There are several examples in life where the name or brand of an object becomes so synonymous with its function, that it actually becomes adopted as the very description of its intended use. The obvious example is of ‘Hoover’ being used instead of vacuum cleaner; Sellotape for clear adhesive tape … or one that we come into contact on a regular basis as windsurfers - Velcro. There are also instances when the design, purpose or requirement of an object changes over time,rendering it (or its name) nonsensical. Coca Cola is an example we have all heard of - formulated and founded by a Confederate Colonel, John Pemberton, in the late nineteenth century. He was wounded in the American Civil War and had become addicted to morphine so started on a quest to find a substitute for the problematic drug. Originally called French Wine Coca, when he came up against prohibition legislation in 1886 he renamed his medicinal concoction Coca Cola after its two main ingredients - Cocaine (the coca leaf) and the Kola nut for caffeine. The original amount of cocaine in the mix was not insignificant and was of course removed from the ingredients in 1903 … and yet the name lives on.
In windsurfing we’ve had countless fads and concepts that have been and gone as the sport has matured and design developed. For example, flapper boards (course racing boards of the mid-nineties with the fin placed right on the rear), with their plastic strip screwed or glued onto the tail to mitigate spin out or loss in control. Z-booms, needle masts, asymmetric boards, chest harnesses … the list could go on. One thing that has remained consistent throughout, for as long as I can remember, is the crusade to produce a style of short board for the market that fulfils as many roles as possible. Originally, this design style was called a wave-slalom, but as the two disciplines grew apart and went opposite directions, so too did the relevance of the name. Along came the ‘chameleon’ board in the mid-nineties to take its place, before the youthful freestyle discipline burst onto the scene and turned everyone’s heads. Combining the two manoeuvre-oriented disciplines of wave and freestyle seemed the most natural thing. If you want to do stunts and tricks in high winds, no matter what the sea state is, then these were the obvious go-to tools. And yet time is a cruel beast and sends us careering off down paths where competition winnings are the sole focus, driving a gulf between the disciplines once more. Today, the accepted design parameters for a freestyle board are very different to that of a wave board - boxy chunky rails instead of rounded; corky riding style on top of the water instead of sitting in and feeling connected.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Issue 372 - January February 2018 من Windsurf.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
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هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Issue 372 - January February 2018 من Windsurf.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
New School
Slingshot’s windsurfing brand manager, Wyatt Miller, has noticed that kids are drawn to playing with wings and puts forward an interesting case as to why he thinks this could help entice them and others into windsurfing.
Changes
Wave sailor Flo Jung reflects on our changed world during his lockdown in Germany.
THE LAST WAVE
Lockdown stirred the creative juices of reader Björn Alfthan, who peers into the future to present a fictional story set in the wild waves of Norway, five years from now.
STILL IN THE GAME
After a horrific fracture in his leg from a crashed aerial in 2018, Alessio Stillrich is back! John Carter talks to the highflyer from Gran Canaria about his move to the Simmer team, recovering from injury and how he learned to windsurf in Gran Canaria!
MOVE ON UP - GET ON THE FRONT FOOT
This month we look at how our front foot weighting can affect and improve different aspects of our main windsurfing moves.
SOUTH' KIPA
Nik tweaking it over home waters.
A NEW NORMAL
On a trip to La Tranche-sur-Mer in France last year, Tris Best estimated over 80% of the windsurfers were foiling. This summer in Portland Harbour, foiling activity has increased dramatically too he reports. With the market offering plenty of choice to recreational windfoilers, our test team check out some of the latest foil offerings.
TACKING – THE SEQUEL
Having given you time to practice, Harty concludes his tacking series by critiquing various tacking options, including the carve tack, as well as offering solutions to common slip-ups.
‘NO VAPOUR TRAILS TO SCAR THE SKY' *
Realising we may be about to enter an extraordinary period in our lives, Harty decided to keep a windsurf-centric lockdown diary. Here are some of his choice excerpts.
REDEMPTION DAY!
Renowned for its windsurfing and variety of spots to sail at, Kimmerdige Bay is a wave sailing jewel on the south coast of England. Timo Mullen gives a guide to its shores while reflecting on why a recent session there was a reminder that there is no place like home!