This month we bring you the last of our wave equipment tests for 2017 …
And we’ve saved the best ’til last. Well, okay, we saved the reviews of the ‘go-to’ sizes the 85L board and 4.7m sail. When the conditions are on for these items to come out of the quiver, it’s likely that you’re in your element as a wave sailor. You’ve got the perfect mix of power and control in your hands to charge at the ramps and go for those aerial antics; enough drive and feel through your feet to fully tear the wave apart. If the conditions are such that you need to use a larger board or sail, it may be that you don’t quite have that perfect blend of power and control. The wind might be fluky; the waves small … or maybe you are venturing out for a float and ride.
At the other end of the scale, if you’re using a smaller board or sail, it may be that the conditions are firing and that everything is happening that little bit faster. The fact is that it’s all about being in your comfort zone. And depending on your weight, your regular windsurfing environment and your riding style / ability, your comfort zone may be skewed towards one of the extremes of the scale. But for most riders of average weight, 85L and 4.7m conditions will undoubtedly be right up there as their vision of wave sailing utopia.
FINDINGS
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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.
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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!
