Windsurf
Jem Hall Technique
My technique pieces mainly reflect on how best to go about nailing a certain move or employing a strategy to ‘move on up’. This month however we help you identify the barriers to your improvement. The most important insight I have is you have to WANT IT! I will go onto identify the main areas that may not be maximising your potential and then look at the key moves and where I see frequent mistakes. I am drawing on my 25 years of coaching and also what I observe on many beaches around the world. Understanding much of this will help you become better at self-coaching, which is one of the key ways to improve and enjoy your windsurfing more.
6 min |
Issue 387 - July 2019
Windsurf
Radiculo
25 year old Balz Müller from Switzerland goes by the handle ‘radiculo’ on Instagram, and if you follow any of his antics you’ll know why. Pushing the limits of windsurfing and taking the proverbial are what he’s known for, not to mention the most painful crashes you’ll ever see. But there’s more to this young innovator than what you see in his must watch videos; read on for an insight as Balz talks triples, freestyle foiling and strapless windsurfing.
10 min |
Issue 387 - July 2019
Windsurf
First Time Foiling
If you are new to ‘flying’ on a foil then read on, as Wyatt Miller gives us tips for first time foiling.
4 min |
Issue 387 - July 2019
Windsurf
Big Trucks And Open Prisons
Many dream of jacking it all in for a life by the sea. Harty talks to a couple who have turned alternate living into an art form.
5 min |
Issue 387 - July 2019
Windsurf
Bavarian Highs
Despite being landlocked, Bavaria in southeast Germany has a thriving wind surfing scene due to its plentiful number of lakes that sit high above sea level in beautiful countryside, fringed with views of the hills and mountains. Andy Lachauer and Michael Krumm give us a guide to some of the area’s best spots.
7 min |
Issue 387 - July 2019
Windsurf
Slalom School
Over the last 8 years the TWS slalom training in Tenerife has become one of the places to be for aspiring racers, whether you want to finish higher at a national event, are pushing to make the PWA top 10 or even win it outright. John Skye has been a frequent student of the Tenerife school of training, read on as he let’s us know more about its benefits and illustrious pupils.
10+ min |
Issue 386 - June 2019
Windsurf
Brazilian Charms
Jericoacoara and northeastern Brazil blew into the windsurfing world’s attention over ten years ago. Its famous beaches were once voted the best in the world and have matured into one of the most popular and reliable windsurfing destinations in the world. Since its discovery, boutique hotels have been built to cater for the cosmopolitan band of ‘windies’ who frequent its shores, but has the area forgotten its roots? Ollie Acton, marketing manager for local windsurf centre Club Ventos, share his thoughts while Peter Hart and Jem Hall tell us of their love for its shores.
10+ min |
Issue 386 - June 2019
Windsurf
K - 700
Nic Hibdige, K-700, leads the UK charge on the PWA freestyle circuit and his 9th place finish at the Sylt leg of the 2018 tour shows he has the ability to break into the top ten in the world. We learn more about the 23 year old sailor from the south coast of England this month as he talks with Loris Vietoris about scoring, finance and future plans.
6 min |
Issue 386 - June 2019
Windsurf
Operation Barzan!
Sharp eyed readers of Windsurf magazine may have noticed that our intrepid correspondent John Carter has a mild obsession with shooting windsurfing next to large ships, well actually massive ones to be more precise! Back in 2014, in our ‘Pirates of the Solent’ feature, ‘JC’ and his accomplice Scott Gardener tracked down the Marco Polo, which at the time was the second largest container ship in the world. This issue our senior ship spotter has been at it again with the mighty ‘Barzan’, 400 metres of steel and deadweight of a whopping 199,744 tonnes! Read on as Captain Carter tells his salty tale!
10 min |
Issue 386 - June 2019
Windsurf
Movement
“Movement is life; and it is well to be able to forget the past, and kill the present by continual change.” Jules Verne.
3 min |
Issue 386 - June 2019
Windsurf
Forgotten Paradise
Sarah Hébert explores the small island of Barbuda in the eastern Caribbean, part of the sovereign Commonwealth nation of Antigua and Barbuda. She finds a paradise resurrected after hurricane Irma and perfect conditions for foiling. Read on as Sarah tells us more.
3 min |
Issue 386 - June 2019
Windsurf
Peter Hart Tech - Technique Heaven And Heli (Tack)
The helicopter tack is a classic. It’s not only very useful in variety of situations, but also introduces you to the vital skill of backwind sailing.
10+ min |
Issue 386 - June 2019
Windsurf
Racing Tips
Youth Olympic bronze medallist Finn Hawkins gives us his top racing tips!
4 min |
Issue 386 - June 2019
Windsurf
Lowdown - Compact Windfoiling
RRD’s international marketing and team manager, Matteo Guazzoni, gives us the lowdown on their new compact wind foiling range.
6 min |
Issue 386 - June 2019
Windsurf
The Art Of Risk
2018 PWA Slalom Women’s Vice World Champion Lena Erdil suffered a serious foot injury last year in Pozo, taking her off the water for over 8 months. Lena talks us through her rehab, valuable life lessons learned and reflects on the art of risk-taking in her chosen profession.
10 min |
Issue 386 - June 2019
Windsurf
Move On Up - One Handed Jumps
This month we look at letting go in order to boost and enjoy our jumps even more. One-handed jumps will really improve your regular jumps and they also feel awesome.
6 min |
Issue 386 - June 2019
Windsurf
Past Perfect
Harty ponders if history lessons in our sport should be compulsory for all windsurfers?
4 min |
Issue 386 - June 2019
Windsurf
Photoventura
Flo Jung reports from behind the scenes as the Gunsails team explore Fuerteventura during their annual photo shoot and gives us a mini guide to some of its main windsurfing.
4 min |
Issue 386 - June 2019
Windsurf
BWA Contest Quivers
From cross-off to dead onshore, competing on the British Wavesailing Association tour can take in all the conditions a UK wave sailor can expect to face on home shores. The pros have to be equipped for all conditions and all weathers; so how do they plan, choose and tune their quivers - John Carter investigates.
10+ min |
Issue 386 - June 2019
Windsurf
2019 - Iberia & Canary Islands Travel Guide
The coastlines of Spain, Portugal and the Canary Islands have long been a draw for UK windsurfers. The combination of a short travel time, good value and an abundance of wind is hard to beat. Add in good food and great people and the reasons to go get even longer. Check out our guide to this popular windsurf holiday area with advice from Jane Faughan of Sportif Travel and Marcus Bull from Planet Windsurf and micro guides to some of the best windsurf centres in the region.
6 min |
Issue 386 - June 2019
Windsurf
Youthspiration
2016 and 2017 UK Youth Wavesailing Champion, Ruaraidh Somerville, is an up-and-coming young gun with ambitions to be a pro windsurfer. Based in Glasgow, his water time is limited but he has an interesting take on how to stay motivated. Read on as Ruaraidh gives us an insight into the world of an aspiring fifteen year old wavesailor.
6 min |
Issue 385 - May 2019
Windsurf
Under Starter's Orders
This is the first occasion we’ve had an entry-level freeride sail category in our test schedule, which left our test team asking the most basic question, “What is required of an ideal first-time freeride engine?” And if the parameters are agreed and set, which of them should be prioritised? Ease of rigging and ease of use? Cost and affordability, or durability and range? Over to the team to expand.
10+ min |
Issue 385 - May 2019
Windsurf
Stormy Dreams
Harty sings the praises of the storm chasing shenanigans in Donegal.
4 min |
Issue 385 - May 2019
Windsurf
Seavets
Seavets is a UK based senior and veteran windsurfers association, vice-chairman Ruth Tracey tells us more about their merry clan.
3 min |
Issue 385 - May 2019
Windsurf
Other Voices
It’s a paradox of the vast array of communication tools of our modern age that still some of the most interesting voices are those least heard.
4 min |
Issue 385 - May 2019
Windsurf
Move On Up - Gybe Exits
This month we look at the gybe exit. It requires us to be very efficient and consistent in handling the rig in a clew first position, and also challenges our early planing skills. The best news is you can really nail many of the clew first skills at slower speeds in light winds on bigger boards. And we can improve our speed out of the gybe by working on our early planing skills. If we have a strong and ‘active’ getting planing position then the nirvana of a planing gybe exit is so much closer! We can be working on this even before we learn to gybe, so we have our gybe endings already nailed before we attempt to carve!
7 min |
Issue 385 - May 2019
Windsurf
Miriam Asmussen
Norwegian racer Miriam Rasmussen was a late starter to windsurfing, but that hasn’t held her back. From competing around the world to setting national speed records, Miriam has forged her own path in the sport from a challenging beginning. Learn more about Miriam’s inspiring path as she tells us in her own words, “The story so far, …or how I stopped worrying and learned to love windsurfing!”
9 min |
Issue 385 - May 2019
Windsurf
Invasive Species Week 2019
The RYA tell us about the ‘Check Clean Dry’ initiative to help stop the spread of invasive species and diseases.
3 min |
Issue 385 - May 2019
Windsurf
Gunsails Bow Concept
One look at the Gunsails BOW sail tells you it’s different, very different! It has a specially developed mast to go with its radical head design and in contrast to established modern designs, doesn’t have a loose leech. To get the lowdown on the BOW and find out more about its design, we caught up with designer Pieter Bijl.
5 min |
Issue 385 - May 2019
Windsurf
Freestyle King
Born in 1989 in Porlamar, the largest city on Isla Margarita, Venezuela, “Gollito“ Jose Estredo grew up in the windsurfing playground of El Yaque, home to fellow PWA freestyle champion, Ricardo Campello. At the tender age of 13 he entered his first professional competition and won his first PWA freestyle world title in 2006, his ninth world title in 2018 and the smart money is on number 10 for 2019! In the ever-changing world of freestyle, one thing remains constant, Gollito winning! So what is the secret of his success, we ask his peers and the man himself.
10+ min |