Beach Telegraph

Firing

The Double Elimination's already underway at Pozo for the final day of the PWA Gran Canaria Grand Slam. 

Yesterday's video is on the PWA website, so let's see if Seadi can fight his way back up the ladder or if local hero Koester can defeat event leader Victor Fernandez.

In the meantime here's Robby Swift's Pozo 2010 video update.

Party time in the Gorge tomorrow night.Details of the EpicSessions.tv ShadowBox JumpOff prizegiving party at the Waucoma Club in this clip

Windsurfing Magazine declare the best light air boards for speed.

Plus, they and Naish are inviting you to Baja for the 'Naish Bash' this September!

Ant Baker reminisces about the '97 Fiji O'Neill PWA World Cup on Namotu.

It's been firing here on the Irish West Coast - Oisin Van Gelderen got some more shots of the past week's sessions.

I love the Chile video on JP Australia's website.

Spartan Warriors

Here's a couple of snaps of Mikey Clancy (shot by his Dad - MC) from our super-fun weekend session on the beautiful west coast of Ireland.

Mikey, Oisin, myself and a few others hit Belmullet and enjoyed a nice little reefbreak wave and a sweet beachie right next to it - you could ride both waves on the same run back in.

Thanks to Cormac (below - on the reef) from Coláiste UISCE center for sharing his waves with us.

MC Senior even took one of me when the sun came out. Thanks Mr C!

You can see more great shots of Mikey in a slideshow at his website and Blog.

Slammin' at Mexicos.

WIND magazine 335 is out now!

May's issues features the low-down on a winter's development with Cyril Moussilmani and the 2010 Starboard iSonic Slalom boards, plus, Fabrice Beaux reveals his discoveries from a 9-month exploration in Indonesia.

There's also an extensive investigation into Quad fins after some solid testing and quizzing of top riders and shapers on Maui.

More talk from Gollito about the possibility of the PWA swoopin' into El Yaque in May...although some say that event might be scheduled for the end of the year..let's wait and see.

I promised you that The Hustle Project would be back - and it is - bigtime!

This week you can win some sweet Lycras/Rash Vests from generous, quality British wetsuit brand Spartan  - who are also offering a Wetsuit to the winner of the 'Grand Finale'  quiz this Friday.

If you want dedicated windsurfing wetsuits, tough enough and warm enough to survive a British winter, (or even a British 'Summer'!), then look no further.

So to kick things off today, for a Rashie, please answer this question and say why you want a Spartan Rash Vest so much.

Q1 In what year did Spartan first start making wetsuits?

Please leave your answers in the Comments section below and mail your answers to me. Thanks.

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!

Goyta or Air Taka?

PWA Judge Thijs van de Meer thought it'd be a good idea if we ran a Poll asking if this move from Levi Siver at the recent Cabo Verde PWA World Cup was an Air Taka or a Goyta?

Levi Siver - Air Taka or Goyta? from CaboVerdeWorldCup.com on Vimeo.

In my mind it's pretty clear what it is.

OK then. I'll be straight up and say I think it's a Goyta - but who am I to argue with my big Dutch friend?

In fairness Thijs hasn't told me what he thinks it is yet - I just can't see why it's up for debate?

What do you think? I've put a Poll on the right of this page for you to put your opinion.

By the way - if you've got a Blog or website please feel free to export any of the polls to your own site so we can get a wider sample of opinions. Thanks.

PS. If you're not a Dutch speaker, check out Thijs' Blog for some good 'extra' snips and snaps from the PWA scene.

Cutting Lines

Another video of wavesailing in Chile with Fanatic Team Riders Klaas Voget and 08 PWA Tour runner-up Victor Fernandez.

Doh! Hope that mends soon Matt.

Here's a movie made in South Africa by Czech PWA rider Tom Malina.

Tom said "Sorry about the interviews in Czech language but that was part of the deal with the sponsors."

The PWA's negotiated a special offer on insurance for pro windsurfers. You can find out more via info(at)pwaworldtour.com or see more at www.sportsinsurance.com

Coaching guru Jem Hall's posted a trailer to his soon-to-be-released 'Winner to Wavesailor' DVD. (See list on right-hand side of page.)

Have a look at this vintage footage from Ho'okipa of Dave Ezzy and many other 'back in the day'. Classic.

I thought it was interesting in this interview that Kauli Sead doesn't think that the judges are 'ready' for the sailing style his Quad fins might lead to.

What do you think about the surfing style vs. traditional windsurfing style? Is a surfing line for surfing and windsurfing a different turning approach?

Why should windsurfing always copy surfing? Maybe surfers should take a more aggressive line by watching Angulo or Polakow on a wave at Ponta Preta? Please leave any comments below. Thanks.

Also, if you haven't voted in the new PWA World Tour Webcast Poll I'd be grateful for your views.

Bring it Back

Good news. The 'Bring Back the Swansea-Cork Ferry' campaign has raised 2.5 million Euros. Bad news. 500K more is needed by Friday March 6th.

If you're a lover of Irish waves and want the quickest and best way to travel between the UK and Ireland to resume service , or you own a business dependant on tourism in Ireland or South Wales, please pledge money now and buy shares at the Bring Back the Swansea-Cork Ferry website. Thanks (Not sure if the shares entitle you to discount on crossings or Guinness in the bar yet...)

The joy-filled Scott McKercher has a new Blog at the Severne website.

You'll notice I put a new Poll about PWA Webcasts on this page. Please vote and let's see what people think.

The tour's kicked-off already but I'm addicted to the Fantasy Surfer game already.

Here's a nice little Cape Town clip from UK wavesailor Adam Lewis.

Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) are offering a limited amount of free subscriptions to eco-mag Surfer's Path to anyone signing up to join. Hurry while the offer lasts!

Jem Hall says to look-out for his new Wave technique movie ‘Winner to Wavesailor’ due out end March and that he’ll be sending me some chapters to review.

How Serene...

Some Jericoacora action video from RRD's new insider Blog.

Don't forget to stay up-t0-date with the Fuerteventura Wave Classic...

Kicking Off

Let's push-start the what's hopefully going to be a big-action week online and on the water.

The Fuerteventura Wave Classic holding period has begun. The teams have been announced and so far the conditions look good for Tuesday onwards, and even better for the weekend.

Check out the event website for updates and interviews et cetera.

Here's some updates on event dates from the PWA:

The planned Indoor in Madrid will now not take place in April. The event is now expected to take place towards the end of 2009.
 
The Austria Slalom World Cup will now run from the 5th May until the 10th.
 
The Korean Slalom World Cup will take place from the 16th May until the 22nd.
 
The proposed Guincho Wave World Cup is now provisionally scheduled for the 16th to 21st June.

WSJ interview a super-philosophical Francisco Goya after his comeback appearance at The PWA Cabo Verde World Cup. Here's the Google Translated page.

Simmer report that their PWA Slalom star Ben Van Der Steen is in Chile filming a documentary.

Shark!

Jellyfish!

GP Cammaro needs a day off but he stuck a little Go Pro video of sideshore Kanaha online for you.

Tatiana Howard scored Honolua Bay with just a couple of mates.

Boards posted news of 2009 Pro Clinics with European windsurfing tour operator Club Sportif.

CaboVerdeWorldCup.com  posted a video interview with runner-up Kauli Seadi.

It's windsurfing movie night on Friday in Wellington, New Zealand.

Ola left an interesting comment and link after reading about Kelly Slater's event-winning 'self-shaped' board in a post here last week.

Can you imagine what would happen if we left GP alone with the shaping software?

More later. Please leave any links to good stuff in the Comments section below - no sign-in required. Thanks.

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.

Frothing

Loads going down today so here we go with a 4th posting for all you foaming-at-the-mouth wind-news-hungry freaks. If it 'aint on here it 'aint happened yet...or I'm asleep.

Bart wrote in and suggested we have a look at his great new insight-into-Maui-life Blog from Kanaha Kai Surf Shop.

It's already rammed-full of video and pics so my bet is we're going to be seeing a lot more from the KK gang.

North posted this video of their UK rider Graham Woods training in Cape Town.

There's tonnes of Cabo Verde Super session clips posted around the web, but here's a couple 'o good 'uns from WIND mag.

Angulo posted video of his heat against Kevin Pritchard during the PWA Cabo Verde World Cup.

Boardseeker have some deals from windsurfing Travel Co. Club Sportif posted to destinations such as Tobago and Mauritius travelling from Europe.

Please leave any links to anything else hot in the Comments section below so I can get some frickin' rest. Thanks.

Spring is in the Air

Timo Mullen scored some great conditions at home with his brother Finn in the North West of Ireland. See the end of the post for more pics.

Thanks to Timo and his brother Tam who took the shots.

U-Ride have a couple of new video links up including footage of Victor Fernandez training in Cape Town.

The Boardseeker February Podcast is available to download now or to view on their homepage player.

Watch out for Pirates...

There's some good news on SurferToday for those thinking of a Spring Break or visiting Guincho for the PWA World Cup about TAP airlines and surfboards.

French speakers and lovers of the famous Gruissan spot, please pledge your allegiance to this campaign. Thanks.

Windsurf Journal have a great Go Pro video on their player of World Slalom Champ Antoine Albeau drag racing with fellow PWA Slalom racer Cedric Bordes.

Remember - don't forget to check Pin up of the Day each time you visit WSJ. It's great for swimwear fashion ideas ladies...

  Windsurf Italia's March edition is out now featuring John Skye on the front cover.

Surferworld.it report that top wave sailor Anne-Marie Reichmann has joined the Starboard SUP team.

Does this mean she's going to be competing on Starboard on the PWA Tour too instead of Naish?

MadWindsurfing have some shots of waves on Curacao in the Dutch Antilles.

Here's some more of those shots from Ireland.

Here's a sequence of Finn.

 

 

...and the rest           

Back in Effect

Many wave-crammed days and a training course later and Beach Telegraph is back in action.

With the dust settling from the Cabo Verde event it's time to get back up-to-speed with everything going on.

So much has happened that I gotta draw a line in the sand and just start from here instead of catching-up.

Actually, just sticking in Cabo Verde for a minute, you'll see that Graham Ezzy won the Super Session.

www.Windinfo.eu sent the flyer above for the Boardshort Picnic Windsurfing Camp (German language) in Gargano Italy.

Continent Seven editor and PWA racer Chris Pressler's been enjoying himself and winning in Vietnam.

Epic Sessions has been giving great webcast service in Maui during the past week. And GP thinks it's about time the PWA offered even a low budget version themselves. What do you think? Should they wait until they get a high-quality rig and the extra budget to staff it and host it, or should they just give us action in any way possible?

Just bear in mind though that although it's easy to park at Ho'okipa and do this, but other competition areas are harder to capture as the contest areas are huge and you'd need extra people to film edit and commentate, plus all the additional radios and someone to coordinate - which all costs money even on a low budget scale.

Don't forget to check GP out on the Flowrider at Kihei too.

Hotsails have been enjoying some Tandem action.

Before the 'line in the sand' WIND mag sent these links to videos of  Thomas Traversa and friends in Big Wave action in France and the consequences.

Boujmaa Guillol is now Blogging.

I saw this Reggae outfit on Twitter thanks to Ms. Porter. I wonder if he inhaled?

Let's not forget 'The Hustle Project' where I hassle the industry for free gear for you guys. Although I've been offline for a week I'm still holding the Fanatic T-Shirt comp open for at least today.

Here's a reminder of the question and details:

How many PWA Events were won by Fanatic Riders in 2008?

Please leave your answer in the Comments section below AND mail me at [email protected] stating why you want the shirt and like the brand for when I choose the winners. Thanks.

Rules: 1. No pros or sponsored riders or dealers are allowed to answer. We will know who you are! 2. I'll think up more rules as I go along.

More soon. Please leave links to anything you think I've missed in the Comments section below.

Outta Here

OK so I've seen a forecast for wind and waves and have decided to hit the road for a few days while the PWA have the spotlight in Cabo Verde with their live ticker updates, daily summaries, up-to-the-minute elimination ladders and photo galleries.

There's a couple of Bloggers covering the event too like  Spirit of Ponta Preta, Pietro Porcella (Italian language) and Andre Paskowski - plus don't forget the official event website.

The forecast says it's gonna be pumping there this weekend and early/midweek again. Hopefully it's gonna go off where I'm headed too...

Elsewhere, www.EpicSessions.tv are streaming live from Ho'okipa, Maui! You can live chat the camera and ask for specific zooming-in et cetera. It's in 'Beta' so please be patient. 

Please be sure to send a big thank you to David Troup for bringing you this service.

Quite a few sites are running the Pre Cabo Verde PR sent out by Fanatic. You can see that release and the pics at Boardseeker and www.Surferworld.it

SailLoft invite you to visit their newly-launched website.

If you're hungry for more news and content then please look at the list on the Links page - and feel free to add more suggested links in the Comments sections.  Thanks.

Enjoy the contest and I'll be back in action as soon as the wind and waves back off. I'll also announce the winners of the Fanatic T-Shirt competiton then too...so please keep sending your answers and I'll pick the winner when I'm back.

Quiet Before the Storm

Chris Pressler got some pics of Bjorn Dunkerbeck on his new wave sails in Fuerteventura.

WIND TV have a nice little flick of young PWA Carribean wavesailing star Camille Juban and Oliv' Lafleur in action at home in Guadaloupe. (French language.)

It's the 'quiet before the storm' elsewhere with most sites running the PWA's Cabo Verde Event Preview. 

During the event I'll try and pick the best of the bunch of all the bloggers and sites covering the competition for you.

I really hope all the good non 'time sensitive' stories don't leak onto the web and that there's some quality tales and images saved and developed for print magazines.

More Road Trip mishaps - this time for Nayra Alonso.

Now, you know my rules about not mentioning K*^tesurfing on these pages? Well here's another exception due to a local byelaw ruling in the U.K as posted by Boardseeker. (Tip: Click on image to enlarge.)

Don't forget the chance to win another Fanatic T-Shirt competition is still open...

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.

Wide World

Surferworld announce the Vassiliki Watersports Festival in Lefkas, Greece.

Former racing World Champ Micah Buzianis has relaunched his website for 2009.

Windsurf Journal report that Campello's ditching Freestyle for 2009...

Boards Magazine have deals on travel for their subscribers.

Hatteras looks like it's been fun...again. I wanna get lost there!

Here's some more Wide-Angle action from the Go-Pro camera courtesy of Epic Sessions.

The injured John Skye took a tour of the RRD HQ in Italy.

Tatiana Howard's giving something back again.

There's going to be loads of people down in Cabo Verde reporting on the PWA event next week - -starting with Francisco Porcella's Dad Pietro. Looks like he already spotted some Pirates.

And we have a winner of the Fanatic T-Shirt competition. Congratulations Peter from Hungary who knew without doubt that the longest running name of a board model in the current range is the...VIPER. I'll be in contact about the details.

Peter also predictably said he's  "a Fanatic too" but he reckons he can prove it with a catalogue from 1989. Fanatic HQ have confirmed this fact.

Thanks to everyone who entered and sent in great answers and reasons why they wanted to win.It's amazing how many of you are broke and need clothes or are "emotionally attached" to your Fanatics.

So I guess we should run with the next question to give the rest of you addicts another chance?

OK. Question 2 for a Fanatic T-Shirt:

When did Fantic's shaper Sebastian Wenzel start working with CAD?

Rules: 1. No pros or sponsored riders or dealers are allowed to answer. We will know who you are! 2. I'll think up more rules as I go along.

Please leave your answer in the Comments section below stating why you want the shirt and like the brand for when I choose the winners, AND mail me at [email protected] 

Globe-Trotting

Windsurf Journal (French Language and Google translated page) have a useful news link to a windsurfing travel resource on Maui, Morocco, Maui, Australia and more by globe-trotting Frenchman Jérôme Pajaud.

Roberto Hoffman, who's also the PWA's excellent commentator, is hosting clinics with Italian Tour Operator Hollywind in Dahab, Egypt next month.

Here's some more pics of Kauli's Quad - looks like the Quatro logo's been removed now...

The Fanatic T-Shirt comp is still open...a lot of you are really showing your age.

How Deep?

Deepfried.tv went deep. Real deep.

Happy Birthday Naish.

Be afraid. He's back.

Bill loves the smell of fresh print in the morning.

Another great 'on-forecast' competition format in the UK. This time for Freestyle.

Severne officially announced their signing of Karin Jaggi today. Isn't that amazing that she's got 27 world titles? How many sportspeople could say that?

Apparently Bjorn Dunkerbeck is the most successful sportsperson ever in terms of world titles. He has won 35... so far...and like Jaggi also sails for Switzerland and Severne sails.

WIND magazine are like a dog with a bone with the PWA right now. First there was the Defi Wind date clash with the PWA Korea World Cup, and now they're outraged that Albeau (French language) can't get into the Cabo Verde event.

It's tough, but a lot of riders, including some who did well at Ponta Preta last season, can't even get into this 32-man limited entry event. I guess that proves how high the standard is.

Uncut

Maui's Top Dog Blogger GP Cammaro gives it to you uncut.

And Tom from Hot Sails went boom-cam crazy too.

Chris Pressler's been testing Starboards  in 'Nam.

The Black Local enjoyed Ho'okipa too.

JP sent out a Press Release containing an interview with Antoine Albeau.

I've uploaded the [Word] file so you can read it uncut. Antoine's contract with JP/NeilPryde started February 1st.

WIND magazine (French) have an interesting piece on how up-and-coming youngster Camille Juban was refused entry to the Cabo Verde World Cup.

 With old-skool riders like Goya being allowed in instead, Juban is feeling the cold wind outside of the PWA Top-32.

However some youngsters such as Kai Lenny and Graham Ezzy have been given Wildcards, which is great in terms of seeing fresh blood, but a bitter pill to swallow for a youngster with experience.

What are your views on this? Should Juban have been given his chance? Please leave any comments below. Thanks. (No sign-in required.)

Continent Seven posted something 'Baltic' to contrast those balmy images of Maui. Check out the link 'Halliday' on their front page.

Boards Mag report a new Ocean Source clinic in Morocco with John Skye and Nayra Alonso.

Mind you, 'Skyeboy' is out for a while after picking up an injury in Cape Town. Let's hope that heals swiftly before Cabo Verde.

Planche Mag 316 is out on the stands.

That's all for now folks. Please leave any news of other new print issues out or hot links in the Comments section underneath. Thanks.