Highs And Lows

Multiple world champion Kevin Pritchard has been competing for over two decades. Far from retiring, he is still on the podium and winning against sailors half his age. A seasoned professional, he has encountered the full range of emotions, good and bad, an athlete faces in their career. He shares with us some of his personal highs and lows of windsurfing competition and the experiences that have shaped him.

The Power Of Choice

For such a sport that is so dependent on nature, windsurfing so far has done very little to look at the environmental cost of the production of its equipment. Starboard wants to change that and is leading the charge through reduction of plastics in its packaging and use of environmentally friendly materials where possible. Recent Starboard signing, Flo Jung, tells us about their latest venture to produce an eco-friendly board using Balsa and discusses the challenges of meeting windsurfing’s obligation for more sustainable choices.

Staghunt

When Chris ‘Muzza’ Murray has his stag do, you just know there is going to be a story worth telling! George Shillito tells the tale and provides us with some inspiration for alternative stags and WindSUP adventures.

Rising Appeal

When we conducted our review on WindSUPs last year, we didn’t anticipate the amount of interest it would whip up. This year windsurfing foils will try to come in and steal the limelight, yet we’re still hedging our bets for the WindSUP to win out in the popularity stakes. So why the grip of attention - what is the appeal? We sent our test team in to investigate the developments on the market for 2017.

Triple Crown

When three World Champions – Traversa, Fernandez and Angulo, are sailing at the one spot, you just know there has to be a story. The three legends share their tales of how they all answered the call of the wind to end up in Portugal and score some sweet sessions south of Lisbon and the renowned Guincho beach.

Competition Goals

GOALS Earlier this year we featured Elise Gire’s fast track progress to windsurfing, from beginner to short boarder in 50 days. Elise’s next goal was to enter a wavesailing contest and true to her word, she did! From conquering nerves to finishing in the top 5, Elise tells us about the experience of her first event.

The Charge Of The Lightweights

As much as our test team have a real love and passion for wave sailing, it is eminently apparent that the devotion is identical amongst the brands on review here.

The Happy Hipster

 What level of impairment does it take to stop us challenging the upper levels of windsurfing? Two new hips? Apparently not.

Switching Lanes

Maui is famous for its starboard tack wavesailing and the pro’s playground of Ho’okipa but this winter saw it’s neighbouring break of ‘Lanes’ steal the limelight as port tack Kona winds and a hefty swell lit up its lefthanders for one of the best days of the season. The pros aren’t immune to being caught offguard on the opposite tack to their regular Maui starboard conditions but Swifty, Pozza and Brawzinho know the tricks to still put on a captivating show. They tell us more about the day and give us the benefit of their experience on switching to the opposite tack and banging out huge aerials on the thumping lips of Lanes.

West Kirby

West Kirby is a town on the north-west corner of the Wirral Peninsula in Merseyside, at the mouth of the River Dee and famed for being one of the best speed sailing spots in the UK. Speed sailing legend Farrel O’Shea gives us the lowdown on his local speed strip.

MAUI – THE BOX IS TICKED

Harty mentors a first time Maui survivor

Starboard Freeride & Foil122

Starboard Freeride & Foil122

Slingshot Hover Glide Fwind1 & Levitator 150

Slingshot Hover Glide Fwind1 & Levitator 150

Pleasure And Pain

For every great gybe, jump or reach comes the inevitable crash, splash and fail. At Pe’ahi / Jaws in Maui the stakes are high and navigating the thin line between the ride or wipeout of your life is a mix of adrenaline, fear and extreme skill. Antoine Martin and Marcilio “Brawzinho” Browne tell how they manage the challenge as they recount a session from the beginning of the 2016/17 winter in Maui.

Inside Arnon

Seasoned racer Arnon Dagan from Israel has been a stalwart of the PWA scene for well over a decade but he is a man of many talents - musician, tester for both RRD and Neil Pryde and a fresh role as a husband and father. John Carter caught up with Arnon for an insight into one of the professional tour’s most interesting characters and Israel’s foremost windsurfing competitor.

Anchor Point

Anchor Point is famed as one of Morocco’s best waves. Situated in Taghazout village, just north of Agadir, it’s along right hander with a rocky launch and rarely works for windsurfing. Boujmaa Guilloul did manage to score it though; John Carter finds out more about his session there and the life of the Moroccan wavesailing master.

108 HOURS

Norwegian windsurfers, Oda Johanne Stokstad Brødholt and Håkon Skorge hit the road in continental Europe, following forecasts and checking out new spots in their self-converted camper van. From Norway to Portugal via Switzerland and back to Norway, taking in Spain and Sweden on the way, it was 108 hours of driving. Was it worth it? Read on and decide as Oda documents the highs and lows of their ‘Euro’ trip.

Amazing Amado

Jack of all windsurfing trades and master of them all, Amado Vrieswijk is one of windsurfing’s ultimate all-rounders. From incredible double air culos in freestyle to being one of the top foil racers in the world, his skills are not confined to one discipline. Born in Bonaire, he continues to keep up its tradition of producing world-class windsurfers. The talented Dutchman tells us more about his life.

Move On Up

THE DUCK GYBEThis month I urge you to get into and improve the duck gybe as it feels great, looks cool and is another fantastic milestone in our sport. It is also simpler, in some ways, than the carve gybe and will actually help you improve these too. It may actually yield your first planing exit in a gybe!

BOSS BEACH

Cotillo – the very name used to strike fear into mast manufacturers. Its notorious waves gave birth to many fledgling pro careers and death to many rigs in wave sailing’s formative years. Located on the NW shore of Fuerteventura, it’s a beach break with a reputation as one of the heaviest in the archipelago and deservedly so – when it comes to Canarian beach breaks, Cotillo is the boss. On their final day of a four-day stint in the Canary Islands, John Carter and Timo Mullen on a high from an epic session with current men’s world champion Philip Koester in Jameos Del Agua in Lanzarote decided to go 2 for 2 and sail with women’s world champion Iballa Moreno and take on the challenge of Cotillo! John, Iballa, Timo and Corky Kirkham tell us more about the session and their relationship with the island.

Journey To The Med

Our last update from Jono Dunnett and his epic round Europe windsurf expedition was in our April 2018 issue where we left the adventurer off the coast of Spain. We catch up with him this issue as he heads out from Galicia, NW Spain and back to the open ocean, heading down the Atlantic coast of Spain and Portugal, bound for the Mediterranean.

The Long And Short Of It

Whether it’s the behemoths of long boards past or their modern incarnation, windSUPs, Peter Hart contends that, “There is eternal beauty in length.”

Ho'okipa Breakdown

Ho’okipa is one of the most famous wavesailing breaks in the world and home to some notorious kit crunching rocks. But not every day is mast high plus and on flat days the famed spot can be ticked off the bucket list by a reasonably competent sailor. If you’ve ever fancied a go or want to know more about Ho’okipa’s nuances, then read on as Robby Swift gives a guide to the iconic wave and a breakdown on the ins and outs of sailing his adopted home break.

High Winds

If you fancy windsurfing in the Swiss Alps, 1800 metres above sea level, then Lake Silvaplana is the spot. Located in the Engadin valley region in the eastern Swiss Alps, southeastern Switzerland, it is home to one of the ‘highest’ windsurfing clubs and longest running windsurfing competitions in the world. We caught up with Christian Mueller, co-founder of the EFPT and head of the Engadinwind event team and Italian freestyle young gun, Riccardo Marca, to find out more about the pristine alpine spot and its competition scene.

The Rough Stuff

When the going gets rough, what do you do with slalom stuff? The 2018 Ulsan PWA World Cup in Jinha Beach, South Korea tested PWA slalom sailors to their limits with high winds and choppy seas. So how do they adjust their tactics and equipment to handle the rough stuff and what did they think of some of the most extreme slalom racing to take place in years. A selection of the world’s best racers share their knowledge and experiences.

Rediscovering Aruba

I remember the moment vividly, it was late May 2011, and I sat in the pristine white sand of “Fisherman’s Huts”, overlooking layers of turquoise as the sun set into the Caribbean Sea. I sat facing the dying rays, alone, feeling blue and oblivious to the beauty around me. My heart had already sunk somewhere deep inside me. I felt hunger, exhaustion, and yes I’ll admit it, I even felt cold. It was the end of a long succession of PWA World Tour competitions, and this last one in Aruba got to me. I windsurfed terribly, had one of my worst results, and I couldn’t recall a minute I enjoyed from the entire week. My confidence and motivation were trampled upon like never before. Not only did I hope to never compete in Aruba again, I also vowed to never return.

Father Time

A newborn baby inspires Graham Ezzy to reflect on his life as a father and son, as the Ezzy windsurfing dynasty continues to grow.

The Kit Factor

However good and versatile kit is these days, bad choices are still the number one barrier to progress. Peter Hart offers some prime examples.

The Long Glide

“Still glides the Stream, and shall for ever glide; The Form remains, the Function never dies.” William Wordsworth.

Beside The Seaside

In the concluding episode on his guide to ocean windsurfing, Peter Hart tweaks your techniques and teaches us how to deal with this new, expansive, undulating environment.