Wind-Scootering Across Galaxies (in search of planets)

Welcome to Planet Hunters from The Zooniverse on Vimeo.

Another Scooter on the Road (The Quest for Floating Mobility Continues!)

State of the Art Bicycle Security

 

 http://www.myspace.com/monicameneses

Film-Crew, Singer, and a Wild Wind LOL

Amidst all the excitement of a day spent sailing a wild and turbulent blast of arctic wind, there was the additional thrill of meeting a film crew video-taping me and interviewing me for their ski-sport documentary. But, it was especially thrilling to meet Monica, a recording artist recently arrived here in Boston. It was the second time we met and shared happy moments in the Square. Glad to sing "Happy Birthday" for her cousin. She video-taped it while I was  riding the wind and performing.... "See you again soon, my new friends!"

"Surf's Up!" - Scooterdude to Ride starting 2PM Today

Excellent Conditions for Urban-Surfing today

top conditions today for Urban-Surfing

Scooterdude in 3D

Music for the Ride!

If you wanna know what Scooterdude is listening to while he's riding the wind, more often than not, it is Pat Metheny who provides the soundtrack for Scoot's wild rides!
And, 'Secret Story', this is Scoot's favorite album! ( I recommend watching all video selections on YT)

"C'mon, do some tricks, man!"

"Some tricks, yes, while waiting for the wind to kick-up. It's the sailing that's the thing!"

Love of Bikes close to love of Wind-Scooters

Peope for Bikes

...some old vids newly discovered:

Scooter-Twit With The Wit! LOL

EXTREME CONDITIONS! Perfect for All Wind-Sports!

Yesterday, had the most fantastic 'rides' this year! in Copley Sq. Caught the 'waves' felt like 25' swells! lol musthav been goin 25+mph at some points down Boylston St.

Good Sunday Sailing Weather

Sept. 21 - International Day of Peace - Installation Remembered....

The Human Cost of War
grateful remembrance of Joanne's work in Copley Square

Submitted Photos - Thanks, Brooks

"The Long and Wind-ing Road" to a Wind-Scooter Patent

bnet article on the disaster at the patent office

Windjammer (restored?!)

This made an incredibly lasting impression on me when I saw it with my family in 1958....The images carried us to to our sailing on the Cape, of our Lightning in Marblehead, (and maybe, even, influenced SD to try and find the same experience in the most unlikely of placesLOL)

 

Windjammer 

Pimp my board!!

computer chip on surf board!

Skateboard Practice & Spirituality

Nice Return to Copley Sq.

Great day! Good breeze, fantastic conditions and nice direction down Boylston St. An adoring crowd of tourists made it a memorable day of scooter-sailing. Lots of positive feedback and affirmations, much appreciated after yesterday's disappointing debut of the windskate sail.
Scooterdude's faith in the project reaffirmed. "Hey, when are you going to patent that?!"


("psst, any help in this would be welcome.")

'WindSkate' Sail Report - Not Promising, Yet, Scooterdude's Niche!

Image via Wikipedia

In the debut of the impressive WindSkate sail here in Boston at Castle Island, things don't appear as promising as hoped.

This is not due to the addition of the sail itself, nor of the improved skills of Scooterdude in handling the more formal and professional wind-sport equipme

He was just getting used  to  the stronger breeze at Castle Island and developing the skill required to maneuver the scooter with this huge and brightly colored sail. And, it seemed that there was a positive interest and approval by most of the other visitors of this new recreation to appear along the water.
But, as could be predicted, the park rangers quickly moved in. Seems that Scooterdude, or this kind of sport, is prohibited at the best location available in Boston.
It kinda went like this,
Rangers pull up in a large white van.
"Hey! YOU CAN'T DO THAT HERE!" Ranger One says.

 "Okay, do you have any suggestions where?" Scooterdude asks.

"THERE'S NONE OF THAT HERE. YOU CAN SKATEBOARD (dubious!) on the walk or sail out there on the water, but you can't do both. We just sent two to the hospital for doing this and another one we caught and sent him away." (dubious, even more so! These types of fabrications in the comments tend to reveal a total unfamiliarity of  how unique my craft and skill is. They're usually speaking out of real ignorance of what I've been doing for over five years and much more out of their own fear.)

Scooterdude has learned that there's no discussion to be had in these kinds of situations, so he moved on, much resigned to this latest display of poor imagination and limited understanding.

There's so much to write about this, and I'll eventually post more on this huge subject.
Suffice it to say here and now, there appears no possibility in Boston for the advancement of a more serious  Wind Scooter culture....... (This is no Santa Monica CA!)

I'll still hunt out some other locations but given the size and imposing frame of the sail, it's not likely I'll find any other more accommodating locations.

I guess the bright side of all of this is that, after spending the several hundred $ on the sail, I'm forced back to my own unique design for 'urban-surfing' wind-scootering and even more inspired to proceed with a patent and then production. It has all confirmed Scooterdude's niche!

Scooter-Sailing Upgrade!

Finally, Scooterdude is acquiring, from WindSkate  Santa Monica CA, a serious wind-skate sail.

 This is definitely a serious development. The upgrade to this more formal design for a sail promises to change the ride for Scooterdude. It'll be a new and welcome challenge to this veteran of the 'urban surf'. Yet, as the videos and websites prove, the sport and those who seriousley engage in it, the sport has come of age with increasing popularity and enthusiasm.

(photos courtesy -  http://windskate.com/)

Windskate.fr 2008: Windskate, Windsk8, Dirt Windsurfing

The Full Vehicle for Street Sailing

Windskate: Windskate.fr, Windsk8, Dirt Windsurfing

Extreme Skateboarders Overtake Traffic

Great Kite-Surfing at Castle Island

David Arkenstone - The Boats

David Arkenstone - The Boats

Scooterdude DJ on Blip

Find out what he's listening to while he's 'Riding Like the Wind!"

http://blip.fm/Scooterdudeboston

Ride Like The Wind - Christopher Cross

Ride Like The Wind - Christopher Cross

Castle Island the Place to Be for Wind-Sports

Winds Were Great! Star-10!

I was bustin' to get an early start and catch some 'waves' in the Square. I was not, definitely NOT disappointed. The winds were sustained and strong, apparently from the South. I was snatched up on St. James St. and whisked across the plaza, in front of the Church and then continued down Boylston Street. Every ride was a good one.

And, then, at the evening of the day with Piccolo-Pup in tow, we thrilled to the acrobatics of the wind-surfers at Castle Island.

nice afternoon, for a ride and a new friend!

Giant Butterflies Invade Castle Island!

Scooterdude happened to be walking Piccolo Pup early this morning along the trails of Castle Island when, all of a sudden, he spotted this Giant Butterfly in the tree!
Piccolo Pup just barked but Scooterdude thought it best to contact the proper authorities, like the CIA (Castle Island Association!)

Cloudburst! And, Caught the Huge Wave!

Scooterdude braved perhaps the greatest winds so far this season, close to hurricane-force, yesterday as a cold front/storm blasted westward through the city. Most memorable was the dark squall-line which followed straight down Boylston St. in the darkest shadow in midday seen in a long time. The best way to describe it - catching a huge wave of 'surf' and managing to ride it four to five blocks before an unfortunate fall at Arlington St. atop a manhole cover.
There was just enough time to pick one's self up, see the solid sheet of water approaching, and race to the shelter of the T stop.

WInd-Power Vehicle Advancement!

Wind-powered car goes down wind faster than the wind

(PhysOrg.com) -- A wind-powered car has been clocked in the US traveling down wind faster than the wind. In a recent run at New Jerusalem in Tracy, California, the car reached a top speed of more than 2.85 times faster than the wind blowing at the time (13.5 mph) powered by the wind itself. The run should now settle the DWFTTW (down wind faster than the wind) debate that has been raging for some time on the Internet about whether or not such a feat was possible.

Mother's Day a "10!" but, a Quiet Season Now

The windy weather of the first two weeks in May here has been followed by a sharp contrast of calmer conditions. Together with the other obligations to which the Rev. Scooterdude is connected, there's not been too much of an opportunity to enjoy the sport.

Of course, Mother's Day proved to be the best day of the year, with the superlative conditions of strong, sustained wind-gusts, bright sunny yet cool temperature, less pedestrian and automobile traffic, and clean streets.

Some recent photos by Vladimir Mashatin, Moscow
www.newtzv.ru

New Photos from Russian Journalist

Vid of Ol Scoot... by C. Atkins. "Thanks"

http://www.caseyatkins.com/?p=787

2nd Annual International Wind-Scooter Regatta Results

Scooterdude again finished first in the finals in yesterday's running of the 2nd annual Wind-Scooter Regatta held again at Copley Sq. in Boston.
Winds were strong, gusting up to 25mph and a lively crowd was on hand to watch the race.
The trials were held in the early afternoon. "Apart from one protest, the first few runs were uneventful." Scooterdude reported.
Press was on hand, pictures and details will be forthcoming shortly to this blog.
Commodore and Race Committee certified the race-finish and awarded the Trifecta Trophy to Scooterdude for the second time.
The awards ceremony and dinner was held again in South Boston, with special appearance by Piccolo Pup who is rumored to be preparing for his own debut of performing while on the K2 Scooter.

(Again pictures and details will be posted as they become available. Stay tuned.)

Practice Today - Reasonable Conditions

Late Winter Practice - Date(s) of the 2nd AWSR Posted

Despite feeling 'under-the-weather' and being gripped by another head-cold, Ol'Scooterdutt will attempt to keep up his practice-schedule before next month's 2nd Annual Wind-Scooter Regatta.

(Details will be posted in the next few weeks. Held on the last weekend of March, this year it will be determined whether or not conditions are favorable for either 3/27 or 3/28.)

Rev. Scooterdude Certificate of Ordination

This is just to re-post my ordination credentials as the subject came up in a pleasant visit and interview by Ms. Casey Atkins. Ol' Rev. Scooterdude was not for a loss of words as this visit to his working place proved to be an enjoyable afternoon of sharing more of The Practice and Philosophy of Scooterdude-Way.

And, of course, the link is: http://www.dudeism.com/

Back in Action!

Great day. I didn't expect it but great gusts around noontime.

Also, enjoyed meeting a new friend, Lyric, who gave me a good word of support.

Hope to be out more as March approaches and the Second Annual Wind-Scooter Regatta gets underway.

Rear-Wheel busted!

really bummed that on such a good day as yesterday, with winds strong and steady, the screw came loose and fell off my real-wheel. Had to stop and go home. Repairs won't take too long however, and this week doesn't look like any great sailing either.

Moby Dick Spotted Near Copley Square!

“Thar she blows!!!!”

As the Wind-Scootering Season commences and preparations for the Second Annual Wind-Scooter Regatta get underway, the conditions yesterday were formidable yet ideal.

Ideal?

Because, the wind gusts were sustained well above 20 mph, the roads were wet but remarkably smooth to navigate, and the direction was in that perfect clock-wise pattern around the church, down Boylston and then back up Stuart. Ol Scoot could make at least half to three-quarters of the circuit, if not the entire circuit on a ‘run’.

For a seasoned Wind-Scooter-Sailor, the heavy rain and spray made the course feel identical to the open seas, with crashing of waves against the bow!

“Avast, me hearties!”

“There be a wild one!”

Scooterdude may have even spotted the White Whale off the starboard-bow through the dense spray and sheets of water!

He was hailed by the passing Coast Guard near the Hancock Tower (the BPD in passing ‘cruisers’ ) and checked in for any needs and provisions. “I’m okay! Thanks!” he yelled back and pressed on through the violent wind and surf!

Epic sport indeed!

ScooterRocket website

www.scootonup.com/