SEVERNE 2016 COLLECTION VIDEO

The Severne team serve up a classy edit of all their fresh wares !

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WHAT POWER OF LIMITATION?
5.7M CROSSOVER SAIL TEST 2016

Test Editor Tris Best // Second Testers Maurin Rottenwalter and Joe North
Photos Tris Best // Test Location Southwest England

Many people have a 5.7-6.0m sail in their quiver, yet often arrive from opposite ends of the windsurfing spectrum when they decide they require a new sail of this size. Their demands and requirements are therefore also equally diverse. 

This test was originally published in the January/February 2016 issue.

An average weight wave rider might have one as their largest sail for everything from float and ride to marginal conditions until they change down to a 5.3m. A medium to heavy weight freestyler might equally choose one for those marginal winds … albeit opting for it only as their last resort. The seasoned slalom sailor or racer might want a sail that can be partnered with their freerace board and that offers ease and practicality over that of their cambered sails, for use in harsh coastal conditions. The sail also needs to have enough efficiency that it doesn’t get ‘taken for a ride’ by the board and develop control issues. Then there’s everyone else – the majority of the market that might have a variety of boards in their garage, and opt for a number of different styles of sailing, from flat water blasting to coastal bump and jump and into the waves. Wouldn’t it be great to have one sail that is comfortable for use in all roles?

FINDINGS
And we are happy to report that it is indeed possible! Yes, it’s a tricky balance to achieve and there are several sails that claim to be ‘all-round’, yet when compared to others in the group are decidedly biased towards one specific discipline. Ultimately though, the form or geometry of a sail will largely determine its usefulness and preference. Features such as how low the cut of the sail’s foot is and the length of its boom will certainly have a bearing. More interestingly, however, is the fact that the sail’s centre of effort can be placed high or low, forwards or back and yet is less of a determining factor on the discipline the sail favours, but more on the power and style of the feedback delivered to the rider’s hands. That is of course assuming that the centre of effort is stable and locked in place…! All these sails are ideally used on a 430cm mast. Equally (with the exception of one) they require a short enough boom length to fit on a 140-190cm boom – the most popular length for most high wind sailors.

SUMMARY
There are some fairly diverse sails in the group, in both feel and application. The Ezzy and North are unquestionably manoeuvre-bias sails, pulling the rider into upright stances and feeling poised and dynamic in the hands. The Tushingham Bolt is more freeride in nature – with constant feedback and useable dependable power to energise the most stubborn hull. The Severne and Neil Pryde are very different characters, but both come alight when used for blasting, both exhibiting wide wind ranges and rock-steady stability. That leaves the RRD and GA Sails and Point-7 – the three most all-round contenders in the group. Again, all three have their own merits and delivery styles and it is worth reading their full reports, matching them to the sort of sail style you like to use. Pinpoint the board you are likely to be using the sail with and more importantly be honest with yourself in the type of sailing you predominantly want to use the sail for, before drilling down on the one for you. One thing is for sure – the iterative progression in this style of sail has undoubtedly helped to fuel the strides forward made in the modern crossover board sector in recent years. And long may it continue.

TEST LOCATION
This test was conducted at locations found in and around Weymouth, from the idyllic flat water and constant wind of Portland Harbour, to the typically gusty coastal scene at Overcombe. Spread over a long test period it has given us an opportunity to test in all manner of conditions that these boards could (and should) be used in, from light marginal winds, to overpowered gales; from blasting on flat water to playing with fins to mix it up in the waves.

uk.otc-windsurf.com

THE LINE UP

EZZY ELITE 5.7M

GA SAILS CROSS 6.0M

NEILPRYDE FUSION 6.0M

NORTH SAILS VOLT 5.9M

POINT-7 SPY 5.9M

RRD MOVE MKIV 5.7M

SEVERNE GATOR 6.0M

TUSHINGHAM BOLT 6.0M

TEST OVERVIEW PAGE

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SEBASTIAN WENZEL – THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME!

The life of a shaper is part engineer, designer, artist and craftsman and Sebastian Wenzel has sat in the hot seat at Fanatic as chief of all four skills for a very long time. After honing his skills in the traditional dust filled shaping rooms, shaving foam, fashioning rails and perfecting rocker lines, Fanatic’s head shaper, Sebastian Wenzel, has evolved his craft with the times and now is at the forefront of the modern trend of computer designs and CNC machines. John Carter catches up with Sebastian during a rare quiet moment at the annual Fanatic photo shoot in Hawaii to find out how he is coping after twenty years at the top of his trade.

Words & Photo  John Carter

Starting point
Sebastian Wenzel started out as a hungry rider on the Fanatic team back in the 90’s, with a limited budget but determined to  have access to the latest boards. The answer was simple; to make and design his own, a step he took which then opened the door to his present day job as the man in charge of pretty much all of Fanatic’s windsurf and SUP designs. Wenzel moved from Germany to Portugal in 1997 and now runs his side of the business from home and a small factory close to Guincho, his home break.

JC: Talk us through a typical working day?
SW: There is no typical day!

JC: Ok, that is a decent way to start!
SW: (laughs) Every day is different for me! I travel a lot but let’s say when I am at home in Portugal, I am up early around 6.15am, make sure the kids go to school. Then I make a coffee and head upstairs into my office. I then check my emails, go through what is coming from Asia and from the team riders and then start the day. All the design work is based on the computer. I have been doing that since 2004. Just recently things changed a bit again, we were making the prototypes until 2011 in Portugal, we had to close that factory and move to Cobra in Thailand. That process did not work out so we opened another small factory close to home in Portugal. Everything shaping wise, is based on the computer, I prepare all the computer work and then hand it over to a guy in the workshop who feeds the info into the machine. From my side, most of my work is on the computer. I don’t need to go to the shaping room anymore! It has been that way for a long time. Everything comes off the computer and then the CNC machine. There is nothing wrong with being a hand shaper. I always say if the concept of a board is right, it does not matter how you design it! Either way they will both work no problem. The concept is the R and D that goes into the experience, but the big advantage is that the prototyping that goes into the CNC machine is very accurate. Also the data base to keep all that information is superb. I have every single shape on my computer for years. The guys come to me and we can look at any board they have ever ridden and we know exactly what we need to change. This system is so much more flexible and even right now I have all the boards since 2004 on the database right here with me on my laptop.

JC: How many boards are you in control of designing each season?
SW: I don’t really know; there are so many. In the old days, there was only windsurfing. Now the stand-up movement came along which has a lot of momentum because it is new. So models change quicker and the range grows quicker. Windsurfing is already established, we don’t have such big steps and models stay longer in the range. But I am in charge of every single board for both stand up and windsurf. In SUP we do a 6’10 wave board all the way up to a 14 foot race board while windsurfing goes from a 77 Stubby all the way up to the Viper. It’s a huge diverse range.

JC: How did you score the job as shaper for Fanatic?
SW: First of all I became a shaper just through lack of money when I was young. I did not have the cash to buy a new board. In those days the production boards were all over three metres, big boards! Back then building your own board was quite a common thing. I wanted to windsurf and I needed the latest boards and trends so I built my first one when I was fourteen. I kept making boards while I was competing on the tour and while I was on the German racing circuit. Before I became the shaper for Fanatic I was actually racing for them. I was a team rider and “a slot opened up to help with shaping and design and that is where it all started. That was over twenty years ago! That is a lot of boards I have been involved in over all those years.

JC: When there is a new concept how many models do you test before a board goes into production?
SW:  This really varies. There are some boards that we have been working on and refining for a long time so you don’t need as many test boards. If you start with something new or typically on the race side of things, it can be a lot of boards. I can’t give exact numbers but sometimes development is quick and sometimes we have to make a lot of models before we get to the right one. That is when the brand manager gets nervous. I do the tweaks on the computer, a new model is made to test, we try it out and the process keeps going until we are happy. Sometimes a concept just doesn’t work no matter how much tweaking you do, so you have to restart. I don’t like it so much when that happens! You need to go back to the drawing board and rethink the whole thing.

“ Most of my work is on the computer. I don’t need to go to the shaping room anymore! ”

JC: What makes an exceptional shaper or designer?
SW: First of all you have to be open and listen to other people. I cannot test every single shape myself. I can try and test a lot of them but I rely on the related data that I receive. So I think a key point if you want to become a great shaper is you have to learn to listen and filter out the useful information from the not so useful information. There are certain team riders that have a better understanding of board design than others. You have to recognize who you can trust. All the feedback you get is a bit different.

The other aspect I think that is important is that you are able to test a lot of the designs that you make. I cannot test everything but I try and get out on as many models as possible. That all helps and speeds up the development process. It is different when you feel yourself what the problem is. I competed in the waves for many years so if the boys tell me something and I get a chance to test it myself, it all helps speed up the decisions. It is much quicker to translate that feeling into the shape. Obviously in the old days you needed to be a good craftsman because you had to physically make the board. Aside from the listening part you have to be creative obviously. You need to develop a good eye and it is important that you have plenty of experience and knowledge. There are still a lot of shapers that like to be able to say they shape by hand and the computer thing isn’t the real deal. I still did my fair share of hand shaping even though I have not shaped a board by hand in the last ten years. Twenty years prior to that I did more than my fair share of time in the shaping room. Shaping by hand helps to give you an understanding of the lines and how they flow and how everything blends together. Like how you put the pieces together – from the rocker line to the outline, to the rails, the bottom shape and how that comes together on a piece of foam. You have to understand a board is not just drawing lines on a computer.

JC: Can you just pick up any board on the beach and say that is a decent shape?
SW: Mainly yes! They did a thing in the Surf magazine test in Cape Town where they wanted to test the shapers. They put five white boards out that they had ridden and we had to look at them and tell them how they ride. With a bit of experience you should be able to call it spot on. Luckily I was mostly correct although there are always a couple of surprises and you can’t call it exactly right every time. That experience over so many years helps to shorten the r and d process. Even when you design a new board like the Stubby, it is not that the first board is the one but your experience helps speed up the way you eventually reach the end result, so even by the second model you are already pretty close instead of doing huge detours with ideas that won’t ever work. There are certain factors that work together and you know how they affect each other.

“ The Stubby is especially interesting for me because I have to admit I was very sceptical, but when we tried the first prototype I was really surprised ”

JC: Is the Stubby concept something that could revolutionize wave sailing shapes?
SW: It is still a wave board so I don’t think it will revolutionize the market but it does have some very positive features that make wave sailing easier in certain circumstances. I am not going to say that all windsurfing boards are going to look like Stubby’s in the next five or ten years. That concept has been around in surfboards, some people really like it and it is out there but it is not that the whole surfboard world only use that kind of board. I think it is a great concept and we are in at the start of it, so it is interesting to see where it is going to take us. Fanatic is the first brand to launch it and we are going to drive it for sure. The Stubby is especially interesting for me because I have to admit I was very sceptical, but when we tried the first prototype I was really surprised. This still happens which keeps the job interesting. Like you asked me before can you tell if a board works by the look of it? Anything can still surprise you. We did put a lot of thought into the shape before we made the first proto and that sort of played out! If you think about something that could work and you try it, chances are it is not the model that you put into production but it is the first step along the way and you are already pretty close. The CEO of Boards and More had been playing with the Stubby concept with the kite board range and they were super stoked. He told us in the windsurfing division that we should try it. We are always looking left and right, I surf, my kids surf and that sort of design has been around and worked for surfing. We figured let’s try to adapt that for windsurfing.

JC: How sure does Fanatic have to be before they put a board into production?
SW: Very sure! If you look at our competitors for example, many times they release a product that is not finally developed or does not work to a certain extent. At Fanatic you will not find that. What you find is that the products that we release, we know they work! We are not trying to rush something out for the heck of doing it. We would not throw out the Stubby just to claim we are innovative. We do it because we believe this is better and it works! I think it is a key point and that approach can obviously take a little longer to get to the customers. Customers are excited by new ideas and concepts but at the end of the day they might be disappointed. There have been products on the market where brands have launched things just to be up in the media but the product did not actually work. We don’t do that and we don’t believe in that. I think in the long term it will play out for Fanatic because people will have faith and trust in the products that we make. If a person goes to the shop today and buys a Fanatic I am pretty sure they will get a quality product, not only the shape but all aspects of the board.

JC: What is the best and worst aspect of being Fanatic’s shaper?
SW: Well the best thing is that I made a career doing something that I always loved to do. Obviously if you have a passion for something and can make a living out of it, there is nothing better than that. The worst part! I don’t want you to write this, is developing the slalom and race boards! No the worst part is all the travel, now is a bit better but a few years ago when we made the prototypes in Thailand I was flying over there six or seven times a year. All that travelling was starting to wear me out. You don’t see your family, constant jet lag and you don’t sleep for nights. That is the worst part. We have worked on that and improved things so now there is not much bad about the job!

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THOMAS TRAVERSA – 

MID AIR IN SOUTH AFRICA

Thomas Traversa waveriding at Misty Cliffs and Haakgat, South Africa.

music: Mid Air- Paul Buchanan

Filmed and produced by double4productions

Via Sophia Regerbis

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Sara Sommer escapes the cold Denmark winter and brings us some nice footage from her four weeks in Tenerife back in February.

4 seasons in one day from Sara Sommer on Vimeo.

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MARCILIO BROWNE TAKES ON PEAHI
El Nino Winter 2016 Windsurfing Jaws

With big swells all winter it was a no brainer to capture the 2X PWA world Champion on some giants. Shot in 4K.

Drone Pilot

Idan Shemtov/Epicopter

Cinematography By
Dan Norkunas
Giora Koren
Roger Clawson

Edited By
Cody Carter

Music
Future Islands – Inch Of Dust

via TAKE SHELTER PRODUCTIONSPLUS

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PETER HART – AFFAIRS OF THE HART – LASTING IMPRESSIONS

Peter Hart remembers the first man of windsurfing photography, Alistair Black.

“ I wager that many of you have fantasized gently about giving up the day job and becoming a full time professional windsurfing photographer. In the modern age of incredible digital cameras, how hard can it be? Surely thanks to their lightening shutter speeds, multiple frames per second and auto-everything, you just adhere to the monkeys-and-typewriters probability theory, keep your finger on the button, point it at the ocean and sooner or later you’ll luck out. You might. However, one decent shot in 10,000 won’t feed the family; and it certainly didn’t in the pre-digital age when every failed sequence cost you a tenner’s worth of Kodachrome 64. To shoot windsurfing successfully demands patience, tolerance, imagination, artistic flair, an intimate knowledge of the sport and, due to the fact that often the money shot can only be captured from the water on the stormiest days, extreme physical endurance.

It’s therefore not surprising that so many photographers who cut their teeth in windsurfing went on to excel in other fields of photo journalism. For example, Jon Nicolson went from capturing many of the early world cup speed events, to being the favoured snapper for Olympus and the Williams Formula 1 team. Andy Hooper, who produced numerous images for this very magazine in the early 90s, is now the chief sports photographer for the Daily Mail and has been UK sports photographer of the year no less than 5 times.

But the father of them all was Alistair Black, who recently passed away at aged 88. Not only did Alistair set the standard in terms of water photography but he also sired two famous windsurfing sons. Frazer was the first British export to Hawaii; while Ken, one of the world’s most durable and respected sailmakers, is Tushingham’s chief designer.

Alistair grew up in Campbeltown on Scotland’s west coast, where he developed his passion for the sea – and for flying. The airbase at Machrihanish (also a top windsurfing beach) was nearby. To some extent he lived his life in reverse. He started with a ‘proper’ job, trained as a dentist and served with the RAF before moving south and setting up a successful practice at Lee on Solent, where he was an active member of Stokes Bay sailing Club. Aged 40, he decided he’d had enough of staring into people’s mouths, and headed off to the London School of Art to study photography. He emerged technically informed and his life by the sea had given him a keen eye and intimate knowledge of all things wind-driven. But as he set out to make a living from marine photography, his major strength was his sense of adventure and his water confidence. While his peers contended themselves with taking chocolate box style pics of various boats from a safe distance in the comfort of a heated launch, Alistair, wet-suited up and early waterproof Nikons in hand, got properly stuck in. Ken takes up the story. “I was often his boat driver. He’d want me to get really close to the big yachts and sometimes he’d make me manoeuvre right in between the spinnaker and the hull. It was very precarious because those early racing boats were right on the edge and forever broaching. But the crews loved it and the pictures encapsulated the action like never before.”

It was of course at this time in the early 80’s that the sport of windsurfing went nuts. His son Fraser was quite a talent and was invited by Ken Winner to work at his school in Florida. It was there he was offered a place on the prestigious Mistral team and was flown over to Oahu to compete in the 1982 Pan Am Cup – the first proper, high wind, professional event.

Everyone needs a break and Alistair’s was to shoot that regatta. Conditions were extraordinary. This was windsurfing at a completely different level. Alistair’s shots of the long distance race, sailors planing on their 4m Pan Am cruisers in the massive swells off Birdshit Island as waves thundered onto the rocks, live long in the memory. Fraser was far too laid back to take the fledgling pro circuit seriously. Having made it to Hawaii, he stopped right there (and is still there 35 years later). But he was a great promotional sailor and gave Alistair an obvious excuse to make many trips to Oahu. ‘The wetter the better’ was his motto and he took residence over Diamond Head’s infamous reef.

His work soon transcended the world of windsurfing. He was twice crowned Sports Photographer of the Year and his image ‘Jump for Joy’ (a fabulously composed arty jump shot) was sports photograph of the year in 1984. His talent came to the notice of Nikon, who staged exhibitions for him in London and used many of his images in their advertising.

He had an obvious connection with windsurfing but also continued to shine in the rarified world of big boats, doing shots for Ted Heath and round-the-world legend Peter Blake.

The first time I worked with Alistair was testing ‘funboards’ in the Solent on a drizzly March morning. He had just returned from an assignment in his favourite spot, the Rangiroa atoll in French Polynesia. But despite the dramatic change of circumstances, he was as enthusiastic as a boy who had just been given his first Box Brownie. Ideas and enthusiasm flowed and you were always swept along by his passion for what he was doing. After another 20 years in a wetsuit, he retired and moved to the Isle of Wight. ‘Retire’ gives a totally false impression as he remained active and swam and played tennis right up to the last.

PH Peter Hart 4th Nov 2015

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A short clip of Flo Jung discovering some remote spots along the Tasmanian coast.

Into the wild in Tasmania from DONT LET GO on Vimeo.

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DAIDA MORENO – WINTER GRAN CANARIA 2016

This winter has been very good at home!!

morenotwins.com

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PETER HART  –  WAVE CONDITIONS DIRECTORY PART II (THE NORTH ATLANTIC DIARIES)

Peter Hart, installed in his bunker in Donegal, continues his assessment of how the wave sailor’s approach and expectations are effected by different combinations of wind and swell. In this concluding piece, he focuses on the influence of waves.

Words  Peter Hart // Photos  Hart Photography & JC/pwaworldtour.com

“ It’s a big old subject …” warned our editor, a waterman of some considerable skill who talks about the breaks and wind of his native Ireland with the same intricacy and depth of vocabulary as Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall discussing the ingredients of an organic torte. He’s right. Wave sailing conditions does make for an infinitely various topic. (It fills a 3 year Bsc course at Plymouth University). Like the origin of the universe, the deeper you delve, the more various and mysterious it becomes – and yet that’s no reason not to give it a lash based on the information available.

Wind and swell combine in multiple ways to make life glorious, frustrating, challenging or just plain expensive. My aim here is to help the improving wave sailor bridge the gulf between what he aspires to achieve and what’s actually possible at that moment on that day. And by so doing preserve their morale, enthusiasm and sanity.

Most windsurfers (in this case I mean the person, not the board) are wind driven. With every session they become ever more sensitive to the smell, character and sound of every wind direction – the frantic screech of an easterly, the warm hum of a sou’wester. When they first attack the waves, it tends to be those darn Windguru stars that attract them to the beach. In the first instalment last month (copies still available) I honed in on the role of the wind in wave sailing; how different directions relative to the wave make the various elements – jumping and upwind and downwind riding – effortless, difficult or impossible.

But to become a real wave sailor, and not someone who just sails around in waves, you must develop the same sensitivity to the waves and learn to understand how their size, shape, speed, frequency and direction influences what you can do, where, when and how many times. Rather than drowning in a morass of theory, I’m going to illustrate the main issues by sharing the wavy questions and experiences of my recent wave groups and the lessons learned.

Changing elements and golden half hours
We start with a general comment along the lines: “I never seem to get on as many waves as the good guys.” Technique and tactics may be involved, but it’s more commonly an ‘f’ word issue -’fafffing’. You know the routine. Turn up at the beach; spend the first half hour chit-chatting to Henry about his new van conversion; then another agonising about sail size followed by a skinny latte and leisurely rig. Two hours later you’re sort of ready. You can’t do that wave sailing – well you can but you’re in severe danger of missing out. It’s rare that you get good wave sailing conditions all day. The system that is producing the wind is moving, meaning it’s likely to rise, drop, back or veer during the day. The depression that’s producing the swell is moving, meaning the swell is likely to increase and decrease AND change direction. The tide is constantly changing. The amount of water covering the seabed has the greatest influence over how the waves form and break. Everything is in motion. Like pulling the handle of the Las Vegas fruit machine, if you plug away long enough you’ll get all 3 cherries and disappear under a fortune of quarters. During every wave sailing day there may be a golden half hour when all the stars align, as if the gods of fun want to reward those who’ve stuck at it and stayed out there. So much of finding good conditions comes from halving your rigging time. The longer you’re in readiness on or by the water, the better your chance of scoring.

BEWARE  THE MONEY SHOT
This is an observation more than a criticism, but our press likes to portray the sport in its most dynamic, sexy, colourful light as practised by young men and women all of whom have ‘danger’ as their middle name – and why wouldn’t they?  Images of wave sailing tend to capture the money shot – sailor under the curling lip of a pitching, translucent wave;  or laying their rig down to initiate a screaming bottom turn, looking over the tip of their mast at a perfectly smooth South Seas wave face. Marc was especially keen to achieve the latter. He’s a very good wave sailor. The waves were big so what was the problem? The problem was that the big outside waves were breaking in pretty deep water. That plus a slightly onshore wind had produced a lot of chop on the wave and in front of it; which made it difficult, unwise even, to suddenly lay the rail and drop the rig. It was still fun but you had to stay higher on the wave and make shallower turns. You can only do a proper lay down bottom turn if you have room to draw out the turn. That means having a lot of speed and power, a smooth flat in front of the wave and a big fast wave to pick you up again and help you maintain speed.

//  Marc lining up in Donegal. There’s too much chop on the wave face to allow for a screaming, lay-down bottom turn. You can only be as radical as the wave allows.

WAVE SIZE – truths and myths

 “I’m not going out there – it’s huge!” But he did – it was … and he was fine.
That ‘4m’ swell forecast for the next day had turned the dinner conversation to Laird Hamilton’s DVD ‘Riding Giants’ and the bit where he’s running along the seabed holding rocks to increase his lung capacity. Someone whimpered that they could only hold their breath for 20 seconds and would have no chance … it was as if the Sun had got hold of the story. Let’s calm down.

The measurement of 4m is a guide but actually tells you very little. It’s just swell height measured way out in the open ocean. By the time it makes landfall, depending on the depth of the water inshore and the angle it strikes the beach or reef, it may be double that, or just as likely, just a few feet. And most important, is not the actual size of the wave crest to trough that counts, but its shape as it breaks. We arrived at the beach. It was impressive but the first task was to plot the journey of the swells as they marched into the bay.

“I’m not going there!” said Rich. He was looking at mast high waves which were feathering, but not breaking, as they squeezed between the mainland and the island.

“Or there …” he said pointing to the reef off the harbour. Timo Mullen was already sailing out there and his mast had just disappeared as he bottom turned on a beautifully clean face. (More about reef breaks in a minute).

It was no time for pithy metaphors but I told him to see the waves as dogs. The big ones out to sea were like a Great Dane, imposing but soppy and predictable. It’s the yappy little terriers inshore you have to be careful of. The outer waves, if they broke, were crumbling from the top. By the time they reached the beach some were a quarter of the size, but they were exploding, top to bottom on the sandbars. “Beware of the yellow water” became the mantra. A wave that has sucked up sand and is breaking in shallow water may not be big, but it has destruction written all over it.

Along the beach of the 3km curving bay, the wave height varied enormously. In the apex of the bay that directly faced the NW swell direction, they were about 2 metres; and because they hit the beach and sandbar straight on, they jacked up and closed out (they didn’t peel). It became known as ‘the corner of certain death.’ (aah the power of positive thought…). Once in there, there was no exit, except by breaststroke and then foot.

BENDING WAVES
When it comes to wave knowledge and strategy, a picture can indeed tell a thousand words. The wave pattern here is typical of many bays where the waves bend out into a curve to conform to the shape of the beach. It’s key to get on the right side of the curve or you can be pushed into places where you don’t want to go. I’m on the upwind side of the curve where the wave is turning upwind. That helps me hold station. It also means the wind is getting more and more offshore on the wave, good for downwind riding. But 100m downwind and the wave has turned 30° the other way. Get on that section and you get pushed into the apex of the bay where, as you can see from the mass of foam, the wave is closing out.

//  Getting the on the right side of a bending wave is key to staying upwind.

At the upwind corner of the beach where they had refracted around the pier, they were a quarter of the size and peeling. It was the obvious place to launch. When it comes to tackling big waves, any waves for that matter, you must have a plan, a route and an exit strategy. If you were a tourist in Rio, Brazil, you wouldn’t wander through the favelas with an expensive camera around your neck and a wad of 100 dollar bills sticking out of your back pocket. It’s the same city, you just stick to the safe areas. The upshot of ‘Big Thursday’ was that no one broke kit or body. For a few runs mental barriers needed to be broken – but once they had patted the Great Dane without getting snarled at, most sailed better. The realisation dawned that big waves are (can be) easier. For a start, there’s more of a face on which to do stuff. But the main thing is that they’re easier to spot – and if there’s one thing the amateur wave rider struggles with, it’s finding and getting on a wave that you can actually ride.

Wave venues, especially those with a bay and a reef, are like cities. You have to know where to go. Stay on Broadway you’ll find it safe, wide, welcoming and entertaining – but wander into the Bronx … one false move and you’re pinned to the wall and mugged.

“I don’t have a problem catching waves, but I always seem to end up on the one that ends up doing nothing. How DO you pick a good one?”

The advice is the same a mother might offer her teenage daughter – you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince. To improve your wave selection, you need to spend a lot of time in the dating zone, hence good wave sailors invariably surf or do Stand Up. Without a rig to help you charge about, you are forced to spend a lot of time studying the horizon anticipating which lumps are going to give you a long satisfying ride; which ones promise much but deliver nothing; and which are just going to dump you. So much is down to experience but here are some wave-spotting tips.

Look for length not height
A beginner surfer catches the white water and gets pushed straight to the beach, hopefully scrambling to their feet before they hit the sand. The life-changing moment for both surfer and windsurfer is when that journey becomes elliptical – that is to say when they travel along the wave (preferably on an unbroken face) not just straight in. So it is, that the length of the approaching wave is more important than the height.

Look for the swell not the wind wave
It can be a nebulous distinction. Swell lines are made up from bits of chop and small waves, which catch each other up, merge and form into longer, more cleanly defined lines and roll on as pulses of energy beyond the wind that has created them. The further the beach is from the source of the swell, the longer the lines and the greater the period between them. The wave period reading on the forecasts is what really interests us. If it’s in double figures i.e. 10 seconds or more – we start to get really excited. A big period denotes a clean, well-defined swell. Confusion occurs when you have a swell, produced by a distant storm, mixing with waves created by the local wind. These wind waves can look impressive but they are just a peak in the shape of an ‘A’ and disappear as soon as you bear away or head up away from the peak. Even in onshore, wind-driven conditions, where every wave seems to be a glorified piece of chop, some are longer than others.

SIZE – No guarantee of satisfaction
Surely the most satisfying move in windsurfing is a well-timed top turn. Yes you can carve sweet turns on an unbroken wave face but the very essence of surfing is to position your board in such a way that the wave does the work for you and redirects it down the face. For that to happen in the manner of your fantasies,  the top of the wave has to be active, moving and overtaking the base. In that regard wave height is no measure of power. You’ll get a more dynamic turn off a 3 foot wave where the lip is throwing over, than on a 30 foot wave where it isn’t.

//  Unless the wall is smooth and steep, it’s hard to do anything spectacular. The commonest fault is carving too hard and stalling in a fat, sloping, choppy wave.


//  By contrast this one is a third of the size but three times as powerful. The pros like Jules Denel (pictured) are especially good at creating dynamism out of dead situations – but even they need a wave with some shape and power to work with. PHOTO John Carter/ pwaworldtour.com

Running into channels
As a young surfer trying to catch waves, my first instinct would be to paddle to a spot away from the crowds – and I’d sit there for hours waiting for the big one – until I realised that no one was waiting where I was because waves didn’t break there … because I was sitting in a deep water channel. Waves steepen and break when they run into shallow water and fatten out and back off when they run into deeper water. It may also be down to the tide. As the tide floods, the water over reefs and sandbars can become too deep for the waves to break and the smart sailors will have moved elsewhere.

Beware the double-ups
It happens anywhere at any time but especially with swells with a short period that are the result of a local storm, that two waves roll in one behind the other, almost as one. Avoid them for a couple of reasons. Firstly they seem to suck the power out of each other; and secondly, if you do catch the first, you’ll bang straight into the back of the second.

Pilot error
But so often the problem of ‘the wave doing nothing’ is a rider issue. Even clean swells are not infinitely long. If you fire off up or down the line as soon as you catch one, you’re in danger of running out of wall. The good guys work a section – that is to say, they’ll catch the wave early, ride upwind, create some space and then ride downwind on the same section of wave; do a couple of turns before riding upwind again; and then, if the wave reforms, repeat the process.

Yesterday, for the first time ever, I was bottom and top turning like Jason Polakow – today I was back to being Buster Keaton. I kept out-running the wave and turning way out in front on the flat and losing all my speed. I know that’s a problem in onshore winds but on both days the wind was side-shore and the waves the same size.
In the winter of 1988 I went to Margaret River in Western Oz to learn to wave sail properly. I broke tons of gear but progress was definitely made. I returned to our first wave event of the year in Cornwall with the podium very much in mind and … it was like I’d never been away. I was doing exactly as described above, out-running the wave and turning too wide and too late. It was all down to wave speed. Swells, which are generated in the massively deep water off Hawaii, Tahiti and Western Oz have nothing to slow them down; so when they collide with the reefs that jack them up into those famously big, steep barrelling surfing waves, they are charging. Fast waves are a bit scary because … well everything is speeded up. In one way you have to be more precise in that if you get on the wrong side of the peak, you won’t have the speed to make it to the unbroken section and get engulfed by the white water. But in another way you can be less precise. On day one I remember catching my first wave, riding the shoulder, doing a typically shaky, wide, skittery bottom turn; but then suddenly finding myself at the top of the wave again doing 100 mph shouting “I knew I was good!”. Fast waves catch you up before you can outrun them and so can be very flattering – you don’t have to be so dynamic because they do all the work for you. That was the difference for our friend above. On day one we were sailing the reef where the water made a more sudden transition from deep to shallow and so where the waves were faster. The next day we were sailing a beach break. Waves, which run up a shallow shelf (and that’s most of them) gradually make contact with the seabed and that friction sucks all the power and speed out of them.

I have a real problem with timing top and bottom turns.
The group quickly became adept at noting how a change in wind direction relative to the wave affected timing. For example, the more offshore it got, the quicker you had to make your bottom turn or you’d shoot off the back. But what’s harder to clock is a change in swell direction. Waves get deflected by under water obstruction. They also conform to the shape of the shoreline. Waves rolling into a bay for example will bend and push out in the middle. You could therefore find yourself on a section of wave which is curving downwind or upwind. If it’s curving downwind, the wind is effectively turning more and more onshore as you ride, meaning you have to lengthen your bottom turn to the point of riding clew first. If it’s curving upwind (generally better), the wind becomes more offshore. Getting on the right side of a curving wave is the difference between staying upwind and being pushed into the next county.

SWELL or WIND WAVE (or both)
Selecting a wave that is going to turn into something exciting and then getting on it early is the number one skill to develop in wave sailing. Swells, the result of distant storms, rolling in over a calm sea, are easy to spot – but less so when they’re mixed in amongst waves and chop whipped up by the local wind.  When looking for a ride-able wave, length is more important than height.

//  A glorious set of long clean swells just asking to be ridden. But eagle eyed viewers will note that the wind is from the left but the wave is breaking right – so those wanting to ride downwind will have to adjust their timing.

//  Compare that to a good old onshore, North Sea wind-driven minefield – waves peaking and breaking every which way. The pros are especially good at getting on the right sections and ripping up such random munchers. PHOTO John Carter/ pwaworldtour.com

I’m really getting into the downwind, front side riding but I keep bottom turning into white water.
It’s again a case of windsurfers being more about ‘wind’ than ‘surf.’ Once the wind goes side shore you have equal opportunity to ride up and downwind on the wave. Many choose to ride downwind because that’s what they see in the videos and it looks more fun. However, the very thrust of surfing is to follow the curl and ride the steepest part of the wave just in front of the white water. To do that you have to clock which way the wave is breaking, left to right, right to left (or a bit of both). Often is the time, as it was on the day in question, where the wind was from the left but the wave is breaking from the right. Our man was therefore turning towards a wave, which was peeling towards him. He was leaving the turn too late and so hammered into the breaking section. The trick on such days is to ride upwind beyond the peak, create some space and then turn early downwind towards the white water.

It was side shore, windy and wavy but I never got any good jumps. The waves just didn’t seem right. So what makes a good jumping wave?
It’s pretty much the opposite of what you want for good riding. To create the widest jumping window you seek a wave that peaks gradually and has a gentle slope leading up to a steep lip – and it doesn’t have to be that big. High jumps come from wind power rather than wave height. On the day in question it was more of a riding day. The waves were jacking up and breaking suddenly and powerfully meaning you had to be very precise to hit the lip. The steep faces held up by a marginally offshore wind threw you into a sudden vertical redirection – all a bit scary unless you were very practised. However, wave period has the biggest influence. The smaller the gap between the waves, the less time and opportunity you have to get planing, reach full speed and get stable and organised. The worst jumping beaches tend to be those that have a series of sandbars. Sandbars make the waves peak and break suddenly. They also act like traffic lights – they slow the waves down so they all bunch up behind each other.

//  A good jumping wave doesn’t have to be anything very beautiful – just a shallow slope leading up to steep lip – and then the sky is the limit … especially if your name is Philip Koester.
PHOTO John Carter/ pwaworldtour.com

When I catch a wave I never seem to have time to do anything.
It’s the novice wave sailor’s most common lament. They catch a wave as it’s breaking and have no choice but to ride in on bubbling white water. It can be a tactical issue – catching the waves too late and too close to shore. It can be a technique issue – thanks to dodgy trimming, you can’t catch the waves until they’re steep and about to break. But it’s often down to wave choice and trying to catch waves which aren’t peeling. The vision of a cleanly peeling wave isn’t quite a flying pig, but they are nevertheless pretty rare. However, as you sail out, beware of the wave which, although steep and clean and alluring, is the same height along its whole length. Such a wave will fold in one mighty explosion leaving you no chance to turn either up or downwind. The classic wave has a peak and a wall sloping off in one or both directions.

//  A sun kissed swell with rainbow for good measure, is what we dream of  –  but  mush is what we usually get. Both can be fun, if you get in the right place.

And to finish, a nugget of advice that has been repeated many times over but one of which the budding wave sailor should never tire. Over the past 4 weeks we have enjoyed a range of conditions – but the days on which people learned the most about the finer arts of wave sailing were on light wind days on SUPs or big wave boards off the plane – conditions which at home were normally reserved for mending the fence. If you haven’t already – beg, steal or borrow something big and get out there!

More technique gems from Harty in the next issue. His new website www.peter-hart.com  is up and riding, giving news of clinics and DVD’s. And find latest news also on his Peter Hart Masterclass Facebook page

The post PETER HART – WAVE CONDITIONS DIRECTORY PART II appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

FINN MULLEN – THE FAR SHORES

How much time do you spend looking from the shore? I look a lot, but not for long. As windsurfers our eyes our always drawn to that liquid view that marks our interface between land and offshore. On home waters or beyond, we eye the session to come, map our feelings internally, externally, to work our mind and body into states of frenzy, excitement, joy.. or not, at what we see. It’s what we do and when we can’t do it, we still think about it. Writers have often noted that far away look in sailors’ eyes. It only disappears when they start to move in their longed for watery escapes. We always journey as windsurfers, it may not be far, it can be long reaching, but we always travel.

“ To reach a port we must set sail. Sail, not tie at anchor. Sail, not drift.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Words  Finn Mullen // Photo Tam Mullen

This issue we pay tribute to the far shores and the sailors who reach for them. It has been inspiring  to compile. Read about Jono Dunnett and his epic circumnavigation of Britain; Jono candidly describes his thought process to sail, not drift – “At around age 40 I didn’t really have a lot on. This blank canvas gave an opportunity for a good inward look and I started being more honest with myself. The plan to windsurf round Britain at least injected some life into me, and the opportunity – in a life of finite opportunities – was there. Despite it being a difficult decision, deep down I knew it was the time to go.’’ It’s a classic tale of British ‘can do, will do’ spirit mixed with the highs and lows of a character building journey that any windsurfer can appreciate and respect. Respect is also due to a number of British sailors who have been challenging themselves on far shores. British ex-pat Vicky Abbott, now resident in Maui, came 5th in her first PWA contest, the prestigious Aloha Classic no less! At one stage she was even winning the single elimination final before it was cruelly cancelled. John Skye gives us his expert commentary on the competition in our feature – Alohagram. Also featured in Hawaiian waters is one of our finest madmen, Robby Swift, as he takes on the first major swell of the Hawaiian winter at Pe’ahi to make “the best turn I have ever had at Jaws’’. The images are breathtaking and the riders recount their scary rides in our hair-raising ‘Pe’ahi power’ piece.

“ We always journey as windsurfers, it may not be far, it can be long reaching, but we always travel ”

At the other end of the wave scale, Farrel O’ Shea joined the exclusive 50 knots club in the far away and flatter than flat shores of the Lüderitz Speed Challenge in Namibia. Smashing his old British record with an amazing 51.2 knots run and giving him 5th in the windsurfing world speed rankings! Honourable mention to our own Zara Davis who wasn’t able to attend Lüderitz this year and yielded graciously her world record to Karin Jaggi, a worthy recipient. And of course, a massive congratulations to our cover boy, Antoine Albeau, who blasted his way to a blisteringly fast new world record  of 53.27 knots in the desert shores.

Antoine and friends guide us at a slightly slower pace round the far and exotic Isle of Pines in this issue – “the closest island to Paradise”. If your thirst for paradisiacal waters is still unquenched, then check out our feature on Le Morne, Mauritius. From mast high waves to perfect flat water blasting, this incredible and unique destination with the comfort of luxury hotels right on its shores – “really does have conditions to suit every level of sailor and all disciplines’’ and offers a location “where everyone on a holiday are kept happy all in one place; even my wife!’’ says John Carter; praise indeed from the most well travelled windsurfing reporter in the world!

Wherever you choose to make your far shore, at home or perhaps with the help of our travel guide, overseas, travel safe, let the wind be your engine but most importantly sail, not tie at anchor.
Sail, not drift!

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MASTER OF THE OCEAN 2016 – 4 WATERSPORTS 1 CHAMPION!

Cabarete, Dominican Republic hosted the 14th edition of the Masters of the Ocean which combines surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing and Stand up paddle surfing. It was created in order to select the world’s best overall water sport athlete.

Aerial Footage – ALZA Cabarete https://www.facebook.com/Alza-Cabaret…
Film/Edit – AP Visuals https://www.facebook.com/apvisualarts/
https://www.apvisuals.org
Music – Pyramid – See you in the other side

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CHEERS MATE EP.3 – AFRICAN SURFARI

” One year later and it’s back to Namibia, this time an organised Surfari took us not just to the spots we knew but much further into the depths of Africa. Things didn’t quite go to plan as the wind was less than ideal, either gusting near 70 knots or nothing at all, there were just a few precious hours of manageable conditions. Hours which salvaged what could have been a total disaster of an expedition. Joined by Adrian Beholz and his crew in Luderitz the evening sundowner gave way to freestyle perfection and so Cheers Mate episode 3 could see the light of day. Enjoy the edit here and get a load of what episode 4 has to offer “

Produced by Adam Sims

Music:
Once Upon A Lucid Dream – Kisha Basha
Pools – Glass Animals

Follow:
instagram.com/instasimk72
facebook.com/adamsimsk72

Filming by
Adam Sims,
Riccardo Marca,
Florian Ragossnig,
Sylvie Hödlmoser,
Manuel Kappmeyer (facebook.com/AB-films-1170576696304052/)

Cheers Mate Ep.1

Cheers Mate Ep.2

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THE EZZY SAILS TACK STRAP

Whats in a tack strap? Find out more here when David Ezzy takes you through what the tack strap does for his sails.

The post THE EZZY SAILS TACK STRAP appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

PRESS RELEASE:
2016 Round Hayling Island Race – Preview

With a record advance entry and a few spaces left, the 2016 Round Hayling Island Race is all set for a great event on Good Friday 25th March. Starting from Hayling Island Sailing Club, the 14 mile circumnavigation is open to WIndsurfers, Outrigger Canoes and Stand Up Paddle Boards (SUPs). For those looking for a slightly easier challenge there are shorter courses within the confines of Chichester and Langstone Harbours.

For many, Hayling is considered the spiritual home of windsurfing, and the Round Hayling Island Race is a great celebration of the sport. First staged in 1980, the 14 mile circumnavigation can take anything from 60 minutes to 6 hours. Recent years have seen the inclusion of Open Canoes and Stand Up Paddle Boards (SUP).

2016 sees the introduction of some great new prize categories and trophies courtesy of our generous sponsors. This year will see “The SUP Company Hayling Island Challenge Trophy” for the first SUP round the Island and a special new Trophy for anyone able to beat the record-breaking time of 2 hours 34 minutes set by Paul Simmons in 2015. Other fantastic SUP prizes have been provided by Starboard and Red Paddle.

The canoeists will be battling it out in “The Frontier Outrigger Canoe Event,” looking to win some Frontier New Wave Craft Lager from Fuller’s. Last year’s OC6 record of 1 hour 49 minutes was set by Pete Holiday and the team from Bournemouth Outrigger Canoe Club.

Tushingham will be sponsoring the Windsurfing Event with support from Severne.
The Kent family will again be out in force amongst the Windsurfer Fleet, with father, Rob looking to defend last year’s title to make it six wins in a row. Wife Annette will be looking to defend her lady’s title, but is likely to be challenged by daughters Rebecca and Emily.

For those looking to do the Round Hayling Island Challenge, but without their own craft, The SUP Company has a limited number of SUP hire packages available.

Spectators are welcome at Hayling Island Sailing Club to see the start and finishes, with a few vantage points along the course, particularly the bridge onto the Island. SailRacer will be providing GPS tracking, so friends and family can follow the race online and the competitors can replay all the action after the event.

http://Hayling.Sailracer.org

<ENDS>

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Your chance to try the latest windsurfing kit on the market before you buy. Test the latest cutting edge boards and sails at four UK locations this spring / summer and be sure that you are choosing the best. Four great locations, each perfect for a weekend away with camping and B&B’s nearby.

DATES

Fraisthorpe 14-15th May

Poole 11-12th June

Rutland 6-7th August (NWF Youth Festival)

Tenby 27-28th August

For more information contact: whiteyk63@me.com

TEST AND EXPERIENCE  – THE LATEST KIT INNOVATIONS FROM…

The post TEST THE BEST – TRY BEFORE YOU BUY! appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

DIETER VAN DER EYKEN – THE WINNING FORMULA!

The PWA freestyle crown has been dominated over the last decade by a handful of sailors. For 2015 a new name was added to the list, Belgian sailor Dieter Van Der Eyken. His victory came not only as a surprise to himself and the established ranks, but with an innovative and calculated approach to winning, drawing on his academic background. John Carter caught up with the freshly crowned World Champion at the final PWA freestyle stop in Sylt to learn more about his winning formula!

Words & Photo  John Carter

JC: Out of the 150 sailors in Sylt this last ten days I guess you were the one guy that didn’t mind no competition.
DVDE: I’d love to have competed and earned the title but obviously that would have meant a risk that I could have lost it as well. I did not mind no wind (smiles). I’ll put it like this, Kiri lost it this way last year, in Sylt anything can happen, it’s a tough place to compete.

JC: Did you ever dream when you were first learning to freestyle that you might become the world champion?
DVDE: It was one of my goals and I hope to be able to do it again, maybe in some other disciplines as well. My original goal was to make my hobby my job and that is something that worked out already, four years ago. As soon as Steven won his world title I wanted one as well. We both grew up sailing together so I knew it was definitely possible. I did not expect it this year, I’ll be honest, but I have to say it feels pretty epic! Lifting the trophy was a highlight, just before I was called on stage my heart started pumping like crazy as it was a dream come true! It was really great to have my parents, sister and girlfriend there as well to celebrate the title and share the great feeling. Especially in Sylt with so many people watching the ceremony, it was extra special after waiting 10 days.

JC: Has the fact that you are world champion sunk in yet?
DVDE: The victory from Fuerteventura has only just sunk in and in the end that event made a massive difference. Last year I was fifth for the second time, so this year I just set out to sail solid heats. I just worked on the moves that I was good at and just tried to sail in those seven minutes like I know I can do in free sailing. I think I had a good mind set; I did not put too much pressure on myself and just took this year heat by heat.

“ I like to always try and start on the opposite tack to my opponents ”

JC: Any plans on what you’ll spend your bonus on?
DVDE: (Laughs) I already spent a part of it on a van in Australia. I’ll use the rest of the money to pimp it out a little so it’ll be more comfortable to stay in than my previous van over there.

JC: What’s going on in Belgium, that’s 2 world champions so far. Is it the chocolate, or is it the conditions?
DVDE: I don’t know to be honest. I think the main reason is because we don’t live right by the sea and we don’t have any thermal winds, so we are motivated to sail in any kind of conditions. Belgium is so diverse; we have many different spots with very unusual conditions. I guess we adapt really quickly and stay motivated no matter how cold or bad the conditions are.

JC: Did you grow up sailing with Steven Van Broeckhoven?
DVDE: Yeah, he lives one hour away from me but we both sail the same spot, Brouwersdam in Holland. He went out with my sister for quite a while so we ended up training together quite a lot. We travelled for about four years together. There was a whole crew from Brouwersdam that all helped each other, not just Steven. I think Davy Scheffers helped me a lot because we were a very similar level and both pushing each other. When we started doing the world tour we had a pretty high level straight away. That benefited Steven as well because he was trying to stay in front of the young guys. In the end two world titles have come from Brouwersdam, let’s see how many more can come!

JC: I heard you are quite a mathematician?
DVDE: I am pretty good with numbers, I think I am one of the smartest competitors in the freestyle fleet academically. I think in terms of competition I have figured out the system more than most of my rivals. I am probably not the best free sailor because when I sail with guys like Amado he does some moves that blow me away and that I can’t do yet, but I immediately know when I lose a heat why I have lost. I already know where I will be in the double in the seedings where most of the guys don’t have a clue. I have the judging and everything all analysed. Every event it changes a little bit what the judges want, so I go and look at the sheets after every single heat, even if I win or lose. In the first rounds I will always try a certain move, which I am not sure how it will score, so I go and check it. Even if I win easily I will still check the sheets. Like this you get a much clearer picture which moves the judges really like. You soon find out what moves count for more even if you think a certain move is tougher, if the judges are rewarding something else higher, then go with that. That helped give me the world title this year definitely!

JC: Do you have a set plan how you are going to build up your heats, with the hardest tricks coming once you have nailed a few basics?
DVDE: I have a routine, anyone at the top has a system of moves they execute. We know what score the most and we know what we are capable of! We also know that a lot of guys lose because they don’t know how the scoring works. Most of the time we get seven attempts on each tack at moves with the best three or four counting. After you have tried seven moves on one tack, then anything after that won’t count even if it’s the sickest move possible. Some guys repeat moves, or do their best moves after they have already done their seven. I like to always try and start on the opposite tack to my opponents. I don’t like to have another guy around me at the beginning of the heat. Most guys in Fuerte’ start their heats on the way in while I will always start on the way out. If it’s a four man heat I am the only one out of the four who can choose exactly where he does his move. For the first two minutes I just have to look at the gusts rather than look at the other guy!

JC: What do you think you would be doing if you were not a pro windsurfer right now?
DVDE: I would be finishing my studies in mechanical engineering and maybe have studied industrial engineering. I would still be sailing a lot! I have always loved sailing. I don’t know, I can’t even imagine not being a pro windsurfer. I love the life I am living now, you get very quickly used to it but at the same time I know I am really lucky to have this life.

“ When you hit the top ten it is all about who gets in the zone ”

JC: You spent a lot of time traveling in your van around Europe this summer, how did you enjoy that?
DVDE: I love travelling by van or by car, this spring I kitted out my van with my dad and I have spent about seven months living in it and other vans this year. That is how I grew up. Every weekend or during holidays I would go to the sea with my parents in their camper. We were always chasing the wind and this is still what I love the most. I hate flying with board bags, it is super expensive and always a hassle. This year I took my van to the Canary Islands, I arrived at the beach and I had everything there with me. It was so relaxing. In Fuerte for example I never slept in the hotel, even though we had free accommodation there. I would rather sleep in my own bed! Basically my van is now my home!

JC: Do you have any top tips for anybody planning to travel around in a van?
DVDE: Don’t plan anything! Just look at the forecast and chase the wind! You need to be flexible so don’t get your itinerary too set in stone. It is useful to research the countries you plan to visit to check how they are with free camping and make sure you have your own energy system. The van I have in Europe is pretty much self-sufficient, the only thing I have to do is put water and fuel into it (sadly enough).The fridge and heater work on solar energy, which comes from the solar panels on top of the van. If you do invest in kitting out your own van, don’t try to save on these essentials. My dad and I worked very hard on it for 6 weeks, day and night, but the result is amazing. I always dreamed to have a van I could travel in and now I have it. Always keep the places you go clean when you leave and enjoy the trip!

JC: How important have your parents been in helping you follow your passion?
DVDE: My dad taught me to windsurf and he has been sailing for twenty five years. If they can, they come to every contest which is great because it helps me to concentrate on my heats. I tell my dad in the morning what I want to do and he knows when to keep his distance. He is great support and he is always there for me. My girlfriend was also in the Canary Islands which was also really nice and having those people around me is a big help. One thing is the skills you have but the support is also important, plus the mental state you are in. That can decide these days whether you win or not.

JC: How have you been involved in the evolution of the Freek sail?
DVDE: I have been on Severne for more than ten years now. I always used the S1 for freestyle, which I really liked, but then in 2013 they decided to switch to the four batten concept to help make the weight lighter and improve the handling of the sail. At the time the S1 was winning all wave and freestyle tests so it did not really make sense to make two sails. I pushed for it and since it came out in 2013 I have been at the head of its development and talking to the team riders. I even helped Amado onto the team because he really liked the sails. This winter we will be testing together the new sails, so that will be exciting. I love the development and hope I can do it for a few more years.

JC: I guess that means a few trips to WA during the European winter, to test and train?
DVDE: Yes exactly, WA is a fixed trip in my calendar. It is not just because I need to be there to make the sails, it is my favourite place to sail during the winter. It is like my present I get at the end of a year of competing. Most riders would love to just go on trips all the time but they need the events to make money, get results and help attract new sponsors. It is the most fun time of the year for me. I love the way they travel in WA and living on the road in a van. It also boasts some of the best conditions ever. Being part of Severne is not just being part of a team, it is more like a family. I know Ben and all the guys so well now and how the company works. I don’t see me leaving Severne in the near future with or without this title. It’s a pleasure to work with them and I’ll be back every winter.

JC: So you have stepped into the waves this year as well as competing in freestyle?
DVDE: A lot of people are afraid to compete in two disciplines. Last year I only had three freestyle events and I knew I had to compete more. I knew my wave level was a decent standard so I decided to take it seriously, training and working hard for it this winter. It gave me a lot more hours on the water, less on the freestyle board than the wave board. It made me so much more motivated. Now I am doing nine events rather than three or four. The extra training in waves gave me an extra stoke about windsurfing and it was something I had lost a bit the year before. I feel more competitive and on my game I guess, there are not so many breaks between contests and it is a lot more fun.

JC: So I guess you have learned a few tricks from Jaeger and Scott McKercher in the waves?
DVDE: Jaeger has been my main influence in the waves. Every time I go to Australia I am located in Geraldton most of the time and I sail with him all the time. We know each other pretty well now, from all the riders on tour he is my favourite one. His wave riding is like surfing and that is what I like to see. As a freestyler, people tell me I can do all the tricks in the waves but I want to learn the proper turns. Then I want to learn to combine the turns with the tricks I know. I want to make my style look like surfing rather than doing a half bottom turn and a goiter off the lip. I want to do a proper bottom turn, hit the lip and then do my move. I think that has worked pretty well because I have been losing on my jumps and beating people in the waves. I’ll try to keep improving in my wave sailing as well and I’d like to make the top 16 next year. This year my aim was to make it through the trials and I’ve made it through a few heats as well. It’s very different to competing in freestyle but I do have an advantage because I sail so many contests during the year. I see new guys coming in who don’t know how it all works and so get all stressed. Their free sailing is amazing, but in their heats after five minutes they haven’t caught a single wave. Even if the wave is bad, you kind of need a score to at least have something on the sheets. I won’t stop wave sailing for at least another four years.

JC: How do you learn new moves?
DVDE: All the top ten freestylers are at a level where they know exactly how the moves work. They know what each movement does to your sail and to the rotation. There are some guys like Yentel for example who goes out and just tries a new move. I am probably the guy who does completely the opposite. I watch at least five clips, visualize the moves and when I see how it goes in my head, fully sure of the move’s mechanics, then I will try it. I kind of break it down systematically and probably land it within two or three attempts. I don’t know which way is the fastest to learn but I prefer my way because it is a bit less painful.

JC: What are your tips for regular sailors to learn new moves?
DVDE: Watch a lot of clips and find someone to film you. This is the most important part. You also need to film from different angles. The Go Pro’s are useful and give you another angle to watch what you are doing. It’s good to put your clip exactly next to other clips of somebody that can do the moves. Then you can see the difference and pretty much learn the moves yourself. So try and obtain footage and really put in the time to analyse it. There is also a lot of coaching available now and I really recommend going on a dedicated course to improve your sailing. If you have the money for this it does really help. I would advise every sailor to go to at least one clinic to help improve. I did it in the past myself as well. That is how I learned my first spocks.

JC: How did you get in the zone to beat Amado in Fuerteventura?
DVDE: When I lost the first final of the double elimination to Amado, I looked at the sheets and realized I had sailed his heat and not my own. Then I realized I could beat him and the event could be mine! I knew before the heat that I would win the event. I had sailed a quick warm up and landed every single move. I said to myself, ‘this is your chance, whatever happens in the heat, fight until the last!’ In the deciding heat against Amado, I won the heat in the final minute, he was leading until that moment. I nailed two more counting moves and that made the difference. Fuerte’ taught me a lot mentally and in the end that is what makes the difference. When you hit the top ten it is all about who gets in the zone. Being smart helps as well! It is not just about the skills, there is a hell of a lot more involved and that is why Gollito has six world titles whereas Kiri for example always misses out because he still has not figured out the system.

JC: Maybe you should teach him?
DVDE: Or not! (Laughs)

JC: So how do you see the future panning out?
DVDE: I am just 23 and I still have a long career ahead of me. At the end of last year I quit my studies because it was too hard to combine with life as a pro. I decided then that I would commit to windsurfing for at least another five years until I am twenty seven. At that point I will decide if I will go back to my studies. If I am still in world title contention I will continue doing the world tour. It also depends if I find an outside sponsor and how the world tour grows. If it grows to six or seven freestyle events and similar wave events then it is a whole different story. Right now I have dedicated four years to the world tour and I guess I’ll review it when the time comes. At 27 I can still do anything I want. I have a world title at 23 now and I hope that will open up some doors. I think this title will help me a lot. Second is ok, but a title will always stick to your name. That year is mine, it has been a massive achievement for me and it is something I could have only dreamed of and now it is reality. I spent six years on tour and now I have won a title, it has been an amazing year. I had never been on the podium until Fuerteventura and I won the event in the most spectacular way I could. I beat Kiri, beat Amado twice and really stamped my name on the event. In the end, that event decided the world title.

JC: How do you plan to defend your title?
DVDE: Every year the level gets higher and higher. There are so many guys now who could grab the world title. I will have to catch up on moves like the Shifty, but I want to keep evolving in my own way in freestyle, rather than looking at the rest. That’s what I did this year and it seemed to pay off. Competing is more than just who’s the best freestyler, a lot of the time it comes down to the consistency and the mental power of the rider too. Training with Amado in Oz will definitely help evolve my freestyle in new ways, especially the double air rotations; this is what I want to push for in the future!

The post DIETER VAN DER EYKEN – THE WINNING FORMULA! appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

PRESS RELEASE…
Planet Windsurf have just launched an innovative windsurf holiday quoting tool on their website, unique to the windsurf travel market. It instantly connects to live feeds from all the major airlines and over 50,000 hotels worldwide to give you a comprehensive windsurf holiday quote (Flights, accommodation & transfers) in seconds, whilst ensuring you get the best possible prices.

All options have been fully vetted by the team at Planet to ensure only the best options for each windsurf spot are included. Once you have created your online quote simply call the experts at Planet to add windsurf courses/and/or equipment rental and to get booked in for your next trip.

More at www.planetwindsurfholidays.com

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OFF SEASON – VICTOR FERNANDEZ IN ALMERIMAR

Victor sent us this nice little edit from sailing at his home spot in Almerimar, shot in January 2016. Here some words from Victor about it:

“I was on Maui until the end of December and I came back home to Almerimar for the month of January as Bea and I were going to get married on the 9th of January. Just the week before the wedding the wind came very strong for 7 days, where I sailed on 3.4 up to 4.7. From January until April is the best time to get storms in Almerimar. I love sailing at home, it´s always special to windsurf with your friends and family in the spot I grew up.”

More individual clips will come in the next weeks in our OFF SEASON series, showing some of our team riders in their free sailing routine away from the buzz and pressure of competitions.

Via Fanatic International

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