New Definition of “Fish On”

This item is a bit off our normal beat, but it was so amusingly bizarre that we had to share it with you: As reported in the San Francisco Bay sailing blog www.pressure-drop.us, kiteboarder Erin Losocco was ripping across the Sacramento River near Sherman Island recently doing roughly 30 knots, when his foil hit an unknown object, and he was launched into the drink. As he organized his gear afterward, he discovered the culprit: a 19.5-lb, 36-inch-long salmon!

Although Losocco is obviously an accomplished kiter, he’d never before attempted to carry a slimy 20-lb fish in his arms while foiling back to the beach. Needless to say, it was quite a challenge: "It was so slippery," said Losocco, "that the only way to hold it was to put my hand thru the gills while grabbing onto my kite bar. The teeth were tearing into my skin and I was starting to bleed also." 

Due to the awkwardness of his load, he wiped out a few times on his way back to the Sherman Island launch spot, but finally made it ashore with his prize catch, much to the amazement of fellow kiters. Talk about making efficient use of your time. Losocco got his jollies on the water, brought home dinner, and may have inadvertently launched a new hybrid sport: foil-fishing.