Beach Telegraph

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!

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!

Fast Cows

The Fuerte Wave Classic organizers were very impressed with Boardseeker's footage of the event. So will you be.

Earlier today I posted a link to some wavesailing action in Tasmania.

Alastair McCleod who made and featured in the clip sent this link for anyone else interested in the windsurfing conditions and scene in Tasmania. Thanks Alastair for the info.

A summary and pics of the Cabo Verde event from French rider Yann Sorlut.

Details of a 'fun' World Title for Bjorn Dunkerbeck at the C7 Blog.

I got this Press Release and the shot above and below from www.MooCustom.co.uk about some Speedsailing action in England.

(Pics by Steve Thorp.)

Moo Custom on top

Moo Custom, Britain’s sexiest custom board builders have teamed up with Britain’s fastest, Farrel O’Shea.

Farrel has put much effort into the speed situation over the last few years and is keen to push forward to the next level.

One of the best parts of custom board building is the ability to listen to the customer’s requirements and Farrel knows what he wants from a board down to the last half millimetre.

At West Kirby on Sunday after a wind drought over the winter and on the day before the lake is due to close for wall repairs the conditions almost delivered.

It was a bit 'parky', not quite enough wind and from a slightly too square angle but a good days speed sailing was had by all.

Farrel scored the top speed of the day with a 45.29 knot max, using his new Moo Custom and Simmer SC Race 6.3 in 25knots of wind gusting to 30knots.

Surely a very pleasing indication of speeds to come! >>END

Here's a shot of the board he used.

Finally, if you didn't see the video or vote on the Goyta/Air Taka Poll to the right, please check it out and register your opinion! Thanks.

Short 'n Sweet

Runnin' late today so it's a high-speed roundup for now.

Angulo sent this video 'In the Gap' for your enjoyment.

Another Cabo Verde flick, this time from Robby Swift, available at the JP Australia website.

Cloudy Maui.

What is it with all the angry Sharks this year? Maybe they're finding the water too dirty?

Perhaps with that in mind former PWA racing Champ Allison Shreeve is making a mammoth crossing in aid of the 'Coast Care' charity.

Steve Bodner's also being a Friend of the Water.

And if you're a Face-booker you can help Robert Masters of Maui's  Stableroad by joining his I Care About Water group - please help him reach 1000 members by tonight! Thanks. (There's also a Stable Road Facebook Group...)

A snap of a 5-fin RRD Prototype.

Don't forget the Fuerte Wave Classic comp's on still and to view their galleries.

Good work and well done for the Beach Clean guys.

Irish Red Bull Rider Oisin Van Gelderen sent these shots from the Irish Intervarsities Windsurfing Comp this past weekend on Achill Island.

Oisin said " I was there to judge the student wave Expression Session, and I used a unique new technique called 'judging from the water'. 

We went sailing all day and mid push loops I kept one eye on what everyone else was doing !"

I bet those stranded-in-a-tower PWA judges wish they could do that too...

Thanks once again to Oisin for the heads-up and shots.

Have a nice day. Hopefully more later...

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.

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]