Windsurfing Now 01.2

p h oTo 

anNual 

01.2 2015

Board: Wave, Sail: Force Three 

Photo: J. Hepp 

BERND ROEDIGER

KAI LENNY

FRONT 

ISS. 1.2 

6 · PHOTO ANNUAL 2015

FORE CAST 

RE 

T U R N 

O F 

T H E 

KING 

after having caesar finies, the master of flow style, at the 

ECWF Cape Cod 2014, we set our sights even higher 

for the 2015 event: we asked Kiri Thode, the 2013 PWA 

Freestyle World Champion, to come. Fortunately for us, 

visiting Cape Cod again was something Kiri had wanted 

to do for a while. He had scored some of his earliest 

successes at the original “King of the Cape” events in 

the early 2000s. In what other sport can you invite 

a world champion to a small local event, host him at your 

modest house for a week, go out to do your sport with 

him, receive tons of tips, and then get a full display of his 

amazing skills during the event? I love windsurfing! 

—Peter Richterich 

Kiri Thode drops in at the East Coast 

Windsurfing Festival in Cape Cod. 

Gonzalo Gilbert photo 

7

FRONT 

ISS. 1.2 


FORE CAST 

P L A Y 

I N G 

T H E 

W I L D 

CARD 

upon hearing i’d received a wild-card berth into the AWT 

Hatteras Wave Jam Pro division for winning the Amateurs, 

I was not that excited for two reasons: one, the 

pros are freaking good and are going to kick my ass with 

their hands tied behind their backs; two, they often send 

the pros out in some stupidly gnarly conditions. But one 

thing I’ve been preaching my whole life is you have to 

“at least give it try”, even if you know you’re going to get 

your butt kicked. So I practised what I preach, and was 

able to advance all the way to the pro finals by picking 

out some great waves and staying out of trouble. And 

yes, I was the only pro there who had an entourage, as my 

three fellow Reef Warriors club members acted as board 

caddie, sail caddie and rum caddie. —Casey Treichler 

Casey Treichler having an amazing 

time at the AWT Hatteras Wave Jam. 

Si Crowther/AWT photo 

9

FRONT 

ISS. 1.2 


FORE CAST 

D O N ’ T 

PEE 

I N 

T H E 

POOL 

windsurfing is fun, always was fun, and always will be fun 

for me. So it seems irrational to construct a special pool 

in one of Poland’s biggest stadiums, line it with fans and 

fill the seats with spectators just so my closest friends 

and I can play around in it with our favorite windsurfing 

toys. The competition itself was interesting, because it’s 

not just windsurfing in a little pool; the artificial wind 

feels very different, and you feel each individual fan as 

you sail by. Though the wind was blowing 35 knots by 

the fans, it was only around 15 at the end of the pool. 

The main event was a really cool show, with 25,000 

spectators in the stands. I managed to finish in ninth 

place in Freestyle, with a solid double Spock on one tack 

and only crashes on the other. Next time I’ll land moves 

both ways and hope to finish better. —Phil Soltysiak 

Phil Soltysiak sails indoors in Poland. 

John Carter/pwaworldtour.com photo 

11

CONTENTS 

ISS. 1.2 

44 

True Wind 

Max Matissek pushes the boundaries combining his passions for 

art and windsurfing in this Red Bull-sponsored project. 

48 

World View 

Travel the world with a photo feature that looks at 

windsurfing from Wyoming to Poland. 

64 

Gallery 

A photo issue isn’t complete without a gallery of 

impressive windsurfing photos. 

Fiona Wylde rode the biggest waves to second place at the Aloha Classic. 

John Carter/PWAworldtour.com photo 


13

CONTENTS 

ISS. 1.2 

6 Forecast 

16 Launch 

18 On the Cover 

20 Letters 

22 Sessions: Robby Naish 

26 In the Wind 

28 Swag 

30 Shop Talk 

32 Inspiration: Beth Winkler 

36 Educated 

38 Moments 

40 How To: Heli Tacking 

42 Pro Tips: Back Loop 

76 Equipped 

80 Regions 


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FRONT 

ISS. 1.2 

LAUNCH 

Mike Fischer and Andre Rousseau at Sandbanks Provincial Park. 

Dean Peever photo 

HOW FAR 

WOULD YOU GO? 

welcome to Windsurfing Now’s first special edition Photo Annual. But what really needs to be said about all the cool photos of pros and amateurs 

you’ll find in this issue? I hope you enjoy them, along with all the other content. So instead, I’ll share a little story that goes with the 

photo on this page and challenge you to send me some stories, as well… but we’ll get to that later. 

It’s late October when an email from Mike 

Fischer appears in my inbox. I’ve never met 

Mike before, but we’ve worked on magazine 

stories together over the years. He’s a very 

good windsurfer who has a family with kids, 

works a “real” job, and gets on the water as 

much as he possibly can. The email asks, 

“Not sure how your schedule is looking, but 

you should totally come out to Sandbanks 

tomorrow and come see what this place is all 

about.” Sandbanks is a well-known windsurfing 

spot on Lake Ontario, and I’ve heard 

many great stories about it being one of a 

handful of Great Lakes locations where true 

down-the-line wavesailing conditions set up 

with some regularity. And tomorrow looks 

like it’s going to be one of those days. 

My only issue is that Sandbanks is a 

three-and-a-half-hour drive away. Mind 

you, I have no problem putting in a total 

of seven hours of travel time for a few epic 

hours of windsurfing. In my mind, this is a 

totally fair trade-off. However, my local spot, 

Sherkston Shores, home of the Reef Warriors 

club, is less than an hour away, and it’s also 

one of those rare Great Lakes spots offering 

ideal wavesailing (in exactly the same wind 

direction as Sandbanks). We all know those 

famous windsurfing sayings, “It’s always better 

in your own backyard” and “Never leave 

wind to find wind,” but the last few words of 

Mike’s email had me intrigued: “Come see 

what this place is all about.” 

I really want Windsurfing Now to embrace 

the adventures of both pros and average Joes 

alike, so I figure this will be a perfect opportunity 

to get out of my comfort zone and 

try someplace new. Early the next morning 

I load up the truck and hit the road. Upon 

arrival I immediately run into Mike, along 

with nuking 3.7 conditions. Before long a ton 

of other windsurfers start showing up, with 

most making similar, or even longer drives, 

from varying corners of Ontario and Quebec. 

I get to run into sailors I haven’t seen for 

years and have a blast on the water, despite 

cutting my session short due to the overpowered 

and frigid conditions. 

Was the trip worth it? Definitely yes! Will 

I go the next time Mike emails? Maybe. After 

all, Sandbanks is no longer a new spot, and I’ll 

have to weigh all the varying factors, like expected 

conditions, compared to my local spot. 

So, now I want to hear from you. How far 

have you traveled in a single day for a session, 

and was it worth it? Send me a story and I’ll 

publish it on our “Letters” page. Windsurfing 

Now is your magazine, so please get involved 

and spread the word to your friends to subscribe 

at windsurfingnowmag.com. 

—Pete DeKay, editor 

(pete@windsurfingnowmag.com) 


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17

FRONT 

ISS. 1.2 

ON THE COVER 

VOLUME 1 / ISSUE 2 

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief 

Pete DeKay 

pete@windsurfingnowmag.com 

Advertising Director 

Rick Bruner 

rickbruner@gorge.net 

Art Director Joe Andrus 

joeandrusdesign.com 

Associate Art Director Jeff Middleton 

VictoryDesignCo.com 

Copy Editor Kate Rutledge 

Web Design Russ Faurot 

Gear Editor Derek Rijff 

Instructional Editor Andy Brandt 

Contributing Illustrator Jerry King 

Rider: Graham Ezzy 

Photographer: Sofie Louca/Fish Bowl Diaries 

Contributing Writers Justin Ahearn, Mark Bandy, Manu Bouvet, 

Graham Ezzy, Diony Guadagnino, Max Matissek, Ian Matthews, 

Robby Naish, Ben Page, Denis Rey, Randy Rhodes, Peter Richterich, 

Kauli Seadi, Erik Simonson, Phil Soltysiak, Casey Treichler, 

Zane Wewerka, Cynthia Wigren, Beth Winkler 

NUMBER 

ONE RULE 

OF JAWS 

The German and French stops of the PWA Tour were unkind 

to us pros. No wind meant no sailing. After a month of not 

windsurfing, I felt unfit. I had hoped that my first day back 

on Maui would be fun-sized Ho’okipa. Unfortunately, the 

swell was so big that the only clean waves could be found at 

Jaws or West Maui. 

I started the drive to 

the west side, but Kevin 

Pritchard called me and said 

to turn around and get to 

Jason Polakow’s house ASAP, 

because he was going to take 

me to Jaws on his Jet Ski. I 

borrowed a floatation vest 

from Polakow to wear under 

my rash guard, and off we 

went. At Jaws, I counted the 

most windsurfers I have ever 

seen there, which meant 

catching waves was chaos, so 

I only caught a few. 

Mid-session, the vest 

irritated me so much that I 

took it off, hoping that my 

big wave experience would 

save me if I crashed in the 

wrong spot. But, of course, 

the No. 1 rule of Jaws: Don’t 

be in the wrong spot. 

—Graham Ezzy 

Contributing Photographers Pierre Bouras, John Carter, 

Si Crowther, Wayne Davis, Glenn Duffus, Alex Dunkel, 

Maria Fernanda Seadi, Gonzalo Gilbert, Mark Harpur, Har Rai Khalsa, 

Trudy Lary, Sofie Louca, Paul Michaelides, Dean Peever, Kevin Pritchard, 

Philipp Schuster, Erik Simonson, Mark van Swoll, Ayasha Teague, 

Hardie Truesdale, Cindy Wewerka 

Windsurfing Now Magazine is an independent publication 

published four times per year (Early Spring, Spring, Summer, Fall) 

by In the Wind Media Ltd. 

137 Nile St., Stratford, ON, N5A 4E1 Canada 

Phone: (519) 878-2321 

E-mail: info@windsurfingnowmag.com 

Website: windsurfingnowmag.com 

SUBSCRIPTIONS 

1 Year – 4 Issues $29.95 USD 

Please subscribe at windsurfingnowmag.com 

E-mail: info@windsurfingnowmag.com 

In the Wind Media Ltd. 

© Copyright Windsurfing Now Magazine 2015. 

All rights reserved. 

Reproduction of any materials published in 

Windsurfing Now Magazine is expressly forbidden without 

the written consent of the publisher. 

Printed in Canada 

Disclaimer: The athletes and activities described and illustrated 

herein are performed by trained athletes and could result in serious 

bodily injury, including disability or death. Do not attempt them without 

proper supervision, training and safety equipment. In the Wind Media Ltd. 

and the publisher are not responsible for injuries sustained by readers or 

failure of equipment depicted or illustrated herein. 


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19

FRONT 

ISS. 1.2 

LETTERS 

READER FEEDBACK 

Windsurfing Is Way More Fun 

Great job on your magazine—I thoroughly enjoyed it! I especially 

like the stories written in an adventure format. “Baja Unfiltered” [p. 

56] made me feel like I was there. And if Graham Ezzy is as creative 

an artist on the water as he is with his pen, he has an amazing career 

ahead of him... absolutely beautiful writing [Pro File: “On the Road 

With Graham Ezzy”, p. 34]. I’m looking forward to trying the new 

freeride boards. These boards, hopefully, will allow users to complete 

more jibes and spend more time on, rather than in, the water. 

Paddleboarding has exploded into a massively successful sport. 

Windsurfing is way more fun, and can hopefully make a solid 

comeback. As stated in your magazine: attention on making the 

equipment more user-friendly is a key component. Here in Florida, 

we have hundreds of miles of beach, but few people ever obtain the 

skill level to feel comfortable in the ocean. Hopefully that required 

skill level can continue to decline with advancements in equipment. 

Mark Travis, Gainesville, FL 

Opening With the Pritchards 

Windsurfing Now? Unh uh. Windsurfing wow! Just love the mag. 

The editing, in particular, is superb in communicating the intent 

of the mag. The selection of subjects and grouping of subjects 

is quite excellent—it takes you all over the continent (and 

then some). The opening article with the Pritchards [Forecast: 

“Getting Hooked”, p. 6] sets just the right tone, starting off by 

reminding us that—just as you are the lone survivor of windsurfing 

publications—the sport itself is generally not on an upswing, 

and the key to the near and distant future is: the kids. 

That being said, I know how you value women in general, 

and women in windsurfing in particular. After all, they are 50 

per cent of the population. And where the female partner does 

not participate in windsurfing, it can definitely be a drain on the 

relationship, as well as a drain on windsurfing time. So nice to 

firmly cement that through Sam Bittner’s article. How cool that 

she single-handedly started a revival in windsurfing through 

the AWT. And what a perfect tie into the Schettewi brothers as 

up-and-coming groms [“Radar: The Schettewi Brothers”]. 

I could go on and on, but basically, great job! Good overall 

purpose, very well-communicated, great-looking and inviting, 

and it looks like you have a lot of advertising support. I’m heading 

down to Cabrillo, and I’ll take the mag along and talk it up. 

My Old Local Spot 

It was so great to get a surprise in the mail today—your mag! Like 

you, I learned on a longboard in the late ’70s/’80s, when the boom 

was still teak. I had a small break in the ’90s for “life”, and was back 

to sailing in the 2000s. When I saw Windsurfing Now in the mail today, 

I was stoked. I wanted to go sail, but instead emailed you. I read 

every single word, and probably will re-read it. Love the title, too. 

When I turned to p. 9 and saw Jon Sassone at my old local launch, 

West Meadow [Forecast: “Sunset Session”], I couldn’t believe a 

magazine actually showed a pic of where I was a “local”. Not some 

place thousands of miles away, but right down the road. Awesome! 

I’ve moved to Charlotte, NC, so West Meadow is a distance past. 

But I do live on big-ass Lake Norman: lots of water and shitty wind. 

And Hatteras is not too far away for my dreaming. I’m definitely 

going to support you and the upstart mag with a subscription. 

Chris Hunter, Charlotte, NC 

Reading the Fine Print 

Thank you for sending me a copy of your new mag. Congratulations 

on your initiative! I thought windsurfing was 

well past its prime, but I have recently noticed a few younger 

folk (under 40) getting into it. I started in the early ’80s, and 

bought my last new board when I retired a few years ago. 

I subscribed to Windsurfing Magazine for several years, but 

stopped after they updated the design of the magazine such 

that I found it barely readable. The designers must have gotten 

new computers and were thrilled that they could play around 

with fonts, but they ignored most of the accepted rules for readability: 

size of print, use of serif and non-serif fonts, number of 

characters per line, color of print and background (particularly 

contrast between print and background), and a huge amount of 

white space. I fear that you may be headed in the same direction. 

Colin Hardman, via email 

You are not the only one who has brought to my attention the size of 

print and readability; I apologize for this and will work on fixing it 

in the future. However, due to technical issues, we are not able to do 

so for issue 1.2. Luckily, it’s a special edition Photo Issue! —ed. 

Cliff Hauser, Pacific Palisades, CA 

Thanks for bringing up the advertisers! Windsurfing Now couldn’t 

happen without them. So, please give them your support and let 

them know you want to keep reading Windsurfing Now. —ed. 


The Right Attitude 

Thanks for sharing your new magazine. I am sitting at the 

cabin kitchen table paging through it. I just read your intro 

and thought I’d send a note of appreciation. 

I am one of a handful of aging windsurfers in Minnesota. Most of 

us have been sailing together for 30-plus years. We are in the windy 

time of the year now. The other day, we were scattered around the 

state catching some of the best wind we have had in a few years. 

I was at the local hot spot, Lake Waconia, fully wound up on my 

4.2; lots of 3.7s on the water. Huge smiles on everybody’s faces. 

All of us share the same stoke you do. Windsurfing is not all about 

great high-wind days, it’s about getting out on the water and having 

fun with friends. Heck, we have a little one-design fleet of Kona 

Boards we sail in locally. So even after 30-plus years of windsurfing, 

you will still find some of us tooling around on 12-foot boards. And 

when we are done, we all sit around, have a beer and talk about 

our fun on the water. It is all about having fun with friends. 

Jeff Hotvet, Wayzata, MN 

Am I Your Demographic? 

I was quite excited to receive the inaugural issue of your new 

magazine, included with the Vela brochure. I was very sad 

when the old Windsurfing Magazine suddenly stopped production 

and they sent me Surf instead. I am not a surfer. 

I will certainly subscribe to your magazine, although I may 

not be the demographic you are after. I live in the San Francisco 

Bay Area, am 60 years old, and have windsurfed for pleasure for 

many years. Due to the odd wind conditions in the SF Bay Area 

over the last few years, I have gravitated towards paddleboarding, 

but hopefully your magazine (and Mother Nature) will get 

me stoked to rig up and get out there blasting away again. 

Paul Thimmig, Tiburon, CA 

Every possible demographic is important, and I’m hoping we 

can get you excited about windsurfing once again! —ed. 

windsurfer and SUP for our second home in the Florida panhandle, 

where the sun is hot, the water is warm and clear, and the 

breeze is five to 12 knots on average. I rigged up alongside some 

SUPs that littered the sand (God, it’s so boring to paddle—why not 

use a sail?), pushed it into the water, beach-started and was off. 

It was fabulous. I got my nine-year-old son to ride with me. 

And his friend. And then I taught my athletic 18-year-old nephew 

the basics. He got it, and within 15 minutes was sailing away. 

Suddenly, it was back in the 1980s, in terms of “This is a fabulous, 

fun, easy summer sport!” Why the hell aren’t we doing it 

now? When we were de-rigging and packing, we literally had a 

line of people asking how they could learn and where we rented 

the board. I think the future is to draft off the SUP craze. 

Pete Boland, Larkspur, CA and Seaside, FL 

No Stoke 

I received your first issue of Windsurfing Now, and I’d like to give 

my comments. My girlfriend and I have paper subscriptions to 

a few sports (kitesurfing, windsurfing and running), fashion 

and consumer magazines. The problem with kite and windsurfing 

magazines is they are boring to read. But it seems there is 

light at the end of the tunnel, as your magazine is a little different 

than the others, and I think it could make a difference. 

Here’s what I like: the orientation of the magazine is geared 

more towards to the newcomer. There are no question-and-answer 

type interviews. We like articles that have depth, like “Baja 

Unfiltered”, “Why would I want thrusters on a freestyle waveboard?” 

[Equipped, p. 74] and the story by Graham Ezzy. 

Here’s what I’d like to see in the future: no more of the word 

“stoke”… I’ve had enough of it. More: “Stuff We Like” gear [Swag, 

p. 26], as long as it’s stuff you have really liked; articles about diet 

and exercise to avoid injuries; traveling tips, windsurfing clinics 

and anything with humor. When reading a magazine, we like to 

discover new stuff and locations, understand the mechanics of 

things, and mostly, to be entertained. Hope you have a long career. 

Nicholas, via email 

Let’s Do the Time Warp 

The decline of windsurfing has been so sad. This is a sport that 

killed itself off by making it so difficult for beginners to start. Like 

you, I started in the 1980s but in the U.K., where everyone was 

doing it. I stopped windsurfing when I moved to the States in the 

1990s, due to having no money and living in Cincinnati at first. 

I have restarted twice, and I think it’s useful to explain what 

happened. A few years ago, I bought some old Mistral mid-sized 

boards and joined a dwindling band of middle-aged sailors in the 

San Francisco Bay Area. What struck me was their age (no one under 

40) and their snobbishness over longboards. One sailor said to me, 

sarcastically, while pointing at my Mistral Equipe: “What’s that, 

an aircraft carrier?” Talk about a suicidal attitude. This is why the 

sport died. After a few weeks of thrashing around trying to waterstart 

my new shortboard, I gave up and gave all the gear away. 

But, here’s the interesting part. I recently bought a Bic combo 

US Windsurfing Connection 

Very excited that there is a new sailboarding magazine. Wondering 

if Windsurfing Now will be connected to US Windsurfing 

memberships? I do renew the family US Windsurfing membership 

each year, and it usually comes with a subscription to a windsurfing 

magazine. Hopefully US Windsurfing can grow its members 

and have a win-win relationship with your new magazine. 

Thanks for keeping the windsurf magazine spirit 

alive. My wife, unfortunately, will not be happy, because 

I can never seem to throw any of them away. 

Steve Johnson, MN 

Windsurfing Now will work closely with US Windsurfing, as it’s a great 

grassroots organization. Currently, we do not have a specific subscription/membership 

deal set up, but we hope that windsurfers across the 

U.S. will support both with subscriptions and memberships. —ed. 

21

QUICK HITS 

ISS. 1.2 

SESSIONS 

R O B B Y N A I S H 

AT 

the first time i came to fiji was almost 30 years ago, when I flew with Pete Cabrinha and 

the rest of the Gaastra crew to film the windsurfing movie Angle of Attack. At that 

time, Namotu was just an atoll with a few bushes and one or two coconut trees on it. 

We stayed on Plantation Island and took out a boat each day to sail the barrier reef 

break now known as Namotu Lefts. The wind is side-shore, the waves are long and 

clean, and it is normally warm, sunny and beautiful. I have been here many times 

over the years since that first trip, for windsurfing competitions, waterman multisport 

events, family holidays and photo shoots. But this last trip was a really good one. 

CLOUDBREAK 

You have all seen the articles from Jason 

Polakow and his sick sessions at giant 

Cloudbreak. I tried to get him to come along 

on this trip, but his shoulder injury has not 

quite healed yet, so he had to pass. The wind 

at Cloudbreak is normally light and almost 

always quite offshore, making it sketchy for 

windsurfing. You can get into the waves once 

out in the lineup, but getting back out can 

be difficult, and getting caught inside is a 

session-ending event. The reef is very shallow 

and very sharp… and once you’re caught 

inside, you’re not getting back out. 

On the second day, the wind is already 

cranking at breakfast—quite unusual, as it 

normally builds throughout the day. It’s also 

more side-shore rather than the normal offshore. 

And the swell is pumping, forecasted 

to pick up all day long. Things look good. 

The wind is solid and the surf is already 

mast-high. Until the waves get mast-high or 

so, Cloudbreak is too crowded with surfers. 

But once the waves reach a height where paddling 

in is difficult, it becomes one of the best 

windsurfing waves anywhere. It’s time to go. 

I get seasick on a boat faster than lightning. 

Despite having taken Dramamine, 

I need to get off this thing after just a few 

minutes of putting around watching the 

conditions. I rig up as quickly as I can (even 

now, just thinking of looking down, rigging 

my sail on a boat makes me want to puke) 

and get out there. I plane right off the boat 

with a 5.0, which is really good wind for Fiji. 

The summer in Hawaii has not been the 

best; I have not flown to Oahu to windsurf 

Diamond Head even once, so the last time I 

rode my favored tack was Kona Wind Lanes 

several months ago. I sail out back and wait 

for a set. The outside peak at Cloudbreak 

is big and fat as it pulls off the deep water, 

then builds up speed, power, and cleans 

up as the wave wraps in along the reef. By 

the time it reaches the inside section, it is 

a roping hollow wave with almost straight 

offshore winds. 

Top: Robby Naish 

at Cloudbreak. 

Left: Rigging up. 

Right: A boat launch. 


WORDS BY ROBBY NAISH 

PHOTOS BY GLENN DUFFUS/NAISH INTERNATIONAL 

23

QUICK HITS 

ISS. 1.2 

SESSIONS 

This couple of hours of windsurfing all alone at 

one of the best waves in the world is one of my 

best-ever windsurfing moments. —Robby Naish 

From the very first wave, I feel at home, 

surprised that my board and fin setup is 

comfortable after standing the other way 

so long. It’s like riding a bike; you can take 

a break, feel a little apprehensive at first, 

but after a few minutes you’re back to riding 

wheelies. Although I’m not smacking 

the lip or doing aerials, it’s a blast. I lay 

down some bottom turns that feel like 

they’re pulling several G’s. 

If I get the second or third wave of a set, 

it’s so smooth it’s like you can almost ride 

without fins at all and still be fine… just 

carving off your rail…. No bumps. No chop 

at all. And a perfectly peeling and predictable 

wave with no closeouts or sections. 

It’s almost too easy, yet at the same time 

extremely intimidating, because you know 

that if you go down or get caught behind the 

section and have to straighten out… your 

day is likely done. Most waves are in the 

five- to eight-foot range, but a couple of sets 

look like small Peahi turned into a left… 

something I normally only dream about. 

I sail for at least a couple of hours. In 

fact, I sail longer than I should. I’m having 

so much fun that I don’t want to stop. This 

couple of hours of windsurfing all alone at 

one of the best waves in the world is one of 

my best-ever windsurfing moments. At 52, 

and with 41 years of windsurfing under my 

belt, it’s awesome to be able to say that. 

Bottom-turning on 

a monster. 


Photo: Paula Mantia 

C H EKevin ESays 

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think the biggest change is the feeling in the hands. 

When you first get on the 2016 Cheetah, you notice 

how light it feels. I am not referring to just the physical 

weight but rather how light the new Cheetah feels through 

the wind. It keeps accelerating, as if there is no drag coming 

from the sail. It is an amazing feeling and like nothing I have 

ever felt before on a freeride sail. 

Kevin Pritchard, Maui, Hawaii 

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C H E E TA Hezzy.com 

6 Batten: 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0 

6 Batten: 6 Batten: 5.5, 5.5, 6.0, 6.0, 6.5, 6.5, 7.0 7.0 

25

QUICK HITS 

ISS. 1.2 

IN THE WIND 

ILLUSTRATION BY 

JERRY KING 

LUDERITZ SPEED CHALLENGE: This is 

proving to be a big year for the annual 

speed sailing event in Luderitz, a small 

harbor town located in southwest Namibia 

(and it was still going on at press time). 

Both Antoine Albeau (53.27 knots) and 

Karin Jaggi (46.31) set new world record 

marks down this unique speed ditch. Boris 

Vujasinovic, who lives in Reno, NV but 

sails for Croatia, set a new record mark for 

his home country at 48.99 knots. 

2016 US WINDSURFING NATIONALS: It 

gives us great pleasure to announce that 

the US Windsurfing Nationals will be 

returning to Corpus Christi, TX after 

a many-year absence. It has a thriving 

windsurfing scene and the Corpus Christi 

Bay offers world-class racing conditions. So 

make sure you clear May 11 to 14, 2016 on 

your schedule and start planning your trip 

today. More info can be found at uswindsurfing.com/events/2016-nationals. 

NEWS AND RESULTS 

ALOHA CLASSIC: The highest-profile North 

American windsurfing event, the 2015 

NoveNove Maui Aloha Classic, just wrapped 

up as this issue of Windsurfing Now went 

to the printer. This combination PWA and 

AWT event saw epic conditions again this 

year across all classes. Congratulations to 

Morgan Noireaux for claiming his second 

Aloha Classic in a row after holding off 

Kauli Seadi in an action-packed two-heat 

final. Levi Siver made an impressive 

charge up the double-elimination ladder 

to take third place in the event. The event 

also crowned Philip Köster as PWA overall 

world wave champion and Camille Juban 

as overall AWT champ. 

On the women’s side, Iballa Ruano 

Moreno narrowly defeated Fiona Wylde in 

a final heat that was publicly scrutinized by 

many onlookers. If you missed watching it 

on the live stream, be sure to check it out in 

the archive videos posted on pwaworldtour. 

com (Day 7, Part 2). Taking the final podium 

spot was Ingrid Larouche, with this great 

result also bumping up her overall PWA 

wave tour ranking to fifth for the year. The 

overall AWT title was secured by Sarah 

Hauser who also put in an impressive 

performance at the Aloha Classic, with a 

fourth place finish. 

Sandwiched between the PWA single 

and double elimination brackets was the 

running of the rest of the AWT Aloha Classic 

field. The amateur Aloha Classic title 

was claimed by Pascal Hardy over Escario 

and Jake Schettewi. And this wasn’t Jake’s 

only podium, as he took first in the youth 

division over Tom Juban and his brother, 

Max Schettewi. The masters division 

came down to an epic two-heat final between 

Sean Aiken and Pascal Hardy, with 

Aiken battling to victory and the final spot 

on the podium going to Patrick Bergeron. 

Finally, the grand masters division was 

won by Colin Baker, who took down Tom 

Garcia and Rob Funk for the victory. 

With all the Aloha Classic podiums 

decided, it was time for the event’s final 

contest: Champions for Charity. Here, 

the 13 competing riders each ponied up a 

$100 entry fee, which, in turn, was matched 

by the AWT, and named a charity they 

were competing for. The winner would be 

selected by an online vote following the 

live stream of the 30-minute heat. And the 

winner was… Graham Ezzy, for the second 

year in a row. This year, Ezzy competed 

for Mon Coeur, a movement to help bring 

education to the impoverished children of 

Cape Town, South Africa. 

SUMMER SAILSTICE: Let’s celebrate the 

wind June 18 to 19, 2016 with Summer 

Sailstice, a global celebration of sailing. 

Next year will mark the 16th annual running 

of the event that has a simple goal of 

promoting and celebrating the participation 

in all types of sailing. So let’s see what 

windsurfing can bring to the party! Go to 

summersailstice.com/events and either start 

an event or sign up individually to show 

your support. And stay tuned in the new 

year for an exciting Windsurfing Now event 

that will take part. 

TRICK GENIUS: Do you want to become a 

better windsurfer? Of course you do! So, be 

sure to check out trickgenius.com, which is 

an online windsurfing coaching platform 

from the maker of the Tricktionary books 

and app: Michael Rossmeier. Trick Genius 

supports every level of windsurfing and 

provides different learning tools, including 

videos, images and text, to help you progress. 

Sign up today! 

YOUR WINDSURFING NOW: Please 

help us truly make Windsurfing Now your 

magazine by letting us know what you 

would like to see in upcoming issues at 

info@windsurfingnowmag.com. Send us 

your high-resolution images and stories (or 

story ideas), as we want to show all of North 

America what Windsurfing Now is to you. 

Another way you can support the magazine 

is by spreading the word to your friends 

to subscribe at windsurfingnowmag.com. 

Thank you! 


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QUICK HITS 

ISS. 1.2 

SWAG 

WORDS BY 

DEREK RIJFF 

— 

CHINOOK FOOTSTRAP 

RETAINING SYSTEM 

It’s easy to overlook the small things 

when it comes to windsurfing gear, 

but Chinook’s new Footstrap Retaining 

System may be the best accessory you 

buy this year. It ensures your footstrap 

will never twist or move out of position, 

which can cause an injury and really 

ruin your day. The bottom piece is 

placed between the strap and board, 

while the other part goes on top as the 

washer for the screw heads to sit on. 

It’s the star pattern that does the magic, 

digging into the pad of your board 

and keeping things in place. Also, as a 

bonus, the rectangular top piece has the 

holes drilled farther to one side than 

the other, allowing you to customize 

the fit of your straps. Place the wider 

part against the strap and you’ll pinch 

the width to better fit a narrower foot. 

chinooksailing.com 

— 

INNOVATION 

STARBOARD 

AIRPLANE 255 

If there’s one board we can’t wait to try, 

it’s the Starboard AirPlane 255. Imagine 

unrolling your windsurfing board from 

a backpack and pumping it up as you 

get ready for your next full-planing 

freeride session at your local lake…. 

Up until now, inflatable windsurfing 

boards have been about getting 

beginners on the water in the lightest 

air possible. This is still true, but with 

the addition of true planing performance 

when the wind picks up. Starboard’s 

proprietary Rail Edge technology creates a 

hard edge, allowing for clean water release 

so the board can plane-up properly. This 

will allow beginner windsurfers to truly and 

more controllably experience the excitement 

of planing on a durable and user-friendly inflatable 

board. This is an innovative board that 

the team at Windsurfing Now hopes to really like. 

STUFF 

WE LIKE 

— 

DAKINE HYBRID NRG 

The Dakine Hybrid NRG waist harness is new 

from the inside out. They’ve added a high-rebound 

memory foam to the interior, changed 

the inner structure to have a more rigid precurved 

back panel, and gave the harness a narrow 

profile fit. We loved the old NRG, but are even 

more impressed by the new updated version. 

Less harness is better—this is a no-brainer. It’s 

lighter weight and less cumbersome. How did 

Dakine do this without a loss of support that a more 

classic-sized harness provides? According to Dakine 

Product Manager Chris Gilbert, “We discovered 

that by making the back panel more rigid, we could 

get the same support with less material. The end 

result was the Hybrid NRG, which is two inches 

narrower than its predecessor while still offering 

the same amount of back support.” 

dakine.com 


KEITH 

BY SOFIE 

AIRWAVESF.COM, BIGWINDS.COM, CAPTAINKIRKS.COM, 

MAUIWINDSURFCOMPANY.COM, WIND-NC.COM, 

SAILSPORTMARINE.COM, DAVENPORTSURFSAIL.COM, 

CURTISSPORTCONNECTION.COM, SAILWORLD.COM, 

DELTAWINDSURF.COM, HTMAUI.COM, SOLOSPORTS.NET

QUICK HITS 

ISS. 1.2 

SHOP TALK 

JOURNEY 

OF THE 

BLUE BOARD 

back in september, I got a call at the shop 

from a lady looking to buy a surfboard. 

The phone call came from Monrovia, 

which is the capital city of the West 

African country of Liberia. She said she 

wanted a surfboard, and asked if we 

could deliver it to Washington, D.C. Quite 

honestly, I was worried this might be a 

fraudulent transaction, having only a 

first name (Melanie) of the woman who 

contacted us, but we began the process. 

At some point, I finally had a first 

and last name, so I Googled her and was 

simply blown away. Melanie is one of the 

people making a difference in the world 

today—a big difference. In addition to 

her duties at the World Bank, she was 

buying this surfboard to help a young 

man in Monrovia with his surf school. 

She was going to be in D.C. for just a 

couple of days, so I delivered the board 

to the World Bank office, along with a 

little East of Maui care package. 

Unfortunately, I was unable to meet 

Melanie, as she was tied up in meetings. 

I was able to talk to her on the 

phone, however, and not only thank 

her for her business, but thank her for 

helping make our world a better place. 

Fast-forward to this morning [October 

26, 2015]. The first thing that pops up 

on my Facebook News Feed is a picture 

of Peter Swen of Peter’s Surfing School 

in Monrovia, Liberia, with the blue 

surfboard I’d delivered to D.C. While I 

only played a small part in this story, it 

brought me unbelievable joy and happiness 

to see this picture of Peter wearing 

an East of Maui T-shirt and that blue 

surfboard halfway around the world. 

Sometime the smallest thing can make a 

big difference. Surf on, my friends! 

—Mark Bandy, East of Maui Annapolis 

Bottom left: Peter’s Surfing School in Liberia. East of Maui photos 

Bottom right: Mark Bandy and the blue surfboard. 

Randy Rhodes teaching on national TV. 

Worldwinds photo 

WORLDWINDS 

ROCKS 

THE PARK 

we got a call last spring: Rock the Park was 

going to film an episode featuring our park, 

the Padre Island National Seashore. In 

addition to a tour of the park, the Rock the 

Park crew wanted to showcase a windsurfing 

adventure with Worldwinds as their guide. 

We were stoked! Worldwinds and our staff 

have appeared in several local and regional 

publications and broadcasts, but this was our 

first big break on national television. What an 

awesome opportunity to exhibit how fun and 

easy windsurfing is to such a huge audience. 

On the day of filming, several vans showed 

up and out climbed the two hosts, three 

cameramen, a sound guy, the producer and 

even a marketing agent. The stars, Jack 

Steward and Colton Smith, were as easygoing 

and fun as they appear on camera. You could 

tell right away the production crew was as 

excited for each new park and adventure as 

the stars were. It was pretty comical trying 

to explain to the camera guys how the windsurfing 

equipment would move and work, 

where Jack and Colton would be, and where 

to put the GoPro cameras. It took some trial 

and error, but the boards and sails were 

finally camera-ready. 

It was exciting to see the final production 

of the show. Rock the Park did a great job of 

really showing the audience how much fun 

windsurfing is. It was funny to see Jack and 

Colton falling and crashing in the episode, but 

in reality they both picked it up very quickly. 

Rock the Park airs on ABC every Saturday 

morning, and you can watch the previously 

aired Worldwinds episode on hulu.com/ 

rock-the-park. —Randy Rhodes 


QUICK HITS 

ISS. 1.2 


INSPIRATION 

WORDS BY BETH WINKLER 

PHOTOS BY MARK VAN SWOLL 

WHY NOT? AND 

WHY NOT NOW? 

Above: Blasting 

in Bonaire. 

Left: Beth Winkler. 

elvis martinez, an owner of The 

Bonaire Windsurf Place, stands 

on his porch overlooking Lac Bay, 

smiling. “Beth,” he says, “You just 

came to Bonaire too late!” Too late. 

It’s hardly a novel thought. 

I’m dripping wet from a session 

of upwind 360s, push tacks and 

Vulcan attempts, all inspired by a 

crew of teenage and 20-something 

girls. Some are professional windsurfers, 

while some aspire to be. 

I’m not a pro, nor am I teenager. 

I’ve been sailing for over 34 years 

and I didn’t start until I was well 

into my 30s. You do the math. I 

don’t want to think about it. So I 

won’t go there. Fact remains that 

I don’t feel like I’ve come too late, 

but just on time. 

Today’s session is part of my routine here on Bonaire, my 

second home. For the last decade, my husband Greg and 

I have come to the island to play and, the real surprise, to 

progress. Surrounded by spinning, flipping and tricking 

kids, I’m joining them. Age be damned. The water is 

warm. The water is soft. Why not try something new? 

And if not now, when? 

That very thought led me to windsurfing in 1982 in the 

Gulf of Aqaba, in Southwest Asia. My first experience on 

a board was disastrous. I couldn’t even lift the sail out of 

the water. But after that, the bite remained and life as I 

had known it changed. 

I returned to my home in Cocoa Beach, FL and took 

lessons. Soon after that, I became certified to teach, and 

eventually, teach fellow instructors. Ten years later, I 

bought a small rental complex on the water in Florida to 

host windsurfers. It was there I met my future husband, 

who was doing an Olympic Campaign. 

I was a marathon runner at the time, and a race 

inspired me to train. I applied that attitude to windsurfing, 

but soon found out I had no clue how to navigate a 

sailing race course. This fact was pointed out to me by a 

very experienced sailor named Greg, who helped me get 

to the first windward mark. He became my soul mate and 

life partner as a direct result of his kindness. 

33

QUICK HITS 

ISS. 1.2 

INSPIRATION 

WORDS BY BETH WINKLER 

PHOTOS BY MARK VAN SWOLL 

“How could I possibly learn more?” 

Windsurfing soul 

mates: Beth and Greg. 

The thought occurred to me sometime in the late ’90s, 

that if Greg was training for the Olympics as an older guy, 

why not do the same? Why not try out for the Olympic 

team too? Why not now? He then went on to coach me 

and compete with me in the 12 years of training to be 

an Olympian. But 2004 ended that career, when I had 

to settle for second place being an alternate to go to the 

Olympics. By then I was well over 50. 

During those 12 years, Banana River Resort, my little 

rental complex, became an Olympic training ground and 

boardsports haven. Many beginners to medalists have 

passed through for training, coaching and enjoying the 

paradise created from my windsurfing passion. 

That passion led me and Greg to Bonaire. Up until 

2004, my focus had been Olympic racing. Coaches. 

Buoys. Tactics. Bonaire was different; kids spinning and 

flying about freely. I started joining them and my confidence 

grew. So much so, I decided to enter a PWA slalom 

event in Alacati, Turkey. Why not? Why not now? And 

guess what?! I wasn’t last! 

In 2011, I was training again, only this time to beat 

cancer, which I have done so far, and that is why I’m 

not wasting any time. You say, after 35 years of sailing, 

“How could I possibly learn more?” That’s what keeps me 

sailing. Freestyle is the new discipline I’m trying to learn. 

The level is so high on Bonaire and the challenges so 

great that life is never boring. There’s always something 

new to learn, and honestly, why not? And why not now? 

What’s your secret to enjoying life? There is beauty in 

everything—you just have to look for it. Stay active and 

absorb energy from everywhere. Life is such a wonderful 

gift. Treat yourself and enjoy it. 

Forever wet.... 


Morgan Noireaux wins the Aloha Classic. John Carter/PWAworldtour.com photo 

35

QUICK HITS 

ISS. 1.2 

Windsurfer Hardie 

Truesdale and his 

biggest fan. 


EDUCATED 

WORDS BY CYNTHIA WIGREN 

PHOTO BY WAYNE DAVIS/OCEANAERIALS.COM 

if you ask windsurfers if they’ve ever seen a white shark off 

the coast of Cape Cod, the answer would probably be no. 

Yet members of the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, 

a nonprofit committed to raising public awareness of 

white sharks through research and education, will tell 

you that white sharks have likely seen them. 

White sharks, also known as great white sharks, are 

the most recognizable of all shark species. Despite the 

enormous scientific and public interest in white sharks, 

large gaps in our understanding of this species remain. 

It wasn’t until 2009 that scientists had predictable access 

to study white sharks in the Northwest Atlantic off the 

coast of Cape Cod. 

Projects dedicated to help whales, dolphins and turtles 

evoke a positive response from the public. Unfortunately, 

the subject of white sharks typically conjures fear. 

The species was demonized by the film Jaws, and has 

long been the focus of negative media hype, creating an 

overwhelming psychological hurdle to overcome. White 

shark awareness is not just about bringing the issues 

facing sharks to the forefront, it also involves changing 

people’s perception. 

The rebounding grey seal population has drawn white 

sharks close to shore by their prey. Shark and human 

interactions, like the one captured near a windsurfer by 

spotter pilot Wayne Davis, are occurring more frequently. 

By funding research to increase overall knowledge 

of the species, the Conservancy is working to improve 

public safety in an effort to create a peaceful co-existence 

between beachgoers and white sharks. 

For more information, visit www.atlanticwhiteshark.org. 

37

QUICK HITS 

ISS. 1.2 

MOMENTS 

AWT HATTERAS 

WAVE JAM 

ever dream of attending a week-long windsurfing summer camp with perfect 

wavesailing conditions for every ability level, and a chance to hang out with 

not only your peers but some of the best pros in the world? Attendees at 

this year’s AWT Hatteras Wave Jam got to live this dream. 


PHOTOS BY 

SI CROWTHER/AWT 

39

QUICK HITS 

ISS. 1.2 

HOW TO 

HELICOPTER TACK 

the helicopter tack is a fun and flashy 

freestyle move that anyone can learn. 

I recommend first practicing on the 

beach in light winds, and then taking 

it to the water using a large board and 

small sail. Let’s break a Helicopter Tack 

into four parts to make it easier to learn. 

2 

1turn through the wind: 

The goal during the first stage of the 

Helicopter Tack is to make a smooth turn 

through the wind into the new direction. 

Start by raking the sail towards the back of 

the board with both hands. As you approach 

the eye of the wind, grab the mast with 

your front hand at about waist height and 

continue to oversheet the clew of the sail. 

Make sure your mast arm pushes the mast 

back and leeward to get the maximum turn. 

When the board has stopped turning and 

you have sailed past straight upwind, it’s 

time to move the sail to backwind it. 

2sailing backwinded: It is critical 

during this phase to keep the board pointed 

in the new direction. Turn off the sail’s 

power completely, luffing it, and slice the sail 

towards the wind. It’s optional to release the 

clew hand during this phase. At the same 

time, step your heels to the centerline of 

the board and depress the new windward 

rail. If the leeward rail catches when the 

sail is backwinded, you will immediately 

get knocked over backwards. If you find the 

board is turning back into the old direction, 

it’s likely a result of not keeping the sail 

completely depowered. Keep trying. 

Once the sail is forward, gently push on 

the back hand to power the sail for just a 

second. This will turn the board farther 

past the eye of the wind, with you on the 

leeward side of the sail. Try to maintain an 

upwind course (about 45 degrees) in this 

new direction. While sailing backwinded, 

move your arms independently (don’t push 

or pull with both) and keep the board’s 

windward edge depressed. 

1 

Try to look forward and remain in an upright, 

arched posture. If you are overpowered 

on the leeward side, slide your front hand 

forward on the boom and keep the board 

sailing upwind. If you’re underpowered, keep 

the front hand farther the back on the boom 

and the mast more vertical. Practice steering 

with the sail, tilting it front and back to turn 

the board. Control sheeting-in and -out and 

getting used to balancing with and without 

the power in the sail. 

3leeside escape: Next up is the rotation 

of the sail, which I call the “leeside 

escape.” Whenever we do sail tricks or move 

the sail around, I would like you to look at 

it slightly differently. First, the sail is just 

a big triangle, and when balanced over the 

middle of the board it doesn’t weigh much. 

If you hold one edge or the other, the triangle 

rotates around and that will become the 

leading edge to the wind. 

Imagine the harness lines or the center-of-effort 

on the boom as a little bull with 

big horns. If this imaginary bull hits you 

in the body, it will knock you off the board 

immediately. So we’re going to have to learn 

to avoid the bull and balance the triangle at 

the same time. 

Prepare for the footwork by sliding your 

back foot forward and turning your toes 

slightly towards the nose of the board. With 

your front hand only, slice the sail forward 

and windward, keeping the power out of the 

sail while moving the center-of-effort (imaginary 

bull) forward of your body. 


WORDS BY ANDY BRANDT 

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TRICKTIONARY.COM 

4 

3 

Now it’s time for the rotation. It’s very 

important to keep your eyes looking forward 

and windward during the entire rotation to 

prevent yourself from watching the sail spin. 

To rotate the sail into a clew-first position, 

three things are going to happen at once: 

one, reach back on the boom with the back 

hand and push the clew through the wind; 

two, arch your back for leverage to get ready 

for the clew-first position while continuing 

to look upwind and forward; three, step 

your front foot back on the centerline of the 

board, just like normal tack footwork except 

your body is rotating towards the tail of the 

board. It’s optional to release the mast hand 

completely during the rotation, as this will 

prevent you from the bad habit of resisting 

the sail’s rotation with the mast hand. To 

summarize into a mantra: step back, reach 

back and arch your back to spin. 

As a sail rotates around to clew-first, prepare 

yourself for the weight of the mast by staying 

arched and upright. Try to stop your rotation 

with the sail perpendicular to the board across 

the nose. This should keep the sail depowered 

while clew-first sailing. Now save your balance 

clew-first by grabbing the mast hand near the 

harness lines on the boom and sheet-in and 

-out. Reset your feet in an open stance with 

your front foot toes pointed towards the nose 

of the board. Bear off the wind clew-first by 

tilting the sail forward and windward. 

4flip the sail: Once sailing across or 

even slightly downwind, it’s time to flip 

the sail. Level the clew to windward while 

sliding your mast hand on the boom all the 

way down next to the mast. Release the clew 

hand and reach under your mast hand with 

an underhanded grip for the new front side 

of the boom. At the same time, squeeze your 

butt muscles and turn your head and shoulders 

towards the direction you’re sailing. 

Grab the new side with your back hand to 

complete the flip. Pop the battens around the 

mast and drop your weight down under the 

boom to accelerate away. 

Andy Brandt owns and teaches for abkboardsports.com, and is a big part of the upcoming new third book from Tricktionary.com. 

41

QUICK HITS 

ISS. 1.2 

PRO TIPS 

DOS AND DON’TS 

OF LEARNING 

TO BACK LOOP 

Marcilio Browne 

shows how to Back Loop. 

the back loop is an easy move to go 

for, but a very difficult one to land. 

Rather than giving up on it after 

your 100th attempt, why not try 

after reading these tips from Team 

Goya/Quatro? 

inspiration 

Francisco Goya: The first rider I 

remember landing Back Loops 

straight back and clean is Kai 

Katchadourian. I remember 

studying his sequence in a magazine 

over and over. I couldn’t 

believe it—how he could do it so 

perfectly. This is a great way to 

start learning the move. 

Levi Siver: Like with any move 

in windsurfing, watch the 

videos of the best guys doing it 

and visualize yourself in their 

place. Remember, everyone 

does it a bit differently, which 

makes up the DNA of your style. 

conditions 

Marcilio Browne: The best 

conditions to try a Back Loop in 

is 20- to 30-knot sideshore or 

side-onshore wind with clean 

and steep ramps to help push 

you up into the air. Avoid “fat” 

ramps, as they will project you 

forward, forcing more pressure 

on your arms and mast during 

the landing (can cause 

mast breakage). 

takeoff: L.S.: I always look 

for a vertical ramp, and whether 

it’s a one-foot or 20-foot wave, it 

doesn’t matter: you hit the ramp 

the same every time. The goal is 

to nail the takeoff right before the 

wave pitches, when the wall is at 

its most vertical state. This makes 

the rotation more straight up like 

a rocket, which will make the 

landing softer on the way down. 

M.B.: Remember to go straight 

up off the jump as you hit the 

ramp. A lot of people try to 

rotate by turning upwind really 

fast off the jump. This may be an 

easy way to rotate, but it’s not the 

rotation you’re looking for. 

F.G.: For me, Back Loops are 

all about going as high and as 

straight back as you can, focusing 

all of the board’s speed and 

the wind to reach your maximum 

height. 

rotation: M.B.: After going 

straight up off the ramp, bring 

the boom close to your hips and 

stomach, and look down over 

your shoulder while keeping 

your legs tucked in. A big 

mistake is keeping the body 

extended, which will limit your 

control of the jump. I like to go 

straight up as high as possible, 

and then when you hit the apex 

of the jump, look down over 

your shoulder and shoot straight 

down. This way there is less 

room for over- or under-rotating, 

as you are only doing two motions: 

one up and one down. 

L.S.: Looking over your shoulder is 

key, as it causes your body to play 

follow-the-leader with your eyes. 

If your eyes are already looking 

at your landing three-quarters 

through the rotation, your 

body will naturally bring the 

gear around. This only works 

if you commit; otherwise you’ll 

jump straight up, look over your 

shoulder and freeze up, forcing 

you to drop straight back down. 

F.G.: On Back Loops, I can go 

higher than with any other 

jump. At the last moment before 

the jump’s apex, I push the board 

over and around. 

Camille Juban: The biggest error 

I see is people extending their 

bodies and not staying close to 

their gear through the move. 

landing: M.B.: Look at where 

you are going and keep everything 

tucked in. Try to land with 

the nose first (you don’t want to 

land flat); point the nose down 

and try to hit it first in the water. 

You must sink the nose in to 

avoid a really hard landing. 

C.J.: As you start going down, 

lock your back arm and look at 

the landing zone. As the nose 

hits the water, begin to extend 

your legs. 

L.S.: When I spot my landing, I 

knife the nose of my board into 

the water, as this breaks the 

surface tension. When you get 

this right, the nose will stick in 

first and the tail will follow right 

after. On big Back Loops, you 

will sometimes end up chest- to 

head-deep in the water and then 

you’ll resurface. 


PHOTOS BY FISH BOWL DIARIES 

/GOYA WINDSURFING 

1 2 3 

4 5 

6 

9 8 7 

43

Windsurfing meets 

artistic vision. 


T R U E W I N D 

a n a r t p r o j e c t b y m a x m a t i s s e k 

INTERVIEW BY PETE DEKAY 

PHOTOS BY PHILIPP SCHUSTER/RED BULL CONTENT POOL 

Do you ever dream about windsurfing in beautiful places that you may 

never get the opportunity to visit? At least you’ll have those pictures 

in your mind for years to come.... Well, pro windsurfer Max Matissek 

aims to make some of his most abstract windsurfing visions a 

reality through his exciting new art project called True Wind. 

45

T R U E W I N D 

The walk 

of passion. 

WHEN I LANDED 

THE PASKO OFF THE 

KICKER, WE ALL JUST 

STARTED PARTYING! 

Has art always been a passion of yours? Ever since 

I was young, I’ve always loved to paint and do other 

creative stuff, but I never really made it public. I just did 

it for myself... to feel good. I’ve always had a passion 

to express myself in different ways, whether it be on 

the water, in cutting my videos or on a canvas. 

What is the goal of True Wind? The goal of this installation 

is to recreate an image I have in my head, print 

it on canvas and make it into an abstract piece of art. 

So, once we got the one perfect shot we were aiming 

for, it was printed on canvas and then overpainted by 

myself. That final piece of art and the video of the project 

premiered in Holland during the Surf World Cup. 

What were the biggest challenges of the project? 

Getting the huge jump-ramp down inside the reservoir 

was difficult. First, we wanted to use one of the Red 

Bull wakeboard ramps, but they were all one single, 

bulky piece and impossible to get through the underground 

entrance. So we had to build a custom divisible 

kicker in less than three days. That was a challenge. 

We also couldn’t test the kicker before the day of the 

shoot, which made it even more exciting for us. 

Probably the most impressive part of the project 

preparation was filling the gigantic water reservoir 

with rainwater (a total capacity of 28.5 million 

liters). This got us really nervous and excited, as 

we were not sure if it would happen in time. 

Do you have a favorite memory from True Wind? 

We had just one day to shoot, and everyone on the 30-person 

team was affected by both the excitement and stress. 

The cold 40-degree air temperature made everything 

even more challenging. But everyone in the crew was 

super motivated and worked hard to make it all come 

together. When I landed the Pasko off the kicker, we all just 

started partying! We were stoked our vision was realized. 

What inspired the True Wind project? Many years ago, 

a friend and I tried building a windsurf-specific winch 

for tow-in freestyle. From then on, I was constantly 

dreaming about all the different cool-looking windsurfing 

spots that could be made possible—like an underground 

rainwater reservoir beneath the streets of Vienna, 

Austria. Our specialized winch allowed me to combine my 

passions, windsurfing and art, in this True Wind project. 

The final artwork 

on display in Holland. 

Matthias Heschl/ 

Red Bull Content 

Pool photo 

What made you want to take windsurfing underground? 

I like the idea of bringing a street-style 

skateboard element into windsurfing. Both the winch 

and the kicker allow me to incorporate these aspects 

into windsurfing and realize creative images that haven’t 

been possible, like in an underground reservoir. 


Taking windsurfing 

underground. 

47

Opposite: A short storm 

rolls through. 

Top left: Taty Frans and 

Kiri Thode order lunch. 

Bottom left: Taty’s boat 

trip to Klein Bonaire. 

John Carter photos 


KLEIN BONAIRE 

After two days of shooting at Bonaire’s beautiful Lac Bay, Taty Frans 

surprised us with a boat trip to Klein Bonaire, a tiny uninhabited 

island opposite the capital city of Kralendijk. I was skeptical about 

leaving one of the most amazing freestyle locations on the planet for 

a trip into the unknown, but I could tell by the way Taty was pleading 

that we might be onto something special. —John Carter 

49

LOS ROQUES 

I present to you the magical paradise of Los Roques, a mind-blowing 

destination with world-class conditions still yet to be discovered. 

My trip here was an escape to Wonderland; it feels unreal, 

like traveling into another dimension. —Diony Guadagnino 

Opposite: Incredible 

waves. Caro Chopite photos 

Top left: Beautiful 

water. 

Bottom left: Diony 

celebrates before dinner. 


51

Opposite: Zane and 

Sydney Wewerka 

on Lake Hattie. 

Cindy Wewerka photos 

Top left: 

Freestyling with Zane. 

Bottom left: Sydney 

heads to the launch. 

WYOMING 

Now that Lake Hattie is completely full, the windsurfing 

is good again. It almost dried out completely a few years 

ago, but is back in action now. If you ever get the chance, 

you should check it out, as I did with my sister, Sydney, 

this past Labor Day weekend. —Zane Wewerka 


53


EGYPT 

Carine Camboulives and I met world freediving champion Davide Carrera a few years ago on Maui, 

and he came up with the idea of a four-day “surfers only” freediving training camp. The goal of the training 

was to learn how to better manage wipeouts and hold-downs. He mentioned the Egyptian Red Sea being 

the ideal freediving training place and a great windsurfing spot. —Manu Bouvet 

Opposite: Carine Camboulives in paradise. Pierre Bouras/Liquideye photos 

Top: Playing tourist. 

Bottom: Freediving. 

55

RODRIGUES ISLAND 

Rodrigues is part of the Mascarene Islands, which includes Mauritius and 

Réunion. It is of volcanic origin and surrounded by coral reef. Off its coast 

lies tiny uninhabited islands inside a very large and breathtaking lagoon. 

I wanted to explore all the little islands with a few friends, and what better 

way than by wind-SUP? —Denis Rey 


Opposite: Wind-SUP 

exploring. 4 Element 

Productions photos 

Above: Checking out 

the waves. 

57

POLAND 

After attending a lightwind EFPT contest at Max Matissek’s 

home spot in Austria, the two of us looked for a new 

windsurfing adventure. With Max’s sponsor, Chiemsee, 

trusting us with their VW van, it was time for a road trip. 

Without any wasted time, we sped along the Autobahn, 

making our way to Poland’s Baltic Coast, where northeast 

winds were forecasted all week. —Phil Soltysiak 


Opposite: The dying 

wind on Gdansk Bay. 

Max Matissek photos 

Top right: 

A session in Rowy. 

Bottom right: 

Touring Gdansk. 

59

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 

As the Galapagos Islands are extremely isolated, life has had to develop 

in different ways to survive compared to their origins. Over millions of years, 

new species have formed, which is why Charles Darwin chose these islands 

to do his work on evolutionary theory. I thought this would be more of a 

fun safari trip, and I expected to be using my snorkel kit more than 

my windsurfing and SUP gear—but I was wrong. —Kauli Seadi 

Opposite: Kauli 

bottom-turns. 

Top left: 

A sunset session. 

Bottom left: 

Galapagos wildlife. 

Maria Fernanda photos 


61


Opposite: Golden 

Gate. Erik Simonson/ 

h2oshots.com photos 

Top right: Alcatraz. 

Bottom right: Palace 

of Fine Arts. 

CRISSY FIELD 

San Francisco hasn’t seen slalom action like this in years. 

With 35 entries signed up to race at Crissy Field, and 

divided into two heats, all the pros and amateurs were 

stoked. There’d be no waiting on the beach for lengthy 

stints: just bang-bang downhill reaching with the pack 

marching en masse, as god intended. The action was tight 

and intense, with backdrops of the Golden Gate bridge, 

the Palace of Fine Arts, Alcatraz and dozens of friends 

and family lining the shore. —Erik Simonson 

63

GALLERY 

Camille Juban under the lip at Jaws, Maui. 

Fish Bowl Diaries photo 


65

GALLERY 

ISS. 1.2 

Björn Dunkerbeck at his own speed event in 

Fuerteventura, Spain. John Carter photo 


67

GALLERY 

ISS. 1.2 

Kevin Kan lands a Loop at Candlestick in San Francisco. 

Alex Dunkel photo 

Mike Jamieson enjoys a fall day on the Hudson River in New York. 

Hardie Truesdale photo 


Karin Jaggi sets a new world record at the Luderitz Speed Challenge. 

Luderitz Speed Challenge photo 

69

GALLERY 

ISS. 1.2 


Tyson Poor throws down some night freestyle in 

La Ventana, Baja, Mexico. Har Rai Khalsa photo 

71

Kevin Pritchard found some great waves on his 

way to victory at the AWT Hatteras Wave Jam. 

Si Crowther/AWT photo 


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BACK 

ISS. 1.2 


EQUIPPED 

WORDS BY 

DEREK RIJFF 

FREESTYLE 

SAILS FOR THE 

AVERAGE JOE 

“trix are for kids!” may be one of the best marketing campaigns of all time, but 

on a windsurfing beach, it’s usually heard as reasoning for having little to no 

interest in trying freestyle or even looking at the gear designed for it. Well, there 

is a new flock of specialized freestyle sails that have come to market lately, and 

while they’re revolutionizing freestyle tricks, there may be more here for you 

back-and-forth riders than you’d think. 

Freestyle sails are not 

just for tricks like these. 

John Carter/North Sails photo 

With freestyle evolving into the high-speed 

flippy-spinny state it’s become, pro riders have 

asked for sails that boost them higher into 

the air and rotate them as fast as possible. 

The result is a mix of traits that have never 

really been combined before. They are built 

to be incredibly light and often use high-tech 

materials and construction details you won’t 

find in any other sails. Along with being built 

light, they are designed to have tons of lowend 

power so you can get away with sailing a 

smaller size, and therefore be on a lighter rig. 

A big part of this power comes from the 

pull being placed higher in the sail so you 

can start leaning back against it in the smallest 

puff; that same pull from up high gives 

the sail the huge pop for tricks. There are a 

lot of older wavesails out there that have a 

higher draft, as well, but usually the shape 

is placed farther back in these sails (often 

referred to as back-hand pull). The big differentiating 

feature of a freestyle sail is that 

the shape is placed much farther forward to 

more easily send the nose of the board spinning 

into a freestyle move when required. 

Going hand in hand with a forward draft, the 

boom lengths become shorter, which goes 

toward making the sail easier to duck. As a 

bonus: it preserves the light feel of the sail, 

as it’s effortless to sheet-in. 

Put a sail with all these features in the 

hands of a capable freestyler—the results are 

nothing short of amazing. But what about in 

the hands of an average Joe windsurfer? 

As wavesails are trending to have the pull 

placed lower in the sail, freestyle sails are 

becoming the best choice for those needing 

smaller sails to complete a total freeride 

quiver. The high draft, and sense of power 

it provides, gives you a greater feeling of 

familiarity on windy days, and makes the 

transition to different, smaller gear and 

water conditions that much easier. The average 

Joe back-and-forth riders often focus 

on their jibes in the windier conditions, and 

with the freestyle sails’ higher pull giving 

your rail a little more bite, you just might be 

surprised by the extra style this sail will give 

you “for free.” 

As an average Joe bump-and-jump 

sailor, you may never land backwards on 

purpose, but this doesn’t mean you don’t 

want to get into the air. The boost built 

into a freestyle sail will be just what you’re 

looking for, and the lightweight feel and 

maneuverability will be an added bonus 

you’ll quickly appreciate. Smaller riders 

will also love the light and effortless sheeting-in, 

but without the girth to truly tame 

its grunt, you may be surprised by a bouncier 

ride. However, adding extra downhaul 

tension will lower the pull and smooth out 

the ride, but now the sail might not feel 

any different from a modern wavesail…. 

Well, at least you now have options. 

Tricks might be for kids, but for once their 

needs have made something that adults will 

enjoy, as well. 

77

BACK 

ISS. 1.2 

EQUIPPED 

WORDS BY 

DEREK RIJFF 

DID YOU BUY 

THE RIGHT 

BOOM? 

carbon or aluminum? This is the big decision 

most people consider when buying a boom. And 

once you’ve made your choice, that boom becomes your 

most used piece of rigging, and also the most overlooked. 

But regardless of material, did you really buy the right boom? 

The right boom will be stiff, comfortable 

and light in the hands, and it will fit your 

sails perfectly to allow for maximum 

performance. Let’s look at each of these 

characteristics in a little more detail. 

STIFFNESS 

To the engineer-type, the most important 

thing to look for in a boom is stiffness. A stiff 

boom will help a sail keep its shape in big 

gusts when you need that locked-in shape 

the most. It used to be said that you only 

needed stiffer carbon booms on your biggest 

sails, but if you’re moving into sails with a 

minimal number of battens you may want 

to get something good and stiff to ensure 

performance on these smaller sails, as well. 

Yes, carbon ones are stiffer than aluminum 

ones. But not all tubing is the same 

quality and not all booms are built the same 

way. Regardless of aluminum or carbon, 

booms built with a one piece monocoque 

construction for the front section will be 

stiffer and much stronger than a three-piece 

construction. Just as mast makers describe 

their product with the percentage of carbon 

fiber used, “carbon” booms usually have 

a combination of carbon and fiberglass in 

their construction. Some brands use more 

carbon than others, and some also use the 

materials to better effect with more technical 

and intricate constructions. 

Beyond the amount of carbon fiber used, 

there are also vastly different grades of 

carbon. The same goes for aluminum. To 

make it even more complicated, there’s also 

different ways to finish these materials to 

add scuff resistance, or to further improve 

stiffness and durability. Without a comprehensive 

explanation of how each boom is 

built, and the engineering degree to understand 

it all, it’s usually a safe assumption 

that the higher the price of the boom, the 

higher the quality and usually the stiffness. 

WEIGHT AND DIAMETER 

To those looking for maximum comfort, a 

thin grip and light weight are key. Unfortunately, 

these things do not always go hand 

in hand, and they can definitely detract 

from the stiffness. You’d think that a thinner 

boom would also be the lighter boom, 

but it usually ends up taking more material 

to make a smaller grip stiff enough, so 

thinner booms are often a little heavier. 

Aluminum booms tend to come in at a 

diameter of 28mm for smaller sizes and 

30mm in bigger sizes. This is for good 

reason, as it’s at this diameter that you get 

decent stiffness for the weight. Carbon 

booms can be as thin as 25mm, and for 

smaller riders and small sails, it doesn’t 

get any better than this. Larger riders, and 

riders on larger sails, may be better off 

with a slightly thicker diameter though, as 

a few millimeters can make a significant 

difference in stiffness and won’t result in 

any gained weight. 

BEND 

And what about the bend in the boom arm? 

Rarely does anyone think about how the 

bend of their boom matches their sails. 

Sails have evolved greatly over time and 

to match this evolution, booms have had 

changed, as well. The bend can make a 

huge difference in how your sail feels. It is, 

after all, your contact point to the sail. 

Advancements in windsurfing equipment 

have led to sail designs with the shape 

being placed farther forward towards the 

mast, or leading edge, of the sail. This 

means that your hands and harness line 

placement are also moving closer to the 

mast. The latest boom designs tend to have 

their bend forward as well, which complements 

these new designs. 

Put a forward-drafted new sail on an 

older boom with a more gradual arm bend 

and you may end up feeling like you can’t 

sheet the sail in properly, as the bend fights 

your movement of the rig. This becomes 

less extreme on big sails or when that older 

boom is being used at close to its max adjustment. 

But watch out, as old booms just 

don’t work on small sails anymore. 

WIDTH 

Going hand in hand with the bend is the 

overall width of the boom. Here the trend 

has been to go narrower, once again matching 

changes in sail design. Especially when 

you look at smaller sails (5.2 and down), 

there is very little expansion to even the 

most powerful models, so there’s no need 

for a really wide boom. This is why wave 

booms are now very narrow. 

Freeride sails have become flatter as well, 

but you may not want to match a newer, 

narrower wave boom to this type of sail. A 

bit more width in the boom will help you 

maximize the freeride’s wind range when 

the wind dies, as you can let the sail comfortably 

expand by letting out the outhaul. 

Getting technical, a wider boom will always 

make a sail feel more powerful, as it’s 

standing more upright, and the narrower 

boom will give you more control of the sail; 

you’ll notice a more direct connection to 

movements from gusts and lulls. 


KITE SUP SAIL 

CAPE HATTERAS 

Lessons, Rentals, Retail 

Avon, NC (252) 995 - 5000 

www.oceanairsports.com

BACK 

ISS. 1.2 

REGIONS 

OREGON COAST: SAILING 

WITH CHAMPIONS 

WORDS BY BEN PAGE 

PHOTOS BY TRUDY LARY 

Getting totally schooled by Brawzinho. 

One of this summer’s highlights 

was the two days I got 

to sail at Pistol River, OR with 

former world champion Marcilio 

“Brawzinho” Browne 

and Levi Siver. It was a good weekend 

forecast, with the wind looking solid, but 

not a whole lot in the way of swell. I’d heard 

rumors they were heading for the West 

Coast, but I wasn’t convinced; they’d passed 

on an epic Cape Sebastian a week earlier, so I 

doubted they would come for this. 

The weekend started in the standard way, 

with a Thursday night staying over in the car 

park in Bandon, OR and a morning surf at 

the South Jetty there. Then I headed to Gold 

Beach and had another surf in some small 

waves at the jetty there with friends. Saturday 

was windy from the word go, with us getting 

a morning sail at the jetty before heading for 

“the Rock” at Pistol River in the afternoon. 

The wind was solid, and I was well-powered 

up on 3.7. I was having fun with conditions 

being typical: perfect jumping at the Rock, 

with some heavy overhead waves ready to put 

you in your place if you fell. 

Ben Page riding. 

All of a sudden, I saw a small 

crowd assemble on the beach and a 

man with an obscenely large camera 

set up camp. As sure as I am of my 

own brilliance, I doubted this was 

for me. Sure enough, a minute later, 

two very shiny sets of gear appeared. 

I’ve sailed with top-level pros before, 

but only in Tenerife, Spain, where 

it was crowded and conditions were 

rubbish. This was entirely different. 

There was plenty of space with just 

the three of us on the water, and the 

wind and waves were pumping. 

There’s no other way of saying it 

than, they were spectactular! Massive 

doubles from Brawzinho, one-footed 

Backies from Levi—frankly ridiculous 

riding from both of them. It was 

great to sail with them and see how 

they behave on the water. They were 

getting big aerials and 360s. It was just 

awesome. It was also reassuring to see 

that sometimes even they get nailed by 

the savagery that is Pistol River. One 

moment I remember clearly was being 

washed around in the shorebreak, 

when above the wave that was about 

to break on my head I saw Brawzinho 

fly into an absolutely gigantic Double 

Forward. It makes the coldwater brain 

freeze a little less horrible when you’ve 

got that to think about! 

—Ben Page, ben-page.blogspot.com 


TORONTO: FINISHING A 

MAMMOTH MARATHON 

WORDS BY IAN MATTHEWS 

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TORONTO WINDSURFING CLUB 

Since 1988, the Toronto 

Windsurfing Club has put 

on its annual Mammoth 

Marathon, an 11-mile 

race around Toronto 

Island. Competitors come from 

all across North America for this 

open-fleet race (i.e. any windsurfing 

equipment is legal, including 

tandem boards) with an on-the-beach 

start and finish. My first Mammoth 

Marathon was in 1995, when I was 

just 11 years old. Over the years, the 

conditions have varied from crazy 

course-altering storms to lightwind 

pump fests where it took as much as 

five hours for some people to finish. 

The outlook was bleak this year: the 

wind was only blowing only five knots 

for all 65 racers lined up on the beach, 

with only a rope separating us from our 

gear and then the water. At the gun, we 

took off in what is the craziest start I‘ve 

ever participated in. People were fighting, 

elbows up, to get to their boards 

first, and then find their space in the 

water for a beachstart with clear air. 

We raced from the beach to the 

first mark halfway across the harbor, 

and then onto the harbor’s mouth, 

where the committee boat waited to 

cut off any people they felt wouldn’t 

be successful in getting around the 

island safely. From there, we began 

the long trek around the back of the 

island. It can be a windy and wavy 

reach where people tear off into the 

distance; however, this year it was a bit 

of a pump fest. 

For the broad reach around the 

back of the Island, Igor Renkas and 

Paul Matthews were ahead, riding an 

18-foot tandem windsurfing board 

from the ’80s. It’s a very fast board in 

lightwind, so the rest of the pack had 

to work hard to stay with them, with 

the hopes of passing them in the inner 

harbor. There, the increasing winds 

on the upwind leg would hopefully 

provide some advantage. 

But first, the fleet had to tangle with 

Toronto Island’s western gap. This upwind 

run through a narrow 30- to 60-foot wide gap 

lasted about 200 yards and was lined with 

break walls (not to mention airplanes taking 

off right along its side). The gap was also 

busy with boat traffic and the Toronto Island 

Airport ferry, which crosses regularly without 

a care about who might be in the way. Sometimes 

the gap can be relatively harmless, but 

not that day, with the northeast wind making 

the gap run essentially straight upwind. Many 

positions changed when the nasty voodoo 

chop and difficult wind direction caused 

racers a lot of problems. 

Once through the gap, the fleet faced the 

upwind leg of the inner harbor. But with 

winds increasing to 12 knots, things became a 

lot more interesting. A number of raceboards 

(very fast longboards) took the lead, with Keith 

Winston, Nick Cox, 17-year-old Zane Feder and 

myself jostling for position and trading the 

lead with each tack to the eastern gap. 

Emerging back into the outer harbor and 

closing in on the finish, Keith was slightly 

ahead of me. We both pumped all the 

way to the beach, trading the lead on each 

gust. Keith hit the crowded beach just before 

me, with the finish line set as the scoring 

table 40 yards out of the water. He jumped 

off his board, but got tangled up with an outof-place 

Toronto Windsurfing Club “learn-towindsurf” 

participant (at least that beginner 

has a great story from his first lesson), slowing 

him down. He finally got free and headed 

towards the table, with me right on his heels. 

It’s incredible when an 11-mile race that takes 

almost two hours to complete comes down to 

an almost photo finish… but Keith got there 

first, taking the victory. 

It seems, every year, no matter what the 

conditions are, we get finishes like this, 

which is why it’s always my favorite race of 

the season. —Ian Matthews 

Toronto, Ontario. 

81

BACK 

ISS. 1.2 

REGIONS 

FLORIDA THE SCARIEST 

KONA RACE EVER 

WORDS BY JUSTIN AHEARN 

PHOTOS BY AYASHA TEAGUE 

The fleet. 

Awards. 

The first annual Kona 

Gulf Coast Championship, 

hosted 

by the Clearwater 

Community Sailing 

Center, will go down as one 

of the spookiest Kona events 

ever. Held on October 31 and 

November 1, the event naturally 

had a strong Halloween 

theme. Professional race officer 

Donna Sue Marks was dressed 

as a witch and threw candy at 

the competitors during the 

skippers’ meeting. Competitor 

Jake Dennis sailed great and 

looked tough in his Hulk Hogan 

costume. Erin McKie had the 

biggest scare, however, when 

a hammerhead shark surfaced 

underneath her board. 

Races were both fun and challenging 

in the shifty and puffy 

easterly breeze. Six races were 

completed on Halloween, and 

afterwards, racing competitors 

enjoyed a Halloween party with 

fish tacos, Stan’s famous jambalaya, 

and cupcakes featuring 

edible broken glass and blood. 

Day 2 of the regatta began with 

a Clearwater Harbor “around 

the islands” race in beautiful 

10- to 14-knot conditions. The 

breeze held all weekend, allowing 

the race committee to get in 

10 solid races. 

The Juniors were scary fast. 

Fifteen-year-old Noah Lyons 

easily bested the experienced 

field, scoring 11 points in 10 

races. Charlotte Samson, 18, 

also had an abundance of board 

speed and took second place. 

Luckily, Steve Gottlieb sailed well 

and ended up in third to keep 

the juniors from sweeping the 

podium. Sixty-eight-year-old 

Rik Edmonds won the Ironman 

Award, and everyone’s respect, 

by sailing the entire weekend 

without a harness. 

The event succeeded in attracting 

Kona’s target audience: everyone. 

Kona Windsurfing’s goal is 

to make the sport accessible to a 

diverse group of people by keeping 

costs down and eliminating 

weight sweet spots. Sailors are 

assigned their sail size based on 

weight. Seven sail sizes ensure 

everyone is comfortably powered 

and allows for the entire fleet to 

sail in one division. The classic 

longboard shape is user-friendly 

but hops up on its rail and goes to 

weather nicely. 

The event drew 26 competitors 

ranging in age from 12 to 

68, and of those, seven sailors 

succeeded in completing their 

first regatta ever. One sailor 

sailed his first regatta since the 

early ’90s. Swedish Kona representative 

Johan Lyreborn was 

nice enough to work the regatta 

into his family’s vacation plans. 

And, of course, the regulars of 

the southeast Kona circuit were 

well-represented. 

Looking ahead, the event 

should provide a nice springboard 

for growing Kona sailing 

on the Gulf Coast of Florida. The 

first annual Kona Gulf Coast 

Championship would not have 

been possible without the help 

of Sandy Point Progressive 

Sports, US Windsurfing and our 

local sponsors and volunteers. 

—Justin Ahearn

Windsurfing Now 01.2

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