Beach Telegraph

Weekend Roundup

A hectic weekend's action worldwide...here we go with a swift summary and some heads-ups on upcoming action too.

Sad news for the Spanish Olympic Windsurfing team and for friends and family of RSX Coach Kim Lythgoe, who died in a tragic diving accident in the Maldives. You can leave condolences thoughts and memories at his Facebook page.

Not bad for 12-yr olds...

Youp NB-12, Rover NB-17 bonaire freestyle kids 2009 from youp schmit on Vimeo.

Thanks to Al Bentley for this movie too.

Naxos Freestyle Windsurf 2009 from Al Bentley on Vimeo.

Steve Thorp went speedsailing...

GP discusses Sylt vs. his dreamtour. Congratulations to the winners anyway for some super valiant efforts.

Wind spotted a Robby Naish-esque 4-strap wave Quad of Seadi's at Sylt.

Some Maui media treats in store soon perhaps?

Crazy conditions on a Canadian lake.

Just 3 days 'til the final EFPT event of the season in Naxos, Greece.

The East Coast Fall Windsurfing Regatta , Long Island, is a go for October 10th.

Full House Friday

Some quality viewing is on-the-cards for British and Irish TV license payers.

An exciting new online store and resource website for European windsurfers and watersports freaks has just been launched by Irish wave addict Pearse Geaney.

Check out BigSurf.ie for more details.

Here's some effects of big surf...

Siiiiick...

Windsurfing's father-figure and co-inventor Jim Drake's gonna celebrate his 80th Birthday at the Defi Wind.

The PWA feature a new Brazilian Freestyle talent - João Henrique Barros Ferreira

Finian Maynard talks about his latest Slalom racing beasts. (Here's some more pre-season tune-up talk from Starboard.)

Remember, Epic Session's weekend-long webcast from Ho'okipa starts today. (Maui-time.)

GP tells me the Starboard team is in town so the level of action might well get stepped-up as rival teams go all-out to get the most insane action in-the-can for their marketing materials.

There's a link on WSJ to video footage of Allison Shreeve's Bass Straight Challenge attempt.

WSJ also have a French language interview with Julien Taboulet on his 'Full House' switch to Naish. (Tip - use Google translate to read in preferred language.)

I'm looking for good topics for a new Poll or two so if you've got any good ideas or can think of issues you'd like to see peoples' opinion on please leave a comment below, (No sign-in required) or mail me. Thanks.

I'm going a wave huntin' this weekend and early next week so probably gonna be offline for a while.

Remember the webcasts are on and to trawl through all the good sites on the Links Page for content. Have a great weekend!

Need to Know

Keeping you up-to-speed and on-the-pace...

Irish Pro Oisin Van Gelderen sent this scenic shot of a 5 deg Celsius session on Wednesday in Brandon Bay, Ireland, during an 8.6 meter swell and 30 knots of wind. Thanks Oisin. Brrr.

The Maui crew get a break from the old routine. (I bet those shots are flipped from port tack...)

News and pics from the Fuerte Wave Classic.

A Total Wind reader has also posted some nice shots from the contest in their forum too. Here and here.

PWA Slalom Champion Antoine Albeau's re-launched his website.

News, pics and audio [French language] interviews from the AFF event in Almanarre, France.

You can follow more live throughout the day also at Windsurf Journal.

A [German language] interview of filmmaker and PWA Freestyler Andre Paskowski.

The new RRD 11 SUP.

Mad Maarten suggests some no-wind reading material.

A video of a hot Danish lady showing off in Bonaire.

More old-skool windsurfing action video.

Have a nice day.

Funk Soul Brothers

Please support the Frans brothers on a Bonaire to Curacao  crossing for a good cause.

The Pritchard Brothers work hard on their legs.

Lost in Maui

Two events to keep tabs on live - Fuerteventura Wave Classic (little bit 'o action yesterday) and AFF French Cup in Almanarre (French language).

News from the Micronesia Windsurfing Cup.

Meet Elvis.

RRD introduce PWA wavesailor Francisco Fonseca.

Couple more Quick Interviews...

Goofing around in Galicia.

Twin fins, Quad fins, asymmetric fins...no fins.

A mellow Kona MiniTanker GoPro clip on U-Ride - link on frontpage named  Penhors Inside.

Bonaire Beats

Another windsurfing MC. This time Bonaire PWA Freestyler Ruben Petrisie is laying down tracks and has dedicated a tune to top lady competitor Sarah-Quita Offringa from the neighbouring island of Aruba.

You can  listen to Ruben's music at his MySpace page.

Here's a great new [Spanish language] website for Chilean windsurfers and visitors to Chile.

Speaking of windsurfing in Chile, Tine Slabe has some nice pics of his time there so far at the RRD Insider Blog.

Tatiana Howard's been filming for Conde Nast Video magazine.

If 9 World Titles aren't enough, now Kelly Slater's pushing for a 10th on boards he's shaped himself.

Imagine Seadi or Fernandez sweating over some blocks of foam? Angulo and McKercher have board-building skills though I guess.

U-Ride have clips of Angulo vs. Pritchard and Angulo vs. Seadi on their front page, as well as PWA wavesailor Klaas Voget's latest movie from Cape Town.

WSJ check out AHD's new Concept Wave multi-fin board line. (Google translated page link.)

Planche Magazine's March special test issue is on newsstands now.

I'm out on a training course all day but please check out the Links Page for more or leave any hot URLs in the Comments section below. Thanks.

Winter Rocks.

Maybe I should've put these boards inside before it snowed and froze over? I guess it's that cold in the cargo hold of a plane right?

Good news. The waves on Maui will be a little less crowded around photoshoot time this Spring.

The Bad news. Starboard and Severne won't be there to gather images of their new equipment. It's OK. There's more good news. WIND mag report that the two brands have more or less already completed their shoot in Western Australia and plan another in Bonaire.

WooHoo. (Hope there's more of the same from the 14th onwards...)

Spanish PWA rider Rafael Cervero wants you to check out his Freestyle video. Thanks Rafa.

Isn't she a beauty? And not a Quad-fin in sight.

I agree. Winter Rocks. Apart from when you gotta dust snow off your gear.

More clinics in the sun  -this time with Boards magazine's Simon Bornhoft.

Someone else warming-up for Ponta Preta.

If you can't stop thinking about Cabo Verde then here's some more to fuel your addiction.

We've got another T-Shirt winner too. Congratulations Rob Hennessy who correctly answered that Fanatic's shaper Seb Wenzel has been using CAD since 2004.

Rob said "I'm a student so I've run out of clean Ts and I can't be bothered to do my laundry".

Great reason Rob - you've got yourself another days wear. I'll be in contact about the details.

Fresh Air

JP have a video from the Big Bay Classic won by international team rider Phil Horrocks on his geniune Werner Gnigler boards...

World Champ Kauli Seadi just went on a boat trip to the Caribbean. I'm not sure if this is set to be published in magazines but personally I'd prefer to read this kind of story in print.

Lot's of websites got sent the PR for this trip but I hope by putting it online so briefly it's not spoiling what could be an extensive feature in a 'real' windsurfing publication.

Windgirls magazine focus on a future star - another feature that would be a good read on a beach between sessions. What do you think?

GP  takes you for a ride at Kanaha. A perfect piece of online windsurfing journalism.

You gotta love U-Ride for scoring original content. Today they're showing a Freestyle clip of the Bonaire crew raising the bar for the 2009 PWA Tour.

Fuerteventura Wave Classic Press Officer Steve Palier enjoyed some storm-force sailing at Brutal Beach in the South of France. Steve also sent links to more pictures of the action from Prisca and Fred.

Something handy for Tow-In teams.

Some good news for Ben Proffitt.