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BUYERS' GUIDE 2011WINDSPORT.COM

$5.99 US

NORTH AMERICA’S WINDSURFING MAGAZINE

WELCOME TO OUR 30TH YEAR OF HELPING WINDSURFERS LIVE THE DREAM!

EAST COASTWAVE CONTESTSHITTING LIPS FROMHATTERAS TO FLORIDA

GOINGTECHNOAT THESINGAPORE YOUTH OLYMPICS

AND PWA FANTASY DRAFT

+ WHO IS BEHIND THE AMERICAN WINDSURFING TOUR?

2011 BUYERS’

GUIDE

THEEVENTISSUE

McGain fi nishes with a bang. Davis photo

Forecast

10 windsport

GETTING THE GUNOld-school sailors always talk about “gett ing the gun,” which means winning the race, being fi rst across the fi nish line. At the 2010 U.S. Windsurfi ng Nationals held at Crissy Field in San Francisco, I had the pleasure and experi-ence, on several occasions, of literally gett ing the gun. The host, St. Francis Yacht Club, is a traditional club that still uses an actual rifl e, with blanks fi red when the fi rst fi nisher crosses the line. The starting signals are indicated by a horn, but the fi nish is your old-fashioned gun fi ring. —Phil McGain

windsport 11

12 windsport

Features44 Margot vs. Margot

Windsport journalist Margot Samson inter-views Team USA athlete Margot Samson at

the first-ever Youth Olympic Games.

48 Meet Happy saMMeet the organizer of the 2011 U.S. Wind-

surfing Tour: Sam Bittner.

54 east Coast WavesThe Florida Wave Challenge and Hatteras

Wave Jam score killer conditions this year.

60 Crossing patHs in tHe Bvi

Stories from a champion, a captain, an owner and a father from the 2010 Highland

Spring HIHO.

66 BeHind tHe LensGorge photographer Richard Hallman shares

his story and some of his favourite photos.

74 exposureThe best from the world of windsurfing

photography.

84 Buyers’ guide 2011 and pro Fantasy draFt

Learn about all the new gear, and we chal-lenge you to enter our Pro Windsurfing

Fantasy Draft Pool to win a brand-new 2011 Starboard board of your choice.

contents one voLuMe 30, issue 1, nuMBer 127

On the COverrider:Kauli seadiPhotographer:Jerome Houyvet

I put Seadi on the cover of my first issue after becoming the editor of Windsport five years ago. Since, his unrivaled influence on gear, moves and style has definitely earned him another. —Pete DeKay, editor

windsport 13

Bryan Metcalf-Perez at the Hatchery. McGuire / Pro Photo Supply photo

14 windsport

upFront10 ForeCast

The winning gun

16 LaunCHThirty years of Windsport

18 BaLanCe pointLove letters and hate mail

21 in tHe WindHow to windsurf through life

Depts.36 radar

Bonaire’s Bjorn Saragoza

38 in tHe LaBPWA head judge Duncan Coombs

40 sup yogaPoses to strengthen your back

42 ride guide:Los BarriLes, BaJa

How to do this Mexican hot spot

96 getting reaLWith musician Mark Johnstone

98 CLose outTypes of wind widows

contents two voLuMe 30, issue 1, nuMBer 127

← Scan THiS!Download a QR Code reader app on your smartphone (we recommend ScanLife) and view bonus online coverage by scanning these pixilated boxes. Here, watch Dany ride in a pool.

windsport 15

Dany Bruch in a wave pool. CMD photo

The most memorable windsurf-ing goal I ever set was to Loop (or at least start trying) before age 30. By the way, I was 29 years and 11 months old at the time, so the pressure was really on. Just days before time ran out, I sacked up enough to achieve my goal of fl opping out of the sky onto my back and began the butt -to-shoulder bruise progression that accompanies learning to Loop. With this issue you're now hold-ing in your, hopefully, well-callused hands, Windsport celebrates the beginning of its 30th year in pub-lication, so we've earned a pearl that symbolizes 30 years . This magazine learned the publishing equivalent of the Loop long before I became editor fi ve years ago. So rather than doing some sort of “state of the union” on a mag that was already damn good before I came along, it seems more ap-propriate to look back at my own “windsurfi ng career” (an oxymoron if I ever heard one). I made windsurfi ng my sole source of income back in 1998, with the accompanying caveat, “As long as I keep seeing progress in

what I am doing within the wind-surfi ng industry, I'll keep doing it.” And what if I didn’t see progress? I defi nitely wouldn’t have stopped sailing, but I would’ve had to fi nd the dreaded “real job.” I really don’t know what I was thinking back then when I set this rule for myself but looking back, it helped me, as a non-pro-level windsurfer, combine work and play in a perfect way. At fi rst, I didn’t think my career in windsurfi ng could compare at all to the life of someone with a normal nine-to-fi ve, but it actually does—although, on a diff erent scale. Gett ing my fi rst extended Ford Econoline van was literally buying my fi rst home, without the hassles of a mortgage (luckily, Dodge Sprinters weren’t around back then, or I would’ve gone into debt). Upgrading, years later, to an RV was like moving into a luxury, gated community; one that I moved out of only a year later, as the neighbours who’d wake me up in the middle of the night telling me, “You can’t park here!” were jerks. Gradually improving sponsor-ship deals over the years was my form of a pay raise or bonus,

and it validated my work touring around the country and expos-ing windsurfers to the greatest gear in the world—my current gear. Just imagine the look on the faces of your peers at work if your boss presented them each with a brand-new Dakine T5 harness as a Christmas bonus. To me, this would be awesome and, at least, it would make it easy to spot if any others are windsurfers. Over the years, I’ve progressed from average-Joe windsurfer to ABK BoardSports instructor to head instructor to instructional editor of Windsport, and where I fi nd myself now, as editor. But now, aft er fi ve years in the same position as editor, haven’t things started to stagnate? My response to this is, “Are you kidding me? No way!” This past November was the best and craziest month of my life: I got to meet and interview Mr. Neil Pryde—the owner of my fi rst sail sponsor—at the Neil Pryde dealer meeting in Bimini, Bahamas; from there, I trav-eled to join the Windsport test team to try a ton of new gear at Worldwinds Windsurfi ng in

Corpus Christi, Texas; and to end the month, I jett ed halfway around the world to Thailand for what would become the best trip of my life (but you’ll have to wait for an upcoming issue to read about it). Just as I had my best month ever, 2011 is shaping up to be something special for windsurfi ng in North America. Why? This will be the best year for events and contests we've seen since the turn of the century, and we hope to make Windsport a part of as many of them as possible. From classic events like the Calema Midwinters, Midwest Speed Quest, U.S. Nationals or Toucan Open (to name just four), to excit-ing newcomers like the fi ve-stop American Windsurfi ng Tour and Lord of the Wind contest in Los Barriles, Baja, this year will be jam-packed with places to go and party like it’s 1999 (actually more like 1984, for windsurfers). Be sure to check out windsport.com/events for all upcoming events, and I hope to see you at one near you soon. —pete deKay, editor

launch

16 windsport

THINGS JUST KEEP GETTING BETTER a pearl for 30 years. Fraser photo

18 windsport

balance point

Write in AND Win

WINNING LETTER PUBLISHER Steve Jarrett

EDITOR Pete DeKay // pdk@sbcmedia.com

SENIOR EDITOR John Bryja

ART DIRECTOR Dan Parsons

SENÕR DESIGNER Joe Andrus

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Luke Fox

COPY EDITOR Kate Rutledge

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Bill Bell, Graham Ezzy, Mitch Gingrich, Jem Hall, Richard Hallman, Meiry Hayes, Phil McGain, Chris Rogers, Emma-Rose Rossoff, Bruce Thomas, Margot Samson, Phil Soltysiak, Fiona Wylde, MacRae Wylde CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGS Dave Baker, Jane Bambace, John Bambace, Jock Bradley, John Carter, Charles Chandler, Alf Chern, Shawn Davis, Bryan Elkus, Richard Hallman, Jerome Houyvet, Lori Makabe, Janis Markopoulos, Michael McGuire, Clark Merritt, Anne Nelson, Andreas Seibold, Sebastien Staub, Benjamin Thouard, Dave White, Ellen Wylde

MAUI CORRESPONDENT Patrick Bergeron

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DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION Evan Sue-Ping AND DESIGN

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If you would prefer not to receive such information, please write to us at the address below.

Windsport magazine is an independent publication published four times a year —Buyers’ Guide, Spring , Summer and Fall—by SBC Media Inc.,

2255B Queen St. E., Suite 3266, Toronto, ON, M4E 1G3Phone: (416) 406-2400 • Fax: (416) 406-0656

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forbidden without the written consent of the publisher.

Printed in Canada

VOLUME | iSSUE | nUMBER

I fi nally have all new gear for the fi rst time ever—unlike back in 1979, when a friend of mine fi rst described to me this cool contraption he saw while in Corpus Christi. I couldn’t quite envision what he was talking about, as I was into racing Hobie Cats in Central Texas. On a visit to the sail shop, I saw a windsurfer and real-ized what my buddy was talking about. I had to try it. At the time, I was prett y much bumming around and couldn’t aff ord a new board. However, the shop owner informed me that he had a defec-tive board (huge dimple just forward of the mast insert) that he could let me have at half price. I somehow scrounged the money and never looked back. Aft er seeing a Windsurfer Rocket shortboard, I just had to have one. Not being able to aff ord one, I cut off the tail of my original windsurfer, inserted some fi n boxes, and did the best I could to seal it up with expanding foam and silicon. It worked! As the boards continued to shrink and sails evolved, I continued with my backyard makeovers. When aluminum booms came out, I was able to score a front and back end from a friend who had run over his with his car. I went to the local metal shop and bought some aluminum round stock, cut it to length, fi lled it with sand, and bent it into shape in the fork of a tree (the sand was to keep the tubing from crinkling). I dumped the sand and used a bicycle inner tube around the aluminum. Presto—I now had a really heavy boom for about $15. I continued sailing used and makeshift gear until about 1990, when I kind of dropped out of the scene. I had joined the navy and never seemed to have the time. Fast forward to 2002, when I moved back to my hometown and

about a mile from a new 79,000-acre reservoir. As I was putt ing up hay in my cousin’s barn, I noticed a late-‘80s-era F2 Lightning and rig. Well, of course I had to pull it out and try it. It was freakin’ awe-some… kind of like riding a bike. A good friend once told me, “It’s not the price of the bike that makes it go fast, it’s the legs that pedal it.” I’ve always believed in this philosophy, until I demoed some new gear. From my fi rst jibe on the Starboard Kode 103, I was amazed and hooked. I hit the beach with a shit-eating grin a mile wide, and told the folks at Worldwinds, “SOLD.” The bug has taken hold in full force; money be damned. Since then, I’ve acquired a complete new quiver of sails, masts and my new board. I still need a couple of booms, and another smaller board is defi nitely on the list. My confi dence has soared on this new gear, allowing me to try and complete several new moves. Keep the reviews, tips, how-to’s and travel articles fl owing. Beginner, intermedi-ate or advanced stuff —I eat it up. I wish you published monthly! Thank you for doing your part to help me stay motivated to sail!Mike Rolnick, Bryan, TXWe are awarding Mike a brand-new Aeron V-grip boom for submitt ing this great lett er. Read the entire version in all its glory and a few more of the lett ers we received at windsport.com. —ed.

next issue we’re giving away another boom from aeron, but this time it’s an Aeron MCt 26X boom. this is the choice for anyone looking for excellent stiffness and a reduced diameter grip. send an e-mail to letters@windsport.com

and maybe you’ll win!

Write in

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

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EVENTS EVENTS

CONTROLLER CONTROLLER

Windsport magazine is an independent publication published four times a year

aEROnMCT X

windsport 21

PEER PRESSURESteven Van Broeckhovengets grilled

WE SURVEYcompetitors at the2010 u.s. nationals

SWAGa must-owncoffee-table book

INSPIRATIONRun your own cool contest

22

26

30

32

ITW ISSUE GEAR, ADVICE & ENTERTAINMENT

grom

macgyver

guru

how To

Tandem champs MacRae and Fiona Wylde (see p.33). Wylde photo

IN THEWIND

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Peer PressureSteven van Broeckhoven anSwerS to 14 Fellow ProS

After quitting his job only three years ago to windsurf full-time, Steven Van Broeckhoven (aka the “King of Pop”) is already the fourth-ranked freestyler in the PWA. Let’s see if he’s as good at manoeuvring around some questions from his windsurfing peers.

Iballa Moreno: Growing up, did you ever think you could become a professional windsurfer? No, I never thought I could do it. For me, wind-surfing was just for fun. I dreamed of becoming a professional windsurfer, but I never thought those dreams would materialize. It’s still hard for me to realize that I’m living my dream.

Nayra Alonso: Why didn’t you join the PWA earlier? I didn’t believe enough in what I could do, and I thought you had to live in a good place to go windsurfing every day in order to compete at the PWA level.

Boujmaa Guilloul: How did you get so good growing up in Belgium? For me, motivation is really important—even more important than living at a spot where you can sail every day. Whenever I have the opportunity to go windsurf, I’m really motivated, and that pushes me to sail the hardest and best I possibly can. Full power!

Matt Pritchard: What do you need to do to win the PWA World title? I need a bit more luck... [laughs]. I think I need more jumps and to practice competition sailing a bit more. New moves also help, but I already have some that I’ve been training to do next year.

Chris Pressler: Which tour do you prefer, the EFPT or the PWA? I like both tours. The EFPT is more fun and relaxing, and the PWA is more serious and competitive. It takes more concen-tration to do well on the PWA, but it’s that extra challenge that also makes it exciting.

Sarah-Quita Offringa: You travel a lot to train. Where is your favourite place to live and sail? Cape Town, South Africa. It’s the perfect combination for high-wind freestyle and waves, and is also a really cool place to live. A lot of friends are always there, so the parties are good; and if it’s not windy, there’s always something interesting to do.

Taty Frans: Do any other sailors on tour make you think differently about how you train? Will you ever compete in slalom? No. I train for myself: my way and in my own style. I don’t believe in hard or organized training in windsurfing. I improve the most when I really enjoy my session. This way, you get the best training and have the most fun. And, yes, I’d like to compete in slalom in the near future.

Tonky Frans: What’s your favourite move? The Kabicuchi, for sure. It’s a regular Kono but, instead of rotating the full 360 degrees, you land backwards and finish it off like a Spock.

Ricardo Campello: Why are you so good at tow-in freestyle? I don’t train for tow-in freestyle. When there is no wind at a competi-tion, and the people on the beach are bored, I think it’s a really good show to watch us tow in to moves with a boat or Jet Ski. I try to do the moves the same way I would if it were windy, and it seems to work out well.

1. Landing my first Spock in January 2005 at my local spot in Brouwersdam, Holland.

2. In 2006 I became Belgian champion. It was the first competition I ever won.

3. Finishing fourth at my first-ever EFPT event in Tarifa, Spain in 2008.

4. Winning all five EFPT events and being named European Cham-pion for 2009.

5. Being named PWA rookie-of-the-year in 2009 for finishing the tour in fifth place.

6. Once again, winning every event on the 2010 EFPT for my second Euro-pean title.

7. Tying Taty and Kiri in ’10 PWA tour points, but dropping to fourth due to a tiebreaker.

STeven van Broeckhoven: Seven career hIghlIghTS

WordS by PHIl SOlTYSIAk | PhoToS by JOHN CARTER/PWA

22 windsport

Patrick Bergeron: Tell us about your worst trav-eling experience from this year. I was traveling to France for the EFPT Mondial du Vent event. About three hours into the 13-hour drive, my van broke down. I was stuck for two days in a hotel with nothing to do but wait for it to be repaired. And then the mechanic told me he couldn’t fix it in time for me to make the competition. So I told him, “Forget it,” and I drove the remaining 600 miles going no more than 50 mph, with smoke coming out of the engine. on the way back it broke down again and, yet again, I was stuck in a hotel for a few days waiting for it to be fixed. It was a lot of time, money and stress for a three-day event with only 5,000 euros in prize money.

Tine Slabe: What does your van mean to you? My van is a bit like my home; it brings me to nice places, and gives me freedom to go wherever I want to go. I put a lot of time and passion into building it the way I like it so I can live and drive comfortably. It’s a never-ending project and it just keeps getting better. It saves me a lot of money when I’m traveling within Europe.

kevin Pritchard: What’s up with the booties? What’s up with going barefoot? I feel naked without booties. I sail often in holland, and there are always sharp things like shells and mussels on the bottom to cut your feet. So I got used to wearing booties whenever I am in the water.

Francisco Goya: Where do you see the free-style gear going in the near future? I think next year we’ll see a lot of changes; boards will be really short and fat, and sails will be very light with only four battens.

Phil Soltysiak: You’re very good at repairing boards. Would you like to shape boards one day? I do get to give my input into what I want out of the F2 rodeo freestyle board. It’s always been a dream for me to make my own boards, but I have no experience in shaping. So, for now, I’m not planning on becoming a shaper.

Steven is the King of Pop.

WordS by CHRIS ElDRIDGE | PhoTo by BRYAN ElkUS

I’ve known Graham for a year and wish I knew 100 more like him. his windsurfi ng energy is relentless. he comes to sail wherever I am and will not get off the water until I do, and since I hate gett ing off the wa-ter when it’s still windy, it ends up being prett y dark before we call it quits. he’s a good kid who’s going to get good fast. he is currently working hard at improving his freestyle, but also spends some time racing and has a goal of gett ing into the waves very soon. Whether it’s riding the gusts on his local lake or freestyling at Cape Cod’s Kalmus or West dennis, Graham is on the water any chance he gets.

graham fedderSen’S oTher TalenTS:he may love windsurfi ng the most, but you need to check out Graham’s other two passions, which is how he proved his in-credible creativity to us to win a new Starboard Atom 99.

muSIc: Just go to myspace.com/grahamfeddersen and lis-ten to some of his guitar work.

SkaTeBoardIng: If fl ying downhill on a longboard skate-board isn’t enough, Graham slides through carving turns and spins with ease. Scan the below pixilated box with your smartphone using a Qr code reader app (see p.14 for more info) to watch him ride.

Graham Feddersen won this board on windsport.com.

24 windsport

Grom winDSPort.com StarBoarD atom winner, GRAHAM FEDDERSEN age: 15 • Home: Harvard, ma • Sailing Site: KalmUS BeacH, cape cod • Hero: cHriS eldridge • tricK goalS: FlaKa and loop

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26 windsport

whaT’S your age?Under 18 8 (16%)18-29 10 (20%)30-39 12 (24%)40-49 10 (20 %)50+ 10 (20%)

where are you from?California (21 answers), oregon (7), Florida (6), Washington (3), Massachusetts (2), other States (4), Europe (5), New Zealand, Canada

How many U.S. nationalS Have yoU participated in prior to tHiS one?0 16 (32%)1 10 (20%)2-3 9 (18%)4+ 15 (30%)

whaT IS The BeST ThIng aBouT havIng The naTIonalS aT crISSy fIeld?Windy racing conditions 19 (38%)hanging at the St. Francis yacht Club 14 (28%)Proximity to San Francisco… party! 12 (24%)Sorry, but I hate Crissy Field 5 (10%)

wHat diScipline(S) are yoU competing in?Formula and slalom 20 (40%)Just formula 14 (28%)Slalom and freestyle 8 (16%)Just freestyle 4 (8%)Just slalom 3 (6%)Formula, slalom and freestyle 1 (2%)

whIch racIng evenT IS The moST fun?Slalom 28 (56%)Formula 19 (38%)“Freestyle” write-in votes... 3 (6%)

u.S. naTIonalS Should alwayS have…?Formula, slalom and freestyle 40 (80%)Just slalom and formula 5 (10%)Just slalom and freestyle 3 (6%)Just Formula or just slalom 2 (4%)

On July 20, 2010, we surveyed 50 formula, slalom and freestyle competitors as they registered for the Starboard Severne U.S. Windsurfing Nation-als, held at Crissy Field in San Francisco. Let’s see what the athletes were thinking about the event and the site, before the action even started.

I T w

WordS by PETE DEkAY | PhoToS by DAvID WEllSWe Survey comPetitorS at the 2010 U.S. nationalS in San FranciSco

The BeST ThIng aBouT crISSy fIeld IS…? dependable wind (13 answers), beautiful scenery (12), ideal racing conditions (7), it’s near my home (4), local formula fleet (2), ebb tide, rigging area, everything, other (9)

The worST ThIng aBouT crISSy fIeld IS…? It’s cold (16 answers), big-boat traffic (12), voodoo chop (4), gusty and shifty wind (4), the fog (2), absolutely nothing (2), tidal currents, sharks, dog poop, other (7)

who do you ThInk wIll wIn? Paulo dos reis (22% formula), Wilhelm Schurmann (24% slalom, 22% formula), Phil McGain (21% slalom), Tyson Poor (33% freestyle), “I don’t know” (24% of surveys), “Me” (14%), “Formula – the smartest; slalom – the craziest; freestyle – the youngest.”

Al Mirel

Soheil Zahedi

Chris Radkowski

Steve Bodner

Jean Rathle

Xavier Ferlet

WordS by DEREk RIJFF | PhoToS by MIkE FRASERAll windsurfers know that losing a fin screw when you’re at the beach is no laughing matter. Here’s something you can do to any board with a power box or tuttle box to help you keep the screw safe and sound in its hole 100 per cent of the time.

MacGyver

you can keep a power box or tuttle box fin screw perma-nently in the board with a small piece of soft plastic tubing. Any tubing that can be screwed onto the threads will work.

The little plastics nubs cover-ing the footstrap screws on most new boards are ideal, or find similar diametre tubing at a hardware store or a pet store that sells fish-tank supplies.

Trim the tubing to approxi-mately one-quarter inch in length. With the fin screw in the board, thread the tubing into it as deeply as possible, or at least until the threads are exposed enough to catch the fin.

Now the screw will be held in place permanently by the small section of plastic tub-ing, and there should still be plenty of thread remaining to attach the fin.

Vocab

Don't loSe yoUr Screw

28 windsport

SPlAT [splæt]n. A term for a windsurfer or kiteboarder used by ship captains steering container ships into the San Francisco Bay.

Can you radio the coast guard to pick up a splat one mile ahead, just under the Golden Gate?

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30 windsport

Swag

W ill to Win: The remarkable sto-ry of Neil Pryde limited ($49.00

at willtowin.neilpryde.com)Windsport fl ew all the way to Bimini, Bahamas to get a hold of a copy of this incredible coff ee-table book, and to fi nd out all about it from the man himself: Neil Pryde. “It’s the 40th anniversary of the company [NeilPryde], and I just felt that the history of

the company actually encom-passes a lot of the history of the sports we’re involved with. We wanted to get this stuff down so that it’s there for the future. I thought this was a good opportunity to combine the 40th anniversa-ry of the company with a way of putting the history of the sport, and our involvement in the sport, down in writing so it’s there for the future. The inspiration for the book’s de-

sign actually comes from the latest sails; the designer of the book is actually closely associated with the stylist who works on our sails. We dug very deep to find all the people who had been with us at different stages of our history. We went back and interviewed them to get their recollections and their pictures, so it’s really a layer-on-layer investigation.” —Neil Pryde

Fraser photo

MOREMUST-OWN MIXED MEDIA

The world kITe and wIndSurfIng guIde $59.95 at northshoreinc.comThis is the fi rst comprehensive guide to windy places around the globe. Whether you’re plan-ning a trip or just looking to add style to your living room’s coff ee table, this is a must-own book.

TrIckTIonary II$54.95 at your local shopIf you are looking to learn any-thing, from windsurfi ng beginner basics to the most diffi cult new-school freestyle aerials, this book lays out how to succeed, in a stylish and informative fashion.

windSUrF, COASTLINES $10.99 on iTunesMoody surf-electronica music to mellow out to aft er a good sailing session—we don’t know whether this San Fran-cisco band actually windsurfs or not, but their track “light As daylight” is worth a listen.

commemoratinG 40 yearS oF winDSUrF hiStory

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32 windsport

We, at Sherman Island, were treated to an impromptu freestyle event from about 15

pros, Sunday, July 25th, 2010. They had an official event Saturday that Wyatt Miller organized at U.S. Nationals in San Francisco, but were left wanting even more. Sunday, the wind was playing well in the delta so many of the freestylers traveled east to sail the morning ebb tide at daSign. during his session, Whit Poor realized that enough of them were there to run a strong, unofficial competition.

rumours spread along the levee road, from one sailing site to the next, that a showdown was set to take place in the Playpen area of Sherman Island’s access, County Park. Shortly after the ebb was over and lunch was eaten, a blue T-shirt was raised on a mast, signaling the start of the first heat. yes, it was impromptu, but it rocked as good as the Cheap Trick live at budokan concert. occa-sionally a few kids swam into the line of fire, or a beginner drifted across the Playpen trying yet another waterstart, but the crowd directed the wanderers to other

nearby locations, and the pros kept their moves tight, precise and in check. It didn’t appear they needed much space to do what they do. A highlight was Tyson Poor’s flip-and-flop phantasmal move, sliding through the tules and up onto the beach. he then rode on his board’s nose down the sand and back into the water without missing a beat. he’s no stranger to Sherman Island. Even though it looked like an oops he got extremely lucky with, somehow I knew he’d done that one before. Although all the men and women were talented and fun

to watch, the Poor brothers put on the greatest show, with Whit and Tyson trading leads. The final round was the best for both: the win came down to one double-double-do-hinkle-doddle (ask Jason Voss, he was a judge and would know what it was) that Ty-son did, just before time expired. Jaws dropped all around us as we tried to comprehend what we just saw. It was tough—we couldn’t help but cheer them both on, and we secretly wished they somehow tied because we felt each was as worthy as the other. As for the women, Ingrid larouche from the Gorge battled it out against a heavy flood-tide and won the women’s first place. The women pulled some amazing moves but, to me, the huge For-ward she threw won her the event. If Windsport can somehow convey a message of thanks and appreciation from all of us spectators at the delta that day, we’d like to say, “Kudos, pros!” For many years I’ve watched official freestyle events in the Gorge and, impromptu or not, this one ranks as my GoAT favourite. We were up-close-and-personal: we asked the pros about their sail’s inset short clews, and what that felt like compared to our conventional rigs; we studied their boards’ thick tails as they power-slid toward us. We were in awe as to how humble and nice those beyond-great windsurfers were, and we headed home feeling privileged to have experienced such a unique event.

RumouRs spRead along the levee Road that a showdown was set to take place.

WordS by MEIRY HAYES | PhoTo by lORI MAkABE

I T w

Inspiration the Delta’S Dirty water claSSic

Tyson Poor, up close in the Playpen.

windsport 33

For tandem sailing, stability is your friend, so find the biggest picnic-table-of-a-board you can still tack and jibe. If you are in a tandem competition then it helps to have a theme going for you and your partner, with costumes and a catchy name. The objective in tandem freestyle is to pull off as many tricks as you can without pushing your partner overboard. The Shoulder Stand is a cool-looking trick that will have you towering over your competition.

WordS by FIONA ANd MACRAE WYlDE | PhoToS by EllEN WYlDE

I T w

How To Do a tanDem ShoUlDer StanD

As the smaller top sailor, begin climb-ing by placing your front foot on your partner’s front thigh. Use your hand on the boom for balance.

Next, step with your front foot up to your partner’s front shoulder. At this point you’ll want to grab the mast for stability.

Continue climbing up by putting your shin on your partner’s opposite (back) shoulder, and gradually shift your weight onto it.

Finally, stand up with one foot on each shoulder. The base person needs to stay balanced over the board’s centre line, keeping the rig as steady and vertical as possible.

Fiona and MacRae Wylde won the tandem class at the 2010 King of the Hook and are sponsored by Sailworks, Dakine, Big Winds, O’Neill and Gorge Dental.

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last issue we looked at how you take off from a ramp, so now we’ll learn in-fl ight control to help you enjoy

the view and land with style. In order to fl y the board and take it off -the-wind in the air, you need to scissor your legs, pulling in on the back leg and pushing away on the front leg. As you take off from the ramp, pull the front leg up and forward as you simultaneously pull up and forward on the boom. It’s almost like you are aiming to knee your self in the chin with your front

knee and then, eventually, your back knee. As you are in the air, bend your back leg to pull the tail up, and begin pushing the nose off through a straightening front leg. Pulling the tail up assists the front leg to push the nose off —this will help your landing. remember, you need to sail the board through the air. Keep the wind blowing under the board by pointing your toes and keeping the windward (upwind) rail high. bending the back leg and pulling the heel into your bott om will help. your rig is there as a parachute

for fl oating down. So, as you fl y, direct the power upwards by ensuring you have your hips low and arms bent to pull the rig over your head—this drives the nose up. do it sitt ing in a chair right now and copy the stance in the above pictures: look forward, arms bent and legs up with back leg bent and front leg straight. Can you feel it in your stomach muscles? In the air, contract your stom-ach muscles to assist in keeping your body position. Keep pulling up and in on your back foot, lean back with bent arms, and look

forward to spot your landing. hold this tuck and enjoy the feeling. The sail and board, with the wind blowing underneath them, are now working to propel you up and along, increasing your hang time. Next issue we’ll look at coming out of this aerial stance for a tail-fi rst landing with back leg bent and front leg soft , with the sail open and upright.

Go to jemhall.com for info on Jem Hall’s clinics and instructional DVDs. His sponsors are RRD, Ezzy and Flying Objects.

WordS by JEM HAll | PhoToS by DAvE WHITE

Footstrap fi t: Pinch your back footstrap by moving one screw in one notch for a better fi t.

Fin placement: Posi-tioning a US box fi n more forward will lift the nose more.

Sail tuning: In light air, setting the exten-sion a notch higher on a bigger sail will raise draft for more pop.

Sail types: Wave and freestyle sails have a higher draft for a more upright stance and lift.

Keep at it: Be sure to jump in both direc-tions. There are no weaknesses, only op-portunities to improve.

JEM’S GEMS: QUICK TIPS FOR MORE LIFT

I T w

GuruJUMPING PART TWO: in-FliGht control

Get that landing gear up. Bring the rig back and look forward.

radar

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Named aft er a champion.

Björn saragoza is a 19-year-old from bonaire who defi nitely proved his talents this year: his fi rst time on the pwA Freestyle tour, björn fi nished a respectable 11th overall, despite skipping the fi rst event. his radical style and positive att itude refl ect that of his bonairian training buddies, who have been at the top of the tour for years. when the time comes for a Changing of the Guard amongst the freestyle elite, björn will surely be there and ready to step up to the plate.

Björn saragoza words by PHIl solTysIak | photo by JoHN caRTER

Sail Number: Nb-11 // Age: 19 // Home: bonaireSponsors: starboard, hot sails Maui // Best ‘10 Result: 5th at Lanzarote, spain

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in the lab

PWA Head JudgeDUnCan COOMBS

Coombs at work.

What does the job “head judge” entail? how long is a piece of string? I organize the team of judges who actually make the scoring decisions, decide on the heat duration, how many waves/moves to count, when the contest will begin, when to cancel due to lack of fair conditions, announce the results, communicate with the media, ensure there’s adequate safety, etc., etc. basically speaking, I make sure the contests are run in the best locations, in the fairest condi-tions, and to the highest standard possible. Which contests are easier to run, wave or freestyle? In terms of conditions, generally freestyle is easier because you only need one ingredient: wind. In terms of the actual compe-tition, for a judge, wave is less diffi cult because you can anticipate the moves, whereas in freestyle it’s fast, explosive and can happen anywhere. For me, as the head judge, freestyle is less stressful because it’s quicker to reach a conclusion—the heats are less than half the time of those found in waves.

What did you do before working for the PWA? If you can call it work! I was a top U.K. pro in windsurfi ng’s heyday, competing on the pbA tour. I also ran a successful windsurfi ng school, where I enjoyed passing on my wealth of experience... I was the fi rst sailor in Great britain to land a back Loop on fi lm.How did to get this job? I fi rst worked for the pwA as a judge in Ireland in 1999. I really enjoyed scoring those that I used to compete against. I worked on and off for the pwA for the next few years, but took up the position as head judge at the London Indoor event in 2004. shortly aft er that I was head judge at the red bull storm rider qualifi er in Israel, and have continued in this position ever since. I learned the ropes of running a competition at the british events, but when I stepped up to the pwA world

tour, my current boss, rich page, passed on some invaluable knowledge that has helped me to run hundreds of contests at the highest level.Do you get to windsurf much while traveling with the PWA? I very rarely get to windsurf in the locations where we have contests; it’s ex-tremely frustrating, but it’s my choice to do this job. I do the majority of my windsurfi ng in my spare time in between competitions in Corn-wall, Ireland, or wherever my luxury catamaran happens to be based around the world.What would a perfect “work” day be like in your life? reaching the fi nal of a wave compe-tition on a sunday aft ernoon, in epic down-the-line conditions, with plenty of spectators watching, and with enough time for me to get a cheeky sail in aft erwards.

words by PETE dEkay | photo by JoHN caRTER/PWa

Since this is our Event Issue, who bet-

ter to meet than the man behind running the highest-

level wave and freestyle contests in the world.Meet PWA head judge

Duncan Coombs.

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sup yoga

Bow pose.

Locust pose.

words by Emma-RosE Rossoff | photos by Jock BRadlEy

Maintain a HealtHy Spine

as we grow older, maintaining a healthy body can be challeng-ing. there’s no deny-ing that, as adults, our

time is spent less on recreation—even though it takes more work to keep an in-shape physique. with less thought on playtime we are prone to injury, especially in one of the most important segments in the skeletal system: our spine. practising the following exercises will help you maintain a healthy and subtle spine so you can enjoy your well-deserved water sessions, gym workouts or playtime with your kids, injury free. to build and maintain strength in the muscles along the spine and those that support the backside body, try the Locust pose (pic-tured bottom left). by evenly ex-tending your limbs away from the centre body, you tone from head to toe. try to do several rounds maintaining slow, even breaths. For something more chal-lenging, begin on your belly and reach one arm back and hold the opposite ankle in a half bow pose. Evenly pull up, feel the stretch, and then pull the ankle and arm away while still holding on. rest and switch sides. Next, try the bow pose (pictured top) by reaching

the ankles with both hands and evenly lifting your chest and legs up to the sky. try not to let your knees move wide apart. If you’re really open in the spine, try a Full wheel pose (pictured bottom far right). Keep your knees hip-width distance apart, and explore by transferring weight from the arms towards the legs. balance the weight evenly between all fours and breathe. when you’re done, try to come out as slowly as you can. After strengthening, then open the spine giving yourself a treat with a seated Forward bend (pictured bottom middle), reaching arms towards the knees, shins or feet. spend as much time here as you can and relax without dozing off! All of these yoga-related exercises help maintain good back care. they can be practised on the floor, outside on the grass or, more challenging, on a wide sUp or windsurfing board like you see here. remember to work slowly, have fun and never force yourself into a pose.

Emma-Rose Rossoff owns Ana-hata Yoga in Hood River, Oregon. yogahoodriver.com

windsport 41

sup yoga

Full Wheel pose.Seated forward bend.

words by cHRIs RoGERs ANd macRaE WyldE | photo by cHaRlEs cHaNdlER, ChArLEsChANdLErphotoGrAphy.CoM

El Norte has arrived. this is the name given to the strong wind that frequents the sea of Cortez coastline of baja, from November through March. taking advantage of the season’s peak, Los barriles is gearing up for its fi rst an-nual Lord of the wind showdown, which will run from Jan. 12-16, 2011. windsurfers from all over

the world will converge in this litt le town to take advantage of consistent, and sometimes epic, north winds. Located one hour north of Cabo san Lucas on the east cape of the sea of Cortez, the tiny Mexican community of Los barriles has hosted windsurfers almost since the beginning of the sport. the

town has grown over the last twenty years and now touts banks, a wide variety of restaurants and taco stands, gas stations and a slew of other services. through the windy season, it’s not uncommon to score over 20 days a month with wind over 18 knots—this makes it a prime spot for the thrill-seeking and the

devout to show off what they’ve got. Generally, the wind starts to pick up at 10:00 a.m., and you can be sailing at 11:00 if you are willing to change to a smaller sail at noon. sail ‘til you can’t do another turn, but note: the wind will start to fade at 4:00 p.m. and will be done by sunset. Los barriles is known to have a tricky shorebreak. Ask

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ride guide

NoRTH BEacH: CAMPGROUND AND SAILING LAUNCH

LOSBARRILES,

BaJa

a local about the best places and ways to get in and out —there are basic tricks that make it easy. once you are out into the darker water you will experience some of the steadiest winds and biggest rolling swell around. the wind doesn’t have to be nuking to generate a big swell, making for comfortable sailing with sail sizes

ranging from 4.0- to 5.7-metre. however, if you can’t waterstart you’ll likely not have much fun, but lessons are available with fi rst-rate windsurfi ng equipment for rent at the fully stocked and staff ed Vela resort (velawindsurf.com). be sure to bring a 3/4 short-sleeve wetsuit, as the water will be cooler than you expect for such

a southerly destination. the perfect time to come any year in the future will be for the annual Lord of the wind show-down. this brand-new event has $19,000 on the table for windsurf-ers, kiteboarders and stand-up paddleboarders, with much of the profi ts going to rotary Club Los barriles to support their many

philanthropic endeavors. If you don’t want to compete then come down to sail for fun, watch the ac-tion and have a rocking good time. If you can’t make it down for the event then, at least, tune in to all the action online by signing up at epicsessions.tv. the Epicsessions crew will be broadcasting live the entire event, so stay tuned.

windsport 43

VEla REsoRT: BOOK RENTAL GEAR AND LESSONS HERE

REsoRT BEacHEs: PLAYA DEL SOL, VAN WORMER AND PALMAS DE CORTEZ

cosTa BRaVa: A GREAT BREAK ON BIG DAYS

loRd of THE WINd EVENT sITE: HERE IS WHERE THE ACTION WILL BE

lORD OF tHe WinD

SHOWDOWn at lOS BaRRileS

JanUaRy-,

NORTHWIND

44 windsport

Margot vs. Margot

Tales from the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games

photos by alf chern/ioc

the international olympic committee organized the first-ever Youth Olympic Games (YOG) this summer in Singapore. Yes, it’s the same as the Olympics, only for 14- to 18-year-old kids. In August, more than 3,600 athletes from 204 countries took part in this historic competition, and

39 lucky windsurfers competed in the regatta of their life. Ian Stokes and Margot Samson, both 16, represented the U.S. in Singapore. To get a story from the inside, Windsport couldn’t resist asking Margot-the-reporter to interview Margot-the-athlete, upon returning home.

words by margot samson

windsport 45

are you stoked? Yeah. What a trip! I had a feeling that it was going to be something special, but I got completely blown away by the whole experience.

Was it really like a ‘regu-lar’ olympic games? I don’t know… I haven’t been to one of those. It was smaller for sure, but the Opening and Closing Ceremonies were just as impres-sive as what you see on TV—more so when you’re in the pit and the hair is sticking up on your neck. The logistics involved to run the Games for 12 days were mind-boggling; the media attention was everywhere. And hanging out with kids from around the world at the Olympic Village was really fun.

Did the Singapore orga-nizing Committee make you feel special? Abso-lutely. We showed up at the Sailing Centre the first practise day, and the flag of our country was on the Techno sail along with our names. How cool is that? There were volunteers everywhere to help us if we needed anything—we could snap our fingers and get a cocktail and a massage.

really? No, I’m kidding. You’re so gullible. But, here’s another thing we got that made us feel spe-cial: a brand-new Samsung touch screen cellphone for each athlete, with free texting from SingTel while in Singapore, and four or five hours of international calling.

So you called your parents a lot? Nope.

Do you have something against them? They were in Singapore, dummy. Of course, if they had stayed in the States, I would have spent all of my free time talking with them. No, really. We went for ice cream every night at the Olympic Village with friends from Great Britain, Canada, Mexico and Spain, and played ping-pong, but I would have traded that for time with my parents on the phone in a heartbeat.

Yeah, right. Let’s move on.

there was ice cream?Yup. The diet of champions.

How was the rest of the food? The food at the Olympic Village was from all over the place, to accommodate everyone’s taste. The first day we saw a sign for ‘exotic cuisine,’ and when we got close to the stall, it was for pancakes and biscuits. We got a chuckle out of that. The selection was impressive but, overall, we ate a lot of pasta. I got a little jealous of

my parents and my sister, Charlotte, who ran everywhere every day to eat at outdoor food centres—they’re called hawker centres—and experienced the craziest local specialties like chili crab, char kway teow, fish-head curry and fried car-rot cake. We caught up with them on a couple occasions and made up for what we had missed the other days. We ate at the Maxwell Food Centre in Chinatown one time, and another time in the Tiong Bahru neighbour-hood. It was delicious. You should try the durian milkshake.

Did you see much of the city? Yes. We had a couple of lay days. The city was so modern and lively: we walked around Chinatown and Little India, we goofed around on a giant bungee ride on Clarke Quay—we even took a swim on the roof of the iconic Marina Bay Sands hotel, 57 floors above the city.

You guys were there to sail, right? Ha ha. Very funny. Sailing was the best part by far. But, hey, we were halfway around the world, and it was important to get out of the Olympic Village to visit the beautiful city and take the pressure off from all the racing.

So, how did you do? You may have heard this once or twice before in your life as a reporter: I didn’t score too well, but I fought hard and learned a lot. This will sound so cliché when you hear it, but I assure you, that’s exactly how I feel. Those girls were really good. The fleet was small compared to Martigues, France, a few weeks earlier. I was generally pretty ef-fective fighting for a good position on the line, but I was in dirty air real fast off the line —that was humbling. Racing was very techni-cal because the wind was light throughout the regatta.

Action.

Margot on the course.

Closing Ceremony. IOC photo

46 windsport

Ready to race. Samson photo

windsport 47

Did you have to pump? That’s right, a lot of pumping. And I’m not as efficient as the top girls yet. It took a lot of practise, but every time I com-peted against them I got a little better at it and more confident in my physical conditioning. We worked a lot on technique with our coach, Britt Viehman, before the Games, and we know what we need to work on to catch up.

I hear you broke two battens? Yes, on the next-to-last day. I barely fi nished one race and didn’t even start the other—in 6 knots of wind, that’s how hard I was pumping. I’m going to say that this stopped my momen-tum in the regatt a. Well, maybe not, but I lost a few precious points and had to sail well from then on to secure my position. I’m very proud of how I batt led back in the medal race the next day. Oh, and that reminds me… you know how we talked earlier about the many things that made us feel special at the Olympics? Well, we had a technical staff on-site to fi x our gear; super skilled, too. They saw me prying one of the cam-bers out of the sleeve and jumped to my rescue. I just sat there and watched them do it while I had a cocktail and a massage.

Don’t they test you for doping? That’s right, they do. And I got tested not once, but twice. They say they select athletes at random, but I think they took a very small sample of all the athletes—consisting of me, and me alone —and selected at random from that sample. The waiting room was nice

and comfortable, lots of water to get you… going. But, still, the whole thing was a bit awkward.

You passed? With fl ying colours.

Speaking of colours, what’s that ring of coloured pins around your neck? We each got a bag of pins from our respective countries and, from day one, traded those pins with each other to decorate our lanyard passes. Look, I have a pin from Thailand, India, Aruba, Iraq, Montenegro and more. I saw one kid weighed down by so many pins around her neck that she walked straight into a light post. Oh, wait, that was me.

I heard that the games were intended to build up cultural exchanges? And they did. We sailors couldn’t take part in many of the cultural activities because we were on the water every day, but there were plenty of oppor-tunities to learn about life in other countries, make friends, take part in community projects, etc. What really stood out for me was the camarade-

rie among athletes. Not just among sailors, but also across sports and countries. Again, that sounds very cliché, but the Olympic spirit can really help bridge the gap between cultures and overcome diff erences.

aww. No, really. We got to experi-ence it fi rst-hand. And we have a responsibility, as role models, to live up to those ideals.

that’s right, you’re a celebrity. Can you believe it? I can’t remember how many people asked for a picture with me. A TV crew from New Zealand asked a group of us to scream “We’re at the YOG 2010, hello New Zealand!” We even… wait, what do you mean ‘you’re a celebrity’?…

I mean, you’re glowing there, and I’m the one taking notes. Oh, don’t be silly. Remember, we’re taking Psychol-ogy this year in school. What will our teacher think if we start being jealous of one another? You want to trade roles?

You don’t mind? Of course not. Let’s see, where should I start? Oh I know… Are you stoked?

WE SaW a SIgN For ‘EXotIC CUISINE,’ aND WHEN WE got CLoSE to tHE StaLL, It WaS For PaNCaKES aND BISCUItS.

Margot fi nished in 16th position and is looking forward to using this experience to improve her standing at future international regatt as. As soon as her alter ego gives her a minute, she’s also eager to catch up with her new friends from around the world. She wishes to thank the U.S. Windsurfi ng Association, U.S. Sailing and the U.S. Olympic Com-mitt ee for making it all possible.

2011 techno 293 Worlds to be held in the U.S.

Mark your calendars: the biggest windsurfi ng regatt a to hit the U.S. shores in a long time will take place next July 17-24th, at the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco. The Techno 293 Worlds are venturing outside of Europe for the fi rst time, and it’s a great opportunity to see the world’s best junior sailors in action. More than 350 com-petitors from 26 countries showed up in Martigues this past summer for the 2010 edition, and that was just for the T-293 Class. The 2011 Championships will coincide with the RS:X Youth Worlds, so it’s fair to say that Crissy Field will be packed. If you’re a sea lion, have no fear; the organizing committ ee will have plenty of squid available at Pier 39 so you don’t have to go anywhere near the start line during competition.

Samson at work.

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Sam Bittner in San Carlos, Baja. Merritt photo

Meet Happy SamThe fresh new face behind the American Windsurfing Tour

Words by Pete DeKayIf the saying, “A smile goes a long way,” is true, then Sam Bittner definitely has a bright future. I first experienced her infectious grin upon arrival at the 2010 Pistol River Wave Bash, Sam’s initia-tion into the world of running contests. Despite being in the midst of what should be the most stressful time in her life, she displayed a positive front that spread to everyone else around her. Upon finding out that she was going to be staying at SoloSports for the Matt Pritchard Wave Camp in San Carlos, Baja at the same time that I’d be there testing gear, I knew I had to discover the story of the smiling face behind the 2011 American Windsurfing Tour.

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When Sam Bittner showed up at a Maui beach four years ago, without any gear or even knowing how to waterstart, it was her glowing grin that made her a standout. Ralph Sifford, owner of Second Wind, immediately nicknamed her “Happy Sam,” a name that couldn’t suit anyone else more perfectly. But can a smile really take someone all the way from stepping on her first windsurfing board to organizing and running the five-stop American Windsurfing Tour, in only four short years? Sam admitted to me that it really wasn’t until she was well underway in planning the

highly successful 2010 Pistol River Wave Bash that she realized she was using the exact skills she learned in the Sports Promotions program she studied at Western Washington University in Bellingham. It’s almost like it was meant to be. She was fated to bring back wavesailing contests to North America, and the way things fell into place for her is simply remarkable. Let’s start at the beginning. College wasn’t just Sam’s first experience trying windsurfing, but she actually taught Western Washington’s windsurfing course the following quarter after taking it. She was

immediately addicted and, after graduation, bought a one-way ticket to Maui—after seeing countless beautiful photos in the magazines—to chase her dream of riding waves. She showed up with only basic knowledge of how to windsurf, but was soon able to borrow some gear and learn how to waterstart. For work, she started teaching beginner classes at HST for Alan Cadiz, and also part-time at Mama’s Fish House, where she still works these days. One evening at Mama’s, she found herself assigned busing duties for a table where David Ezzy was having a business meeting. She was

Sam at home on Maui. Baker photo

windsport 51

so excited to actually meet the man behind Ezzy sails—which, coincidentally, she was riding at the time—that she introduced herself and let him know how much she loved his sails. Soon after, she found herself hooked up with a team-rider deal from Ezzy. With brands like Ezzy and, soon after, Dakine supporting her passion, Sam wanted badly to find a way to give back. She started searching for contests to enter, but couldn’t find any. She decided she would have to find someone to bring at least one contest back for her to enter, but the vibe on Maui was pretty negative so she put the idea on hold for a bit. “Then I saw an old event T-shirt,” Sam remembers, “from the 1999 Naish Bash at Pistol River, with all the local sponsors listed, and I thought… here’s a community that wants to host a windsurfing event!” She immediately Googled “Pistol River,” discovering that it is

an Oregon state park, and that Gold Beach is actually the nearest town. Upon calling and asking for info about Pistol River, they gave her the cellphone number for Lars Bergstrom, who used to organize the events held there. When Lars answered her call, he just happened to be sitting next to the legendary, soulful, wind-surfer Dana Miller, who knows that area as well as, if not better than, anyone around. Sam told Lars, “You need to bring back the event so that I can compete in it.” He told her he wouldn’t, but that he’d help her if she wanted to organize it. Lars even promised to compete and strongly encouraged her to “go for it!” Sam now had a potential location for a contest and someone she could count on for advice when needed. "Organizing the event soon became a full-time job," she told me. “From the moment I wake up, I’m brainstorming. And then I get to the computer to write e-mails from 6 a.m. until it gets windy. Then I go to the beach and sail until 2 p.m., and come home to get ready for my shift at Mama’s Fish House. After, I come home and answer e-mails. It’s a lot of work, but it’s still fun. I enjoy networking with all the people within the industry that share a similar passion.” Sam’s goal in running an event is to get everyone with common interests and a similar passion together to go to the beach to windsurf. At Pistol River last year, she definitely succeeded. Since I was interviewing Sam at a Matt Pritchard Wave Camp, it was the perfect op-portunity to find out how Sam enlisted Matt to run the actual contest as head judge. He laughed while remembering, “Sam called me up and was telling me how she was going to do this event at Pistol River, and I figured she was going to ask me to come out and compete. But, instead, she told me she’d really like me to go and be a judge. I thought… ‘OK, I can probably do that.‘ ” At the time, Matt was fresh off ankle

American Windsurfing Tour: Event DatesFor more details on all the contests and tons of other important info, go to ameri-canwindsurfingtour.com.

May 5-8Santa Cruz ClaSSiCWaddell Creek, California is the first stop of the tour and will bring crowds from nearby Santa Cruz and the entire San Francisco Bay Area.

June 16-19PiStol river Wave BaShWith over 80 competitors signing up last year and making the long drive to Gold Beach, Oregon, it’s sure to be another great event this year.

July 30-aug. 6San CarloS CaCtuS CuPThere isn’t a better site for a waveriding contest than San Carlos, Baja. Start planning your trip today, as this is one you won’t want to miss.

SepteMber 14-17hatteraS Wave JamThis east coast contest has been running for the past few years thanks to Bill Bell. This year’s will be bigger and better than ever.

Oct. 27-29maui makani ClaSSiCThere hasn’t been a contest on Maui for years, so sign up early, as this one will fill up for sure. Look for all the big names to be in attendance for this one.

I saw an old T-shirt from the 1999 Naish Bash at Pistol River and thought… here’s a commu-nity that wants to host a windsurfing event!—Sam Bittner

Sam learning at Pritchard’s wave camp. Merritt photo

52 windsport

Meet never bitter Bittner. Merritt photo

windsport 53

surgery, and competing probably wouldn’t have been a good idea anyway. Seeing both Sam and Matt together in one place, it’s obvious that they make a great team for putting on events. Sam exclaims, “Matt came in and saved the day. He’s been there a million times and [Pistol River] was my first. We make a perfect combo that really works well together.” But, the one thing Matt really wants to get across is that, even though his brother won at Pistol, he had no influence on the result. Matt said, “People see that my brother won and they think that I’m one of the judges—they don’t know what the head judge does. The head judge doesn’t score heats and decide who wins.” Matt and I reminisce in front of Sam about his contest past and winning the PWA freestyle title over all the up-and-coming kids like Ricardo Campello and Kauli Seadi. With genuine surprise, Sam exclaims, “Wow, I work with a superstar!” It suddenly hits me that Sam has only been windsurfing for four years, and now she’s invented, and in the middle of organiz-ing, the 2011 American Windsurfing Tour. This major five-stop contest tour will bring pros and amateur wavesailors to breaks in Santa Cruz, Pistol River, San Carlos, Cape Hatteras and Maui. Matt tells it like it is, “Sam is exactly what we need. She brings fresh blood with different

ideas and a different energy to the contest scene. She’s always positive with an attitude of doing whatever it takes to make things happen.” Over the course of the week at SoloSports, Sam was constantly on the water working on improving her wavesailing skills. As fate would have it, we scored a perfect week of wind and waves almost every day. The only thing that could make Happy Sam any happier is if next September she’ll be able to fly to Cape Hat-teras, North Carolina and compete in the one event on the American Windsurfing Tour she is not having to run (thanks to Bill Bell).

“[Sam] brings fresh blood with different ideas and a different energy to the contest scene.”—Matt Pritchard

Sam blows off some steam. Baker photo

The dream team of Bittner and Pritchard. Carter photo

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Hitt ing the beach in Hatt eras. Markopoulos photo

eAst coAst

wAvesEast coast wavesailing, like Rodney Dangerfi eld, seems to get very li� le respect… until now. Contest wavesailing has been going strong for the past four years, thanks to grassroots events like the Florida Wave Challenge (FWC) and Ha� eras Wave Jam (HWJ). This year’s editions of both enjoyed unrivaled conditions with matching rider participation and skill level. Windsport contacted the two windsurfers behind these incredible contests, Bruce Thomas (FWC) and Bill Bell (HWJ), for details and inspiration.

words by bruce thomas and bill bell

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A little more than four years ago, I began reminiscing about a style of competition that was common in the early days of windsurfing. Although the

wave event had defined the sport for years, it had apparently disappeared, and in 2006, no wavesailing contest existed anywhere on the continent. I decided then to solve that problem, and the Florida Wave Challenge was launched. I still believe the excitement of wavesailing is the best way to promote windsurfing, and nothing captures that excitement like a contest. Fall is a good time for wavesailing in Florida; tropical systems send in swell, as cold fronts bring strong northerly winds. To guarantee wind for the contest, the actual competition day is decided only one day in advance. We begin

with a window that includes several weekend days and then hope for the best. This year, a perfect combination: 20-knot side-off winds and set waves that occasionally peaked at five feet. With less optimistic forecasts in the past, choosing the best competition day has been the event’s biggest challenge. This year the forecast for our first weekend was so good that the decision was quick, stress-free and correct. All competitors sail twice in fast-pace 15-minute heats and are scored for their wa-verides and jumps. Sailors with the best total scores move into the semifinals and compete head-to-head for a spot in the finals. The semi-finals were the best of the contest this year, as a passing squall provided gusts to 25 knots. By the end of the finals, the remaining four sailors were struggling with much lighter winds and

FWC winner, John Campbell. Bambace photo

Beth Winkler. Bambace photo

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fatigue from a combined hour of competition time—endurance was definitely a factor. For an amateur event the level of sailing was high. All twenty competitors were scoring jumps and waverides, so for the best sailors, it was showtime. The waves breaking close to the beach and the offshore winds provided a great waveriding venue. It was a thrilling display of speed and control, and had all the excitement of a professional surf contest. We had some great wipeouts, of course: high-speed down-the-line waverides that ended abruptly in explosions of rig, board and water; occasionally a set would punish the sailors who were drifting out in lightwinds near shore; and at the start of one heat, a massive wall of water simultaneously rejected all four competitors as they tried to launch. John Campbell of Jupiter, Florida won

the event in a tight final against defending champion Eddy Patricelli of Orlando. John’s excellence on the wave face generated wave-riding scores that were just enough to offset Eddy’s frequent Loops. John Ingebritsen of Titusville placed third with consistently good riding on well-chosen waves—he had scored high in an early heat on a Kona longboard. It’s his lightwind board choice, and he really makes it work in less than perfect conditions. Fourth place went to Doug Visnius of Orlando, Florida who was surprised—and concerned—about his progression to the finals. His wife was flying home from an over-seas trip and it was essential that he meet her on time. He was eager to complete the finals as soon as possible, but John Campbell and John Ingebritsen had just gotten off the water from their semifinal. Of course, they love sailing, so they were happy to immediately start the final heat. Their back-to-back heats showed impressive stamina. After the final heat, the winners received their medals and the participants won prizes donated from several industry supporters. It was nearly dark when everyone left the beach. There was drama and excitement at the 2010 Florida Wave Challenge, and most involved were grateful for the time with new and old wavesailing friends—they appreciate the camaraderie associated with windsurf-ing. The Florida Wave Challenge is our way of reminding ourselves about the social value of windsurfing; it’s also a chance to engage our newest sailors. If you have a beach and a little flexibility, then have your own wavesailing contest. Let the veterans show off and show the rookies what windsurfing really is. —Bruce Thomas, Florida Wave Challenge organizer

“I belIeve the excItement of wAvesAIlIng Is the best wAy to promote wIndsurfIng, And nothIng cAptures thAt excItement lIke A contest.” —bruce thomas

John Ingebritsen. Getting on the news. Bambace photo

Florida HQ. Bambace photo

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this year marked the third year for the Hatteras Windsurfing Festival Series (HWFS) and its annual wave event entitled the Hatteras Wave Jam. The HWFS

began in 2008 with its first late-spring event, the Hatteras Loop Fest, and the follow-on that year, the late-summer Hatteras Wave Fest. These “fests” provided an opportunity to introduce windsurfers to aspiring disciplines like Forward Looping and wavesailing. Local Hatteras expert wavesailors joined together to serve as safari guides and led a fun, welcom-ing experience to the best wave spots on the islands for many first-time and more intermedi-ate-level participants. Local knowledge-sharing and fun competition were at the core of each festival. Additionally, local shop support and industry sponsorship helped fuel the stoke. Hatteras Wave Jam 2010 ran Sept 15-18 and included some of the best Atlantic wave-sailing action of the year. The event included free-form sessions and judged competition for both amateur and pro divisions. Building side-off conditions, provided by Hurricane Igor, allowed participants to experience challenging and sizable long-period swell throughout the event’s window period. Day two featured some of the best condi-tions: south-southwest wind from the low to mid 20 mph range, and set sizes hitting six to eight feet. Ramp 30, located halfway between Salvo and Avon, was the call. All amateur heats were run, and the action was intense with plenty of great waveriding, wipeouts, shore-break poundings and gear carnage. Gordy Stokes’ memorable shore-pound Back Loop

Keith McCullough riding to 2nd place. Markopoulos photo

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earned him the Shorebreak Artistry Award, and his son, Ian (the youngest participant, at 16 years old), was a standout for his aggres-sive wavesailing and ability to make it to the outside—which is always a big challenge for Hatteras wavesailing. Ian placed second in the amateur division and also earned the Choice Wave Award for his action on day three, as the only participant to make it out and ride a killer logo-high, butter-smooth set wave. The Expert/Pro division ran on day four at Ramp 55, near Hatteras Village. Light north-east wind provided side-off conditions, and the surf was big with set waves hitting 12 to 15 feet. Only five riders made it out, and visiting Maui star Graham Ezzy took first place, showcas-ing excellent wavesailing and aerial skill in the challenging conditions. Hatteras Wave Jam has become one of, if not the prime windsurfing event on the U.S. East Coast. The event has sparked a killer windsurfing stoke for wavesailing in the region, and the participation has been stellar. A key aspect of Hatteras Wave Jam has been its online presence (hatteraswavejam.com) with both pre- and post-event coverage. Network-

ing connections with industry representatives, fostered through e-mail, Facebook, blogs and websites, have been essential to the success of the Jam. Local support is also key, and the participating Hatteras wavesailing crew and shops have been core to making this event a success. Those out there thinking of creating your own windsurfing event should look to these various sources to establish the connec-tions and fuel the stoke! Perhaps a Cape Cod or Long Island wave challenge could be next... Look for 2011 to be a huge year for Hatteras Wave Jam, as the event has been announced as the fourth stop on the American Windsurfing Tour. —Bill Bell, HWFS organizer

“Heats were run, and tHe action was intense witH plenty of great waveriding, wipeouts, sHorebreak poundings and gear carnage.” —bill bell

Hatteras life. Markopoulos photo

Graham Ezzy. Markopoulos photo Caleb Jacobs. Markopoulos photo

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Four perspectives from the 2010 Highland Spring HIHO

CrOssIng patHsIn tHe brItIsHvIrgIn IslanDs

Photos by Andreas Seibold

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The highland Spring hihO brings windsurfers together every year to race through the spectacular British Virgin Islands. Andy Morrell owns and runs the event, Wilhelm Schurmann won the event this year and in 2008, Annie Gardner-Nelson is a yacht captain, and Jeremy Diamond is a four-time participant bringing his son, James, to race for the first time. Here are their stories.

The 2010 Highland Spring HIHO.

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“It’s tHrIllIng tO see peOple grInnIng

FrOm ear-tO-ear aFter FInIsHIng tHe raCe OF

tHeIr wInDsurFIng lIFetIme.” —Andy Morrell

Full CIrCleI watched the inaugural Hook-In-Hold-On event pass below my house in 1979 and was smitt en, so I fi nally joined in for the fi rst time in 1982. It was painful, wild and fun, and I loved it. I returned and placed fi rst in the 1986 Johnnie Walker Hook-In-Hold-On, which turned out to be the last, as the major sponsor moved on and the event was abandoned. Six years later, I bought the event and transitioned my life from journeyman pro windsurfer to event owner. I thought the Hook-In-Hold-On was the coolest race I’d ever experienced, and I was ecstatic to fi nd a business opportunity in something I was so passionate about. I threw my heart and soul into its rebuilding: I found sponsors, courted media and att racted participants. My goal was to grow this event, now called the Highland Spring HIHO, into the best windsurfi ng event in the world. Along the way we changed a few things, but we’ve stuck to our core philosophy of off ering a great windsurfi ng and sailing adventure in the beautiful British Virgin Islands. This year’s event marked the 18th time we’ve steered a group of racers through the BVI, and it saw the inclusion of standup paddleboard (SUP) racing. The transition to organizer was easy. It’s thrilling to see people

grinning from ear-to-ear aft er fi n-ishing the race of their windsurfi ng lifetime. I know a lot of participants save up for what is the dream of every windsurfer, and we are very pleased to deliver. I occasionally get asked if I race anymore, but I can’t, simply be-cause running the event is a lot of work. However, it is a point of great pride to me that both my sons, Josh and Sam, have competed. They fi nished one-two in Juniors in the 2009 event, and Josh fi nished 3rd this year, pulling off a fi nish in the 27-mile Sir Francis Drake Channel race and reaching the beach with hands looking like chopped meat. Josh thinks he’s got some genetic link to windsurfi ng, so I suppose he’ll be running the event when one day I retire. —Andy Morrell

We’ll be back.

How low can he go?

Timing the start.

Fun for all ages.

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going to lessen my excitement, but how wrong I am. No matter how many times you do it, you can’t get enough of the HIHO, it’s just great fun. As my friend Jean-Marc Peyronnet says, “I’ve done it 12 times and still love it”. The races are challenging since everyone sails on the same equip-ment. After each great race, there is always lunch waiting for you at the beach. Each evening is marked by a great sunset happy hour and superb dinner, which continues on to a

memorable Caribbean style party. And, after all this, there is nothing better than going to bed on-board one of the comfortable Moorings catamarans—your home for a week while sailing through the BVI. If you’ve never been to the Highland Spring HIHO, you are missing out on a ton of great racing and fun. If you have done it before then you’re probably going back again soon, as most of us do once we get a taste of it. —Wilhelm Schurmann

HIHO DreamsThe first time I saw the HIHO event was back in 1986. I was nine years old at the time and living aboard our sailboat, Aysso, with my parents, cruising through the Caribbean. I didn’t even windsurf at the time, but I remember looking at all those windsurfers speeding across the crystal clear waters of the BVI, and I thought to myself: “One day, I definitely want to do this!” Little did I know that the person who actually won the HIHO that particular year was Andy Morrell, who would go on to organize and continue running the most fun and incredible windsurfing event there is. Over two decades later, I managed to hook-in and hold-on at the 2008 Highland Spring HIHO. I had read articles in so many magazines and listened to friends’ accounts that had went and said it was awesome, but nothing compares to when you are actually there experienc-ing this event. The spectacular scenery, great organization, fun long-distance races and good vibes just make you want to go back again and again. So, once again, this year I find myself boarding the flight to Tortola with just my harness for windsurfing equipment. I think being here for the second time is

Junior racing. Gardner Nelson photo

Far from home.

On-water yoga.

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FrOm COmpetItOr tO CaptaInIn 1986, I came to the Johnnie Walk-er Hook-In-Hold-On with my good friend Lori Rafferty, to compete in the amateur division. I’d already experienced a week of cruising on a charter yacht in the BVI, so I knew it was a beautiful paradise. What I didn’t expect is how it would turn out to be my favourite place on earth and, still to date, my favourite regatta in the world. Racing from island to island, while your home floats behind you and meets you at the next island for lunch or dinner, is truly different and such a treat. Now the Highland Spring HIHO is run by Andy Morrell, another former competitor from the early windsurfing days, and is still as strong as ever. Instead of compet-ing, I’m now a captain taking the competitors from island to island, party to party, and loving it just as much as I did back in the ‘80s.

Instead of rigging and racing, my duties include keeping an eye on the racers and communi-cating with the fleet. If a sailor breaks down or just can’t hold on anymore, it’s my job to pick them up and put them on my large Moorings catamaran. Sometimes it’s not an easy task when the waves are big and the sailor is exhausted, but they’re always grateful and happy to know we’re looking out for them. Once the racing is finished for the day, we are all one big happy family; racers

and non-racers, including spouses, children, friends, captains, regatta personnel, sponsors and volun-teers, all join in the lunchtime and evening festivities. This year, with the addition of standup paddleboards, we all played on the boards with relay races when the wind was down. We even had a captain’s race off Sandy Key, and yours truly brought her racing skills and tactics to outrun the men for a super-close win. Will I be back next year? You bet! —Captain Annie Gardner-Nelson

Tuning up.

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FatHer anD sOnHIHO... four letters to strike a thrill in the heart of all windsurf-ers; a thrill so great that this year’s Highland Spring HIHO would mark my fourth year at the event. I came to love windsurfing before my kids were born, and would take every opportunity to get to the beach. This escape got harder as the kids pro-gressed through those difficult ages, from zero to 15. However, by sixteen, my son James windsurfs pretty well, so this time I decided that he should come along and race too. Now in its 26th year, the HIHO always runs over the July 4th holiday weekend. This year, over 70 participants board a fleet of ten 46-foot catamarans at the Moor-ings Marina in Road Town, Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands. HIHO is simply the best vacation for wind-surfers and non-windsurfers alike. On our boat are: three windsurfers (Chris Cole from Santa Cruz, James and myself), two non-windsurfers (my girlfriend, Helen, and the cata-maran’s first mate, Marci Forgrave from Los Angeles) and our captain Annie Gardner-Nelson, who just happens to be an Olympic windsurf-ing silver medalist and America’s Cup skipper. How cool is that? HIHO races are long. I am conscious that James may struggle with a 30-mile marathon, but reckon that the rescue fleet will allow him to race safely, confident that he will be picked up if something breaks. Normally the warm-up race is an easy, three-mile-broad reach into the sound north of Virgin Gorda, one jibe, and then a reach back to Necker Island (yes, the venues really are as exotic as you can imagine). However, this year, light winds on day one means that the opening race is to be the Anegada Challenge: an infamous 14-mile blast downwind from Virgin Gorda

to Anegada. The twist is that you can’t see Anegada from the start line, as the low-lying island is beyond the horizon. Only after six miles of ripping through open ocean swells do you catch sight of a palm tree in the distance. At this point, the sea turns turquoise and gets shallower, causing the swells to recede, allowing for a flat-out blast to the finish line on the beach. While I finish in seventh place, James suffers a broken rig in mid-ocean, but is quickly picked up. Every morning starts with a briefing, before a downwind race that finishes on an idyllic beach. Each afternoon is filled with yacht racing, swimming, snorkel-ing or general chilling, followed by an evening party. All too soon the week is over. James has had a great time. He doesn’t finish every race, but can’t wait to get back next year to have another go. Helen and the non-racers all had a great time, too, never feeling that they are simply tagging along on a regatta.So make a date for 2011. You know you deserve it. —Jeremy Diamond

“Our CaptaIn just Happens tO be an

OlympIC wInDsurFIng sIlver meDalIst anD

amerICa’s Cup skIpper.” —Jeremy Diamond

One-design racing.

Skippers’ meeting.

Family of pirates.

The finish.

BEHIND THE LEENS WITH

BEHIND THE LENSWITH

BEHINDTHELLENSWITH

BEHINDTTHH

EELLEENN

SS WWITH RiCHaRDRiCHaRD

HaLLManHaLLManwords and photos bywords and photos by

Richard HallmanRichard Hallman

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Passion. What is passion, and what does it mean to you? Modern derivations of the word passion (from Shakespeare forward) vary widely and become, at times, cliché. But one definition caught my eye: “[when] one releases one’s energy boundlessly, downward and outward.” When I think of photography, I can’t start down that road without first addressing this often nebulous and neglected part of being human—that thing we call passion. I grew up in a tiny beach community on the southern shores of Lake Michigan. Fondly and aptly referred to as the “Mid-western Riviera,” this mini Shangri-La was made up of steep winding roads with beautiful deciduous trees and great sand dunes. The lake, which is more akin to an ocean than a lake, was my playground and my passion during childhood. I sailed Hobie Cats, water-skied, windsurfed and surfed (yes, surfed) in the summer and snow-skied on the steep sand dunes in the wintertime. My father was diligent in documenting the fruits of our sporting activities, while occasionally document-ing our not so bright ideas, like the ski jump up the street that was 12 feet tall at one point and required the jumper to clear a chasm of concrete long enough to fit a school bus lengthwise. My father’s intense love of photography was not lost on me, and he taught me early on how to develop film and print black and white prints. I had free rein, and a couple friends of mine and I would spend hours tinkering around in the darkroom in complete awe of our, otherwise amateur, creations. I have always had the support of my parents and they have always had complete confidence in me, even though my dreams often ran counter to the norm of conformity. Being avid skiers, my brother and I enjoyed ski trips to the Rocky Mountains and beyond. By the time I went to college, I was well on my way to being an amateur (professional in my mind) windsurfer by summer and skier by winter. Once leaving a disillusioned career in college, I found myself pursuing my desire to be-come a professional ski patroller. This came to fruition and I spent the better part of five years in Breckenridge, Colorado, throwing bombs and skiing deep powder—all of which usually occurred before a cup of coffee and a bagel.

Unknown rider, Post Canyon, Hood River, OR.

The [Nelscott] reef islocated about three-quarters

of a mile o� shore, and the only way out is through the

most gnarly, freezing,shark-infested beach break.

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Jamie Sterling, Nelscott Reef, OR

Jake Miller, The Hatchery, WA.

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Being caught in near-death avalanches, battling big waves and negotiating windsurf fi ns

as they whiz by my headhas given me the greatest

gifts of experience.

I traveled to Hood River for the summer to explore the myths and leg-ends of the outdoor life. Seventeen years later, that summer has yet to end. I knew I wanted to live here and I knew I would need a good job. The ski patrol and EMT fi eldwork got me more interested in medicine. Four grueling years later I fi nished nursing school and began working as an ER/trauma nurse at the Hood River hospital. The work was rewarding, yet challenged my skills and emotions to the core. From helping to deliver babies to watching people die or just turning someone’s bad day around helped transform the way I saw the world. In the midst of all this, I still had my passion for the outdoors and photography—maybe more than ever aft er seeing and experiencing fi rst-hand how quickly life can be snatched from our grasp. Balancing the desire to explore the limits of adventure and the risks associated, I be-came the defi nition of “a life lived large” over the past 10 years; I traveled to the ends of the earth, including Nepal, Patagonia, Russia, Africa, New Zealand, Chile, India, Thailand and too many more to count. It wasn’t a matt er of, “Well, I want to just go and photograph these places.” I wanted to immerse myself in the destinations and capture all the passion of the sports I love in exotic places: from snowkiting adventures in New Zea-land to windsurfi ng in Thailand, from climbing in Nepal to skiing in Kash-mir... I climbed three of the Seven Summits, and in the process fell in love with people from all walks of life. Yet, not all the most extreme adventures were far from home. In 2006, I was in the right place at the right time to slide into a position to spend a month shooting two-time Olympic Gold snowboarder Seth Wescott in Cordova, Alaska at Points North Heli-Adventures. Flying in an open helicopter over the Chugach Mountains of Alaska is as close to heaven on earth as it gets. The photography itself was a game-changer, for me, and really started to expand the possibilities in my mind, which I decided were infi nite. Another big opportunity was to brave the frozen winter and tackle big-wave surfi ng off the Oregon Coast. In 2005, I photographed the inaugural Nelscott Reef Tow In Classic located in Lincoln City, Oregon. In 2006, the plan was to capture water images of the Nelscott comp from the back of a waverunner. The top names in surfi ng descended on Lincoln City for some epic conditions: light off shore winds and some 40-foot faces. The reef is located about three-quarters of a mile off shore, and the only way out is through the most gnarly, freezing, shark-infested beach break. Holding onto the back of the waverunner for dear life, as my driver yells “Yee haa!” and slams the thrott le down, we make our way out over 15- to 20-foot walls of whitewater. I got thrown off on one of the last waves of the inside break, and gett ing held down really took me out of my comfort zone—but the images from that day and the next four consecutive years, have been nothing short of epic.

Bill Gowski, Alta, UT.

Dr. Nick Mast, Banff , AB.

windsport 71

Dave Watson, Syncline, Lyle, WA.

Mount Hood, OR.

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Tyson Poor from the Maryhill bridge, WA.

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But maybe the most exciting action photography of all lies in my own backyard, amidst the Columbia River. Trying to find unique angles, though, is a constant, yet rewarding, struggle. Being an avid windsurfer, kiter, mountain biker, surfer, skier, etc., gives me intimate knowledge of the sports and enables me to put myself in places that not too many people have been. There are times when I am out at the Hatchery sailing and wish I could just blink my eye and transfer that image to a computer screen to share with everyone. What you see is merely an intricate combination of neurotransmissions moving effortlessly through your retina for your brain’s final interpretation, which also gets stored as a memory—not too different from the digital age of photography. I’m sure this will be the case of future generations, to be able to blink an eye and update that image in-stantly on Facebook. But, in the mean time, I have to take to floating in my inner tube with 40-mph winds and 10-foot swells on the Columbia River to capture these unique angles, as rider after rider throws down for the cam-era. This seriously requires the disclaimer, “Kids, don’t try this at home.” In the end, I know I have been shaped by the adventures I have had more than I have shaped them. Being caught in near-death avalanches, battling big waves and negotiating windsurf fins as they whiz by my head has given me the greatest gifts of experience and has humbled me in ways I can’t describe. Either way, as a photographer you can feel like a caged tiger constantly trying to control your camera settings, controlling the light, controlling composition, or controlling something. Our lives can’t be con-trolled, stymied or caged—yet, we allow life to limit our dreams. If only we had the courage to dream bigger than ourselves. In the end, the one thing we can’t control is life; but find the courage in the light of an open heart and it will help guide you to creatively exercise your inner passion. Find more of Richard Hallman’s work at freelanceimaging.com.

Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.

Shannon Askay, Rufus, OR.

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Laure Treboux,Kos IsLand, Greece.Staub photo

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KaI Lenny,HooKIpa, MauI.thouard photo

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JoHn sKye,HooKIpa, MauI.Carter photo

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pHILIp KosTer,HooKIpa, MauI.J. houyvet photo

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TaTy Frans,MauI.Carter photo

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Guy crIbb aT cowes weeK,cowes, enGLand.Carter photo

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WINDSURF

BUYERS’ GUIDE

AND

2011

FANTASY POOL

WORDS BY DEREK RIJFF | PHOTOS BY JOHN CARTER/PWA

The proving ground for any sport’s technical evolution is found at the highest level of competition. The Professional Windsurfi ng As-sociation (PWA) crowns champions each year in waves, freestyle and racing, and it's amazing to see how many contenders are riding the exact same gear that you can purchase down at your local shop. Excited by this trend, we at Windsport think it’s time to introduce the fi rst-ever Pro Windsurfi ng Fantasy Dra� on windsport.com. Why should the football and baseball fans have all the fantasy pool fun? Now you can dra� and follow your own team of windsurfers, covering all the disciples over the entire PWA tour year. Over the next six pages we’ve broken the 2011 Buyers’ Guide down like any other sports league. You’ll fi nd all the latest inno-

vations and trends within the Wave, Crossover or Flatwater Con-ferences, which are further broken down into teams according to the water conditions or sailor abilities they are intended for. Finally, we’ve also included a few tips as to which pro riders we think will look good on your 2011 Pro Windsurfi ng Fantasy Team. Enter the 2011 Pro Windsurfi ng Fantasy Pool online at wind-sport.com for a chance to win a 2011 board of your choice from Starboard. It’s simple to enter: read the rules, pick one member of each group for your team, follow each team member’s indi-vidual performance during live casts and event updates on pwa-worldtour.com, and follow along as we update your team’s totals throughout the year on windsport.com.

SCAN THISWITH YOUR

SMARTPHONE TO ENTER (SEE P. 14)

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Wave Conference

This is the one discipline that doesn’t force riders to compete on current-model production gear, so these PWA events o� en give you a sneak peak into what boards and sails are coming next year. This makes the wave tour very eff ective in terms of product devel-opment, encouraging equipment to evolve quickly.

TOP PROS: At the beginning of last year, with events only sched-uled for Pozo, Denmark and Sylt, it looked like the wave tour would strongly favour riders like Victor Fernandez, Ricardo Campello, Philip Köster and Daida Ruano Moreno who have insane jumping skills and have also integrated freestyle techniques into their wave riding. But when Cabo Verde was added mid season, it was to the benefi t of the likes of Kauli Seadi and Josh Angulo who fearlessly project themselves and their gear into the deepest, most powerful section of the lip with a true surfer’s style.

TOP GEAR: This year everyone is trying to fi gure out how many fi ns to use. Seadi’s tight turning deep in the pocket set forth a revolution in wave boards, with himself and a number of the top pros eventually rid-ing quad-fi ns. This year Phil Köster used the slash-ability of his twin to place second at Gran Canaria, showing that, just like in freestyle, less fi n means more spin. Adding more interest to the debate is that up-and-comers like Kai Lenny and Jules Denel are fi nding the performance they’re looking for from the sur� oard standard-thruster confi gura-tion that can be run as a single fi n as well. Seadi’s progressive style has also paved the way to legitimacy for the four-ba� en wave sail as well. This year you’ll fi nd even more riders like Seadi, Nayra Alonso and Kevin Pritchard pushing these sails as hard as anyone else.

Pozo TwinsThe twins came on strong about three years ago and have shaken up the way the wave-sailing game is played. The twins may well be the tightest-turning boards you will fi nd. These boards are super loose on the wave and tend to have a li� le bit less grip than the others. In onshore conditions, especially, this trait is helping riders go from carve to slide with control, and it opens up a whole new array of freestyle-inspired tricks performed on the wave.

HatterasSingle/ThrusterNot to be outdone, the veteran single-fi n boards are adding some new teammates to their lineup this year that are equipped with a thruster setup: a larger centre and two smaller forward fi ns. This gives riders the option of going single-fi n in fl atwa-ter and bump-and-jump con-ditions, or adding the smaller forward thrusters for be� er performance in waves. Look for these versatile guys to do well no ma� er where they hit the water or what they’re up against.

Paia Quads A huge buzz surrounds the upstart quads this season, as they seem to have the potential to take wave sailing to new heights, even for the average-Joe windsurfer. Windsport’s pre-season coverage in San Carlos shows that performance varies between each quad; so just like any other type of board, you have to do some homework to know exactly what you are dra� ing. Also note that many quads can also be ridden in a twin-fi n setup with a simple change of fi n size.

F2 Rave 80-84 ▪ Fanatic NewWave Twin 72-93 ▪ Quatro Twin 76-92 ▪ RRD Wave Twin 66-99 ▪ Starboard Evo IQ 71-86

Exocet U-Surf II 62-84 ▪ Exocet X-Wave 71-91 ▪ Exocet 3X 70-96 ▪ F2 Rebel 63-91 ▪ Fanatic NewWave 69-91 ▪ Goya One 68-102 ▪ JP Single Thruster 69-99 ▪ Naish Wave 64-87 ▪ Naish Koncept 70-110 ▪ Quatro Single 64-86 ▪ RRD Hardcore Wave Single 78-84 ▪ RRD Wave Cult Single 75-92 ▪ RRD Wave Thruster 68-84 ▪ Starboard Evo IQ 71-86 ▪Starboard Kode 68-80

F2 Baracuda 76-82 ▪ Fanatic Quad 72-93 ▪ Goya Custom Quad 72-92 ▪ JP Polakow Twinser Quad 74-82 ▪ JP Twinser Quad 68-92 ▪ Quatro Quad KT 69-83 ▪ Quatro Quad LS 75-95 ▪ RRD Hardcore Wave Quad 68-84 ▪ RRD Wave Cult Quad 75-92 ▪ Starboard Quad IQ 74-92

86 windsport

Wave Conference

San Carlos DTL If you feel that windsurf-ing is all about turning, then you’ll fi nd your favorite sail on the DTL (down-the-line) team. It may take a more experienced rider to fi nd the full potential in these sails, but the reward is lightweight, effi cient and responsive performance. Despite their name, DTL sails are not limited to waves: they’ll hold their own in bump-and-jump conditions, fl atwater highwind freestyle, and put a smile on the face of lighter-weight riders.

COMEBACKKID

Pistol River PowerAlthough this large group of sails is placed in the wave conference, they are truly versatile performers that will work no ma� er where you sail. They are designed to be powerful, easy to use and tough enough to handle a pound-ing from even the nastiest of conditions. These Power wave sails share a lot of similarity in shap-ing with the Freewave sails from the crossover category. However, team Power’s more robust build is a key criteria se� ing these sails apart.

Santa Cruz Four-BattenThis year there is defi nitely a buzz in wave sails about reducing ba� ens from fi ve to four. This team was resurrected a few years ago and has been growing ever since. Our prognosticators predict that now may be their time to shine. Designed to blend a super-lightweight feel with unmatched manoeu-vrability, these sails look great in the hands of the new-school sailors blurring the lines between freestyle and wave sailing.

reducing ba� ens from fi ve to four. This team was resurrected a few years ago and has been growing ever since. Our prognosticators predict that now may be their time to shine. Designed to blend a super-lightweight feel with unmatched manoeu-vrability, these sails look great in the hands of the new-school sailors blurring the lines between freestyle and

Wave ConferenceWave Conference

If you feel that windsurf-ing is all about turning,

favorite sail on the DTL

experienced rider to fi nd the full potential in these

lightweight, effi cient and responsive performance. Despite their name, DTL

YOUNG GUNPhilip KösterWatch any video and you’ll see this 17-year-old phenom has his jumps wired. A� er another win-ter of working on his wave riding, the title will be within his grasp.

COMEBACK KIDMarcilio Browne Denmark was his worst career fi nish ever, and it really hurt to not get an event off in Sylt. Look for former champion Brawzinho to be extra inspired this year.

LOCAL TALENTKevin PritchardHe may not have the new-school jumps wired but Pritchard is not afraid to throw a Double Forward—and if there are a few more wave-riding events, he could contend.

Aerotech Charge 3.5-6.6 ▪ Goya Guru 2.7-5.6 ▪ Hot Sails Maui Fire 3.5-5.8 (3.0-6.5) ▪ MauiSails Legend 2.9-6.1 ▪MauiSails Ghost-XT 4.7-6.7 ▪ Naish Session 3.7-6.7 ▪NeilPryde Combat 3.7-5.6 ▪ RRD Vogue 3.3-6.1 ▪ North Ego 3.0-5.3 ▪ Severne S1 3.7-6.3

Aerotech Phantom 4.0-7.5 ▪ Ezzy Wave Panther 2 2.9-6.9 ▪ Goya Eclipse 3.4-6.8 ▪ Hot Sails Maui Smack 2.8-5.8 ▪Hot Sails Maui ▪ Superfreak 2.9-9.0 ▪ MauiSails Global 4.0-6.8 ▪ Naish Force 3.0-6.2 ▪ NeilPryde Atlas 4.0-6.2 ▪North Ice 3.4-6.2 ▪ Sailworks Revolution 2.6-6.2 ▪ Severne Blade 3.0-6.2 ▪ Severne Gator 3.7-5.3

Hot Sails Maui DD 2.8-6.3 ▪ Naish Boxer 3.6-6.2 ▪ Neil-Pryde The Fly2 3.2-5.4 ▪ Severne SWAT 3.3-5.7

enough to handle a pound-ing from even the nastiest

Power wave sails share a lot of similarity in shap-

sails from the crossover category. However, team Power’s more robust build is a key criteria se� ing

Windsport Fantasy Draft Picks:

windsport 87

Over the years, the specialized demands of the freestyle discipline created a noticeable change in all types of crossover boards and sails. For even the PWA riders, it’s imperative that this gear be in-credibly well-balanced and easy to ride to have the confi dence and control to push the boundaries of the sport.

TOP PROS: With a new rule forcing pros to compete on current pro-duction boards, and a format encouraging bigger and more powerful moves, we’re seeing success from some of the freestyle tour veter-ans. Riders who started in the sport as 16-years-olds, like Gollito Es-tredo, Kiri Thode and Sarah-Quita Off ringa, have added strength with age and can compete with the likes of Steven Van Broeckhoven, Taty and Tonky Frans, and Laure Treboux, who are in their mid 20s. This also gives a rookie like 19-year-old Björn Saragoza the confi dence that he’ll build on a strong showing from last year.

TOP GEAR: It used to be that pro riders would sand down larger fi ns to get ones small enough to spin through technical tricks. Today, you can easily fi nd fi ns of the highest quality in ridiculously small sizes, and some production boards are starting to come stock with these fi ns. So now you can have a pro-level ride right out of the box. Twin-fi n freestyle boards are being experimented with by riders like RRD’s José Edvan de Souza Pedro, but it doesn’t seem to be taking off the way it did in wave boards. The four-ba� en sail design has been toyed with for a number of years in the freestyle world but has never really taken hold. As these sails are now gaining steam in the waves, there seems to be some renewed interest by freestylers—plus the weight-saving of dropping a ba� en could increase their demand to top free-style riders in the future.

Crossover Conference

Rio Vista FSWFSW stands for freestyle wave, and this is the highwind board group designed to handle any type of conditions. These are safe picks for any rider since their all-round ability gives confi dence to achieve fantastic results in any situation. So, like most windsurfers, if you’re looking for a board that is fast enough to boost big air, spiny enough for new-school freestyle and loose enough for get-ting into waves, then one of these multi-taskers will defi nitely fi t the bill.

ChicagoFreemoveAfter gaining momen-tum years ago, a team of boards known as the Super-X (named for the PWA supercross racing discipline that combined slalom with freestyle) suddenly dropped off the radar. Rather than disap-pearing, they have been working to re-establish themselves now under the term “freemove.” Look to them to be some of the fastest boards available that will still carve with style and treat you right in the most challenging conditions.

BonaireFreestyleEven though these boards help the pros perform some of the most spec-tacular moves, they are by far the easiest-handling boards around. Unfortu-nately, casual freeride sailors believe that they are too specialized and overlook them. When given the chance, these boards will reward rookies to highwind shortboard conditions with a stable consistent feel that will get them planing and in the straps sooner than one would ever expect.

Exocet Cross III 84-104 ▪ F2 Vibe 84-104 ▪ Fanatic Freewave 75-115 ▪ Goya One Pro 68-102 ▪ JP Freestyle Wave 78-112 ▪Naish Freestyle Wave 75-115 ▪ Quatro Freestylewave 75-105 ▪ RRD Freestyle Wave 75-120 ▪ Starboard Kode 86-123

F2 Vento 96-116 ▪ Fanatic Hawk 100-135 ▪ JP All Ride 96-116 ▪ Starboard Atom 99

Exocet I-Style II 101 ▪ F2 Rodeo 98-107 ▪ Fanatic Skate TE 90-110 ▪ Goya X1 105-115 ▪ JP Freestyle 89-107 ▪ Naish Free-style 90-115 ▪ RRD TwinTip 88-109 ▪ Starboard Flare 88-106

88 windsport

Crossover Conference

Hood River FreemoveThese sails are a blend of speed, manoeuvrability and ease of use that any fan of windsurfing will appreciate. In general, these are moderate to highwind freeride sails, perfect for blasting back and forth, carving smooth jibes, and a few will even help you huck the biggest jump of your life. Over the last few years the durability of these sails has been addressed, with some now featuring an all X-ply construction.

Hot Sails Maui Liquid 5.0-7.5 ▪ MauiSails Switch 4.8-7.5 ▪Naish Rally 2.6-5.8 ▪ NeilPryde Fusion 4.9-7.2 ▪ North Nat-ural 4.5-7.8 ▪ RRD Evolution 4.5-9.0 ▪ Sailworks Hucker 3.7-6.6 ▪ Severne Gator 6.5-8.0 ▪ Severne Mojo 5.3-7.5

Orlando ValueHere is a team of vastly improving sails that will keep you having fun on the water without breaking the bank. They may not have all the bells and whistles or design fea-tures of the current year’s specialized sails, but they rig-up more easily than any other and inspire confi dence to help you improve your windsurfi ng skills. They fi nd power when needed, yet remain controlled when a rider pushes them to higher speeds than he or she may be comfortable with.

New England FreewaveThis team of sails matches up quite closely with those of the Wave Conference. The biggest diff erence is their lighter feel, making them more manoeuverable and be� er suited to varying water conditions. This reduced weight sometimes makes them less durable than their wave rivals, but these rigs will perform whether or not there is a wave in sight. These models also just happen to be the choice of most pro-level freestylers.

Bic Core 5.5-6.5 ▪ Bic Cruiser 5.0-7.5 ▪ Chinook Power Glide 3.0-7.5 ▪ Hot Sails Maui Hi-5 ▪ MauiSails Aloha 4.5-7.5 ▪ North Curve 4.2-6.4 ▪ Severne Convert 4.8-8.5

YOUNG GUNBjörn SaragozaNamed a� er a world cham-pion, look for this 19-year-old to only improve. He likely would have cracked the top 10 last year if he didn’t miss the fi rst event.

COMEBACK KIDAntxon Otaegui A disastrous fi nish to last year’s tour, missing Fuerteventura and ge� ing upset in Sylt will kindle a return to top-10 form for this talented freestyler.

LOCAL TALENTPhil SoltysiakA career-best fourth-place fi nish in Lanzarote last year sparked him on to an im-pressive sixth overall. Can he crack the top-5 in 2011?

New England

matches up quite closely with those of the Wave Conference. The biggest diff erence is their lighter feel, making them more manoeuverable and be� er suited to varying water conditions. This reduced weight sometimes makes

Crossover ConferenceCrossover Conference

Hood River These sails are a blend of speed, manoeuvrability and ease of use that any fan of windsurfing will appreciate. In general, these are moderate to highwind freeride sails,

Orlando ValueHere is a team of vastly improving sails that will keep you having fun on the water without breaking the bank. They may not have all the bells and whistles or design fea-tures of the current year’s specialized sails, but they rig-up more easily than

confi dence to help you improve your windsurfi ng

when needed, yet remain

speeds than he or she may

Bic Cruiser 5.0-7.5 ▪ Chinook Power Hot Sails Maui Hi-5 MauiSails Aloha 4.5-

COMEBACKKID

Windsport Fantasy Draft Picks:

Aerotech Air X 3.7-6.4 ▪ Goya Freesurf 3.7-6.8 ▪ Hot Sails ▪ Maui Bolt 3.4-6.2 ▪ MauiSails Loco 4.0-6.4 ▪ NeilPryde ▪ Firefly 4.9-6.9 ▪ North Duke 4.7-6.9 ▪ RRD SuperStyle 3.7-6.8 ▪ Severne Gator 5.5-6.0

windsport 89

Now you can own the exact same gear as any of the PWA Slalom Tour riders, as they are all using registered production boards and sails. Every year the gear gets a li� le faster, and a real ben-efi t to consumers is the design trickle-down, making the recre-ational gear so much be� er.

TOP PROS: Antoine Albeau has won the title for the last fi ve years and is clearly the man to beat. However, Björn Dunkerbeck and Mi-cah Buzianis both took events from him last year and are planning on doing so again a few more times next year. Everyone knows Fin-ian Maynard has the speed to dominate, and the Moussilmani broth-ers have been gradually pu� ing up stronger and stronger results, so there could be some surprises in 2011. On the women’s side, the perennial contenders are Karin Jaggi and Valerie Arrighe� i. Next year look for freestyle champion Sarah-Quita Off ringa—now with 2 years of slalom under her belt—to challenge.

TOP GEAR: A new focus in slalom boards is the deck design. Deep deck concaves with recessed mast tracks and raised toe areas provide be� er ergonomics for the rider and rig, allowing for thinner shapes, making these high-strung boards more controllable—even the pros know that more control means more speed. With the rules now stating that a rider can only use three boards for the entire year, there has also been a focus on making sure the spacing between sizes will allow a rid-er to cover as big a range as possible with their limited selections. It’s hard to believe, but a� er all these years there are still major developments going on in race-sail design. Both Albeau’s and Dunker-beck’s rigs are designed to fl ex at the trailing edge to work as a more aerodynamic foil. Look for more development this year from all the brands and an even more competitive PWA Slalom Tour.

Flatwater Conference

CorpusChristi FastrideIn lighter winds these boards are almost unstoppable: they plane as early as comparable race boards and are much easier to jibe and go fast on. When matched with a powerful cam sail, you will be blasting by your buddies, whether at a recreational slalom race or just a fun session at your local sailing spot. We used to criticize their highwind control, but over the past few years this aspect of their game has improved the most.

TorontoFreerideMany windsurfers get caught up looking at all the exciting specialist gear when what they really need is a comfortable freeride board. What they lack in top-end performance they make up for with ease of use and handling. You can actually go faster on an easier-riding board than a race board that is over your head. In the past, freeride boards were quickly outgrown, but not anymore as they now pack enough performance to keep you happy on the water for years to come.

San Francisco RaceNow here is a specialty group that is designed to reward hard work and experience. These are the same boards used by the pros, so they are the fastest and most effi cient early-planing designs. As a result, they o� en prove to be too high-strung for most. If you’re willing to match the energy level and competitive drive of these boards, you will leave every one of your friends in your wake and be able to confi dently take on any-level rider.

aerodynamic foil. Look for more development this year from all the brands and an even more competitive PWA Slalom Tour.

Exocet Sting 114-148 ▪ Exocet SL-Sport 94-129 ▪ F2 Vantage 126-156 ▪ Fanatic Ray 100-145 ▪ Goya FXRS 116-144 ▪ JP Super Sport 91-136 ▪ JP Super Lightwind 154 ▪ Naish Grand Prix 80-135 ▪ RRD Firerace 90-135 ▪ Starboard Futura 93-141

Bic Core 133-205 ▪ Bic Techno 133-205 ▪ Exocet Twixx 115-145 ▪ Exocet Nano II 125-155 ▪ F2 Xantos 130-160 ▪ Fanatic Shark 105-150 ▪ Goya FXR 125-145 ▪ JP Fun Ride 100-160 ▪ JP X-Cite Ride 122-158 ▪ Naish Nitrix 105-145 ▪ Quatro Freeride 110-150 ▪ RRD Fireride 125-155 ▪ Starboard Carve 121-171 ▪ Starboard GO

Exocet RS ▪ Exocet Warp-100 161 ▪ F2 SX ▪ F2 Z 155 ▪Fanatic Falcon ▪ JP Slalom VII ▪ JP Formula 168 ▪ RRD X-Fire ▪ Starboard iSonic ▪ Starboard Formula 160-168

90 windsport

Denver PowerA Power sail will get you on the water in less wind than any other. These sails have camber induc-ers that lock in their foil shape for unmatched low-end grunt to get any lightwind board planing quickly and easily. They exhibit excellent top-end range as the winds pick up, but defi nitely require more eff ort to hold down and ma-noeuver through a jibe. Their power also makes them an ideal choice for heavier riders.

Flatwater Conference

LOCALTALENTLOCALLOCALTALENTTALENTTALENT

Worthington SpeedThese specialized sails are the ideal match for dedicated racers with the right boards to keep up. These sails have incred-ible tuning that lets them go from equaling the power of the Power sail category to surpassing the top-end control of any other rig. So, what’s the downside? Pro performance comes at the expense of requir-ing the rider to really know what they're doing in terms of handling, ma-noeuvring and rigging.

New Jersey No-CamThe smart money goes on these No-Cam sails for excellent freeride performance in a no-hassle package. Their balance of impressive speed, lightweight feel, ease of handling and enough power to drive bigger boards makes them today’s most pop-ular flatwater choice. Compared to most of their camber-induced ri-vals, they generally have an advantage in terms of manoeuvrability and ease of rigging.

YOUNG GUNPierre MortefonLast year he was crowned the under-22 PWA slalom world champion. Finishing 16th overall at age 21 is amazing, and we look for him to only get be� er.

COMEBACK KIDGonzalo Costa HoevelThis Argentinean speed-ster used to be a top-10 regular, and we expect that last year’s 26th-place fi nish is an anomaly not to be repeated.

LOCAL TALENTMicah BuzianisBeating Albeau for the title in Alacati, Turkey has to have given him confi dence that he can do it again, and maybe a few times, this year.

Denver PowerA Power sail will get you on the water in less wind than any other. These sails have camber induc-ers that lock in their foil

low-end grunt to get any lightwind board planing quickly and easily. They

Flatwater ConferenceFlatwater Conference

Aerotech Rapid Fire 5.5-11.0 ▪ Aerotech Dagger 7.5-9.5 ▪Bic One Design 5.8-8.5 ▪ Ezzy Infinity 6.0-9.5 ▪ MauiSails Titan 6.0-11.0 ▪ Naish Indy 5.8-8.2 ▪ Naish Grand Prix 5.2-8.8 ▪ NeilPryde H2 6.2-9.2 ▪ NeilPryde Helium 6.5-8.5 ▪ North S_Type 6.0-9.5 ▪ Severne Turbo 6.0-9.2 ▪ Severne Over-drive 4.8-11.0

Aerotech VMG 5.4-11.9 ▪ Hot Sails Maui GPS 5.0-9.7 ▪MauiSails TR-7 4.7-12.0 ▪ NeilPryde RS:Racing 5.5-12.0 ▪NeilPryde RS:Slalom 5.5-9.5 ▪ North Warp F2011 5.2-12.0 ▪North Ram F11 5.2-11.0 ▪ Sailworks NX 5.4-10.8 ▪ Severne Reflex Slalom ▪ Severne Reflex Formula

Aerotech FreeSpeed 5.2-9.0 ▪ Aerotech Zenith 5.2-9.0 ▪Chinook Rush 5.5-7.5 ▪ Ezzy Freeride 5.5-9.5 ▪ Ezzy Zephyr 7.5 ▪ Goya Nexus 4.3-9.0 ▪ GT Sails GT1 5.5-7.5 ▪ Hot Sails Maui Speed Demon 5.0-9.7 ▪ MauiSails Pursuit 5.5-8.5 ▪Naish Rally 6.4-7.9 ▪ NeilPryde Hellcat 5.2-8.2 ▪ North X_Type 5.4-8.2 ▪ RRD Fire 6.0-9.0 ▪ RRD Wassup 4.0-6.0 ▪Sailworks Retro 4.5-10.0 ▪ Severne NCX 5.5-9.0

Windsport Fantasy Draft Picks:

them today’s most pop-ular flatwater choice. Compared to most of their camber-induced ri-vals, they generally have an advantage in terms

Worthington These specialized sails are the ideal match for dedicated racers with the right boards to keep up. These sails have incred-ible tuning that lets them go from equaling the power of the Power sail category to surpassing category to surpassing the top-end control

expense of requir-ing the rider to really know what they're doing in terms of handling, ma-noeuvring and rigging.

Hot Sails Maui GPS 5.0-9.7 ▪

windsport 91

96 windsport

gett ing real

Whether you’re on the water or on stage, the moment is all. how one prepares for the next big gig or the next big wave determines success. It’s oft en a trial by fi re, and you need to rely on your wits—like at the pistol river wave bash this year when Kai Katchadourian, darren rogers and I were asked to play. Although we’d never played together as a band, we knew there was enough musicianship on the bandstand to make it happen. being a musician not only requires practise, but also the right att itude and the spirit of mutual cooperation. because most of my work is in the evening, windsurfi ng is the perfect compliment to my lifestyle. I have lived on Maui for nine years and feel very fortunate to pursue my two main passions.

Mark Johnstone

Mark Johnstone plays in The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band.

photo by JERomE HoUyVET

98 windsport

close out

UN-WIDOWED WIDOW she goes to the beach with her wind-addict signifi cant other but, once there, sails just as hard (if not harder). she oft en competes, and loves participating in conversations about the ultimate sailing ses-sions and the performance of her rig’s set-up. she’s as likely to give advice to her boyfriend or husband as she is to receive it. she has no shame in showing up her man, and loves bragging about being bett er than him. ABSENT WIND WIDOW her butt head boy regularly ditches her to sail, but she either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care. on days that her boyfriend (for these girls, it’s almost always a boyfriend) drags her to the beach, she’s either sitt ing in the car reading a book, catching a nap, or she’s trying unsuccessfully to fi nd a wind

sheltered spot to work on those pesky tan lines. these are usu-ally women that should be with a surfer, not a windsurfer. TOTAL WIND WIDOW this woman is similar to the Absent widow, but takes an interest in her sig-nifi cant other’s sailing—asking questions when he gets home, such as “how was the sailing?” or “did you have fun with your friends?” but she couldn’t pick him out of the crowd on the water if her life depended on it, and doesn’t care to fi gure it out. PARTIAL WIND WIDOW she occasion-ally drops by her man’s favorite sailing site, goes to support him at contests, or enjoys going along for longer drives to fi nd the best wind. she’ll take some pictures or shoot some video, which means she can pick him out of the crowd (if his sails are stylish enough), but

for hours on end, in hopes of capturing that day’s highest back Loop, craziest crash or cleanest double. she brags to his friends about the insane moves he pulls, backs him up by saying his sailing is bett er than everyone else’s, and she can call some of her man’s best moves by name. she loves feeling like she’s a part of his wind world—but the cake-topper is when she is on her way home from a 12-hour shift , calls her man and tells him to stop mowing the lawn because the wind is coming up. No matt er what type of widow you are, or widow you make your woman, there’s always room for improvement. I suggest that women, no matt er what category they fall into, do a litt le bargaining just to keep things interesting. there are far more diamonds in the world than windsurfers.

I got married since the last issue. the experience as-tounded me, and there’s a ton of things to talk about. but there’s one thing that binds

spouses of windsurfers (usually women): the issue of absence. being a wind widow presents a del-uge of challenges to the relation-ship, and each wind widow tries in her (sometimes his) own way to compensate. dealing with these issues creates a host of diff erent personalities worth exploring. since I’m the windsurfer in my marriage, I asked Chandra Mer-shon, a notably expert “Not-so wind widow,” to help me identify the varying types of wind widows out there. Let’s look at what she came up with (remember, no one has to be just one type of wind widow, so mix and match to fi nd your unique widow-ness):

words by mITcH GINGRIcH

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Nathan Mershon's wife lets him go to Baja. Merritt photo

THIS WENCH USES HER MAN’S PASSION FOR SAILING TO GET SOMETHING IN RETURN.

typeSshe still can’t tell the diff erence between Forward or back Loops, and comments on fl at-water freestyle tricks according to the ice skating moves she thinks they resemble. (Mitch’s note: this is particularly relevant to Chandra, as her husband, Nathan, is an avid fi gure skating fan. you can oft en fi nd Nathan mimicking Kristi yamaguchi’s routine from the winter olympics, or mouthing the words to the best fi gure skating tracks from the ‘80s.) BARGAINING WIND WIDOW this wench uses her man’s passion for sailing to get something in return. If she lets him catch a session, he bett er fi nish chopping that fi rewood right aft er. this guy can’t wear himself out, and oft en returns with shiny presents. the bargain-ing widow gets what she wants. NOT-SO WIND WIDOW she doesn’t share the same windsurfi ng passion, although she enjoys watching her man sail for the sole purpose of being involved in his hobbies, interests and talents. she takes pictures, or will video