The island nation of Madagascar, off the southeast coast of Africa, was first pioneered for windsurfing in the 90s, when French lensman, adventurer and windsurfer Gilles Calvet travelled to its remote shores and found a break that inspired a lust to return. After more than two decades, Leon Jamaer and Thomas Traversa accompanied him on a trip back to discover that the passage of time has not made the journey any easier but set against our modern world of convenience, choice and comfort, the harsh reality of life in Madagascar forges an interesting and inspiring perspective.
DISCOVERY
In 1992 a young Frenchman and two of his friends travel through the south of Madagascar. Decent wind and wave statistics drew their attention towards this remote territory and they were confident that this coastline must have hidden treasures. They spent a week in Fort Dauphin, surfing, windsurfing and eventually came in contact with an influential local family. At a mutual dinner they hear a fisherman talking about his home village and the wave that breaks in front of it: “All afternoon the winds blow off the tips of the waves that break in a nice order along a rock shelf.” The newly found contacts helped them to organize an expedition. A few days later the French travellers loaded two 4×4 jeeps with water, food, tents, other supplies and, naturally, windsurfing equipment. Slowly but surely they made their way southbound across the hostile territory and finally arrived in Lavanono where they hit jackpot! “We were all amazed and knew we found something special!” said Gilles Calvet. He remembers the maiden voyage as if it was yesterday, even though the journey is now a quarter of a century in the past. Nowadays, discoveries like that are rare. The globe has been scoured for wind and waves over the last decades and nearly every corner of it has been explored and scanned. From Kamchatka in the Russian Far East to West Africa and from Iceland to Patagonia – almost every beach, bay or break has been named, filmed, photographed, described in detail and later archived online. Gilles agrees, “The number of locations that windsurfers have left untouched is shrinking. Though, the bare will to find these is shrinking too. When I ask pro windsurfers to come on a photo trip with me, in nine out of ten times their first question concerns the intensity of the travel and the chances for having a windless day.”
CONUNDRUMS
I often find myself endlessly weighing pros and cons before committing to a trip. Too many possibilities and options exist: starboard tack, port tack, hotel, bungalow, offshore, onshore, big waves, smaller waves, with or without wetsuit, travel by car or plane, around the corner or far away. It is hard to stay on track in this jungle of first world problems. Once there is a smaller selection of destinations, then the intensive research of magazines and the Internet begins. Whatever the global archives exhibit will be watched, read, compared and discussed with friends who might have been there before. One knows precisely what to expect and how the trip will turn out to be before even stepping a foot out of one’s own home. Hardly anyone ventures into the unknown anymore and, instead, returns to the same known places over and over again. The time of adventurers seems to have vanished and along with it the overwhelming moment that Gilles and his friends experienced when they saw the wave of Lavanono for the first time.
I get a call from a photographer whom I met during a contest in La Reunion a few years ago. My memories of Gilles Calvet, the insurgent who prefers to sail himself instead of taking pictures, are still bright and clear. He says he is planning a trip to Madagascar to rediscover a wave that he found many years ago and asks if I would be interested to come along. By instinct, I ask about the travel and get “long and difficult” in reply. My mind starts spinning and I overhear the gnashing of teeth on the other side of the line.
ESCAPE
It was a hectic time at home to travel to the other side of the world. I had moved to a new flat and had to finalize my taxes, then deal with emails of marketing people of agencies that want me for a campaign to advertise cars. As payment they suggest the new currency, “Facebook-reach”, shorthand for will you do it for free? The bad weather hasn´t stopped for a while either. A cold has been constantly following me for a few weeks now and there is no sign of wind anytime soon – I know, the tough life of a pro windsurfer hey! Regardless, it´s time to escape.
At 30,000 feet we draw near to the equator. Thomas Traversa, next to me, is already asleep. I close my eyes and leave all negative thoughts behind. I try to grasp my excitement for this trip, which has been growing stronger and stronger in the last week, and then I fall asleep too. The next morning we arrive in Madagascar´s capital, Antananarivo, and take another plane to Fort Dauphin. From there we travel on land. From my German point of view our movements seem rather unorganized and improvised.
I am not sure if group leader Gilles doesn´t want to share his exact plans with us or whether he simply doesn´t have any. However, I am happy when we arrive at a campsite by nightfall. We are still far from our final destination and I am already overwhelmed by Madagascar. I saw people in their villages and huts, on the fields or, mostly it seemed, somewhere on the road. They travel, trade and transport goods, children play and many wave at us when we drive by. Some are smiling, some wear heavy expressions that must resemble their daily life I assume. With an average speed of 25 km/h we move south through vegetation that becomes more and more hostile, people and cattle appear thin and starved.
We cross a dry riverbed. Women dig for the last bits of water to wash their clothes. I realize my first world problems must be far away from the people here who actually have real struggles. Lavanono is a small village with a church, school, shop and lots of simple huts where a few hundred, mostly fishermen, live. The tribe is called Antandroy and gather in the main on the beach and centre their life around the sea. They seem to accept us and are happy to share the ocean. Every morning the fishermen swarm out with their tiny canoes while we play in the beautiful waves. They need the sea to feed their families whereas we use it for pure pleasure. Even though our motives are so vastly different, the people seem to like the commitment that we put into our outlandish looking activity called windsurfing. Some try to resemble us in our athletic doings, either on surfboards that were left behind, planks or whatever else was found and stays afloat. The atmosphere in Lavanono is warm and welcoming despite Madagascar´s in general difficult socio-cultural situation.
EXPLOITATION
The island of Madagascar physically separated early from Africa and that let plants and animals develop over thousands of years free from external influences. Many kinds live and blossom only here and nowhere else in the world. Madagascar’s ecology is unique. Since humans came across the island about 2000 years ago however, many species are now heavily endangered. Great parts of the tropical rainforest were slashed and burned. Nowadays, only ten per cent of its original forests are still intact with many animals extinct. In 1896 France established a colony against the influence of the Malagasy Kingdom. Until Madagascar´s independence in 1960, France´s military fought for their interests on the island. About 90.000 Malagasy died during a rebellion in 1948. The country´s politics have remained unstable with nature and its people being victim. Ninety per cent of the people live beneath the poverty line. Food and medical supplies are limited. Children work to nourish their families – around 19,000 under heavy and unhealthy conditions in Sapphire mines. Young girls prostitute themselves for money or the hope to meet a wealthy white man. Chinese and European trawlers empty the fishing grounds and tropical woods are cropped for international markets. Madagascar appears too weak to prevent exploitation.
SICKNESS
The at first so constantly blowing wind disappears and our idyllic adventure starts to lose its shine. Flea bites now cover the whole of Thomas Traversa’s body and he has spent another night on the toilet. Gilles is fighting hard to keep control over his stomach; he mostly loses. The lack of sleep must have made him paranoid. He accuses our cook, a shy little girl, of having poisoned him for the disrespectful behaviour of arriving late for dinner. “It happens all the time,” Gilles swears. A virus that is currently spreading through the villages is the more likely reason for our sickness. My symptoms are different to the others. A fever spread across my body and I can hardly walk to the house and eat. The bungalow turns more and more into a sickbay. We exchange paracetamol for charcoal, zinc for Imodium. I rely on an onion-garlic-ginger tea to get me back on track. While Thomas and Gilles are better soon, I don’t feel much change for over a week and consider flying home early. Shortly after this trip the World cup in Denmark will start and at this point I don’t see myself regaining strength. However, this would be logistically basically not possible. The closest city is 8 hours by 4×4 away. The dream trip seems to turn into a nightmare. Only a few hundred miles east is the windsurfing paradise of Mauritius with ultra constant winds, half the travel time and western standards. Why can’t I take the easy road for once and book an all-inclusive vacation?
WANDERLUST
Gilles explains his father was a seaman. When they were sailing it had been his task, as a little boy, to find bays or coves to anchor the boat. “It’s one of the reasons why I always change my focus while travelling and never take the same route – I improvise! A few years later no one will remember all the aerials I did. But one will always remember the unexpected accidents that happened along the trip. Those are the stories that my kids like to listen to,” Gilles enthuses. I ask Thomas what keeps him travelling to the most remote corners of the planet. “For me it’s something special to windsurf at a place where no one windsurfed before. Being on the water alone or with one or two good friends is pure joy. Even if the conditions don´t resemble Ho’okipa everyday. In these situations I just live for the moment. Also while travelling I will always encounter other travellers on the search that inspire me to take on new adventures!” The trip comes to an end and we prepare for the return to civilization. While the Jeep slowly progresses north, impressions of Madagascar run through my head. Without the distractions of Facebook and TV I remember the rich evening conversations about French and German differences – from the quality of bread to politics. We discussed the pros and cons of foil sailing, studied waveriding techniques or simply got lost in the stars that shine brighter than I have seen anywhere. I remember deeply red sunsets, strange animals, trees and bushes that better fit a dinosaur era. I imagine how the 3.6 metre high, now extinct, Elephant Bird had existed only 300 years ago across these lands. I remember the sailing and fishing skills of the Antandroy, the people from the South, who navigate the ocean incredibly fast and precisely. I remember the kids that carry my gear back to the camp after a session, singing and dancing.
We arrive in Fort Dauphin and check in for our flights to Paris. I notice I am full of inspiration for future trips and simply happy that I came on this trip and experienced those strange but beautiful weeks in a different world and have quickly forgotten about the bumpy road that brought me there. Special thanks to our partners for this great trip – Jean from Info Tourisme, Nico from Babaomby lodge, Gigi from Lavanono lodge and Benedicte from Beranthy lodge.
“ Every morning the fishermen swarm out with their tiny canoes while we play in the beautiful waves. ”
Considering a new waist harness? We get some tips from the pros followed by a round up of some the latest products in the market.
PRO TIPS
ANTOINE ALBEAU “I use a waist harness now. I feel they are more comfortable for racing. I was using the seat harness for a long time but last year I decided to switch to the waist. The seat harness you have to strap between your legs and for me it was a pain to put on. For ten years I trained with a waist harness so it was not a big change for me. I use the NeilPryde Bomb, it is very comfortable. I developed this harness and tried to make it as comfortable as possible. The Bomb is good and the 3D is even better. For me the Bomb is a bit bigger to support my back so I like that one”
BEN SEVERNE “Always buy a harness that is designed for windsurfing. A lot of harnesses these days are designed for a kite bar and you go to unhook and you stay hooked in and catapult all the time. Check that your harness has a windsurfing hook on the front of it. It’s always advisable to try harnesses on in the shop and don’t just go for the ones that are super padded. Sometimes the big thick foam ones once out on the water are quite bulky and just get in the way. Sometimes the minimalist designs are actually the best. I use the Severne Air harness. I travel a lot and this one is light. It saves a few kilos on excess baggage. You plane earlier and everything is easier. Not only is it light, it is our cheapest model and for me is very comfortable.”
MARCO LANG “I am using a waist harness for racing because that is what I always used. I came from a freestyle background. So I have to say I never tried a seat harness. You should feel the whole harness when you try them on in the shop and it should feel comfortable. Don’t just look at them and take the one that looks the most padded or cool. I use the ION Radium select, it’s a bit softer than the normal Radium and for me it is very comfortable, this one feels like lying in a hammock!”
ANDY CHAMBERS “You don’t want a harness which absorbs a lot of water as it gets heavy but also makes you cold! I personally use the NP Surf Flash Harness because it’s super lightweight and comfy. It is soft and flexible which allows me to move my body around easily while doing freestyle or wave sailing.”
KUROSH KIANI “First of all, I would go for comfort. The harness is an essential tool in your windsurfing, so you would like to be as comfortable as possible! Some harnesses have a wider back, and some have a narrow back. Find the one which suits your back the best, and possibly one which has some back support. Personally, I like if the harness is rigid. The back should not bend too much. I don’t necessarily look at if it is a wave or a freestyle harness, but just the one that fits best. The brands which specialise and have experience in making harnesses are often the safe choices to go for. Furthermore, I don’t like it if the harness moves up or if the hook moves up after some sailing. I would recommend to find one where the fit is perfect and you don’t feel like it will slip up your body towards your chest and I would look for one which has very rigid straps on the hook which keeps the hook in place.”
BEN PROFFITT “I think it depends what type of back you have. In my experience you have to try and find a harness that suits you. Some have shape built into them, which some people love but others find it gives them back problems. Some are big and have lots of support and cover a large proportion of your back. I personally find those comfortable. Then you have others which are hard and small and fit higher up… some people love them. But for me personally they give my back the most problems. So bottom line is try them and see; you’ll find out pretty quick which your back suits!”
This year Australian design gurus, Flying Objects, have a minor rev-AMP in name and look to broaden appeal of their AMP harness. The 3 piece thermo-formed lining now uses a super sponge EVA for a softer feel but still maintains a uniformed shape and flex, keeping the overall weight to a minimum. The AMP uses the integrated bar and pad with the quick clip entry system for a more locked in feel. Also available in red.
Having the most back support in our range, the G5 PRO will cushion and support your entire back. For 2017 the G5 ergonomics have improved even further, a strategically designed high support 3D moulded design ensures great support without compromising comfort across a wide range of back shapes. A refined kidney belt sets the harness in place and our Dual Strap adjustment system provides a final layer of support to keep the bar from sliding upward.
Introducing a whole new generation of windsurfing harnesses: ION Composite Series. For the first time, the back part of the rider is supported through differently shaped carbon segments, providing a perfectly stiff fit and support. At the same time, the side parts are kept very flexible as special foams are used – providing maximum comfort and a perfect load distribution – the perfect combination of support and freedom of movement – less pressure points = longer sessions!
Redefining flexibility in a harness. The all new design sees the inclusion of a quick release bar with twin point webbing fixings to minimise bar twist, as well as a huge reduction in weight – this is now one of the lightest most unobtrusive harnesses on the market. Designed to sit low on your waist with a sleek design to allow maximum manoeuvrability on your board. As used by PWA Tour stand out, Marcilio Browne.
Step into another dimension with the NP 3D, offering maximum support due to its unique pre-bent shape that comfortably wraps around your body. The Back Base system provides support where it’s needed most, while the cushioned interior matches the concave shape of your lower back perfectly. Its super lightweight and non-absorbent construction means it doesn’t hold any water keeping you warmer and able to stay out longer! Available in in sizes xs-xl, spreader bar sold separately.
Version 4 of the original equalizer high-end waist takes powerful riding to the next level. The fiberglass reinforcements inside are positioned to correspond with the sail’s centre of lift and lead the pressure to where it’s most comfortable. The convex curved lower edge of the harness (‘Flexcurve’) is more flexible and designed to stay in contact with the rider during a wide variety of tricks. This makes the Equalizer as versatile as a harness can get.
Ultra lightweight and function focussed, the AIR has been stripped of any excess. Waterproof materials minimize any weight gains when wet. Low density thermo-formed inner and neoprene Soft Edge provide essential comfort. Designed to be able to be worn loose, the bar pad prevents hook twist when trying to unhook quickly. The minimalist waist closure holds the harness in place without any elastic compression and the profile of the AIR harness is kept low for maximum manoeuvrability.
The Raptor waist harness is engineered to give the best support and comfort possible. The 3D shape is created using seven different moulded components sewn together to create the most anatomical fit around your waist and support for your back arch. Designed with an up-scaled back plate and fitted with extra re-enforcement. It comes standard with a fixed hook system, spreader bar protector, stainless steel quick release, neoprene edge and double-velcro elastic waist straps.
Sometimes windsurfing is about the performance, but most of the time it is about having a good time with friends. Every trip is an adventure… This time Thomas travelled to Portugal twice, scored epic waves and met some old friends. He reflects on his first trip to Lisbon in 1998 and how it formed his “addiction to disorganised journeys”
Main camera : Sophia Traversa & Siam images
Additional footage : Miqueas Muñoz & Pedro Ramirez
Music : Paulino Vieira
Reis Ensemble
Bau e Voginha
Cordas do sol
The brand-new freestyle and wave sails, as well as accessories of Gaastra are online and ready to inspire your windsurfing sessions. Sail designer Peter Munzlinger combined all the different impressions of the Gaastra windsurfing team with his longlasting experience and technical knowledge and formed a range of sails that offers the right tool for every windsurfer.
All sails have been upgraded with the unique metallic X-PLY and 2-PLY laminates, which create incredible colors in the sails and noticeably extend their lifespan. Metallic flakes are incorporated into the laminate itself, creating never seen before visual effects and reflecting harmful UV rays. In addition, each sail includes the new parallel batten concept, resulting in outstanding support to the sail body by the skeleton. This is implemented in all battens, except the bottom and top batten in order to equalize the transitions from one batten to the next, which leads to incredibly smooth twist, sail behavior and power development.
The GA Sails wave collection, including the IQ, Manic and Manic HD, is still equipped with the Convertible Batten System, which allows you to choose between a full and a shorter second batten from the sail foot, depending on your personal preferences and the conditions. All sails from the wave range have a smaller sail window, expanding the sail’s durability and life span to a maximum.
In 2019, the Pure comes with new shape numbers in the foot batten, overall stiffer battens and a slight reduction in the front shape, which result in a direct feeling, swift reaction in double rotation moves and impressive wind stability.
The highly successful Hybrid, which combines three sail lines in one, was updated with the brand-new parallel batten concept and adjusted shape parameters in the seams, adding more smoothness and high-end to this powerful sail range. In the Hybrid’s bigger sizes the batten specs were updated to achieve a light backhand feeling in overpowered conditions. The complete line from 3.7 to 8.2 is perfectly suited to any condition and any rider.
Visit the brand-new website www.ga-windsurfing.com and follow Gaastra windsurfing on Instagram, Facebook, as well as Youtube to get more information on their 2019 products and stay tuned for more exciting releases to come.
Ho’okipa is one of the most famous wavesailing breaks in the world and home to some notorious kit crunching rocks. But not everyday is mast high plus and on flat days the famed spot can be ticked off the bucket list by a reasonably competent sailor. If you’ve ever fancied a go or want to know more about Ho’okipa’s nuances, then read on as Robby Swift gives a guide to the iconic wave and a breakdown on the ins and outs of sailing his adopted home break.
HO’OKIPA I think it’s such a legendary break because of the consistency and the level of the riders who sail there. It’s by no means the best wave in the world to windsurf. It’s actually quite difficult to sail, but the fact that you can probably sail there 250 times a year with decent conditions makes it pretty special. You can probably actually sail there more than that, but the waves can be pretty small in June/July, but you do still get some waves.
THE ROCKS If you’re new to Ho’okipa, the rocks are one of the first things you notice. They look very threatening and can be quite scary. There is a strong current that runs with the wind and therefore leaves you feeling very under-powered when you are close to the rocks and this is the main reason that people end up drifting onto those dreaded boulders, quite often on their first run out from the beach.
The trick to trying to stay off the rocks is to use the currents to your advantage. Accept that you will get whipped right across the front of the rocks and that it will be hard to get planing off the beach, even if it’s very windy, but this isn’t really a problem as you want to get downwind to the channel anyway. Give yourself enough space to get easily past the rocks and then let the current pull you downwind into the channel. You will have to go over a couple of pieces of whitewater but once you are past the first big rock, even if you end up falling in due to lack of wind, the current should whip you past the rest of the rocks and leave you in the channel, ready to sail out in the “relative” safety of that nice channel.
Obviously swell direction can change this setup a bit. When the swell is really westerly, the waves come in more from the left of the beach as you look out and can push you more directly onto the rocks, so you have to be more careful on west swell days. Also, when it is mast high and over, the channel tends to close out and is no longer such a ‘safe’ haven, so check the surf reports and be smart with the day you pick to tackle Ho’okipa! It’s not much fun when you go onto those rocks, they are very hard and there is a lot of water moving around!
If you do find yourself getting sucked on there, it’s probably best to try to save yourself from injury rather than saving your gear. When the sets come in, you can take shelter “behind” a big rock and then right after the wave has broken around you, you can swim/shuffle in on top of that extra little piece of water to a new rock and then decide if you are far enough out of harm’s way to make the dash up to safety or if you need to hide yourself behind another rock from the next set.
The worst thing that can happen is to be pulled around by the whitewater on the rocks as you have no control whatsoever and can be whacked very hard into the rocks. This is how people get injured. Take your time if you are in the shelter of a big rock and once you decide to make a break for it, do it with confidence and quickly before another big wave comes!
THE WAVE There are three sections to the windsurfing part of Ho’okipa, or four if you count Lanes. Out to the right of the channel as you look at the water, the three parts of the Ho’okipa wave are called Middles, then Green Trees and then The Point. Middlesisreallyaleftthatbreaks towardsthe right of “Pavils”,whichisthelocalsurfingspot thatyoudonotwanttogoanywherenear with your windsurfing gear! There are days when the right-hand wave of Ho’okipa connects all the way from the bowl at Middles, through Green Trees and the Point, but that is very rare. It has to be around mast high or a little bit more and the swell needs to be straight north. They are the most epic days ever at Ho’okipa, but only happen about two or three times a year.
On a more normal day, the next part down of the wave, called “Green Trees” has a nice bowl and you can generally get one or maybe two turns there before the wave closes out. Again, if the swell is more northerly and very clean, you can get waves that will connect from Green Trees to The Point. This happens more often, anywhere from N to NW swells can make this happen and that’s when you see people getting three turns and an aerial or even a goiter or 360 thrown in. Generally though, the swells end up being a little broken up or too westerly for this to happen, so it actually kind of breaks up the crowds a bit as someone can ride the wave at Green Trees and someone else can have fun on the same wave down at The Point without getting in each other’s way. If you pick a nice “peaky” wave at Green Trees, one without too much wall on it, then you have a good chance of being able to do a nice 360 or aerial as it offers very nice 360 bowls and little barrels for doing airs.
The most famous part of the wave is “The Point”. This is the very end of the wave at Ho’okipa, right before the channel. It offers the most ‘bowly’ section of the break and generally gives you the chance to do an aerial/goiter/360 or something like that just about every time, no matter what the swell direction. You can be sailing back out from the channel and see a wave coming out of the west that you almost can’t see in front of you, gybe on it and have the ride of your life at the Point. Once you get used to it, it’s probably one of the most consistent places in the world to practice those kinds of tricks.
THE HILL The Ho’okipa Hill or ‘Guard Rails’ as the locals often call it (the guard rail behind the life-guard tower) is where everyone likes to hang out before and after sessions. It’s the perfect “peanut gallery”. It’s a beautiful spot to hang out in the evening and watch wave after epic wave. The funny thing about Ho’okipa is that pretty much at any time of the day on any day of the year, there will be some pro windsurfer out there doing something amazing. And on the really good days, there are dozens of them out there and the hill is the perfect amphitheatre to watch it all go down. You can hear cheers from the hill while you are sailing sometimes. It makes it pretty fun and also pretty embarrassing on those days when everything seems to go wrong. Nothing gets missed, good or bad!
THE SAILING Ideally, it’s good to hit the first peak of whichever section of the wave you are riding. Whether it be a big aerial, solid turn or a 360, that first move starts off the wave. Then timing is everything. Depending whether the swell is N or NW or W, you either have to slow yourself down and try to keep hitting the lip or race down the line and boost aerials to make it past sections. You have to pick the better waves of the sets, not always the biggest ones. Sometimes the medium ones are the cleanest, so you have to be on your game with wave selection.
You have to be courteous and respect the rules. Despite the fact that it’s one of the busiest breaks in the world, people do stick to the rules and that makes it fun to sail, in spite of the crowds. There are days when the photoshoots are on that are just not worth sailing unless you are part of the shoot, but for the most part, if you sail all the way out to sea and pick off a good wave, nobody will gybe on your wave and steal it. There are many other places in the world where you can be coming in on a wave and a local sailor will just gybe or tack on your wave because they are from there and that is rarer on Maui. The local people will be pretty quick to tell you off if you do that to one of them, or if you are coming in on a wave and drop out the back of it and try to take the next wave which already has someone on it, so just be aware of the rules and use them to your advantage.
SEASONS Seasons are pretty much from August till May really (for waves). But there is wind all summer too. You could say that November-March are worse months for wind and if you just have a 2 week window to pick, I would probably not come in November-March, but they are also the months when you get the best quality sessions with the biggest, cleanest waves and less people out. My best sessions always seem to be in December/January/February, probably because there are less people and the waves are bigger. There is always a swell at the end of August/start of September and those first swells are really fun. Summer trade winds are still in full force and there are less pros there at that time of year, so you can catch more waves!
GEAR I almost always use my 88 or 83 Radical Thruster Quad and 4.5-5.0. There are 4.2 days and some lighter days, but Maui is a pretty windy place. As soon as Windguru says 10 knots from the east, you can pretty much guarantee sailing on a 5.0 or 4.7, so it is the perfect place to score a lot of sailing. Ho’okipa is also the windiest part of the island on normal trade wind days. You can sometimes be sailing Ho’okipa on a 5.0 when it’s glassy and calm at Kanaha, just due to the direction of the wind.
I would say that it’s best to use a bigger board than you would think and a smaller sail. I tend to go for more volume there than normal because of the current etc. As soon as you get on the wave, the side-offshore wind and the speed of the waves makes you feel overpowered quickly, so the big board/small sail combo is generally the preferred setup.
INFO If you fancy some tuition from the man himself then check out Robby Swift’s windsurf camp in Maui from August 20-30 this year. For more info. contact Robby via his website robbyswift.com or message Facebook.com/robbyswift89 | instagram@robbyswift .
GA Sails and Tabou return to Boot in Germany together with XCEL Wetsuits
From January 19thto 27thwater sports enthusiasts will gather in Düsseldorf, Germany to check out the newest windsurfing, kitesurfing and stand up paddling gear at Boot 2019. Also GA Sails and Tabou Boards will return to the trade-show and be presented at booth B44 in hall 8a together with XCEL Wetsuits.
You will be able to have a closer look at the 2019 collections, but also be one of the first to see a very special new addition to the Gaastra range. So make sure, you will stop by their stand and find out what they will present to the public. Furthermore, Ross Williams will join the crew on January 26thand 27thand give close insights into the product development and the gear itself.
Dany Bruch and Malte Reuscher join the international team of GA Sails!
GA Sails welcomes two top-class riders to their international team with Dany Bruch and Malte Reuscher, who are looking forward to challenge the Top-10 on the PWA World Tour 2019. Dany Bruch, who finished 10th overall last year, is always a threat to the best riders and ready to climb up the ladder in 2019. Malte Reuscher, who will also use Tabou boards in 2019, is determined to finish the upcoming season in the Top-10 in both slalom and foil racing and looks very comfortable on his new gear already.
THE VERDICT Evolving into a real powerhouse of a sail, the GA Manic is larger than life. With a high pull position and a dependable manner, it thrives on being commanded by a confident riding style.
OVERVIEW The Manic is classed by GA Sails as their ‘Hardcore Wave’ offering, sitting next to the ‘New school Wave’ IQ in their 2020 lineup. It is designed to cater for all wave environments, including what the brand are calling ‘Euro wave’ spots (which we assume refers to cross / onshore tight pocket style waves), right through to bump and jump coastal sailing. And while both the IQ and Manic are now predominantly 4-batten sails (in all but the Manic 6.2m), the distinction between their power and handling has been made ever more apparent in their marketing and promotion. There are certainly plenty of obvious upgrades in the Manic for the new season, from the new 2.5mil 2-ply scrim in the upper panels for lightweight handling, to the carbon stringers radiating up the sail from the clew, to improve structure and control. Detailing is up to the brand’s usual high standard, with integrated batten pockets, and various silicon anti-abrasion patches placed in vulnerable areas. Produced in a couple of colourways (this two-tone blue or an orange/yellow), the Manic is also available in a red HD construction, using x-ply scrim throughout its panels.
BRAND CLAIM “One single sail to boost you into huge jumps, carve through bottom turns in onshore conditions and perform powerful cutbacks in down the line waves, the 2020 Manic is equipped with inimitable versatility.”
PERFORMANCE Rigged on a C100 400 cm RDM, the Manic sets with plenty of shape in its profile, both below the boom and higher up, around the main batten. There is relatively little luff curve in the leading edge, the leech in the upper panel falling away quickly, whilst the mid-leech remains relatively tight. On the water this pronounced shape in the Manic provides masses of bottom end grunt and punch. It feels big for a 5.0, yet settles into a powerful and committed stance – something the larger rider will instantly appreciate. The centre of effort is high yet relatively far back in the draft, providing constant feedback whilst feeling purposeful and dependable through both hands. The delivery is softened thanks to the play in the luff sleeve and Dacron luff panel, although the Manic doesn’t go soft or neutral as it is eased out, its deep profile manifesting in constant power and return. As the wind increases, so too should the tension in the sail to help maintain manners. With more extension applied than suggested, the leech opens and the draft flattens, yet the sail’s power still comes from a high rearward position, in line with the rider’s stance. As such, it demands a more commanding sailing style, locking the sail into position, where its power can be put to good use. It is certainly fast, the heavier or more assertive rider thriving on the energy the Manic provides, enabling them to actively charge at ramps or into transitions. It also means there’s the opportunity to get away with using a smaller sail area than normal, providing obvious manoeuvre advantages, as the Manic generates more power, pound for pound, than others. If you are looking for neutral on-off handling, look to the IQ in GA Sails’ range. For those that want constant dependable power coursing through both hands, the Manic is fit for purpose.
Want to improve your speed, kit set up or race tactics when we are allowed back in the water? Well, Windsurf Magazine have asked Britain’s most successful racer, Ross Williams for his top ten tips to help you be prepared next time you hit the start line.
Photos John Carter
TIPS FOR TUNING.
Always sail with a GPS watch and use is as a reference to what your feeling is fast and comfortable.
Try to always tune up with a guy you trust isn’t going to sandbag you, hence use a GPS watch as well to keep an eye on things. Try give each other enough room to have clear air in the beginning of your runs.
Always only change one thing or setting at a time. This way you can truly understand what it is that is making an improvement or not in your speed.
Invest in good fins, you can’t be cheap if you want to be the best, a good fin is worth the money. Second most important piece of equipment is your mast, try as many as you can get your hands on.
When adjusting downhaul settings don’t adjust more than 1cm at a time, even a small amount of downhaul can radically change the profile of the leech, so better to change a little and often till you find your ideal setting.
TIPS FOR RACING
Always hit the water early before the start of racing for the day, to make sure you are on the right size sail, board and fin. Nothing worst then rushing around before your first heat.
Try to sail the whole course at least once before your heat. This way you can make a plan as to how you will sail the course, maybe one reach is tight to the wind so best for gybing close out of the buoy, to avoid having to point too high down the next reach.
Make at least two starts through the starting line. Make one from the boat and one from the pin buoy so you can decide which of the ends has a bias.
Take a transit on the start line, line up a non-moving object with pin line of the start line so you know you not to sail over the start line too early. Most race officers will try to set their start lines with something that they can see above the sailor’s sails, if possible.
Always check your watch. It’s good to get close to the boat during the count down so you can hear the race officer counting down to the two minute signal, this way you can check that your timing was taken correctly.
French big wave guru and expert storm chaser, Thomas Traversa has sent us over a few items he would like to tick off his windsurfing and personal Bucket List!
Photos: John Carter
WAVES: Jeffrey’s bay. We went there with Alex Mussolini and Francisco Porcella in 2008 and did not get the right conditions to windsurf but I know it gets perfect cross off winds with a big swell once in a while and that would be an amazing experience, I am sure, to be able to ride a couple of waves there!
TRAVEL: Australia for sure. I planned to go there for two months with (my then girlfriend) Sophia in 2012, we had our tickets and camper van organized! Two weeks prior to that trip I went to Fuerteventura and broke my foot so we had to cancel everything, but I know it is a country I would love to go, so much space, nice waves and honest people!
MOVES: I would love to do a stalled double forward one day! I did one when I was 14, in my dreams, and since then I never got good enough at double loops to go for a stalled one, but I still have hope!
AMBITIONS: I would love to win a ‘big wave’ world tour but this is not existing in windsurfing!
OTHER STUFF: Maybe go on a walking trip for weeks or months and explore countries that way. Or go on a retreat in the nature and not see or talk to anyone for a while! Writing a book is something I would be happy to try, I mean, writing a good book, because writing something is not hard in itself! The hard part is to make it interesting to read!
MANIC MONDAY: THOMAS TRAVERSA AND FRIENDS SCORE ÎLE AUX VACHES
Thomas Traversa, northwest winds with a monster swell and the famed French big wave
spot of Île aux Vaches; put these four elements together and you know there will be a windsurf session worth documenting. John Carter, Timo Mullen and Thomas Traversa tell the tale of a manic Monday in December.
Photos: John Carter.
JOHN CARTER – “On December the 8th 2018, the Windsurf Project scored an epic session at the notorious big wave spot of Île aux Vaches in France. That very same weekend I was committed to shooting the APP SUP race finals in Paris and was gutted to miss out. Jamie Hancock later released an awesome clip of the session that went down with Thomas Traversa, Boujmaa Guilloul and a hardy local crew all ripping it up in double mast high waves. It was a ground-breaking big wave session and one for the history books, especially with two big wave gurus going head to head with mother nature in dramatic fashion. Fast forward exactly a year to December 8th 2019 and I was looking at exactly the same scenario. I had agreed to shoot the APP stand up finals on Dec 6th and 7th, while the forecast was looking extreme for Île aux Vaches the following day on the 8th, 600 km away. The swell was predicted to be a humungous 7 metres at 18 seconds combined with 30 knot northwest winds on Monday morning, which was already giving me massive FOMO (fear of missing out). I had heard through the grapevine Thomas Traversa was planning a repeat hit and run mission and that Jamie Hancock was going to join him to capture the session on film.
Logistically for me it was going to be almost impossible to make it to the very western tip of Brittany. I was committed to be at the Paris boat show until around 7 p.m. on Sunday night, but the good old French had planned the same weekend for massive rail strikes. To put it simply the French transport system was thrown into chaos, meaning the only way I could make it to Brittany would be catching a ride somehow.
After some fruitless enquiries I flew into Paris on Thursday afternoon and didn’t even bother packing my big lens or any of the equipment I would need to shoot the big wave session. I had pretty much thrown in the towel; it was just too much of a hassle to make it to Brittany. Even so, I kept a glimmer of hope alive that somehow the stars would line up for me.
At the Paris Nautic Paddle race registration, which would take place on Sunday, there were 1000 entrants, so I decided to make a poster and pin it to the wall begging for a lift to Île aux Vaches! By Sunday morning I had not received a single reply.
Ironically Thomas Traversa was driving to Île aux Vaches from Germany via Paris, but he would only be passing late morning on the Sunday. To be fair he was driving twelve hours alone so I could not expect him to hang on into the evening to wait for me. It looked like I was out of luck for the second year in succession. Jamie Hancock was originally aiming to get to Île aux Vaches the same time as Thomas but then there was a curveball thrown in that Timo Mullen was interested in coming and that they had decided to pair up for the drive. This didn’t really help me as I would still miss my any chance of a ride as they were catching a ferry from Portsmouth to Caen. As the clock ticked forward to mid-afternoon on Sunday, I received a message from Timo that they could not find a ferry and they were taking the channel tunnel via Calais in the evening about 10 p.m.
LAST CHANCE
Suddenly I had a remote chance of getting to Calais 300 km from Paris and making a rendezvous. After frantically asking around, I found Arthur Arutkin was driving home to Wissant straight from the prize giving and he had room for me in the back of his car. Despite the fact I had no camera gear to shoot aside from smaller lenses I jumped at the chance. I decided I would rather be there with limited equipment than not at all!
Fast forward to 10 p.m. on Sunday night and we had now driven three hours to Arthur’s house in Wissant. I was even drinking a beer with Arthur’s dad while waiting for Timo and Jamie who were midway through the channel tunnel. Outside it was howling windy and the French weather was reporting 80 mile an hour winds in the English Channel. Our next issue was the fact we were still 8 hours from our destination and apparently the prime session would be at first light. Once we were hooked up and on our way, it was down to Timo the only one insured on the car to drive through the night and get us to Île aux Vaches. Midway through the night we hit some huge thunder, lightning and a torrential hailstorm making driving almost impossible, but we ploughed on through the night only stopping twice for two 30 minute power naps.
ÎLE AUX VACHES
We finally rolled into Audierne at 8.35 a.m. and after a quick stop for some snacks headed straight to Île aux Vaches. I am not quite sure how Timo was expecting to be able to sail double mast high waves after one hour of sleep and an eleven-hour drive from Poole via Calais. Not to mention this was a brand-new spot, cold water and having the likes of Thomas Traversa’s amazing big wave sailing to live up to; he was definitely up against it!
As we pulled up the local crew were all checking the conditions whilst Thomas, fresh from a solid night’s sleep was rigging up. Local photographer Pierre Bouras was also preparing his jet ski and very generously offered to lend me his Canon 600 mm lens to shoot with. Somehow, we had made it to the spot and were ready for a full day of action. With the wind and waves forecast to tail off in the afternoon it was possible that the morning was going to be the highlight of the day. Thomas reckoned the wave buoy off the coast was reporting up to 9 metre waves, so we were pretty sure swell was not going to be an issue.
Île aux Vaches is a very small peninsula where a right hander peels cleanly over a reef and into a deep-water channel. Traversa has been sailing this spot for over ten years but only a handful of times has it been epic. In the car park there were about four or five photographers and a few other guys who were filming; word had spread that a big session was going down! By 9 a.m. Thomas was first out on the water, wobbling out through the gusty inside section before hitting the wind line and heading upwind into the break.
TRAVERSA ON FIRE
Thomas started the session tentatively dropping into a few bombs but playing it kind of easy while he sussed out the setup. It did not take long before the fireworks started exploding though. By the time the rest of the crew were on the water Thomas had dramatically upped his game and was starting to hit huge mast high plus sections up and under the lip. This was a textbook display of big wave riding of the absolute highest level. Some of the sections he was hitting were ridiculous, clearing the pitching lip by flying 10 metres into the air, truly spectacular. On the rocky headland there was a consensus that something special was going down. The photographers were cheering after each aerial and then nervously checking their cameras to make sure they were in focus. The next two hours whizzed by in a blur as every rider scored amazing waves in this epic session. With the sun shining and everyone bagging memorable rides we were all smiling when we took a break after the session.
The wind seemed to be fading as predicted, but Thomas made it clear that the day was not over yet. After a quick forty-five minutes to regroup, Thomas sailed out alone in very light winds while Jamie jumped on the jet ski with Pierre to score some water footage. Once again, we were treated to another amazing Traversa show, this time riding Île aux Vaches alone while the rest of the crew watched in awe. At first it seemed there was only a breath of wind for a float and ride session, but after 30 minutes the wind picked up and Thomas had the break to himself to clock up his wave tally. With high tide cutting off the pathway to Île aux Vaches, I hiked upwind to a spot where my camera lens was pointing straight down the line of the wave. From this angle it was possible to see Thomas dropping into the pit and hitting the bowling sections at acute angles and launching into huge airs in the afternoon sunshine. By 4 p.m. the wind finally fizzled, and Thomas wobbled back to the shore after a full day on the water. He had driven 12 hours from Germany for this session and by the grin on his face back on the shore, it had been well worth every mile behind the wheel.
HOMEWARD BOUND
As for myself, Jamie and Timo, we had managed to book our return ferry from Cane a mere five hours away, which meant we would have to hit the road again by 5 p.m. The rest of the crew would be having their traditional après session beers and food in a local bar and I felt kind of envious to be missing out, especially with another drive looming. By midnight we were on board our Brittany ferry bound for Portsmouth with a cabin booked and I must say I think I had one of the best nights of sleep ever as that ferry crossed the Channel overnight. So personally, I had managed to make it to Île aux Vaches, witness this amazing wave and also experience Traversa at his best in his ideal conditions. Monday the 8th had lined up for everybody involved and I was happy to have been there, albeit without any sleep. Bearing in mind this was France in the midst of winter with freezing temperatures and huge waves there was no doubting that this was a session that would go down as one I will certainly never forget!”
TIMO MULLEN
“Driving all night was definitely not ideal preparation for windsurfing double mast high waves! Ideally I would like a quiet night, good food, and lots of sleep, which is completely the opposite of what we did. I had rubbish food, drank lots of coffee and I think we managed to get an hour of sleep in the car. Was it worth it? Well the conditions were probably as good as it gets. For me personally, I was totally exhausted, the most tired I’ve ever been and as unprepared as I’ve ever been for sailing big waves. So my session wasn’t the best, but to experience those conditions it was worth it!
Thomas’s big aerial from the channel, which was straight in front of me, was one of those images I’ll never forget. I would consider myself pretty good at starboard tack, but after watching Thomas sail those waves, I do not think there would be anyone better than him in the world that day! He had just been in Cape Verde for two weeks, so no better training for sailing hollow cross-off. But I know Thomas, he doesn’t need training, he would have just gone right out and smacked the biggest lips anyway!”
THOMAS TRAVERSA
“I have been coming to this spot almost every winter for the last 10 years, but you can’t be sure how the conditions are going to be until you turn up at the beach. This time the swell came in very clean, even though it was big, and the wind direction was perfect, with enough offshore in it for the waves to offer clean walls. It is always the same group of friends in the water when the waves get solid, Thierry, Philippe, Robin, Bruno André … it feels so nice to arrive there and meet your friends and then spend three to four hours riding sick waves with them! Timo came for this swell which was nice to see, Boujmaa also came and scored Ile aux Vaches last winter; the locals are happy to see them rip their spot!
Usually there are always people shooting pictures on big days, and when I come, I get the chance to have someone filming me pretty much every time. That is an extra motivation to sail my best I think. It can sometimes be frustrating when you have a bad session and start thinking about the people standing on the beach and waiting for you to do something nice. When the waves get bigger I need my focus to be 100% on the waves I am catching, that is the only way for me to find my rhythm with the sets and position myself on the right part of the reef. For this session on Monday the 8th of December it took me a while to find the right waves, especially with the tide constantly changing the conditions. I had some really good airs at one point! I think I sailed almost 6 hours; my hands were bleeding! After the session the atmosphere was great, you could feel that everyone was truly stoked!
I remember, the first time I went to Ile aux Vaches was in 2008. The weather forecast was for very big waves and northwest wind for this famous spot. I flew with my friend Erwan the next morning from Marseille, and as we approached Brest the pilot announced that due to the very strong west winds he was not sure if he could land. But he was going to try and if it turned out to be too dangerous, we would go to Paris and land there!
We landed unharmed, rented a car and drove to my friend’s parents house. The following morning we were up before sunrise; the swell had built overnight and the wind was supposed to drop during the day, so there was no time to waste. After having greeted the local legends Bruno André and Thierry Belbeoch at the parking lot of the spot I took a quick look at the waves, which seemed small from afar, before quickly preparing my equipment. Walking between the grasses and the bushes along the small path, getting closer to the sea by jumping from one rock to another, entering the icy water in the middle of the kelp stirred by a slow but powerful backwash. Letting yourself float a hundred metres by advancing a little faster with each gust, and finally passing through a channel between the waves winding around Ile aux Vaches, and those breaking on a shallow reef about fifty meters downwind.
It was only then that I realized that I was sailing an exceptional spot: waves of 5-6 metres rolling perfectly around this rocky peninsula, caressed by a 25-knot cross-off wind and the sun giving the water an almost turquoise colour. In the background the point of Lervily and its small lighthouse are like straight out of a postcard. Robin Goffinet, launched into the most beautiful wave of the set, hitting a masterful aerial worthy of Ho’okipa videos. Thierry, Bruno, Erwan, Robin, as well as Seb and Thomas, two pro sailors passionate about windsurfing; they all had incredible waves and had huge smiles on their faces. The session was magical and only ended in the early afternoon when the wind finally dropped, as expected. Afterwards we all met in a bistro, riders and photographers, to celebrate this moment of happiness around a beer and a good meal.
I think I can say that it was a real “love at the first sight” for me at Île aux Vaches! Over time I gradually learned to identify the right weather windows and for nothing in the world would I miss a trip to Audierne. The same good times shared at the peak with the local crew, the same after-session celebrations at the bar, the same warm welcome and the same disbelief at the sheer beauty of the waves and the place in general. It just doesn’t get old!”
Windsurf catch up up-and-coming Gaastra Tabou rider Ethan Westera who finished the PWA season with a bang last year, taking his first bullet at the Noumea World Cup!
Photos: PWA / Carter
WS: What have you been up to over the last few months?
EW: After training for almost 2 months in Tenerife I managed to escape just on time to get back home. When I got back home, I realized that this year would be difficult to compete and travel around, which is weird for many of the riders. The last few months I haven’t been windsurfing so much, I have been working more in the family business that we have here on Aruba. I have been learning many things and just trying to stay busy.
WS: How has Aruba been hit by the Covid crises?
EW: In my opinion we had a good amount of cases and some deaths, but it could have been a lot worse. I’m impressed on how the citizens of Aruba behaved and really took care of what they were doing on the other side, our tourism dropped completely. Aruba lives from tourism, so we will have a hard year to survive. They are projecting that by the end of the year we will have 40% tourism back on the island, which is barely enough to cut even, but we will keep our hopes up!
WS: How has your season been affected?
EW: My season has been completely affected. I feel like this is a long vacation…
I was really motivated to climb up the rankings this year, but I completely lost the motivation for now. I think many of the riders feel like this, but we all try to stay positive and push forward.
WS: What are you plans with the possibility of no events?
WS: Are you happy to be at home not travelling?
EW: I’m happy to be at home, but I’m sure it will be a challenge to stay here the whole year ha-ha! Home is like paradise, but it stays a small island. I feel that you can only survive here if you stay busy and do something every day. I don’t really love traveling like some other riders, but I miss traveling with friends and competing against each other.
WS: Do you think a lot of sailors will be badly hit financially by missing a year on tour?
EW: Personally, I think all sailors will be feeling this financially hit for 2 years or more. Who knows if we will have events in 2021…? Many windsurfing brands will be lowering their budget and as many people know the budgets are already low, so I think that many people will maybe even consider stopping competing and find something else to do.
WS: How did it feel to win that round of slalom in Noumea last season?
EW: It felt amazing! All those years windsurfing and staying committed to what I’m doing all worth it. The funny thing is when I woke up the day that I won the final I told my father who was staying with me in my room that I’m going to win a final today “today is the day”. I was having a good year on tour and to finish it off Noumea was just a dream come true for me. I needed a year like last year to refresh my mind that I can still do it.
WS: How much work and practice does it take to beat the best in the world at a PWA event?
EW: My opinion is that it takes just as much as any other sport, maybe even more. We need to be fit the whole year and have our gear dialled in from light wind conditions to strong wind conditions. We need to travel all over the globe with 5 or more windsurfing bags and compete for 5 days without knowing if it will be early in the morning until night or just sitting on the beach the whole day. We need to be ready to go. For me it took from my first PWA event 2011 to 2019 to just win one winner’s final, so you can imagine how high the level is in windsurfing. I can tell you this if someone wants to beat any of the top 35 riders that compete in the PWA they would need to train consistently and hard for 2 years with having some talent and good equipment.
WS: Was that the highlight of your career so far?
EW: I have had many highlights in my career, but that one win in Noumea was by far the highlight in my career. It’s everyone’s dream to win an event in the PWA, but a winner’s final is not so bad either. I have won IFCA events, but for me it has always been about beating the best in the world.
WS: Why do you love windsurfing?
EW: In the past I was doing 6 sports weekly. My mother and father found that sport was an important part of life and gave us the opportunity to try and choose between different sports. I began with 6 and at the end I stayed with one which is windsurfing. Windsurfing was just a freedom that I never felt before and until today it sometimes feels like my medicine. I keep looking for more every time I go on the water, because I like to keep learning new things and just enjoy the feeling of being alone in the middle of the ocean.
Ross Williams finished lasts year’s PWA season with a bullet on the final day of Noumea and a credible sixth place in the overall slalom rankings. The new decade however will bring a major change in his lifestyle after twenty-one years full power on tour. With a baby on the way, due in February, Ross, who also just hit forty, will be taking a slight step off the gas this year to concentrate on family affairs. Read on as John Carter talks to Britain’s most successful racer for this candid interview to find out how he sees the year panning out! Note this interview is from our April 2020 issue which was put together before the Covid 19 situation escalated!
Words & PhotosJohn Carter
BULLETS It was nice to finish last season with a bullet on the final day in Noumea. That whole day of racing was great for me. The wind and the conditions were in my perfect zone of racing and instead of being out of control, I had the perfect setup and great power; I took a risk and it paid off. I had switched to my medium board and 7.9m and that helped. That is where I need to focus, those decisions sometimes allow me to nail good results. Dropping to a small size quicker than the other guys can pay off. Jumping from large board to medium definitely helps me. That round victory restored my faith and made me think I still have it in me to win events or even the title. It had been a while since I had won a race outside Fuerteventura, but in those medium style conditions it felt satisfying to win one. All the big guns were there. They were all going flat out, and it was fast and furious racing. There are a lot of hard-working good sailors on tour these days as well as the big three, Mortefon, Iachino and Albeau. Just getting to a final is a monumental task. The top three seem to do it easy. That win did feel like an achievement, but when I did it, it felt easy. When your gear is right, you are flying. The gear and being confident is so important at the top end of the sport.
GEAR Gaastra try their best to bring a product to the market that is going to be the most appealing for all riders. I just know personally that if they want me to win against these big guys like Albeau, Mortefon and Iachino, then I need something that is tailor made for me. It is like some wave sailors needing a specific wave board. Designers and shapers don’t think twice about making Traversa a small 60 litre board or a bigger board for Koester. That is not even a question. I feel like in slalom where the smallest gains can make the difference, then sometimes I need that gear that is built for me to fight for the title. Unfortunately, that is not possible with the way PWA windsurfing is, especially with the board restrictions and all that. I would love to have free reign on the designs for that one shot at the title. Maybe then a regular rider might try our boards and have a nightmare so who knows! I try to do the best with the sizes that are available to me, but often I feel like I fall somewhere in-between.
BRITS In PWA slalom I am the only ‘Brit’ on tour, which is a shame. I have always hung out with the international guys anyways and I travel in a group of friends, so it is not such a big deal. It would be great to have some new blood coming through the ranks – Scotty Stallman or somebody like him. I think Scotty is the closest to the right level to be able to step up to the big stage. I would like to help him do something like that. He is from Weymouth and trains at the OTC. He came with me to France last year as a caddy so I could show him the ropes. It is a shame that we don’t have so much interest in slalom in the UK and also the level is nowhere near the French for instance. If you go to a national event over there, there is a huge attendance of high quality up and coming racers. In the UK we have some decent events, but I would say our level is not quite up to scratch. I have tried to inspire and get more young Brits into racing, but it is difficult because a lot of the younger racers in the UK are automatically shoved down the Olympic route. That is the only route they know. We definitely have talented sailors, but most of them are following a different path. Now we have foiling at the Olympics, so who knows what is going to happen!
END OF AN ERA Nobody knows how PWA racing will be next year. I think the likes of Matteo Iachino will still be in a good position to fight for the title. Riders that have their equipment already will have an advantage. The right foils will be hugely important. It is what it is for some of us. I think including foiling is the way to go forward. We want to go to events, and we want to race! On the PWA, apparently nobody likes light wind racing. It looks terrible and causes lots of problems. We had to find a solution to enable us to be racing out on the water in under 10 knots and it seems foiling is the way to go.
OLYMPICS If I was twenty years old I would possibly go for the Olympics, but at 40, maybe it is a bit late for me. Now it is foiling it will be a different game. There are a lot of young Olympic guys in the UK that are getting dialled in on the foils. I think all those guys are secretly training away. You are not hearing much from them, but they are busy doing it. So I am sure we will have some worthy candidates aside from me. I have spent a lot of time foiling, but a lot of it has been freeride foiling, rather than out and out racing. Probably at some point the new foil Olympic rig could have a negative effect on the regular slalom market. But maybe that is for the better? Foiling has opened many more new doors and activities. I think slalom will always have its place, but it is fun to be doing something different and it can bring along other opportunities if you don’t close yourself away from it. I think any of the slalom guys can learn to race foiling, it’s not that difficult, it is just giving yourself the time and investing in the correct equipment.For me I actually enjoyed foiling more, even though I didn’t have the most competitive equipment or any time to train. I knew my results were not going to be awesome, but at least there was no pressure.
COST Unfortunately the most frustrating part of the foil surge is that we will have to carry more gear to PWA events, and it will cost more to compete. It really limits the numbers of guys that can afford to do the tour, and I find myself in that boat too. If I didn’t have sponsors to help me get to events and pay for equipment, there would be no way that I could afford to compete! I think there are a lot of talented young kids that should be in line to get on tour, but don’t have the sponsors or the financial help at home to follow their dream and that is a real shame. My advice to these kids is to think outside the box and try to attract local and national sponsors from outside of the industry. You can’t rely on just being the most talented kid and think that is going to be enough anymore. But I believe when someone truly dedicates themselves to following their dream then good things will happen and you will become a person that can deal with all the problems that life can throw at you!
TIME OUT I have been on tour for twenty-one years. This year I am going to be a dad and it comes at a time where I want to stay home more and put family first. I want to enjoy all those moments of being a parent, I don’t want to miss them. As for the racing, I will be taking it a little bit easier. I’ll do as much as I can, but won’t be doing the events in Asia or ones further afield. My focus is family! I will probably do about half of the events on tour. I will do France, Costa Brava, Fuerteventura and Sylt most likely. Those ones are easier to get to, less time away and the ones I enjoy the most. That is still four events which is fine for me. My sponsors are happy to support me during this season so I can spend the extra time with my family. I do want to come back next year and have a proper shot at the title. It will be nice to have a year without so much travel for once. It will be nice to be able to focus on my family and not on booking flights and working out travel schedules.
TRADEWINDS CAFÉ I bought a café last year and a house in Ventnor on the Isle of Wight. You never know what is going to happen with windsurfing as it is a relatively short career. I had to investigate other options and when opportunities come along you have to take them. We took on ‘Tradewinds Café’ and I really enjoy being down on the beach, which is connected to my brother’s watersports centre. I feel like there are options for us to work together as a watersports facility. This year will be our second season for the café and the second year I am living in the UK. I am still kind of in a transitional period after living in Maui. It will take a little bit of time for myself and my wife Loreley to find our feet properly, with the house, the business and of course the baby!
For people that don’t know, I am married to Robby Swift’s wife’s sister, Loreley! My best mate hooked me up with his wife’s sister and we were married in Maui and lived there a couple of winters. She is Argentinian, but her dad has a US passport and is American. She has had dual citizenship all her life, which enabled us to live in Hawaii. We realized that the UK was more suited to us as we were able to afford our own house rather than rent. We also managed to buy the café. Maui was amazing, but all our money was going on rent!I would love to live there, but we would have never been able to own our own place. We took the jump and are settling into life over here. We still travel a lot because of Loreley’s family and my commitments on tour, but for now we are trying to figure out how to do things.
BIG 40 It felt amazing to hit 40, it is defiantly a transitional milestone age for me, not because of the number, but because where I find myself in my life and what is going on around me. So it’s only recently that I stopped travelling around the world so much and was able to create our first home with my wife, and now we are expecting our first child, which is something totally amazing to experience. I feel very lucky to have my family and close friends in my life, and I am more aware now of how important those relationships are to me. I think also when you have put a few miles on the clock you finally learn how and when to say no to things too, which is a good thing. The number 40 doesn’t mean anything by itself, but the time I had getting to this point has been what makes it feel so good.
UK WAVE TOUR I have missed wave sailing with all my commitments to racing. I had a niggling injury with my ankle a few years ago that was holding me back. I feel like I am just starting to be able to go full power wave sailing again and have been enjoying the sessions back at home. I was in Chile with Robby Swift in December and was learning again how to do some of the new jumps like tweaked push loops. I felt some excitement again for the first time in a while with my sailing. Wave sailing every day was not boring me. I needed that break out there, just doing some fun sailing, wing foiling and surfing. I needed some ‘Ross’ time. It made me realize I still love doing this sport. I am still going to head out and go windsurfing whenever it is windy. I still feel I have the urge that I want to push my sailing as well as my commitments of being a dad and as a businessman. Wave sailing is pleasure for me. I love being in the waves and the feeling of a nice turn and seeing your spray gives a great connection to that canvas. It is good for your mind as well to have something that you are still passionate about. I am enjoying that a lot.
WIGHT WINTER I love it here on the island! Just to be at home and then going out to find and making the most of the conditions that we have helps keep me motivated. I am always searching for perfection, never finding the same conditions twice, finding those optimum moments in the tide, the waves, the wind and the light. It makes the search more exciting when you score. The crazy thing is I actually think I spend more time in the water here than when I’m away in most places. As I write this it is 24th January 2020 and I think I will have been in the water for a session at least 22 days out of the month, sometimes more than one session a day, I love it.
MOTIVATION I struggled all year with my motivation in the slalom. A lot of it was due to the fact I was going to an event knowing that I was unprepared. I didn’t really feel like I achieved what I know I am capable of. Towards the end of the Noumea event I had that great run and I felt the passion again and I was liking it. I was enjoying the racing again and was hungry for more. Now I have this break and hopefully that hunger will still be there in time for France and I can train enough to be competitive at least. I think I hold myself to a high standard and I want to perform at a high level. As I am a professional sportsperson, I should be always looking to be a couple of levels above a normal guy sailing at the beach. I sometime get frustrated with myself if I feel I haven’t been sailing much due to other work that I must do and then when I am on the water, I feel I could be performing better! In sports those changes in your performance level can and will make a difference to your results! That can affect your salary and contract potential, so I feel it is good to be critical of yourself, but then not to dwell on it and take it home. Better to just make the changes needed to strive to where you want to be.
WINDSURF PASSION I love windsurfing still because I feel there is always something to learn and that perfection is impossible to reach. I am sure even the very best sailors are always striving to perfect what they are doing, so that is the challenge. With windsurfing you can never completely reach your end goals. There is always more to learn and improve on in all areas of sailing. I love that challenge. You can always find something new to learn in the sport and that is awesome.
Dutch freestyle sailor Davy Scheffers headed out to Vietnam for a winter training session and found himself locked down when the Covid 19 pandemic hit. We caught up with him to find out how he has been coping and what his plans are for the rest of 2020.
Photos: Courtesy of Davy Scheffers and PWA / Carter
WS: What have you been up to and where have you been over the past few months?
DS: I am in Vietnam, Phan Rang City in the Ninh Thuan province since the end of January for a windsurfing trip. We arrived in our current location on day five of the Covid virus outbreak and a week later Vietnam closed its borders.
The plan was to stay until the end of March and then return to Europe to work. Then most of flight companies started to cancel the flights and after re-booking my flight to the end of April it was cancelled again. I am supposed to fly on the Turkish airlines and until these days they haven’t announced any further news concerning flights in and out of Vietnam.
The country closed its borders from other countries and foreign tourists, except for certain critical journeys. Right now we wait for further news. Luckily, we have had a pretty solid windy season. The winter has been amazing for riding and the trip here been amazing so far.
WS: How was the lock down for you?
DS: Yes, after some time around end of March, like around a month after the outbreak in Wuhan, Vietnam had very little cases of corona. By closing its borders in time and taking care very well about the situation they manage to control it quite well. They did a lockdown for around two weeks in April. Everybody was staying inside as much as possible, you weren’t allowed to go to restaurants and windsurfing was only allowed at restricted beaches. People were all wearing masks and you had to wash your hands and have your temperature scanned in front of the few supermarkets that were open. People weren’t meeting and most of them stayed inside during that period.
After that time everything opened again shops schools, gyms and so on and the whole country started running like before as if there has been no virus. Obviously, there are no tourists except a couple of people who were still around and not able to travel back to the country like myself or those that have been working here. It seems like there are starting to be a couple more flights arriving now but travelling with windsurfing equipment doesn’t make it whole lot easier.
At the end of April, the embassy organised a flight to Frankfurt with Vietnam Airlines and you weren’t allowed to bring any baggage! The tickets were a ridiculous price, so I decided to extend my visa and stay longer. Extending the visa here is a difficult process and they ask quite a lot of money without caring for you and how many times we actually need to extend. That something they could have made smoother for the people who couldn’t return home, I guess it brings them extra money.
WS: Have you been on able to be the water all the time during this period?
DS: The lockdown itself was very strict for two weeks. We weren’t allowed to sail in the lagoon. Which was basically 10m in front of my hut as I lived on the beach at Vietnam surf camp. The weird thing was driving to the city twenty minutes further away where windsurfing was allowed. At the beginning of March, I injured my little finger and I wasn’t able to windsurf until end of April. I went riding one day during the lockdown with the injured finger. It was Ok although I went very easy. After some more time and taking a little holiday in the mountains I came back and finally I sailed. So, during the lockdown period I did lots of training on the beach and being isolated it was fine!
WS: So, without any events this year what will you be doing?
DS: It is a big bummer concerning the events. But I don’t really have them on mind right now. I had a wonderful competition experience from these past years. I feel we should be very grateful we had to chance to experience all of these amazing events. I am going to be in Vietnam at least one more month but the wind now isn’t so good at this part of the season! It is better in the winter and probably more consistent in the Netherlands and England right now. It’s mainly because of all the cancelled flights and whole situation I decided to stay here longer, and meanwhile continue my practice in Kung Fu that I started during last year’s trip. Kung Fu is a great training, I’m learning another skill and I enjoying it very much. I always trained hard for windsurfing and I believe this is a great combination.
Kung Fu is something new happening in my life. Last year we were here in Vietnam when some of the staff from the camping asked us if we wanted to join some karate lessons in the village. Once we arrived, it took us a only short time to find out that it was much more than karate, when we watched them swinging around with all sorts of weapons and floating through all kinds acrobatics. Yes, it was kind of difficult in the begin to find a way of communicating as the locals weren’t speaking any English.
After some time, we had a great two months of practice. This year I also returned to Vietnam to continue to practice the Vietnamese martial arts. In all these years windsurfing I did all sorts of trainings with PT’s as movement, bodybuilding, callisthenics also I started the yoga journey as well in 2011. That was a great combination to windsurf conditioning and recovering from the heavy sessions. Meanwhile I always liked the Kung Fu movies and followed them but only never got into the training. So that was really cool and then the coincidence of meeting this crew. This season I have been here now for a couple more months and been training on daily basis with the locals my teacher is truly amazing and such an inspiring artist and I feel it’s to be a great combination addition to my windsurfing skills. bringing some more of the fire element the explosive power that I believe it will only turn out into more than good.
WS: How tough is it for a young freestyler to make a living out of windsurfing these days?
DS: I am very happy with the last ten years that I’ve had support from my sponsors to get to the international events and was able to visit so many great places. Now the 2020 season started, it was going to be more difficult for me personally, I have very little financial support in windsurfing and I wasn’t sure if I could participate on PWA and EFPT in 2020.
The sport is expensive, and many of us do it for the love of it and being hooked at that feeling of going around the world windsurfing with all the guys on tour! I understand you can’t really call the way I have been doing it a career! It was more of an opportunity I took. Over 10 years international travel and competing around the world has been so great. Then I guess that is ten years that I could have also studied. With windsurfing it’s so hard to save up and build a future when chasing on this level especially without major financial support. Playing in the top of the Windsurfing competitions occupies a lot of time and the costs of travelling are very high.
When you don’t have sponsors is very difficult to be a pro windsurfer. You have work for your chances and the sponsors will leave you to decide about contracts on a take it or leave it basis. Only the elite can truly live from windsurfing. So that’s what pushed me to go the extra mile, believing that one day they would support me I did my best, tried very hard, but didn’t get to reach to the point where I see the big numbers come in. My level is high as some of the best in the world. I didn’t come to that level of riding complaining. I had to work for it and I’m very happy and thankful for that what I achieved with the chances I had. I feel I can call myself a champ in different ways. For the future days, I’m looking for new cooperation with amazing teams, so I can chase more goals to continue windsurfing.
I might have to retire from competition if there isn’t going to be any financial support incoming. Like everyone I have to chase some money to pay the bills and sustain other future goals. I do not need much money just need to sustain. It is a hard and fun road with windsurfing, with lots of crazy adventures, so if you really want to live it, you really have to want to do it.
WS: What do you love about windsurfing and freestyle windsurfing?
DS: It’s the whole energy around the practice. Meeting friends, travelling to beautiful places. We chase windsurfing conditions, in search for the magic ride. I love waking up every morning and living with the wind. When it’s windy you get connected with that whole energy. And when there is no wind you feel you are missing something. Something most windsurfers feel from the heart. It must be the feeling of being hooked at this sport. Windsurfing is so free and sure it clears mind and body. At the end of the day you are done, the muscles are sore, and the mind is empty. Seeing the world in all those different wind and water conditions makes you feel so connected. It’s a beautiful world and windsurfing is like a precious gift from our gods. We all should be very thankful for the chance we can ride now. There is a whole lot of people that would have love to have the chance to windsurf and didn’t get it or don’t have it at all. Every day when I wake up, I feel so great for what I’ve done and where I am in life and it makes it feel like a duty to continue. I can’t let windsurf go for now, the practice became an obsession for me that I have to keep up. I want to share my knowledge, skill and teach it further and continue to work in this great sport.
I love all this disciplines and I ride mostly wave and freestyle. I would love to have more equipment as well, slalom boards, speed boards, I like fins and I like rails. I have no interest in foiling or winging at the moment! I like it so much as how it is. I’m exploring movement and technique so with freestyle and wave boards I feel that I can ride fast, I’m very fast and move very free in all round. I discover moves and technique and continue with that learning all sorts of crazy stuff. The way I see windsurf and how I practice is different. The function and action. It’s so effective. That’s why I’m setting up the experience master class camps and workshops and also set up online programs for them to train windsurfing better also.
WS: Do you do any other work aside from windsurfing?
DS: Ah yes, I had to do many jobs in between to get in enough money for the tour and travels. I did over 12 years as instructor. Some moments, I had the feeling of having to expand myself in other crafts and during the last two season I was mixing a job in floor coating repair and construction full time combining with windsurfing in the evenings and weekends. Yes, I missed many sessions but and that helped me travel to the events. For years I have been teaching, hosting workshops and clinics and it’s actually a whole lot to combine with being a windsurfing professional.
WS: What is the hardest trick to learn out of all the freestyle moves?
DS: I have landed some very crazy combos and there is a whole lot moves that are extremely difficult. One very famous is of course the ‘double air culo’. It was hard to learn it but especially on the dead flat water. I must have been one of the first do it on flat. Then I feel for me the shifty inside tack on Fuerteventura been so hard too during the World Cup that was a sick moment. At home I did couple of them shifty on flat water in some of the pool in Holland too. I think the switch stance ‘pasko’ in Vietnam is absolutely crazy and can’t wait to show it on film as no one ever done that what I seen also on video or even landed and I was so happy I did it few time. Also, I have the ‘switch stance air chachoo flat’ rotated and also more cork a like rotated. yes, what isn’t on film doesn’t count ha-ha!
Then I have crazy flatwater combos. Clock to grubby and Spock. I have the grubby double Spock & double grubby into Spock. Like the triple E-slider, triple grubby and 4x Spock also the double E-slider puneta.
What might be killers I did were the E-slider puneta to burner and the double Spock culo, the culo Spock culo, and not forget the grubby Spock culo. The ponch to ponch was hard and also ponch Shaka. I like the forward to ponch future as well and forward to Shaka. My freestyle is going so crazy and I wish I could show more regular on video and film.
And you know what’s actually like super hard is learning all the tricks on both tacks. Right now, I am so consistent on many moves both tacks and it’s another interest to me to learn more of them. And then once you do a move to get it consistent and be consistently throwing combo after combo it’s another level. Many windsurfers land cool moves and make nice clips then what about filming one hour and how many different tricks can you get to do. This free style it goes where your mind going to be. Some are creative others do the copy paste. I am so in love with the sport and I follow everything on the web and just love to see all the guys keep coming with their skills and style.
WS: Did the lockdown worry you or did you stay positive through this period?
DS: I am so positive at the moment and very happy to be where I am. I can’t wait to go home, and I really miss my family. Vietnam is absolutely great so far and I’m in a very amazing surrounding sharing good vibes and energy with fantastic people. Every day we are practicing the Kung Fu here and some days we windsurf if wind kick in. I have had some very great times with my girlfriend together who comes from here in Vietnam. The culture is cool and learning all about that living here is like another blessing.
WS: What are your ambitions with windsurfing?
DS: It’s a little more because I fulfilled all my dreams already and lived them longer then I was dreaming for as being a young kid. Right now, I’m in the stage where I feel I would like to return the gift to other people and share my knowledge. We need to help each other support each other and sustain what we can for the better world. Together we must do it. There is a whole lot going on right now and I have to take my part in it all.
WS: What sailors do you fear the most when you are competing and why?
DS: There is not really fear, I enjoy competing so much. I love the challenges; I love to bring that challenge to myself. I do not hold back during competition and will come at an opponent, very skilful, technical with power and they won’t know what to expect. Competition has been always a challenge of my own. I’d wish to have more events and more heats, more conditions to challenge and show more of an all-round result because I believe with two events you can’t call a world title especially it’s since five year the same two events. I am ready all year and have been to every event for the past 10 years. I haven’t missed a single event due illness or kind of injury.
WS: How do you like the Gaastra Tabou gear you are using?
DS: It’s cool, I love it. They have great boards, and nice sails, the gear is simply amazing. The brand have been doing so well over the years, even with all the ups and downs in the market they have always been top brands. I am very happy to have rode with the gear all these years. I’d would love to get a chance develop more and have more effect riding something that really suits more to my style of riding. I never had my own design board and sail. Yes, they took some of my feedback into the R and D. It would be really cool after all that years to get something suits me totally.
The all-round the production line from Tabou / Gaastra is so outstanding and sure one of the best. What I mean I believe it could suit me even better when creating something in my favours and it’s something I wish to happen in the next chapter. Davy Scheffers developed board and sails I’m sure they work for the whole free ride and style whole community. I feel much connected with the gear and it must be turning out only good. That grab and go rip board and sail ready to do it all.
WS: Three words to live by?
DS: Live, love, laugh is what popped up in my mind.
WS: What are your plans for the rest of the year?
DS: Right now, I will focus on my training. My all-round performance in windsurfing. I am training hard conditioning and will get back to windsurfing when windy to keep up my level. I feel ready to help kick windsurfing into the next chapter. I’m so motivated and want to film few new videos with crazy action and super style high performance riding. I am watching all windsurf movies and riders in action and I have things on my mind that is just a bit different. It’s going to be so cool, I can’t wait!
WS: Are you missing the competition or are you enjoying doing something different?
DS: Oh, I miss it a lot. I miss my friends from there and miss travelling to those beautiful places. The events are so cool, the crew is so awesome I have so many amazing memories from tour. Yes, at the same time. Also, this year gives us a change now and another chance to think and prepare differently as previous years. We were very spoiled over the years windsurfing around the world. I felt a year off, could be beneficial, look at life in another way and maybe this will create extra motivation. I just believe it is going to be a great year. Now is not the time to feel sad. Better prepare for the worst and get ready to kill it when have to. Enjoy now worry later!
Gaastra windsurfing have just released this awesome clip of their 2021 Wave and Freestyle collection filmed in Marseille and Réunion Island. Some awesome hits from Thomas Traversa! Find out more about the 2021 GA Wave and Freestyle sails on www.ga-windsurfing.com
Thomas Traversa and a few friends managed to catch the monster swell that has been hitting Europe right before the French lockdown! Thanks to Stefvidéo for capturing this awesome session!
From our September Issue here is the introduction to our Wing Surfing Product Guide brought to you by no than Mr Robby Naish himself with some expert wing advice before we look into a selection of wings from the leading brands on the market!
Action photos: Fish Bowl Diaries // Profile photo: Juan de Heeckereen / Red Bull Content pool.
Unless you’ve been self-isolating under a rock or barricaded yourself in a toilet roll warehouse, you can’t have failed to notice that wing surfing is definitely a thing now! If you have more questions than answers about the new wind sport on the block, then relax, as we have enlisted the help of the one and only Robby Naish to impart his wing wisdom. And if you are planning a purchase to get your wing on, then have a look at our product guide as a selection of leading brands showcase their latest products on the market.
When the King speaks, we listen! Read on, as Robby Naish gives us practical advice and his take on the new wind sport of wing surfing.
Wing surfing is all about simplicity, it’s a package that’s really easy to put together, no rigging components, no lines, no bars, everything is just in one unit, you pump it up and you go. You can spill wind and make power that you can get going with pretty darn easily. People ask do you have to foil?, can you use it on a SUP?, can you use it on a skateboard? You can use it in all of the above, but a foil makes the most sense in terms of how much power you can make from a wing and how much lateral resistance a foil board has, so they really fit nicely together, but it is a lot of fun on a SUP too. You don’t need a harness to wing foil as there’s so little resistance once you get going; it’s actually creating lift and weighs very little due to having no hardware. It’s really light in the hands and I can sail for hours with no harness at all, and it packs up into a little tiny backpack, which makes it easy to store and travel with.
You need a ‘floaty’ board unless you’re very, very good; something you can climb up on, get to your knees quickly on and stand up and then use the wing to get you going. So I’m on a 95 litre most of the time and I think most people will be on 95 to 135 litre boards, somewhere in that range. If you’ve got a few whitecaps you can pump a fairly big foil onto the plane and get going, if you use an even larger foil, like a big downwind foil, you can go in even lighter winds. Getting going all depends how much wind there is, how big you are and how big a wing you’re using. I use footstraps, but you don’t have to and I recommend using a board leash as you can definitely get yourself into situations where you want to be connected to the board.
When starting wing surfing it’s good to know how to get up on a foil from wind foiling, surf foiling, SUP foiling or wake foiling behind a boat, so you have the balance experience of being on the foil and then you bring the wing and the wind element into it after that. Trying to learn all of the parts of wing foiling for the first time all at once would be pretty difficult I think otherwise.
Handheld wings have been around for decades, the first wing that I tried like the modern wings was actually in 1981 in Kailua. Is this latest version of the wing going to replace windsurfing or kitesurfing? No, it’s an addition, it’s something fun, new and with the emphasis on simplicity. Are you going to go as fast as you can windsurfing or jump as high as kiting? No, absolutely not. This is a compliment to those sports, it’s something different. For me, it’s just about carving around using the wind and water and especially foils in a new way. And for people that have bought SUP’s or have never experienced wind sports, this will give them a great transition into windsurfing.
In all honesty when we started wing surfing I said it was a lot of fun and would very likely catch on… but the rate of growth recently has taken even me by surprise. The learning curve is very quick and the appeal very broad. We have people doing it here on Maui that range in age from 10 to 75 years old. I have honestly not seen such a broad demographic of interest in any of the many sports that I have been involved with so far, other than maybe flat water SUP paddling. It is cool to see something that is so appealing to kids and teenagers, professionals from other sports, grandparents, men, women and everything between.
For me personally I am still loving it and learning something new just about every day. At the moment there is no better way to “mow the lawn“ than on a wing for me. And in flat water conditions, regardless of how much wind there is, riding the wing and a foil is engaging and fun. I was already winging a lot a year and a half ago… but I would say that I am doing even more of it now, both for fun and for development.
I highly recommend giving it a try, especially for windsurfers that do not have consistently good winds. Nothing beats windsurfing in the right conditions, but riding the wing and a foil turns lousy gusty winds and flat water into one hell of a lot of fun. It is actually easier to learn and get good at than windsurf foiling, especially as the wind gets a bit stronger, the advantages of riding with a wing rather than a windsurfing rig on a foil becomes quite substantial. I still love windsurf foiling…but there are only limited conditions where I would rather do this over wing surfing at this point. Hard to imagine… but true.
I am often asked what my favourite conditions are. I honestly like cruising in 15 to 20 knot winds. Even less is a lot of fun. You can ride with a bigger foil and just cruise and do transitions etc. But recently I have been focussing on speed in Maui’s summer time strong winds. And with a longer mast (95 cm) and a smaller foil (Windsurf 1250 or kite foil) I am now going pretty darn fast with amazingly good control. And we are only scratching the surface.
Again, I’m surprised at how fast things are taking off… but wing surfing is clearly here to stay and in my opinion is going to be quite big in the future. From cruising with friends to riding and jumping waves, to flat water jumping and freestyle to racing, there is a lot to come. And I’m stoked to be part of it. See you on the water!
THEY SAY – “We have been adding key products to our foiling segment over the past years and we are now introducing a large expansion with different wings, a wing board and an updated foil range with a wide variety of setups.
Both the GA wings, the Cross and the Poison, are based on the same all-round performance design, but do feature certain differences. The Cross combines easy and balanced handling with reinforcements, multiple handle positions and a window in the canopy, which makes it more accessible to less experienced riders and freestylers. The Poison impresses with a very lightweight construction for a lot of power in light winds, while control in gusts is still guaranteed thanks to the redesigned struts and handle positions of their new design. The Poison flags out extremely easily and neutral, which makes it the perfect choice for wing surfing in waves and swell.
With the great success of the Tabou Magic Carpet convertible foiling board for SUP, windsurf and wing foiling, we felt the urge to add another foiling concept that focuses on winging and manoeuvre-oriented windsurf foiling. The Tabou Pocket Air comes with a compact design that offers enough volume for wing surfers of all skill levels, but still motivates you to go for freestyle moves and jumps. Being available in 5’4’’ / 87 litres, 5’8’’ / 97 litres, 6’0’’ / 107 litres and 6’2’’ / 117 litres, the Pocket Air provides a wide range of sizes for all demands. A large EVA pad with a good amount of footstrap inserts and a small mast track embellish the double concave deck, which allows you to feel the centre of the board without looking. The small mast track enables windsurfers to use the Pocket Air as a compact platform for manoeuvre-oriented wind foiling, which further expands its range of use.
To complete our foiling quiver, Gaastra offers a wide range of foils, which will be extended within the coming weeks. Especially the upcoming 2021 Hybrid and Mach 1 foils will offer more possibilities to adjust the foils to the rider’s individual demands. Both foils are available in a windsurf foiling and wing foiling setup and provide the option to add different front wings and fin box adapters to the existing package.
The Hybrid’s winging setup consists of a 2000 cm2 front wing, a 303 cm2 stabilizer, a 90 cm Aluminium fuselage and an 85 cm aluminium mast, which is an updated version of our existing Hybrid mast. A new 90 cm carbon mast distinguishes the Mach 1 wing foiling setup from the GA Foils Hybrid. Both are equipped with a double US Box adapter, which can be changed to Powerbox and Deep Tuttle box for use with a windsurfing sail and board.
Apart from that both models will be available with a 1200 cm2 front wing (Hybrid) and 1500 cm2 front wing (Mach 1) windsurf foiling setup with a Deep Tuttle box adapter. The optional front wings for both of these foils measure 900 cm2, 1200 cm2, 1500 cm2, 2000 cm2 and 2500 cm2.”
