- Features Article

Build Your Own Snow Windsurfer

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:23:00 -0500

Hot Sails Maui Latvian team rider Krish scored some epic autumn sessions on the water but finally the snow has arrived and it is time to try new things. Last week the picture of Krish snow surfing was the most talked about image on our Facebook page so we asked him to write a post about converting a snowboard.

"When wintertime has come, we have to think about different expressions of windsurfing. And one of them is snowsurf (so we call it here in Latvia). Actually it’s possible to do a lot of crazy things with it, mostly fteestyle. It’s also possible to build a kicker and jump. Forward loop is the first one which we have tried, but there is a thought also about Pushloop!

Now I will try to describe how to attach windsurfing sail to snowboard without damaging the board. I made a drawing with the main measurements."

-----CLICK HERE to read and see photos of how to do it!-----

Dunkerbeck, Voget & Swift at Dakar Rally

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:39:00 -0500

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles sends windsurfing professionals sand-boarding in the desert in the new Crafter 4MOTION with four-wheel drive from Achleitner.

While Dakar Rally competitors just put the first half of the route behind them and recovered at the bivouac in Copiapo/Chile on their rest day, Björn Dunkerbeck, Robby Swift and Klaas Voget faced a completely different challenge: sand-boarding in the Atacama desert to put the Crafter 4MOTION to an acid test on behalf of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

The three of them met at 5.30 in the morning to depart for Medanoso, the highest sand dune in South America. They got to the base of the 800 metres high dune just in time for sunrise and the fun was about to start. First, the professional sand-boards specially crafted in South Africa had to be waxed and polished in the desert sand, before marching uphill. Why marching? Didn't the Volkswagen team tell them to put the Crafter to an acid test? So why walk when you can drive? At least as far as it is possible. After all, they're all coming down and the worst that can happen is getting stuck. The Crafter 4MOTION performed superbly on the way to the crest, also considering it had to carry the entire equipment of the three windsurfing professionals. Good for the boys, who were saved a long stretch of the exhausting climb and were able to concentrate all their energy on sand-boarding.

Watched by a desert fox the three professionals drew their lines in the sand and boarded down to the foot of the dune. After a short break they carried on to the Dakar Rally bivouac for a quick meet 'n' greet with Rudolf Schenker (Scorpions), Dariusz 'Tiger' Michalczewski (former boxing world champion) and Jacky Ickx (Formula 1 legend), who had dropped in. Schenker's spontaneous gig really livened up the atmosphere in the bivouac – and even made the 'Tiger' roar.

Part two of the trip obviously led into the water – Chile is, after all, a second home to Robby and Klaas, who had their dream houses built here. Klaas Voget remarked, "There are thousands of fantastic surfing and windsurfing spots along the Chilean coast, albeit extremely difficult to get to them. The Crafter 4MOTION really comes very handy here and what is more, it provides room for all our stuff, and there are three of us".

Unfortunately, the wind was a spoilsport and so all the windsurfing equipment went back into the Crafter unused.Still the three professionals made the most of their lightning visit to the beach. They got out their sand-boards, found a small dune and had some idyllic photos taken of jumps in the sunset. Klaas, an experienced snowboarder, impressed his audience with his stylish tailgrabs.
Robby, the only goofyfoot (right foot in front) among them, daringly tried to be regular so that he could also grin into the camera rather than presenting his behind to the photographer. The odd crash landing was marked by cheers. Dunki, for his part, impressed the cameramen with his efficiency, "I'll give you one more jump. Don't cock it up. Focus on the pebble over there." Sure as day follows night, where other guys need ten attempts, Dunkerbeck delivers first time, or does he? But then Björn would not be world champion 41 times over if he didn't possess the gift of perfect concentration.

Learn a Spock in 10-days!

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 10:15:00 -0400

Jan Nilsen showed up to Sherman Island earlier this month with the goal of landing a Vulcan in 7 days or less. If you don't windsurf, this is a very ambitious and lofty goal for sailors at any level of the sport and is usually not met. The Vulcan is one of the most difficult moves in the sport to learn and can take people years before they make one.

So when this Colorado native showed up, his smallest sail being a 5.2 (that's most guys big sail here) and no prior attempts, we thought it would be a long shot. However Jan was committed to his goal, he had the right board and fin for the task and once on the water I don't think I saw the guy jibe once. Every single run he went for it, over and over again.

Not only did Jan meet his goal, but he exceeded it taking things one step further my landing a Spock. I had the chance to ask Jan a few questions, and here is what he said:

Chachi : How long have you been windsurfing?
Jan : Maybe 10 years, but very sporadic.

Chachi: Did you have your freestyle board before you decided to learn the Vulcan or did you buy it after you set your goal?
Jan: I got my freestyle board in the fall of last year and wanted it because of the planing capabilities and I figured it would help me do slide moves one day.

Chach i:Tell me a bit about your background as a skier?
Jan: I skied since I was little, gates first then mogul/aerials professionally on/off for 10 years.

Chachi: How many days did it take you to land it? How did this all go down?
Jan : I had just taken a 9 day personal training class in San Diego and I was ready to have some fun. I was on a mission to land or at least get close to landing a Vulcan and I had a week to do it, all I needed was some place windy. So I drove north to Rio Vista; cool place but where's the flat water? Conditions looked a bit intimidating. Anyway, I rigged and reminded my self to "cowboy up cream puff!"
     Day 1 was spent looking and feeling like a cat out the window. I kept chucking airs (probably got about 30 tries in the first day) and at the end of the day I actually started to get around past 1/4 turn digging my rails in, to sliding a little. That was enough information and attempts for one day.
     Day 2 the first thing I wanted to work on was the timing on the takeoff. I remember from my mogul skiing days it's all in the takeoff if you wanna fly straight and land straight. I got super cognitive in my takeoff attempts, to make sure I would not program in a faulty motor engram. This took all day, and at the end of day 2 I felt the timing was getting there. The difference this made was huge, it meant that almost every time I jumped, I now made it past the point of digging the rail in, whip lashing, ankle twisting, to a very nice slide and soft fall. Probably had another 30 tries total day 2.
     Day 3 I was starting to feel the abuse from previous days carnage. I decided to sail around less to conserve energy, and only go far enough out to have enough speed to do the next vulcan attempt. The timing was there, but I knew I needed more speed. What do you know? you go twice as fast, you only have to pop half as hard. It now started to feel really good in my takeoffs but planing backwards in landing was not. Had a total of 25-30 reps on day 3.
     Day 4 started with my mind wanting to do more vulcan attempts, but my body thought otherwise, mind over matter right? I'm back in the water stiff as hell, forcing out some reps. Took half a day just to get warmed up. Started thinking about, for the first time, what the sail and hands were doing? This messed with the timing of the takeoff, but at the end of the day I was getting very close to landing my first vulcan.
     Day 5 second attempt, I did it, I landed the vulcan, celebrated for ONE minute, ( this is how my mind works, go figure) got greedy and down on my self for not landing another one until the next day. Totally ignoring the fact of the accomplishment I came for was now in the bag!
     Day 6 a much needed rest day for lack of wind. I wanted more, shuffled my schedule around so I could stay another 3-5 days.
     Day 7-9 I was trying to get some consistency with my vulcan and also started to try them going on port. This was almost like starting completely over again. Cognitive motor programing, but also couldn't help my self for trying spocks on my good side.
     Day 10 I landed my first spock, tried the rest of the day to repeat but I couldn't.
     Day 11 I was overpowered on my 5.2, tried a few tricks but realized just sailing around enjoying my self was good enough today as I only had the morning session before I had to pack up and leave to go back to Colorado. What an adventure it had been!

Chachi: Anything else you want to add?
Jan : I'll be the first one to admit it's easy to get caught up in making that vulcan or next move yesterday, at 46 feeding a pathological ego is still fun, but I also realize every day is Sunday and the wind and the waves are my church!

Chachi: Thanks Jan! We're looking forward to seeing you out there again, maybe another two weeks and you'll go pro!

Photos By Brendon Baird Quinn aka "The Wind Gypsy"

Vote Ingrid Larouche: AWSI windsurfer of the year

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:07:00 -0400

'LIKE' to vote for INGRID LAROUCHE

Country: US (originally from Canada)
Sponsors: MauiSails, Tabou, Dakine

2010-2011 Accomplishments:

currently 1st in overall American Windsurfing Tour standing in both Women and Amateur divisions
1st at 2011 AWT Pistol River Wave Bash for women
1st at 2011 AWT Santa Cruz Classic for women
3rd at 2011 AWT Pistol River Wave Bash for amateurs
2nd at 2011 AWT Santa Cruz Classic for amateurs
1st at 2011 Lord of the Wind in Women's Freestyle, Slalom and Course Racing
1st at 2010 Pistol River Wave Bash for women
1st at 2010 US Nationals in Slalom
2nd at 2010 US Nationals in Freestyle
1st at Rio Vista Dirty Water Classic in Freestyle

Ingrid Larouche's hard work on the water in the Gorge and Maui over the past year has paid off as she has become the most decorated woman in North American windsurfing. She has proven she can do every discipline at the highest level and is always a standout wherever she sails. CLICK HERE to read a recent interview with Larouche on the Nalu Wahine Blog.

Interview: Mark Angulo

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The Rebirth of Style: Mark Angulo
Wave 360s, goiters and contorted tweaked aerials - Mark Angulo's innovation and natural ability lead to the creation of modern wave sailing and many of his moves are still the inspiration and aspiration for our sport's top athletes today. While his contorted style drew him event wins and worldwide accolades in the golden days of the sport, his head and body were twisting him in other ways too. In a frank and powerful interview with John Carter, Angulo tells about conquering his demons and finding his way back to the water, where already he's inventing new moves and being recognised as 'the one' to watch at Ho'okipa.

John Carter: What was it like growing up in a "surfing" family?
Mark Angulo: My dad wanted to shape boards so we moved over from California. We were a surf family; my mom would take us down to the beach to play in the shore break when we were young while my dad was shaping boards. The family moved over to Maui in 1986 just as I was graduating from high school. So pretty much my whole school life was on Oahu. As we were growing up we were just surfing everyday. We were raised in a surfing environment. My dad shaped for all the big companies over in Oahu. Lightning Bolt, Town and Country, and Local Motion. My best friends were all great surfers. One of them was Ricky Irons who is the cousin of Andy and Bruce Irons. I hung out with Mark Thomas, who runs Rip Curl, and Jack Johnson, the singer. We grew up amongst a lot of surfers and talented people. We were just a bunch of kids hanging out at the beach. Every year we would watch the pros roll into town, like Tom Curren, Martin Potter, Shaun Thomson, and all those guys.

JC: How did you get your start competing in windsurfing?
MA: I'd finished up high school and I had just started touring. We had already been coming over to Maui for windsurfing a bunch. I had already been competing for a while and I was sailing pretty well. We would normally come over for the contests in March/April and October/November. I was making money. At that time not through sponsors but mostly through winning contests. I was just a grommet but I was placing up in the top five of the big Maui wave contests. Back then you could get four or five grand for third or fourth so I was doing pretty well. My dad's business was also thriving and he was making a name for himself as one of the leading sailboard shapers.

I remember going to the Gorge in 1986. I was riding for North I believe at the time. Over there I met Barry Spanier and Jeff Bourne from Neil Pryde and they wanted me to ride for them and offered me some money. I was like "Wow! That's great for sure!" By the time I got back home I had a whole new quiver of Neil Pryde sails. Right around that time I really started to do well. I started winning contests and then I started traveling around. From '86 to '89-90 there was a lot of stuff happening. There was a lot of good stuff and also a lot of bad. It was a real flurry. I was making a lot of money. My friends were back home waiting tables and smoking pot and back then for my age I was pulling in $70,000-$100,000 a year. That was good money. Maybe today it is not so great but right now I would still be happy with that (Laughs).

JC: How did you invent moves like the goiter and wave 360?
MA: A bunch of moves I created and became know for were kind of accidents. For one I was a great wave sailor. Growing up on Oahu and having the surfing background really made me an exceptional sailor. When I came to Maui and met all the windsurfers, a lot of them surfed but they were not great surfers. I am not trying to brag on myself but definitely I immediately rose to the top in the wave sailing scene because I had been exposed to unbelievably good surf all through my life. A bit like Robby Naish. My windsurfing was a natural progression. As I got better things like the 360 happened. That move started as an accident. I remember on a windy day I kind of blew out of a wave and spun around and almost landed. Then I kind of figured out that the move was possible. Craig Jester and all those guys from backyards used to call me 'Baby Gu' so I ended up naming the 360 the Gu Screw. My dad didn't like the word 'screw' so he changed it to aerial 360! I really liked to try and learn a lot of knew moves. People would laugh at me while I was trying but then I would make a new move. That would be it...the other guys would have to learn the new moves too. At the time one of my goals was to always stay one step ahead. I may not have seen it at the time but I was actually a pretty competitive person. At the contests I might have seemed all laid back but I was determined to do as well as possible in the big Maui events.

A couple of things happened with me and they still do actually. I would actually dream stuff. I would be asleep at night and dream about new moves. I would wake up remember it and then go and try it. Sometimes it would work out. The Goiter was like that. I dreamt that, man! (Laughs) I remember waking up going "Wow that was a weird dream." On the other hand a lot of my moves would happen from falling. I could be in the air and out of control and something would happen and you would flip with the wind and land a different way. Then you figure you could do that move. The whole back loop thing I used to do with the arched back and twisting my head, I don’t know where that comes from. When I used to surf on Oahu they used to call me 'Noodle Boy' because I used to get into some contorted positions. I don't know why. I am not that limber or anything really I am kind of tight. Something just happens to me in the water. I've got a big head...it swings around a lot... (Laughs).

JC: What was life like on tour?
MA: I did not do all of it but I did events in Europe, Japan and Australia. On port tack I was just worthless, still to this day I suck. For one, I am a regular foot surfer. I have spent so much time surfing that for me to sail port tack is like pulling teeth. I cannot for the life of me bottom turn. I still traveled the world and I was still able to do ok in the waves but at that time in my career Neil Pryde were happy for me to show up and sign autographs and do promotions. I was like the Neil Pryde show off kid. All the dealers wanted Mark Angulo at their contests and that is what I did.

JC: Why did you get kicked off the PBA tour?
MA: At that time I was starting to slip off the rails. I would turn up at events, drink and be a full trouble maker. It wasn’t all bad... I have a lot of good memories about those years too. As much as there was a lot of bad stuff, there was a lot of good stuff too. In the World Cup event in England I got in a fight with Terry Weiner the tour manager. I was kicked out of the PBA. He was the head guy and I punched him. Those were bad days. I did not know Neil Pryde that well but I remember being at ISPO in Germany and he took me aside. He did not tell me in such words that I was fired but he said that he could not handle my actions and behavior. When I got home the checks stopped flowing!

I don’t know where I got my wild streak. We were raised pretty strictly. We were a Christian family and went to private school and then a public school. I was exposed to plenty of good stuff and plenty of bad on Oahu. I think what happened for me, people will dispute this but if I really look back at what was going on... I did not know how to deal with what was happening. I wasn't shy but I kind of just liked to do my thing. At that age without any preparation I was thrown into the limelight. I was put on a pedestal, center stage with plenty of money in my pocket; I had people asking for autographs and all kind of stuff happening. Part of me was really scared while the other side of me was thinking this is the greatest thing in the world. There was no balance; I did not have any checks or control on my behavior. I had my dad but he did not travel with me and he was not aware of half the stuff I was up to at home or away. The situation really lead to some out of control action. At first I think that alcohol was a really good way for me to be able to cope. I was totally out of control in all aspects. This was around the early nineties. I would drink and party like any normal person but then it really developed into something more of a daily affair. Alcohol became part of my life. I did not realize it. I was drinking every single day. Even my rowdy friends, would not always be drinking but I would just keep going. Then I realized... "You know what? I am the worst of all my friends." I kept thinking that I was hanging with some bad people but I ended up the baddest of them all. (Laughs) Even the bad guys didn't want to hang out with me! (Laughs).

JC: How did you recover?
MA: It was a place called 'My Brothers Keeper'. It was a Hawaiian family who came from Oahu. They developed a Christian based program. I lived with them for a year. That was the hardest year of my life. It was also hard because it was on Maui. I did not intend to stay for the whole year. I was thinking like thirty days and I would be out of there. I had to come to terms with the way I had lost everything I had. I wanted to show the people around me, and the community, that I was serious.

We built a restaurant over in Kapalua. I did a lot of yard work and a lot of community service kind of work. There was no alcohol in the house. It was a safe and sober environment but you could leave the house anytime you wanted. Within the first week I was working at a restaurant actually building the bar. If I wanted to access alcohol I could have. About one hundred people came and left the house and I think I was the second one to graduate. I saw people come and go everyday but I just said nobody was going to stop me this time.

I was shocked when I came back out from the rehab. We would get up at five AM every morning. By the time most people were crawling out of bed we would be cranking for two hours. I remember the first night I came home. Throughout this time my wife Eleanor started visiting me again. We kind of fixed our relationship. The 'real me' came back. Before I was just drinking vodka all day. I did not even drink beer by the end. I just drank vodka all day long. The 'real me' started to emerge again. The person she fell in love with back in 1988. So we decided to get re-married. I remember waking up the day I came out of the rehab and I did not know what to do with myself. In the rehab we spent most of the time in quietness, focusing on yourself. You had to think about why you had made the choices you had made. The fact was that I made those choices. I did it. Most people will tell you there are physiological and physical reasons why you become an alcoholic and of course there are. Maybe it's something in people's background that makes you slip of the rails but I did it. My friends did not do it to me. It wasn't the fact that I was windsurfing too young with too much money. I realized that I made those choices. I paid the price for my actions. Once I came to terms with that and then I realized I did not have to go back to alcohol. It made me at peace with myself. It is ok now. It is ok to have a good life. Not drink all day. Not self destruct. Not all resentful and angry and trying to blame everyone else.

JC: How does it feel to hit the water again?
MA: I had some old equipment. I went sailing after about a week out of the rehab. I was just a kook. I remember getting beaten around. I remember getting one wave and just busting the biggest fattest goiter ever! I ate it in the pit! I just remember laughing. It came back to me that I just love windsurfing. I then started working at the shop for my dad. That started to become my new life. The shop and the beach. That is now my little loop. No deviations. No reason to go anywhere else. I just wake up early. Do my computer work. Go to the shop, take care of my responsibilities. Go to the beach. Go sailing or surfing. Before I had all these mental and emotional ties with windsurfing and the beach. The fact is that one day I woke up too and realized that it is my responsibility to be down the beach. I am one of the best windsurfers in the world. I love windsurfing and I gotta go windsurf. I don't complain anymore about the wind or the conditions.

Of course we all like to think that we are good enough to get paid to windsurf but I don't think about it in those terms anymore. I think that because of who I am and what I am doing I am in a pretty good position. Now I am involved with the shaping, designing and the Angulo board line with my ability of what's going on the water. I think I would probably be the best deal that is going! But the fact is I am 38 years old. I had my day in the sun. The way I have things going I will have plenty more time in the water. I will get some magazine coverage and stuff like that but my main goal now is to be happy and live a good life. I would like to be a good inspiration and a good example for younger kids.

There are a lot of young guys out there just in the same position I used to be. I can see some of them partying and getting bad. I would now like to set a good example.

At the moment I don't even get free boards. I earn my boards. I got to pay for my boards. I make them at the Angulo custom factory so I get the best price possible. But I pay for everything. Nothing is free because it has got to come out of somebody's pocket. My dad ain't gonna pay for my boards anymore. Actually Robby Naish gives me sails, booms and masts. He and Michi Schweiger have really helped me out. Robby was really a good friend. He stepped up to the plate. I called him and said I needed some stuff. I went down there and they loaded up my truck with sails. That was really cool. Robby does not have to anything like that for nobody. I really appreciated that.

JC: What was it like to ride Jaws when it was first discovered?
MA: That whole time in our life was a really cool period. I was hanging with Laird Hamilton, Mike Waltze and Dave Kalama and Jaws was one of the places we were watching for years. Then one day Laird suggested we go out sailing there. It was windy so we went out. We all jumped off the rocks. It was scary. I was the first one off the rocks and I had to paddle my rig about 40 feet to get into the wind. You had to time it. There was a big shore break and a lot of rocks. It was real stupid actually. I made it out and all of a sudden a big set came and the other guys had to wait. I was out there on my own for about half an hour. I got like ten covers from that first session. Everyone else finally made it out. Oh my goodness that was a day to remember. It was scary. Kai got caught that day and broke all of his stuff and went on the rocks. After that we started taking our boats up there and then jet skis came around. They were pretty fun years. We sailed it plenty after that. The first time was the one! I have not been out there in a long time. I would love to sail it again. It's a great wave. With all the crowds out there now it's getting more dangerous. People have to drop deeper. I am not sure if I want to take a thirty foot wave on my head again. I did a couple of times and I am telling you it is not something you want to do often. Sooner or later somebody will drown.

JC: What are you working on now?
MA: I am feeling like I am just now getting to the point where I feel I can start pulling off some serious moves. I feel like my timing is good enough to launch and get forward projection, height and momentum all together. There is a lot of stuff to do. Without going into too much detail...really the next stuff is going into double rotations on the waves. There is a lot of inverted stuff...it is really the sky is the limit. The problem for me is that I don't have a place to train a hundred waves a day with nobody in my way. If I had that you just can't imagine what you can do. It's hard to learn and do good stuff at Ho'okipa these days and that is one of the best places in the world to learn. A lot of times you will only get three of four set ups in a day. I get so excited when I get a good set up. Sometimes I just melt so I rarely put it all together to make it happen.

Words by John Carter
Photos by Jono Knigh and John Carter

Ho'okipa Jump-Off: VIDEO and more!

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 18:32:00 -0400

(Photos by Maxime Houyvet)

Jake Miller of Snake Bite Films not only helped run the ShadowBox/Windsport Magazine/EpicSession.tv Ho'okipa Jump-Off but he produced this epic video capturing the true spirit of the show:

The ShadowBox/Windsport Magazine/EpicSessions.tv Ho'okipa Jump-off was won by Levi Siver with an enormous Back Loop measuring in at 52 feet and 7 inches!

How do we know? Thanks to the incredible GPS technology of the ShadowBox unit each rider had onboard, all of the riders’ jumps were recorded for analysis. These amazing little units can measure height as well as standard GPS data like distance and speed! Click here to find out more from ShadowBoxLive.com. Thanks to Casey Hauser (ShadowBox) and Jake Miller (SnakeBite Films) for running such an epic contest!

On March 31^st Kauli Seadi, Levi Siver, Camile Juban, Kai Lenny, Kevin Pritchard, Kai Katchadourian, Whit Poor, and Russ Faurot all went out at Hookipa for one hour to see in that 60-minutes who could stick the highest backloop. The idea was to test-run a jump competition format using ShadowBox, and see how it was received by both riders and spectators. The 8 riders had prior to the event expressed incredible enthusiasm and stoke to this concept of using ShadowBox for a contest in the future, so we scheduled a tentative 4-day window to try it out, and on this day we made the decision to look at Hookipa first as the location, and couldn’t have scored better!

The conditions were all time. Riders went out on 3.7-4.5’s lit, with mast high sets rolling through. All riders were equipped with a ShadowBox mounted to their board and a GoPro on their boom. Kauli hit the water first, throwing huge doubles, pushy-forwards, and backs, before unfortunately breaking his board and coming in only 10-15 minutes into the 60-minute window (riders knew we were only going to be counting a stuck backloop during the 60 minute period). The show these guys put on was unbelievable! The height of stuck backloops aside, every rider was going for jumps 35ft+, crowds had gathered and people were cheering from the railings and bluff! It was carnage everywhere, with riders pushing each other just to go bigger and bigger. Every big set that rolled through had at least two or three of these guys going full power at it jumping for the moon. After Kauli left, it became clear that of the remaining 8, the consistent biggest attempts were coming from Camile and Levi. Towards the end of the 60-minute window, Levi stuck a huge one to take it, way to go Levi!

Not part of the original 8 riders for the test-run but throwing down huge were Boujmaa Guilloul and Levi’s brother Luke. Luckily, when Kevin Pritchard came off the water, we were able to get the ShadowBox on Boujmaa and recorded a massive air of 62 feet and also caught his new move that you can see in the video! Luke was also out there going BIG!

Following the event, Jake Miller (www.snakebitefilms.com) logged all the GoPro Footage, footage from two cameras from the beach, and the ride data from the Shadowbox’s and edited it all in just one night into an amazing video featuring all the mayhem from the day, and the top 3 backloops. Everyone came out to Charley’s on Saturday night where we first showed RedBull’s Windsurfing Movie as people filled in, and then around 8:30pm when the place was packed, we showed the Jumpoff video, and had an impromptu awards ceremony on stage afterwards. Amongst the crowd was Francisco Goya, Scott McKercher, Jason Polakow, Victor Fernandez, Taty Frans, Peter Volwater, and more! All and all it was a great night and great event, hopefully setting the stage for many more jump contests featuring ShadowBox to come.

In the end, our hope was to expose a cool new product in a unique way, and give people an idea of a potential additional supplement, or new format, for competitions in the future. We have also learned things for future events from rider’s and spectator’s feedback already, such as not limiting the jumps to one move specifically, and to incorporate more ShadowBox data into the post-production video than just the end heights, but also landing impact, hang-time, and more, which can be done!

Many thanks to all the windsurfers who came out to support this test-run event, and again, to all the riders who participated and made the event so incredible!

Special thanks to EpicSessions.tv for the GoPro cameras and ShadowBox for the GPS units… and of course to Casey Hauser (MauiSails, Tabou) and Jake Miller (Goya, Quattro) for putting this all together and making it happen!

Check out this video on the ShadowBox GPS unit:

What's Happenin' in...Aruba #8

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:29:00 -0400

This blog report is from Tom Lepak who works for Vela Aruba, ABK Boardsports and tests gear for Windsport Magazine.

The season is getting into full swing, with many old friends returning and a lot of tourists resulting in really full beginner classes. Winds were heavy early in the week (footstrap, water start and jibe lessons), light wind with big sails for a couple days (it’s good to also be giving leeward side sailing and Heli-Tack lessons), and back to high winds. We even had Vulcan and Loop lessons!

Fix of the year – one of our guests accidentally brought his old harness. The spreader belt was always slipping! His solution was he wanted to drill a hole through the buckle and put a bolt through it! I thought this strange, but in the spirit of ‘the guest is always right’, found a bolt, drilled a hole, and after sailing he was happy as could be! Fortunately the fix was only needed for one day.

On one of my days off, we finally did a tour of the island – it’s been almost 20 years since the last one, guess it’s about time! Boca Grande is a secluded spot on the southwest (windward) part of the island. It is an unpopulated beautiful wavy bay and nice sandy beach and windsurfers have been going there for some wave sailing. I’d love to get over there before I leave.

Back on Aruba’s north side, Arashi Beach has been totally refurbished with paved parking, and many free Palapas. This is a great place to spend a relaxing afternoon swimming, snorkeling, and enjoying the sun when the wind doesn’t cooperate or the body just needs a little break. On wavy days, just north of Arashi is a nice surfing and body board venue.

Upcoming Events In Aruba!
Everyone is looking forward to this weekend (March 20-21) ‘Sail Wind Kite Beachfest’ event at the Fisherman’s Huts. Taty Frans and Aruba’s own Sarah-Quita Offringa (on her new Gaastra sails) are among the ‘local’ pros attending. This should be a real fun two days with windsurfing events including slalom and freestyle, beach tennis, food, and drinks. Vela instructor Enry’s band will be playing.

June 30 – July 5 is the annual Aruba High Winds just north of Vela at the Fisherman’s Huts. Last year around 70 windsurfers attended a very successful event. This year’s windsurfing disciplines include Racing (Slalom and Long Distance) and Freestyle (single elimination ladder) with Men and Women’s various age divisions and a Sport Fleet. For more information see http://www.hiwinds-aruba.com. Several of the Vela instructors have been seen training for the event.

Something new for this year, Aruba has just been added to the 2010 International Bodyboard Association (IBA International) World Tour. The Arubian Aruwak Pro will be held June 15 – 20. Bodyboarding is becoming popular in Aruba, and the locals are excited to welcome entrants from all over the world. See http://www.ibaworldtour.com for more details.

Make your own Baja Fog

Sat, 14 Feb 2009 09:23:00 -0500

How to Build and Consume a Baja Fog in 6 Easy Steps

PREPARATION:

Step #1 - Crack open a cold Corona and take one swig to clear the beer from the neck of the bottle.

Step #2 - Fill the empty bottle neck with Tequila (read below for recommendations on types of Tequila)

Step #3 - Squirt lime juice on top of the Tequila to finish and now you are ready to learn how to drink it!

DRINKING A Baja Fog:

Step #4 - Shoot the top portion of the beverage in one immediate swig. You'll down the Tequilla and some beer... a tasty combo!

Step #5 - Continue enjoying the mixed taste of beer and Tequila while hanging with friends.

Step #6 - Continue building and consuming until you and your friends are left in a Baja Fog... PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY!

Kevin Trejo of SoloSports Educates Us on Tequila: (Click here to go to SoloSports.net)

The trick to Tequila is to get a 100% Blue Webber Agave tequila with nothing added like sugar, etc. It will say right on the bottle if it is 100% Agave. You can find these for a reasonable price and everybody has their favorites. What most people don't realize is that almost all Tequilas are made in about a dozen or so distilleries... kind of like all our sailboards being made in the Cobra Factory!

Of course Cuervo and Patron are the most popular Tequilas in North America and as long as you don't get the "Mixtos," with the added sugar or fructose, they are are pretty good. This is marketing at it's best as Patron is the brainchild of John Paul DeJoria the co-founder of Paul Mitchell Salon products. How's that for marketing! By now most people realize that most of the Cuervo line of Tequilas are hangover material and that's due to the added sugar and fructose. I know you didn't ask for all this but you had to get me started on Tequila at 9:00 in the morning!

Ok, the first shot Jon had was a shot of Corralejo Reposado. Next, the sipping shot was Cuervo's finest Resrva de la Familia. Finally, of course the Baja Fog is a Corona beer bottle toped with Tequila and a squeeze of lime. For Jon's Fog I used a shot of Cazadores Reposado, but it really doesn't make sense to use expensive Tequila for the Fogs unless you are trying to impress!

Below is a little more info on the Cuervo Reserva de la Familia.

Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia Tequila: Introduced in 1995 to celebrate the 200-year anniversary

José Cuervo Reserva de la Familia was introduced in 1995 to celebrate the 200-year anniversary as the world's leading producer of tequila. Each bottle is handmade, numbered, dated and sealed in wax. Every year the Cuervo family commissions a different Mexican artist to design the new collectible box for Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia. José Cuervo Tequila is distributed by Diageo on behalf of José Cuervo S. A. José Cuervo is the largest selling tequila brand in the world. Only 17,000 bottles of Reserva De La Familia are produced each year, in collectors boxes designed by Mexican artists.

This Extra-Añejo tequila is aged in oak barrels for an average of 3 years. The final blend includes Tequila from reserves aged over 30 years. Only the estate's finest 10-year-old agaves are hand-selected. Only the most flavorful inner portion of the agave's piña (heart) is used. Vibrant, with a full, mellow flavor combines floral, agave, vanilla and Cognac-like flavors.

Final Recommendations:

For shooting you can use any Tequila but a good 100% Blue Webber Agave Tequila without added sugar or Fructose will taste great, not break the wallet and be the easiest on the head the next morning.

For the Baja Fog you can use any Tequila but again the best is a 100% Blue Webber Agave Tequila without the added sweetness. These can be found at a reasonable price in brands like Sauza (www.sauzatequila.com), Corralejo (www.tequilacorralejo.com), Cazadores (www.cazadores.com) and more.

My Favorite is the fine sipping Tequilas that are great with a fine Cuban Cigar. These are similar to fine Cognac's, Brandy's or single malt aged Scotch. These start to get a bit pricy but are with it for the connoisseur. One of my favorites is the Cuervo Reserva de la Familia (http://www.tequilasource.com/cuervoreserva/index.html).

Aeron V-Grip Boom Tested

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:04:00 -0400

Mike "Fish" Fischer is an active blogger and Windsport contributor that purchased a couple of Aeron V-Grip booms and here is his review. For more check out his blog page known as "Fish's Windsurf Journal."

Just had two weeks in Hatteras with lots of winds using a couple of new 140-190 Aeron V-Grip continuous alloy booms.

The summary: I like them.

It is quite simple: if you have never been a fan on splashing out $500+ on carbon but have been tempted by the V-grip's extra inherent stiffness, these might be for you. I've always ridden alloy (aluminum) booms and have maybe, at most, bent or broken one on average every couple of years. I'm 165-175 lbs and I play fairly hard on the gear... land on them, loop them, etc...

What about the V-Grip shape? Well, I found it neither irritating, nor beneficial in terms of hand/forearm stress/strain and palm and finger blistering (something us less-frequent sailors have to deal with when we go on intensive windsurf holidays). I would not say I rate the v-grip cross-sectional shape any better or worse over plain round (i.e. it's pretty neutral).

What about stiffness? They are definitely stiff. Not sure how they compare to carbon, but if all you have ridden prior to these is typical two-piece arm alloy booms, then stepping to continuous (one-piece tube) V-grip shape is definitely a large improvement.
From what I can tell, by feel only (not having weighed them), they seem a touch heavier than most other standard booms out there. This is to be expected as there is some additional material in the tube cross-section, so the stiffness may come at a small price. BUT, the weight never bothered me at all (if indeed they are really any heavier) as stiffness is the critical atribute of any good boom. Maybe one day I can actually weigh them side by side with others to do a factual comparison.

Oh, did I mention the boom head? I really like it! Since switching to RDMs nearly seven-years-ago now, a problem has always been the need for a shim. I did ride a couple of older booms without shims and crushed two RDMs trying to get them to grip enough without dropping while riding. So, since then, I have always used shims in fear of repeating the same mistake. But, the Aeron's have such an excellent RDM adaptor included in the boom head, that there is no more need for after-market shims! YEAH!

In the end, yes, I definitely like them and look forward to putting on lots of mileage.

Parenthood meets Windsurfing

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 19:21:00 -0400

Check out this awesome feature story and interview by Mike "Fish" Fischer about mixing parenthood and windsurfing. He interviews Francsico Goya, Jason Diffin, Bill Bell and shares his own experiences.

CLICK HERE to find the story... or HERE to download a PDF version

Quotes from an East Coast Road Trip

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

"After four days straight of sailing on my 4.0, I still couldn’t get enough on our last day in Shippigan, staying out forever, not wanting to come in." -Tom Soltysiak

EAST COAST ROAD TRIPPIN'

“The northern coast of New Brunswick reminded me initially of the Magdalen Islands in Quebec. The windswept terrain of grasses and small trees is dotted with cottages built in the distinct style of eastern Quebec and the French-speaking maritimes. The fishing industry that has supported these villages for centuries continues to be the lifeblood of this region, so when the bar is empty one evening it shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise when the bartender told us everyone is out fishing.” – Kuba Soltysiak

“We woke up early to go score a short 5.0 session on Baie de Chaleur, near our campsite. We returned to our site for lunch and reinforced our 2 tents, securing all the ropes and pegging down the tents and flies excessively. We followed the advice of some locals predicting strong afternoon winds from the North West, and drove 15 minutes to Point-Canot, where we were greeted by our first gale force session. After the late evening sessionand a beer we drove across the short bridge to Shippigan for a pizza. I remember looking out the car window with the other guys as we drove past our campsite to see only half a tent remaining on our site. We ended up sleeping all packed in one tent as the other one was garbage with broken poles that tore through it in the wind. The next morning we packed everything before going sailing and rented a cottage on the water hoping the same storm winds would continue.” – Philip Soltysiak

My brother Tom and I sailed a cold lit morning session on Miscou Island. The wind was strong and onshore, it was tough sailing with full wetsuits and hands going numb. Lots of good crashes.” – Philip Soltysiak

“After a night on the town to celebrate Phil’s birthday, only Scott, our DD for the night, was conscious enough to realize it would be a good opportunity spend the night in the car. The rest of us woke up to a collapsed tent, soaked mattresses, and nearly drowning in our sleeping bags as we were oblivious to the passing storm the night before. Scott was able to hook us up with a friend of his who put us up for the rest of our stay in Halifax, helping us to avoid another episode of this for the rest of the week.” – Thomas Soltysia

“The Nova Scotia coast around the capital city of Halifax has a very active surfing scene, but there are also great opportunities for windsurfers. On less windy days, nearby Porter’s Lake, just across a some dunes from the ocean, offers a thermal that can push the wind up a few notches.” – Kuba Soltysiak

“A lack of wind allowed us to spend a day playing tourist in New York. We explored the city all day, finishing it off with some large slices of New York Cheesecake at Timues Sqare.” - Thomas Soltysiak

“Although the wind didn’t materialize during our stay on Long Island, we got out onto the water for a local windsurfing competition taking place in the park at which we were camping. It was a fun to get back on the water to play around in the light winds before heading north to Cape Cod.” – Thomas Soltysiak

“Cape Cod immediately struck me as a very prosperous area of beautiful houses in the Cape Cod style, many restaurants, ice cream parlours, and of course, large sandy beaches. However, the option of staying at a State Park for a mere $14/night makes it a great affordable place for a windsurfing vacation, as long as it’s windy.” -Kuba Soltysiak

"Parc d'Oka is a sailing spot just West of Montreal, and was the last destination on our trip. With a pricey entry fee, we decided to save some cash and hide Kuba, Scott and Tom in the trailer, and myself in the back seat. When we past the gate Phil and I had some fun whipping the trailer around in the parking lot with the guys in the trailer. All we had to tell them was "Man, there's potholes everywhere in this park!” – Josh Wood

“To For me, the best part of windsurfing is possibly not even the windsurfing itself but the lifestyle around it. Road trips to the end of the continent in search of good spots, enjoying the time with friends, meeting local sailors, and then stopping at remote beaches when the wind blows and discovering new spots.” – Kuba Soltysiak

"As a photographer I feel the most significant photos are the ones that tell a story and convey more then just a single moment in time, showing a developing experience and working together to serve a specific collective purpose. It's not always about getting the sickest action shot or that all new angle, but more about finding a subject or a story that gives meaning to your photos. That's exactly what this trip gave me. It was a pure, raw story of a group of friends brought together by windsurfing, setting off on a trip in search of nothing but good times." – Scott MacDonald (photographer)

TRIP FACTS:
MilesDriven: 3,315 Money Spent: $3,730.30
Total days: 20
Boards: 6
Sails: 19
5:00 am wake up calls to drive: 6
Lowest Temperature: 41 degrees Fahrenheit / Highest Temperature: 100 degrees Fahrenheit
Most commonly used phrase: “Re-calculating, when possible, make a u-turn” – Garmin GPS
Here is the map of our route: CLICK HERE!

A few more shots:

Matt's Monday #21: Troubleshoot your Jibe

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 08:59:00 -0400

Now that you know how to jibe, you need to know how to analyze any problems or stumbling blocks you may be coming across! Half the battle of learning the jibe is understanding what is going wrong and fixing it! There are a lot of problems that can occur and this week we will talk about the main ones and why they affect the overall outcome! I want you guys to be jibe masters so hopefully this is helping you.

Entry problems:

1- Being afraid of turning due to not being in control- in order to get over this fear, you need to get low to the water and possibly bear upwind just a bit to slow things down. Once you have moved your back foot out of the strap, unhook from your harness and BEND THOSE KNEES to keep LOW and then start your carve.

2- Take smaller steps when taking your feet out of the straps! Any time you lift your feet off the board, it upsets the flow of the board through the water. You have to keep steady pressure on the board at all times. Think about sliding your feet out of the strap and sliding it across to the leeward rail in front of the back footstrap. Keeping your feet spread as far apart as possible helps you with stability on your board at all times- not just in the jibe!

3- Keeping your front arm straight forces you to have your weight forward in the turn. It also stops you from pulling the sail back, which makes you straighten your legs, and put all your weight to the tail of the board- In essence by doing this, you are hitting the brakes when you want to be accelerating!

4- Sometimes having too big of a sail can give you trouble. My advice is to learn with a bigger board and smaller sail.

Transition Problems:

1- When you can’t visualize yourself making the transition, you are in trouble. Get it in your head and practice it on land. Make the movements become second nature so that when you are in the heat of the moment, you know what to do!

2- Timing of the flip and switch. If you wait too long to make your transition, the board will round up into the wind and the sail will pull you over. If you have this happen to you a lot, try switching your feet and forcing the sail to flip earlier in your transition zone. This will allow you to draw out the turn more and keep your speed to the exit zone.

3- Pulling the sail to close to you- I see a lot of people in the transition zone bring the sail in to their body- When you do this, you no longer have the sail to help hold you up; you are relying on your balance alone and that is not good enough when all that water is moving around you. Keep that front arm extended so that the rig is helping you stay balanced on your board. Push down with your front arm to keep the power of the rig turning the nose area of the board- set that forward leeward rail in the water, this gives you control of the turn. Use your back hand to make minor adjustments to keep things steady.

4- Sail flip- when it is time to make that flip, be aggressive and really THROW the sail around. Once you release from the throw, be sure to REACH over and grab the new boom.

5- Foot Flip- when you are throwing the sail around; be sure you also switch your feet. Imagine you back leg and back arm are connected. When you PUSH with the backhand, STEP with the back leg- the two should work as one. When your foot lands right behind the mast track, be sure to stomp down on the board with force so that you keep the board moving. This also forces you to put your weight forward on the board to keep the wheels rolling!

Exit Oopsy’s:

1- Rounding up wind- this happens when your weight goes back. As soon as you straighten-out those legs your weight goes back and the brakes are hit! Once you lose your speed, you round up into the wind and stall out.

2- Fix it by making your transition earlier in the turn. Force the back hand to PUSH the sail around sooner. Draw out the arc of the curve so you have more time to exit on a plane.

3- Don’t get your hands caught- when you throw your sail with the backhand, REACH for the new boom. Don’t stumble around on the boom trying to get to the other side. Be direct; get to the new boom as soon as you can with one big movement.

4- Try to always be going downhill! Watch the water in front of you- try to keep from going back up a swell on your exit. If you keep going downhill, you will plane right out of it.

Sounds easy, doesn’t it? In theory it is, you just need to follow the recipe and you are on your way! If you don’t figure it out this season, you might have to sign up for one of our ALOHA WINDSURFING CLINICS happening on Maui throughout the year!

Three-Time World Champion, Matt Pritchard is sponsored by Gaastra Sails, Tabou Boards, Dakine, Kaenon Polarized and Camaro Wetsuits. If you want to learn more and improve your sailing, Check out ALOHA WINDSURFING CLINICS on Maui. Matt has teamed up with expert coach and awesome sailor Shawna Cropas and they will be doing monthly all inclusive clinics that will guarantee results!

Link is here: http://www.pritchardwindsurfing.com/content/view/15/36/

Matt's Monday # 20: Jibe exit

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 11:50:00 -0400

Exit Strategy! Your almost there…

Happy Easter everybody. Hope you had a great weekend!

Now that you have successfully transitioned the sail and your feet, the rest is easy- I promise! The one thing that you need to stay focused on here is speed; you need to keep the board moving in order to PLANE out of your jibe.

How do you do this? Well most people I see that are struggling with their jibes mess up in the exit zone. They are so excited that they got through the transition zone, sometimes a little surprised in fact, they straighten the legs the weight goes back and the board hooks up into the wind and they fall off or struggle to keep upright. The easy solution to this problem is to LENGTHEN out the turn. Once you have transitioned, keep your board moving by taking on a longer arc. In other words, keep flowing and don’t be too concerned about turning sharp to go straight back to the beach.

If you have been doing your homework by watching Kevin’s jibe video at the link here (scroll down the page until you see "Slalom jibe for all Windsport readers"):

http://www.pritchardwindsurfing.com/content/blogcategory/14/44/

you can see that he makes his transition relatively early so that he can keep the board moving for his exit! He doesn’t lose much speed at all and flows right through the turn. Note how his weight is forward after his transition, the board doesn’t slow or stop; it actually accelerates a little when he steps forward with his new front foot! He gives a couple pumps and off he goes- a perfect jibe that didn’t lose much speed at all. Once he is under way, he can then complete the turn and pinch upwind if he needs to!

Doesn’t that look easy? Yes, it is a lot easier said than done but once you get the basics down you will be able to plug the pieces together for a great jibe. I know a lot of people that spend 10 years trying to perfect their jibes- Hopefully some of these tips will help you guys get them dialed in for summer time fun!

Next week we are going to do some troubleshooting- so be sure to send me an email with questions to address your particular jibing problem or problems…

Three-Time World Champion, Matt Pritchard is sponsored by Gaastra Sails, Tabou Boards, Dakine, Kaenon Polarized and Camaro Wetsuits. If you want to learn more and improve your sailing, check out ALOHA WINDSURFING CLINICS on Maui. Matt has teamed up with expert coach and awesome sailor Shawna Cropas and they will be doing monthly all-inclusive clinics that will guarantee results!

Link is here: http://www.pritchardwindsurfing.com/content/view/15/36/

Do you agree with this study?

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 10:59:00 -0400

According to Peter Francis Wilinson's thesis for his Master of PHilosophy in Visual and Material Culture at Massey University (Wellington, New Zealand),

"Windsurfing involves a great deal of commitment. Core members arrange their work, their domestic lives, and even where they live in order to be on the water when the conditions are right. This means that core members are not able to pursue economic advancement to the degree dictated by the dominant consumerist culture. My research is designed to answer a number of questions raised by this relationship between subcultural participation and consumerist society. In subscribing to a style of life that requires people to compromise their economic potential, are participants expressing resistance to the dominant cultural values of consumerism, which prizes economic success, particularly expressed as consumption, above all else? How is this resistance consistent with the consumption required to take part? Finally, how does the visual culture of the subcultural advertising mediate this apparent paradox? These questions are explored in this thesis."

The study is titled "Who Needs Money When You Can Go Windsurfing: The Paradox of Resisting Consumerism Through Consumption in a Lifestyle Sport Subculture.' You can download and read the entire work from SURFERtoday.com by CLICKING HERE!

Do you think that Peter Francis Wilkinson has proved academically that "no one needs money when you can go windsurfing?"

Vote Sam Bittner: AWSI windsurfer of the year

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:10:00 -0400

'LIKE' to vote for SAM BITTNER

Country: USA
Sponsors: Naish, Dakine

2010-2011 Accomplishments:

creator and organizer of the five-stop 2011 American Windsurfing Tour (AWT)
creator and organizer of 2010 Pistol River Wave Bash
currently ranked 3rd overall in AWT Women's standings

Sam Bittner has brought wavesailing competition back to North America by creating and running the American Windsurfing Tour. She started the tour with one event last year in Pistol River and it has been growing ever since. The AWT has received mainstream attention with coverage on the ABC television network and a cover story on the Santa Cruz Sentinel. In 2011 she has been able to compete on the tour and is currently ranked 3rd in the overall women's standings. Way to go Happy Sam!

10 Must-See Windsurfing Blogs

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Here are 10 of the most entertaining windsurfing blogs (in no particular order) that I have found on the web. Check them out and bookmark them as they all are worth a return visit at least a few times per week. I know there are even more cool blog sites out there...so let me know (e-mail: pete@windsport.com) where you are and I'll spread the word.

	Peconic Puffin Author: Michael Alex Location: Long Island, New York's
	Bill's OBX Beach Life Author: Bill Bell Location: Cape Hatteras, North Carolina
	Lost in Hatteras Author: Andy McKinney Location: Avon, North Carolina
	Pritchard Windsurfing Author: Matt and Kevin Pritchard Location: Traveling the world
	Maui Surf Report Author: Giampaolo Cammarota Location: Maui
	Windsurfing Gypsy Author: Brendon Quinn Location: ABK Boardsports tour
	Treasure Coast Windsurfers Author: Workin Dave and Dino Location: Stuart, Florida
	James' Blog Author: James Douglass Location: Fort Pierce, Florida
	G-42 Author: Andreas Macke Location: The Gorge
	USA 4 Windsurfing Campaign Author: Steve Bodner Location: San Francisco, California

Do you have a Blog? Let me know at pete@windsport.com.

NeilPryde Sail Designer Robert Stroj explains...

Thu, 13 May 2010 08:47:00 -0400

Here is a little interview with Robert Stroj explaining who on Neil Pryde's incredible racing team will be rocking the latest and greatest sail designs... and why!

Some of the top NeilPryde Team Riders will be racing on the EVOIII this season. Why?
Robert Stroj: As with any very new development it’s always a challenge to get all the little details 100% right and it took a longer time to finalize the design than was originally planned. We wanted to make sure that there was plenty of testing before the sail gets introduced to the market.
          For those reasons we decided to have only our international team register and use the new RS:RACING EVOIII sails during the 2010 racing season so that we can introduce fully tested sails to the market later this year.

Will there be a difference in the EVOIII sails introduced to the market later in the year from the ones the Team Riders are using now?
The sails introduced to the market will be the same designs as used by the team during the season, but will be introduced in new colors and different graphics.
          This is a very similar concept to the current EVOII Limited Edition sails which are exactly the same designs as the regular 2009 EVOII sails, just with new graphics and colors.

What is new with this sail design?
With this sail we introduce the Integrated Compact Clew where, in comparison to the current Dynamic Compact Clew, we have eliminated the cutout at the clew and connected the foot area with the leech by closing the sail behind the boom end.
    I have been thinking about this clew concept since my time at ART. After the introduction of the Compact Clew that came out on the RS5 at the end of 2004 I was hoping to be able to take this concept one step further and use all the advantages of the Compact Clew without having to compromise the outline of the sail.

How does it work and what are the advantages?
The real advantage of this concept is that there is a tension connection between the foot edge and lower leech. This helps to keep the foot of the sail from blowing out in gusts and also makes the whole leech twist, harmonically, getting even more out of the advantages already associated with the regular Compact Clew.
          In addition, there is the benefit of a cleaner sail outline, when compared to the Dynamic Compact Clew, and therefore better aerodynamics as it is not necessary to have a clew cutout.
          In comparison to regular sails with a clew on the back edge of the profile the EVOIII has all the benefits common with the Dynamic Compact Clew: improved lower leech twist and much reduced draft movement due to the lower leech ability to create reflex behind the boom which releases excessive power and effectively locks the draft forward.
          After long development (since May 2009) we ended up designing a very simple and precise sliding rail system for sail closure behind the boom. It works similar to a zip but is much stronger and incorporates a batten to support this area as well as evenly distributing the high load coming from the clew grommet.
          With this system being very new we decided, like previously mentioned, to ensure it is fully tested prior to introducing new sails to the market.

Vote Keith Teboul: AWSI windsurfer of the year

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:12:00 -0400

'LIKE' to vote for KEITH TEBOUL

Country: USA
Sponsors: Quatro International, Goya, MFC

2010-2011 Accomplishments:

founding member of Team +H2O that is actively working on clean water initiatives on Maui and around the world
his design work on waveboards has been incredible
unrivaled soul surfer/windsurfer

Not only does Keith Teboul deserve to be recognized for his groundbreaking waveboard shapes but as a founding member of Team +H2O, along with Jake Miller, Pascal Bronnimann and Levi Siver, he is working hard to give back to environmental causes that involve water issues around the globe. CLICK HERE for more information on +H2O.

Checking Out Lanai

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Shipwrecked on Lanai: Paradise is closer than you think

words by Matt Pritchard/ Photos by Jazz

What do you get when you take a bunch of Maui windsurfers, give them a 60-foot catamaran, and tell them to be careful? Depending on your perspective, you could call it a shipwreck waiting to happen, or just a lot of fun.

After endless days of flat surf and windy conditions, the hardcore everyday Maui sailor can go a little crazy.
   “We need to find some waves,” my brother, Kevin Pritchard, says after a slalom session at Kanaha.
   Freestylers Nick Warmuth and Riley Coon overhear us and quickly agree.
   “Yeah, I’m getting a little bored out here. I haven’t seen a wave in months,” exclaims Nick.
   The boys start talking, and one thing leads to another. Soon a plan is hatched to jump ship and explore a nearby island paradise: Lanai.
   The island of Lanai is a mystery. It can be seen from Maui and is its closest neighbour. The rich and famous built private estates high in the hills overlooking the beaches. We decide to check it out for ourselves and see what this mysterious island has to offer.
   Finding a ride over is the first priority. Riley is a new-school ripper living on Maui; his family owns and operates the Trilogy, a fleet of six 60-foot catamarans that do daily expeditions to Lanai. Riley and his dad, Jim Coon, have been exploring Lanai for years and know some secret spots that are difficult to access. We decide our best bet will be to dock at the local harbour and take a couple four-wheel-drive Jeeps.
   We arrive at Maui’s Lahaina Harbor to a boat decked out with tons of food and a full crew to take care of us. We’re living the high life on this trip. Captain Brian, all fired up to do some exploring, gives us a rundown of the boat and helps us load the gear. Jim, owner-operator of the Trilogy, is a local of Lanai and has explored every inch of the island over the past 34 years.
   Lanai was purchased in 1922 by Jim Dole, owner of Dole Pineapple, for a whopping $1.1 million. Lanai is 13 miles wide and 18 miles long, with limited paved roads. Formerly known as the Pineapple Isle, Lanai was once the largest pineapple plantation in the world. Now it’s the home of two luxury resorts, and almost all the land is owned by a development firm, the Lanai Company. The island’s major source of income is tourism; 75,000 visitors came last year alone.
   Our passage between Maui and Lanai is tame. We pull into harbour and immediately set off to load up the Jeeps with gear and supplies. The first stop is the Lanai Plantation Store to stock up on the basics: gas, food and water. If you’re up for it, camping is one of the best ways to enjoy the island’s private serenity. It’s also the most affordable because you can park your Jeep and set up camp anywhere.
   We make our way to the island’s east side and then head north to wrap around the backside. The Jeeps are packed with enough gear to operate a rental fleet of the latest windsurf gear. We spot the ocean from high atop the island and can see whitecaps pouring down through the Kalohi Channel between Maui and Molokai. What an incredible view: Lanai is the only island where you can see five other islands. Impressed, we’re getting excited for the chance to sail this newfound paradise.
   The first stop is Shipwreck Beach. Riley and his dad have sailed here before and claim it has potential. After a brief drive on the narrow paved road, we encounter a rough dirt trail. It’s time for four-wheel drive and a bumpy, dusty trek to the beach. We jump out of the car wide-eyed at the head-high surf rolling in.
   “It’s been so long since I’ve seen a wave,” says Kevin.
   The wind looks good, and we hurry to rig our 5 m2 sails. Local boy Riley is in no rush. We look at him and wonder why he isn’t in a mad panic like the rest of us.
   “The tide is still too low,” he reasons. “We can’t start sailing for at least another 45 minutes.”
   Kevin ignores Riley’s warning and heads straight out. There are a few spots of dry reef, but if you’ve ever taken a look at one of Kevin’s fins, you know he doesn’t care. Our buddy Jazz shoots off the beach and follows Kevin over the shallow reefs out to the ship wreckage resting in the break.
   The wreck is a massive World War II Liberty ship whose rusted hulk still clings to the reef. These remains are not the result of an accident. After World War II this vessel was given “residence” as an economical means of disposal. The ship, made of concrete, is slowly rotting away. The closer you get, the gnarlier it looks.
   Next on the water are Riley and myself. Nick is still trying to figure out what to rig. I realize it’s game on when I see Kevin climbing nearly halfway up the ship with a giant Back Loop. Riley looks right at home and leads the way through the shallow reefs without incident. The waves are consistently flowing, and the wind picks up. The boys are all hooting and stoked.
   Conditions are starboard tack with a hint of sideshore, and everyone is trying to show off their sickest moves. Kevin busts out his one-footed Back Loops, Riley throws out sick Shakas, and Nick is busy freestyling it up on the wave faces. I put in a couple tweaked Tabletops to mix it up. After throwing down some big jumps, waterman Jazz swims out with his water housing and fires off a few rounds of pictures to get up close and personal with the ship.
   “It’s pretty scary swimming around in those waters,” says Jazz. “I can feel all the fish looking at me, wondering what I taste like.”
   After three hours of pure fun, Riley calls us back in and we reluctantly follow. Smiles are flying everywhere as the stories stack up. Gatorade is flowing, and stoke is in the air. We are in the elements we love the most: sun, sand, wind, water and waves. Alone on a beautiful beach, it’s hard to believe we’re in Hawaii. This is how old Hawaii must have felt.
   We watch the sunset as we embark on our journey home across the channel. Maui is a beautiful place, but as we leave our newfound favourite spot, we also leave a piece of our spirit in the water. It’s not often you can sail with just your buddies in such fun conditions. This is one of those days to remember. The adventure ends 15 hours after it started. The entire crew is exhausted.
   Thanks to Trilogy (sailtrilogy.com) for making it all possible. If you ever get a chance to check out Lanai, don’t hesitate. It truly is a desert paradise in the Pacific.

Travel Guide: Lanai, Hawaii

How to go: To go by air you must fly first to Honolulu (HNL), which services Lanai (LNY) daily. The easiest way to spend a few days is to fly to Maui (OGG) and then cruise over by catamaran with Trilogy.

Tips for windsurfing: Any windsurfer can have a great time on Lanai. It may not offer the best and easiest conditions, but it’s perfect for the more adventurous at heart. Be careful of the reef and tides as the water can become shallow in a hurry. For the best sailing experience, check with the Coons, who own Trilogy. They’ve been sailing on Lanai for many years and are happy to share their local knowledge.

Gear: Lanai is an incredible island, but don’t expect all the luxuries of Maui. You need to take your own stuff, including windsurf gear, maps, ding repair kit, etc. There are no windsurfing or surfing shops on the island, so be warned.

Other activities: It’s still worth the trip even if you choose not to lug across your gear. Spend a day fishing, snorkeling, hiking, golfing, or just relaxing on a deserted beach.

Staying overnight: If you want to be more adventurous and avoid the beautiful hotels and rental properties Lanai offers, camping is a fun alternative.

Google Earth: 20° 49’25 N, 156° 55’12 W

Web: sailtrilogy.com, visitlanai.net, lanai-resorts.com, frommers.com

Shipwrecked on Lanai: Paradise is closer than you think

words by Matt Pritchard/ Photos by Jazz

WIN a Windsport Beanie...Caption Contest!

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 11:51:00 -0400

After finishing a career best 4th at the PWA Freestyle World Cup in Lanzarote Phil Soltysiak (Starboard, Sailworks, Dakine) sent me the following photos of his new digs in Fuerteventura. I'm turning them into a photo contest in which you can win a Windsport Beanie (see right)!

To WIN, simply write a caption for each photo (must caption all three) in the order they appear below in the comments box below and we'll contact you if your picked as one of the 3 winners! Captions will be judged on creativity and how much they make us LAUGH!

PHOTO #1:

PHOTO #2:

PHOTO #3:

10 Questions for Patrick Bergeron

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 08:28:00 -0400

Last Friday (April 23, 2010) we decided to hit up Patrick Bergeron with 10 quick questions to see what is going on in his life and what is going on right now on Maui. Well...we got more than we could ever bargin for! Thanks Patrick!

1. Where are you reading these questions from right now?

From the comfort of my bed as I am waking up to yet another beautiful sunny and windy day on Maui…

2. What is the #1 place you would like to be right now?

Right now, right where I’m at! It’s not too bad with the birds chirping and the wind making a nice hissing sound as it brushes over the corrugated metal roof …a good Aloha Friday ahead!

3. Do you have any trips planned for the near future?

I do plan on spending most of the summer on the mainland... probably starting in early June. This will be a change for me as I’m more used to split it between Maui with short stints in Canada and the Gorge. But this time, it should be all mainland… and I do have my ticket to the U2 show with friends in July... I can’t miss that. I also have a couple of SUP boards I intend to use, hang out with friends, family and maybe a couple of road trips, work on personal projects, etc… It should make for a fun summer with a little bit of everything!

4. Is dropping in on someone allowed/tolerated during photoshoot season on Maui?

To be or not to be? HA...HA...HA! When the heli is spinning overhead at upward of $1,000 an hour, everyone understands that there are little slips here or there, especially if the conditions are not ideal. If there are no helis, then it’s a different story, especially for the large teams who can overtake a spot with more than a dozen or more top riders. Ideally, companies try to manage their time at Hookipa based on the conditions and time of day.

5. Have you dropped in on anyone lately (maybe by accident)?

I never do …or at least, in my interpretation of the “rules of the road”, I always try not to get in anyone’s way.

6. Who’s dropped in on you and have you forgiven them?

If you go to the beach and talk story with the people, you’ll find out real quickly who the usual suspects are. As for how it makes one feel, you can’t change the past, but you can change the future... so as much as it can be annoying or frustrating when it happens (especially when it’s blatant) you’ve got to move on. Then again, if you catch one on the outside and then someone jumps on it as it’s about to break... you’re willing to share it, and after you let them through they block you or ride you on the flats... let’s just say it’s harder to forget. Down-the-line, there are ways to let someone know without getting into a pissing match. Otherwise, I tend to see people for who they are and how they act, not their sailing abilities. So snaking goes a long way in getting to “know” people. Most Maui “regulars” are very respectful. It’s a small place and the gain of a few waves is not worth the bad rap that comes along with it. The culprits are typically the off-islanders who come here thinking they will become the next Robby Naish in the course of two or four weeks. Egos run high at certain spots, but they should understand they are not really doing themselves a favor, and that such stardom is built first with rare natural skills, and second with a lot of time.

Speaking of which, I could say that guys like Mark Angulo, John Skye, Manu Bouvet and so many more are first-class! Even Robby himself never uses his star status to drop in on anyone, which probably explains why to this day he is and remains Mr Windsurfing. There are a few guys who should take notes.

7. Who has impressed you the most with there sailing this winter?

Philip Koster was one to watch for pure improvements. He was no stand-out, but he was definitely “most improved” in my book. Being a Gran Canaria guy, starboard tack was (and appeared!) quite foreign for him when he first arrived this year. But shortly after, he was going after it and gaining confidence and skills every wave of the way. The kid is massive, surely the German roots, but he’s a natural and after his 2009 win in Pozo, he could rapidly become a household name for many years to come.

For skills, Levi [Siver] is always putting on a great show of style and skills. Kauli [Seadi] follows right besides him. In the air department, Kauli’s got those push-forwards down, but Boujmaa is still “king of the insane”, somewhat crash and burn, but definitely innovative and the most fun to watch! He’s got his trademark Black Shot (a Crazy Pete into switch stance forward) as well as the push-forward. I very much view him as the new modern-day Robert Teritehau …interestingly; I believe he stays at Robert’s place when he comes to Maui, go figure!?

Mark Angulo with his experience, flair and innovative style also spends more time on the water than anyone every single day. Look out for more from him in the future I am sure.

8. What is the most impressive thing you have seen on the water recently?

The most noticeable thing this year is how far the limits of wavesailing and jumping are being challenged. Most notables are first Mark Angulo’s mutants or wave 360’s. He spends the bigger part of his day and his waves chasing those two moves, and he has them down and more stylish than anyone out there. His timing is always spot-on, sometimes it’s ridiculous how it almost seems like the water gods will make a lip wait for him if he seems a little late, I think there is definitely collusion between him and the Hookipa gods.

Then, just yesterday, Brawzinho (Marcillio Browne) threw the first double air taka (that I’ve ever seen or heard of…) which he landed clean, but just behind the wave. At this juncture, it’s only a matter of hours before he sticks that trick back on the wave. Boujmaa was reported throwing a tweaked aerial which he then tried to convert in to a double forward …we’re talking over the lip of large Hookipa waves with the ensuing consequences, this deserves some attention and respect!

9. Who will win all the PWA titles this year?

· Wave (men)

Well, with the world cup still being held in places that are sometimes more jump-oriented or port tack, it’s never a bad idea to put your dollar on all-around guys like Kauli Seadi or Victor Fernandez. If it were pure wave events, guys like Levi, Josh Angulo and Kevin Pritchard would probably get their share of attention. Brawzinho can’t be forgotten either and Ricardo is focusing on waves this year. Should be an interesting year.

· Wave (women)

Same comment applies here, and the Moreno twins are typically right at home in their Pozo backyard. Then again, we see more and more women pushing the envelope of windsurfing and their level is rising every year. Nayra Alonso is one that’s charging bigger and bigger all the time!

· Slalom (men)

You can “arguably” bet the ranch on King Tony! Antoine Albeau has been so dominating; it’s great to see this someone at the top with everyone chasing after him. Sort of gives a Tiger’esque dimension to the sport.

· Slalom (women)

The European girls do quite well in this department. It seems like every year there are more and more girls competing at the international level which I think is great.

· Freestyle (men)

I take great fun seeing all the incredible things the top guys can do, particularly the amount of amazing moves they can pack in such a short amount of time. But quite honestly, the sport has progressed so much, it’s almost difficult to watch in a contest format because even as a decent sailor, I don’t know what is really going on or what is the most difficult maneuver for those guys. Plus, most freestylers don’t really spend much time on Maui, so I really don’t know who’s on top these days… But still amazing to watch the stuff they do when they come for the photoshoots. It’s also great to see new videoclips of new tricks pop up on Facebook and other websites every week. Then I guess Gollito is probably king for a reason.

· Freestyle (women)

Sara-Quita Offringa has been giving the Moreno twins a run for their money in the discipline. Her attitude is second to none and she’s always smiling, so that’s enough for me to vote for her! Her 2009 championship hints at an easy pick as well.

10. What is your favorite gear combo right now?

Like most, I’ve been dabbling with quad setups for waveriding at Hookipa. Works great in that department. Not that I would ever be the guy to redefine the bottom turn, or any wavesailing maneuver for that matter, but it’s interesting to experiment with new lines on the wave-face. The board also grips like there is no tomorrow in the bottom yet you can slide the top turn if you push it right. Then again, for planning, going upwind or even jumping, quads (or twins or thrusters) are really not the ultimate option. So I still go out on a single from time-to-time, especially if I’m not riding at Hookipa. Jumps are still one of my favorite aspects of the sport and nothing beats a single there …better release off the wave, lighter board in the air, earlier planning between waves, etc… RRD is coming with the new boards for the photoshoot next week. I’ve heard of some new rocker lines which I can’t wait to try!

For sails, the Sailworks Revo 4.6 is my favorite sail. That particular size in the Revo’s packs some serious punch while remaining very maneuverable. Many times I prefer to head out to Hookipa on the Revo 5.0 as it’s a bit too light for the 4.6 more often than not …I somewhat prefer power to maneuverability, probably comes from spending 18 endless summers in the Gorge. It’s also easier to get waves that way.

(For photo credits and captions hover mouse pointer over photo!)

What's up with Andre Paskowski?

Fri, 07 May 2010 15:34:00 -0400

After having a great time training this winter in Brazil, CapeTown, Venezuela and Maui the Season is now underway full force.

Podersdorf Update:
The first event this year was Podersdorf. After waiting almost one week for wind we finally got a result on the last day. Conditions were not easy but it was the same for everybody. I used my Duke 5.9 and Skate 100 as it was quite gusty/light and I did not want to risk using a smaller sail even if it helps with all the new moves. In the End I finished 5th, which is a good base for PWA and EFPT as the event counts for both rankings.

The Posada Windjeri Europe Trip:
We started last week in Munich and this year both Edvan and Chico Bento (pictured left) are on board. First, we'll go by car all around Europe to participate in all EFPT Events, and then fly to the Canary Islands to participate in both Freestyle World
Cups held there. The start in Podersdorf was a success. Chico and Edvan both finished 9th. My job again is it to control all organisation, drive the car and improve their skills on and off the water.

Four Dimensions news:
Four Dimensions is still creating some waves. The screening in Munich was sold-out and now we've got an invitation from the famous Defi Wind in France. If you have time - join them and watch the movie together with 1,000 other windsurfing fans on the super-big screen. Victor Fernandez will be there and surely will sign some posters and DVDs.

Animal:
This year I'm wearing some new cool clothes courtesy of Animal!

(PWA/Carter photos)

Full length video "The Island Boys"...watch it now!

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 11:52:00 -0400

Sofa Movielab Ltd. Films releases The Island Boys for your enjoyment. This is an awesome movie about the boys of Bonaire!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH!

Marion Lepert's (age 13) Gorge Blowout

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The Gorge Blowout race is North American's windiest destination's signature event... and 13 year-old Marion Lepert, from the San Francisco Bay area made it look easy. She covered the distance from Stevenson, WA to Hood River, OR (advertised as 17-miles) in 1:37:05 claiming first overall for the women's fleet.

Marion's gear of choice:

- Exocet Formula Warp 100
- Sailworks NX slm 7.2
- 62 cm prototype fin from F4 Fins

The distance may be advertised as 17-miles but in reality it's closer to 30-miles as Marion zig-zags downwind making 74 jibes along the way. For more entertaining commentary on the journey, check out Andreas Macke's G-42 blog

or click here for the full official results from vmgevents.com

Tiesda You's iSonic Sketches... a designer's view

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 05:15:00 -0500

Before the year's development begins, Starboards design team discusses the different concepts to build and test. Tiesda You illustrates the theory behind some of the design concepts that were tested successfully and then carried over into the 2011 range of iSonics.

CLICK HERE to find out more about Tiesda You's work and the 2011 Starboard iSonic range!

Matt's Monday #18: Jibing - Part 2

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:05:00 -0400

Time to turn!

The first thing I want all of you jibers out there to do is “GET IT” in your head first and foremost. If you can’t visualize it, how do you think you are going to make it happen? Maybe by sheer luck it might happen but seeing yourself complete a jibe will greatly increase your chances of success! When I am working on learning a new move, that is all I think about sometimes. I stare off into space and pretend I’m out on the water..... I go through it all step by step and analyze each part of the movement required to make it happen. Once I get on the water, I’m already ahead of the game. By the end of our jibing lessons, you will have the tools to jibe in your heads and take that onto the water!

Last week we talked about how important it is to have speed. Speed usually gets you out of trouble in windsurfing unless you are getting real close to shore! This week we are going to talk about the first stage of the jibe- The Entry! I believe the “entry” to the jibe is the most important stage of the jibe. If you get that right, the rest of your movements will be much easier. In a perfect world, the best conditions to learn to jibe in are smooth glassy water, 20 knots of breeze, sun shining and nice warm water.... In the real world, most of you guys are in pretty cold water, gusty and choppy water conditions either underpowered or overpowered- did I get that right? Well ok-

Once you decide it is time to turn, take things real slowly. Don’t get all huffy and stomp around. The first thing I like to tell you to do is watch the water- see what is happening and look for a smooth place to initiate your turn. If you are in big swells, make sure you get over the top of the swell and then begin your turn going “downhill” rather than uphill. In short chop, you are going to want to find a place that you can carve “in between” the bumps. So take you time and get comfy and prepared to turn.

When you are ready to go, do one thing at a time. Look downwind and behind you to make sure you aren’t going to smash into one of your buddies. Slide the back hand back on the boom about 2 or 3 inches (this gives you better control of the rig). Take your rear foot out of the footstrap and put in on the leeward rail just ahead of the rear footstrap. Do all of this while you are still hooked in. When you take your rear foot out of the strap, try not to lift it up very high, rather drag or slide it to the leeward rail. Any abrupt movements to the board will disturb the flow so keep it smooth! Now you are ready to initiate- Unhook, bear off the wind and look for that smooth spot and downhill slope that is going to help keep your speed up. Sheet in with your back hand, bend your knees and extend the front arm and pull down on it in order to transfer the power of the sail into the board. I like to have you think about the mast being forward of the centerline of the board- a lot of people pull back on the sail and bend their front arm too much. This action causes you to slow down- you lose the power of the sail going into the board with the bent arm- things are getting LOST IN TRANSLATION!!!! You want to be able to keep the energy going forward- thus the straight front arm, the weight on the balls of your feet. Any time you straighten your legs or bend your arms too much you are most likely pulling back on the sail and moving all your weight to the tail section of the board- Not Good!

In the photo here, I am right at the end of what I call the “Entry” part of the jibe. I have followed all my rules- I picked my water, put my back hand a couple inches further back on the boom, SLID my rear foot out and over to the leeward rail just in front of the back footstrap, my knees are bent, I’m putting weight into my toes, my front arm is extended, my back arm serves as a “crutch” just in case I need some balance help- I keep it extended so if I need to pull in, I CAN pull in. If my rear arm was bent and I needed some help, I would have nothing to pull on..... Notice my head is looking to where I want to go- I’m watching the water down wind to make sure I’m going to keep my speed without hitting any uphill bumps. This photo taken by Darrell Wong is what I would consider to be a perfect shot of where you should be when approaching next week’s topic... the ALL IMPORTANT Transition Zone! That is where it all happens.

Three-Time World Champion, Matt Pritchard is sponsored by Gaastra Sails, Tabou Boards, Da Kine, Kaenon Polarized and Camaro Wetsuits. Matt will start doing monthly clinics on Maui towards the end of each month- to find out more about getting signed up, contact Matt by email:matt@pritchardwindsurfing.com

Vote Nathan Mershon: AWSI windsurfer of the year

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:02:00 -0400

'LIKE' to vote for Nathan Mershon

Country: USA
Sponsors: Naish, Dakine

2010-2011 Accomplishments:

current overall leader in the 2011 American Windsurfing Tour
1st place at AWT Pistol River Wave Bash
1st place at AWT Santa Cruz Classic

Outside of the Gorge and Maui windsurfers may not be too familiar with the name Nathan Mershon, but he has been ripping for a long time. With the start of the AWT he now has some venues to show he can compete with and beat anyone in the world. With Mershon winning the first two AWT event this year all the other pros now have their work cut out in order to catch up with him in the Expert division.

(Nathan talks about his AWT Santa Cruz win at the 2:00 mark of the video below...)

Vote Antoine Albeau: AWSI windsurfer of the year

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:11:00 -0400

'LIKE' to vote for ANTOINE ALBEAU

F-192
Country: France
Sponsors: Neil Pryde, JP-Australia, Quiksilver, Deboichet, Ford Lease, Orangina, Garmin

2010-11 Accomplishments:

Overall 2010 PWA Slalom champion (his 5th year in a row)
1st at 2011 Catalunya Costa Brava Spain World Cup PWA Slalom event
2nd at 2011 PWA Vietnam Slalom
2nd at 2011 PWA Korea Slalom World Cup
3rd at 2011 PWA Aruba Hi Winds Grand Slam Pro-Am

Antoine Albeau has dominated the PWA Slalom Tour winning the overall title in each of the last five years. Not only is he fast in slalom, formula and speed sailing but he has been known to show up and place respectably at the odd PWA wave event as well.

Bernd Roediger reports from Pistol River: Part 1

Sat, 26 Jun 2010 14:00:00 -0400

I woke up from a short nap I had taken on the airplane. It must have been a good nap because for the life of me I couldn't remember where I was going or what I was doing. I looked at my Dad sitting next to me… he was also asleep. Then, after a moment, I realized I was on a plane to Portland, Oregon for a windsurfing contest at Pistol River. Besides the fact that it was on the west coast and next to a river (I know I'm a genius) I had no idea what it would be like. I had two pictures in my mind. A flat, windless coast where people where putting around on huge boards trying to ride two inch waves. And the second was the ocean's fury bunched up into one set. The second picture was probably all of the "Deadliest Catch" episodes I had been watching the night before bunched up into one terrifying Jaws-on-drugs beach-break. Just then the pilot announced that we were just thirty minutes from landing. I opened up my window and looked down just in time to see the coast, from up in the air it looked a lot like the second image and with that pleasant thought I closed my window and got ready to land.

After fitting our four gear bags onto our Ford Explorer we hit the road at around 10:30 P.M. and began to drive. So we drove and drove and drove, and at 6 A.M. we pulled up to Gold Beach in Curry County. We were here! So we stumbled into a motel and slept until noon.

I woke up and again had that strange dream-like feeling. I found it hard to focus on what I was doing. After finally feeling refreshed and ready, we went to the event site: Pistol River. The road over there was lined with pine trees so I was always trying to look between them to see the waves. I kept expecting the one massive set breaking onto a towering monolith but I never found it. Then we got out of the forest and onto the coast. What I saw totally surprised me! I didn't see massive beach break but it wasn't a tiny pigmy break either. What I saw was a head to logo high beach break that looked epic for jumping and riding! It's always cool to go to a completely unknown place and not have a clue what you're going to find, then when you get there you're pleasantly surprised with epic conditions!

We quickly jumped out of the car and ran to the beach! The wind was howling and the waves thrashed around wildly. I looked up and down the beach, it seemed to go on forever. Monoliths lined the coast as far as I could see and dunes separated the forest from the beach. "It's so beautiful", I thought sheepishly. Then before I knew it, my Dad was down at the ocean getting ready to dip his toe in the water. After a second I heard him hooting and hollering around on the beach. "Stick your toe in the water!" he told me. I did so and immediately felt the shock of the cold water!

After we got over the cold I rigged up and prepared to go out. That's when Ingrid Larouche, a Hookipa and Gorge sailor, came over and asked me if I had any booties. "Booties?" I asked, "Why would I need booties?" But I knew she was right, the water was so cold and all I had was a 4/3 wetsuit! She was nice enough to lend me a pair and with that I took off down the beach. On my first run out I dunked my head on a Forward Loop! I felt the immediate shock of the cold water and almost instantly got an ice-cream headache! At first I couldn't shake the cold and it messed with my sailing completely. But by the end of the day I was able to get a few forwards and back loops in. Still I wondered if I could perform well in the contest.

The next morning I woke up and for a second thought I was in Maui, but then I remembered I was at Gold Beach, Oregon. "It should be Cold Beach," I joked to myself. We drove down to the beach and saw that there was no wind so we decided to bring out the stand-up boards. My Dad didn't have any booties so I decided not to wear mine to make him feel better! His reaction was similar to mine: shock and then terror! Despite the cold, the waves were really fun and when I got too cold I would come in and warm up. When I did, someone from the beach would talk to me about paddling, since most of them were new to it. It was cool to see how many people were interested in it. I would have let someone try, but not many people can stand on my board!

When the wind started to pick up we headed in and ate lunch at Dairy Queen (by the way, what is Braizer food?). After that we went back to the beach but saw that the wind was too windy for stand-up but too light for windsurfing. After a moment of thinking we decided to go to the Redwood forest in California and man was that a good decision!

As soon as we entered California we saw Redwoods! They were growing right next to the road, most of them weren't that big but the ones in the park were a different story. As soon as we entered the park we spotted, well it wasn't that hard to spot, a giant tree. I mean this thing was GIGANTIC. Farther down the road there was a fallen tree that was rotting from the inside! I climbed up the hill it was sitting on and descended back down inside it until the end where I couldn't get down because the tree was so thick that if I jumped I would probably break my legs! My Dad and I got inside a tree that was standing up while rotting and we could see the sunlight from the open top! But the best part was the river.

As we left the park we found a large, slow moving river. The road followed it a little longer until it stopped by a place where divers and swimmers could pull off and get to the river. We walked down with our boards and paddled up the river. I should tell you, in case you didn't know, that this was inside of the Redwood forest so we could see entire mountains covered with greenery from our boards. The river itself ran through marble rock with little sandy beaches to sit and rest at dotting the shoreline! After a while my Dad broke the awed silence and said "I hear rapids."

Now at this point I'm so hyped from the giant trees and the awesome river that there was no way I wasn't going down this rapid! So when my Dad spoke up we made a beeline up the river for the whitewater. When we got to it I paddled up through an eddy and started down the rapid without a second thought. It wasn't until I was on top of the rapid that I had my doubts.

As I paddled up to the rapid I started thinking about the fact that I had no idea what I was doing! I also had a leash on so that I wouldn't lose my board; but if it got caught on a rock, which it had done once before, I would drown if I couldn't unstrap it. All of this went through my mind when I was on the verge of the rapid and as I went down I immediately fell and was pinned under the water. Then I came up for only a second but it was just enough time for me to catch my breath, then I went back down again and kicked and paddled to the surface. After a few moments I came up again and hurdled onto my board! I wasn't going to do that again!

NEXT (IN A FEW DAYS) YOU'LL HEAR WHAT WENT DOWN AT THE CONTEST IN PART 2 OF BERND ROEDIGER'S FEATURE STORY!

Josh Angulo wins PWA Cabo Verde World Cup

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Josh Angulo returns the Cabo Verde crown to its homeland after defeating Kauli Seadi twice in the double elimination. Day five of competition saw the Ponta Preta reef switch back on, delivering a seemingly endless supply of huge sets, coupled with hammering 25 knot wind to finish up the double elimination in style. Seizing the opportunity to compete in the classic Cabo Verde conditions, the wave fleet hit the water bright and early at 8.45am to pick up the action at heat 38, where it had left off previously.

The second round of the double elimination saw some stand out performances from the likes of: Ricardo Campello (JP / NeilPryde / MFC), who stepped his riding up to another level to advance. Camille Juban (Gun Sails / MFC), whose super vertical attacks on the wave were both impressive and technically brilliant, and Jason Polakow (JP / NeilPryde), who had far and away the fewest waves of the event and still managed to advance thanks to consistent excellence on the wave.

Entering the third round of the double elimination, mounting pressure meant that the sailors had to pull out all the stops to stand a chance of making it through the heats. Trips to the rocks became all too frequent, and the magnitude of crashes went through the roof.

Stamping their names on round three were Ross Williams (Tabou / Gaastra), who took the lions share of the waves on offer, and somehow was always in the right place at the right time. Similarly, Marcilio Browne (North / Fanatic) dug deep into his bag of tricks to execute some amazingly tight turns and super vertical cut backs that his rivals simply couldn’t match.

Thomas Traversa (Tabou / Gaastra) brought his unique flare and out-and-out attitude to his heat, which saw risk be rewarded with a highly credible pass through to the next round. Joining him was Moroccan Boujmaa Guilloul (Starboard / Severne / MFC), who fended off tough opposition with some floaty aerials and late smacks that outclassed his rivals.

Entering a four way standoff with only two positions available in the next round, Williams, Guilloul, Browne and Traversa went to blows in barreling mast high waves and forever increasing wind.

When crunch time came, Traversa blew his chances, gambling super late smacks and deep bottom turns that were ultimately punished by the brutal Ponta Preta reef. Also departing was Guilloul, who notched up one truly brilliant wave, but failed to find a second to add to his score sheet, paying the heavy price of departure for his mistake.

This left Williams and Browne entering the two-man stage of the elimination, with only one place to play for. Williams was on a roll after dominating the four previous heats, but Browne was firing. The Brazilian was just going off, cranking the tightest bottom turns before smacking contorted top turns right under the lip. Williams performed well, but Browne was literally unbeatable.

Advancing to meet Francisco Goya (Goya Sails / MFC), Browne knew he had to deliver a solid performance, but rival Goya just wasn’t in the groove. After dominating in the single elimination Goya struggled to find form, and essentially gave Browne a pass through to the next round after an unconvincing display.

Meeting Kevin Pritchard (Starboard / Gaastra / MFC / Dakine), Browne’s nerve was put to the test. Pritchard is impossibly consistent, and while sometimes lacking the flare of his rivals he rarely delivers a poor performance. This heat was no exception. Outstanding wave selection, time and time again, combined with a fluent and well-timed attack on the Ponta Preta lip gave Browne a harsh reality check. Pritchard had done enough to secure third overall for the event, leaving Browne, who’d worked his way through the double elimination, in a highly impressive fourth.

So, the all too familiar showdown began. In a rerun of the 2007 World Cup, Kauli Seadi (JP / NeilPryde / MFC / Mormaii), who’d won the single elimination, had to defend his throne from the local, Josh Angulo (Angulo / MauiSails / Dakine). In this instance, Seadi’s defense was over thrown by Angulo’s wealth of knowledge at Ponta Preta. The pair would have to sail head to head one last time to decide the outright event winner.

With a swarming local crowed chanting the name of their national windsurfing hero, the final began. Angulo drew the first blood with a colossal off the lip hit, but landed deep in the bowl, and ended up getting washed onto the rocks. Seadi seized the opportunity, putting Angulo on the back foot with two solid rides.

Returning, Angulo blew everyone away with a nine-point wave ride, a rare spectacle to behold, and something truly inspiring. Following this up, Angulo launched into his usual routine of insanely late under the lip hits and perfectly timed aerials. Seadi knew he had to deliver, and right on queue, threw a perfectly landed goiter on the wave face.

The heat was intense and virtually impossible to call, with two very different styles unified by the much-revered Ponta Preta Break. Crunch time came in the huge event tent, before hundred of ecstatic local fans. Angulo had reigned supreme, returning the Cabo Verde crown to its motherland in emotional scenes rarely seen at windsurfing events. This capped off the awesome Cabo Verde PWA World Cup, which is now complete with three days in hand.

The 2009 Cabo Verde PWA World Cup - 02/17 from CaboVerdeWorldCup.com on Vimeo.

The 2009 Cabo Verde PWA World Cup - 02/15 from CaboVerdeWorldCup.com on Vimeo.

The 2009 Cabo Verde PWA World Cup - 02/14 from CaboVerdeWorldCup.com on Vimeo.

The 2009 Cabo Verde PWA World Cup - 02/13 from CaboVerdeWorldCup.com on Vimeo.

The countdown is almost over, as the 32 best wavesailors on the planet prepare to go head to head on Cabo Verde’s hallowed windsurfing breaks.
Following a four-month break over the winter period, the PWA kick starts the 2009 World Tour season with the much-revered Cabo Verde PWA World Cup. Commemorating the event’s third anniversary on the World Tour, the 2009 event team have been working tirelessly to ensure this year’s event exceeds the massive expectations the worldwide windsurfing community places upon it.

CLICK HERE to follow the action with the PWA Cabo Verde LIVE TICKER

The Contest
Running over an eight-day holding period from the 14th – 21st of February, the Cabo Verde archipelago will become the epicenter of the world’s wave sailing focus, as Sal’s exposed Atlantic beaches push the cream of the PWA’s wave fleet to their limits. The contest adopts the innovative roving format, meaning that while the event HQ is stationed at Pont Preta, the entire PWA circus can move to anyone of Sal’s breaks to ensure the riders compete in only the very best conditions the island has to offer.

The Players
As expected, the Cabo Verde entry list reads like a windsurfing roll of honor. Elite barely begins to describe the nature of this event, with just 32 positions available in the men only fleet. Headlining the heavyweight wave fleet is reigning World Wave Champion and defending Cabo Verde Champion, Kauli Seadi (JP / NeilPryde / MFC / Mormaii). The Brazilian style maestro is famed for his fluid, vertical style, and outrageous ability to access parts of the wave no one else can find possible.

Sharing Seadi’s limelight is 2007 Cabo Verde victor and 2008 runner up, Josh Angulo (Angulo / MauiSails / Dakine). Native to Sal and unquestionably the king of Ponta Preta, Angulo carries the hopes of a nation on his shoulders, and will be more determined than ever to bring the Cabo Verde crown back to its homeland.

Bringing his unique blend of wavesailing wisdom and gung-ho bravado, Jason Polakow (JP / NeilPryde) is always a serious contender in Cabo Verde. With 4th and 3rd place finishes to his name in 2007 and 2008 respectively, Polakow will be hell bent on securing victory. En route, watch out for impossibly late smacks, gravity defying aerials and complete disregard for personal safely.

Fellow JP / NeilPryde stable mate, Robby Swift is another tough contender. After being plagued by injury, Swift has finally had solid run of full fitness. A 4th place finish in 2008 gave a taste of what this highly calculating and methodically professional Brit is capable of; if he can tap into that same form in ’09 he’ll be a tough man to beat.
Equally worth of a mention are: Kevin Pritchard (Starboard / Gaastra / Dakine / MFC), who’s delivered consistent results two years running, the equally consistent Alex Mussolini (Tabou), French contortionist Thomas Traversa (Tabou / Gaastra), and World Wave runner up, Victor Fernandez (Fanatic / North / MFC). Only a handful of athletes have been mentioned here, however in reality when competition fires up, and the stresses and strains of sailing 30 minute heats kicks in, the Cabo Verde crown could fall to literally any of the 32 select riders on the entry list. Only time will tell.

What To Expect
Cabo Verde’s heritage needs no introduction, nor does the mind-boggling wavesailing that will be going down on its numerous world class reefs, however the Cabo Verde PWA World Cup has been stepped up several notches for 2009. Expect to see the inclusion of the Ponta Preta ‘mini-city’, which will feature round-the-clock entertainment, including DJ’s, local bands and numerous activities. Also on the bill will be national beach football / volleyball tournaments; food, drink and of course the finest windsurfers in the world battling it out only a stones throw from the beach.

(© PWA / Andrew Buchanan)

(Text courtesy of caboverdeworldcup.com)

(ALL PHOTOS BY John Carter/ PWA)

Matt's Monday #19: Jibe Transition

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 10:37:00 -0400

The Transition Zone...

This is where it all happens guys! It is so easy to show you in person but explaining it on paper is a challenge! The smoother the water is, the easier it is. I will heavily emphasize this again… “you must be able to visualize yourself doing this in your head!!!” in order for it to come together.

No matter what you are attempting to learn, the best way to make it happen is to ‘see’ it happen. Watch other people, study how it is done and then translate that into your own head and make a point to walk yourself through it. Go through the motions one by one until it becomes natural! Every step has to flow and there isn’t really time to “think” about what to do next. I encourage everyone to do beach exercises of the “transition” just by standing there on the beach, switching your hands and feet with or without the sail. Think about having your back hand and back leg attached to each other so they have to move together— when you push your sail around, step forward with your back foot and reach for your new side of the boom!

Picking up where we left off last week, you have made it through your entry zone in fine form! You have speed and are traveling down wind with relatively no apparent wind. You are free to flip the sail and switch your feet without being pulled over by the wind! In order to avoid getting pulled over or thrown off, you need to be going the same speed as the wind—then you lose that “apparent wind.” Keeping that front arm extended forward towards the nose of the board, this keeps the drive from the sail going into the board and helps you keep your speed! You use the backhand as your crutch. You don’t want to have the backhand pulled all the way in, you may need to pull against the sail to help your balance if you hit a piece of chop or something..... So try not to have your back arm bent too much. It is also very important to have you KNEES BENT! Yes, I AM SHOUTING...

It’s now time to flip the sail and change your feet. I like to do both at the same time pretty much. You have to be the boss here as you are driving the bus and need to make it happen. Tell the rig who is in charge! It is VERY important to STAY centered over you board here. You want to MOVE the rig out of your way in order to stay centered. Do this buy pulling with your front arm DOWN AND PUSH the rig to the outside of your turn while pushing with your back hand to open the clew of the sail up. As you are doing this, STEP forward with your old back foot almost to the mast track… the further you can spread your feet apart, the better. Also it really helps to THROW the boom away from you with your back hand so that you FORCE it to rotate— this helps you be able to CATCH the new side of the boom. THROW and REACH to the new side. Remember, you are trying to stay CENTERED over your board and you want to MOVE the sail out of your way. Once you make this TRANSITION, you are on your way to the exit zone and it is all DOWNHILL from there... easy peasy. We are going to talk about the EXIT next week. Get this in your head and check out this little video clip of my brother Kevin executing a very nice jibe... Watch it over and over until everything makes sense!!!

Kevin told me he will have the video up for you guys by 8a.m. Maui time.... So check out the Blog on our website and feel free to check out the shop for anything you might need:

http://www.pritchardwindsurfing.com/content/blogcategory/14/44/

Three-Time World Champion, Matt Pritchard is sponsored by Gaastra Sails, Tabou Boards, Da Kine, Kaenon Polarized and Camaro Wetsuits. If you want to learn more and improve your sailing, Check out ALOHA WINDSURFING CLINICS on Maui. Matt has teamed up with expert coach and awesome sailor Shawna Cropas and they will be doing monthly all inclusive clinics that will guarantee results!

Link is here: http://www.pritchardwindsurfing.com/content/view/15/36/

Vote Scott McKercher: AWSI windsurfer of the year

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:13:00 -0400

'LIKE' to vote for Scott McKercher

KA-181
Country: Australia
Sponsors: Starboard, Severne, Flying Objects

2010-2011 Accomplishments:

a force in the promotion of standup paddleboard windsurfing
standout waveboard designer for Starboard

Scotty McKercher is a leading force in helping to bring windsurfing back to the masses by showing how much fun it can be to stick a sail on one.

Inside Issue 30.1

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 11:17:00 -0500

THE EVENT ISSUE...

For our 30th anniversary issue we're paying homage to all types of windsurfing events. Here are some of the events we cover in the issue:

Pro Windsurfing Fantasy Pool... a contest to win your choice of 2011 board from Starboard—CLICK TO ENTER
US Windsurfing Nationals in San Francisco
King of the Hook lightwind freestyle contest in Hood River, OR
PWA world windsurfing tour
Rio Vista Dirty Water Classic... an unoffical spontaneous freestyle contest
Lord of the Wind Showdown in Los Barriles, Baja
Techno 293 racing at the Singapore Youth Olypic Games
the upcoming American Windsurfing Tour
Florida Wave Challenge
Hatteras Wave Jam
HIHO racing
Cowes Week in the UK

Vote Kiri Thode: AWSI windsurfer of the year

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:06:00 -0400

'LIKE' to vote for KIRI THODE

NB-61
Country: Bonaire
Sponsors: Starboard, Gaastra, Choco Fins, Tur Tur by Bogoro

2010-2011 Accomplishments:

1st place at 2011 Vietnam PWA Freestyle
1st place at 2011 Bonaire PWA Freestyle
2nd place at 2011 PWA Austria Surf World Cup
2nd place at 2011 Aruba PWA Freestyle
Overall 3rd place in 2010 PWA Freestyle tour

At age 21 Kiri Thode has already been a force on the PWA freestyle tour for a number of years now. He has innovated many new moves and is simply sick to watch on the water.

Matt Pritchard Interviews Finian Maynard

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 10:40:00 -0400

One of the fastest men on the windsurfing planet, Finian Maynard put the pedal to the medal nearly claiming victory at the 25th year anniversary event in Fuerteventura! One of the most intense battlegrounds on the PWA tour, Finian knows the game and played it well. Matt Pritchard got a chance to ask a few questions and see what he had to say about his recent success...

Matt Pritchard: Finian, Congrats on a solid 2nd place result- I know it is tough out there; give me a rundown of what has been going on for you this season.

Finian Maynard: Fuerte was a great result, I am super happy to finish second with a chance for the win on the last day. I thought I sailed very mistake free and tried to be consistent on the race course and this plan seemed to work quite well. The beginning of the season was hard with a knee injury just before Korea and getting used to my new Vapor sails so I have been playing catch up a lot but I think I am race ready now.

How about your size? You have been one of the biggest guys on tour- probably a reason why you are one of the fastest guys out there.... What are you dims right now and have they changed for you in the last year?

I think I am still the same height…..190cm and my weight right now is 111kg. I think that this helps me in powered conditions when one needs to sheet on harder but I feel I am competitive in the light wind as well as growing up in the BVI was all about 10-15 knots of wind.

With the 6/3 rules, do you think this is an advantage to you or not? If not, why would it favor one competitor over another?

I like the 6/3, we can race anywhere, anytime and in any condition, so for the event organizers this makes for a better show and we can also race on the equipment we want in any specific wind. With the 4/2 rule, one could get caught out from time to time on the wrong stuff.

MP: What size sail have you been using most on tour this year? Do you have a favorite size and why?

I like my 7.6 the most. It feels stable and quick but unfortunately I have only raced it in one event. Otherwise, I have been on my 10.0 most of the year.

How involved are you with your team mates Ross and Kevin? Do you guys talk strategy on the race course or is it every man for himself out there?

To be fair, it is mainly every man for himself on the race course, every sailor on the water is a competitor. However, we do talk about how the sails are feeling when we are on the beach.

How about the Terminator- Dunks is making a pretty serious effort to win back a world title! What are your thoughts about that and what do you think motivates him to keep pushing so hard?

Bjorn has endless energy and desire for racing. It is embedded in his blood. I think that his sponsors are pushing hard and I believe he wants one more PWA title in the modern era before he retires.

You have been on tour for many years- I would say you are due for a Slalom title one of these days- What will it take for you? I know that is a tricky question but you have always been close but not quite- what gives?

My desire for the title is stronger than ever. I will do my very best to achieve that goal.

With 2 more events to go- one in Turkey and Sylt, what is your strategy for the rest of the season?

I am fighting with many guys for 3rd overall this year. I have no strategy, just to try and race well and see what happens.

Well that all sounds pretty good- thanks for your time and good luck in the next event! We will be watching ...

Thanks a lot, I hope the wind gods are good to us and we get more high quality racing like Fuerteventura.

Vote Levi Siver: AWSI windsurfer of the year

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:09:00 -0400

'LIKE' to vote for LEVI SIVER

USA-0
Country: USA
Sponsors: Goya, Quatro, Oxbow, Red Bull, Dakine, MFC

2010-2011 Accomplishments:

1st at 2010 Ho'okipa Jump Off demonstration event with a Back Loop of 52' 7"
starred in 2010 release of the feature film The Windsurfing Movie 2
starred in 2011 release of the feature film Oxbow Walls of Perception
founding member of Team +H2O that is actively working on clean water initiatives on Maui and around the world

When it comes to wavesailing no one gets more tweaked in their style then Levi Siver. His aerials are mind blowing and will wear out the pause button on your TV's remote control from watching one of his feature films from the past year. Plus he joined Jake Miller, Pascal Bronnimann and Keith Teboul in starting +H2O, which is a team of watermen looking to promote and work on clean water projects around the world.

Matt Pritchard Breaks both Legs

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Painfully we have to pass on the terrible news of Matt Pritchard's breaking both of his legs while on a trip to California with his brother Kevin. Windsport contacted Matt to wish him well (you can too by clicking here for pritchardwindsurfing.com) and to find out the story behind this horrific injury.

What exactly is the injury?
Basically I broke both my legs. The right leg is pretty straightforward as I snapped both tib and fib… they slammed a titanium rod down through my knee and it should heel up nicely. The left leg is a bit more complicated as it is closer to my ankle joint. I’m not sure on how that will play out. I have been seeing specialists in Los Angeles to get things done right.

Where and how did it happen?
It happened while riding dirt bikes on a Supercross track in Southern California. I was going through a rhythm section with some steep landings and came up short on the last one and just slammed in hard. I didn't even fall off the bike. I kept going but knew I broke both of my legs. It was pretty painful. Luckily there was an E.M.T. on site and I had some morphine in me within 5 minutes, but it still was the most painful thing I have ever gone through and I think I'm pretty tough.

How long will the recovery take?
I’m not sure exactly but I should be back on my feet in 8 or 10 weeks it sounds like.

As you've been down the injury road before, what’s the hardest part of recovery?
For me, the hardest part is not getting frustrated. That is pretty tough when you are all laid up and can't do anything. I just change my mindset and go day-by-day. It’s all you can do. If you think about being out for 6 months, that is hard to swallow. I set goals and do my best to achieve them.

Any advice for other windsurfers on doing high-risk sports?
You can risk it or sit on your biscuit. I totally recommend high-risk sports. They are what keep you on top, being confident and going for it. You’ve gotta pay to play. When you look at any top athlete, they all have injuries and pay the price.

What can a young pro windsurfer do during an injury period to keep his or her sponsors happy?
Be active by writing stories and articles for magazines or websites. Make yourself known by having a presence on the forums. Get creative on the computer basically. Try making videos.

Keep up-to-date on Matt's recovery at pritchardwindsurfing.com.

Editor's Choice at Surf Expo

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Surf Expo went down in Orlando, Florida from Sept. 12-14 with windsurfing representing stongly amongst the skaters, wakeboarders, surfers, string surfers and bathing suit models.

Most Innovative New Product: North Silver3 Mast system Check out North's brand new 3-piece mast. The top and bottom stay the same while you can interchange between 3 middle sections to create a 370, 400 or 430.

Bling Award (tie): NPX Drysuit, Maui Fin Company Freestyle Pro UL, Exocet Pro Edition black boards This brand new NPX Drysuit brings all the warmth and style of snowboard wear to you local sailing spot this winter. The MFC Freestyle Pro UL is the lightest fin around for better pop to hop and land your spock! The black boards from Exocet are ultra-light and super sex on and off the water.

“If you print that photo I’ll kill you!” Award: Check out the GALLERY

Best Board Display (tie): Exocet and Next Sports
Best Sail Display: Aerotech
Best Booms Display: Chinook
Best Mast Display: Powerex
Coolest Booth: Dakine

Best Pre-Show Dealer Meeting: Trident Performance Sports (Starboard, Severne) The Trident crew hosted approximately 30 dealers on the Oregon coast (at Netarts near Oceanside) this past August. Over 60 people showed up to checkout boards, sails and SUPs.

Best Windsurf Celebrity Appearance: Roberto Ricci (RRD)

Most Boards on Display (Brand): Exocet

Most Boards Displayed (Distributor): Next Sports (Fanatic and F2)

Most Informative Tour through a Brand Line: Craig Gertenbach (Fanatic)

Best Candy: Chinook’s booth

Best Booth Location: Naish

Party Central...Most Happening Booth: Adventure Sports International (JP-Austrail/Neil Pryde)

Most Comfy Couch: Next Sports (Fanatic, F2)

Most Inspiring Meeting: Nevin Sayre of Bic Sport Check out this video of the East Coast Junior Championships Nevin sent to Windsport.com and you'll understand why!

Most Improved Looking Windsurfable SUPs: Amundson

Most High-Fives: Adam Levitt (SBC Wakeboard Magazine)

“Nice Rack” Award: Trident Sports (Starboard/Severne)

Best Party Throwers: AWSI execs Katie Crafts and Tonia Farman

Best Sunglasses: Kaenon

Best Non-Windsurfing Stocking Stuffer: Eye Play sunglass case music player

Top Team Rider: Wyatt Miller (Fanatic)

Top Shop Rider: Diego (Adventure Sports)

Birthdays Celebrated: Rick Bruner (SBC Media), Declan Sacre (Trident Performance Sports)

Vote Kevin Pritchard: AWSI windsurfer of the year

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:05:00 -0400

'LIKE' to vote for KEVIN PRITCHARD

US-3
Country: USA
Sponsors: Starboard, Ezzy, Dakine, Camaro Wetsuits, MFC

2010-2011 Accomplishments:

1st at the 2011 Lord of the Wind Showdown between windsurfers and kiteboarders
1st at both the 2011 Lord of the Wind Windsurfing Slalom and Course Racing events
1st at 2010 Pistol River Wave Bash
2nd at 2011 AWT Santa Cruz Classic
currently 2nd overall on the American Windsurfing Tour
6th overall in 2010 PWA Slalom World Tour

Kevin Pritchard has charged fully into the American Windsurfing Tour (AWT) this year not only on the competition side but as the tour's official videographer. But maybe one of the biggest stories about KP this year was his domination of the kiteboarders in a head-to-head long distance Lord of the Wind Showdown race held in Los Barriles, Baja, Mexico. Just before the race Pritchard offered to split the large cash purse with the top kiteboarder but they simply laughed him off being confident that a windsurfer didn't stand a chance in the upwind-downwind race. Well, Pritchard won and laughed his way to the bank with his new BIG check! CLICK HERE to check out the Pritchard blog.

We Interview Corpus Christi's Enes Yilmazer

Wed, 19 May 2010 09:26:00 -0400

How is the racing in Korea going and what gear are you using?

Its been great here. I'm currently 12th overall and it looks like I'll be able to finish around there. So far my worst result is 18.5 without discard, so even though we have more races, I'm still in really good position. My sails are NeilPryde and there range is really big. Here in Korea the gusts can be so brutal and you need a sails that can handle it, and my NeilPryde does a great job with the high range ability. My gear is 2010 JP Slalom 76 and 65. I used the 76 with an 8.6-metre and 46 cm fin and 7.8-metre with 44 cm fin. On the 65 I put 7.8-metre with 40 cm fin and so far it looks like I have no problem with speed. I think with the 8.6 gear I'm going really fast... and maybe I'll try to push my chances of top three on the losers final or even maybe the final.

What is it like to travel all the way to Korea to race?

Its a really hard and tiring process coming from Corpus Christi to Korea. After I packed two board bags, three sail bags and one gear bag, I drove 8 hours to Dallas airport first. Then, after five hours of waiting, I flew straight from Dallas to Seoul, Korea. Its a 16 hour flight, then once there, I take a bus and went to a domestic airport to fly to Ulsan. I wanna say it takes at least two days to get here but you know, its worth it! Thats our passion and thats what we love.

How is the food in Korea (compared to Texas)?

Man, I'm a big fan of Texas food. Steaks, corn, bbq and etc. is all my favorite, but here its all about rice and fish. I don't wanna say its really bad but I would definitely prefer Texas food without a doubt. Plates are small, rice every day and they are not really fan of meat, which I love.

Describe your best race so far?

I think my best race is the second semi final that makes you qualify for top 16. I had a really bad start. Maybe I started 6th or 7th but I went a bit upwind and got clear wind on the first reach. I managed to pass two people on the first reach but the problem was I was way to the outside to make a good jibe. All the 5th, 6th and 7th guys got inside of me on the jibe. But it was the turning point of the race there, which was a big jibe and then I got planing earlier and started to go upwind. Since all the other racers made tight jibes, they all slowed down and stopped planing (compared to me). I came out with full speed and on the second reach I passed all of them, including Ross Williams, and got to the 4th position. Ross was right behind me the whole race. I could hear his board all the time! I held my 4th position all the race and on the last jibe, because of rough wind and choppy conditions, Ross and I fell down at the same time on the jibe. We got up at the same time so it was almost a photo finish... but lucky I managed to finish 4th and go to the next round.

What are your goals for this season?

Definitely top 15 on PWA. I want all my result around the top 15 or close to that. Hopefully I can win all the National events and get on some formula events in the US... we'll see what happens!

Exclusive Video: Day 1 at the PWA Costa Brava Slalom

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Here you'll find exclusive coverage from PWA/Tonix of Day 1 at the Catalunya Costa Brava Slalom World Cup.

Vote Victor Fernandez: AWSI windsurfer of the year

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:08:00 -0400

'LIKE' to vote for VICTOR FERNANDEZ

E-42
Country: Spain
Sponsors: Fanatic, North, Quiksilver, MFC

2010-2011 Accomplishments:

2010 PWA Wave World Champion
1st at 2010 PWA Gran Canaria Grand Prix in Waves
2nd at 2010 PWA Denmark World Cup in Waves
starring in the soon to be released feature film Minds Wide Open
2011 nominee for Laureus World Sports Award (against Kelly Slater, Shaun White and others)

What a year for Victor Fernandez! Not only did he finally win the PWA World Wave Crown but he was nominated for the coveted Laureus World Sports Award in the action sports category. Watch for Victor soon in his starring role in Andre Paskowski's soon to be released feature film called Minds Wide Open.

Pro Quotes: Cape Verde

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The historic 2007 Cabo Verde event set the bar to an all-time high for PWA wavesailing, so it was a full house once again for the top names in the sport on the island of Sal. Kauli Seadi kicks-off the season with a critical victory over local favourite Josh Angulo and wavesailing legend Jason Polakow.

Comment on Kauli Seadi’s win?
It was great to see. He has new sponsors, big money, and Kauli came through with the goods. That is the reason Neil Pryde went out and bought the best, and they got what they paid for. He definitely has what it takes to be World Champion. —Kevin Pritchard (Starboard, Gaastra)

Kauli is the best waverider right now. I was expecting him to win. —Marcilo Browne (Mistral, Gaastra)

Best crash?
At Punta Preta there’s always some good wipeouts. Boujmaa Guilloul was going hard out there doing some aerials near the rocks. It was pretty scary to watch. —Kevin Pritchard

Boujmaa tried a Goiter and literally landed over the rocks...scary. —Marcilio Browne

Most times on the rocks?
During the contest trials, Camille Juban went on the rocks three times within a short period. But the kid didn’t quit and eventually made it out of the trials and even into the top 16. What a great achievement. —Kai Katchadorian (Simmer, Quatro)

I saw Ricardo [Campello] on the rocks quite a bit and also Nik Baker, which is totally not like Nik. But it was good to see him out there pushing it. —Kevin Pritchard

Who’s sailing surprised you?
Kai [Katchadorian] sailed really well. He was always pushing it and sailing really strong heats. —Josh Angulo (Maui Sails, Angulo)

Thomas Traversa was just ripping. His turns were sick and his overall sailing was very consistent and intelligent. —Marcilio Browne

Many heats in the pre-contest trials bordered on being worthy of the big dance. Ten sailors advanced into the elite 32-man field of which four landed in the top-16. What a huge achievement. Watch out for Francisco Porcella, Jean-Babtiste Caste and Camille Juban inupcoming events. —Kai Katchadorian

Best wave?
Jason Polakow did one turn in front of me that was really sick. He was looking at Peter Volwater, who was in his way, out of the corner of his eye and at the very last second committed to the rest of his bottom turn and cranked straight up into the lip into a tweaked out air. I thought it looked nice. —Josh Angulo

I saw Polakow on a really nice wave before the semi-finals. He came all the way from the outside to deep into the middle section hitting the wave at the most critical part. —Kauli Seadi (Neil Pryde, JP-Australia)

Kauli [Seadi] got a nice set wave and hit a big aerial at the beginning. Then he took it all the way to the inside… very nice. —Marcilio Browne

Check out Delta sailor Jordan Reid's cool videos...

Sat, 16 Oct 2010 10:42:00 -0400

We knew Jordan Reid is a killer freestyler and slalom sailor...

but who knew he could do this on a BIKE (with his buddy Scott Menger)?...

Davy Sheffers' Bonaire VIDEO

Mon, 10 May 2010 18:41:00 -0400

Winter 2010 on Bonaire had some good wind and a lot of fun training. Thanks to the bonaire guys for helping me and giving me tips on everything. And a huge thanks to Alex Tetsis and Hylke Bakker for filming. You can find more on davy-h311.nl. In the video I'm using the Tabou Twister 90 with a 12 cm fin. The sails are Gaastra Echo Le 4.8 and 5.2 from 2009 and 2010. Hope you will like the movie! —Davy Sheffers H-311

Windsurfer Rescues Turtle in Corpus Christi

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 09:18:00 -0500

Chip Ducrest, the Corpus Christi Windsurfing Association commodore, writes about coming across this turtle in the intercostal waterway...

Yesterday, while windsurfing at Bird Island, I came across one of the many stunned Green Sea Turtles affected by the cold. Don [Jackson] gave me a heads up to be on the lookout, so I took extra line with me and stuffed it in my wetsuit. It was blowing around 14-18 knots from the south, under a beautiful blue sky. The sailing wasn't so great, but it was good to be back out on the water.

Sure enough, after about 30 minutes of up and down sailing, I ran across this guy in the Intercoastal Canal. Why couldn't he have been in shallower water?!? He had a bit of life left in him and tried to dive down, but would immediately pop back up. I jumped in the bitterly cold Intercoastal waterway to grab him and place the turtle on top of my board. The lines came in handy as he immediately wasn't comfortable on his first windsurfer and tried to hop off. I ended up securing him to the footstraps (I should have tried putting his fins in the footstraps) and off we went for the mile long shlog back to shore. It took a while and alot of my energy was drained sailing back, but it was well worth the effort. We had a welcoming crowd gather around once ashore. The guys at Worldwinds were quick to call the NPS, who arrived within a few minutes to take "Chipper" to the sea turtle recovery center. One of the NPS volunteers noted that most of the turtles rescued have come in with eyes closed and less vitality, so I'm hopeful this one will make a quick recovery and get back to the gulf waters.—Chip Ducrest

Tatiana and Shawna: Joining Forces

Thu, 26 May 2011 17:12:00 -0400

Tatiana Howard and Shawna Cropas are joining forces where the Butterfly Effect meets Aloha Clinics in Maui and Fiji. The two women have each worked and played on Maui for years, and this year are partnering to create weeks of coaching followed by the celebratory Butterfly Effect. Check out their clinics online here: www.betheeffect.com.

Tell us about how you two met and why you decided to join forces:

Shawna Cropas: I was running Aloha Windsurfing Clinics with Matt where all levels of sailors and sexes were invited to take part. I had a few women on my clinics who mentioned they would enjoy a women's only weeklong clinic. So I put one together and thought it would be great if Tatiana joined us as a fellow instructor as she had been doing so many great things with women via the Butterfly Effect. It was a natural choice as we'd casually toyed with the idea over the last year on the beach already. It was just a matter of putting it into action.

Tatiana Howard: We were both always at Ho'okipa surfing, windsurfing, or just enjoy the ocean. I knew Shawna had a cool thing going with the Aloha Clinics getting people stoked on the water, and I had The Butterfly Effect going doing the same thing. We both discussed it would be fun to collaborate with each other and provide a new experience for water women worldwide!

Why did you choose Fiji for your destination clinic?

TH: I went to Fiji last year and had an amazing time. I came back explaining to Shawna about Fiji being an ideal location for a clinic and she was up for collaborating to provide a great instructional week for women in Fiji. Safari Lodge is a tiny island off the northern tip of the main island and offers steady winds, sandy bottom, a variety of rigged equipment right off the beach, beauty everywhere, and an overall humble feeling.

The Butterfly Effect and the Aloha Clinics both stress camaraderie and the social side of windsurfing. Why do you focus there?

TH: Because it is fun! I got into windsurfing because of friends and having a good time at the beach. It is nice to opportunity to share this fun factor of windsurfing with others and not worry about level, but just to get out there and enjoy!

SC: I think it's great to have the competitive side to windsurfing and event centered around who's the best. It pushes everyone's levels up......... But it may also leave a big percent of people behind. Not everyone wants to risk life and limb to be the best. This example is best showed by the Butterfly Effect itself. It's a downwinder for women to either sail, sup or kite together downwind: a non-competitive fun event with a huge social scene surrounding it. Hundreds of women show up. So it shows they want to be a part of the fun, an adventure, an event, and a lively social scene.... Yet when we run windsurfing competitions you're lucky if 6 girls show up to compete. The numbers speak for themselves. I personally love seeing woman on the water being active and being a part of the fun.

You’re both very skilled windsurfers- why are you focusing on the teaching and clinic side of windsurfing instead of competing? Do either of you have plans to compete? Why or why not?

SC: I used to compete when I lived in Europe. It was a fun way to be a part of everything but I never took it too seriously. I like things that inspire me to do personally better or enjoy the moment. Usually those moments derive from fantastic action photos of other female sailors, a positive conversation with a fellow athlete, a laugh on the water or an encouraging whoop whoop. It's not to say I wouldn't compete for the fun of it should a competition cross my radar, it's just not on the top of my priority list.

TH: I started The Butterfly Effect in 2007 because there wasn't too much happening event wise on Maui, especially for the women. I did the PWA and liked being a part of an event, but since I was creating the event I decided to make it a little different. I dreamed up my ideal event and it turned out to be non-competitive, free, for fun and with all water girls! I still like to compete once in a while and think it is beautiful to see advance sailors come out and perform in a contest!

If you were given a job to double the number of women who windsurf (and had an endless amount of money to do so), what would you do? Where would you focus your energy?

TH: I would sign them up at the Aloha Windsurfing meets Butterfly Effect clinic weeks, and have them start learning at great beginning locations like Maui and Fiji.. and Shawna recommends Greece too! I think it is important to start learning the sport in a comfortable, easy area, with good instructors to make it the best experience. Once they got it down they can join for downwinders around the globe with The Butterfly Effect and give back to local communities they visit at the same time!

SC: I spend my money on events like the Vass Class. It's a weeklong event in Greece for the whole family with fun competitions, windsurfing instruction for all levels of sailors, crazy social night out where they dress up in something wild every night including a tux and gown night. There's something going on for everyone and it's a week of wild windsurfing antics and social delights. There was a jump contest here this summer with the best photograph winning (everyone had a chance to vote on the pics). I thought that was a new fun way to run an event. People came dressed up in a sorts of silly gear. Maybe some workshops on how to compete and guest instructors to teach all different levels of sailor something new. Keep it light, keep it fun kind of thing.

Tatiana, you’re just coming off the first ever snow Butterfly Effect in Switzerland. How was it?

TH: It was amazing! We had 40 women come for the event from several different countries. We had skiing, snowboarding, and telemarking clinics in the morning of slope, park, or pipe, and then a down-"hill" (instead of downwind) run. All the girls were stoked and haven't seen a event like this one in the snow, so it was great. We had leis from Hawaii and did a yoga/warm up stretch on the mountain in snowboard boots too! It was amazing to see everyone improve their sport throughout the day, meet friends from around the world, and have so much fun on the mountain.

2011 AWSI Windsurfer of the Year... voting closed!

Sun, 17 Jul 2011 14:30:00 -0400

Voting is closed... stay tuned for final results!

Robby's Angels...the story begins!

Mon, 11 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

You wanted action... you asked for adventure... tighten your footstraps as the ride is about to begin!
Welcome to Robby's Angels!

Click here to start from the beginning of the story

Jump immediately to Part 2 by clicking here (if you've already watched Part 1)

Bernd Roediger's Wave Bash Story - Part 2

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 10:51:00 -0400

The next day I woke up as groggy as ever. "Something about this climate makes me soooo tired,” I thought to myself. Today was competition day but I felt very relaxed. Half of me said it was a good thing that it meant I felt prepared and ready. But the other half of me wondered if I had my head in the game.

We got to the beach early and rigged up. After the skippers meeting they gave us some time to practice. My sailing felt better than before but I didn't feel completely on. The Juniors were being run first today so I got down to the beach to get ready for the start. I should have been preparing myself mentally for the contest but I was having a hard time focusing. Luckily I was hyped up with the excitement of the contest that I made it through the first round! I pulled a forward right off the bat and then followed up with an air. But as the day wore on I felt my focus needed more focus! After the Junior heat I sailed in the Expert. That was when I started making mistakes.

Throughout the rest of the day I would make little goof-ups in my heats. Sometimes I wouldn't start my watch on time and other times I would follow other people out into the water and be too early on my start. I was getting sloppy. In the Expert division I got knocked out even before the quarter finals! I needed to pull myself together, but before I knew it I was in the Junior finals.

It was a heat between Jake Golm, Morgan Noireaux, Zane Shnauzer, and I. I went out and pulled a decent forward but the wind was light and I soon ended up too far downwind and out of the competition zone. I then spent the better part of the heat making my way upwind. I made one jump and two waves, the required amount for the contest, but I felt like I didn't sail my best.

Later that night the judges announced that Zane had won. Needless to say I was upset. Not with Zane or the judges, not with anyone but me. It was my fault for being so unprepared mentally. I knew my skill was there but I didn't have my head in the game. Luckily the contest was a double elimination so there was still a chance for me to win, but before that I would have to get my head in the right place.

The next day we woke up as early as ever. I couldn't forget what I was doing this time, I was too angry. When we got down to the beach I tried my best to stay focused but I couldn't help but think that I had done something wrong yesterday. I felt like if I could find out what I did wrong I could do things differently and win. But that only made things worse.

I got second in the Juniors so I only had to sail until the semi-finals but in the Expert I had to sail in the second bracket. And before I knew it, it was my turn to sail. Still trying to figure out what I did wrong I sailed an awful two heats. I would hit a wave once or twice and then go upwind afraid to get too far down the beach. Then when I jumped I played things safe, trying to land simple things rather than going for big contest winner jumps. I skated by for two heats but then I was in a heat with a lot of tough sailors and I knew it was now or never to get my head on straight.

My Dad walked up next to me and asked what was wrong. "I have no idea" I said "that's the problem". "You want to know what you did wrong yesterday?" he said. I perked up. "What?" "Nothing" he replied. He saw that I looked completely confused so he explained that all I needed to do was focus on what I wanted and sail like I do all the time. That way I would be proud of what I did, regardless of what place I got. That made sense to me but I needed to really believe it and it wasn't until the last moment that I did.

I sat on the cold, wet, beach. The wind was blowing sand in my face but I didn't care, I was already sandy. My heat was up next so I sat and prepared. I prepared my mind to win. Then the first horn blew and I walked my gear up. Everyone ran to the water and sailed out but I stayed on the beach. I would go out at the start of the heat. My face was expressionless but I was screaming on the inside. This time, right here today, I knew exactly where I was. I was in a windsurfing contest just before my heat. And I knew exactly what I was doing here. Preparing to win. It was time that I got my head out of my butt and got myself together. Just then the horn blew… it was now or never.

I went out and felt all the anger inside me focus into what I needed to do. I went out and hit the biggest ramp I could find with the most speed I could muster! I paused on the jump enough to take one; stormy calm, breath and then I went into the biggest delayed forward I've ever done.

From that point the heats went great. I made it all the way to the quarter finals and then got beat out by Tyson Poor. But then there were the Junior semi-finals.

In this heat I was competing against Morgan Noireaux. He was a fierce competitor who has back loops completely mastered! But I pulled another giant forward and a grubby on the wave, which drew applause (at least that's what my Dad told me). So I managed to beat Morgan and now I would face Zane.

During the first round I was able to stick to the game plan. I pulled another nice forward and an off-the-lip. After that I followed up with catching a freak mast-high set and rode it all the way down the beach for an epic score! After the heat was over I congratulated Zane and the judges came out with the results. I had won the final!

Woo-hoo! I won, yeah! Not. It turns out that in the double elimination the looser has to beat the single elimination winner twice! So I had one more heat to run!

I ran another solid heat packed with good turns and jumps! I pulled another grubby on the wave into a sick top turn! I figured I had the contest won! But Zane managed to beat me! Still, I couldn't help but feeling great about what I did! It must of confused Zane to see how happy I was even though I lost. But the reality was that I sailed completely focused and on top of my game, because of that I had no regrets.

The next day I had an awesome stand-up session and then watched the heated battle between Francisco Goya and Kevin Pritchard! That night they held the awards ceremony and when they called the Juniors up my Dad said that I looked like I was kneeling on the floor! "It only makes sense since you're two years younger than they are!" He said. I told him I felt like I was back in the Redwood Forest! But regardless of the fact that I was the youngest and smallest out of the podium finishers I could take a nap on the plane back home, wake up, and not only remember; but also be proud of where I had been and what I had done.

P.S. Next time I'm bringing booties, headgear, gloves, and a whale blubber wetsuit!