Beach Telegraph

Goiter, Goyta or Goita?

PWA Judge Thijs van de Meer wrote back on the Levi Siver 'Is it an Air Taka or a Goiter?' issue.

Thijs says it's a Goiter because "In the picture [above] you can see the mastfoot is clearly higher than the top of the mast.

To me, that's where an Air Taka turns into a Goiter.

Goiters are being done a lot flatter these days, it looks less radical, but the guys are sticking them more consistently this way.

A tough trade off. Compliments to Levi for staying in the wave in these offshore conditions. Too bad he lost it at the end." Thanks Thijs for that insight. If you disagree why not vote in the Poll to the right?

By the way. Eagle-eyed readers might have noticed the various spellings of Goiter in circulation.

Irish Pro Oisin Van Gelderen did some research and found that a Goiter, as opposed to a Goyta or Goita, is related to an overdose of action in the Adrenal glands!

From memory I think that's why the move was named that back in the 90s. So who invented it? Was it Mark Angulo? Any answers, medical or windsurfing related are appreciated in the Comments section below. Thanks.

Here's a revolutionary new way of choosing a sail from Boardseeker.

I had a great response to yesterday's 'arty Blogs' post, and received a lot of links such as Frank from River-Rippers.net's recomendation. 

Yann Sorlut sums-up the AFF event in Almanarre, France.

Take a deep breath and hoooooooooold.

Even The King goes on the Rocks from time-to-time.

GP get's his readers to take some of the strain and posts other people's videos for a day. Good idea.

More new perspectives from Dani Miguel.

Err how glad am I that never bought any Quiksilver stock? Thanks to [Twitter] @Ian Votteri for the alert!

Genius

There's been plenty of talk about Quad fins and thrusters recently, but take a peak at this 2010 prototype from Starboard.

Also, Check out this new move from Gollito that will feature in Andre Paskowki's upcoming 'Samba' film. Looks like a kind of  Kono-Peverso Reverso to me.

This is pure genius. Journalism at it's Pullitzer prize-winning best in my opinion. You think I'm being sarastic don't you? I'm not. I wish I'd thought of it. Well done and keep it up.

I'm also not sure I totally agree with 'my' answer in 'my interview'. And, for some reason I can't stop keep making anagrams of this Blog author's name, Per Tilmekty.

Here's a slightly longer interview of MauiSails' Designer Barry Spanier for our Italian readers.

I tried Google translate but it didn't come out so well. This is a shame as it would be nice to read a longer, more detailed profile of this one of our sports most prominent, influential and longtime figures.

Do you want to see these quick, done-by-email Q&A articles for free on websites, or would you prefer to get a more in depth focus and prforessionally written piece for a few bucks in print?

Yes, I know you want the quality article for free online, or even in print, but no journalists are getting properly paid for these are they, and almost no websites are raising enough funds through online ads to pay for dedicated staff writers either? What do you think?

Young Gun Bites the Dust

Windsurf Journal report good news about Eleazar Alonso Sanchez gaining a new sponsor,  but sad news about young racing talent Julien Quentel quitting the tour due to budget cuts. Here's the Google translated page.

It's a negative scenario for the sport in my view when sponsors pay highly for older names and don't support talented youngsters.

Quentel showed high promise in an age-heavy fleet of Slalom racers and takes the hopes of  future stars down with him.

Good Luck to Julien in the future. We hope to see him back on tour again.

What are your views on this? In a dificult market, should brands stick with proven players and get results no matter how much those riders cost or the cuts they have to make elsewhere, or should the stars of the future take priority? (See Comments section below -  no sign-in required. Thanks.)

Shut Down

***EDIT*** The link apearing here earlier to a story regarding the alleged retirement of PWA Freestyle sailor Normen Gunzlein has been removed at Normen Günzlein's personal request.

Günzlein stated that the Q&A interview with him that  appeared on windsurfersmag.de was factually incorrect and has demanded that it also be removed. 

In the meantime I have asked that Normen clarify the situation directly for you himself on these pages as soon as possible.

Here's some hope for the next generation  - according to WIND magazine (French language) Camille Juban has finally earned entry to the PWA Cabo Verde World Cup.

Get bidding people - it's for charity.

Island life.

More Go Pro action from GP.

Manu'i day from The Black Local.

Totally Twisted...

A week or two ago I forgot to mention this UMI Pictures video of Victor Fernandez in Brazil on Boardseeker. Watch out for more from UMI in the coming weeks.

Windsurf Journal have an exclusive interview with Karin Jaggi. Here's the Google translated page.

Fresh from the water at the Farmers' Market.

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.

Time for Action?

People Power is required once again folks as the big bad greedy fat cats try to destroy our waves.

This time it's the Brighton crew in the UK that need you help - read more and sign the petition via Surfer Today. (UK mail addresses only).

We already reported about the Broad Bench reef, also on the UK's South Coast, being under threat. If you haven't already leant your support then please visit the campaign website to vote.

This online pressure does seem to help get results. The OTC in Tenerife are back open thanks to your support, plus the Swansea Cork Ferry group is also making good progress.

With that in mind, I've posted a new Poll to the left asking whether the industry should make more of a contribution to action groups such as Surfrider or SAS?

You can read the results of the Magazines vs. Websites Poll, and other surveys in the results pages.

Please vote and share your views, or leave any comments below. Thanks.

To Surf and to Serve

I'm trying to compile a list of links for Charities and lobbying groups involved in the Windsurfing, Surfing and Beach Sports sectors.

I've always been impressed with the work of Surf Aid, the varous Surfrider Chapters worldwide, and of course the UK's Surfers Against Sewage.

Overall we ignore and under-estimate the contribution these organizations make to our on-water and in-water experiences, and in the the case of SurfAid, what we should be giving back to the local comunities we take from with our wave-hungry visits around the globe. (See their website for details on their vital 'Malaria Sucks'  malaria prevention and assistance. Forget the Credit Crunch. Please donate today).

I used to work for Gaastra who sponsored Surfrider and SAS. Gaastra printed the logos showing their support on the sail bags. What do you think? Maybe we should pressure more brands to fund these hard-working associations some more?

The PWA have set an example by displaying a strong list of Environmental groups in their Links Pages.

So if you know of any worthy voluntary or campaigning groups that the industry should know about, then please let me know or leave a link in the Comments section below. Thanks.

One more piece of news. Technique Guru Jem Hall's 'Performance Boost' clinics are filling-up, so if you're in need of a pep talk or two then you'd better consider signing-up for visit to say Baja with Jem ASAP. (Subject to all clients and Jem making donations to Surfrider et cetera of course...I'll be checking the shots for sail stickers to prove they've raised some funds.)

People Power

 

Rise-up people and show the authorities who's boss.

Here we go with a monster-length post.

Protests

4 vital Mediterranean Sea wavesailing and surfing hot spots, including popular break Focene, are under threat in Italy around the Rome Fiumicino airport.

Construction on coal, yes coal-from-the-dark ages, power plants are literally threatening a black cloud over surfers and so www.iSurf.it and Windsurf Roma are calling for your help.

Luca from iSurf is asking for people with experience in protest campaigns elsewhere in the world to contact him to help. Thanks.

British and Irish surfers who're missing the Swansea - Cork ferry to express them to and from Irish surf perfection should visit BringbacktheSwanseaCorkFerry.com and sign the petition. Thanks to www.Boardseekermag.com for the heads-up.

If you haven't signed the petition already then the OTC in Tenerife also need your support to save their center, not just for their business, but for local bars, restaurants and rentals dependant on windsurfing at this past, and hopefully future, PWA event site

People Power

Speaking of People Power, I have a wacky idea. Recent comments and discussions regarding prize money and events on the PWA tour, and the clear demand for more specialist waveriding competitions, as seen in our poll, have got me thinking...

Maybe the people should sponsor the tour? Perhaps with the help of say Pay-pal?

I'm not sure of the facts, but there must be around 100,000 units or so of new boards and sails sold each year, so there must be a large amount, although maybe not millions, of active windsurfers around the planet.

I know we 'sponsor' the tour when we buy gear, but we all want to see more events and grow the sport don't we? The greedy clothing companies are not exactly putting our cash back into our sport are they? .

So why don't we put a Pay-pal button somewhere, like this website, and each donate say the price of a nice lunch (Maybe 15 bucks or something?) and then sit back and enjoy a specialist wave event, or two, somewhere. (Pay-pal can waive their commission and I won't run off with the bounty. Honest.)

'The Peoples' Pay-pal PWA World Tour'! (What a mouthful). I know an event costs at least US$195K or Euro 150K to put on, plus if it were a specialist comp without local organizers and sponsorship it would cost significantly more.

But if say 50,000 of us pitched in 15 Euros each, that'd bring in 750,000! Enough for at least two primo showcase exhibitions of our sport in say Fiji or Mauritius - maybe even more events if we stopped somewhere cheaper like Indonesia.

A group called WOW were, in a similar concept, supposed to be taking a buck from each board made in Cobra to support the sport at grassroots level, but I don't know what they've achieved. Do you? Have they got enough resources? Their website is certainly informative for newcomers, but I'm not aware of much event or 'experiential' work. Maybe we should give them a buck from our donations too?

Down-to-Earth

Back to the 'real world'. Elsewhere, The PWA got the low-down on a good Maui stint from Nayra Alonso who got taxed hard in Kahului for her carbon footprint. They also have a few words from Robby Swift on the Chile trip we mentioned yesterday.

Movie Clips + Pics

Great news. Boardseeker have quit charging for video and have a podcast available now on iTunes!

Windsurfing mag feature a clip of Taylor Congdon in Baja by 'Boom Cam'.

Clyde sent in another link of heaving Mavericks.

Giampaulo's posted part 7 of the Kazuma shaping his surfboard footage, plus some pics of glassy surf on Maui. Tatiana Howard did too.

WIND magazine (France) report on the 'Murder' of Victor Fernandez as-featured in their latest edition. Could the crime be related to his transfer to North sails?

If the clues in French don't make sense then check out the movie of the, ironically named, GUN team in Maui, and some advice on taking a vacation from Ludo Jossin and Bieuzy Mauffret. (French language).

Spanish website Total Wind added a great freestyle clip of Boro ripping in Fuerteventura. (Also available at AHD.  Check out that crazy SeaLion board while you're there too.) There's a cool helmet-cam clip at TotalWind as well.

Gossip

Oh - I nearly forgot. Apparently big-spenders Severne are hiring fast-rising PWA wave tour star Dany Bruch who's currently on Gaastra and recently signed to Exocet boards. We'll look out for an official announcement shortly, but Severne didn't deny it when I asked.

Looks like Simmer pulled one back from North by poaching their talented freestyler Mattia Pedrani in revenge on the raid for Fernandez.

Events

If you're in Cape Town this weekend don't forget to take the Downwind Shuttle 'cos it's the Cape Dash.

More bad news for the Speed sailing tour once again. Despite hard work by Dave White and his Driven by Wind contest in the UK, and the Masters of Speed crew in France, neither event will go ahead this coming winter. Perhaps we should trial a mini 'Peoples' Pay-pal experiment' to test the theory and wrestle that record back off the kites and keep the boats at-bay?

The cash-rich surf tour saw Parko score a perfect 20 at day two of the Pipeline Masters. It's just not fair.

Heat 6 of Bill's Outer banks photo comp is on. Voting closes Friday 12th December.

People

Continent Seven interview F2 boss and pro rider Karin Jaggi about the re-structured brand  - which is just as well as she just plain ignored my request for an interview. But it's OK. I've dealt with it. I can handle rejection. Honest.

I noticed a sweet shot of Fabrice Beaux wavesailing in the Philippines at the Neil Pryde website. There must be a travel article due out soon revealing more?

I don't think Jimbo Douglass wants Timex to sponsor the tour do you?

Well done if you've made it this far. Now go do something more constructive with your time.

Anything else we need to know? What do you think about a 'Peoples Tour'? Please either drop us a line or tell the world in the comments section below. (No sign-in required!) Thanks.

Starboard Strategy

In the wake of what Windsurf Journal report as a strike by workers at the Cobra Factory in Thailand, Starboard today confirmed they’ll be a buying brand in the transfer market and confidently hinted that Pritchard and Albeau will stay on-board.

The inner force of the windsurfing board market’s leader in both sales and arguably, thinking – Starboard’s Chieftain and founder, Svein Rasmussen - today spelt out his current philosophy and plans for their star-studded ‘Dream Team’.

Influences on Decision-Making

First of all we look at which riders seem to try to help support the company to move forward. Do they send us updates on product feedback? Do they send the quarterly reports to us? Do they let us know how things are going with them? Do the riders take time to communicate with magazines to get their images promoted? Are the riders understanding of the need to, sometimes innovatively, somehow help sell more gear for the company to afford their paycheck?

Event results may be different from their actual potential, as things change drastically during an event and are at times outside the control of the riders themselves. It’s a relationship based on quite a few factors, and we more than anything choose to support those who really choose to support us.

Who’s in? Who’s out?

Our basic plan was to keep everyone and add a few more. Our wave team is reinforced with the return of Philip Koster who is arguably the largest talent in waves today.

Boujmaa has set a whole new standard in jumping in the last 5 years and is getting better than ever.

Jaeger [Stone] is sailing amazingly well right now, and as he is a soul surfer we wish to see him go in any direction he may feel comfortable with.

2-times PWA Wave world Champ Kevin Pritchard is still in my mind the man that can win any wave event, anywhere.

Scott [McKercher] will do a few events - but just the ones he likes to do. He’s served us well over the years with event results, coverage, and product development and will stay on for a long time. So, a solid commitment there.

In Freestyle we are of course very happy to see Sarah Quita becoming World Champ and her brother Quincy working his way towards the top ten.

Kiri [Thode], who just finished 3rd on the PWA Tour, will go for gold again.  Nicolas [Akgazciyan] is aiming at winning the EFPT and a top 3 finish in the PWA, and was over in Thailand last week to help finalize the new Flare boards.

We are also looking at signing a few more top 10 contenders, and are especially reinforcing tour efforts within Freestyle.

In Slalom we have offered Kevin and Antoine good arrangements and when we saw that Bjorn was interested in joining certainly thought that he was an incredible asset in creating possibly the best race team ever seen in windsurfing.

We are also looking at adding more slalom riders as we have quite a few sailors out there who, after the season has finished, have tested 09 boards from different brands and feel that Starboard will again have a clear overall performance advantage next year, and so have contacted us regarding doing a deal.

In Formula we’re renewing most contracts and possibly signing on more riders. It’s interesting to see 18 of last years various World championship sailors in the top 20 on our gear.

I guess we sort of are a product and rider-oriented company. People must possibly think we are mad having this many riders, but this is how we like it - to make good gear and see sailors win.

We basically aim to work with people that want to work with us, and see if in this way we can continue to have the best team, the best products and a healthy brand and company.

Market Forces?

I believe that in times like these one should work twice as hard and motivate your team, distribution and supplier partners to do the same.

Some companies will invest heavily and come out clear winners, others with less enthusiasm will not.

There’s no time to sleep, no time to complain, only time to see the opportunities and hope to be lucky - knowing that luck is defined as “where preparation meets opportunity”.

The Beach Telegraph Polls

The [hiring and Firing] Poll on the Beach Telegraph was fun and a good way to get more people to spend more time thinking about windsurfing.

I’m not able to provide a clear answer how the readers feel about our company being involved in that poll, but lets hope it will bring us all good luck :)

Many thanks to Svein for taking the time to fill us all in his thinking.

What are your thoughts on this? Please drop us a line or let the world know in the comments section below. There's no sign-in required, (although you can register and create a personal profile if you prefer) and enjoy extended forum threads on any discussion. Thanks.

Feeling Groovy? Let's Make a Movie

The PWA report that The Windsurfing Movie II is officially in production.

The GPS Speedsailing World Cup should kick off in Ireland today. dawindsurfer posted some pics from the event site. Thanks for those.

Maui Windsurfing report that surf in the region of 20-25 feet could hit The Islands shortly and that Friday may produce an epic JAWS session. I'll keep my eyes skinned for any photos.

I saw these nice flicks and pics of wavesailing in La Reunion (1 and 2 and 3) posted on the Boards magazine forums. . Someone also mentioned this great Simmer Style clip.

I was thinking that we could raise the demand for learning to windsurf with a cartoon for kids. Movies such as Surf's Up, Blue Crush (not a cartoon I know) and Lilo & Stitch have boosted the monster surf industry even further up the cool scale for kids world over.

Does anyone know of a great cartoonist or film maker who understands windsurfing? Or perhaps a producer of a kids series like Diego or Dora the Explorer that could feature kids shredding?

Maybe The Windsurfing Movie should include a DVD extra for the kids?

Perhaps by using the 'six degrees of seperation' we could start a project to make a fun flick with the characters windsurfing around on their adventures and make the kids scream at their parents to drop them at the local center?

Mom. Dad. Can we go windsurfing? Can we go windsurfing? Can we go windsurfing? Can we go windsurfing? Can we go windsurfing? Can we go windsurfing? Can we go windsurfing? Can we go windsurfing? Help!

I'd love to document this for any print magazines interested in a project to increase awareness and give the sport a lift by tapping into the global windsurfing community's contacts.

Please drop us a line or let the world know in the comments section below. There's no sign-in required, (although you may register and create a personal profile) and enjoy extended forum-style threads on any discussion. Thanks.

Speaking of youth windsurfing, Jon sent in a link to the new Team USA Youth Blog. Thanks Jon.

Gorge Yourself

Snippets of salty news for you after a sweep of the online surfing scene.

Gabriel Browne, Mistral's Brazilian fast-track Pro Windsurfing youth racer has won the Brazilian Open, the warm-up event to the Formula Windsurfing Grand Prix which has kicked-off in Fortaleza Brazil.

SUP Global give you some valuable dietary advice - especially regarding Carb intake before you hit the water.

Off the Record

I've had some interesting reaction to the Gossip and Polls posted on this site, and thought I’d share a few reflections on the issue.

The vast majority of people who wrote in absolutely loved to hear this kind of news and I strongly get the impression that the industry brand managers secretly like to see the opinions of their audience as they make these critical hire-and-fire contractual decisions.

Too Old to Get Wood?

Starboard explain how they 'Got' wood, and Kevin Pritchard gives us his take on the 2008 PWA Tour.

I sure hope this ain't meant to discriminate against young people, but according to Boards Mag the Harry Nass Center in Dahab, Egypt, are recruiting windsurfing instructors - but only people over the age of 30 need apply...

Publicity Hounds

Need to get in shape? Perhaps by doing a little swimming? Then take inspiration from our friend Sevin, the official Dog of the Maui Wind Cam at the beautiful North Shore spot of Camp One.

To Bet or not to Bet. Is that the Question?

Whether you choose to agree or disagree on the moral issue of pro surf tour betting, the reality is that the bookies have ducked into the market with odds being offered on various ASP events, all season plus prices being posted for the WCT world title too.