Learn It Good · Robby · Windsurfer · Interviews

ABK Boardsports is "the oldest professionally run windsurfing school in the United States. Since 1982 it has never stopped its circuit of instruction, holding nearly 1000 multi-day camps across the US and the Caribbean. Having been with ABK since 1988, Andy Brandt bought the company in 2002 and is continuing their tradition of excellence. Because of his exposure with ABK he has become one of the best-known instructors in the USA"...Windsurfing Legends

Windsport editor Pete Dekay credits Andy with this pearl: 'The mastering of windsurfing is the realization that you can’t.” The Windsurf Loop Blog reports: "We just got back from a week in Bonaire a few days ago. It was just wonderful, as usual, except that the wind was even better than before - we were planing every single day without needing big sails, and had only half a day of light winds (too little for Nina, who would have liked to practice light wind tricks for a couple of days). We met old friends and made new friends at the ABK camp, and learned a few new tricks...full report." If you want to see more of what ABK camps are like: The ABK Alumni Blog

The ABK tour will be doing a bunch of camps in Aruba and Bonaire until early April. They return to the U.S. landing in South Padre, TX April 19 and will head to Hatteras and then up to Long Island, NY. For exact dates, find them on the schedule.

Aloha Clinics are ready to start their first of 5 planned events on Maui this year. Matt Pritchard and Shawna Cropas will kick off the first event set for March 17 - 24. Clinics accommodate all skill levels. The following month, Matt and Kevin McGillivray will do the first of 3 planned Baja Wave Camps at Punta San Carlos' Solo Sports. The first week long camp is set for Aptil 21 - 28. The SOCAL Windsurfing Blog wrote about Matt's Wave Camp: "I can’t describe how productive this clinic is. The conditions are ideal, the instruction is very refined, the camp is comfortable, the food is excellent, the equipment is top of the line, and the staff is great. I was a little worried about the number of participants in our clinic (16) and how that might dilute my ability to get personal attention. That was not the case. I felt Matt and KMAC were all over us, and the evening reviews proved they didn’t miss a thing, even if it had not been captured by a photo or video." Find the blog here and page down for each of the PSC Wave Camp's 4 parts.

Wyatt Miller and Tyson Poor are headed to Cabarete, Dominican Republic for 2 one week clinics: Learn from the Pros.  Clinics will be catered to each groups ability but can include jibes, tricks and wave sailing, in addition to SUP and Surf Trips. First one starts March 19. Wyatt adds, "Getting super stoked for the trip, we have all the toys lined up from Vela and access to the Van for downwinders and surf trips. Not to mention one of Vela's ex-instructors will be heading down with us to make sure we find the best activities for the conditions." You can hook up again for more tutoring with Wyatt and Tyson at the Makani Fins, OBX Clinics on Hatteras April 16 - 27. Another planned event is scheduled with Wyatt and Tyson at Solo Sports for a week of wave and freestyle instruction, May 19 - 26. If you miss this one there's another clinic in October. More about the duo on their website.

Guy Cribb adds another Maui learning opportunity for March 17 - 28. He tees up the Surf Gods advanced to experts Clinic: "For those brave enough or experienced enough to have already sailed in rough water or waves, this course is designed to transform you from an advanced windsurfer into a successful wave sailor, and make the locals at your beach turn their heads when they see your wave knowledge and skills in action - finding the sections to hit wave riding, blasting out effortlessly but aggressively over the white water as though it wasn't there, gliding through jumps and loops with confidence and control and demonstrating an experienced understanding of the waves that would otherwise take years to discover." Guy's next stop is a Freeride Clinic for intermediates to advanced in Corpus Christi, TX, March 30 - April 2. Unfortunately, Worldwinds reports the clinic is already full.

If you want to improve but don't have the time and or money for a clinic, the next best, IMHO, is to take a look at the Instruction section of the Learners guide... where you will find tons of help from all of the above. Don't forget, the only North American windsurfing events calendar is located at the top of the Blogroll on the right side of this Blog.

Robby Naish ·  If surf culture grabs your interest, take a virtual stroll through Oahu's Surfer, The Bar at the Turtle Bay Resort (keep paging down, there's a zillion videos). Whether you see him as the Godfather of Windsurfing  or simply The King, when he talks, you gotta stop and listen. And when Robby talks history it's always interesting. Now, fast forward to Robby's newest Facebook Page Started December 2011, the real time life of Robby is being recorded one post at a time. Robby's first generation FB Page has almost 34,000 fans. It's only fitting to follow up with Kai Lenny from the same venue. After all Robby's sail number is US 1111 and Kai's is US 1112.

Click the photo...read the mag.

Interviews ·  Sofie Louca is super stoked about her new blog, The Fish Bowl Diaries. She does the writing and both she and husband, Paul take the photos. Sofie says,"we shoot high end weddings with a fashion, contemporary style for a living and you can see some of our work on our website, Amorphia Photography."  She brings a fresh and different perspective to the interview format and as you might expect, amazing photos. 

Her first interview was Matt Pritchard:  Here is a taste: "Tell us about an event that changed your life or your character? Having a kid! Talk about a life changing experience!!! WOW- I was amazed that they let you walk out of the hospital with this thing- no license, no real training, just dropped right into the battlefield armed with a couple diapers….. Man oh man! One of the greatest experiences you could ever have! Words can’t really describe it."

The second interview with Kai Katchadourian: Sofie starts the interview with, "I have the worst memory ever but occasionally there are a few things that stay with me quite vividly, one of which is Kai Katchadourian’s MASSIVE aerial back in 1997 at the Dakine competition at Ho’okipa. I can’t even begin to describe the sound of the gasp let out by everyone on the beach as he hit the lip on a mast high wall of water and just went up and up and up. That aerial was in the final heat of the competition against Josh Angulo and it played a big role in winning him that event..."

Continent Seven did a monster interview with Micah Buzianis: C7: Since 1997 you could make a real living on windsurfing. Is it still enough nowadays and how many more years do you plan to continue?

Micah: It is certainly a lot harder to make a good living from windsurfing, less prize money dollars, more expensive travel and less industry money for sponsorship. I am still fortunate to be making a living from it, but I have had to get creative to also generate some other sources of income. I find it very hard to understand how some guys make it in windsurfing, when you talk to guys and find out what they make it is amazing that they can even afford to live let alone travel around the world and compete. I guess I did it similar to that in the early days though so it can be done. My plan right now is to continue for three more years giving it my all and then see where I am, you never know though that could change and it could be longer or shorter it depends on a lot of different factors.

"Postscript · Sarah Hebert recently reported: "Finally, after two years of preparation, I am only a few days away from realizing my dream...like a horse in his stall before the race, I want out... The team and I will leave France on February 18 to reach Dakar, and the great departure will probably take place on February 21st. Until then, we prepare the final technical details...and I chomp at the bit..."