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.

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.

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.

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.

Devon Dreams

Huge southwest swells pound UK shores a few times a year, but lining them up with sailable easterly winds is more of a once in a decade occurrence. Fifteen years after scoring an epic mast high plus port tack session at Bigbury, John Carter rolled the dice on a mission to the famed south Devon spot, hoping for the stars to align once more and score a repeat performance! The lucky crew that scored pick up the tale.

Sustained Flight

You’ve had lift off and you’re hooked! The next question is how do you turn this bucking bronco of a ride into that serene image of cruising along above the water without the thought in the back of your mind that the kit is at any minute going to try and kill you! In other words, how do I get sustained flight and start windsurfing in 3D?

The Magheroarty Mission

After a three year wait, the Red Bull Storm Chase finally found the weather system they were looking for, storm ‘Gareth’, to green light the event and in keeping with the Storm Chase’s history, produce one of the most spectacular wavesailing contests ever! Rain, hail, snow, an 8 metre swell and force ten plus winds tested the riders to their absolute limits at Magheroarty, county Donegal, NW Ireland; John Carter caught up with the competitors and contest organiser Jobst von Paepcke to find out how it all went down.

All In Good Time

Harty this month suggests that improvement may lie focussing not so much on ‘how’, but ‘how long.’ It’s all about time and timing

Defi Wind Japan

Miyako island in Okinawa Prefecture played host to the inaugural Defi Wind Japan last month and interestingly the City of Miyakojima, which includes not only Miyako Island, but also five other populated islands, is twinned with the island of Maui! Japanese windsurfing culture is one of the most interesting in the world and combining it with the DéfiWind concept was always going to be an interesting mix; we talk to some of the athletes and organisers to get a flavour of the event.

Exploring Israel's Windsurfing

Boasting 275 km of coastline with access to the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, Israel enjoys solid wind statistics all year round and offers everything from flat water to waves. It has a buoyant windsurfing community, but outside of the country relatively little is known about it as a windsurfing destination; Eric de Cruz made a trip there with PWA slalom sailor Benjamin ‘Babou’ Augé and Esteban de Cruz to find out more.

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!

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.

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.

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!”

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.

Stormy Dreams

Harty sings the praises of the storm chasing shenanigans in Donegal.

Lake Balaton

Hungary isn’t the first place that springs to mind when you think of great European windsurfing destinations, but it is home to Lake Balaton, a freshwater lake in the west of the country and the largest lake in Central Europe. Chris Pressler explores its windsurfing and reports back on a spot full of freeride potential, set amongst protected wetlands and scenic volcanic hills.

Nuking Nortada

Who can possibly forget the iconic images of racers screaming round buoys in breaking surf in windsurfing’s heyday! Since then, slalom has become a little tamer due to world cup events in surf locations often having a wave event taking priority when the surf is up, or it simply being too dangerous to lay a course! All that changed in Portugal at that the inaugural Viana World Cup as racers dodged waves, each other and took to the skies, voluntarily or involuntarily, in some of the most extreme slalom dogfights in modern times. John Carter assembles a collection of windsurfing’s finest to look back at a thrilling event and finds out how the riders coped with racing in the nuking ‘Nortada’ winds of Cabedelo Beach at Viana do Castelo, North Portugal.

Speed Demons

The speed demons of the windsurfing world converged in the Canary Islands in July for their annual battle for top honours and the conditions did not disappoint! Pete Davis reports from the 2018 ISWC Speed World Championships in Fuerteventura and we hear from Andy Laufer, working dad of 3, on how he ended up as vice world speed champion! Finally, if you feel suitably inspired after reading all that to get your speed fix, world champion Zara Davis gives her tips for getting into speed sailing.

Gybe Manipulation

Like the golf swing, it looks so simple when done well. And yet the humble carve gybe continues to frustrate generations of Windies. Peter Hart describes how relatively simple changes of habit, like adjusting your stance height, can prod you to the next level, especially in chop.

Move On Up

JUMPINGOne of windsurfing’s greatest sensations is feeling the freedom and excitement of flight. In this month’s technique piece I will look at the various aspects of jumping, with tips and strategies for different conditions, fault analysis and the motivating factors for making your first flights.

2018 Winter Travel Guide

Swapping thermals for t-shirts and boardies in the depths of winter is a treat that never gets old. The joys of a winter break are easy to sell, but did you know there’s a great body of scientific knowledge out there but that definitively proves that going away windsurfing when the rest of the country is freezing their blue bits off is actually good for you? Leading Professor of madeupology, Candice B. Fureal, said “We’ve looked at a cross-section of windsurfers and they all said the same thing, carve jibing in shorts improves your suntan and appetite.” So there you have it, whether it’s studying your tan lines or ordering your post sail burger from the beach bar, winter travel is beneficial to you and your body, fact. Fortunately we have a handy winter travel guide this month to help you research further this often neglected field of medicine as Jane Faughnan from Sportif Travel and Marcus Bull from Planet Windsurf pick their favourite winter getaways and we provide micro-guides to a selection of windsurfing hotspots. So in the interests of further non-rigorous medical analysis and the benefit of mankind, read on and book a winter break before the fake news police catch us!

Don't Be Fooled By Randomness

To be happy in our sport, you have to embrace the unpredictable, explains Peter Hart.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Racing Tips

Youth Olympic bronze medallist Finn Hawkins gives us his top racing tips!

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.

Weymouth Speed Week 2017

The stars aligned for Weymouth Speed week 2017. With Hurricane Ophelia and Storm Brian on the horizon, the event’s forecast had more purple than a Prince tribute concert. But would these strong winds be enough to break the existing event harbour records? With all the improvements in windsurfing equipment would the windsurfers smash it or would the kitesurfers have their time in the history books? It was back in 2008 that the event had such an amazing forecast and the big Swede, Anders Bringdal, and the UK’s Zara Davis set the men’s and women’s event harbour records of 38.38 knots and 32.44 knots respectively. Pete Davis reports on how the action went down.