The popular multi-lingual Surf-Forum have launched a SUP forum too.
Nearly time for the Surf Festival, Makkum (Holland), a joint-run event between the Dutch 'Surf' Magazine and German 'Surf' magazines, from 9th-11th October.
With a Dutch Open Slalom and Formula event, all the brands with their 2010 gear to try, parties, Star appearances from Josh Angulo, Kauli Seadi and Brawzinho, plus a speed challenge and FourDimensions Movie screening it's a must-go event for Northern European windsurfers.
Awesome stuff from the Reunion Wave Classic again today.
What's up with Alex Mussolini's hair?
A wet and windy Irish Wavesailing Association event was successfully run this weekend in County Mayo. (More slideshows from Oisin Van Gelderen here.)
Mistral boss Anders Bringdal - a crew member and clothing sponsor of the record-breaking Hydroptere that recently broke a set of speed records, including the outright 500m record long-held by windsurfing, called in to explain how the ride was for him onboard the world fastest wind-powered vessel.
“We did it on Friday the 4th, the second day of our month-long attempt.
My position on board is with my back to the skipper - I work as a winch grinder to get the Jib back in every time we open the sail a little. This means I’m pretty constantly turning the winch for about 4 minutes for as fast and hard as I can...
Apart from that I also help with some set up like the angles of the foils and the rigging of the main sail.
Conditions was great and to start with wind in the 25 knots range. We set off thinking we should go for the mile record.
The first practice run went well with 2 reefs in the mail and the big Jib. Finding ourselves a bit underpowered we opted to take one reef out to power the boat up a bit. The wind then increased some to about 27 knots.
This time the speed started to show with points in the 49 and a new world record of 44,9 on the nautical mile. Wind still building and so did the speed of the boat. Like Yoda in Star wars said." there is no try... only do or do not! The time had come...winds in the 30-knot range with gusts in the 32 range.
On our second to last run we took off and a gust launched us into a top speed of 54 knots and the nautical mile into the 47,9 range and a 500m run of 50,30 knots! Everybody was super happy but starting to show signs of fatigue as there is so much concentration and power needed as the loads were going through the roof on the winches.
On the way back Alain [Thebault] was still not so happy as when we where at 54 knots there was a small ventilation on the foil and we had slowed down in an abrupt way and he felt we could do better...
With a 45 minute rest in us we took off on our last run, this time with the sails set better and were able to have a better trim in the very start of the run. We got hit by a big gust and taken more offshore.
The boat stayed stable and the speed kept climbing... 46, 48,49,50,52 small slowdown to 49 then full on again - last I saw was 54 with speed still climbing...everybody was doing what they could to get 100% out of the boat, we top ended up on 55,7 knots then as we came out of the gust we ended up with a little bit to big of a rolling wave and the nose touched down in the water with a deceleration that slowed us to 20 knots, all sheets being eased at the speed which had caused the winches to start smoking!
I remember turning back as the nose came back out of the water to see a cloud of water 20m in the air behind the boat and the smell of burnt rope and the realization that we must have achieved a pretty unbelievable 500m time as well as the nautical mile.
Well the rest is now in the books. 2 new world records. 500m 51,36 knots, 1 Nautical Mile 48,72 knots.
For the Hydropter and its team it’s a fantastic achievement, thinking back to when we flipped the boat back in Late December destroying the mast, main sail, The electronics and all seemed to be lost.... to come back fighting and achieve what we have just done is a dream come true.
Lets see where this will all end; we have until October 7 still. Wind and weather permitting I think we can add a few more knots to both records.”
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.
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
First-up is a nice shot sent in by George from the Live2Sail Blog. Thanks George.
Here's a really short interview with PWA Wave Tour leader Josh Angulo on Maui.ee.
A Chilean adventure on video with Fabrice Beaux.
Some boom-Cam action from Seatex Boards on Windsurfmag.it.
After scraing some seals, GP is being cruel to Oceanic mammal life. Again. This time he's taken on a Sea Lion.
Don't you just love these vintage magazines. I love the smell and feel of these old issues crammed with great stories and less ads than in many you see today. (Even with the recession.) Check out the great surf books there too.
Speaking of Surf books, PWA and legendary surf scene photographer Alex Williams has launched a new book of some classic shots of British Surfing in the 70s in a new publication titled 'Atlantic Surfers'. (You can preview the first 15 pages online.)
The March issue of Boards is out and I've got two articles published.
(That's Canadian PWA Freestyle rider Phil Soltysiak on the cover by the way.)
First up I've a review of the career of Scott McKercher followed by an investigation into the new Freestyle Classix format.
If you've read these I'd love some feedback on either the articles or the subject. Thanks.
WIND Mag issue 333 is also out now and it's a monster test issue. Check out the huge list of gear they've tried out.
Any other new issues of magazines out? Please leave the details in the Comment section below. Thanks.
U-Ride have a link to some video of Slalom racing action in The Gorge.
With the Fuerteventura Wave Classic a few days away, WSJ have posted a link to video of Spew Pits cranking on the island from last week to whet your appetite.
UK Windsurf and SUP pro John Hibbard wrote in; 'The main right peak at this beach is rammed with Surfers everyday and is a 100% No Go Zone for SUPers.
The left in between the main break and the rivermouth is empty but it's hard to catch - not on my Starboard 8' 5" though!'
And finally. The Hustle Project. We've got a winner of the Fanatic T-Shirt contest.
So congratulations to Rudie from Holland correctly answered that Fanatic won 4 World Cup events in 2008 - World freestyle champ Gollito won Podersdorf and Lanzarote and world number 2 wavesailor Victor Fernandez won in Pozo and Sylt.
Rudie said 'I really like Fanatic because one of their boards got me back in to windsurfing big time!! And they are not through with me because I still want the freewave 86 ltr!'
Rudie - I'll be in contact about the details. Let's see what the rest of the industry can come up with for you guys? I guess you'll shout loudly about what you got from them at the beach hey? Power to the people! Lets get you some stash.
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