We are holding the first planning meeting for the Halloween event 2008 to be held Friday, October 31 through Sunday, November 2 this fall. This year it is going to be a watermans event, including a standup paddleboard and kayak race, kiteboarding course racing, downwinders in the surf for fun, and free riding at Matanzas Inlet each afternoon with the outgoing tide until dark. Our local kiteboarder and reggae officiant DJ Raggamuffin is organizing a bus to take us on a pub crawl on Friday night, complete with costume contest.

This years event is going to be bigger than better than ever, and we are counting on everyone's help to plan and make it happen. The official planning meeting will be held at 8:30 p.m. at Mardi Gras which is located at 123 San Marco Ave., or north of downtown St. Augustine just south of the Vilano Bridge turnoff. Please show up and stay afterwards for Raggas new Shredsday nights with extreme sports videos showing and reggae, hip hop and rock and roll on the speakers.

Where's the energetic youth of the sport. You should be out partying like rockstars. Representin hard! Come on now! Wheres the stoke gone?

sorry dude had some jetlag and passed out before the meeting

You're not back in town are you? You should be well skilled in the partyin arts by now! Use the force Toast.

We had our first planning meeting last night for the 2008 Halloween event. Here is the tentative schedule:

Friday, October 31st

Halloween night costume contest and kickoff party - location to be announced.

Saturday, November 1st

Standup Paddleboard Race - Anastasia State Park:
- 9 a.m. registration
- 10 a.m. start on the beach heading north towards St. Augustine inlet
- Race will go up the beach a couple of miles to the inlet at Vilano, with the incoming tide through the inlet, and then down Salt Run back to the windsurfing concession at Anastasia Park.
- Noon - Lunch at Island Joes in Anastasia Park
- 1 p.m. - head down to Matanzas Inlet for kiteboarding
- 3 p.m. - course racing registration on the beach at Matanzas Inlet
- 4-6 p.m. - course racing
- 7:30 p.m. - dinner and awards ceremony at a local restaurant T.B.A.

Sunday, November 2nd

10 a.m. - meet at the pier in St. Augustine Beach for a downwinder to Matanzas Inlet
12:30 p.m. - lunch at Stir It Up in St. Augustine Beach
1:30 p.m. until dark - head down to Matanzas Inlet for the outgoing tide

Kiteboarding course racing is wind dependent, and we will only hold the event with an average of 15 knots of wind or greater. If the wind is marginal on Saturday, then we will hold the course racing event on Sunday instead. More to come...

Eddies got the force. look at him go.

I would of been there, but I had to study. = (

Freestyle competition?
Biggest wipeout award?

yea back in town til tuesday, I'm prolly not gonna be able to make it to the halloween event but if I'm still back on the mainland I'll try and make it.

We have talked about a freestyle kiteboarding competition at the Halloween event, but it would be tough to pull off. First of all, we would need qualified judges, and those typically cost money. Then we would need to invite some talent, or else it would be Jonathan versus Pat in the final.

A big air/kite loop competition and sickest wipeout award seems like it would be more fun for spectators and easier to pull off logistically, assuming we have wind for the event. It would be great to have a couple of video cameras rolling on the beach so we could show some clips at the awards ceremony that night.

Any other suggestions?

I'm old and have no game anymore...Johnathan would win hands down. I ride like Codder now...

How about a standup paddle board wave event or a kiteboard wave riding event... ?? standup paddle event could be on the southside of the inlet where you could have good views from up on the cliff ...

Also, Haydon asked for a RC surfing event so he can get Bob in the water and show his skills...

And....sorry I missed the meeting...I've been in Canada working on my hockey game...finally going home tomorrow...

Thanks for the reply Pat. I know the feeling of getting older and the new tricks just hurt to much to try anymore. I was watching Jonathan do mega loops last night on the 9 Best Yarga and the landings hurt just watching.

One option for the SUP event is to have a team event where everyone has to paddle out around a buoy, then back in, catch a wave, and paddle back to the beach where they switch out. There have been several such events that I know of in Puerto Rico and Hawaii and were successful. The team aspect would be fun!

A kiteboarding wave riding event is an interesting idea! That left point break on the N side of Matanzas would be a perfect venue with a higher tide just when the outgoing starts to push. The only issue is getting judges together and setting up heats. It could be done though...

I am getting a hold of all of the college kiteboarding clubs from UCF, UF, FSU and UNF, and hopefully they will be in full effect for the event. There is a collegiate kiteboarding series now with competitions, so they will be into competiting.

a team sup event sounds good...would be lots of fun...

How about a body drag downwind race? That should get the newbies involved

...add a downwind landboard / buggie race too?

So here is an update on the latest Halloween event planning. Since the SUP event is not going to be an endurance race, and we are looking to introduce the sport of SUP to St. Augustine, we decided to change the format. Now the SUP will be a team event, with 3 person teams. We will have a buoy 1/2 mile offshore from A Street in St. Augustine Beach, and it will be a race from the beach out around the buoy, and then each person will have to catch a wave and come back to the beach where they will hand off to the next team member. This way everyone can participate even if you do not have a SUP board, just find someone you know that has one and get on board!

As far as the kiteboarding course racing, we would like to setup a course and test it out on Sunday late afternoon at Matanzas to get it dialed in. The wind is looking good late in the weekend. If you are interested in participating please call Eddie at 904-347-6872. I will bring the boat and camera so we can get a little footage in the process. Anyone have any inflatable buoys?

I do like Pat's idea of a wave riding event if we can find some judges. Is there anyone else interested, or should we just make it a demo and get some footage?

Eddie...event is looking good! HBurns would be interested in the SUP event, if he doesn't have to stand up and use a paddle...

Codder, thanks for stepping it up and being a judge. Also, are you going to babysit like last year? If so, I'll bring the fam.

codder just man sits for people now.

How about a long jump event like they did at the gorge? It could be fun and it would be easy to do.

I like that idea!

Any update?