The arms race to uncompromisingly search for ever faster speeds has been tempered by the understanding that control is also key to achieve results, even on the highest podiums such as the PWA World Tour. What’s interesting is to see how this change in awareness has filtered down into the large commercial disciplines, namely the freeride sector. Read the marketing scripts of most brands and the focus is undoubtedly there for boards to become easier and more practical to use, without compromising performance. The short, wide and thin movement of the recent past has certainly hit home and many brands have followed. Yet there’s also the argument on the ground (and we hear it fairly often in the centre) that it has gone too far for some, making the boards hard to get going, too twitchy in a straight line … and ultimately slow!
FINDINGS
Directional stability and the ease at which the sail’s power can be converted to straight-line speed is ultimately the winning formula for early planing and user-friendliness. And the easiest way to achieve this is by increasing a board’s waterline - its length. Looking at the boards in the lineup today, there’s a 50-50 split between short/wide and those returning to a slightly longer length, using 240 cm as the median length. And by reducing width (particularly in the tail) the straps are closer to the centreline, making them easier to locate and get into, no longer requiring a big step out onto the rail.
Esta historia es de la edición Issue 393 - March 2020 de Windsurf.
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Esta historia es de la edición Issue 393 - March 2020 de Windsurf.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
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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!