Coaching wave sailing is wonderfully rewarding… and sometimes a little frustrating. Rewarding because the highs you get to share are so very high; and frustrating because you’re unsure of your influence. Instant feedback is tricky because coming in and out is a faff; and if you do get close enough, the wind and the crashing waves hinder free-flowing conversation – which was not helped by many of the team wearing earplugs.
The routine therefore is to offer some general advice specific to the day and conditions; and then minutely dissect the video afterwards. Then obviously, I tell them that if they improved it’s because of me; and if they mess up it’s because they’re rubbish or haven’t listened. But the truth is, I don’t always know which tips have sunk in and made any sense or difference. It’s not an invitation to blow smoke up a certain part of my anatomy, but at the end of my recent Ireland courses, I asked the crew to offer their own assessment, reveal their lightbulb moments and what tweaks make the biggest difference.
ROBUST KIT CHOICES
A robust kit selection means choosing a board and rig combo that can deal with the most amount of variables - and wave sailing is full of them. Yes, it must be capable of shredding waves - but just as important is that it can help you can cope with gusts and holes, have the float and acceleration to get you out there and is stable enough to allow you to turn round in confused seas.
IT'S A GROUP THING
Esta historia es de la edición Issue 429 - November December 2023 de Windsurf.
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Esta historia es de la edición Issue 429 - November December 2023 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.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
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!
