PETER HART THE CAMERA TRAP

The video sequence or the photographic still can be an invaluable teaching aid… so long as you get the right shot and know what you’re looking at. Peter Hart has advice both for the photographer and ‘photographee.’

With PETER HART

(This feature originally appeared in the January February 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!)

You may be an exception but the improvement graph of most windsurfers starts with a steady upward path; but then suddenly looks like the heart activity of a dying man on a defibrillator – flat lines interspersed with vertical spikes – which makes it exciting and frustrating …but probably more the latter. The secret lies in understanding what was responsible for those joyous spikes. What made you suddenly put the back foot in the strap? Drop forward rather than lean back into a carve gybe? Turn the head to look down the wave as you turned off the lip?

There is no one answer of course – nevertheless I’m going to give you one – it’s feedback.

At beginner level you get plenty of it. The light wind arena is closed and safe. The proximity of a mentor dissipates anxiety – the greatest learning inhibitor. Communication is easy and although the incoherent mate who’s teaching you doesn’t know his luff from his leech, some of the information is useful even if it’s limited to opening and closing doors and sticking your bum in. But with a decent teacher, the scenario is not so different from getting your forehand drilled by a tennis coach – thanks to his or her constant verbal tweaking or demonstrating, bad habits never have a chance to engrain themselves.

But as the wind increases and you bump onto the plane, your windsurfing universe expands. And with every metre you skim gloriously away from the shore, the chance of useful feedback reduces. To prevent technical stagnation, you have to keep the feedback channels open. But how?

Go on a clinic, he said with no hint of self-interest, where you’ll luxuriate in a hot tub of feedback, but you can’t be on one all the time. As you seek to improve, the best place to look is upwards. How do the pros break down the barriers? Apart from privilege, opportunity and instinctive brilliance their greatest and least heralded talent is their ability to self-coach. For the vast majority, the video is as an indispensable tool. To master the most complex moves, you have to be acutely aware of where you, rig and body have to be at every stage of the move. It’s not just a ‘crash, burn, learn’ approach. They really put the ‘anal’ in ‘analysis, scrutinising every frame of the footage like a biologist picking through the carcass of a dead rat.

Quizzed on the subject, the first comment I got from Ben Profitt was “it’s pretty much the way I learn everything.” (See elsewhere in this article a more detailed account of his method.)

“ As moves get harder, the window for error turns into a slit. For the vast majority of pros, the video is an indispensable tool ”

What the video brings
Used well, the video is as multi-functional as a Swiss Army knife.

It’s the rewind button for your muscle memory.
“Reg … do you remember that jump you did about half an hour ago? Well you took off about 10º too far into wind… you don’t remember? OK … whatever.”

The problem with live feedback, especially in wild seas where it’s not convenient to keep coming in and out, is that it’s delayed. The video jogs the memory, gives you a visual reference and makes the feedback relevant.

It closes the gap between perception and ego-busting reality.
What we think we’re doing is rarely what we are doing. Frank was a good gyber – on the flat waters of Dahab’s Baby Bay at least – but he hardly ever bent his knees, which is a key element in controlling the arc and being able to pressure the edge evenly though chop.

He came in after a series of planing dry ones seeking praise and affirmation. I pointed out the straight leg thing. He couldn’t have been more incandescent if I’d suggested he drove like a pensioner. “I think you’ll find I did.” He sniffed.

The video playback revealed the naked truth. The thing is he did bend his knees, ever so slightly, as he initiated. But as the board tilted over, the legs straightened again – he didn’t remember that bit. Being able to relate the feeling to the picture is a massive help.

Fault-finding and positive reinforcement
Video allows you to keep on practising after the event. Pawing over sequences again and again reveals more and more details of good and bad and really puts you in touch with what’s going on. But the camera is just a tool and just as you can write rubbish with a beautiful fountain pen, it’s worse than useless in the wrong hands.

Here’s a typical postmodern windsurfing preparation routine. Arrive. Park. Stare at sea/lake. Assess wind strength. Jog back to car avoiding eye contact with Geoffrey, the resident boffin who will otherwise engage you in a 20 minute one way discussion about foil flex percentages. Rig, change, launch – total time so far, 11 minutes and 24 seconds. But now add a further 90 minutes for activities under the general heading of ‘briefing film crew and setting up Point of View cameras. Everyone is at it and great it is too. But where you point them depends whether you want to just make a movie or get some technical feedback.

Movie Maker or Teaching Aid?
Jamie, not his real name, presents himself on many clinics. I treasure his company but every now and then we have a minor falling-out (hence the pseudonym … I don’t want to upset him) over the subject of video.

The conversation would go something like: “Harty, did you get that last wave ride? I think it was my best ever!”
“Absolutely!” I said knowing full well that the only sequence I had got of Jamie was of him mistiming a top turn. And so lying I at least postponed his wrath until the naked truth was revealed at video replay session. I tried to stem the flow of abuse by pointing out that I was his coach, not his personal videographer. Of course I would love to have caught that life-affirming moment – but actually the role of the video in a coaching context is primarily to show what you can’t do – not what you can.

Two other things made Jamie hard to film. In a crowded spot, he’d go way out to sea and so was very hard to pick up on the way back in. And if the rider disappears for long periods, the cameraman is likely to get distracted or daydream. It’s so much easier to film someone who stays in constant view. Also, it turned out Jamie performed his ‘ride of the day’ way downwind. He wasn’t sailing to the camera, he was just sailing. It was a one-way relationship. More about that in a minute.

The sudden availability and affordability of amazing devices along with the influence of social media has definitely changed people’s relationship with the camera. As soon as it comes out, they either hide for fear of finding themselves looking like a clown on Facebook or they try to show off and perform their trademark ‘banker’ moves.
So lets isolate the elements of a meaningful video session.

FILMING THE BASICS
Ultimately most technical issues at intermediate level, early planing, speed, gybes etc. are kit related. I take a lot of stills and video of my clients just sailing and we scrutinise posture, how much the rig is moving, how and if the sail is self-trimming and how the board is making contact with the water; because until those things are sorted, it’s hard to move on. If you didn’t feel that comfortable it’s so useful, especially with a still shot, to relate the feeling to the picture.

// Constant tail walking is often a set up issue. Here the still shows how a high boom and short lines are lifting the hips too high and making it hard for him to lean forward and apply mastfoot pressure. The rising harness and vertical harness lines also tell a story of discomfort.

// The rig is still and the board is riding smoothly nose to tail – that tells you all you need to know. Arms parallel with the water and harness lines coming out at 90º to the body are good indications of a happy stance and good power distribution.

The Tool(s)
Until recently I was getting through about 3 camcorders a year – not through dropping them in the sea but just from using them 1000 times more than the average consumer and in an environment (damp and salty) that rarely benefits micro circuitboards. Happily the explosion of the smartphone has brought huge pressure on the domestic camcorder market so they’re now cheap as chips. But my weapon of choice is a waterproof PanasonicHX-WA30 – a bit dearer (£350 ish) than the average but it has a fighting chance of lasting a year.

Despite their bold claims,if water smacks the domestic, flip screen ‘waterproof’ models with any force, the pressure breaks the battery seals. However it’s good enough to put down your wetsuit – and handle with wet hands – and that’s a real bonus of you’re swapping filming and sailing roles with a mate. If it’s got much less than a 15X zoom you struggle to see the detail in many situations. The big challenge is in waves where the action is frequently distant. For that I have a Digital SLR and 600ml lens which is a devastating piece of kit and frighteningly pricey– but happily a legitimate business expense. Most DSLRs now come with an HD video. The advantage is of course they have a viewfinder – so much better on sunny days than a flip LCD – and they take detachable lenses.

// Most digital SLRs have incredibly high quality video function. This one fitted with a 600ml lens is a fantastic tool for capturing far off wave action. But it’s also wildly expensive, heavy and quite difficult to use (no auto focus).

The relationship
There are two approaches. Getting someone to shoot you covertly so that you don’t wilt under pressure but play your natural game and display your everyday errors. The downside is that you may spend much of the session enjoying long reaches and do your interesting stuff out of range. The other approach is a planned intense session where you’re working on a specific move(s) in a specific area. As anyone who has been part of a watery photoshoot will tell you, planning and communication are key. You need to establish a set of hand signals or gestures which inform the rider to come close, go away, do it again, retire to pub time etc.  Decide which angle will reveal most? How far away can you be from camera and still get some meaningful images?

This latter point is crucial. When working with people, I remind them of that advisory sign on the back of lorries – “if you can’t see me, I can’t see you.” With most cameras, if you’re more than about 100m away, you’re not going to see much. What many sailors forget is that they control the situation because they are mobile. On crowded waters keep a constant eye on the cameraman and seek out the gap so a stranger doesn’t come between you and him just as you complete your best ever whatever.

“ For much of the time in most venues, by far the most coaching potent tool is the camera. I don’t use it all the time – too much scrutiny can be inhibiting – but I cannot imagine running an effective course without one, especially as we move up the levels ” ^Harty

The Cameraman/woman
So who’s going to be doing the shooting? I know many non-windsurfing partners who do a good job. But when it doesn’t work so well is when a reluctant girlfriend has been dragged from a stimulating sunbed session with ‘Fifty Shades of Green’ and handed an unfamiliar camera and ordered to shoot …she’s not sure what. Funnily enough the resulting sequences of a shaky, out-of-focus, zoomed out dot doesn’t thrill the boyfriend, especially not since she was filming the wrong bloke and missed his first loop.

Windy Mates
The best person to film a windsurfer in a teaching context is another windsurfer because they know what they’re looking for and can predict the move and sudden changes of direction.  The most fruitful sessions tend to involve good mates going for the same moves. One films the other and then you swap. It helps if the rivalry is under control to the extent that you both want each other to succeed. You can scrutinise the results as a team and mutually coach.

Video or Stills?
Both are good. We tend to use video because it seems to show more. However, a still of a key moment, if it’s sharp and close up can, sometimes reveal details that would be lost on video – like tense muscles, pained facial expressions, furrowed sails. Like a fine work of art, the longer you look at it, the more you see. The devil, and the angel, is often in the detail.

The Analytical Issue
There is an obvious flaw in this self-coaching master plan. You go to hospital and are shown a scan of your innards. It means absolutely nothing to you because you have no idea what you’re looking at. That is the job of the radiologist, the brand of doctor whose specific skill is detecting the smallest abnormalities that even regular doctors would miss. If I may big up the role of the professional coach for a moment –that’s where we earn our loot. We are windsurfing radiologists able to spot tiny details and get to the real root of problems. `

For example, on your video you note that you’re squatting back in your gybes, sitting on the tail. “Must lean forward” you deduce. Good. But why are you sitting back? The coach meanwhile might spot that the top 2 battens are hooking, revealing a lack of downhaul or too stiff a mast (or a mast with too stiff a tip). That stops the leech opening and releasing as you sheet in, forcing you to drop back. So what’s to be done? Well if in the same hospital the doc showed you an image of your guts and that of a healthy person, you may have a chance of spotting the problem. You need something to compare your performance with.

The ideal situation is where you’re practising in expert company. If there are pros about, film them in between your runs. If they happen to pull out the same move as the one you’re working on, perfect because they’re dealing with the same wind and water state. Failing that pull up a pro video from YouTube (or purchase a professionally made DVD – please see me after the show for details). The most fruitful video sessions I have on clinics often happen in the waves in places like Jeri where PWA pros happily (most of the time) mingle with amateurs. Here comes Tarquin doing some gentle turns – and here upwind of him on the same wave is Pedro throwing more spray than an elephant in a Jacuzzi. The differences are so obvious – not just the angles he takes up but also where he takes off on the wave, where he makes his turns, how he shoots off down the line and yet still manages to stay upwind.

Knowing what to film.
So to finish, and at the risk of turning everyone into their own guru and putting myself out of business, here are some filming and analysing tips for various moves.

Stance and set-up So many problems have their roots in the basics. Filming someone coming towards and going away from camera tells you so much. How much is the clew moving (assuming you’re not pumping)? Is the sail breaking up? Is there tension in the arms? Are you on and off the power? All of which suggest a set-up issue – too much too little out or downhaul which is preventing the sail from self-trimming.

Focus on how the board makes contact with the water – nose up nose down. Is it skimming or slamming? The latter can be a result of rig set but also boom height – too low and the balance of power shifts to the feet and the nose drops.

Too high and you often see a lot of windward leeward mast movement as you resist the rig by pulling down.

Gybes The first tip is to vary the filming angle as much as the venue allows.

One of my favoured exercises is to have people come across the wind, upwind of me. So as they initiate they should look at the camera  – only possible if they drop the rig into the turn to reveal the space downwind – which in turn sheets the sail in and gets them moving in the right direction.

In the shallow lagoon environment with the waterproof camera or GoPro I get people to gybe around me. From the centre of the circle you get the best view of which foot is moving where and when.

Being able to film looking dead downwind is rare (Sotavento, Dahab etc) but gives you the best overview of the arc so you can spot the timings of rig and foot change, which are invariably too late.

Like set-ups, it’s the basics, or lack of them, you’re looking to expose. Filming from upwind, you get the best view of how you prepare and initiate the carve. Freezing just before you engage the rail will tell you all you need to know. Are you tripping over your front foot, back heel lifting anticipating the accelerating downwind? Or are you heaving the rig back on bent arms?

THE WAVE ANALYSIS
Nowhere is the feeling more divorced from the reality, than in the waves. “I’m sure I got higher than that!” “Is that as far forward as I got?” are common laments from performers reliving the action. The man in the pic below, Andy Page, is great to work with in the waves because he’s incredibly fit, is out there all day, wildly enthusiastic and is a proper radiologist and so loves a bit of analysis. His first comment looking at the pic below was “I’m leaning back … I’ve got to get more rail in the water.” Spot on – both in the bottom and top turns. On the following day, that’s exactly what he did.

// Above Top It’s a great pic – Andy is absolutely in position A1 on the wave but he’s turning 100% off the tail and just using the back foot, which is almost excusable since he’s on quite a big board – but without prompting he worked out he had to project more forward.

// Above Below In a lot riding situations you can gauge progress just by how much rail you lay in the water.

Tacks
It’s very easy to film tacks and upwind moves in general because they happen within a short space (Whitey’s gybes though have been known to pass through 3 counties). They’re great for video and stills because they reveal so much about your general sailing and the way you balance. Here are 4 things to analyse.

The Head. You should tack and gybe without ever looking at the mast. The moment you turn the head to eyeball the rig, is when the tack stops and plops.

Rig distance. Check the space between body and rig. The moment it closes (rig hugging) is the moment you get blocked.

The trigger. So often the first move you make sets the tone – not good if it’s a wrong one. I have in front of me a sequence taken from a clinic last week of a bloke desperate to crack the short board tack. What the video reveals so plainly is that he starts it by moving his front foot downwind off the centre-line, which immediately destabilises the board. He had NO idea he was doing it. When he moved both feet simultaneously the problem was solved.

Body shape. During the tack itself you should be rotating as if on dry land with shoulders and hips directly over the feet. What the video reveals so plainly is the little biomechanical sins such as pecking at the waist, reaching for the rig and generally trying to balance with the upper body rather than from the feet.

GO PRO FEVER
I don’t have the figures but I’m guessing 50% of planing windsurfers own a GoPro or similar rugged point of view camera. I’ve mentioned in this magazine before, how mind numbingly dull the footage can be – but used well it’s an incredible self-coaching tool. Some angles are a lot better than others. The mast mount looking down shows you all you need to know about body and foot positions in the gybe. And the back harness mount (K4 fins) tells just what you’re doing with the rig on entry. On the head or helmet I find it’s most useful for filming someone else, although because of the wide angle, you do have to be worryingly close for it to be useful.

// Harty following a victim through a gybe with a head mounted GoPro – for his own safety he better not fall.

The Tricky Stuff
By the time you start using video to nail complex tricks you’re searching for the tiny visual clue to unlock the secret – but although the move is harder, the questions are much the same, where’s the wind? When do you sheet in etc. Take the forward loop – a classic move for video as blind fear usually erases all memory of the event. What you’re examining chiefly, is the angle you take off to the wind, the angle of the rig to the board and the moment at which you sheet in. What you commonly see in the forward, is a take off into wind, the rig dropped to leeward and the rider sheeting in before he’s taken off = dive over the handlebars. What you should see is take-off off the wind, rig to windward and sheeting in only once you’ve pulled the tail up and the nose has floated dead downwind.

BEN PROFIT – Video Master
One of our consistently top performers and very handy with a camera, Ben admits that he’s used video to learn pretty much everything. “One of the biggest ones for me was learning the stalled forward. As it’s all about sail and board positioning. I like to go try the move, film it, then try and get someone who can do the move to do it and film them from the same spot. Then it’s like spot the difference… it’s so easy to see where you are going wrong when done like that. I do this a lot with Justyna and it’s really helped. It’s fine someone telling you what your doing wrong but when you see it with your own eyes, that’s the moment it all clicks! I did exactly that with the stalled forward and realised I didn’t have the sail in the right position and was sheeting in too early. Well it’s a bit more complicated than that but when I filmed Ricardo I saw exactly what I was doing wrong!”

// Ben stalling – the video analysis clearly worked!

And so to the waves
Video is especially useful in the waves because so much is going on to which the novice is often blind. In the early stages, the challenge is tactical as you try to manoeuvre to the right spot, dodge the mines and catch the right wave. Often I will leave the camera on wide so the victim can see the bigger picture, see how and where the waves were breaking and where he should have been. Trepidation makes you eyeball the area straight ahead. But so much of wave sailing relies on you lifting the head, taking in the whole scene, anticipating trouble (and joy) and making smart spontaneous decisions. A typical case is heading out, getting trashed by a pitching wall and then seeing on video that if you headed just 5 metres downwind you would have floated over an unbroken wall.

WHITEY – a strangely astute self-analyst
Dave White lives on both sides of the lens these days – but despite his love of taking pics and video, he is still desperate to improve his own sailing and rarely goes out without a Point of View camera pointed at his lithe frame. Here are his thoughts on using the camera to coach. “Simple, put a f-hot mast mount and Gopro on your mast, press record and forget about it. Why forget? If you’re sailing for the video you’re really concentrating on correcting mistakes. But if you forget about it you’re more likely to show your instinctive bad habits – and they’re the ones you need to sort out.  I went out to do some forwards recently and they looked pretty good. But then the next day I was out practicing gybes and stuff. A couple of waves arrived up and I popped a forward without thinking. The GoPro then really showed what I was doing wrong. It’s the same with my gybes. When I’m not thinking, the GoPro showed that I let go of the rig completely in the rig change, which is not a great habit.”

// Whitey from the mast tip – “front arm a little too bent and try to soften that front knee a bit mate …”(but he still probably came out of it at 40 knots!)

And if you keep ending up miles downwind, get your mate to film the whole circuit in and out. Compare it to that of the local hotshot and see where you’re losing ground. It may suddenly be so obvious. They bore away as they launched and planed through the downwind rip inshore. You didn’t. When they were off the plane, they really stuffed it upwind. You bogged downwind. On the wave after every downwind bottom turn they cut back upwind, sailed back side for a little way before kicking off again. You just kept charging downwind.When it comes to the jumps and rides, video is perfect for revealing cowardice and inspiring courage. Instead of really exploding on take off, it’s clear to see that you squashed the knees, sheeted out and flopped off the lip rather than rocketing. You won’t do that again. And turning towards a peachy, walling wave, did you open up and keep on climbing and present your nose to the pitching lip? No, you wimp, you over-sheeted, turned early, pretended it wasn’t there and headed for the shore.

More gems of technical joy from Harty in the next issue. Looking for a fine xmas present, you can order his new gybing DVD (and other titles) by emailing harty@peter-hart.com and more at www.peter-hart.com

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SUMMER WETSUIT GUIDE 2015

Summer, we love summer, sea breezes, rigging up in boardies and a few less mm of rubber round our waists. Summer wetsuits are actually one of the best neoprene investments you can make these days. Improved insulation technology means their use can extend into the Spring and Autumn seasons and not forgetting their utility for trips overseas, where the water temperature or just extra protection can warrant their use. As ever, fit is everything with wetsuit buying, so do your research with our selection here and then get down to your local stockist for a try on and some old fashioned ‘Suits you Sir’ service and advice.

This guide first appeared in the May 2015 issue.

Ion Amp 3/2

SRP: £239.95
Info: www.ion-products.com

It’s different! ‘’With red mélange on the outside and some stunning features the ONYX AMP is for every rad performer who wants to stand out of the crowd’’ say ION. The new Ninja_Knees feature uses the same high elastic material used in the arm panels resulting in an amazing freedom of movement while bending your knees. Additionally K_Type Neoprene pads (Crash_Padz) at the shins protect this sensitive body area against impact injuries. The Onyx Amp also features S_Seal – ION´s approved highly elastic liquid seam sealing glue for outstanding water sealing and even greater bomb proof tearing strength of GBS_Seams.

Mormaii Orbixx 3/2 

SRP: £149.00
Info: www.zerogravitydistribution.co.uk

Super lightweight, super flexible is what the 3mm Orbixx is all about. ‘’A suit you can put on and forget, letting you concentrate on nailing the latest move or cracking those gybes. Equally at home surfing as windsurfing, with the power stroke system on the suit arms to propel you efficiently through the water, it is a fantastic addition to any waterman’s kit’’ say Mormaii. Available in sizes; S/M/L/XL. Features include; anatomic design, Super Stretch X3 in all the suit, seal tape – blind stitched with double seal, Titanium Reflex Technology, chest zipper, Powertex knee pads, key pocket and super light foam.

Mystic Majestic 3/2

SRP: £219.95
Info: www.mysticboarding.com

Mystic’s all new suit, the Majestic, is packed full of all the technical features of its bigger brother, winter version. With a renewed pattern to maximize the stretch of the suit, it’s got a front-zip construction that gets you in and out of your suit faster and adds more flex to the back panel compared to a back-zip model. It’s super light, super flexible and features include 100% waterproof 100% stretch seams, the latest M-Flex neoprene for ultimate stretch and comfort and is available in Black or Navy colourways. Be a King on the water this summer with the new Mystic Majestic Fullsuit. In stock now at your local retailer.

NP Surf Mission 3/2 Front Zip 

SRP: £249.00
Info: www.npsurf.com

‘Redefine the concept of motion’ say NPsurf. The Mission FZ is built for unrestricted freedom of movement and superior warmth. Designed for multisport use, it is constructed from 100% Apex Neoprenes and loaded with features such as the ultra-warm Fireline insulation and P-Skin taped seams, providing the ultimate combination of warmth and flexibility. Other features include Bamboo Charcoal fibres woven into the wetsuit lining for their anti-odor and antibacterial, warming and energising properties, SCS Neck seal, Armortex 4-way stretch knee pads, key pocket, ankle cinch loop with detachable ankle cinches, glued and blindstiched seams and griplock wrists and ankles.

O’Shea Cyclone 3/2 

SRP: £139.00
Info: www.osheasurf.com

O’Shea describe their mission as ‘’To produce the best wetsuit to insulate the rider from the worst conditions possible’’. The Cyclone 3/2  is, they claim, ‘’A no compromise design with a perfect 360 anatomical fit, combined with ONLY the very best materials available today! The O’Shea premium wetsuits are made exclusively from 100 percent limestone based neoprene, the ultimate in stretch, warmth, fit and durability. The Cyclone 3/2 also uses Mitsu seam tape technology, making it very warm for a given suit thickness. We are one of very few companies using this material and technology in the global wetsuit market’’

RRD Celsius Pro 3/2 Chest Zip

SRP: £278.00
Info: www.robertoriccidesigns.com

The Celsius offers, RRD say, ‘’Extreme flexibility where pattern design is combined with market leading neoprene. Fully made with Superstretch limestone neoprene, the very best material available today, the Celsius Pro is the wetsuit made with the lowest number of panels in the RRD collection. Less panels mean more flexibility. In addition, it is fabric taped inside only on stress points for maximum flex and liquid taped only on side legs and kneepads for antiskid protection. Other features include glue and blind stitched airtight seams and 100% built in SuperStrech neoprene with 4 ways stretch back panel.’’

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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.

PRESS RELEASE:

Following the release of the Wave/Freestyle Launch mid July, the new Fanatic Freeride/Beginner, Freerace/Slalom & Formula Collection is now onlinee at 

www.fanatic.com/windsurfing/

Here are some highlights:
The Fanatic Freeride range is focussed on ease of use and pure fun, spiced with the typical Fanatic performance! Sharing the love for the sport and passing our addiction to ride to new faces and to the next generation is one of our constant missions. We now also offer inflatable entry level Windsurfboards as the convenient and super easy transport package.Our Slalom, Racing and Speed line of Falcons has what it takes to dominate with ease. Lightning top speeds with full control at all times is the winning formula for our PWA World Cup Team. Simply step on, hook in and enjoy yourself!

Freeride:
Our seven Gecko sizes (98 to 156) are the most user friendly and fun Freerideboards. The wider and thinner Gecko-Concept offers stability, easy planing and an unmatched glide through gybes and carving manoeuvres. If you’re a planing first timer, looking to finally get your power gybe dialled or if you’re just looking for an effortless cruise – the Gecko is what you want! If you want more performance, the Hawk will give you a rush. Built in performance attributes from our Slalom programme combined with ease of use of a Freerider and superb bump & jump abilities. Simply the best possible combination of speed and manoeuvrability out there. Three Hawks (99, 113 & 124) in either Bamboo or Innegra Carbon LTD construction will let you fly past your buddies with ease.

Beginner/WindSUP:
With over 30 years of experience in getting new sailors hooked, feedback through our global network of schools and centers and last but not least getting our own kids infected with the windsurfing virus – we built the Viper and the Ripper to offer adults and kids the same easy entry to the sport. Both models are equipped with great planing and gybing performance and multiple footstrap options to take you to the next level. We now also offer inflatable entry level Windsurfboards with the Viper Air and Ripper Air Windsurf models as the convenient and super easy transport package. Built in our durable Double Layer HD technology and supplied with our new highly effective Power Pump, you’ll reach the recommended air pressure with ease and start your adventure on a stable, stiff and rigid platform. Rolled up, stored and transported in our Premium Wheely Backpack, taking your Windsurfboard to the beach has never been easier.

Freerace:
For 2016 we’ve spiced the Falcon TE and Falcon Slalom models with scarily fast acceleration and even easier handling in terms of control and gybing. Seven sizes from 90 to 152 of the Falcon TE cover all Slalom conditions and riders needs to find the dream quiver of highly tuned racing machines. We now bring the major sizes of the same shape (99, 112 & 121) in a Biax Glass SandwichLight Finish version including fin and additional footstrap plugs as our user-friendly version for the every day speed seeker. Our Falcon Speed is built to break the boundaries of speed records. Three no compromise shapes will take you over the finishing post like a bullet.

Falcon Formula:
With our new version of our Falcon Formula we’re underlining our demands to dominate the Race scene. Incredibly well trimmed for effortless speeds and insane
up – and downwind angles that will reduce your opponents to despair.

<ENDS>

The post FANATIC FREERIDE & FREERACE 2016 RANGE appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

2016 NP is here. Waterborne, technical and functional performance gear for explorers and adventurers

Whatever your ride.

More at npsurf.com

NP 2016 – Whatever Your Ride from NP Surf on Vimeo.

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NAISH WINDSURFING 2016 – THIS IS YOUR MOMENT

Introducing the 2016 Naish Windsurfing Collection! Fusing the talents of top engineers and athletes with cutting edge technologies and premium materials, this season’s line offers up an impressive assortment. With a wide range of products developed to suit the individual needs of seasoned professionals, weekend warriors, and even those just getting their toes wet for the first time, each rider is sure to find a great fit with Naish.

http://www.naishsails.com/moment/

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PRESS RELEASE

NEW MYSTIC VIDEO – WELCOME TO 2015!

Once upon a time the Mystic team went in search of the ultimate spot. Dreaming about idyllic lagoons or endless lines of perfect peeling waves. The desire of every rider.

If you want to be a trailblazer you have to be ahead of the pack, explore new horizons, go faster, higher and push the boundaries to take it to the next level. No one aims for mediocre. If you don’t improve and innovate you are going backwards. Never stop searching and always look forward. That’s what it’s all about in 2015.

It is with great pleasure that we introduce our new Mystic collection for the spring/summer season of 2015. New colors, new fabrics, new developments, new styles.. Everything you need to make the summer of 2015 an epic one. With great passion and inspiration we have created a brand new collection for both waterwear and lifestyle. Mystic has got you covered, on and off the water. We have paid a lot of attention to the details to ensure maximum comfort and durability for all of our products. Not only are our wetsuits better than ever, but also our jackets, tees, boardshorts and bikini’s are top-notch.  We bring technical lightweight jackets to keep you protected from the wind and tees to keep you comfortable at any time of the day. We have boardshorts made out of very comfortable stretchy fabrics for maximum comfort and bikini’s that make men turn their heads on the beach. You will definitely look fierce and stylish when wearing Mystic.

On the water we have launched new impact vests to keep you safe when you crash and helmets to protect your grey matter upstairs. Great looking harnesses, made to stand out and wetsuits that are so incredibly comfortable that you don’t want to take them off. When traveling the world, Mystic has got everything you need in the board- and travelbag department. With the Elevate boardbag, Elevate wave boardbag, Elevate backpack and Elevate duffle bags you can bring everything you need and still travel light.

If you want to be a trailblazer you have to be ahead of the pack, explore new horizons, go faster, higher and push mediocrity. If you don’t improve and innovate then you are pretty much going backwards. Never stop searching and always look forward.  Team Mystic travelled the world in search for that ultimate destination, the unicorn, paradise, Nirvana. An oasis at the edge of the desert, a place shrouded in mystery and protected by age old rumor and secret. The question burning in every surfer’s mind is: does this place actually exist?

With compliments from the Mystic team, Mystic team riders and all people behind this new collection…  Set your imagination free and see what happens. That’s what it is all about in 2015.

For the complete renewed Mystic collection and website go to: www.mysticboarding.com

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PRESS RELEASE

As part of their 50th anniversary celebrations, Clamcleats Ltd have a competition to win one of three Topper Taz dinghies.

Clamcleats Limited have been providing performance rope holding solutions for 50 years. An early distinguished customer was Sir Francis Chichester. His vessel, Gipsy Moth IV, was fitted with ten CL201 cleats, which helped him to set the first speed record for single handed circumnavigation in 1966-67.

The first Clamcleat® rope cleat was manufactured from engineering plastic. Aluminium cleats were introduced in 1972 to cope with the higher performance required for racing and the Clamcleat® Racing range was born. Many designs are now available in both materials.

The range has expanded and there are now over 125 models, for use in mid-air or fixing on the deck or sailcloth. Innovative accessories are available for a number of cleats, such as the Keepers, which were a category winner in the 2005 DAME Design Awards.

The company is still family owned and now run by the third generation of engineers. Clamcleat® rope cleats have always been produced at their factory in England, using state-of-the-art processes and materials. So why not join in the celebration and enter the competition at www.clamcleat.com/50years

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FANATIC STUBBY VIDEO

Fanatic Stubby Teaser from Fanatic International on Vimeo.

Almost everything to do with this board is new, including the outstanding sensation it delivers to the rider. No matter the conditions, be it waist high cross-onshore or mast high and side-offshore, you’ll feel right at home. So, if you’re looking for something new that packs a lot of punch and endless fun, then the Stubby is your first choice!

Here´s also a short teaser showing Klaas Voget ripping his favourite new toy.”

For more info on the stubby check out http://www.fanatic.com/product/stubby-te/

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PRESS RELEASE

Former PWA Pro Windsurfer Richard Foster and fellow countryman and Danny Keevil, are proud to announce the launch of Indiconic.

Indiconic is a brand new clothing line which takes its inspiration from the iconic images of windsurfing, drawing on its culture, personalities and unique relationship with Maui’s North Shore.

Windsurfing is an Independent sport with an Iconic 50 year history. The sport of windsurfing shaped a generation of athletes, watermen and photographers that created some of the most memorable watersports images in the last half century.

Whilst watching the sun set over the West Maui Mountains, cold beer in hand, and reminiscing over some of the great photos from windsurfing’s glorious history, Foster and Keevil realized the power these images carried to define the character and personality of everyone who shared the passion and pioneering spirit of ocean sports, through integrating the images in a range of specifically designed T shirts.

The Indiconic team reads as a who’s who of windsurfing and watersports photography. Names that are synonymous with big wave sailing, such as Jason Polakow, Levi Siver and Kevin Pritchard provide the action on the water, and photographers including John Carter, Si Crowther, Darrell Wong and Richard Hallman bring their creative expertise to complete the portfolio. Each team rider and photographer receive a percentage of the royalties for each T Shirt sold in recognition for their contribution.

Indiconic is based out of Maui’s North Shore and the T Shirts are printed in the USA on “Next Level” high quality T Shirts. They are available online for $19.99 each. Free shipping is available on orders of four or more items.

For further information visit www.indiconic.com

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PETER HART THE CAMERA TRAP

The video sequence or the photographic still can be an invaluable teaching aid… so long as you get the right shot and know what you’re looking at. Peter Hart has advice both for the photographer and ‘photographee.’

With PETER HART

(This feature originally appeared in the January February 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!)

You may be an exception but the improvement graph of most windsurfers starts with a steady upward path; but then suddenly looks like the heart activity of a dying man on a defibrillator – flat lines interspersed with vertical spikes – which makes it exciting and frustrating …but probably more the latter. The secret lies in understanding what was responsible for those joyous spikes. What made you suddenly put the back foot in the strap? Drop forward rather than lean back into a carve gybe? Turn the head to look down the wave as you turned off the lip?

There is no one answer of course – nevertheless I’m going to give you one – it’s feedback.

At beginner level you get plenty of it. The light wind arena is closed and safe. The proximity of a mentor dissipates anxiety – the greatest learning inhibitor. Communication is easy and although the incoherent mate who’s teaching you doesn’t know his luff from his leech, some of the information is useful even if it’s limited to opening and closing doors and sticking your bum in. But with a decent teacher, the scenario is not so different from getting your forehand drilled by a tennis coach – thanks to his or her constant verbal tweaking or demonstrating, bad habits never have a chance to engrain themselves.

But as the wind increases and you bump onto the plane, your windsurfing universe expands. And with every metre you skim gloriously away from the shore, the chance of useful feedback reduces. To prevent technical stagnation, you have to keep the feedback channels open. But how?

Go on a clinic, he said with no hint of self-interest, where you’ll luxuriate in a hot tub of feedback, but you can’t be on one all the time. As you seek to improve, the best place to look is upwards. How do the pros break down the barriers? Apart from privilege, opportunity and instinctive brilliance their greatest and least heralded talent is their ability to self-coach. For the vast majority, the video is as an indispensable tool. To master the most complex moves, you have to be acutely aware of where you, rig and body have to be at every stage of the move. It’s not just a ‘crash, burn, learn’ approach. They really put the ‘anal’ in ‘analysis, scrutinising every frame of the footage like a biologist picking through the carcass of a dead rat.

Quizzed on the subject, the first comment I got from Ben Profitt was “it’s pretty much the way I learn everything.” (See elsewhere in this article a more detailed account of his method.)

“ As moves get harder, the window for error turns into a slit. For the vast majority of pros, the video is an indispensable tool ”

What the video brings
Used well, the video is as multi-functional as a Swiss Army knife.

It’s the rewind button for your muscle memory.
“Reg … do you remember that jump you did about half an hour ago? Well you took off about 10º too far into wind… you don’t remember? OK … whatever.”

The problem with live feedback, especially in wild seas where it’s not convenient to keep coming in and out, is that it’s delayed. The video jogs the memory, gives you a visual reference and makes the feedback relevant.

It closes the gap between perception and ego-busting reality.
What we think we’re doing is rarely what we are doing. Frank was a good gyber – on the flat waters of Dahab’s Baby Bay at least – but he hardly ever bent his knees, which is a key element in controlling the arc and being able to pressure the edge evenly though chop.

He came in after a series of planing dry ones seeking praise and affirmation. I pointed out the straight leg thing. He couldn’t have been more incandescent if I’d suggested he drove like a pensioner. “I think you’ll find I did.” He sniffed.

The video playback revealed the naked truth. The thing is he did bend his knees, ever so slightly, as he initiated. But as the board tilted over, the legs straightened again – he didn’t remember that bit. Being able to relate the feeling to the picture is a massive help.

Fault-finding and positive reinforcement
Video allows you to keep on practising after the event. Pawing over sequences again and again reveals more and more details of good and bad and really puts you in touch with what’s going on. But the camera is just a tool and just as you can write rubbish with a beautiful fountain pen, it’s worse than useless in the wrong hands.

Here’s a typical postmodern windsurfing preparation routine. Arrive. Park. Stare at sea/lake. Assess wind strength. Jog back to car avoiding eye contact with Geoffrey, the resident boffin who will otherwise engage you in a 20 minute one way discussion about foil flex percentages. Rig, change, launch – total time so far, 11 minutes and 24 seconds. But now add a further 90 minutes for activities under the general heading of ‘briefing film crew and setting up Point of View cameras. Everyone is at it and great it is too. But where you point them depends whether you want to just make a movie or get some technical feedback.

Movie Maker or Teaching Aid?
Jamie, not his real name, presents himself on many clinics. I treasure his company but every now and then we have a minor falling-out (hence the pseudonym … I don’t want to upset him) over the subject of video.

The conversation would go something like: “Harty, did you get that last wave ride? I think it was my best ever!”
“Absolutely!” I said knowing full well that the only sequence I had got of Jamie was of him mistiming a top turn. And so lying I at least postponed his wrath until the naked truth was revealed at video replay session. I tried to stem the flow of abuse by pointing out that I was his coach, not his personal videographer. Of course I would love to have caught that life-affirming moment – but actually the role of the video in a coaching context is primarily to show what you can’t do – not what you can.

Two other things made Jamie hard to film. In a crowded spot, he’d go way out to sea and so was very hard to pick up on the way back in. And if the rider disappears for long periods, the cameraman is likely to get distracted or daydream. It’s so much easier to film someone who stays in constant view. Also, it turned out Jamie performed his ‘ride of the day’ way downwind. He wasn’t sailing to the camera, he was just sailing. It was a one-way relationship. More about that in a minute.

The sudden availability and affordability of amazing devices along with the influence of social media has definitely changed people’s relationship with the camera. As soon as it comes out, they either hide for fear of finding themselves looking like a clown on Facebook or they try to show off and perform their trademark ‘banker’ moves.
So lets isolate the elements of a meaningful video session.

FILMING THE BASICS
Ultimately most technical issues at intermediate level, early planing, speed, gybes etc. are kit related. I take a lot of stills and video of my clients just sailing and we scrutinise posture, how much the rig is moving, how and if the sail is self-trimming and how the board is making contact with the water; because until those things are sorted, it’s hard to move on. If you didn’t feel that comfortable it’s so useful, especially with a still shot, to relate the feeling to the picture.

// Constant tail walking is often a set up issue. Here the still shows how a high boom and short lines are lifting the hips too high and making it hard for him to lean forward and apply mastfoot pressure. The rising harness and vertical harness lines also tell a story of discomfort.

// The rig is still and the board is riding smoothly nose to tail – that tells you all you need to know. Arms parallel with the water and harness lines coming out at 90º to the body are good indications of a happy stance and good power distribution.

The Tool(s)
Until recently I was getting through about 3 camcorders a year – not through dropping them in the sea but just from using them 1000 times more than the average consumer and in an environment (damp and salty) that rarely benefits micro circuitboards. Happily the explosion of the smartphone has brought huge pressure on the domestic camcorder market so they’re now cheap as chips. But my weapon of choice is a waterproof PanasonicHX-WA30 – a bit dearer (£350 ish) than the average but it has a fighting chance of lasting a year.

Despite their bold claims,if water smacks the domestic, flip screen ‘waterproof’ models with any force, the pressure breaks the battery seals. However it’s good enough to put down your wetsuit – and handle with wet hands – and that’s a real bonus of you’re swapping filming and sailing roles with a mate. If it’s got much less than a 15X zoom you struggle to see the detail in many situations. The big challenge is in waves where the action is frequently distant. For that I have a Digital SLR and 600ml lens which is a devastating piece of kit and frighteningly pricey– but happily a legitimate business expense. Most DSLRs now come with an HD video. The advantage is of course they have a viewfinder – so much better on sunny days than a flip LCD – and they take detachable lenses.

// Most digital SLRs have incredibly high quality video function. This one fitted with a 600ml lens is a fantastic tool for capturing far off wave action. But it’s also wildly expensive, heavy and quite difficult to use (no auto focus).

The relationship
There are two approaches. Getting someone to shoot you covertly so that you don’t wilt under pressure but play your natural game and display your everyday errors. The downside is that you may spend much of the session enjoying long reaches and do your interesting stuff out of range. The other approach is a planned intense session where you’re working on a specific move(s) in a specific area. As anyone who has been part of a watery photoshoot will tell you, planning and communication are key. You need to establish a set of hand signals or gestures which inform the rider to come close, go away, do it again, retire to pub time etc.  Decide which angle will reveal most? How far away can you be from camera and still get some meaningful images?

This latter point is crucial. When working with people, I remind them of that advisory sign on the back of lorries – “if you can’t see me, I can’t see you.” With most cameras, if you’re more than about 100m away, you’re not going to see much. What many sailors forget is that they control the situation because they are mobile. On crowded waters keep a constant eye on the cameraman and seek out the gap so a stranger doesn’t come between you and him just as you complete your best ever whatever.

“ For much of the time in most venues, by far the most coaching potent tool is the camera. I don’t use it all the time – too much scrutiny can be inhibiting – but I cannot imagine running an effective course without one, especially as we move up the levels ” ^Harty

The Cameraman/woman
So who’s going to be doing the shooting? I know many non-windsurfing partners who do a good job. But when it doesn’t work so well is when a reluctant girlfriend has been dragged from a stimulating sunbed session with ‘Fifty Shades of Green’ and handed an unfamiliar camera and ordered to shoot …she’s not sure what. Funnily enough the resulting sequences of a shaky, out-of-focus, zoomed out dot doesn’t thrill the boyfriend, especially not since she was filming the wrong bloke and missed his first loop.

Windy Mates
The best person to film a windsurfer in a teaching context is another windsurfer because they know what they’re looking for and can predict the move and sudden changes of direction.  The most fruitful sessions tend to involve good mates going for the same moves. One films the other and then you swap. It helps if the rivalry is under control to the extent that you both want each other to succeed. You can scrutinise the results as a team and mutually coach.

Video or Stills?
Both are good. We tend to use video because it seems to show more. However, a still of a key moment, if it’s sharp and close up can, sometimes reveal details that would be lost on video – like tense muscles, pained facial expressions, furrowed sails. Like a fine work of art, the longer you look at it, the more you see. The devil, and the angel, is often in the detail.

The Analytical Issue
There is an obvious flaw in this self-coaching master plan. You go to hospital and are shown a scan of your innards. It means absolutely nothing to you because you have no idea what you’re looking at. That is the job of the radiologist, the brand of doctor whose specific skill is detecting the smallest abnormalities that even regular doctors would miss. If I may big up the role of the professional coach for a moment –that’s where we earn our loot. We are windsurfing radiologists able to spot tiny details and get to the real root of problems. `

For example, on your video you note that you’re squatting back in your gybes, sitting on the tail. “Must lean forward” you deduce. Good. But why are you sitting back? The coach meanwhile might spot that the top 2 battens are hooking, revealing a lack of downhaul or too stiff a mast (or a mast with too stiff a tip). That stops the leech opening and releasing as you sheet in, forcing you to drop back. So what’s to be done? Well if in the same hospital the doc showed you an image of your guts and that of a healthy person, you may have a chance of spotting the problem. You need something to compare your performance with.

The ideal situation is where you’re practising in expert company. If there are pros about, film them in between your runs. If they happen to pull out the same move as the one you’re working on, perfect because they’re dealing with the same wind and water state. Failing that pull up a pro video from YouTube (or purchase a professionally made DVD – please see me after the show for details). The most fruitful video sessions I have on clinics often happen in the waves in places like Jeri where PWA pros happily (most of the time) mingle with amateurs. Here comes Tarquin doing some gentle turns – and here upwind of him on the same wave is Pedro throwing more spray than an elephant in a Jacuzzi. The differences are so obvious – not just the angles he takes up but also where he takes off on the wave, where he makes his turns, how he shoots off down the line and yet still manages to stay upwind.

Knowing what to film.
So to finish, and at the risk of turning everyone into their own guru and putting myself out of business, here are some filming and analysing tips for various moves.

Stance and set-up So many problems have their roots in the basics. Filming someone coming towards and going away from camera tells you so much. How much is the clew moving (assuming you’re not pumping)? Is the sail breaking up? Is there tension in the arms? Are you on and off the power? All of which suggest a set-up issue – too much too little out or downhaul which is preventing the sail from self-trimming.

Focus on how the board makes contact with the water – nose up nose down. Is it skimming or slamming? The latter can be a result of rig set but also boom height – too low and the balance of power shifts to the feet and the nose drops.

Too high and you often see a lot of windward leeward mast movement as you resist the rig by pulling down.

Gybes The first tip is to vary the filming angle as much as the venue allows.

One of my favoured exercises is to have people come across the wind, upwind of me. So as they initiate they should look at the camera  – only possible if they drop the rig into the turn to reveal the space downwind – which in turn sheets the sail in and gets them moving in the right direction.

In the shallow lagoon environment with the waterproof camera or GoPro I get people to gybe around me. From the centre of the circle you get the best view of which foot is moving where and when.

Being able to film looking dead downwind is rare (Sotavento, Dahab etc) but gives you the best overview of the arc so you can spot the timings of rig and foot change, which are invariably too late.

Like set-ups, it’s the basics, or lack of them, you’re looking to expose. Filming from upwind, you get the best view of how you prepare and initiate the carve. Freezing just before you engage the rail will tell you all you need to know. Are you tripping over your front foot, back heel lifting anticipating the accelerating downwind? Or are you heaving the rig back on bent arms?

THE WAVE ANALYSIS
Nowhere is the feeling more divorced from the reality, than in the waves. “I’m sure I got higher than that!” “Is that as far forward as I got?” are common laments from performers reliving the action. The man in the pic below, Andy Page, is great to work with in the waves because he’s incredibly fit, is out there all day, wildly enthusiastic and is a proper radiologist and so loves a bit of analysis. His first comment looking at the pic below was “I’m leaning back … I’ve got to get more rail in the water.” Spot on – both in the bottom and top turns. On the following day, that’s exactly what he did.

// Above Top It’s a great pic – Andy is absolutely in position A1 on the wave but he’s turning 100% off the tail and just using the back foot, which is almost excusable since he’s on quite a big board – but without prompting he worked out he had to project more forward.

// Above Below In a lot riding situations you can gauge progress just by how much rail you lay in the water.

Tacks
It’s very easy to film tacks and upwind moves in general because they happen within a short space (Whitey’s gybes though have been known to pass through 3 counties). They’re great for video and stills because they reveal so much about your general sailing and the way you balance. Here are 4 things to analyse.

The Head. You should tack and gybe without ever looking at the mast. The moment you turn the head to eyeball the rig, is when the tack stops and plops.

Rig distance. Check the space between body and rig. The moment it closes (rig hugging) is the moment you get blocked.

The trigger. So often the first move you make sets the tone – not good if it’s a wrong one. I have in front of me a sequence taken from a clinic last week of a bloke desperate to crack the short board tack. What the video reveals so plainly is that he starts it by moving his front foot downwind off the centre-line, which immediately destabilises the board. He had NO idea he was doing it. When he moved both feet simultaneously the problem was solved.

Body shape. During the tack itself you should be rotating as if on dry land with shoulders and hips directly over the feet. What the video reveals so plainly is the little biomechanical sins such as pecking at the waist, reaching for the rig and generally trying to balance with the upper body rather than from the feet.

GO PRO FEVER
I don’t have the figures but I’m guessing 50% of planing windsurfers own a GoPro or similar rugged point of view camera. I’ve mentioned in this magazine before, how mind numbingly dull the footage can be – but used well it’s an incredible self-coaching tool. Some angles are a lot better than others. The mast mount looking down shows you all you need to know about body and foot positions in the gybe. And the back harness mount (K4 fins) tells just what you’re doing with the rig on entry. On the head or helmet I find it’s most useful for filming someone else, although because of the wide angle, you do have to be worryingly close for it to be useful.

// Harty following a victim through a gybe with a head mounted GoPro – for his own safety he better not fall.

The Tricky Stuff
By the time you start using video to nail complex tricks you’re searching for the tiny visual clue to unlock the secret – but although the move is harder, the questions are much the same, where’s the wind? When do you sheet in etc. Take the forward loop – a classic move for video as blind fear usually erases all memory of the event. What you’re examining chiefly, is the angle you take off to the wind, the angle of the rig to the board and the moment at which you sheet in. What you commonly see in the forward, is a take off into wind, the rig dropped to leeward and the rider sheeting in before he’s taken off = dive over the handlebars. What you should see is take-off off the wind, rig to windward and sheeting in only once you’ve pulled the tail up and the nose has floated dead downwind.

BEN PROFIT – Video Master
One of our consistently top performers and very handy with a camera, Ben admits that he’s used video to learn pretty much everything. “One of the biggest ones for me was learning the stalled forward. As it’s all about sail and board positioning. I like to go try the move, film it, then try and get someone who can do the move to do it and film them from the same spot. Then it’s like spot the difference… it’s so easy to see where you are going wrong when done like that. I do this a lot with Justyna and it’s really helped. It’s fine someone telling you what your doing wrong but when you see it with your own eyes, that’s the moment it all clicks! I did exactly that with the stalled forward and realised I didn’t have the sail in the right position and was sheeting in too early. Well it’s a bit more complicated than that but when I filmed Ricardo I saw exactly what I was doing wrong!”

// Ben stalling – the video analysis clearly worked!

And so to the waves
Video is especially useful in the waves because so much is going on to which the novice is often blind. In the early stages, the challenge is tactical as you try to manoeuvre to the right spot, dodge the mines and catch the right wave. Often I will leave the camera on wide so the victim can see the bigger picture, see how and where the waves were breaking and where he should have been. Trepidation makes you eyeball the area straight ahead. But so much of wave sailing relies on you lifting the head, taking in the whole scene, anticipating trouble (and joy) and making smart spontaneous decisions. A typical case is heading out, getting trashed by a pitching wall and then seeing on video that if you headed just 5 metres downwind you would have floated over an unbroken wall.

WHITEY – a strangely astute self-analyst
Dave White lives on both sides of the lens these days – but despite his love of taking pics and video, he is still desperate to improve his own sailing and rarely goes out without a Point of View camera pointed at his lithe frame. Here are his thoughts on using the camera to coach. “Simple, put a f-hot mast mount and Gopro on your mast, press record and forget about it. Why forget? If you’re sailing for the video you’re really concentrating on correcting mistakes. But if you forget about it you’re more likely to show your instinctive bad habits – and they’re the ones you need to sort out.  I went out to do some forwards recently and they looked pretty good. But then the next day I was out practicing gybes and stuff. A couple of waves arrived up and I popped a forward without thinking. The GoPro then really showed what I was doing wrong. It’s the same with my gybes. When I’m not thinking, the GoPro showed that I let go of the rig completely in the rig change, which is not a great habit.”

// Whitey from the mast tip – “front arm a little too bent and try to soften that front knee a bit mate …”(but he still probably came out of it at 40 knots!)

And if you keep ending up miles downwind, get your mate to film the whole circuit in and out. Compare it to that of the local hotshot and see where you’re losing ground. It may suddenly be so obvious. They bore away as they launched and planed through the downwind rip inshore. You didn’t. When they were off the plane, they really stuffed it upwind. You bogged downwind. On the wave after every downwind bottom turn they cut back upwind, sailed back side for a little way before kicking off again. You just kept charging downwind.When it comes to the jumps and rides, video is perfect for revealing cowardice and inspiring courage. Instead of really exploding on take off, it’s clear to see that you squashed the knees, sheeted out and flopped off the lip rather than rocketing. You won’t do that again. And turning towards a peachy, walling wave, did you open up and keep on climbing and present your nose to the pitching lip? No, you wimp, you over-sheeted, turned early, pretended it wasn’t there and headed for the shore.

More gems of technical joy from Harty in the next issue. Looking for a fine xmas present, you can order his new gybing DVD (and other titles) by emailing harty@peter-hart.com and more at www.peter-hart.com

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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.

Check out team riders Windsurfing and Stand Up Paddling in great conditions with the latest gear.

More at fanatic.com

The post FANATIC BOARDRIDING SINCE 1981! appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

PRESS RELEASE

Brand new Wire Tec harness technology – an ION invention using a line setup designed to spread the load evenly and banish irritating pressure points.

NEXT LEVEL LOAD DISTRIBUTION – WIRE TEC SYSTEM
Foam inserts, anatomical preshaped back parts and much more – there are always new and sometimes very well executed solutions, to spread the load of the Windsurfsail over the whole back. However, you feel a much bigger pressure on those parts of the back where the upper and lower edge of the harness is place

ION has taken a lesson from the stability and load distribution of cable-stayed bridges and used this inspiration for the development of the brand new Wire Tec system. This new patented technology is distributing the force equally over the whole back with the help of wires, which are stretched adapted to the human anatomy.

Thanks to this even load distribution the typical uncomfortable pressure points are avoided. The wires used are kite lines and therefore these wires can endure even multiples of the applied force.

The Radium Select features new technology and innovation to further enhance its performance. The new Wire Tec disperses direct pressure points, while the X-Spine has been reworked to complement its overall function seamlessly. The additional Low Rider shape eliminates niggling pressure points and effectively spreads the load. Therefore this harness is for all experienced freeriders who dig the wave, freestyle and racing elements of Windsurfing.

The Radium Select is available from now on and retails at €239.95  / £179,95

More at www.ion-products.com

This harnesses is just one out of 8 different windsurf harness lines ION offers. The full product line, including more budget oriented models, can be found on: www.ion-products.com

The post ION WIRE TEC HARNESS appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD KIDS OR LEARNER RIG?

Whether you’re a parent or a windsurfing school, choosing rigs for learning to windsurf can be a complicated.

So what should you look out for to make sure beginners have an easy, fun time on the water?

With the help of some leading schools, stores and centers we’ve come up with these tips to help you make the right selection for both kids and adults.

LEAVE IT TO THE PROFESSIONALS

• If you’re desperate for your kids to love the sport you do, then you may have to swallow some pride as – for the very first steps – it’s always best to send learners to an experienced school or camp where professionals can teach them.
• Kids also learn best in groups and without pressure from parents – at least for the basics – and will thank you for it when they stick with the sport for life.
• A lot of instructors will also tell you that kids can give up more easily if Mom and Dad are watching, so leave them to it and come back once they’re hooked!
• If you do teach anyone by yourself, don’t pressure them, ‘keep ‘em keen’ and make sessions short – and stop before the fun ends, especially if the wind’s too strong or the equipment too heavy.
• If kids want to switch to building sandcastles instead, let them. They’ll come back to it in their own time.
• Let windsurfing be just another beach activity so they’re happy by the water. (Let the adults build sandcastles too if they have too!)

SMALL, LIGHT AND WHAT ELSE?

We can assume ‘small and light’ are standard qualities – but what specifically makes some rigs better than others?

Thijs Surfschool in The Netherlands have years of experience with introducing people to the sport and say the number one consideration is strength.

‘For us this simply means Dacron, since kids step on and fall on the sails constantly, which monofilm just cannot handle.

‘Of course they have to be light too, since the kids have to uphaul a lot and the lighter the sail, the bigger sail they can use.

‘One other feature is simplicity during the rigging process. This should be as simple as it gets, so kids can also learn how to set up a sail.

‘Lastly – it’s better for sails to come with carbon masts on sails above 2.5 sqm. for enhanced performance without damage from bending.

Although aluminum masts can be slightly lighter, we see the benefit of carbon or lighter-weight glass fiber being much higher and allows the sail to be used for progression too.’

THANKS TO UNIFIBER AND THEIR CUSTOMERS FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE IN PRODUCING THIS FEATURE. LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR UNIQUE KIDS RIGS.

MATERIALS

Of course locations can vary, but if you’re running a school in a harsh sandy, high UV area with salt water your rigs will wear faster than in a freshwater lake in lower light – so Dacron copes better with wear and tear in most environments.

Monofilm sails can give great stability and work very well in super light wind when Dacron does not ‘fill’ so early – but it is forgiving to beginners, so many schools offer a mix of both.

Experienced instructor Bart Van Es , who’s worked multiple seasons in the sun in Curacao, rates film sails but agrees they are not as durable. ‘But for adults – and sizes over 4.5 – film is much better’ he adds.

Film can also be superior to Dacron sails without battens, but fully-battened Dacron rigs are hard to beat.

AND FOR ADULTS?

Most instructors will select a rig for kids based on their height, so in the sizes that overlap kids and grownups usage, the biggest thing to look for is range in the height of the boom cutouts.

Adults also benefit from a ‘real’ sail outline/profile rather than a ‘squashed’ or triangular sail – plus they tend to progress better with monofilm sails.

So apart from the size, the profile, handling and durability requirements are the same, especially as you get the progression stage.

WHAT DO THE KIDS WANT?

According to Yvan Alie from the busy Au Vent Fou center in Quebec, Canada, ‘Kids just want a sail that looks like a ‘real sail’.

‘They don’t want to use triangular, old-fashioned rigs that are uncool.

‘So they should have a nice outline and include battens as well.’

Tero Nieminen from TWind, Finland agrees.

‘Dacron sails, so long as they are fully battened like a ‘proper’ sail, give the best option for feeling soft and forgiving as well as delivering strength.

‘Kids also like them better as they’re like the ones they’ve seen in action videos.’

Bart Van Es confirms this but points out that ‘kids learning to plane need sails with a ‘proper’ profile’.

RIGS TO PROGRESS ON

When it’s time to go solo and buy your kids first rigs, Thijs Surfschool usually advise parents to buy a sail one size larger than the one they last used in their lessons.

Again, check the sail you choose has enough ‘growing room’ in the boom cutout and some range for younger brothers and sisters too.

You can use small wave sails – and this is probably better for adults that are slightly heavier, but bear in mind some kids rigs have specifically designed, tighter leeches that promote early planing for those learning to use the straps and harness.

Au Vent Fou make a good point that ‘on sails up to 3.5 they’re not in planing territory.

‘When they’re stronger they can use small wave sails – but there’s nearly twice the weight between a 3.5 wave sail rig and a kids rig so choose carefully’.

• Once the straps and harness are mastered, a sail with in-built leech twist is better and some brands have dedicated, 4-batten kids progression sails to consider.
• Always check with your local store and rig the sails up first to see how the leech behaves or if the masts are strong enough for extra downhaul tension as well as comparing overall weights.
• And what about price? Do you have to buy the best or the cheapest? Action 360 from Sicily advise that buying cheap can be an advantage as you don’t know how long the kid will need the sail or how long they’ll stick with the sport.
• For kids there’s not need to buy a dedicated leaner’s board – just choose something they can master the intermediate planing skills on that will be more exciting for them as they develop.

ADVICE FOR SCHOOL

If you’re looking to setup a school there are some vital considerations to keep in mind:

Smart Investment: Of course strength is a major part of protecting your setup costs.

Gigi Madeddu is an experienced coach and center owner at freestyle hotspot SaBarra, Sardinia, where he has nurtured countless youngsters into the sport.

‘You have to get at least 2 – and preferably 3 – seasons in the sun and sand otherwise you’re losing money.

‘That means a selection of Dacron rigs are mandatory’ is his critical advice.

Standout from the Crowd: Sometimes a stretch of beach has loads of schools so it pays to buy a different brand to what everyone else is using and to choose models with bright colors.

Thijs Surfschool also add that ‘having different colors for each size/group helps you identify what you have out on the water to account for everybody’s safety and that all the equipment is returned to and stored in the right place at the end of the day.’

Mix of film and Dacron: Stock a mix. Super light wind suits monofilm and adults often learn faster on film sails too. But make sure rigs are fully battened whatever you choose for maximum versatility.

Dacron is more forgiving and soft in gusty locations and lasts at least two, if not three times longer.

Value for money: Buy the best quality and ‘bang for buck’ that you can afford to extend the lifespan – but also benefit from re-sale value to customers.

We hope that helps you get the important people in your life into the sport. Now go and book some lessons – and then buy some end-of-season gear at a good price to enjoy the rest of this summer – and in the Spring!

The post WHAT MAKES A GOOD KIDS OR LEARNER RIG? appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

BUYER’S GUIDE 2015

Photo  Jeremias Marinovic

Investment in a good waist harness can be one of the most important bits of kit you buy if you want to enjoy and progress your sailing and save money on visits to the physiotherapist! We take a look at the latest offerings from the brands and Robby Swift gives us his expert advice.

ROBBY SWIFT…
There are so many waist harnesses out there and so many different lengths of harness lines etc. that it can get a bit confusing. To be honest, a lot of it is down to personal preference and what you are used to. Here is a list of sailors and the harness line lengths they use:

Jason Polakow: 26cm

Robby Swift: 28cm

Ricardo Campello: 30cm

Marcilio Browne: 34-36cm

Kauli Seadi: 34-36cm

So as you can see, there are 5 sailors ranging from 5’8” tall to 6’2” tall, all with 5 extremely different harness line lengths which do not correlate at all to their height or arm length and they all make it work for them.

Some people say that you should have your lines spread far apart and some say you should have them close together. I personally find that in high winds I like to put the lines a little farther apart for more control and in lighter, gustier winds I like to put them closer together so I can pump the sail a little without unhooking.

As far as harnesses go, there is also a huge range you can choose from and, once again, a lot of it is down to personal preference. I personally tend to go for a harness that has the following features:

• Wide enough to offer good support when landing high jumps on your back, yet not so wide that it restricts your movement from side to side and makes you feel stiff.

• I also like the spreader bar to be nice and stable in front of you, not flopping up and down with your movement so you can really concentrate on your sailing rather than looking down to check what’s going on with your spreader bar when lining up for a jump or dropping into a wave.

• I definitely like good back support since I like to sail for many hours a day and many days a week, so you need gear that protects you from the strains that windsurfing can put on your back.

• Luckily for me, I spend most of the year in warm climates, so a nice soft, comfy top and bottom of the harness are very important so that you don’t get a rash when sailing without a top on.

Other than that of course, the colour and look of the harness is important. It’s the most visible part of your attire, so choose one that you like to look at, so when you are Go-Pro’ing yourself or getting your wife to film you (good luck with that!), you will like the way the shots come out!

Happy sailing!

Robby Swift

Robby is sponsored by neilpryde.com, jp-australia.com, mysticboarding.com, clhei.com, surazo.cl and chile40.com
You can follow Robby on robbyswift.com or facebook.com/robbyswift89

FLYING OBJECTS CROSSFIRE

The Cross Fire blends affordable pricing with proven design. This delivers a harness with thermo-form padding, a medium flex character and finished in a soft neoprene wrap. All these attributes lend to a functional design that provides maximum support in the lower back and minimises point loading. Other features include an Internal Neo Belt and thermo-form Lumbar Support.

RRP £109.99 

www.flyingobjects.com.au

ION RADIUM SELECT

ION´s RADIUM SELECT is the most comfortable harness on the planet, thanks to the visco elastic Memory Foam which adapts perfectly to your body. The newly developed leverbuckle system, ‘Quick_Fit’, allows super fast and effort-saving tightening of the harness. In addition the new Pro_Pad and thermo moulded EVA construction protects your belly and back.

RRP £169.95 

www.ion-products.com

MYSTIC WARRIOR

From the very beginning of the brand the iconic Warrior harness has been core to everything the brand is about, providing a product born on the water! Features include the anatomical back plate which gives Mystic’s trademark feature of never riding up, as well as super soft edges and a low torque spreader bar. Available in sizes XS, S, M, L, XL and XXL.

RRP £159.00 

www.mysticboarding.com

NAISH MAFIA

Built around a new load-distributing moulded shell, the Mafia is designed for riders who want the most mobility, superior fit and support. The click-in spreader bar is built into the streamlined bar pad with memory foam for increased ribcage protection and a stabilizer strap to keep it in place. The Mafia also features a tricot neoprene lining for superior comfort.

RRP £219.00 

www.naishsails.com/product/mafia/

NP SURF PULSE

NP have aimed for comfort and support with the Pulse, a 3D-shaped harness with forged aluminium spreader bar and EVA foam inners to prevent riding-up and prevent water absorption. The unique embossed pattern is designed to perfectly fit the core while preventing the harness riding up or twisting. A 360° strap made from highly elasticised fabric provides additional core support.

RRP £154.90 

www.npsurf.com

PAT LOVE VIBE

The Vibe is a thermo formed high-end windsurf waist harness with deep lateral neoprene padding and marine grade metal buckles. On the inside you will find thermoformed, super soft and anatomical padding. The low back anatomic shape is particularly compact and allows extreme movement and freedom. Also featuring an elastic power belt and new spreader bar system with bar pad.

RRP £139.00 

www.pat-love.com

POINT–7 WAIST WAVE 

An all-rounder by sail brand Point-7 that is ergonomically shaped, combining optimal freedom with maximal support. Ideal for any kind of discipline, whether your sport of choice is wavesailing, freestyle or just flat-water cruising. The harness is built using only the best materials; ensuring the perfect mix of durability, comfort and tailor made quality.

RRP £80.00 

www.point-7.com

PROLIMIT HYBRID

The Hybrid harness is light, strong and versatile. Our new laminated PU material and internal Nylon waist belt absorbs no water, making this the lightest harness out there while still giving the great back support of a Prolimit harness. Other features include pre-curved and 3D shaped, low absorption internal waist belt, patented pin release bar system and EZ belt system.

RRP £99.00 

www.prolimit.com

RRD EQ–3

RRD have developed a new harness collection shaped around the most diverse body shapes and purposes, analysing both the anatomy of each target group and best materials and technology process available today to build the new collection. The EQ-3 is a high end waist harness designed for power and comfort, features include pre-shaped moulded EVA and fibre glass battens inside.

RRP £150.00 

www.robertoriccidesigns.com

The post WAIST HARNESS BUYERS GUIDE appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

POINTS OF VIEW

The art of the selfie is a modern must have skill for a pro windsurfer but the technology they use is far from the preserve of the elite with the market for POV cameras encompassing and catering for amateurs to PWA legends. So if you’re struggling with your selfie or are keen to hear just how the pros nail their trick instagram shots, read on as we quiz some of the finest windsurfing selfie shooters on the planet for their tips, tales and tricks of the trade!

(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!)

John Carter
The advent of the Go Pro and similar point of view cameras has dramatically changed the way photographers and videographers are able to approach mast mounted and boom mounted photography. Gone are the days of punching holes through a sail with a screwdriver to attach a 3 kilo homemade contraption containing an expensive DLSR camera. I remember watching some of the most talented sailors on the planet look almost like beginners, crashing every single jump with this huge, heavy box totally compromising their sailing style. Yes, the Go Pro pretty much made the traditional mast mounted camera obsolete in a matter of years. Not only have they stepped up the quality but as each model is released the cameras are becoming smaller, lighter and easier to use. Nowadays Go Pro’s are pretty much everywhere you look and being used for every radical sport. I recently read founder Nick Woodman floated shares in the company and is now worth over 2.5 billion dollars, yep no typo mistake here that is billion not million! Now that is what I call a result!

I have had my fair share of trials and tribulations with Go Pro’s and have lost a few after heavy crashes and bail outs, which all could have been averted if I had simply tied the flymount to the top of the mast with spectra or fishing line. That is simply me being lazy, even now I rarely tie them on so only have myself to blame if I lose another one!

What I will recommend though is making sure you have the camera set up at home before you head to the beach. There is nothing worse than being on the edge of the water scrolling through all the menus trying to find the multi shot mode or whatever while your rider is itching to get out on the water. I tend to use the time lapse continuous shooting mode for pictures which I believe fires of a frame every half a second. As for keeping water off the lens I have tried all sorts but never found a magic formula to keep every single drip off of the tiny port in front of the lens. I like to tell the rider to make sure they go big on the first jump when I am pretty sure the lens will have no drops on it and then come in at regular intervals so I can check everything is ok. For flat water, spots on the lens are not so much of an issue but I usually advise the rider not to dip the mast into the water before they head out. Wave riding and jumping shots can both look awesome from the Go Pro and although the quality of the shots might not quite be up to that of a full blown DSLR camera, the ease of use and portability of the Go Pro makes it a no brainer! My advice is to keep experimenting, with different angles, from the mast I tend to point the camera towards the harness lines, but if you want to see more of the board in the shot, it sometimes work to have the camera pointing more angled around the mast.

Yep the Go Pro sure is a wonderful device and all I can say is I wish I had thought of it, I could do a hell of a lot with 2.5 billion dollars!

“ I find the most consistent best shots happen all the time when just holding the camera ” – Kai Lenny

Kai Lenny
The mounts I use for shooting windsurfing are some very basic ones but they tend to get the best shots. It goes back to the old saying, “less is more”. My quiver consists of:

• GoPro Roll Bar mount: Prime spots to put the mount are the end of the boom as well as the front of the boom. As for the mast, I like this mount for the tip top of the mast. Another prime area is on the mast sleeve cut out just above the boom. This mount is low key; it does not affect my riding. But I like the fact that I can add the pole extension to get the camera some distance from me.

• Flymount: I like this one for about mid way up my mast. It’s nice to not have to cut a hole in the mast sleeve in order to get the shot.

• ProMount Mouth Piece: This one is awesome because you can get a great POV but you can always spit it out and hold it in your hand for a selfie. I find the most consistent best shots happen all the time when just holding the camera.

“ Use it during the midday sun as it’s usually overhead so you don’t get the shadows on your face or body ” – Sean O’Brien

Sean O’Brien
My top 5 tips for POV cameras are:

1. Don’t get them wet! The best photos you can get off your GoPro are when you do your first couple of runs before the camera gets wet. The batteries inside them heat up after use and against the cool water of the ocean they fog up quickly or might have a lot of water droplets on the photo. I always find the best photos are from the first run while it’s still dry. 

2. You can get some good angles from them by attaching your GoPro to a spare mast and having someone hold the mast upright out in the water and sailing underneath it. With the fisheye lens of the GoPro you get a very cool wide shot of the beach and the sailor underneath it. 

3. After you’ve done a few runs, go back to the beach and open the case and wipe it with a dry cloth inside and out. This lets the warm air out and stops them fogging up (and also removes water droplets). 

4. For the best shots, use them in the midday sun (11am-2pm) when it’s REALLY sunny as the GoPro’s get nice colours.

5. Make sure when you set it up as a mast cam to take a photo of something first, about the same distance as your subject is away; the GoPro will set the focus and aperture automatically to that point. I see a lot of people stick their face in front of the GoPro to check the settings are right and the camera sets itself up to take a photo of something only 30cm away instead of you sailing which might be 2.5m away and makes the focus wrong. 

For attachments I only use the FlyMount which attaches to the mast and the boom. When I setup my GoPro, for photos I use the highest resolution available and for video I mostly shoot on 60fps at 1080p. I don’t use any solutions to keep the lens clean because whatever I’ve tried it still fogs up, so I still think the best strategy is to get your photos on the first run when it’s still dry, then come in and open the case and wipe it inside and out with a dry cloth and go again. Opening the case for a few seconds will stop the fogging. If you’re using the GoPro as a mast cam, the best is to use it during the midday sun as it’s usually overhead so you don’t get the shadows on your face or body as much as when it’s the afternoon sun. I find I end up taking 700 photos to only get one I like – a pretty bad strike rate!

Ricardo Campello
Normally I use my Go Pro on the mast with the Flymount mast mount when I’m sailing and sometimes on the boom as well, but lately I have lost a few on my drone and last month in Maui I landed so hard from a table top that the cover of the GoPro broke and I lost the GoPro underwater on my first jump out, Antoine Albeau saw everything and was laughing so hard hahahha, but the guys from GoPro gave me a new one! Last year in Pozo I put the little mount for the nose of the board on a brand new GoPro and landed a small backloop on the nose and I didn’t know I had to put a little lock on it and lost it on the bunker and couldn’t find it!, I was so pissed, I swam for like 3 days to find it and couldn’t!! Between this and the drone I’ve lost a few but I normally don’t tie it, haha, too lazy.

Bjorn Dunkerbeck
I like using the mounts on the boom and also on the board. To keep the lens clean, I try not to fall ha ha and there are some different lens repelling fluids. I also use sun screen or just put the camera under water before using it, you need to do this every few minutes I’ve found.

Jason Polakow
My tips for POV cameras are always cool down the housing and camera body otherwise there is a good chance of condensation building up especially in warm water areas. I always use the air conditioning in the car. If I don’t have that luxury I use alcohol wipes. I ALWAYS travel with the battery out of the camera. I don’t know how many times they have accidentally turned on from moving in my bag. Always take your time!!! Check you have the right settings and check the memory card. Recently I worked with the 360 GoPro cube attached to my harness and I got some sick shots.

One of the funniest POV shots I captured would be at Cloudbreak recently where I had the GoPro attached to my gear and I was sitting on the back of the ski as there was not much wind and the current was super strong. We were close to the lineup and a huge 20 foot close out set came through, the guy on the ski panicked and took off and I just barrel rolled with my gear and the Go Pro caught all the carnage! It’s the closing scene on my latest Cloudbreak JP Chronicles video!

“ ALWAYS travel with the battery out of the camera ” – Jason Polakow

Ben Proffitt
My best tip for POV cameras is mix it up so when you’re making a video use all the angles. I use a K4 harness mount for jumping shots, a head cam for filming others, a nose cam for wave riding and big back loop shots, a boom cam for facial expression shots and finally a mast cam for a really good all round angle and telling how bald you’re getting!

For me the best POV camera angle is the K4 mount (harness mount) especially for jumping. You really do get a unique view, kind of like a little drone following you around very closely. As it’s not that easy sometimes to get someone to film you…this angle is the best for learning and working out what you’re doing right or wrong. Plus you get some pretty cool jumping screen grabs. I have a couple of great landing shots from back loops where it looks like I’m totally submerged!! I really didn’t know I went that deep! My worst POV camera moment was when I taped it to the nose and first run out busted out a big backie and after the landing looked down to see no camera!!!  Dived in straight away..  but it was Australia..  sun going down and I couldn’t see anything!!! Spent 1 hour swimming but nothing… also on the early K4 mount I had the stick break and had to swim for my life to get it in massive waves!!

Justyna Sniady
My tip for POV cameras is just put the camera on! I know sometimes we are in a rush to get on the water, but it really is worth it to put the cam on a mast or boom or just grab a harness mount. You can get some all-time crashes or even get a first time landed move! So my tip is use them as often as possible! It’s the best way to get footage without having to take time from anyone! And this footage comes in handy when learning new things so you can never get too much:)

My favourite POV would be the K4 harness mount. It is like having someone following you with the camera at all times.. all the way through each move. You don’t feel it at all so you can fully go for it, but at the same time you get a great angle that helps when analysing moves and also the best alternative to the footage taken from land. My funniest POV moment must be when I captured a bird sh@tting on me when I was sailing a reef quite far off-shore in Australia haha.. right on my shoulder – what are the odds? Apparently it’s good luck!

Jem Hall
I strongly recommend POV cameras for self-coaching. They are very effective for a few reasons. The first is because you focus on sailing better, as you are aware that Big-Bro GoPro is watching you, and so you will inevitably raise your game. As you can imagine, the footage shows exactly where your hands are, and where you are looking all the time and with no excuses, the camera tells no lies.

It is important to understand that first you must know what you are looking to see on the screen. So I suggest you brush up on the suggested basic head, hands and hip position (the 3 vital H’s in many moves) for all your windsurfing antics. This is a big benefit as you begin to research and already glean important tips on how to sail better!

Next you can begin to view and post positive pics of yourself and this success helps breed confidence and in turn progression.

Lastly, if you edit the footage and document it, then you get a comparison of your sailing over time and it helps you assess how your targets are being met, or not, and furthermore gets you to identify what to do to actually move forward. This edited footage can also be seen by a nice friendly coach like me, and can advise on the positives to take from it, and your opportunities to improve.

“ I strongly recommend POV cameras for self-coaching ” – Jem Hall

The post POINTS OF VIEW appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

{PRESS RELEASE} 2016 STARBOARD COLLECTION ONLINE

After our 2016 Wave & Freestyle launch, we are happy to finally introduce our complete 2016 collection of boards, from beginner to slalom, from inflatable to freeride.

Each year, a new Starboard collection typically brings it with one or two key innovations. Take the GO in 1998, the Start in 1999 or the Evo in 2000 and more recently, the Atom concept in 2010, the Bat Wings in 2012 and the WindSUPs Inflatables in 2013. For the single year of 2016, we’re proud to introduce two entirely new innovative board ranges in the Reactor and the AirPlane, a new construction technology breakthrough that is the lightest in the world and the revolutionary Rail Edge technology for WindSUPs Inflatables.

Racing

As tradition demands, our 

2016 iSonics have been upgraded across the range with all-new shapes, with Starboard’s largest test and development program verifying performance in the different conditions of Vietnam, Maui, Thailand, New Caledonia and Marseille. The new shape evolutions aim to transfer mechanically more power from the sailor to the board in the light-medium wind models, gain efficiency with new rail shapes and new wetted-surface area designs on key models.

The new Formula cycle is here too. Introducing the successor to the 2015 Formula World Champion, the Formula 177. Designed specifically for modern course racing, the Formula 177 is our most powerful board with the widest wind range and the earliest planing performance. The new Formula generates more power, more leverage and more lift for more performance in light winds. Smaller aspects have also been improved, like the new chicken straps or the camel bump shape.

Introducing the new Starboard AirPlane with Rail Edge technology. Fully-planing inflatable freeride boards, available with fully retractable rubber-sealed daggerboards, centre-fin versions and kid’s size. They’re the lightest, toughest and most compact windsurf boards, and thanks to this hard release Rail Edge technology, they accelerate and offer the most exciting planing sensation possible on no other inflatable board.

Slim, fast and with the wind range of two classic freeriders, our new AtomIQ 104, 114 and 124 come along our Atom IQ 130, 140 and 160 to take the complication out of windsurfing. On top of all the shape evolutions, the AtomIQs now come in Carbon UltraCore, the world’s lightest windsurfing board construction using a new Starboard proprietary sandwich core material with up to 50% higher mechanical properties.

Also available in Carbon UltraCore are Starboard’s iconic plug and play freeriders, the Carves: fast, high performance shapes built on a chassis that requires little technique and tuning to get to peak performance. With added length and a more rigid fin, the Carves get planing more smoothly, more easily and maintain rolling stability in the choppiest waters. They are also available in Wood Reflex, using a true Australian pine wood sandwich bottom with a full PVC biaxial glass sandwich deck for a light, crisp and stiff feeling non-sandwich boards can’t match.

For beginners and progressing sailors, the Rios are Starboard’s most advanced shapes in their segment, including two brand-new Long Tail editions, the Rio Long Tail M and the Rio Long Tail L. The added Long Tail offers even more glide and allows the rider to get planing incredibly smoothly, so seamlessly, like magic. It’s an amazing experience to get planing without first having to learn how.

Starboard also introduces the world’s first 

WindSUP Inflatable boards with drop-stitch technology and Rail Edge technology. The drop-stitch connects the top and bottom panels, making the boards really stiff. They’re still soft on impact, making them safe, comfortable and tough: they’re the lightest, strongest and most compact WindSUP boards in the world and they new feature the Rail Edge technology that create a release edge that is hard and effective at releasing water and allows you to accelerate and enjoy the most exciting planing sensation.

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

The post 2016 STARBOARD COLLECTION ONLINE appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

UNIFIBER WINDSURFING ROOFRACK QUIVERBAG

Tie-down points UNDER the bag – NO more CRUSHED sails! Fits 3/4 complete rigs and masts up to 490.

An optimised, aerodynamic roofrack-quiverbag shape that’s ideal for car-travel. Featuring multiple tie-down-strap anchor points for rock-solid tightening without crushing your precious sails. Made out of strong 600D WRP (Water-Resistant Polyester) fabric with Dotted PVC reinforced edges. Able to fit 3/4 complete rigs – masts, booms and sails – and two-piece masts up to 490. Dimensions at the widest points: 280 x 70 x 35 cm.

More info at: http://www.unifiber.net/2015/gear/bag…

The post UNIFIBER WINDSURFING ROOFRACK QUIVERBAG appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

FREERIDE FINOLOGY

The fins that power our free ride boards are an overlooked part of the engine that drives our fun on the water. We take a look at the market with key industry players, a buyer’s guide and of course to kick it off, a lesson from the master teacher, our very own Peter Hart.

Words and Photo – Peter Hart

”Here a 120 free-move board  is cracking around like a board half its size, thanks partly to the thin, curvy rails but also to the relatively small free-ride fin (35 cm) with a lot of sweep in the tip. But beware – the fin shape and size, have to compliment the design of the board. For example  putting  a small, raked fin into  a  more race speed oriented model as an attempt to make it more manoeuvrable, may not work because it would not fully release onto the plane. To be manoeuvrable, a board has to be well-trimmed and planing freely.”

“I knew I was good!” You chunter to yourself as suddenly and unexpectedly you experience a feeling of light, efficient symmetry with arms and legs equally but gently loaded and the board planing straight and level without you having to twist and contort. And good you may be. But essentially you’ve chanced, albeit momentarily, upon a perfect set-up where the lateral forces of a well-set sail are perfectly matched by the size of the fin; and the fin itself matches the width of the tail.

The aim is to feel like that the whole time across a wider range of conditions. And part of the solution comes from dialling into the information coming through your back foot from the fin; and then recognising when a change up or down can restore balance or tilt performance in a certain direction, towards top speed or acceleration, for example.

Ask a racer which is their most influential item of kit, and they’ll point to the fin. Free-ride boards are more forgiving both to set-up and to sail but you ignore the importance of the fin at your peril. Space is short and the subject huge but here are some points to ponder as you look to grow your free-ride fin quiver.

What is a free-ride fin?

The limitations of the given fin.

The symptoms of too big and small.
When the fin is too small for the board and/or the sail size, the board slops from edge to edge. It never full releases onto the plane. It sits deep in the water and although you may feel you’re pointing upwind, you’re actually crabbing sideways. It’s easy to overload the back foot and spin out. If it’s too big, you feel you’re fighting the fin as soon as you start to plane. It’s like having jack-hammer under your back foot. It’s hard to bear away and in extreme cases, you’ll tail walk.

Reasons to change fin size.
Matching fin to sail size is the primary objective but not the only one. Going slightly bigger offers extra lift and acceleration at slower speeds – good if you’re feeling your way into the straps for the first time; and also if you’re sailing in enclosed waters where you need to get going quickly in a gust, stay upwind; and where you haven’t the space to get up to full speed.

Relating fin design and size to your board.
The free-ride board category is enormous. The choice of fin(s) depends on where your board lies on the speed, manoeuvrability spectrum. At the speed end where the boards are aping slalom shapes (aka ‘Free Race) with their flat bottoms and harder, straighter edges, you’ll err towards a deeper, straighter fin, with less sweep in the tip (if any). At the ‘squirrily’ end where the boards have more curve in the plan shape, thinner rails and more’ v’ underneath (aka ‘Free-move’), the fin can be smaller with more rake. The ‘v’ displaces a little water, increases resistance – hence you can get away with a smaller fin.
And finally …

Get a plastic ‘cheapy!’
Beware of planing obsession! Free-ride boards, especially the bigger ones, make excellent light wind training platforms for practising and nailing the basics – tacks, gybes, backwind sailing etc. – at which point the big planing fin is a bit of a liability. For very little money you can pick up a small plastic training fin – or cut down an existing knackered, fibre-glass one. With a shallow (30cm or less) and preferably wide fin, the board is more manoeuvrable off the plane and you can mess about in knee-deep water.

“Free-ride boards are more forgiving both to set-up and to sail but you ignore the importance of the fin at your peril”

FREERIDE FIN DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

Dietrich (Rick) Hanke, Founder and President, www.mauiultrafins.com
‘’Freeriding is one of the most popular windsurfing disciplines. Boards and sails have to cover a wide range of sizes in order to match the sailing conditions and rider weights. The same is valid for the fin. The fin must provide a side force over a wide range of speed and courses without the danger of flow separation (spin-out), the fin must be fast (low drag) and easy to be controlled also under choppy and high wind conditions. Further, gybing too should be easy and without losing speed.

The design process which is applied at Maui Ultra Fins is the same for all types of fins and can be divided in several important steps:

1 Optimization of the profile (foil)
2 Optimization of the outline
3 Manufacturing of prototypes
4 Testing under real conditions

The most important and time consuming part is the selection of the foil and the optimization of the foil parameters like relative thickness, nose radius, position of maximum thickness and speed. At Maui Ultra Fins I use a fluid dynamic comput-er program where the forces (lift, drag) can be calculated as a function of all the parameters and combinations. The resulting foil polars give the design engineer all the required information on the way to an optimized foil. The fin outline has to be optimized in accordance to the required fin area, the box dimensions, the required stiffness (no breaking), the flexibility and the overall drag, which is additionally influenced by the aspect and taper ratio. For a complete new fin about three to five prototypes are designed. When all parameters are selected the fins will be drawn with a CAD program which also delivers all data for machining the fin with a CNC machine in G10 material. The relevant data is then transferred to the manufacturer and the prototypes are ready for testing by windsurfers with different levels at different places in the world. By comparing all results in performance and behaviour (feedback form) the final fin design (box-sys-tems, length range and printing design) for the series is selected and the fins are produced.Simply said, fins are the sails in the water. The fin must compensate all side forces of the sail which are transferred to the board in order to sail a straight course. That means that we must handle this part very carefully because the total performance of the board depends also very much on the fin performance.

Each damage – especially at the leading edge – reduces the fin performance. Therefore it is recommended to use your fin cover when you are back at the beach and do not stick your fin in the sand. Small damages to our G-10 fins can be sanded. If the damage is bigger you can use epoxy resin or super glue to fill the damaged part and create a smooth surface by wet sanding. (280 to 600 grade sanding paper).’’

FREERIDE FIN BUYING TIPS

(Graham Turner, founder and owner, www.juiceboardsports.co.uk)
‘’Unlike 10 years ago, nowadays the standard fins coming with freeride boards are well suited to the board. The most popular freeride fins we sell in the shop are ones with a curved tip, slightly raked back and with a fine entry profile. The US box is still popular as it allows people to move the fin forward and back. We like to really talk with people and discuss their fin needs but in general we would sell a more raked profile for smaller freeride boards and swept at the tip for bigger freeride boards. Upgrading from the basic design is very popular also, something like a ready to race style. There is a slight premium in price of course but what you get is a slimmer profile throughout , like a top end race fin but detuned slightly for comfort. It would be a fin more for somebody who works the board to plane and enjoys driving and pushing the fin as opposed to just being on the board for the free ride. As we say you’re either a driver or being driven and it’s important to recognize which you are when choosing your fin. Material choice can depend a lot on the waters you sail in – if you are somewhere rocky or  shallower, stay away from carbon or polyester,  g10 is best as you can sand it down and offers durability and longevity.  Modern  weed fins are really good and often overlooked, they are as quick in weeded waters as they are not picking up drag. Another important point is what sort of freeride board you have, if it is a soft feeling, carve/comfort biased board, they don’t like race ready, stiff fins. Equally if you have a more race orientated board, stay away from a softer, flex tip fin.’’

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