the wind on our faces. This time there was no need to paddle up for a better line. In fact I barely had to paddle to get out into the waves. The wind just took us. This was the paddle of all paddles. I found my rhythm and right away linked some bumps. Earlier in our meeting, Dave Boehne gave us all some tips on how to feel the board to link bumps. (Sorry those I’m keeping to myself!) I was super stoked that what he said actually made sense and I was able to glide from one wave to the next. I definitely linked 3 waves at one point! This was my 10, out of all my downwinding experiences.
Left to right: Myself, Lindsay, Terri
Back in the van it was great to hear everyone's feedback. Some found the paddle the day before better, but we all agreed we didn’t want it to end. We got back to the campgrounds and showered up to head over to Ed’s cottage for the After Party. Dennis made the best D-rice yet. Ed had a new margarita recipe for us to sample plus the original topped with black lava sea salt.
Anthony had one more surprise in store for all of us. He took the time to go through the group and award us all with a memento and some heartfelt words. Bo Weidner discovered his love for the wind, Lindsay Weidner was glowing to get to share her love for the wind with her gentleman. Dennis was the MVP for bringing the winds, Sean Richards always keeps the sharks away. Teri Plunket, my personal mvp, is one ripping bad ass woman!
I was honored to be awarded with an incredible picture taken by Vincent Shay, who also personally signed it for me. He had only taken it three weeks earlier. There is a possibility the whale he captured in the photo has a name and he will be submitting the shot to find out.
I was given this amazing gift for “Having the most stoke”
When I was competing in dance one of the many nicknames or comments I repeatedly got was “Firecracker. '' Julie, my dance teacher, always instilled in us to push and encourage one another. Whether we competed a solo or a group piece, we were all there to support one another. This has definitely been coded into my blood. It's a part of who I am. No matter how nervous I might be internally I will always show up with a smile and ready to go. Actually my smile will usually get bigger when I'm really nervous, but the show must go on!
It was a very special moment for me.
A girl from the desert, trained since I was 4 to be a dancer. Now I get to say I'm a paddler, a surfer, a water woman! Plus, I get to train with some of the most incredible water people.
It was nice to hear everyone say something about this experience. To grow together as paddlers and as humans. It's rare to spend 3 days with people and truly connect and forget about the rest of the world.
I learned a fun ritual from Seychelle a few years ago…. The rose, the thorn, the unicorn (yep there it is again, law of 3)
The rose:
Being in a new incredible area of California on the water with other like minded people.
The Thorn:
That first paddle!
The Unicorn:
That first paddle!
It gave me a new confidence in myself. It made me realize that for the past three years I have been working hard. Originally just to learn to paddle properly. Which progressed to wanting to train for a race to stay busy during Covid. To this fabulous new life I have; NOT in NY, paddling, surfing, living on the ocean, and with a gentleman I am rising in love with everyday. New friends and connections. I live a blessed life.
Thank you Anthony Vela for your love of the water and all your coaching, physically and mentally. Vincent Shay you are a one in a kind person and I can’t wait to come back to Avila to paddle. Dave, thank you for sharing your passion for the water. Your knowledge of how our paddle boards are designed to work. For taking the time to give us individual feedback on and off the water. Teri Plunkett, woman you already know you saved me from my own head. Can’t wait to find a river to paddle now too! Lindsay, you are a light in this world and I love being on the water with you. Golden Girls! Aaron, I don’t think any of us will ever eat a cheese pizza without thinking of you. As always, you have some inspirational words to make us laugh. Thank you for reminding us to stop and take it all in.
I can’t forget Bill, Ed, Juerg, Dennis, Terry, Sean, Jason, and Bo. It was a group effort on and off the water. We all were invited for a reason because WE KICK ASS!
