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In
fact there are a few of his friends
still bickerin' about
who exactly came up with the catchy
title. I believe there was drinking
involved and one YG was injured when a
stubborn Ballena bottle cap discharged
into his eye in the process of opening
it. Duly christened
"Popeye", he was reluctantly bequeathed
the authorship by a rather spiritually elevated committee
of his peers. More on them later.
 What
a season opener! During the first
Solo trip, a back to back Pritchard
Series of Wavecamps featuring Kevin
McGillivray & his posse of young guns,
Solo guests experienced
everything from balmy trunk-able
SUP sessions to classic Spring chili-
cold wind-n-waves, served up with a
blistering cheddar colored sun.
Nobody's complaining though, because
everyone charged hard & scored big.
Not deterred by
published reports of border violence or
a
tad later, swine flu outbreaks, our Solo
guests were stoked to be in the best
damn wave sailing spot on the planet
with conditions right out of a
windsurfing fairytale. In a year
that promises more left turns from the
right lane, we, the SoloSports team will
stand-up & hunker down with a untiring
commitment to bring all those hearty
souls that crave a slice or two of good
clean Punta fun, the best service,
lathered up with a treasure chest of
lasting memories. And you can take
that to the bank!
Click here
for highlights. Want
more? then
click here
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SoloSports
welcomes UK
based
OCEANSOURCE as a Strategic
Travel Partner |
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Windsurfing
is alive and well in the UK
& Europe.
Over the past few years we
have noticed an influx of UK
guests in the Solo camp.
In an effort to enhance our
worldwide reach, we have
created a strategic partner
alliance with OCEANSOURCE,
an action watersport travel
company. OS not only
offers our holiday packages
but other windsurfing
destinations as well.
Currently they are providing
marketing support
for Jem
Halls PSC wave boot camps.
Welcome aboard and SALUD!
Check out their website for
more info.
OCEANSOURCE |
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NEWS SNORTS
straight
from the
bar rail of the
CHILI-BOMB CANTINA
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Chili-Bomb Cantina
doubles bar counter
space to meet guest
requests for more
coveted places at the
trough. Early AM go-outs
drop 27.4%
Solo Guests made it
clear when asked what we
could do to improve the
bar. MORE BAR SPACE!
What could we do? Kevin
Trejo went them one
further by not only
doubling the space but
adding a part time
barkeep as well.
Neil Foley, past Solo
guest, volunteered to
man the bar on an ad hoc
basis. As many of
the 2009 Solo guests
will attest, Neil pours
a mean Marg. "Its
just another example of
our on-going commitment
for improvement", Kevin
commented with a warm glowing
smile.....hmmmmm -ed
Hard to keep a good Fog
Down
Also in the bar news,
Baja Fogs top guest list
of most popular
libations served at the
Bar. We'll see if
Neil's Margs will give
the Fog a run for it's
money. Due to the
popularity of the Baja Fog,
the Campstore now stocks
Fogamorbilia in the form
of 3 T-shirt designs, a
Baja Fog kit and Baja Fog shot
glasses.
Campo Solo serves up a
Cinco de Mayo fiesta for
local friends, family &
guests
In the true tradition of
family, Campo Solo
hosted a Cinco de
Mayo fiesta for local
friends in the Fish Camp
village at the base of
the point. Not that
Cinco de Mayo is big on
the fiesta list for
Mexicans but it is
a cultural custom to party
often.
Ironically the great
conditions enjoyed by
windsurfers is a blight
to the local fisherman.
The great conditions we
enjoyed during our
season opener were no
work/no pay days for the
locals.
We employ family members
from the Fish Camp.
Kevin Trejo reached out
to all of them by
offering special work
projects until
conditions improve for
fishing. "It
is a
wonderful thing to give
back to our community",
said Trejo. Campo
Solo also regularly
purchases fresh fish &
crab from the
local fishermen.
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FROZEN BLUE
TEARS on the
HEADLIGHTS |
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It started
out as a
joke but
quickly
escalated to
a dare, then
a triple
dawg dare.
Then they
were out
there,
almost
nekked,
sailing in
the freezing
cold! |
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It was a
classic
Spring day,
cold &
windy. The
air was in
the mid
fifties, the
water a
clean 52.
4.3s & 5.3s
with hoods
were the
order of the
day.
High up on
the
protected
campo Solo
Tarmac,
Kevin
McGillivray,
now called
"Goiter Boy"
and guest
Tanya Saleh
taunted each
other with
the bet of
who could
stay out
sailing the
longest,
scantily
clad.
With neither
side backing
down the
innocent
tussle now
had them
both
frantically
rigging,
sneering and
badgering
one other
all the
while.
I was
sequestered
into
documenting
the whole
affair.
It was very
cold on the
beach as the
two waded
into the
water.
I thought it
would be over in a
matter of
minutes.
Half an hour
later,
I began to
fear
hypothermia
was setting
in for all
of us, further
impairing
their
and my judgment.
Finally
Kevin seeing
the danger
of
continuing,
coaxed Tanya
into calling
it a draw
and they
both sailed
in.
WOW! it was 34
minutes and
a case of
shrinkage
that
qualified
Kevin for a
tenor
position in
the Fish
camp
boys choir.
As for
Tanya?
I'm taking
the high
road on that
one.
The
entertainment
factor was
off the
scale as
they sailed
past other
sailors,
sensibly
dressed.
It was
definitely
worth
viewing in
the comfort
of a wind
protected
venue.
Thanks for
the show!
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We recently attended a special event at our favorite Mexican Restaurant - Avila's El Ranchito Mexican restaurant of Lake Forest, California. Our lounge & bar are more than inspired by this cafe. Over the years of our patronage, we have become friends with owner Sal, a Mexican surfer who divides his time between his home at San Miguel, Ensenada & Southern California.
Sal & the Partida Tequila family ambassador - Sofia Partida, hosted a limited invitation "Tequila/Food Tasting at Avilas. This included several very tasty Mexican appetizers and the popular line of Partida tequilas - Blanco (white - young & fresh) Reposado - (slightly aged in oak barrels) and Anejo - (aged for at least a year in oak barrels)
All three tequilas were wonderful. During our tasting, we not only learned about the spirit but how to properly savor it. At the close of the evening we were so impressed that we inquired on how to include it as our preferred tequila at our Solo Campo. Too date, we're still talking but things are looking favorable. We highly recommend all three of these tequilas for your own spirits cabinet as well as for gifts. For more information, visit their website listed below and click on the photo above for additional detail on these featured fine tequilas.
www.partidatequila.com |
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Late Summer 2001 - Sean Aiken - One of SoloSports all-time Professors Emeritus for Wavesailing Curricula- pops a early evening mule kick out at the Bombora. A few weeks later, the world would change . Rumor has it Sean may be gracing the Campo tarmac sometime this year. We sure hope so.
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SoloSports -
Riding the talk
about Punta San
Carlos
MTB
We are totally
committed to mountain
biking here in San
Carlos. That's why
we've added a couple
of fully buffed out
Ibis Mojo Carbon
bikes to our fleet
of Santa Cruz off
road machines!
Thank you
Chuck Ibis!
http://ibiscycles.com/mountain/
These bikes are
insanely sweet and
are dying to be
ridden!
And a big thank you
goes out to our
favorite Orange
County, CA bike shop
Rock & Road
Cyclery
for building these
suckers in record
time so I can get
them dirty!
Million de Gracias
to Pilo, Ryan and
Jason!
http://www.rocknroadcyclery.net/
As you are reading
this, we are
descending upon
Punta San Carlos
with Pro MTB riders
Chris Van Dine
(Cannondale/Vans),
MTB Hall of Famer
Steve Beohmke and a
couple top brass
from Bike Magazine.
We'll keep you
posted on photos and
stories from this
motley crew as there
are sure to be
plenty!
I'm
extremely
stoked
on the
field
reports
on the
Punta
San
Carlos
mountain
biking.
The
response
has been
insane
and our
guests
are
loving
it!
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Let's face it, times are
tough....and tough on just
about
everybody. Wut-cha-gonna-do?
GO TO THE BEACH! |
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We've all had to make tough
choices these days
...foregoing our passions
for innate objects such as
washers, dryers, freezers & nasty car repairs.
We've cut back on all those
things we love in an attempt
to just stay in the same
place, avoiding that
cascading maelstrom of doom. Don't worry, be happy, help
is on the way. Patron
Senor Trejo has a plan that
boldly guarantees to get you
here and
in the straps of whatever
wave riding vehicle you're
attached to.
(pull the
curtain Neil)
SoloSports has designated
several trip dates in June &
July as Stimulus Packages.
Book one and you'll just pay
$1299 for a van package
or
$1899 for a fly-in package.
These trips include all the
great amenities of our
regular packages and as a
bonus, free DEMO gear. Gee,
that's a
$600 savings!
There are no hidden fees or
annoying catches. And
for those with kids or
grandkids? Don't worry,
they won't be paying a dime
for it in the future.
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Just a quick
note about the
conditions
during June &
July. The
south swell wave
machine is in
full swing.
PSC is a south
facing beach and
those swells
make the place
the best there
is. Winds
can be between
15-25, steady
with plenty of
room (unless
there is a
published swell
event drawing in
the "Hit & Run"
squad from
SoCal.)
We're still
puzzled why
these months are
light in
attendance -
someone once
commented..."schools
out, time for
the classic
family vacation
to Yellowstone &
most importantly
- it's windy in
everybody's
backyard." So
true but
remember it's
windy in ours as
well. |
"Nuff schoolin' - let's get crackin'
click here to see the
available dates & stop
dreaming & start packing. |
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 There is an old
theatrical superstition
that requires the stage
manager to advise his
actor to "break a
leg" as he walks on
stage. Matt
Pritchard took that to
heart just prior to the
launch of the 2009
SoloSports season.
While practicing a few
moves on his dirt bike,
the son of San Carlos
broke both legs while
trying to complete a
trick maneuver.
OOOOUUCCCHH!
Tabou Team Rider Kevin
McGillivray, along with a
crack team
of young guns, rushed in to
save the day.
Casey Hauser and Tyson
Poor along with a few
friends - Ingrid Larouche, Bryan
Metcalf-Perez, Sam Neal,
Matt Case & Philip
Soltysiak, wowed the
guests with exhibitions,
 hands
on instruction and a
healthy dolling out of
tips & tricks. Bryan graces our
masthead this issue.
Feeling the pressure
from his posse, KMAC
surprised all of us by
bustin' a goiter, his
first. (see
left column 1st article)
 Then
it was Goiter City.
Nature provided a gentle
stage for practicing the
lessons and concluded
with our first south
swell monster of the
season. The word
is out and confirmed
from the attendees-
"Good Job KMAC &
crew..we'll be
screaming "FORWARD!"
from now on as we drop
into a wave and doing OtL's in our sleep".
Looks like the boiz did
grab a tip or two.
We wish Matt a speedy
recovery & look forward
to another Matt
Pritchard Wavecamp
Series in
the fall -
Oct 10th - 17th.
There is
space still available
for this event call
949.289.779 for
reservations |
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Meet James Haynes or
should we say Dr.
Jim Haynes or better
yet, his Solo Campo
name of
"
Dammit Jim".
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Jim is one of our
special frequent
visitor family
members. He's been
5 times so far.
- His home is Hood
River but don't
expect to see much
of him there as Jim
has a cronic case of
wanderlust. An
accomplished Neurosurgeon by
profession, Jim, now
74 years young,
is busy these days
honing his
wavesailing skills
with the help of our
pro Instructors.
"It's never to late
to learn, even at my
age" says Jim.
And the "Dammit
Jim" tag?
It's simple and I
guess poignant with
the very recent
release of Star Trek
11. Trekkers
have already got it
down, so for the rest
of you - Dr. McCoy,
the very excitable
crew member of the
Starship Enterprise on more
than one verbal
 engagement
with Capt. Kirk
exclaimed, you
guessed it,
"Dammit Jim".
It fits like a glove
on our boy but there's a
few other reasons.
It's hard to
remember peoples
names in camp so the
staff
has deemed it acceptable to call
everyone Jim.
More to the point if
there were more than
one Jim in camp
there would need to
be an additional
moniker. In
Jim's case when we
found out he was a
Dr......well, it just
felt good. It
sounds convoluted
because ...well, it
is. But more
on Jim, dammit.
Jim once commented
that our own
Chili-Bomb Cantina
was the best bar
he'd ever rested his
elbows on and then
he said..."and I've
leaned on a few".
Being the world
traveler that he is,
compliment accepted
Jim.
Jim is a poster
child for the rest
of us. His
zest for life and no
holds barred
charging attitude is
an inspiration to us
all. He holds
his own down at the
Chili-Bomb Cantina
to which he hastily
adds "for medicinal
purposes only, of
course". On
the water he attacks
the waves with a
ferocity of a Viking
attack...OK, sorta
of. Jim has
fearlessly gone into
the face of many a
wave monster with
bravado. I've only
known him to wince
once on a fateful
night ride on the
dirt road to camp.
From all of us at
Solo, we lift'um high
as we toast a truly
great guy, wave
charger & all around
super camp compadre.
SALUD Jim! |
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NEW
FORMAT, NEW
RULES, NEW
PRIZES for 2009 |
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Strange
days
early
this
Spring
included
a
rare
sighting
of
the
dreaded
local
scourge
known
as
the
Puntacabra.
Half
man,
half
beast,
all
attitude with
a
high
dose
of
lunar
madness
thrown
in,
makes
this
monster
a
tough
something
or
other
to
reckon
with.
Rumored
to
be
in
the
throes
of a
classic
tequila
induced
hangover,
extreme
caution
should
be
exercised
when
sighted lest
an
extremity
or
two
be
removed
with
extreme
prejudice.
That
said
...write
your
own
caption
and
send
to
me. Chup
(his
pet
name
by
the
staff)
and
I
will
review
the
entries.
And
for
the
wise guys
out
there
- immediate
disqualification
if
you
wipe
your
entry
or
envelope
with
raw
meat.
A
nifty
prize
for
the
best
entry
and
a
fleeting
glance
for
the
rest
of
you
losers.
Sharpen
up
them
pencils
boiz.,
I
expect
clever,
pithy,
toxic
prose. |
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all
legitimate
entries
welcome
-
send
to
clarkmerritt@solosports.net |
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Did you see the spread on Baja in Windsurfing Mag? There is a ton of info & photos on Punta San Carlos. This is a collectible so get it while there are still a few out there! |
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| Lookout! The latest watersport craze, standup paddle boarding, has found a home in PSC. According to pro riders, PSC is a world class destination for the sport from novice to pro. SoloSports hosts a quiver of standups with coaching available for the novice. There are now at least 2 mags dedicated to standup - click on the mag for info. |
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Love what
you do
Do what you
love!
Wow,
it amazes me
how even in
these so
called "Bad
economic
times"
people are
not giving
up their
addictions,
at least not
for Punta
San Carlos
anyway! I'm
blown away
at how full
our opening
season was
with two
sold out
Matt
Pritchard
Wavecamps.
I was really
worried this
spring as we
were hit
with a media
triple
whammy of
swine flu,
drug wars
and our
current
economic
times but
that didn't
stop our
regulars
from showing
up! Of
course the
swine flu
turned out
to be no
more
dangerous
then the
regular
seasonal flu
and anyone
who has ever
been to
Punta San
Carlos knows
it's the
last place
in the world
you would
need to
worry about
catching
something
like that.
But, it
started me
thinking
about all
the "tragic
& catastrophic" events
SoloSports
has
weathered &
endured.
The
stock market
crashes of
1987, 2000 &
2008, Desert
Storm, 911
(Sept. 11th
was a
Tuesday and
we had a
scheduled
trip on
Saturday,
airports
opened just
in time to
get
everybody to
San Diego
for their
trip), road
closures,
washed out
bridges,
three recessions,
fires,
earthquakes,
landslides &
more! It's
enough to
make just
about
anybody give
up and throw
in the
towel!
So why am I
still in
this
business?
Well,
I absolutely love
what I am
doing! I
love the
people, the
places, the
sports and
the rewards!
Shoot, I
would be
doing this
anyway, for
free even,
oh yeah, I
did do it
for free for
many years!
Anyway, the
bottom line
is something
my parents
taught me as
a kid and
that was,
"Find a job
you love
doing and
you'll be a
success"
Well, I
couldn't
find the job
I wanted so
I just made
one up!
Guess what,
Mom & Dad
were right!
KT~
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DID YOU KNOW?
Baja California did not become a state of Mexico until 1952. Baja Sur did not enter statehood until 1974 coinciding with the completion of the Transpeninsular Highway linking Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas |
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Check
this
out!
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Here you go boys and girls, feast your eyes on these beauties. Brand spanking new 2009 Ibis Mojo Carbon and Ibis Mojo SL fitted with Shimano XT, Avid Elixir Brakes, Fox Shox & Forks and Easton Carbon Bars! I freaked at how light they were when I took them out of the box. Nothing but stellar reviews and I can't wait to get one in the dirt! I'll let you know how they work in the next newsletter! |
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