STORM FORCE – BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Tucked away down a narrow country lane between Rock and Padstow, Daymer Bay is without doubt one of the most gorgeous stretches of coastline in Cornwall. It is a fantastic all round location, offering anything from flat water blasting, to jump and jump, right through to hard core waves. With Stepper Point to one side and Trebetherick point on the other guarding the Camel Estuary , you would assume that this sheltered area of outstanding natural beauty is a safe haven from the big winter storms, but catch it on the right day and Daymer can be a devil in disguise and serve up some extremely brutal conditions.

Catching Daymer firing, is all about knowing how this place works, with tides, wind and swell directions absolutely critical. The Motley Crew are not normally ones to shy away from the brunt of any big storm but once in a while, when every other beach is off the hook, the natural amphitheatre of wind and waves at Daymer becomes an serious option.

Words & Photos JOHN CARTER

(This feature originally appeared in the March 2015 issue of Windsurf Magazine. To read more features like this first, Print and Digital subscriptions are available. Prices include delivery globally for 10 x issues a year!)

Storm Chasing

MISSION ONE
Rewind way back to early January when the weather was at its wildest with the latest in a rapid series of sub 950 low pressures unleashing its fury on the UK. Myself, Timo Mullen, Ross Williams, Chris Murray and Andy King had all pretty much overdosed on Christmas and were gagging to get out there and challenge the elements. With wild winds and massive swell set to pound the Cornish coast, we decided it was time to hit Daymer Bay, hoping for a nice wrapping swell with groomed lines held up by the storm force winds. ‘Hoping’ was the key word here; when the weather is off the scale like this with unprecedented conditions, the illusion that you can just waltz around to the nearest sheltered headland and score wave sailing utopia is exactly that. After driving four hours down to the West Country our convoy of wagons finally rolled into the car park at Daymer with high expectations but on arrival high tide with a massive surge made it unsailable for the time being. A quick walk around the headland in the blustery 40 knot plus winds to check the waves rolling into Polzeath was enough to keep us hanging on. Huge sets were smashing into the headland, feathered by the cross off winds. Strangely enough, it was almost flat on the inside at Daymer, so we waited for the tide to race out and that it did. With such a huge surge racing into the Estuary all that water at some point had to go back out on the ebbing tide and sure enough within an hour or so as the water dropped out, the swells started to jack up right across the bay. Huge sets were breaking across the notorious  Doom Bar while the inside beach break was forming up nicely. But the massive surge heading out combined with all the chop, swell and churned up water was making for a horrific sea state which was far from the image we had been hoping for.

Committed to Daymer the crew bravely rigged and headed out into the warzone in the extreme conditions. Survival it was, fair play to all the crew who battled the wild chop, gusty wind, driving rain and extremely dangerous outgoing tide. The ridiculous rip and huge close out sets marching through the mouth of the bay made it pretty much impossible to sail on the Doom Bar, with the sea state out of control and far too dangerous to risk any sort of crash or broken kit in the thick of the waves. After two hours of hard-core sailing in the icy winds the crew were ‘over it’ and rather than the usual state of euphoria after a decent session, everyone who had been on the water were dejected by the horrific conditions. Nobody was even up for a pint of Doom Bar (My favourite brew) so without further ado the mission was aborted and we headed home with the feeling that maybe we had been in the wrong place for this huge storm.

“ When every other beach is off the hook, the natural amphitheatre of wind and waves at Daymer becomes a serious option ’’ ^JC

MISSION TWO
After hitting Daymer at high tide, which was definitely the wrong call, I was determined to head back to score this place without such chaos on the water. The lesson had been learned, outgoing tide on an 8m swell with force eight plus southwest winds was a no go! With the wild winter continuing to deliver these absurd storms, it did not take long until the next opportunity came my way, February the 1stto be precise. Another sub 950 low, over 8m swell predicted and storm force winds but crucially this time it would be low tide coming in. The return to Daymer did not quite have the same level of takers as the first mission for some strange reason. Maybe the others had already learned their lesson. Despite being one of the most user friendly beaches in Cornwall in normal conditions, perhaps when its off the Richter scale this place gets too hot to handle. This time round Muzza and Adam Lewis were the only crew available with the desire to chase down another storm surge at Daymer.

So another freezing winters day beckoned. I had to take the train down the night before and stay in Adam Lewis’s family home in Taunton. We were right in the middle of that whole nasty spell of floods and storm damage and one of my main hopes was simply not to get stuck in all the travel chaos. En route stories of disruption were all the news on the radio but somehow we made it through the winding lanes to Daymer without any major hitches. On arrival, we turned up pretty much bang on low tide with a strong cross off shore wind blowing across the channel. It kind of looked like game on but Adam reckoned we should hang on a bit for the tide to push over the sweet spot where it would hit the Doom Bar.

Another gloomy day ensued with bracing winds, hail showers and the Atlantic raging with all its power. With the incoming tide the option to sail the Doom Bar was viable although out off Stepper Point huge waves were crashing onto the rock sending up massive explosions of white water. Solid logo to mast high sets were running down the headland with side off winds tempting both Adam and Chris to venture across the bay. As the tide raced in, this ‘sweet spot’ lasted about an hour before, the whole set up changed as the bay filled with water and the inside beach break started to turn on. Sailing these gnarly conditions in the midst of winter you should play it safe although Adam seemed to be ignoring the dangers of these perilous seas and racing out towards the steepest ramps in the thick of the impact zone and launching into some massive back loops. When Adam was learning to wave sail, Daymer Bay and Polzeath were his two favourite breaks and at least I had the peace of mind that he knows these waters and how hard to push it. Not to be outdone, Muzza was taking no prisoners on the Bar and hitting some chunky sections and launching into some huge floaty aerials.

Towards the end of the session the sky became engulfed by a huge thick blanket of grey cloud combined with 40 knots gusts and driving rain. By this time, even I was over it; the Doom Bar was calling, and not the one out in the middle of the Estuary! OK, Adam and Chris both survived the challenge of raging seas but that was nothing compared to my battle with National Rail to make it back to Portsmouth before the last boat. After being rerouted to some weird and wonderful stations dotted around the West Country I finally made it back home before midnight bedraggled and beaten by the UK railway system. Such was my horrific treatment by some of the station guards I even penned a letter of complaint and posted it off the very next morning, grrrr!

ANDY KING’S INSIDE INFO
Daymer has always been what I class as a fun spot.  Only very occasionally full on classic as in down the line perfection but regularly delivering solid wave sailing conditions with great jumping and riding but be warned these conditions can change dramatically with the tide. Best conditions are in a NW wind with mid to high tide and moderate to big westerly swell. You then get cross shore wave sailing on both sides of the estuary. Smaller Starboard tack jumping on the car park side and bigger port tack riding across on the far side.  West wind can also be good and although the car park side is far more onshore the far side is much cleaner for riding if a little gusty for jumping. With wind from the north and big swell it is the car park side that turns on but avoid high tide as there is a large wind shadow.  The car park side can also be very good in a south westerly and moderate swell for cross on jumping with an incoming mid tide. Plus points – offers great variety of conditions and great place for beginners and intermediates to get out into the waves, offers great jumping for even the advanced wave sailor. Negatives – tide greatly effects conditions with spring tide to be avoided and best practise to catch tide against wind if possible. Car park charges, attendant will fleece an additional charge of 1.50 for each sailor / kiter on top of the standard parking charge….be warned!

“ Daymer Bay is without doubt one of the most gorgeous stretches of coastline in Cornwall ’’  ^JC 

ADAM LEWIS
When I saw the forecast I was really excited, I hadn’t had a chance to get a good session at Daymer for years. It’s a place that is kind of special to me, back in the Team Airborn days George’s family had an unreal cottage overlooking the bay and we used to sail there a lot. We even used to get abandoned there on windy weekends, sail all day and then walk to Padstow for fish and chips. Over the years we’ve had some awesome sessions. I just guess I have a lot of fond memories of the place and it’s not often it disappoints. I tend to look for a W/SW wind with a slightly larger swell. Actually it works a lot and its usually a bit windier than anywhere else. The only thing you need to be careful of is the tide, if its on the way out there is a lot of water moving out to sea and if there is a big swell it can be really, really choppy almost un-sailable.

The day we sailed it I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’d scored a session in Polzeath the day before but the wind was pretty sketchy and the waves were a bit funky, then as Muzza arrived the wind dropped and the waves went. All that was left was a pretty strong tide surge up the beach; actually I only got off the beach in my car just in time! Then the next day, it didn’t look so windy when we woke up. I was pretty worried but after picking up JC it seemed to pick up on the way. As we arrived we ran round the head land to check it out. My heart soared; it looked mental, mega waves out back and a sailable section at Doom Bar on the inside. We rigged as quick as possible and got out, I only had a 4.2 as my smallest so it made the decision pretty easy. I don’t think I had factored how windy it was until Muzza and I ran to the water. A squall came though and we could hardly walk with the gear.

At that minute I think we both realised what we were in for! With the low tide we sailed on the other side of the bay, it was mental out back, big lumps of ocean breaking and really gusty but if you timed it right you could get a solid wave, I saw Muzza get a pretty good smack! There were some sick ramps too and if you got a gust you could score some epic jumping, I was pretty worried though as you could easily land into a massive wall of whitewash, there was a lot of water moving around and you really didn’t want to be separated from your gear. When its like that its cool to have your buddy around just to keep an eye on each other, we were definitely a team out there that morning. As the tide came in we left Doom Bar and started to sail the beach break by the car park, it was pretty good fun, a bit of a relief after the first session. It was still super windy still but there was some more playful waves. All in all it was a pretty awesome day, a pretty mental first session and then heaps of fun in the afternoon. I was pretty sore in the evening!

PARKING
There is a decent sized car park with toilets and a shop.

GETTIING THERE
Take the A39 to Wadebridge or the A389 from Bodmin. Both these roads meet at a roundabout just NE of Wadebridge. From here you take the small road towards the town centre and after 100 metres you turn right onto the B3314 towards Rock. After a couple of miles there is a small crossroads where you turn left towards Pityme and Rock. At the T junction in Pityme turn left towards Rock and after 50 metres turn left towards Polzeath. About 1.5 miles later you will arrive in Trebetherick, head uphill and at the top take a sharp left down a narrow lane straight down into Daymer Bay. It is a bit of a fiddly place to find but this jewel of British windsurfing is well worth the effort.

WIND DIRECTIONS
North Perfect for blasting and waves on the Doom Bar.
NW Side shore starboard tack, it can be very dangerous on the outgoing tide.
W Cross on from the right.
SW Cross shore from the left, cross off on the far side of the bay.
S Not the best due to wind shadow from Brea Hill.
SE/ E/ NE Gusty winds, not recommended, better for surfing!

EDITORS NOTE
Daymer is in an estuary so watch out for outgoing tides which are best avoided if possible. I witnessed an experienced sailor get airlifted out of the Doom Bar after getting caught out on a outgoing tide and dropping wind. There is a decent sized car park with toilets and a shop.

DOOM BAR
The Doom Bar  is the sandbar at the mouth of the estuary of the River Camel, composed mainly of marine sand that is continually being carried up from the seabed. According to tradition, the Doom Bar formed in the reign of Henry VIII, damaging the prosperity of the port of Padstow a mile up the estuary. A Cornish folklore legend however relates that a mermaid created the bar as a dying curse on the harbour after she was shot by a local man. Many ships have been wrecked on the Doom Bar and in 1848 Padstow Harbour Association cut down a small piece of Stepper Point to give ships extra “fair wind” into the harbour. Modern dredging techniques have widened the channel to reduce the hazard to Navigation but accidents have still occurred as recently as 1997. Nowadays its name is most famous as the flagship ale from Sharp’s Brewery just outside Rock. From surf dudes and city slickers to royalty and semi alcoholic windsurfing photographers, this mild 4% bitter has become the bestselling cask ale in the UK.

OTHER THINGS TO DO
The hidden gems on the Cornish Coast and a wonderful place to take the family in the summer. Maybe not quite so nice in a force 9 SW gale in the middle of January! The walk round to Polzeath is stunning and the beach at Daymer has beautiful white sand that stretches for miles. In the summer the traffic can be pretty hectic in and out of the narrow lane and without many passing points can be a bit of a nightmare. Polzeath nearby is a popular surf beach with one of the biggest surf shops in the UK and a well known hangout for holidaying celebrities – David Cameron normally hits the waves there every summer !

The post STORM FORCE – BEAUTY AND THE BEAST appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

MATTIA PEDRANI’S MEDITERRANEAN DIET

Fun little edit of a nice starboard tack waveriding sesh in Imperia, Liguria, on May 1st. 20/25 knots and 1.5m waves for some nice little turns and takas. A fun day indeed.

The soundtrack is yet another beat I produced using FLstudio10 called “Heisenberg”.
www.soundclick.com/infam0usbeats

Info
http://www.mattiapedrani.com/
http://soundcloud.com/infam0usbeats
http://www.facebook.com/mattia.i.00
https://twitter.com/@InfamousBeatz
http://www.myspace.com/infamousdouble…

The post MATTIA PEDRANI’S MEDITERRANEAN DIET appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

STARBOARD KODE FREEWAVE 94L 2015 TEST REVIEW

THE LOW-DOWN
The 94 is the second largest in the Kode Freewave range and is tested here in Carbon construction. In addition to the Drake 28cm fin supplied, we were issued with the thruster fin package – an MFC TF 20cm fin, along with a couple of thruster 11cm side fins.

BRAND CLAIM
“Starboard’s aggressive, fast, award-winning do-it-all boards for waves, freestyle or freeride. The Kode FreeWave 94 has new thruster fin boxes added. This extends the versatility. For those who can sacrifice some top-end speed for much improved grip and control: remove the plugs and the single fin and fit a set of thruster fins. Aggressively ‘accelerating Vee’ makes the Kode FreeWave highly maneuverable and responsive, by adding more curvature to the rail line and leaning them in into the radius of the carve: an effect similar to the front steering wheels of a car.” 

PERFORMANCE
Whilst not the fastest to plane in the group, once on top of the water the Kode Freewave 94 gathers pace quickly and winds up to an impressive top speed. In fact, a very impressive top speed! The 28cm fin provides plenty of traction to drive against and you find yourself racing against your peers, forgetting that you’re on a supposed crossover board, such is its directional composure. And it is this combination of control and velocity-induced energy that can’t help but inspire the rider to throw themselves into the next trick, jump or stunt. Because, at speed, everything is more expressive and the fact that the 94 releases from the water effortlessly only helps to encourage the aerial antics. Yes, there are conditions where this can be a downside; in short sharp chop for example, the lighter more nervous rider did find it hard to pin the board down. But that is where the optional fin package comes into play. It doesn’t transform the board into an all-conquering wave-board, but it does temper the speed and help provide grip and fluidity through the turn. The bite into the arc is dependable and you can push hard through the back foot, confident the board won’t stall or trip a rail on the top-turn. It is a lot of fun around a wave break, particularly on those fluky marginal days when those on specialist wave-boards are struggling to make the most of the knee-high ramps peeling in. It is a fantastically tunable platform that fulfills its ‘jack of all trades’ job-description admirably.

THE VERDICT
The Kode Freewave 94 is all about speed, and with it comes the ability to flatter any rider with a more expressive and explosive sailing style. The optional fin package is a must, unlocking yet more potential!

www.star-board-windsurfing.com

OTHER BOARDS IN THIS TEST:

FANATIC FREEWAVE 96

GOYA ONE 95

JP FREESTYLE WAVE 93

QUATRO TETRA 99

RRD FREESTYLE WAVE 94

TABOU 3S 96

Back to test intro page

Test overview page

The post STARBOARD KODE FREEWAVE 94L 2015 TEST REVIEW appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

BOUJMAA GUILEFUL – MOULAY ENERGY

“Couple sessions at home since I got back from the US, not the best sailing to prepare for a next event, thanks to my friend soufian for his time filming and my friends for being friends…”

The post BOUJMAA GUILEFUL MOULAY ENERGY appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

LOWDOWN  – STARBOARD RIO LONG TAIL

Starboard are well known for their innovation but when we heard they had a new beginner board, the Rio Long Tail, it was a bit of surprise, surely there are no new concepts to bring to market ? Designer Tiesda You gives us the lowdown !

Why did you design the Rio Long Tail exactly? 

Beginner boards haven’t evolved much since the Starboard Start was first introduced over a decade ago. Since then, beginner boards of all brands have become stable and wide, but not much else has improved. With the long tail concept, we wanted to make the beginner boards glide faster, track better, drift less and most importantly, get people magically planing without a difficult technical barrier to overcome.

What does it really do compared to a conventional Rio, what’s the engineering behind it? 

Compared to the 2015 Rio L, it’s exactly the same shape with 30cm added behind the fin. This makes the board longer for that faster glide while improving stability even more. The coolest thing however is when the board accelerates: as the rider starts moving back, the board doesn’t tilt up or change direction into the wind like any other board. It stays flat, keeps its direction and just goes faster and faster. It’s really a neat sensation and the beginner won’t realize they just did naturally what every other windsurfer before him or her took days or months to master!

During the design phase were there some amazing prototypes, and how toned down is the production board? 

Yeah, when you design a board starting from hydrodynamics, the result looks weird at first. Jim Drake knew that very well! It’s often a good sign because things that look conventional often give conventional results. The final prototype that went to production performed the best all-­round, giving the added performance with the least compromise to carve-­jibing.

How does the Rio Long Tail compare to a Start board for example? 

It’s about as stable but it glides much, much faster. It’s smooth and efficient in the way it glides. A real joy to learn on. The downside is that the Start will be much more fun in planing conditions, with a wide planing race-­type shape.

Do you think other brands will catch on with this design? 

They will watch this space and if gets traction, I hope to see them come up with their own version as well. The easier it will become to master windsurfing, have fun, feel the glide in light winds and get magically planing, the more interesting windsurfing becomes. And then, as we know, a rising tide lifts all boards.

Who is the Rio Long Tail board aimed at specifically?

Specifically, I would say schools and rental centres.

Do you think it will revolutionise beginner windsurfing, or is it just the first step?

We always hope an innovation of this magnitude will somehow revolutionise windsurfing. It gives us the energy and passion to bring them to market, but we don’t see it as a first step of many. We’ll keep doing our thing and we hope that somewhere along the line, we can help get more people windsurfing, more often.

What do you say to those who claim the Rio Long Tail is just another fad?

They could be right! I would weigh their claim more if they’ve tried it though.

Do you think this concept can/will be injected into another discipline, say Freeride for example?

Potentially. It depends on how far we can refine long tail designs, to improve easy planing while sacrificing carve jibing or top speed the least.

Ok, give us some gossip ! What’s next for 016?

Our line up for 2016 is looking amazing. While we often release one or two halo innovations per year, our 2016 collection could boast five or six. It’s really, really exciting. Hopefully, some will pass all the pre-­production milestones and make it to market -­ not all of them do you see. There’s lots to come, that is for sure.

For more information check out

www.star-board-windsurfing.com/2015/products/boards/rio-longtail

The post STARBOARD RIO LONG TAIL appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

STARBOARD ATOM IQ 100L CARBON 2015 TEST REVIEW

THE LOW-DOWN
For 2015, the Atom IQ range has been extended to include three larger sizes, whilst the existing boards (including this 100L version), remain unchanged. Available in Tufskin instead of Technora construction this year, we test the lighter carbon model here, complete with its new G10 fin.

BRAND CLAIM
“The original ultra-slim board with a huge wind range. As freemove boards, the Atom IQs are designed to be exciting and fast in the straight line yet highly manoeuvrable and aggressive with the widest wind-range and control. Plane big, gybe small: efficient in light winds like a wide board 15 litres bigger; as manoeuvrable and controllable as a board with 15 litres less. With the right tuning, you get a wind range that covers three classic freeride boards.” 

PERFORMANCE
On the water, the Atom IQ delivers such a stunning performance that we are struggling to identify a type of rider that wouldn’t get on with it. Early planing, it accelerates smoothly yet rapidly, exhibiting a perfect balance of excitement and control. It can sit there, happily cruising along at half speed, providing an easy passive ride so as to not unnerve the intermediate sailor. But plug an efficient sail in to load the Atom and it simply devours the power, sitting high on the water and skipping over chop. It seems to have a limitless top speed, much like a slalom board … but unlike a slalom board, you can throttle back, stand upright and instantly regain control if you ever feel it is getting away from you. This mix of straight-line potential and control would, in our opinion, make the Atom pure dynamite for amateur competition, where so many are ultimately let down by their ability to control their hard-railed slalom guns in severe conditions or around the corners. The Atom could keep up with most on the straights, and would provide the stability and user-friendliness to get round a gybe radius of the rider’s choosing.
The rails are thin and bite well whilst the tail’s width enables the board to retain speed and cruise through an arc to finish the turn off if the power is released prematurely. Our only slight niggle with the Atom is the fin. Whilst an improvement on the version supplied with the board last year, we still found it quite nervous, slipping easily if loaded too aggressively. Instead, we found the Atom rewards good technique, using the board’s leeward rail rather than relying solely on the fin, particularly when pushing hard upwind. If the fin did lose traction it was very easy to recover, pulling the board’s tail back underneath you, although partner the board with a more performance oriented fin and the Atom’s abilities are extended further!

THE VERDICT
The Atom IQ 100 remains a class act, combining near slalom like potential with a level of ease and practicality that makes it applicable to most. And the best news is that it has even come down in price for 2015. Highly recommended.

www.star-board-windsurfing.com

Other sails in this test:

FANATIC GECKO 105 

JP MAGIC RIDE 104

RRD FIREMOVE 102

SIMMER FREEMOVE 110

TABOU ROCKET WIDE 108

Back to test intro page

TEST OVERVIEW PAGE

The post STARBOARD ATOM IQ 100L CARBON 2015 TEST REVIEW appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

It all comes together  Dieter van der Eyken Video

”After the PWA season ended last year I got approached by the guys of Bern Media if I was interested into making a little clip together. As it turned out just a few days later a good forecast appeared and we tried a new spot probably nobody had sailed before on a very small inlet near Hoorn with dead flat water but a bit gusty winds. In the end all worked out great although it was a typical dutch stormy day with almost no sun and a lot of rain me and the guys of Bern Media are happy how it turned out. It’s not about the action but more about why after doing this sport for almost 16 years and being a pro windsurfer for the past 5 years I still love it as much if not more than when I started! Hope it gets you pumped up to score that perfect session and you enjoy this clip which is a bit better than the other clips I normally put online!

Thanks also to my sponsors: Starboard, Severne, Camaro, Sunwise and C7”

The post IT ALL COMES TOGETHER DIETER VAN DER EYKEN VIDEO appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

KUROSH KIANI PRO-FILE

Originating from a country where water sports were never really known, lots of challenges had to be overcome for Kurosh to be able to embark on this life as a windsurfer who´s been to most windsurfing paradises around the world and has competed in the PWA for a number of years. Read on for a greater insight into one of the most well liked and interesting characters on tour.

Photos  Russel Groves // Starboard HQ  Starboard  Lifestyle  John Carter/Kurosh Kiani

First of Kurosh, tell us a little about your name.
It’s a traditional Iranian name and I´m named after the old Persian King, Cyrus the mighty. A seemingly fitting name if I should say so myself haha, however, you won’t believe how much trouble I´ve had over the years trying to help people actually pronounce it.

How did you end up moving to Denmark?
Well my dad got on a donkey and went through the mountains to Turkey together with a guide, to make a long story short. There is a bit of fun in this answer, but the situation in those times was quite hard in Iran and most were looking to get out for a better future. So my parents sold everything they owned to be able to have enough funds for this plan. At that time I was only 7 years old, so I was more occupied with causing trouble at school and playing soccer, so I didn’t notice it too much until the day when my father was actually gone. He went for a drive with my uncle and never returned! From Turkey he managed to move his way up through Europe and finally ended up in Denmark as the final destination. My mother and I took the easy route by boarding an airplane and a new era of our lives.

When did you move to Denmark?
This was in 1990. I was only 7 years at that time.

“ Still to this day, I have got the same excitement about competing and pushing my limits as I did when I first started windsurfing ”

How was it growing up half in Iran and then moving to Denmark?
Let me start up by letting you in on how it is being a kid in Iran. In Iran, ALL kids are sent to school with three purposes in mind: To become a doctor, to become an engineer and/or become a soccer player. That’s really all there is to it. And if you aren’t the brightest fox so to say, you´re in trouble! Back then, going to school was like going to a competition every single day. It was like getting thrown into a wild jungle everyday. First obstacle was actually making it to school in time, because if you didn’t make it in time, the school gates would shut, and you wouldn’t be allowed in. Once inside, you would have to queue up like soldiers for the school principle to do his morning speech and to check that you´ve dressed properly. Then would begin the actual class where it was about getting those high score grades. I could keep going for hours about this, but I then got moved away from this competitive environment to Denmark, where it’s OK if you´ve got other talents than just your brain, and it’s accepted to be something else than a doctor. Ohh, and you get to attend school with girls! How amazing was that? I consider myself crazy fortunate. We moved into a little town in the middle of Denmark, and the public school there had a program for kids like me coming from foreign countries. So I started up in this class where I was taught all about being Danish and of course the language, until I gradually got put into a first grade class and my life took form from then on. Although I´m “half” Iranian, I now consider myself Danish, but for personal reasons. The rest of my life I grew up in Denmark, I went through school, high school and university there. All my friends are there, and my whole life and memories come from there. With that said, I will always be Iranian at heart!

Do people windsurf in Iran?
Honestly, I might get roasted for saying this, but when I was a kid, most people were afraid of the water!! I don’t know how it’s like now. I wouldn’t be surprised if people have taken up the sport there. I´ve seen Iranians around the world who windsurf, so they are out there, and it wont be long before we´ll be enough members to form the first “Irooni surf club”(Irooni is slang for being Iranian in Farsi).

So you say in Iran its all about soccer, how did you end up windsurfing?
Well I played soccer all of my childhood years, also when we moved to Denmark. I tried many different sports, but between us, I once saw this ad in TV with someone windsurfing and jumping, and I secretly was sold. As an amazing coincidence, that same summer, there was a program in our local school to try different sports, and one of them was windsurfing, sign me up! I was ready to settle into my new life as a bad-ass windsurfer!. Only there were a few obstacles! First of all, I was sort of nervous about being out at sea, and then there was another small minor detail: I SUCKED!! The instructor told me on the first day that I´ll never be good at windsurfing, I just didn’t have the skills. Hmm, the thing he had underestimated was my will power. I signed myself into the local club, and I would be down there every single time it would be open, even on the harshest, freezing, rainy days. What really caught me with windsurfing though was the social aspect of it, which started when I became really good friends with some of the other kids who were windsurfing there, and we then went on to go on trips together, and it was always about pushing each other. Our parents would drive us over to the west coast of Denmark, and drop us off for our school holidays, and we would camp and windsurf until we couldn’t walk anymore. It was AMAZING times. Since then I have never let it go. It just always kept being just as fun. I just love racing and sailing in any crazy kind of conditions I manage to get myself out in.

How did you get into racing?
It was just what you did back then. I started relatively late, but I managed to be Formula windsurfing Danish Champion when I was 18. I wanted to keep on racing full on, but my Iranian background came back to haunt me. My parents sort of put the hammer down and said I should finish my education first, and then I was free to do whatever I wanted. I eventually got it negotiated into taking a sabbatical year. I got a job as a windsurf instructor on the Canary Islands, and I managed to burn off all of my excess energy. Back to school it was for another 5 years, where I was racing just locally. And finally when I finished school, I returned to my initial plan. I jumped straight into it. I went to a few international events and thought, wow this is “de action” to quote Brian Talma. Still to this day, I have got the same excitement about competing and pushing my limits as I did when I first started windsurfing.

You’ve mixed windsurfing with your student life – what did you study?
I studied Business Administration and Computer Science at Copenhagen Business School. It was the perfect way for me to go. I´ve always been interested in computers, and to be able to combine that with business knowledge was the ultimate study package for me.

You setup the live scoring and other innovations on the world tour, how did that whole idea start?
The idea of setting up live scoring for the world tour was talked about for a very long time. Lots of chats over many beers! How did I get involved? Well I first started out building a statistics database for the PWA, which allowed them to go back in time and look at individual heat results about 10 years back, and to compare two or more sailors against each other.  We then looked at what it would really take to make live scoring work in windsurfing. Once we really looked into it, we realized how difficult a task it would be, and for me personally, it was most definitely a challenge to move into a realm where no one had ever gone before.

Explain the live scoring in more detail
Well, to the outside world, only live scoring is known, but what most people don’t know, is that we´ve built a whole event management system behind it. Everything happens electronically now. Everything from sailor profiles, to each score or heat result goes into a huge database. In order for this to work, I had to build an event management system, which supports world rankings in each discipline, generation of elimination ladders, sailor profiles, result calculation and so on. Furthermore, an app had to be built for each discipline for result entry. We only see the outside of it when we look at results etc. on the PWA website, but for instance, what many don’t know, is that we use the same technology to optimize the slalom discipline. All heat results are entered into our new app. The results are sent to our local server, which calculates results, and updates the elimination ladders, and in that same instance, updates the websites. When the elimination final has been sailed. A new elimination ladder is created by the click of two buttons, which has saved huge amounts of processing time. Rankings and new elimination ladders are calculated and updated automatically, based on the rules we feed to the system. The same goes for the wave discipline, which was the biggest task by far. Here we had a big disadvantage in only being able to properly test during running events. We went through at least 10 iterations of bug fixing and adding on to the system with unexpected issues. This is where we really realized what would need to go into this for it to really work! As for the freestyle discipline, we are already on the fourth version of a score entry app, and this time it will be accompanied by some changes in the competition format itself for it to support live scoring.

So how does the wave scoring system actually work?
Those familiar to wave competition know that there are at least three judges judging each heat during PWA competitions.  Each judge now has an iPad which they use for their score entry. Like in the slalom discipline, their scores are sent to our local server, which waits until all the judges have entered their scores for that particular jump or wave ride. When all scores are present, the average score is then instantly tabulated. Once that process is finished, the score is then pushed to our online server, which then updates the scores in the box we see when we click on to the PWA server. Simple, right? Actually, its quite a complex task. You could ask  yourself, how does the system know how to pair the correct wave scores together? In some heats, there can be 10 waves ridden or more from each competitor. This question was a very complex challenge for us. It’s not  even worth going into details, but we found the correct formula to bring down the possibility of error to a very small minimum. We still suffer from having poor connectivity to the internet every now and then, and massive amounts of server load because of the increase in traffic the live scoring has brought with it. But it’s things we are actively working on, and it’s just getting better event by event!

You’re known for being very involved with tuning your equipment, can you describe the process to us
You can prepare yourself as much as you want, but if you don’t have your equipment tuned up for competition, you´ve already lost half of the game. Even with the newest equipment, there is stuff to be done. For a long time, I thought it was about having the absolute fastest top speed. Only in recent years I realized, that there is more to it than just having good speed. Your final goal is ultimately to be fast around the course! I now work more towards having a rig which is easy to sail with, meaning a forgiving rig which can handle rough conditions, have good bottom end power, and very easy to pump! And when it comes to the board, well it just needs to sit still in the water and take you down those reaches without throwing you off. So when I get new equipment, of course I just start out by sailing it and getting the feeling for it. These days, with the great development of gear, often you need to do very little, just work on your downhaul and outhaul settings. Basically you need someone to sail with in order to tune up your gear. Someone fast as a reference while you try different settings to identify what is faster and what is slower. This is pretty much the only way to properly tune your gear. And when it comes to the feel of your gear, as a rule of thumb, you should be able to be locked in and not be scared to be hitting chop and waves. If you´ve managed to get to this point, you are already going fast!

You’ve recently changed sponsors how is it changing boards and riding for Starboard
To be changing to Starboard is sort of the ultimate in sponsor change for me. I rate brands by different characteristics, and not only by how good their gear is. It is also important to have a good team behind the brand, which is something Starboard has. A while back I was at the headquarters where I was able to meet the whole team, and we had a great vibe instantly. This is something which really motivates me on all fronts! I picked up a stack of boards to take back with me. And the day I arrived back home, I unpacked the iSonic87 to take it for a spin. And the first time I got planing, I got a smile on my face. It was such a great experience Everything well balanced, and gear which is crazy easy to ride. So to say the least, I´m super excited, motivated, and happy to be joining a team which I see is working hard, and who is motivated to be working towards common goals!

What are your goals and preparations for the year ahead?
Preparation wise, I have focused a lot on getting stronger physically, and generally getting out on the water every day, even if for an hour. This has helped me keep up a good level over the winter, sailing wise. I´m joining a group of friends in Tarifa to be doing tuning and race training at the same time. But ultimately, I want to just be prepared, meaning that I like to have tried ALL my gear in ALL different combinations. Over the years I´ve realized that I race really well when I turn up to events prepared with no unanswered questions in my mind. And all of this comes from doing lots of sailing, going through all of your gear, changing all of your ropes, and generally being on top of all details! Goal wise, I want to be more stable. Fewer mistakes and changing some of those losers’ final spots to winners’ finals, then the results will follow as well. So to make it very short, raise the bottom level of my performance, and getting the peaks to be higher, and finally, staying on top during a whole week of hard racing. Whether that translates to a top 20 or a top 10 position, only time will tell.

The post KUROSH KIANI PRO-FILE appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

PRESS RELEASE:

2016 Wave & Freestyle
With our 2016 Starboard Wave & Freestyle Range, we are proud to introduce both classic and revolutionary designs for you to have fun on the water. We hope you’ll enjoy discovering our 2016 boards and what makes them the most advanced, highest performance wave and freestyle boards.

All-new Kode Waves will have you going faster, jumping higher and surfing with more control. The classic Quads will make you aspire to turn like their designer Scott McKercher, with the most connected feeling to the wave. And the new, revolutionary Reactors with their unparalleled reactivity will open your eyes to another world and enable you to draw new lines in all conditions.

The all-new Kode FreeWaves also see their wave performance improve without losing the speed they’re famous for and a new, bigger Kode 109 is introduced for lighter days or heavier riders.

The new Flares have been refined by the world’s best freestyle team while keeping recreational freestylers in mind. They will pop with ease while being fast and reactive, allowing to do your first spocks or reach the next level with clean, high conos and culos.

Welcome to 2016. See you on the other side.

2016 Quad: Instant grip, connection and drive.
The classic Scott McKercher design will bring a combination of speed, flow and power to your surfing for the most connected sensation to the wave. They produce powerful yet smooth turns when driven off the rails. Last year, the Quads under went subtle changes producing significant improvements in performance. Vee was brought forward of the fins to facilitate cutbacks. More outline curve was added between the straps for some models to allow for quicker and more vertical turns.

Available in Carbon and Wood Reflex. Custom-made blue on blue painted graphics for an unique look.

2016 Kode Wave: All-new Koster Kode.
The all-new Kode Wave will take jumps and waveriding to the airs, whether you are starting out in the waves or already have a few PWA World Champion titles like Philip Koster or the Morenos. The new 2016 Kode Waves are now more consistent across the range, with the Vee brought further back into the mono-concave for a smoother initiation of the bottom turn and rail-to-rail transfers. Rails and rockers have also been refined for speed and maneuverability and the sizing denominations have been adjusted.

Available in Carbon and Wood Reflex. Painted red and orange custom graphics that really stand out on the water.

2016 Reactor: A step forward in waveboard evolution.
The Reactor will create drive through turns, redirect immediately when hitting the lip, boost airs easily and fit into tighter pockets. It enables riders of all levels to access more radical surfing. Short length, nose width, relatively flat rocker, swallow tail and a quad fin setup provide unparalleled reactivity in all wind and wave conditions.

Available in Carbon and Wood Reflex.

2016 Kode FreeWave: All-new for a broad range of conditions.
The new Kode FreeWave is the fast and versatile board for flat water, chop or waves. The new rocker, thin rails and thruster setup come together to boost the board’s wave performance without sacrifices on top speed and traction. A new Kode 109 is available for bigger riders and light wind days. All Kode FreeWave are delivered with a thruster setup. The bigger models also come with a single fin and plugs.

Available in Carbon, Wood Reflex and Technora Reflex. Red and orange custom paint graphics for high visibility on the water.

2016 Flare: New Flares 93 and 103.
Designed, tested and refined by the world’s best freestyle team. They’re pure freestyle boards that pop easily and respond instantaneously. They’re fast, compact, reactive and light in both sliding and aerial maneuvers. The new 2016 Flares have a thicker tail, with slightly softer rails in the front which allows them to be more comfortable and forgiving, without sacrificing speed. They are also shorter and wider. Compact, balanced and reactive. Comes with a new Powerbox and the Drake Ready to Freestyle fins by Taty Frans.

Available in Carbon Reflex. Painted green on green custom graphics that really stand out on the water.

See more at:

www.star-board-windsurfing.com

<ENDS>

The post STARBOARD WAVE & FREESTYLE 2016 appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

2016 STARBOARD KODE WAVE

The new and improved 2016 Kode Wave takes jumps and waveriding to the airs. It offers excellent projection above the lip for new generation aerial waveriding.

Philip Koster’s choice.

See more at http://www.star-board-winsurfing.com/

The post 2016 STARBOARD KODE WAVE appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

BOUJMAA GUILLOUL   MOROCCAN MAGIC

If you follow Boujmaa Guilloul on social media, it can’t have escaped you that he has been scoring big this winter at home. Endless Starboard tack points and uncrowded waves, it looks and is an amazing coastline to call home. We caught up with the multi talented wavesailor for the low down on one of the best days of his winter and windsurfing in his beloved country.

Words Boujmaa Guilloul  // Photos  Seva Shulgin

(This feature originally appeared in the April 2015 issue of Windsurf Magazine. To read more features like this first, Print and Digital subscriptions are available. Prices include delivery globally for 10 x issues a year!)

Wow Boujmaa, epic images, tell us more !
Boujmaa – So basically it was one of those perfect forecasts that we had been looking at for a week, with the team of the Yard Movie on hold waiting for a go. Actually the perfect day was predicted for the next day, luckily we didn’t hesitate to go that first day as it went off ! The launch was a challenge, it involved launching in front of mast high white water from another bay, north of the break and then sailing downwind with some huge swells, it was pretty crazy ! I hit a fin on a rock and couldn’t go back in to fix or change it so I just kept on banging it until it went back in and sailed on, lots of spin outs, which you don’t want to happen in over mast high waves ! The highlight of the day was a wave I caught really far out, riding it for a few minutes ! and making it through some very long sections. At the end I got caught and broke the top of my mast which still didn’t stop me from sailing. It was so good, fingers crossed for more insanity like this soon !

Tell us about the Yard Movie
Boujmaa – The Yard is a movie about windsurfing and a bit of surfing, made by a Russian windsurfer, Seva Shulgin. Seva has made several windsurfing movies before and this one is about travelling around the world driven by the passion of riding the best waves in Maui, Mauritius and Morocco. It is funded by some friends and some Russian companies, together with the Wind channel team, who were filming with a Redcam. We have some beautiful footage and now the movie is in post production. Hopefully it will be ready by the end of the year or early next year for a couple of premiers around Europe.

What has this winter been like in Morocco
Boujmaa – After my competition in Maui, I stayed at home for the winter, expecting some big swells to charge around home in Moulay and Essaouira. We have scored lots of great surf days and a couple of windsurf sessions inbetween and of course this incredible session. I’m still hoping for more conditions in Morocco this Winter but will be happy to score something on Cabo Verde as well and hopefully score another good Moroccan day before heading to Maui
How do you feel scoring days like these by yourself then going to places like Maui where it’s very crowded – does that make it easier or harder to deal with the crowds ?
Boujmaa – It’s true Morocco has spoiled me by lots of endless rides with no one around and when I go away to places like Maui or breaks like Mauritius and Cabo Verde, I realize how really lucky we are to have such fun spots with so little crowds. It does give me more patience and more chilled out to handle crowded waves around the world; crowds are a product of the sport growing and generating more and more people in the water, might be good for the sport but also bad sometimes 😉

What forecast sites do you use for Morocco
Boujmaa – I use a lot of times Windguru, but also magic seaweed a lot when it’s an unclear forecast. Also the Navy maps for accurate swell movement..
Where is this wave ?
Boujmaa – The wave is called Boilers, at Cap Ghir, region of Taghazout, up north from Agadir.

What are your tips for people travelling to Morocco
Boujmaa – I think it’s best to travel to Morocco in Spring time for the wind and swell, but you will get more wind in summer. For wave lovers, best is to travel on a forecast and contact me if you need gear to rent and a place to stay and for any extra tips.  www.boujxsports.com

The post BOUJMAA GUILLOUL MOROCCAN MAGIC appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

Short length, relatively flat rocker and a quad fin setup, it’s the Starbord Reactor 2016.

Check out the clip..

See more at

www.star-board-winsurfing.com/

The post STARBOARD REACTOR 2016 appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

COAST – OUT OF THE BLUE

Many wave hungry sailors have faced those barren stretches of windless forecasts and then spotted a tiny glitch on the weather map hinting at a remote chance of a decent session. The big dilemma is whether to simply let those fifty /fifty gambits fly past  or do you take the bull by the horns and go chase it down. Even once you are committed then nothing is guaranteed, this is one of those sketchy ones that might deliver a few cracking waves or you may be sat on the beach cursing your decision to burn a £100 in fuel and waste a day. John Carter talks us through a couple of scenarios earlier this year that may well boost your confidence to keep faith in the weather gurus and roll the dice and go for it!

Words & Photos  JOHN CARTER

CORNISH CRACKERS
“Are you guys on drugs?” Was the reaction from Blacky when he heard we were driving down to Cornwall on one of Timo’s hairbrained schemes to cure a dry spell on his normally fully booked windsurfing diary. We were looking at a wisp of North West wind that promised to scratch the very far corner of Cornwall along with a 2.5m long range south swell that could easily be tiny if the forecast was slightly wrong. A couple of times before we had thought about chasing a similar situation and once I had even made the three hour trip to Poole, checked the Bantham web cam and headed straight back home after spending ten minutes on the platform. Today I was equally committed having travelled up to Timo’s the previous night and judging by Blacky’s call we were lining up for another potential catastrophe. With the rest of the country one hundred per cent windless, we were chasing the very  edge of a weak pressure system and possibly relying on some local acceleration for our gamble to pay dividends. The one thing the forecast was unanimous about was sunny weather at least; the rest was down to mother nature to cooperate.

“ Our wager was actually paying off, clean waves on a reef, no crowds, the sort of setup you would be happy to travel abroad for but we were scoring on UK shores ! ’’

Timo’s choice spot for the mission was a fickle reef break on the south coast of Cornwall that incidentally had a solid chance of being loaded with surfers at any hint of a south swell. The odds were certainly stacked against us. In order to pull off this crazed plan we left in the dark and were already in Cornwall by 8am staring out at some funky sets at Marazion and barely a breath of wind. We were both speechless, defiant to admit we had possibly blundered. Our first thought was damage limitation, grab a quick surf and then head back home to appease the wives at a reasonable hour. After a bit more driving around and now at Praa Sands, we were still deliberating when Blacky finally answered his phone, most likely just to rub salt in the wounds. But lo and behold, Blacky was slightly positive and reckoned the breeze was filling in down at Lands End and his brother had just checked the surf and some solid south sets were starting to hit the Cornish coast. Another half hour passed, the clock was ticking and we were now gathered on the cliffs looking down at this south coast secret reef break trying to guesstimate the strength of the wind.

“ on this rare occasion it was  west/north west , the perfect cross offshore direction at Niton, with head to logo high sets and going off ! ’’ 

Sure it had picked up and was feathering the tops off the waves but then we spotted a couple of kiters trying to launch their kites but they dropped straight out of the sky and they ditched their plan in exchange for surfboards. Enough was enough for Timo and he ran back to the van to  gather his light wind gear determined to give it a shot. After throwing his kit off the rocks and swimming it out to the wind line Timo was up on the board and planing straight off the bat, now it was Blacky’s turn to dash to the van ! Timo’s first wave was a half mast high pit, driving bottom turn and solid round house cutback, it was on ! Our wager was actually paying off, clean waves on a reef, no crowds, the sort of setup you would be happy to travel abroad for but we were scoring on UK shores ! Blacky was well up for a piece of the action and showed all the style on the water he is famous for. I am pretty certain Timo and Blacky were the only two guys wave sailing in the whole of the country on this particular day. So judge for yourself, was it worth it? Timo was pretty stoked to be out on the water catching waves and the alternative would have been zero action back at home, most likely checking the forecast down in Cornwall every half an hour wondering whether we were missing out or not. Plus we had the last laugh on Blacky who had probably missed the best of the conditions procrastinating about the conditions while Timo snagged the biggest waves of the day !

WIGHT WATERS
A couple of weeks later, I was at home in my office working away quite contentedly when my phone started buzzing with Ross Williams trying to contact me. As far as I was concerned today was out of the question for windsurfing, I knew the weather pattern had been calling for dying westerly winds overnight and had not even given the forecast a decent check over. Ross had different ideas and fair play to him, he was on it and reckoned that there was some good ground swell hitting the island and the wind was swinging west  to north west through the morning meaning Niton could be classic. I played along with Ross on the phone and told him I would come straight down if the signs looked good when he was almost there.So I carried on behind the computer, not even bothering to pack any camera gear or make any preparations to head out; you could say I was being lazy but I simply was not convinced in my mind that this day was worth bothering with. Ten minutes later a text came through from Ross with a message saying it was looking sick and that he could see swell breaking along the coast.  Finally I started to twitch and had a quick look at a few web cameras and channel wave buoys; just maybe, Ross was onto something !. Obviously this was an easy drive for me, half an hour and I would be at Niton, but all the same I did not want to waste my day on a wild goose chase, so without positive Intel I was staying put. But then my phone started buzzing again, it was Ross, now at the top of the track at Niton making one last call before the signal disappeared at the bottom of the cliffs. “JC, I hope you are on your way, please don’t tell me your still at home, Niton is on fire, its bloody epic!”

All of a sudden I had to shift through the gears, chuck all my camera equipment in the back of the car and blast up the road on a mad dash towards the southernmost point of the Island. For sure the forecast was one of those fickle ones but Ross had been hungry enough to believe it was worth a shot and I had been unusually caught totally off guard. By the time I had darted through every short cut known to man, I made it just in time to be at the top of the hill and see Ross launching and heading out to catch his first wave.

“ these sessions go to show, that just when you least expect it, windsurfing can catch you unaware and deliver some surprisingly magical conditions ’’ 

Normally westerly is a smidgen onshore while North West is a touch too offshore but on this rare occasion it was  west/north west , the perfect cross offshore direction at Niton, with head to logo high sets and going off !. In a blind panic I careered down the bumpy track that leads to the car park just in time to watch Ross flying through an aerial on his first wave of the session. Luckily for me the magical window with the perfect wind direction continued for the next bunch of waves before the wind backed to the west and a more regular more cross shore day at Niton. Having being brought up surfing and sailing around this stunning stretch of coastline on the Island, Ross really does know Niton like the back of his hand. He knows every little idiosyncrasy of this spot, where to be, which swells to gybe on and when to charge and smack it hard. Niton may not quite be up there with the best breaks in Cornwall but on its day, it’s a real fun place to sail or surf. I will be the first to admit that my finger was not on the pulse for this particular sojourn. Niton  is one of my favourite spots and I am not sure why I was not on the case. Thanks to Ross, at least I made it in time to shoot a few clean waves peeling down the point; if only I had been there an hour earlier; next time there will be no excuses !

Both these sessions go to show, that just when you least expect it, windsurfing can catch you unaware and deliver some surprisingly magical conditions. You just have to keep your goggles peeled to the forecasts and be prepared to keep checking that beach, whether its right on your doorstep or slightly off the beaten track. Next time you are in doubt, don’t miss out. JC

The post COAST – OUT OF THE BLUE appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

THE FRESHEST

Words  FINN MULLEN //  Photo  JOHN CARTER

Windsup maybe one of the freshest categories in windsurfing but the concept of light wind windsurfing is hardly new. What has changed is the multi role aspect of the boards on offer; the ability to stand up paddle as well as sail has driven growth with the obvious advantage the boards offer as an all-round light wind/no wind beach toy. With summer upon us and peak windsup season open for business, we take a look at the market with an overview of the offerings from the brands and some expert advice from the industry.

Hard or soft
There’s no denying it, the market for windsups has blown up, pardon the pun! Inflatable sales now account for an extraordinary amount of sales in the market. Brian Johncey from Blue Chip Windsurfing, one of the longest running shops in the UK, estimates conservatively that inflatables make up at least 95% of his sales. For myself, there is still nothing that can replace the feeling of a hard board gliding under your feet, especially in waves where the finer rails offer greater transitional ability in the surf zone. But the performance gap is closing fast. Advances in construction technology are being driven by the SUP community as the demand for stiffer, finer railed inflatable boards is encouraging manufacturers to develop and innovate ever more refined products. The advantages of inflatables for storage and portability on cars, planes, bikes and backs are obvious !, but they also offer another benefit as our test editor and owner of the OTC, Tris Best, explains, “The relative early planing ability of inflatables often surprises people. They aren’t earlier than a conventional windsurf board but they plane easier than you might think  due to the thick high volume rails, where they lose however is when the wind starts to pick up and conventional windsurf shapes soon take over. A hard, wave biased, windup typically has a lot of tail rocker for manoeuvrability in the waves which has little disadvantage at non planing speeds but does hinder planing performance”. There are limitations to inflatable’s performance, Peter Hart explains, “Of course you can take inflatables into the waves so long as you understand the limitations. Fine straight-lining on white water – not so good cracking off hollow lips.”

For the nervous beginner, kids, curious family and friends, there’s something inherent in the softer, tactile feel of an inflatable which seems to naturally instil a sense of comfort and curiosity. In addition inflatables have an attractive ability to withstand dings and shoreline abuse. In short, hard boards offer greater performance in the waves and will always be the preference for those who still like foam under their feet but inflatables are the popular choice and well worth a look and very far from being a gimmick in their modern guise.

Length
Brain Johncey of Blue Chip sees most sales in the 10 foot range, being a good compromise size. Go shorter if you want more surf performance, longer if you wish more flat water glide. In hard boards, for surf and flat water use I’ve always found 9’5’’ – 10’5’’ a go to size, big enough to still have glide onto a wave or paddling, yet not so long as to impair surf use. 9 foot boards start to swing the bias even greater into waves while still having just enough volume and tracking to make flat water paddling possible. Sub 8’5’’ you are definitely into the specialist wave use for most average weight people but don’t discount the genuine performance of these boards under paddle or sail, Starboard designer Scott McKercher or Fanatic’s ripper in chief, Victor Fernandez are just some of the pros that can regularly be seen making these boards look anything but a compromise on the wave face and a lot of fun in light winds in the right hands.

The market
UK Champion windsurfer and paddle boarder, John Hibbard, is a founder of one of the world’s largest SUP brands, Red Paddle Co. Having been in SUP at the very start of the sport, how has he seen the windsup market develop. “At first we were focussed very much on making the company a specialist SUP brand and keeping windsurfing a distinct sport but there is an obvious crossover which we have responded to with a windsup model. Paddle boarding when it’s windy isn’t fun and even novice paddle boarders are soon keen to explore windsurfing on their boards, so it has been a great backdoor to introduce people to windsurfing while gaining unexpected sales from windsurfers too”. Brian Johncey agrees, “We definitely see more paddle boarders taking up windsurfing, they are soon converted once they see how much fun they can have in light winds messing around with a sail. I don’t like the industry concocted term – ‘windsup’, to me that belittles windsurfing. If you put a sail on a board it’s windsurfing, simple as that. That said, I always recommend people to buy a board best suited to their paddling needs first”. Tris Best again sees an encouraging uptake in the market, “Windsup is a great summer sport and family board option. We see paddle boarders taking up the windsurf challenge and moving onto regular windsurf boards as they progress, anyway we can get people into windsurfing has got to be good”.

Advances in the market that Red Paddle co envisages are improving the upwind performance of the boards. John Hibbard explains, “Most advanced windsurfers won’t have a problem staying upwind with a windsup but for the beginner we are looking at methods to improve this. In Inflatables be it retractable daggerboards, centre fins or even tail fins you have to be conscious of the durability of any fittings under hull. Those are easy to repair on a hard board but not on inflatables which is why you need to make sure your board’s fittings are robust. Fixed centre fins help but can be prone to damage on groundings, retractable daggerboards while better can be expensive but we are developing a system which addresses cost, performance and durability, watch this space!”

Rigs
Less is more when powering a windsup. Small sails or even sails with no or one or two battens are best suited for non planing fun and performance with 5.0 to 6.0 the popular size band.  Mistral even have gone so far as to include a picture in their marketing of a vintage soft sail being used on their boards! Most of the brands now offer a modern soft sail standalone product or a keenly priced package which Tris Best has seen stealing customers away from buying kayaks as their summer beach toy when they see the “2 sports for the price of 1″ rig and board deals on offer. Brian Johncey commented that windsup has seen him reduce his quiver right down to 2 boards and 3 sails, “My biggest sail is a 5.7, in light winds I mess around on the windsup, then once it’s windy, change boards to my short board. In the old days I carried a mountain of gear to the beach, now it’s just my sup,  Kode 94, a 5.7, 5.0 and 4.5. It’s less hassle, allows me a light wind option and still keeps it fun!”

The coach’s view
Sam Ross is a highly experienced SUP athlete, instructor and windsurfing guru. An enthusiastic advocate for windsup, he explains why.

“Productive time afloat has got to be the main reason for windsups being a must have piece of kit. They allow you to make the most of light winds and with the absence of a longboard or dagger boarded board in most people’s quiver they actually offer some performance in light winds rather than just a platform. The usual light wind board of choice for many people would be a big freeride board; short wide and with no waterline length. Whilst all time on the water is usually of benefit, these boards don’t give the sailor great feedback on skills they are trying to improve. With its extra glide and usually less than excessive width, a windsup gives a great platform to experiment and try things whilst also giving the sailor an enjoyable time. The comfort and performance of the kit also allows windsurfers to dabble with new environments especially waves.

We usually venture into waves in high winds and small boards and for many sailors they may well be operating well outside their comfort zone – kit and conditions wise. A windsup allows the sailor to go out on something they feel comfortable on in conditions they might not feel comfortable in. In addiction there is more time to read and understand waves and therefore improving the decision making process later down the line. If it’s not windy then you can still get on the water, keeping your fitness up and getting more in tune with waves and conditions on the water.”

Retro good
With a wide range of product on market, we asked several brands for an example from their range and cover them in the following pages with a market overview. Some may view these as just another industry retro fad but is retro really that bad? Riders in other sports embrace the different feelings alternative vintage inspired products offer. Surfers swoon over classically styled single and twin fin boards, many keen cyclists are fixated with fixed gear bikes and the biggest market growth in skateboarding right now is replicas of the boards used in the 70’s. Windsups are the modern reinvention of our sport’s roots and give us a chance to reclaim the fun of light wind windsurfing we all had when we started. With windsups now included in almost every shop and brand’s demo fleet, grab a free trial this summer or better still bring family and friends along to try them too. As an introduction to windsurfing, you never know where that might lead!

AHD SEALION 8’3”

Price £849 or £1299 for Double Skin Carbon •

Web www.ahd-boards.com

VITAL STATS
Volume (Quoted) 135 litres
Length 8’3’’ / 253 cm
Width 29.5’’ / 75 cm
Weight 8.5 kgs or 8kgs for Carbon

THE LOW-DOWN 
The SeaLion concept is a unique Wind Sup (Windsurf board cum SUP) concept putting you on the water on any day. With outstanding performance when light wind windsurfing and free riding or when stand up paddle surfing, the SeaLion will allow you to have great sessions in any condition –  waves, flat water, strong or light winds – you just need one board to experience it all.

FEATURES
Our SeaLion concept is based on retro-fish surf boards, in order to mix speed and manoeuvrability even in light conditions. Along the years we have further refined the shapes for the SeaLion to ensure great performance when planing in strong winds, as well as when paddling in the surf. A wide board along its whole length, with moderate thickness makes it a stable and accessible board, without sacrificing radicalism in all conditions.
Features include:
Balanced volume distribution; Continuous and slightly hollowed V bottom; Thin rails at the tail; Fish Tail; Evolving array of graphic colours to choose from; Carbon version available with extra reinforcement and lighter weight.

HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR SEALION
SeaLion XL – 9’0 – 150 litres: For larger riders or for those who are looking for more ease of use and accessibility when paddling or sailing. It also offers the option to fit a large fin as a centre board, thanks to the power box located at the board’s centre. The summer board full EVA deck version is outstanding for families and centres.

SeaLion 8’3 – 135 litres: Both accessible and radical. This is a good compromise between the XL and PRO.

SeaLion Pro 7’6 – 115 litres: For smaller riders and also for experts who are looking to maximise redirection ability and radicalism.

SeaLion Wings 7’6 – 109 litres: Our latest baby, ultra reactive and radical, you’ll be able to use it windsurfing or stand up paddling or with a foil.

FINAL WORD
The Sea Lion (Wind Sup) for me is the perfect solution to enjoy windsurfing way more.  It’s a must have toy for both windsurfing and suping, perfect  for those light wind days when it’s just impossible to use your short board, the Sea Lion does beyond the job by putting a huge smile on your face especially when you go sailing with some friends!  It turns just like any well shaped short board, so you can attack the wave however you want, what I love most about it is that it’s strapless which for me helps to improve my wave skills, balance and gives unlimited learning potential – Diony Guadagnino.

CONTACT 
Kai Sports Ltd • +44 (0)2380 840 777 • info@kaisports.co.uk 

FANATIC VIPER AIR

Price £999 • Web www.fanatic.com

VITAL STATS
Volume (Quoted)  290 litres
Length  10’4’’ / 315 cm
Width 33.5” / 85.1 cm
Thickness  6” / 15 cm
Weight (‘Naked’, Brand Quoted) 10.5 kgs

THE LOW-DOWN
Lighter and tougher than traditional boards, the Viper Air is the ideal watersports toy. Pure fun for the whole family, schools and clubs. Windsurf enthusiasts and SUP lovers are equally stoked about the diversity the Viper Air has to offer. With years of experience in building the best entry level windsurf boards; we made sure that the Viper Air is spiced with similar characteristics; optimum glide, stable platform, great turning potential and all round manoeuvrability. These classic traits are rounded off with our high quality Double Layer Technology for optimum stiffness and light, hassle free handling.

FEATURES
Without a doubt the most desirable inflatable WindSUP ever, it is lighter and tougher than the traditional boards. Safe, straight forward and utterly sensational, features include:
• High Quality Double Layer Technology with top materials and manufacturing
• Comfortable and grippy footpad, towing eyelets and comfy carrying handle
• Deck net to attach luggage
• Mastfoot insert for windsurfing option
• Two removable fins (rear & centre) make it easy to switch from Windsurfing to SUP and adjust the Viper Air to your needs.
• For super easy transportation, we’ve packed the Viper Air in our premium Wheely Backpack with padded straps, belly belt and compartments to have all the accessories in place, including our new ergonomic Fanatic Double Action Pump.

FINAL WORD 
The Viper Air is an Inflatable Windsurf board which is also perfect for SUP. Thanks to the new parallel outline the board sails and paddles really well in a straight line. The new model is longer compared to 2015 but the same width. It offers 2 fin options so beginners can optionally use a centre fin (also good for SUP beginners for tracking help). Due to the heavy duty construction, the board is stiff and durable and offers lots of volume for maximum stability and water flow. Perfect for family fun! – Daniel Aeberli (Product Manager).

CONTACT
www.k-66.com • +44 (0)1903 368 253 • info@k-66.com

JP AUSTRALIA LE WIND 11’0’’ INFLATABLE

Price £699 • Web www.jp-australia.com

VITAL STATS
Volume (Quoted) 330 litres
Length 335 cm
Width 87 cm
Weight (‘Naked’, Brand Quoted) 8.5 kg

THE LOW-DOWN 
The 11‘0“x34“ is a new size that will suit most people getting into stand-up paddling and windsurfing due to the added width for stability and length for directional glide. The integrated mast plug makes attaching the rig super easy without having anything big left on the board and the additional centre fin gives you all the upwind performance and directional stability you need.

FEATURES
The LE stands for “Light Edition” – Light weight, Light design and Light on your pocket! The drop-stich material itself is thinner than our standard JP ‘DOUBLE LAYER’ construction. Therefore the boards are lighter, yet they retain a very similar stiffness to the standard JP construction inflatables. This has been achieved with a special lamination bond during the material production. The new material that we use for LE boards is very unique and not to be compared with other “single skin” inflatables on the market which are often not 100% airtight and are much softer than a standard construction board. The advantages of the LE construction include the fact that the boards are almost half the weight of some of the competition boards in the same size, they can be rolled tightly and therefore take up almost half the space of some of the competition boards. This led us to developing a more compact bag. To keep the boards light on your pocket we opted for a minimalist design in white color. We supply the boards with a high pressure single-stroke pump and they come in a single fin option (the Windsurf option comes with an extra centre fin and box). The fin-box is an all new US-box compatible system! and suits short base US box fins. Unlike most fins for inflatable boards, these new fins are foiled.

FINAL WORD
Windsurfing Inflatable SUPs is a great way of getting either yourself back into windsurfing or sharing our great sport with friends or family without breaking the bank or the issue of storage. You are getting 2 sports for the price of 1!! – Andy Chambers.

CONTACT
www.agenteight.co.uk • +44 (0)1202 620 299 • info@agenteight.co.uk

QUATRO GLIDE 10’4” ALL ROUND THRUSTER

Price £1399 • 

Web www.quatrointernational.com

VITAL STATS
Volume (Quoted) 190 litres
Length 10’4’’ / 315 cm
Width 33’’ /83.8 cm
Weight (‘Naked’, Brand Quoted): N/A kg 

THE LOW-DOWN
The idea for the Glide was to create something easy, stable, and fast to paddle, yet have a shining spark in its manoeuvrability. The biggest asset and capital of our brand is not its rocker stick archive or its CNC machine, or its carbon weaves. The biggest difference that sets Quatro apart is made by the people creating and riding our products, which coincidentally are one and the same people. The Glide also comes in 8’6’’, 8’8’’ and 8’10’’ sizes.

FEATURES
This board comes with solid rockers and full outlines, giving it a completely different level of stability and comfort, greatly enhanced by our new Integrated Stability Deck ISD, which serves as an ergonomic stance platform. ISD works slightly against the convex deck dome, offering a more solid stance. The nose rocker has a lower entry for ease of paddling and a very constant glide, hence the name. The bottom transitions from a single to double to v for an agile and maneuverable board. The board comes with a set of perfectly corresponding FCS fin models and sizes to complement its superior shape and a custom tailored single density pad, giving you cushion under your heels and perfect grip throughout and has the option to attach a windsurf rig.

FINAL WORD
To me the Glide is the go to board for cruising and small waves. This is the SUP that my girlfriend and I grab and go to the South Side, throw our dog on board and ride the fun waves. – Keith Taboul.

CONTACT
www.zerogravitydistribution.co.uk  • info@zerogravitydistribution.co.uk
+44 (0)1924 445 594

RED PADDLE CO 10’8” RIDE WINDSURF

Price £745 • Web www.redpaddleco.com

VITAL STATS
Volume (Quoted): 296 litres
Length 10’8” /  325 cm
Width 34” / 86 cm
Thickness 4.7’’
Weight (‘Naked’, Brand Quoted): 12.9 kgs

THE LOW-DOWN
Inflatable SUP’s are becoming more and more popular because of their versatility, practicality and durability. With the 10’8” Windsup, you get another dimension on top of the usual benefits with the ability to screw a windsurf sail onto the deck and the board comes with a US fin box at the back, to assist with tracking.  The combination of overall width plus the wide tail creates an unbelievably stable platform. This makes it the perfect board in our range for a windsurf version for those that want to have their first goes at windsurfing. As a regular SUP it still has fantastic glide and stability which is perfect for families, larger riders or teaching new people to get into the sport.

FEATURES
At Red Paddle Co we are obsessive about quality. Our boards are made of the most innovative materials and we use pioneering manufacturing techniques to ensure you have an authentic paddle boarding experience. Our Tec Air construction is not a product, it’s a process. We looked at how we built boards, and by focusing in on the key areas of the production process, we have been able to refine each process to make the very best boards. All Red Paddle Co boards are built using our Tec Air specification to ensure the best possible build quality. Our strength comes from the inside. The liberating thing about an inflatable windsup is how easy you can take it everywhere with you. Once at the beach with the world’s best pump you will have your board inflated in half the time and half the effort than any of our competition! Just one inflation is all you need to understand the progress that we’ve made with our new High Pressure (HP) pump. Inflating a board over 15psi is now much, much easier.  The board also comes with the best back pack as standard making getting to the beach easier than ever!

FINAL WORD
“I miss the days of being an instructor and playing around in light winds. The main reason I don’t do it more back in the UK is because of the justification of purchasing a heavy floaty windsurf board that in reality I wouldn’t use very much. But having the 10’8’’ Ride windsup is a lot more of an attractive purchase. I have a board that is easy to transport and store. It is a brilliant board for my girlfriend to paddle or to teach a friend on. It’s a lot easier for me to take down to the beach with a group of friends to put a rig on and go for a cruise around the bay or practice some light wind freestyle on. The board has 296 liters of volume, it gives you a great feeling of stability but doesn’t feel like you are windsurfing a huge weighty beginner board. It cruises around effortlessly, turns easily and is a pleasure to windsurf.” – Jamie Harman – Red Paddle Co.

CONTACT
Red Paddle  • +44 (0)1803 712 140  • info@redpaddleco.com

RRD AIRSUP CONV PLUS 10’2”

Price £740 • Web www.robertoriccidesigns.com

VITAL STATS
Volume (Quoted) 160 litres
Length 10’2”
Width 32 inches
Weight N/A

THE LOW-DOWN
One board that does it all, ok, so it comes in three sizes, just pick your size, 9’8”, 10’2” or 10’4” and you’re set for whatever the weather throws at you no matter what your level.  While the AirSUP is the perfect playmate for all the family it’s more than a summer toy, throw it a challenge and it’ll step up to the plate, no matter if it’s your first time SUPing a wave or setting out on a windsurfing adventure, the AirSUP Convertible Plus will take you all the way.

FEATURES
The new inflatable SUP board program is equipped with a windsurfing mast attachment and an innovative removable centre and rear fin system that is stiff, strong and easily removable for packing or paddling. All our boards are made with our durable, stiff and light drop stitch construction. The boards can be used both as a SUP board or as a special inflatable windsurf board. Used in combination with the new SUP Sail and rig, each CONV PLUS+ model is now the perfect choice to discover watersports with the whole family.

The AIRSUP 9’8” CONV PLUS is the perfect small/mid size board, good to ride waves as a SUP, and enjoy learning how to windsurf. Planing on this board and jibing is a pure thrill. Very manoeuvrable, quick to plane and lightweight!

The AIRSUP 10’2” CONV PLUS is the central size of the range with which we have started our Inflatable Boards collection. It’s the one-for-all board that will introduce anyone straight to any watersport in the blink of an eye.

The AIRSUP 10’4” CONV PLUS is the most appropriate type of SUP board to also learn how to windsurf. With its 34” of width, it makes it super easy for anyone to step on, paddle or uphaul a sail. It’s the most popular size for families who wish to find a board to satisfy everyone. Also available with a 6” thick profile, to enhance stiffness for heavy weights, it’s an easier board to paddle or windsurf, thanks to its increased floatation.

FINAL WORD
Don’t often do what if, but having been the proud owner of the first Windsurfer in the UK, I wonder what we were doing. While many of us battled through the difficult years, Windsup’s are the answer for anyone who says, “I tried windsurfing once”. The stability and multi functional use of the windsup opens the world of windsurfing to everyone, adding the latest AirSUP technology into the mix affords windsurfing a durability and convenience of travel never seen before. If I could go back, I’d be taking an AirSUP Convertible with me to double or quadruple my time on the water – Dave White.

CONTACT
Dave White  • +44 (0) 1206 890 814 • RRD@whiteboarders.com

STARBOARD WINDSUP 12’2” X 30

Price Freeride 12’2” x 30” Electric £1,199 or Freeride 12’2” x 30” ASAP £849 •

Web www.star-board-windsurf.com

VITAL STATS
Volume (Quoted) 238 litres
Length 373 cm
Width 75.0 cm
Weight (‘Naked’, Brand Quoted) 14.3 kg (Electric) & 14.1kg (ASAP)

THE LOW-DOWN
Surf the local break, cruise the lagoons with the kids, teach them to windsurf or sail out into the open ocean. Essentially, Starboard’s WindSUPs utilize the same shape and fittings as their SUP counterparts but add a mast track to attach a sail and a retractable dagger board in the Electric models or centre fin in the ASAP models, to keep the board upwind. WindSUP 12’2” x 30” Freeride (planing) brings back the authentic Windsurfer with a unique planing glide, it absorbs the chop thanks to the deep-vee double concave nose, and performs as a fast all-round racer as a stand-alone SUP board. Hop on and travel back in time!

FEATURES
As the wind increases, the board accelerates naturally and gets planing completely smoothly without ‘energy hump’. The rider naturally moves him or herself into a planing body position. The special distance between the mast insert and the tuttle box and their position relative to the geometry and centre of gravity of the board allows the Freeride to track upwind and glide beautifully in light non-planing winds. The tuttle finbox option is recommended for the innovative glide-planing experience. It’s the easiest board to get planing on, with no extra skill required and a lighter board weight. Recommended also as a cross-sell for paddleboarders. The daggerboard option is aimed at windsurfers preferably and is recommended for easier handling off the water and storage.

•  Traditional soft rails up front with sharper rails in the midsection for planing release

•  Daggerboard option or tuttle fin box – ‘Planing’ option available

•  Square tail for planning release

The WindSUP Freeride is aimed at everyone looking for a very fun toy for light wind conditions. It’s for anyone looking to rediscover windsurfing the way it was back in the day, with a performing board that remains accessible and that provides good sensations and an overall nice feeling.

FINAL WORD
The WindSUP 12’2” Freeride is the waterman’s board, great for paddling on flat water, open oceans and for windsurfing. It’s especially as a windsurfer that the board becomes the most fun, gliding fast and accelerating on to a plane seamlessly.  Because of the board’s forward fin position, it handles small-sail glides with beginners all the way to fully powered planing sessions without the need for a daggerboard. It’s a true family board, for all conditions from zero wind to 20 knots. We also package it as the Waterman Package, complete with a WindSUP sail and paddle, for a complete Back to the Future experience – Tiesda You.

CONTACT
Tushingham Sails Ltd  • +44 (0) 1803 712140  • info@tushingham.com

VANDAL  11’0” FLOW W/S INFLATABLE WINDSUP

Price complete board £749 or complete board and rig £999 •

Web www.vandalsails.com

VITAL STATS
Volume (Quoted): 320 litres
Length: 11’0’’
Width: 34 inches
Thickness: 6 inches
Weight (‘Naked’, Brand Quoted): N/A kgs

THE LOW-DOWN
You can now transform your inflatable SUP into a perfect windsurfing beginner’s board with the FLOW windSUP option! The FLOW windSUP’s come with a two fin option for the user to transform their board from a regular iSUP by adding an additional centre fin for windsurfing. The new FLOW’s also include a US Fin Box system; this popular system gives many options for fin sizing and is much stronger than regular fin boxes. Our highly durable and versatile collection of iSUP and windSUP’s are ideal for beginner SUPers and Windsurfers.

FEATURES
The completely new FLOW range is our multipurpose all round range of boards that come in 3 different sizes (10’4’’, 11’0’’ and 12’6’’) and are suited to a tight budget.

Features include:

• 2x fin option for rear and centre fin windsurf option

• Secure ‘lock in’ inflation valve

• Slide in and lock fin technology

• Double layered rails to maximise stiffness

• EVA pad on deck

• Soft handle for convenient board carrying

• Heavy duty leash attachment on nose and tail

• Tall high pressure pump designed for ease of use

• Comfortable heavy duty backpack with pockets for extra storage options

• Easy to use repair set

• On deck rope storage system

FINAL WORD
I love the total idea of the windsup; it can suit the whole family for summer beach fun, but at the same time can be used for more serious training as a sup. It’s super easy to put together and take apart. You can put it in your car along with the rig pack and off you go. I think everyone can use it for something and progress from there. The complete rig and board packages are the best buys of the season!!! – Ross Williams.

CONTACT
Ross Williams Windsurfing  • rossgbr83@mac.com  • 07583 314 276

The post WINDSUP BUYER’S GUIDE 2015 appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

DR JAMES! Q&A WITH JAMES DINSMORE

In our new series highlighting some of the BSA’s most talented slalom sailors we kick off with the multi-talented; James Dinsmore. Not only does he hold down a full time job as a doctor specialising in anaesthetics, he has also been crowned UK slalom champion and also mixes it up with the PWA fleet whenever possible.

Words JOHN CARTER

Where and when did you learn to sail and why do you love windsurfing?
My father introduced me to windsurfing on a small gravel pit in Surrey when I was a teenager. I enjoyed the sense of freedom I got from flying across the water. A few years later I was lucky to find that the medical school I attended had an active university windsurfing club. A group of us would hire a van and a minibus and head down from London to Poole Harbour on long weekends. We would camp or stay in a caravan park. I remember the pain of rigging fifteen beginners’ sails at a time but the plus side was that I could borrow kit in between club trips.

How many years have you been racing on the BSA tour?
I did my first slalom competition in 2007 making it eight years!

How much equipment do you need to be able to compete at one of the BSA events and what do you typically take along?
When I started I bought a second hand racy 115L board as well as 7m and 8m sails and used a freestyle wave board and wave sails if it was too windy to sail the bigger board. I now have a full set of six Severne Reflex 6 slalom sails from 5.1m to 9.5m and three Starboard iSonic boards from 90L to 130L. This quiver is required to be competitive at international events but is absolutely not necessary when you are starting off in the BSA. The majority of racing that we do in the UK is in lighter winds so the most important thing is to have a board and sails that cover the range 12-18 knots. In order to be competitive when the winds are light I would suggest that a typical guy of 75-90kg goes initially for a largest sail of 8.0-9.0m and board 120-140L or 75-85cm wide. In the amateur fleet you can be very competitive on freerace or freeride equipment. In fact, as slalom equipment can be quite technical to sail, there is a lot to be said for starting to race on freerace or freeride equipment that is easy to sail around the marks and actually quicker around a course.

How much does a typical event cost?
The basic entry fee for a BSA event is £60 and you can get a 10% reduction for pre-entering online. At Weymouth there is an additional sailing academy charge for use of facilities (in the region of £10). Aside from that you need to factor in the cost of fuel, which will vary quite a bit depending on where you live. This year there are seven events, four on the South coast, two in East Anglia and one in Wales. Many sailors will sleep in their vehicles at events and venues are chosen so that this is possible. Others will pay for their accommodation – it rather depends on your vehicle and circumstances.

What do you do for a day job?
I am a doctor specialising in anaesthetics.

Where is your favourite location on tour besides the one closest to home!
Year to year the locations change a bit and the variety is welcome. I prefer open sea racing as opposed to harbour racing. This year we had a fantastic Worthing event run from the Baker Academy near the centre of the town and it was a great spectacle for the many locals thronging the promenade in the sunshine. Tenby is probably the most picturesque location on the tour this year and we will head there in late September. Wind or no wind it is a lovely location to spend a weekend.

Are there any equipment restrictions at a BSA event?
There is no restriction on boards that may be used in Amateur and Masterblaster fleets. Pro competitors may only use “production” boards which do not exceed 85cm in width. The maximum sail size in all fleets is 10m except juniors, where maximum is 7.8m.

What was it like stepping up from the competition at Worthing to the PWA in Costa Brava?
Difficult … as evidenced by me winning in Worthing and then being near the back of the pack in Spain. This year’s PWA Costa Brava was a particularly tricky event because of the very light winds that we experienced. Condition-wise it was probably the worst-case scenario for me as I have always done better when it is a bit windier. The light winds are also perhaps when having perfectly tuned kit makes the biggest difference. I discovered in Costa Brava I simply wasn’t tuned up enough in the borderline race-able conditions when everything has to be dialled in. It is somewhat understandable as not being a full time pro I haven’t tested masts and fins, tried different battens and done some of the things that help the top guys fly in the lightest puff. A second big factor was confidence and not having raced in the PWA at all in the previous season I wasn’t brimming with it. I started the competition off worrying about getting rolled by the big names and not sailing my own race. The way the course was set in Costa Brava, confident pin end starts were the way forward and it took me several rounds to work my way towards that end of the line. The World Tour is very competitive and a sailor’s results can vary dramatically race to race. A sequence of mishaps meant I ended up having to waterstart three times in the four races I did in Costa Brava which is not a good statistic. Sometimes things don’t go your way and you have to be philosophical about it. When I last raced in Costa Brava three years ago I had a finishing position twenty places higher than this year even though I know that I am a far better sailor now.

Is the BSA a good stepping-stone for the PWA world tour?
The PWA is undoubtedly the pinnacle of slalom racing but it is not easy to step straight to it from the BSA. Sailors without PWA rankings need to be given wildcards to enter and these are far from easy to get for popular events. Even if you do get one you only get a matter of a few weeks notice which makes forward planning very difficult indeed. The format of the PWA also means that if you struggle to make it past the first round (which is never an easy feat with the current strength in depth of the tour) then there is a danger that you don’t get all that much racing in during a competition. For that reason I would encourage up-and-coming sailors to enter Euro-Cup and IFCA international events as a stepping-stone which can offer the opportunity to race against some PWA-level sailors but with a better spread of abilities and more opportunity to make it through the first round.

Are you a very competitive person?
You have to be competitive to win slalom competitions and championships. Things don’t always go well on the racecourse and it is a trait that drives you to dig deep and turn it around when things are going badly. I have a healthy desire to win but it is not at all cost. The main thing is to have done my best.

What makes a winning racer?
A sailor has to make a lot of things come together to win in slalom. It is not just a question of sailing ability and this explains why older guys have won the last few world championships. The key areas are race craft, gear selection and tuning, and sailing performance. When I say race craft I think about the approach to the start, split second decisions made on the course such as ‘do I go for the gap?’, and knowing when to take risks and coolness under pressure. When it comes to gear the top guys have their set-up working for them to the extent that they feel comfortable even if conditions are difficult. For example they will have tested and chosen a fin that gives just the right amount of lift for the course and water state that day. It goes without saying that you have to be technically able to gybe well and sail fast but interestingly it is often not the fastest who win at the end of the day. Lastly it is worth noting that some people are very good at getting results whilst there are others who excel in some but not all aspects of the package and are unsuccessful in winning.

Why choose racing to get your kicks?
Racing is exciting and a fantastic way of de-stressing. You go out on the water and get absorbed in the battle with your friends and forget all about your daily troubles. One of the reasons that I started racing was that it suits me as a South Coast sailor. We don’t get all that much wind but even when the wind is only 12 knots I can be out on my big gear going pretty fast and training and focussing on how I can improve for the next event.

Do you ever test and train with any partners?
Not doing this often enough is probably my biggest Achilles heel as far as trying to improve my performance goes. Sailing in a structured fashion with a partner of a similar standard allows you to figure out your fastest set-up in terms of fins, sail settings, masts etc. I used to sail with Allan Cross and Anthony Todd but they are not sailing at Hayling very often anymore so in the last year I have done the majority of my sailing alone. With a young daughter at home my sessions tend to be short and snatched and so it is not so easy to fit in with anyone else. Recently Keith Atkinson and Leigh Kingaby have been kind enough to make the drive over and the sessions are doubly valuable when they are around.

Can you give us a few tips on how to tune up your slalom equipment?
You could write a book on this but the main thing is to actively try different settings. If you don’t try more or less downhaul than your norm then you won’t know if the sail might have the potential to perform better. Likewise try putting the boom up and down and move the mast track back and forward. Always change one thing at a time and work out a way that you can reproduce the settings for next time. For the downhaul this may involve taking a pen to the sail to mark how far it should twist off or even marking the downhaul rope.

How about a few tips for a first timer at a BSA race event?
The main thing is not to take it too seriously. It is relaxed, everyone is very friendly, and you have nothing to loose and everything to gain. Have fun and if you fall in at every gybe mark don’t worry about it. Any questions you should feel free to ask as people will be happy to advise. There is also an excellent guide here: https://ukwindsurfing.com/slalom/getting-started/

Any advice for the BSA organizers on how they might encourage more people to turn up at events?
The organisers already do an excellent job of putting on super events. Support from multinational companies and massive prize money would help!

Best and worst day ever on the BSA tour!
The worst day was at a Weymouth event in 2011 when everything that could go wrong did. I snapped a fin and then started trying too hard. After a catapult and a couple of dropped gybes I only managed to finish one of the four rounds and left feeling pretty disconsolate.

The best day was probably also at Weymouth a couple of years later when I won my first BSA title. It all came down to the final of the one round completed that weekend. To be honest things weren’t looking good on the first reach but I managed to overtake both my main title contender Simon Cofield and also Ross Williams at the first mark and hold on to the lead until the finish. I had pick-pocketed the championship from Simon. One thing about the BSA is that you are racing with guys who are your friends and your success may equate to their disappointment. That day I was thrilled to win but felt sad for Simon as he would have made an equally deserving champion.

Give us three words to describe yourself?
Calm under pressure (I hope!)

Q

The post DR JAMES! Q&A WITH JAMES DINSMORE appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

Latest clip from Kevin Pritchard at Hookipa – NotWiser

‘Sometimes you never learn. I love having a nice carve, hitting the lip with tons of speed. Why is it so hard. Why can I never get it perfect. I guess that’s the joys of windsurfing’ – KP

NotWiser – Kevin Pritchard at Hookipa/Maui from Kevin Pritchard on Vimeo.

The post KEVIN PRITCHARD AT HOOKIPA appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

DOUBLE TROUBLE! ‘THE MORENO SISTERS’

Born together on December the 1st 1977, Daida and Iballa Moreno have shared a rollercoaster ride through life, triggered when they first learned to windsurf back in 1995 on ‘’a broken board that someone was going to throw away’’. The rapid progression of these almost identical twins was unprecedented and within a few years they were ranked first and second in the women’s wave sailing rankings. The two Spanish beauties soon proved to be the most radical and talented female wave sailors on the planet and were snapped up by sponsors for their obvious marketing potential. Two decades down the line and they are both still dominating female windsurfing, despite a frightening brush with cancer for Daida and tough economic times for women on tour, even at the very top!

Words & Photos  John Carter

(This feature originally appeared in the June 2015 issue of Windsurf Magazine. To read more features like this first, Print and Digital subscriptions are available. Prices include delivery globally for 10 x issues a year!)
Here at the office we have always struggled to differentiate between the twins in terms of their looks and their incredible ability as sailors but as for their personalities, well those that know them best would say they are both very distinct characters. So how could we uncover their deepest differences ?, it was time to call an expert, someone who is known for bringing people to their knees in interviews, a verbal interrogator of the very highest intellectual, think Jeremy Paxman meets Larry King but with a touch of David Frost. Yes of course we are not talking about JC but we sent him anyway with strict instructions for no chocolate, no conferring and no passes. Read on and learn more about the most successful windsurfing sisters the world has ever seen.

JC: What is the best and the worst aspect about being a twin?

DAIDA: In windsurfing, there are many positive things. My sister helps to push my level higher, it’s like a mirror effect. Also you never get to travel alone with your sister around which is pretty handy! On the flip side is people who do not know us think we have the same personality!

IBALLA: The best is growing up with a sister beside you, doing the same things since we were babies, I think that is very special! We spent our childhood together enjoying the same sports which has made us become great athletes. I think it has been amazing to have both of us successful in what we love the most. The worst is when people get us confused and they don’t know which one of us they are talking to. Sometimes they don’t believe that they are talking to the wrong person! I feel bad and it can be embarrassing. I even have to show my ID to prove it! The other negative part of being Twins is that people think we are the same and that we come as
a package!

JC: What is the one key feature for anyone in doubt to tell you apart?

DAIDA: I think we are really different, so I don’t think many people cannot tell us apart nowadays. I guess the easiest thing is to see that I am 10 kilos heavier!

IBALLA: Our voices are different and also the shape of our faces, mine is narrower. We also have very different expressions too. I used to have a pierced tongue but not for a long time now. I do have one more tattoo that Daida doesn’t have, but it is in a hard place to find, hee hee!

JC: You are sisters, friends and confidents on land, however in the water…

DAIDA: in the water we are competitors and we always try to sail the best we know. Iballa is a tough opponent and very hard to beat.

IBALLA: both of us work hard, and if it is possible to win, all the better!

JC: How important is social media these days to promote yourselves?

DAIDA: I personally think it’s extremely important but you need to know how to manage it and be professional with content. You have to constantly publish fresh news and images to keep your followers interested.

IBALLA: It is really important. It brings us close to our fans all over the world and I love to interact with them. The internet allows us to communicate with lots of interesting people. The good thing is that all our followers are windsurfers that love what we do and we get to show them our lifestyle from all angles.

“ We started windsurfing with a broken board that someone was going to throw away ’’ – DAIDA

JC: How has the windsurfing business changed since you were first sponsored back in the nineties?

DAIDA: We were sponsored for the first time back in 1998. The level of money and equipment offered has clearly declined especially from within the windsurf industry. I think our best years were around 2007-8 and since then the money has been in decline. For a girl today, it is really difficult to live out of windsurfing. I think the top 20th male windsurfer would probably receive more money than any of the top 3 female windsurfers.

IBALLA: Do we need to talk about this? All our sponsors are the best sponsors in the world! But it is true that things have changed to a lot worse and it’s a pity to see how many good athletes cannot afford to do the whole tour because of the lack of money.

JC: Why is it so tough for girls of your talent and obvious marketing potential to score big sponsorship deals in windsurfing?

DAIDA: Girls work really hard on their marketing. Somehow the windsurfing industry and customers always compare females with the male windsurfing level. I believe it’s really unfair! Women will never have such a high level as it’s physically impossible. What girls need is a bigger chance to be able to travel and to be correctly equipped to train. Unfortunately for us windsurfing is still really male focussed. Windsurfing is also still far behind any other sports on TV, we need the sport to be featured more often in TV channels. From this we will have more outside industry sponsors interested in promoting windsurfing.

IBALLA: I would like to get to that point. Not sure how we can change the mentality of the industry and let them know we not only “sell equipment” to women. We are a great image for all genders and windsurfing in general. We not only win contests but work really hard all year to promote the sport, ourselves and our sponsors! You need to be very creative nowadays to be always at the top of the list for sponsors ! I don’t think many riders are getting a big deal in windsurfing except probably Philip Köster who is fortunate to have outside industry sponsors who support him very well. Lucky for him! Meanwhile we keep fighting every day to change things and reach outside industry sponsors and get them more interested in the sport of windsurfing. We are happy to announce our latest contract with ANFI. They are a company from the Canary Islands specializing in luxury and lifelong vacation resorts in the south of Gran Canaria. They believe in the “Moreno twins” and support us by using our image together with David Silva (Manchester City) and Alberto Contador (cycling). We need more companies like them to keep growing our sport but also it is beneficial for ANFI to promote in our market….it’s a perfect deal. You can see more of what they do at www.anfi.com

JC: Is windsurfing male dominated?

DAIDA: There is still a long way to go but Women are realizing their potential. We do not have men’s physical strength; however we have other characteristics that make us special in and out of the water. I hope and desire that soon we are more women enjoying windsurfing.

IBALLA: Sports in general has always been chauvinist in this sense. Gradually women have been specializing themselves in different sports and improving to the point of being better than many men. Physical strength is important and helps in the practice of every sport, but women have the facility to learn things faster than men as we use more technique.  We are in one way fighting against stereotypes, encouraging women to practice sport, especially windsurfing, which is an incredible and beautiful sport.

JC: Would you like to compete against the guys in Pozo?

DAIDA: It’s not in my plans, I have too many things to do and organize during the event!

IBALLA: No, I think it is right to have girls and mens divisions. I would love to improve and give more incentives to women’s windsurfing. So I think it’s time for us to make some changes in some aspects for the women at the next PWA in Gran Canaria. At the moment we are fighting to make
a change!

JC: What can be done to improve and boost the image of
women’s windsurfing? 

DAIDA: TV is a major must for windsurfing in general and then we need the industry to invest more into women to help them be able to train and raise their level.

IBALLA: Women need the help of the industry and of course the media. Magazines also need to give more push to women. Thanks for the interview Windsurf !

JC: Have you ever been jealous of your sister when she has won and you have been second? 

DAIDA: It is the other way around, I know the feeling of winning many times and I also know what it is like to be second. When Iballa won this year, it was because she was more consistent with her results. She has deserved all the times she became World Champion. I personally don’t take second places as a losing position! It helps motivate me more to become even better and to share two first places with our friends and family is great.

IBALLA: No! I am always proud to be second and proud to see Daida win.

JC: Do you think you intimidate the other girls on tour?

DAIDA: I can imagine they are tired of seeing us always on the top. All I can say is that we hope they get more motivated to become better sailors and raise their level. We have offered many times to help them and to come to Canary Islands to train with us.

IBALLA: Not sure…maybe?  During a contest we all get pretty stressed and nervous, but I think in general all the girls have respect of each other while we do our job.

JC: Have you plans to move into coaching?

DAIDA: We have done so in the past with training camps for women and children (in Fuerteventura, Tenerife and Gran Canaria). Additionally we also organize clinics for sailors from all over the world in Pozo Izquierdo with our Moreno Twins Club. Nevertheless, we would love to continue together with the Gran Canaria Wind Bay Centre in Bahía de Formas to try and bring other groups, women and children, to learn our beautiful sport

IBALLA: We have always made clinics for women and children and we love to introduce other people to our sport. I am still in the phase of training myself in order to continue improving. Nevertheless, who knows, perhaps one day I will dedicate myself to training others.

JC: How did you enjoy going to Maui for the Aloha Classic?

DAIDA: This year my head was not in Maui. First of all, there was only three weeks’ notice when the PWA confirmed the event after Sylt. I started my 4th and last year at University (Physiotherapy degree) and I had to leave everything to go there. Hawaii was not even in my economic plans but I was forced to go there after four years without training on starboard tack conditions. In addition, this year (from January until May 2014) I was off the water for 5 months due to a nasty foot injury. After my result I got really sick with flu from all the emotions and everything but now that I am home I look back and I see how lucky I was finishing 2nd overall with such a bad result in Maui.

IBALLA: It was tough. A last minute notice of race meant I had to miss some SUP contests, but the effort was worth it! I did enjoy my time in Maui a lot, sailing and of course winning! It was a dream come true to win there again without even having the chance to practice Starboard tack conditions much the whole year. For next season I hope we have a clear calendar from the word go, so we can train hard for all the events.

JC: Where do you see yourself in ten years’ time?

DAIDA: I will finish my physiotherapy degree in just a few months, so I see myself working to help people have better and healthy lives and readapt them to their daily activities if possible.

IBALLA: Sailing, SUP’ing, Surfing and living in Fuerteventura!

JC: How does it feel to be on the other side of the fence as event organizers of Pozo after competing all those years? 

DAIDA: People cannot imagine how hard it is to study, train, organize events and compete. Sometimes I think “What am I doing?”, after all I went through fighting with cancer, it is almost too much stress for my body! It is really hard to balance everything, but we have a great team so during the dates of the event we can focus only on competing. Hardest part of being an organizer is always nine months prior to the event, when we start working to do more things with even smaller budgets!

IBALLA: I definitely see things from a different perspective. But it is clear for me to say that if you really want an event to happen, you can do it. It’s a lot of work behind the scenes! But I think we gave an extra push to the event in GC and we now have a good reputation world wide.

JC: What has been the highlight of your career to date?

DAIDA: The highlight of my career to date is winning my battle with cancer and being able to continue with the sport that I love.

IBALLA: I think this year has been very good for me. Winning the Aloha Classic, The PWA Tour and also, without doing all the events on tour, I managed to finish 4th in the SUWT (Stand Up World Tour), also 4th at the ISA SUP World Championships, Vice European SUP Surfing Champion and Spanish SUP Champion, 2013 was a similar year! So I think these last two years have been a great challenge for me and I am happy I was able to do this proving we are not retiring and are stronger than ever.

JC: Have you both ever had a big argument?

DAIDA: Like all brothers and sisters do in this world… We are two different people and we think differently about many aspects of life, sometimes it’s just a question of accepting each other.

IBALLA: We are sisters, twins, yes we argue but normal things! I guess it is what you expect after doing the same thing all our lives!

JC: Have you ever played twin style tricks on people or boyfriends in the past? 

DAIDA: We did a few times at school ‘hee hee’, but nothing too serious! Iballa wanted me to do her driver’s licence exam, but I couldn’t do it, I was too scared !

IBALLA: Yes, the typical jokes! But I always promised to show my ID before anything happened! Once we exchanged boyfriends as a joke that was funny. Also in school we played a few tricks, the teachers didn’t know we were the other twin and the whole class did, our classmates were laughing all the time.

JC: What aspects of your sailing are you happy with and what parts would you like to improve?

DAIDA: I am improving my wave sailing now, doing tricks such as backside and front side 360, takas and trying to improve my goiters. My timing is getting there, but I still need to learn on starboard tack conditions much more. When I finish university I would love to travel for a few months and go to places that I have never experienced before like South Africa or Australia.

IBALLA: I am happy with my overall sailing, both on port tack and starboard tack. I would still like to improve my tricks on the waves of course. Also in my jumping, I have goals to improve, that’s what keeps me motivated and makes me want to go sailing every day!

JC: Describe a perfect windsurfing day

DAIDA: 4.2 Severne Blade, 74 L. Starboard Quad, head high, side-onshore.

IBALLA: Starboard 69 L. quad and 4.2 or 4.5 Severne Blade, side off, logo to mast high (if bigger no problem!) and down the line perfect air sections with clean waves! Four to five of us sailing and a beer in the afternoon with friends after the session.

JC: Talk us briefly through a typical day in your life?

DAIDA: My life right now is a bit complex, but I normally wake up at 7 am, then work for one hour with the computer. Then it is breakfast and go to do my physiotherapy practice from 9 am to 1pm. Return home, go sailing for an hour and a half (or some sports in case there is no wind), shower, lunch and back to Physio practice from 4pm until 8 pm.

IBALLA: The last two seasons have been pretty crazy. Lots of travelling and challenges. But a normal day will be waking up early, around 8am, have breakfast while checking my emails and go to the beach for whatever the sea can bring us: Windsurf, SUP or surf…anything! I love to surf so if there are waves I am happy! If it is a flat water day I train on my bike, SUP race or do cross training.

JC: Why do you love windsurfing?

DAIDA: It is really hard to explain if you don’t windsurf. Windsurfing keeps my heart alive and it helps to clean my soul. I dream about windsurfing every day!

IBALLA: Because it is the sport that helped me grow as a person and as an athlete. I love that it is always related to the sea, the wind and the waves. It was always my dream since I was really young to become a professional windsurfer and at the moment I am lucky to say that I am living my dream.

JC: Are you more comfortable in the water than on land ?

DAIDA: Definitively, there are days when it is better to disappear on the high seas, leave the stress and daily problems behind and enjoy the freedom and sensations that you only get from the wind and the sea.

IBALLA: The sea has given me everything. I feel better and more comfortable in the water, that is a reality.

JC: Do you remember your first time windsurfing?

DAIDA: (Laughter) I remember perfectly the first time I tried to windsurf and it was very frustrating. I thought I would be better at it, that it was going to be much easier. We didn’t have anyone to tell us what to do. We started windsurfing with a broken board that someone was going to throw away, that was the moment that we started the adventure of our lives. We learned from many falls and hits. Today everything is easier, you can learn in the proper school, with qualified teachers and the appropriate materials which are light and safe. Even so, I would never change my experience.

IBALLA: Of course I remember. Since we were very young our father put us in the sea. Then we just evolved to bodyboards, later the surf board and finally windsurfing.  Every sport gave us different sensations but all had something in common: the sea.

JC: Did you ever imagine that that day was going to be the start of an incredible career?

DAIDA: I started sailing one year before starting university. In the second year of my course (MBA) I decided to dedicate myself 100% to windsurfing. Obviously I never imagined that I would get so far, we just simply took advantage of the opportunities that life gave us. I am currently finishing my degree in Physiotherapy and sailing in the afternoons. If I look back I will live every single day in the same way that I have lived until today.

IBALLA: I remember the day that I came back from the university and told my parents….Daida also decided the same thing. We were lucky that our parents supported us in that decision and it is something that I will never regret. It was a shame that at the time the teachers did not support sportsmen/sportswomen as they do today (it seems that they help more nowadays) as I had to leave University to face the University of Life.

JC : You have been competing at the highest level for years, don’t you get bored?

DAIDA:  I have always said that top-level competition has its good and bad sides. The ideal world would be to live from windsurfing, without having to compete, avoiding many expenses such as economic, physical or psychic…even doctors say that high level competitions are counterproductive to one’s health. The problem is that if you do not compete you won’t have the publicity and in turn, the support of your sponsors; so it is a vicious circle. To date we are achieving our goals, we compete and can still afford to travel and enjoy our work, our office is located in the sea, how could you be bored ?

IBALLA: In order to be at the top you have to focus on challenges and targets at short and long terms. There are always ups and downs but you always have to move forward. There are still many places to discover and to visit. The competitions are a very important part of this sport, however, it is not the only way to move forward.

JC: How do you combine top-level competition with an ordinary lifestyle?

DAIDA: I have always believed the lifestyle of top-level sportsmen/sportswomen is very complicated even if people always tend to think differently. Windsurfing requires a lot of work and effort, there are days that I just simply do not know how I have got through them, and other days that I can’t even say what day of the week it is. I try to organize myself between university, physio practice, training and my job. Without doubt, the best moment of the day is when I put on my wetsuit and I get into the water.

IBALLA: Competition is a small part, although very important one of our lifestyle as sportswomen. The rest of the time that we are not competing we are training and looking for new targets. That is my ordinary lifestyle. Always looking at aiming for new challenges, training and enjoying what we do.

JC: Who are your biggest rivals and why?

DAIDA: Myself, because when I think negative thoughts my head does not work properly !. It is up to me to walk away from those thoughts and be positive and to always have fun in the water.

IBALLA: I guess Daida is my biggest rival and at the same time my biggest supporter. There are lots of girls coming in the waves who are very strong and motivated and it is the same in the other disciplines so it is great to see that!

JC: You are stranded on a desert island, you can have three people aside from your sister, three personal items, one board, one sail, one book, one movie and one TV series to watch…make your choices!

DAIDA: My boyfriend, my friends Tamara and David. Shower gel, sunscreen and sunglasses. Board and sail, the 79 L. Starboard Quad and a 4.7 Severne Blade! My book would be Black Beauty, Movie Invincible and TV series Game of Thrones!

IBALLA: Stefan Etienne, Nicole Boronat and Scott McKercher. A 69 L. Starboard Quad and 4.7 Severne Blade. My three items would be a SUP (with paddle) or surf board, a survival guide and sunglasses, my
book – 50 shades of grey, the latest movie from Angelina Jolie and TV series Homeland!

JC: Who has inspired you in your life and why?

DAIDA: My mum, she was a true fighter in life. She raised five kids with almost no money and always with a big smile on her face.

IBALLA: Daida; for the way she fights for things in life.

JC: What makes you angry?

DAIDA: People who have opinions about me without ever having a conversation with me!

IBALLA: People´s hate!

JC: What do you worry about, and why?

DAIDA: I worry about my family, friends and their health. Without health, we won’t have a good life!

IBALLA: I worry about hurting other people!

JC: What do you consider about your personality your best and worst quality?

DAIDA: Best thing is I am constant with my goals. Worse thing, I am straight forward.

IBALLA: My best is that I am intelligent and I always find a way to keep following my path. My worst, sometimes I am too sensitive.

JC: What is your most visited web site?

DAIDA: www.morenotwins.com

IBALLA: facebook.com

JC: Three words to describe yourself?  

DAIDA: Worker, dreamer and consistent.

IBALLA: Clever, a good sportswomen and humble!

JC: Who is the most mischievous out of the Twins?

DAIDA: We haven’t been so mischievous since we were little girls but I guess I was pretty bad when we were younger!

IBALLA: I think we both have our days!

JC: Which of you was the first to learn a forward loop?

DAIDA: I think it was me, we were both sharing the same board and sail though and we both did it the same day!

IBALLA: I tried the first time without success, then Daida did it after we swopped our harness; we were sharing the equipment! But later that same day I did it too!

JC: Who was born first?

DAIDA: Yep that was me!

IBALLA: Daida has always been my elder sister ha ha

JC: Who was the brightest at school?

DAIDA: We were both about the same in class!

IBALLA: Daida!!!

JC: Who had the first boyfriend?

DAIDA: Yep that was me, I was the first!

IBALLA: Daida ha ha ha ha!

JC: Finally, you have achieved a lot, who else has helped you ?

DAIDA: Without a doubt, our family. They have been a great support in our fight to maintain our position at the top of our sport. Thanks to family, friends and sponsors we can continue with our dream. We currently count on sponsorships from the Anfi Group, VW Comerciales, Starboard, Severne, Maui Ultra Fins, Heliocare.

IBALLA: To my parents, to allow us to make our dream come true when we were still young. They made things easier. Also thanks to our brothers and sisters for bearing with us and of course, as Daida says, thanks to our sponsors; without them we would not be who we are.

The post DOUBLE TROUBLE! ‘THE MORENO SISTERS’ appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

TATY’S TIPS – SLALOM SPEED FOR THE LIGHTER RIDER

Taty Frans is blazing a unique trail in the PWA slalom circuit by being one of the very few lighter weight sailors able to challenge the heavy weight contenders on tour. Well known for his freestyle prowess, we caught up with the man from Bonaire on his secrets for going fast as a lighter rider and being one of the most well rounded sailors in the world, competing in two very diverse disciplines.

Photos  Marc van Swoll (Slalom), Markus Seidel (Freestyle) & John Carter (Portrait)

(This feature originally appeared in the July 2015 issue of Windsurf Magazine. To read more features like this first, Print and Digital subscriptions are available. Prices include delivery globally for 10 x issues a year!)

As one of the very few lightweight slalom riders on tour how do you keep up with the big boys?
TF – It’s hard to keep up with the bigger boys truth said, but I always believed that there could be a chance to beat them, and I know I have the will, courage and hunger to do so. I think in 2007 I competed in Slalom in Pozo and finished 9th using the SuperX Starboard S-type 94 litre. That motivated me more to keep up slalom sailing and it made me believe that actually light weight sailors do have a chance to do good or even win in Slalom. Weighing 70kgs and finishing top 10 in Slalom pissed off a lot of guys. I also got disqualified for the most ridiculous reasons because I was always jibing on the inside cutting them off and making them lose places, so thank goodness they took that rule off, oh yeah ! As far equipment setup, I always try to get the most power from my boards and sails. I always put my foot straps all the way in the back strap inserts and have my sail down-hauled as much as possible. My boom is at chin height in light & strong winds but my lines are at 28 cm in light wind and 30 cm in high wind. The fin to me is the more important part. I never go smaller unless I really have to, so I always stick to the same fin size even in light and strong winds. I do however change down to a smaller sail, because then in my mind I know I will always have the same board feeling and board control and the sail is all I need to worry about. This gives me a better feeling and less to think about. It’s maybe because I am freestyle windsurfing so much that I have developed this technique. It definitely helped me during my progression into Slalom.

How do you tune your gear when your training is mostly done by yourself?
TF – The fact is every Professional or normal windsurfer has their own way of windsurfing, tuning, and feeling the way their gear is working for them. All my Slalom gear is tuned and tested by myself and I really don’t like someone telling me that you need to pull more downhaul, you need to have more outhaul, or the fin is too small or too big. I rig my gear the way I feel comfortable with, which is all that matters. I love my gear setup. Nowadays I just look at the specs on the sail and rig them accordingly to the downhaul spec, but I usually go 2cm less on the outhaul to have a deeper profile.

Gym is a big part of your training – what specific exercises do you do ?
TF – Gym has become a part of my weekly routine. I joined the fitness program to stay focused. I am doing two completely different disciplines and the body/mind/muscle/strength needs to be ready for each. I don’t want to feel sore once I go from Freestyle to Slalom or vice-versa. My coach mostly pushes me to do a lot of pull-ups and push-ups. Weightlifting is not a big part of the program, because you will gain more control of the body once you can lift your own body weight using your own strength. We work more on the lower body parts making the legs fit and strong, keeping the heart rate low, even when fully tired. The fitness is intense, during the first 2 weeks of training I felt like throwing up, but now I’m good!

Is there crossover advantages you bring from slalom to freestyle and vice versa?
TF – It’s easier to make a Slalom board into a Freestyle board, but not as easy the other way round. I think a Slalom board is more sensitive and you need to spend a lot more time developing them. That said, because I do so much freestyle, the control I get when I step onto an iSonic is easier. The iSonic has so much speed and it’s much more nervous than a Flare, but because I have been sailing a lot of freestyle it helps me be able to adjust my body when I start to feel out of control.

It seems like a return to super X could be your strong point – do you have any ideas or dreams about formats to combine slalom and freestyle
TF – I always liked the idea of Super X. I competed in the PWA Super X back in the day, but as soon as I started to get dialed in, the discipline just vanished. So is it a good idea to combine both disciplines? I don’t know but I think that a Super X event should be done in a place like Fuerteventura, Pozo, France (Defi Wind) where it’s windy and the wind and sea conditions are extreme. It would also be good to see more moves like Flakas, Spocks, Loops and Grubbies, because then it’s not only about speed but it will have a more extreme side to it. My biggest dream is to one day see Windsurfing be as big as it was during the time of Robby Naish and Bjorn Dunkerbeck’s career.

What is the craziest move you have done on slalom gear?
TF – I think freestyling with your Slalom quiver is the worse thing you can do, but hey once you’re having fun you’ll find yourself automatically busting a Loop, Spock or even a super mega high jump. I still think looping is the best feeling when you are doing it with your slalom kit. When you start the jump and during the rotation, you get a feeling which is kind of slow/fast at the same time. With the slalom gear you will have to pull faster on the sail and lift your back foot up as much as possible. This is because the Slalom gear will take more time to rotate in the loop compared to when you’re on wave or freestyle kit. The feeling is scary but great at the same time, but please don’t try to do this with your Slalom gear, it’s really bad, especially for your board.

You are known for being a minimalist on your gear in Slalom – for someone looking to keep gear costs down – give us a

breakdown of your quiver
TF – My Quiver would be as follows

with 4 sails and 3 boards…

Sail: Gaastra Sails: 8.6, 7.9, 7.1, 6.4
Board: Starboard iSonic 120, 107, 87
iSonic120: fin size 44
iSonic107: Zfin – size 38
iSonic87: Drake Slalom DW Ready to Race – size 34

and for 3 sails and 2 boards…

Sail: Gaastra Sails – 7.9 7.1 5.6
Board: Starboard iSonic 110, 97
iSonic110: Zfin – size 42
iSonic97: Drake Slalom DW Ready to Race – size 34 / 36

With these two quivers I can cover any wind strength from 30 plus knots, down to 12 knots. You can minimize most of the cost when you know the exact amount of gear that you’ll need. It stops you buying certain boards, sails, and fins that you will just never use. The money you spend on windsurfing should go towards kit you’ll actually use and not just kit that will lie around your house.

What are your top tips for going fast and gybing round a slalom course.
TF – I’ve always been told the bigger sail the faster you will go, and the taller and heavier you are the faster you’ll go too. But actually I never believed in this, that’s why I put myself up to challenge the world’s best in Slalom. With my mind being open, anything is possible. I choose my slalom quiver carefully and always use a size smaller sail and board then my opponents. That way I have the advantage of going faster as my board and sail will suit my body weight and height. I can jibe and be in control of my gear in all situations. If you can handle and control your gear, you will always be faster. Having smaller gear makes jibing faster and will also help you get out of the jibe quicker too, whereas the bigger guys with bigger sails and boards need more time to do all that. I always try to get as much power off my fin, that’s why I always use a bigger fin size. When the wind gets lighter I can always use the fin power to get through the lulls. It’s basically about tactics. My jibing style comes from all the freestyle I do, but also when I first started windsurfing I used to do a lot of Long Board “IMCO” sailing and we used to train a lot. I guess all that time on a long board and also freestyling made me a good jiber.

Diet and Vitamins you list as big parts of your training – what’s your program?
TF – I usually take 1x multi vitamin pack a day. During the fitness training I take Amino’s, Glutamine, and a shake to keep the muscles healthy. Nothing special compared to other athletes. I’m just trying to keep it as healthy as possible. During the events – Vitamin C, Fish Oil and Amino’s are my best friends. As far as eating I like bread with honey, and I keep away from mayonnaise, ketchup and french-fries. During the comps I also take a protein shake during or after the race to recover fast, but honey, water and small energy bars are best at the beach. Also anything boiled is number one.

“ If you can handle and control your gear, you will always be faster ”

What is it going to take to beat Antoine this year why is he so good
TF – I see Antoine as a really strong person physically and mentally, so to beat him someone needs more than just strength. Antoine will always be a strong contender after all his years of experience. He knows how to deal with the pressure and he knows how to keep it cool while others will let the pressure overtake them. I have respect for such a personality, but no one is unbeatable and I really believe that a slalom podium is possible for a lighter person like myself. A title is welcome, but I take each opportunity with my heart and work hard for it. My head is ready for each big moment that might present itself. The future is bright and there could be surprises from the young Slalom riders. The new slalom generation will take over soon.

For any recreational and freestyle sailors out there wanting to try Slalom – sell it to us, why should they do it?
TF – Slalom is fun, full stop. If you can combine both Freestyle and Slalom at the same time you will enjoy windsurfing more, and you could even learn more things about windsurfing faster. You can only Freestyle for a certain amount of time, until it becomes a bit boring compared to the feeling/adrenaline of being on a Slalom board. It’s just amazing. Do not limit yourself; even though I am not a tall person, I took all the time I had to learn each discipline in windsurfing. In my garage at home I have Freestyle, Wave, Formula and Slalom boards because I enjoy every side of this sport. Maybe I’m not that good in Wave sailing but I can be competitive in all the rest. If I can do it all and have enough time to keep up with the rest of the world, I see no reason why you can’t. It’s always fun to go cruising and take your mind off Freestyle. It could help you to come back and be better in Freestyle or whichever discipline you are putting your time into. If I(as a freestyler) can be fast on a Slalom board and get great results, then I really believe you can do the same or even better than me!

Taty Frans is sponsored by Starboard, Gaastra GA sails, Mystic, LSD fins, Powerex, LiP sunglasses – www.facebook.com/TatyNB9

The post TATY’S TIPS – SLALOM SPEED FOR THE LIGHTER RIDER appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

ODA JOHANNE – NORDIC FREESTYLE QUEEN

Oda Johanne Stokstad Brødholt or Oda Johanne for short has shot up the women’s PWA freestyle rankings, finishing runner up, Vice World Champion for 2014. If you’ve seen her videos online, you will know Oda is the real deal. If you haven’t seen her videos, be prepared, you’re in for a humbling surprise at the sky high level of modern women’s

freestyle windsurfing. So how does a young woman from Norway, not known for its windsurfing, become one of the best in the world we sat down with Oda to learn more about her winning ways.

Photos Håkon Skorge & Markus Seidel

(This feature originally appeared in the July 2015 issue of Windsurf Magazine. To read more features like this first, Print and Digital subscriptions are available. Prices include delivery globally for 10 x issues a year!)

Ok Oda, introduce yourself please
OJ – My name is Oda Johanne Stokstad Brødholt. How I ended up with this long name… I ask my parents every day! To make it easier I only use Oda Johanne outside Norway. I was born in Norway in Tromsø, in the north of Norway and known as the gateway to the Arctic. When I was 1 year old my parents moved back south-east to the warmer part of Norway, 45 minutes from Oslo. I grew up with my mom living in Tomter and my dad living in Son. I’m 25 and from the ages of 5-6 years I have been playing handball. I played my first professional handball game when I was 17 years old and I played 5 years in the top league in Norway and for the Norwegian national youth team. I went to a special high school for handball players and after high school I took a bachelor at the Norwegian School of Sport Science in Oslo. While studying I still played handball, and it was after my bachelor I realised I wanted to go all in to try to be a pro windsurfer and try to live my new dream: “windsurfing around the world”

You have risen to being one of the top freestylers in the world – what are your secrets of success?
OJ – I started windsurfing pretty late. My parents had a windsurfer from the 80’s but it was never really used, so as a child I never saw people doing it before. I randomly met a windsurfing couple who insisted that I had to try it. At this time I was 18 and really busy with handball. I never had many days off from handball to go on trips, but somehow I managed to sail after school and before my handball training in the evenings. My whole life was dedicated to handball, and so to have a hobby next to handball I thought that I should give it a try with windsurfing. I worked that summer and spent the money buying a board and a sail. I immediately fell in love with windsurfing. It was hard for me to quit handball after so many years of hard training and dedication from myself, not to mention all the support and time/money my family also had put in to handball so I could be as good as possible. But I had a bad shoulder injury and I felt that it was the right decision to just follow my new dream – go windsurfing and forget everything about the tight schedules I was used to having. Standing at the airport and for the first time going for a two months trip just thinking of windsurfing and all that freedom was just an incredible feeling! For the first time I felt really free to do whatever I wanted and it felt so good. I have been competing in the PWA only two years, but my secret to success is just I have so much fun training windsurfing. It is what I like to do more than anything else, and when you have fun and are really motivated you will have progression which will show in competition. From handball I am really used to competitions, and even though it is a very different sport, I know myself well and I know that when I have a bit of pressure I normally get better results. I love the adrenaline I get when my watch is making the count down to the start and the green flag shows that the heat is on.

Women’s freestyle has really exploded in level – why do you think the level has become so high so quickly
OJ – I think it is because there are more girls that have the chance to travel and train as much as the boys. I see really clearly that in just the last year the level has increased a lot and this is for sure the right way to go! Now we can do a lot of the same moves like the boys, such as burners, skopus and shaka’s just to mention a few. I also think that people like Sarah Quita are super important to show that girls can also rip just as hard! Rumor has it she beats a lot of the PWA boys in local competition landing Pasko’s and air skopus. When I see Sarah sailing I just take her as an example that nothing is impossible. She is a really inspiring windsurfer for me. The level has also maybe increased because the girls on tour now are so keen and motivated to learn more power moves. Sailing with each other and watching your friends landing new moves is a big inspiration to push yourself harder. There are no limits in windsurfing! Every year we see moves we didn’t know would be possible are now possible!

There’s a really good group of girls on tour, are you all friends or is it very competitive
OJ – Both outside the water and on the water we are all friends. Just during the 7 minute heats we are competitive. I always get really good advice from the girls and also the PWA boys about what you need to change to land the moves you want to learn. By helping and motivating each other we are together pushing the level of freestyle – this is the most important part for us. For me competitions are still really fun and a great motivator. Getting the 2nd overall PWA title was pretty unreal and awesome. But still, the best is to achieve my goals landing the moves I have been crashing over and over again, and when I succeed and land one for the first time, that is the happiest moments of freestyle for me.

What are your tips for learning a trick
OJ – First it has to be realistic. For example if you want to learn skopu, you should be able to do a normal switch kono first. Or if you want to learn burner you should be able to duck the sail and do a funnel. The next step is that you need to really want to land the move. If the motivation is not there, forget about it! Freestyle is hard and you will crash a lot – so you need that inner motivation. Before you try the move – dream about it and visualize it many times– do the movement of the move while taking a shower or while walking to your car. Think about it a lot. Remember to watch a lot of videos of people you admire the style of and try to see yourself being that person in the video who does your dream move. Then go to a spot that is the easiest for learning exactly that move – and try it with full confidence! You already know by watching the video how the technique should be – so there is no need to try to do it another way. If you don’t see any progress – it can also help to take some days off trying the move. Sometimes that helps for me! Get new motivation and talk with people who already can do the move. Maybe they have some small secret details that will make you land it! You will probably have plenty of crashes before you land your move for the first time, but remember to always make small adjustments so you don’t spend your whole session memorizing mistakes that will make it harder to land it. Remember the most important is to have fun, enjoy the wind and the water and never give up! If you have fun, you will land it!

“ Watching your friends landing new moves is a big inspiration to push yourself harder ”

Tell us about windsurfing in Norway
OJ  – Sailing in Norway is the best for me. Mainly because I have all the memories from the places I learned windsurfing for the first time. Sailing in Norway compared to for example Bonaire and Jericoacoara is really different. In Jeri and Bonaire you can have your sails rigged and you will have wind almost everyday. Norway is different. You are waiting days, weeks and sometimes months to get a windy session. You have to pack your car and drive. My favorite homespot is a 1h and 45 minute drive. So quite far, but when you score some great sessions there, it is all worth the hassle packing the car, driving in rush hour, trying to skip work and other appointments for these windy days. In the weekend we sometimes drive 6 hours to Lista (South of Norway) and sleep in tents and make a fire in the evening with homemade burgers with a group of friends. These weekends are just epic! So sailing in Norway is more adventure, while sailing in Jeri and Bonaire is proper training and easier conditions. Sometimes if I am in Norway during the winter I also go sailing, as long as the temperature is above 3-4 degrees. It can snow while sailing, but with a layer of wool under my 5/3 O’Neill Psycho 5 mm wetsuit, I don’t get cold as long as I keep myself warm doing tricks all the time. When you crash with your face first in the ice cold water, you realize you are alive! A great feeling!

What is your home spot like?
OJ  – My dad lives 2 minutes from the sea in Son. The wind there is not strong, so I normally drive to my favorite spot called Ørekroken. It is a 1h and 45 min drive from Oslo. It is a bay with shallow water on the inside. Sometimes we have small 0.5-1 meter waves you can do some moves off. It is such a cool spot; not the easiest, but just really fun sailing there. When it is a warm day in the weekend and people are off from work, the parking lot can be full of happy windsurfers.
I feel really blessed to be able to sail this spot!

Svein Rasmussen is your sponsor and one of Norway’s most successful windsurfers – has he given you any advice?
OJ – I am really happy to have Starboard as my sponsor, and extra cool that Svein is Norwegian. He advised me to always listen to yourself, and that it is only you who know what is best for yourself. He also said when I have to make important decisions it can be smart to ask people around you and then decide what you want. His advice when it comes to windsurfing was that 90% is done by your training ahead, and to keep your head focused try to meditate. I never meditate during a competition, but I have my things to do, like listen to special songs and in one way this is a kind of a meditation I guess.

You travel a lot, do you see yourself always on the road?
OJ – Norway will always be my home and where I have all my family and good friends. I could never leave them for too long a time. Maximum 3 months I can be away. After 3 months I get homesick and want to go back to Norway. I love to travel, and at my age now this feels like the right thing to do at this moment. But when I get older I am pretty sure I will settle down in Norway, as long as I know I will have time to travel in holidays to windy warm spots. Norway is really beautiful, the place and the people. It is a good country to live in, so it’s natural to spend more time there later.

Where is the best place you have been for windsurfing so far?
OJ – Last year I went on a roadtrip with my boyfriend driving from Norway to Fuerteventura. In total we drove 10,000 kms. During this 1.5 month on the road I have to say that sailing in Holland was the most epic days. The freestyle spots there are just the best. Inside the lakes they have small “pools” to protect the birds and give them flatwater. And flatwater in Holland is REALLY flatwater. Not a single chop to disturb you when you learn new moves. I had 5 days of wind there last year on the last days of our roadtrip, and every day we sailed new and better and better spots. Not strange that Holland has so many talented young kids who are ripping when they have spots that are so much fun to train at. The best spot is a secret. I promised my friend who showed it to me not to tell anyone… so sorry! haha

How do you fund your trips?
OJ – I work as a ski instructor and I have a 2nd job helping people who have Alzheimer’s disease but still live at home. It is a job you can have for a short time before a trip. And they can always offer me a job whenever I need it. So perfect while being a student or a windsurfer!

Any advice on how to limit costs traveling to Bonaire?
OJ – If you travel to Bonaire there is two flight companies flying direct from Amsterdam to Bonaire. KLM and Arke flight. Sending your bags with Arke flight is around 35 Euros and you can bring a heavy bag, 32 kg I think. Sending your bag with KLM is between 100-200 Euros and it can be maximum 23 kgs. So you might need 2 bags and if you bring a 3rd piece, like your normal luggage, they want to charge you another 100 Euros for the 3rd bag. So a big difference in the costs. But the flight with KLM has always been a pleasure, even nice food and they never damage my gear inside my board bags! Bonaire is not the cheapest windsurfing destination, but if you are on a budget, you can live at the Surf Hostel. And for a few dollars per night you get a bed, breakfast and a good dinner. And for sure, friends for life!

What will it take to close the gap between second place and beating Sarah Quita at the top?
OJ – Many more years of training. She is always ahead of all of us. For sure she started many more years before me, if I learn culo, she will for sure be able to do double culo. And if you can do skopu she can do air skopu… It would be possible if her flight was delayed and she lost the heat because of that! Haha.. She is just really consistent and the queen of freestyle!

Finally what is your game plan for the year ahead?
OJ – My goals are to land my moves on the “2015 wish list” and then be able to land those moves consistently. For the PWA I want to get a good result, but I will only focus on my moves, and then I will see where I end up after that. I am going on a 1 month road trip in Scandinavia and maybe Holland for some windsurfing and some video projects. I also have a goal to start to train some slalom, and hopefully in the future I will compete in this discipline too!

The post ODA JOHANNE – NORDIC FREESTYLE QUEEN appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

BOUJMAA GUILLOUL   MOROCCAN MAGIC

If you follow Boujmaa Guilloul on social media, it can’t have escaped you that he has been scoring big this winter at home. Endless Starboard tack points and uncrowded waves, it looks and is an amazing coastline to call home. We caught up with the multi talented wavesailor for the low down on one of the best days of his winter and windsurfing in his beloved country.

Words Boujmaa Guilloul  // Photos  Seva Shulgin

(This feature originally appeared in the April 2015 issue of Windsurf Magazine. To read more features like this first, Print and Digital subscriptions are available. Prices include delivery globally for 10 x issues a year!)

Wow Boujmaa, epic images, tell us more !
Boujmaa – So basically it was one of those perfect forecasts that we had been looking at for a week, with the team of the Yard Movie on hold waiting for a go. Actually the perfect day was predicted for the next day, luckily we didn’t hesitate to go that first day as it went off ! The launch was a challenge, it involved launching in front of mast high white water from another bay, north of the break and then sailing downwind with some huge swells, it was pretty crazy ! I hit a fin on a rock and couldn’t go back in to fix or change it so I just kept on banging it until it went back in and sailed on, lots of spin outs, which you don’t want to happen in over mast high waves ! The highlight of the day was a wave I caught really far out, riding it for a few minutes ! and making it through some very long sections. At the end I got caught and broke the top of my mast which still didn’t stop me from sailing. It was so good, fingers crossed for more insanity like this soon !

Tell us about the Yard Movie
Boujmaa – The Yard is a movie about windsurfing and a bit of surfing, made by a Russian windsurfer, Seva Shulgin. Seva has made several windsurfing movies before and this one is about travelling around the world driven by the passion of riding the best waves in Maui, Mauritius and Morocco. It is funded by some friends and some Russian companies, together with the Wind channel team, who were filming with a Redcam. We have some beautiful footage and now the movie is in post production. Hopefully it will be ready by the end of the year or early next year for a couple of premiers around Europe.

What has this winter been like in Morocco
Boujmaa – After my competition in Maui, I stayed at home for the winter, expecting some big swells to charge around home in Moulay and Essaouira. We have scored lots of great surf days and a couple of windsurf sessions inbetween and of course this incredible session. I’m still hoping for more conditions in Morocco this Winter but will be happy to score something on Cabo Verde as well and hopefully score another good Moroccan day before heading to Maui
How do you feel scoring days like these by yourself then going to places like Maui where it’s very crowded – does that make it easier or harder to deal with the crowds ?
Boujmaa – It’s true Morocco has spoiled me by lots of endless rides with no one around and when I go away to places like Maui or breaks like Mauritius and Cabo Verde, I realize how really lucky we are to have such fun spots with so little crowds. It does give me more patience and more chilled out to handle crowded waves around the world; crowds are a product of the sport growing and generating more and more people in the water, might be good for the sport but also bad sometimes 😉

What forecast sites do you use for Morocco
Boujmaa – I use a lot of times Windguru, but also magic seaweed a lot when it’s an unclear forecast. Also the Navy maps for accurate swell movement..
Where is this wave ?
Boujmaa – The wave is called Boilers, at Cap Ghir, region of Taghazout, up north from Agadir.

What are your tips for people travelling to Morocco
Boujmaa – I think it’s best to travel to Morocco in Spring time for the wind and swell, but you will get more wind in summer. For wave lovers, best is to travel on a forecast and contact me if you need gear to rent and a place to stay and for any extra tips.  www.boujxsports.com

The post BOUJMAA GUILLOUL MOROCCAN MAGIC appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.