Preparing for Winter

It’s almost that time of year again where we must say goodbye to summer. Although these past few days have been pretty hot and humid here in San Diego, we know its not going to last much longer. October is almost here and with that will eventually come winter. One of the benefits living in SD is that it doest get too cold, so if you are that dedicated you can still hit the bay in mid November or early January. I know I’ve been out during the early months asking myself what am I doing here, but once I get my ride in, I know enduring the cold was well worth it… even after the hypothermia has set in and I can’t any of my limbs! So with that in mind I’ve found this awesome link that provides a little Winter Survival Kit that will help keep us out on the water!

If it just gets too cold and you cant get out and ride during the winter you can still improve by hitting the mountains for some snowboarding, watching videos, using balance boards, lifting weights and stretching, practicing on a trampoline, and while you’re at least thinking about wakeboarding you can always stop by Wakesports to upgrade your gear. There is nothing else that will get you more pumped to go out and ride than getting a new board or bindings and wanting to try them out! As for the videos, there are the usual instructional videos like waketrix, detention, higher education, and snap for the wakeskaters, where info on all can be found on boardflix. But if you just want to put on a DVD and watch some awesome riding check out Action Sports Videos and try and find something you wont like!

Back from the 08 Hipp River Rendezvous

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So we got back in town yesterday from the 2008 Hipp Marine River Rendezvous, and it was an awesome time!  There were a good 10 WBSD members out for the trip, and the good times were in full effect.  Myself and Dani rolled out around 6pm on Thursday night, Gary, Chad, Jenny, Steve, Ryan, Mike, Metis and Steve were already out on wednesday, and Evan and Jamie headed out friday night.  

We showed up around 10:15 on thursday to find Gary, and Ryan pulling up to meet us in a golf cart, and had already been celebrating for quite a while.  We unloaded at the trailer and headed up to the house to start the party as well.  Some beverages were enjoyed by all, a game of human Jenga was played when Jenny passed out, and Gary played about 15 hours of Wii Fit.  After a late night offroad golf cart ride, we passed out for a couple hours of sleep before getting up to wakeboard Friday morning.

We hit the water friday morning and got some decent sessions in - the water was glass and there was no one out other than us and a few border patrol agents doing training.  We rode for an hour, then pulled out the wakesurfer, which was awesome until I took a pull and Gary plowed my boat onto a sandbar.  Some damage was sustained (I think ALL of our boats sustained quite a bit of damage this trip - the DBG Kayot, M&M’s Calabria, and ours as well).  Thats the risk you run when running the river I guess.

We had a meeting with the Hipp Marine staff around 3 on friday, and figured out the plan for the Rendezvous on Saturday.  We (DBG, WBSD, and Wakesports) were to man stop 5 on the rendezvous - which was basically to camp out at Ferguson Lake all day.

We headed out to Fergusons around 8:30 am on Saturday and got up there to some pretty decent water.  A few boats were out riding, but it was pretty decent conditions.  We anchored the Kayot with a flag up for people to see, and then took a few pulls behind the Wakesports Pro-V 2.  People started showing up after a couple hours, and then the party got started.  By 3pm everyone was up there, about 15 or 20 boats just anchored up, blasting music, and partying.  It was a great time!

Headed back to Hidden Shores and showerd up before dinner and awards around 7pm.  A few hours of laughs, drinks, and nicknames (Mercury Mike, Slingblade, Tubs, General Really Good Guy, Gumdrop) and then we dispersed to get some serious partying done.  It was  a late night, when we finally wrapped up around 3am…the morning came too soon.  Everyone packed up, hit the road, and we stopped by the Roadhouse Cafe in Yuma for some ribs before the long drive home and starting up the week again on monday.  

After work today…I miss the river!  Looking forward to helping Hipp Marine out next year at the 2009 Rendezvous!

Heading out for the Hipp Marine River Rendezvous!

A bunch of WBSD members are heading out this week for the Hipp Marine River Rendezvous out at the Colorado River.  We are staying at and around Hidden Shores, and from what I have heard about that place - it should be a great time.  I haven’t attended their Rendezvous yet (They started it with the first one last year I believe), but have heard awesome things about it.  With about 10 or so WBSD members going, I have no doubt it will be a great time!  Stay tuned for pictures and stories as I’m sure we’re going to have plenty of both when we get back on sunday!

More info here!

Goodbye San Vicente

I have to admit I feel very guilty for not going to San Vicente today, to say goodbye to a place that has been so good to me and my business. Still, I spent my entire day smiling because of time I had yesterday at the WBSD meet up there on the shores of the lake.

For those of you that don’t know me, my name is Gary Colle and I started DBG Concepts www.dbgconcepts.com just over nine years ago. DBG has been a work in progress with almost every day being at least a 12 hour work day.

Working in the wakeboarding industry has defiantly introduced us to some good friends along the way. Geoff, Steve, Buzz, and Robert from Hipp Marine (everyone from Hipp for that matter) to name a few. This summer has been by far the most fun I have had in the nine years I have been at this. I have met so many new friends Ian and Evan Grist (webmasters of www.wakeboardsd.net), Mike and Metis, and Kelli to name a few.

Knowing for the past few years that San Vicente, San V, was going to close, made me dred today. It has scared me to death knowing that the lake that started my career, the place I learned to boat, the place I learned to ski and have met so many friends was going to be gone.

Today I realized DBG Concepts will continue to grow and we will continue to have fun with the friends we have made. Until the lake reopens we will find new places to ride. Wakeboarding means so much to all of us. Ultimately wakeboarding brings us together and bonds the friendships we have.

I want to take this moment to thank WBSD for everything they have done this past season. The Grist brothers have given us a place to talk every day. WBSD is a site not only for wakeboarding, but a place to meet new friends; a place where we plan BBQs, Bon fires, parties, and so much more. Future plans have already talked about including river trips, desert trips, and all types of new reasons to hangout.

So when I look back at my last day on San V, I can’t help but smile. It doesn’t make me think of the past, but of all the times I am going to have with all of the people that have made San V what it was.

Ian and Evan Grist thank you so much for all your hard work on WBSD. Both of you guys are a huge deal to me. The creation of your site has done so much for me and for my business— much like San V.

San Vicente see you in 6-9 years.

Gary Colle