Summer 2023
When I came to the Gorge in the early 1990s to spend a summer learning to windsurf, most of the other newbies here were just like me — twenty-somethings eager to spend time on the river riding the wind. There weren’t a lot of young kids hanging around the Hatchery or Doug’s Beach or Rufus back then (the Event Site and the Spit didn’t yet exist). We were the first generation of boardheads. But many of us eventually put down roots, had our own kids and raised them in this place that first drew us with those steady summer westerlies.
Over the years, I’ve loved watching the next generation grow up playing in the wind. These kids are doing things on the water, at a much younger age, than we ever imagined (for starters, kiting and wing foiling weren’t even a thing when I arrived here). Chris MacDonald is one of those kids. His wind-loving parents began spending summers windsurfing in the Gorge in the early 2000s. When their kids came along, they got them on the water early; both were kiting before they were teenagers. Chris took up wing foiling in 2020 and now, at age 17, is ranked second in the surf-freestyle category of the GWA Wingfoil World Tour. Writer Ruth Berkowitz caught up with Chris between wingfoil sessions at the Hatchery, and you can read her story beginning on page 10. Look for him and all the other kids out on the water doing what they do. They’re fun to watch.
This issue is packed with other interesting stories, too. Hankering for a roadtrip but don’t want to stray too far from the Gorge? Consider a daytrip to the desert. You’ll feel far away in the sometimes-otherworldly landscapes to the east and south of here, plus there’s lots of fascinating history along the way. Check out writer Don Campbell’s story beginning on page 42 and see if it doesn’t whet your appetite for a little adventure.
Speaking of whetted appetites, turn to page 22 for a story about Édeske Patisserie, where pastry chef and master of chocolate Tamara Bartucz Biscardi and her husband James Biscardi are creating delectable (and beautiful!) European-style desserts in downtown Hood River. Writer Molly Allen was the lucky one who got to do the story, but in the interest of disclosure, at some time in the last few months I may or may not have eaten an entire box of Édeske chocolate bon-bons in one sitting. Don’t judge.
You may notice that this issue of the magazine has a different look. We refreshed our style, modernizing fonts and changing up the design a bit. We hope you like it as much as we do.
Enjoy this issue and have a great summer!
— Janet Cook, Editor
