German PWA star Leon Jamaer is as happy in a heat as he is on the road. A Red Bull Storm Chase finalist, he has the skills to backup his lust for adventure. His latest travels took him to the far northwest of the UK to the islands of Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland; Leon recounts his trip and gives an insight into the origins of his passion for exploring.
I remember the afternoon my parents and I picked up my first proper bike from the store. The next morning I got up before sunrise and rode the bike through the forest and around the lake. My parents were worried as they had no idea where I had gone and were upset when I returned home late after breakfast. That moment however expanded my range of freedom and independence. I could go wherever I wanted to, even though that wasn´t much more than a couple of villages. The bike became my daily vehicle to commute to school or to see friends. In a few minutes though I could reach the next train station, take the bike onto the train and quickly arrive at other cities or even the island of Sylt and see the North Sea. During these years of growing up in a small village close to Kiel in northern Germany, the prospect of unconstrained and self-reliant mobility was very important to me.
ROOTS
When my brothers, Dani and Henrik, and I picked up windsurfing, I was about eleven years old. My bicycle became fairly useless as it wouldn´t allow me to transport my equipment to the beach. Once in a while I dragged my boards and sails onto the train and made the effort to sail in Sylt. Nonetheless, my brother’s van quickly became the vehicle of desire. I was only fourteen years old when Dani waited outside the school building most Fridays, engine running. The trio of us would drive the four hours straight to Klitmoller in the north of Denmark, windsurf as if there was no tomorrow and return home Sunday night. Sore from sailing, barely able to open our eyes and with wetsuit rash around our neck, the teachers gave us dubious looks on Monday mornings.
Denne historien er fra Issue 382 - January/February 2019-utgaven av Windsurf.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra Issue 382 - January/February 2019-utgaven av Windsurf.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
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!
