With the advent of the newest generation of high resolution wide swath synthetic aperture radars (SARs), best represented by the Canadian Radarsat I (1995 launch) and the European ENVISAT (2002 launch), meteorologists are being treated to text book versions of the fine scale surface wind structure. These fine structures are especially elegant and revealing within storms and along sharp fronts and coastlines. This paper will address 1) the principles and limitations associated with inferring the surface vector wind field from a calibrated radar backscatter map, 2) some examples of intriguing meteorological patterns and their associated physical processes inferred from Radarsat Gulf of Alaska imagery, and 3) some recommendations for transforming these new academically interesting tools into an operationally viable global monitoring system.