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| Windsport Editor, Pete Dekay |
What's new for Windsport this year? I’ve been happy with what we’ve been doing but I’m always open to making changes. I’ve been talking to people about what they like best in a mag and the answers cover as much of a range as the sport of windsurfing itself. I am definitely trying to increase the instructional sections and we’ll definitely try to keep everyone happy from the gear-heads to the dreamers and travelers.
When will we see the first issue? The first issue is at the printer now so subscribers should be seeing it within the next few weeks. I’m stoked with it... but I really want to hear what readers think (so please send letters via e-mail to letters@windsport.com ). I know I should leak some content but as a long-time avid reader of windsurfing magazines I love the excitement of being surprised by what I see when the mag arrives in the mail. Here are a few hints for now:
- Hatteras bouncing back from Hurricane Irene
- Highwind board and sail tests
- A report on the 2012 Lord of the Wind Showdown by Josh Sampiero
- Robby Naish’s bucket list of windsurfing places
- 3 Huge contests: win a trip to Punta San Carlos, win a Chinook RDM, and win a pair of E-11 Dunkerbeck Eyewear sunglasses
- A waterstarting tip feature with Andy Brandt of ABK Boardsports
- John Carter and Micah Buzianis visit Josh Angulo’s new home in Boston
- and much more
Rory Ramsden reports the important numbers for the next, soon to start, regatta that will be the last chance for countries to qualify for the Olympics just 4 months away: "The fleets are full. 120 men and 80 women have been accepted to the 2012 RS:X Worlds scheduled to start racing on March 22. There are more sailors from more countries here than raced in the RS:X fleets at the 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships last December in Perth...there are competitors from 47 countries and 5 continents registered to race in the RS:X men's fleet with 19 of them chasing 9 national qualification places for the London Olympic Regatta. Over in the RS:X women's fleet, there are racers from 36 countries, 16 chasing only 7 remaining places. More than 50 countries have taken part in the Olympic Qualification process defined by ISAF. 49 of them will assemble for the Opening Ceremony in Puerto Sherry, Cadiz, Spain." Adding to the drama, Neil Pryde put up $45,000 in prize money, the first time this Olympic Class has raced for money.
For North America there is big drama ahead. Canada earned its berths in Perth and will select Team members in Cadiz. Canada qualified as a country for both RS:X men and women at the ISAF Worlds in Perth. But who will go to the Olympics? The 2012 Worlds is the team qualifier for Canada. Best finishers at Cadiz, in a winner take all competiton, will compete in the Olympics. For the men, the battle is between Zac Plavsic and David Hayes; for the women, Nikola Girke versus Dominique Vallee. The U.S. qualified as a country at Perth for the RS:X men only. US Olympic Team member Bob Willis gets to go. Team member, Farrah Hall, now in a do or die situation, must qualify the U.S. for one of the 7 remaining country slots. Mexico's Demita DeVega and David Mier Teran competed in the RS:X class at the 2008 Olympics. David has already qualified Mexico at Perth but Demita still needs to win one of the remaining country berths.
The world's best RS:X sailors have already qualified their countries for the Olympics and will have a chance to sail an aggressive regatta for the $45,000 prize money at Cadiz. The remaining country hopefuls must sort their way through large and crowded fleets where the first 6 races will be crucial to their fate of being an Olympian or not.
The RS:X Class will conduct their general meeting on March 24. The much touted 6 lb. lighter prototype hull has been withdrawn for consideration as the replacement for the next quadrennial because of poor worldwide economic conditions. Instead, the Class is focusing on and will vote for or against improvements to the fin and sail. After the London Olympics, sometime toward the end of this year, there will be a decision for the upcoming games in Brazil on whether or not to include windsurfing as a sailing class for the next Olympiad.
Radar · Do not miss Sofie Louca's Fish Bowl Diaries interview with Bernd Roediger, someone who really appreciates noodles ~ Gorge development issues - Coal trains - Cable Park ~ Wind-NC newest teamrider: Catherine Elizabeth ~ If you're feeling nostalgic for WindSurfing drop by the FB Page ~ Stan Sprout's Gorge photos from the glorious 80's ~ Just an ordinary day with Micah Buzianis ~ Thanks Trudy Lary for the next 2 items - Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire for speed sailing on big ice and strong winds - Jose Pina Album ~ Board sailing in the US needs a boost, reports CISA ~ Pimp my van ~ Car damages recently completed new building at Worldwinds ~ New England Windsurfing Journal wants recommendations for current instructional windsurfing DVDs ~ Wetsuit or Birthday Suit? ~
New school wave skills · No matter what it's called, what we do with and on the wave has evolved over the years. Is it better? It's just different, richer, more complex, dance like. For sure, the view from the beach demands that you pay attention. If you're dumbfounded in mid gawk wondering what you just saw...was that a flaka, a wave 360, a mutant, a goiter...doesn't matter. It's no longer just frontside or backside wave rides, there's more...Here are some of the practitioners of the new wave art enjoying a new style ride.
Victor Fernandez · The above proprietary Continent Seven video player allows you to play it in forward or reverse in order to study the move. Victor calls it a Backside Wave 360° and it might be the most extreme one ever recorded on video. The 26 year old Victor, who started windsurfing at age 5, has competed for 10 years on the PWA Tour, winning the 2010 PWA World Wave Championship: tribute video. . His new website is in Spanish or if you prefer, English. More moves and more style are on his video page.
Levi Siver · The above is maybe a recently hatched new move or perhaps just a clever recovery. From his website bio: "It’s always intriguing how a land-locked kid from Idaho can grow up to be one of the best windsurfers in the world...Dubbed the King of Style for his ability to draw flawless lines and create smooth, inspired manoeuvres...'Competing is something I enjoy, but you can’t let it inhibit your creativity or progression, or at least that’s been my approach,' he explains...'I look at my whole career as an achievement...I get to do what I love and get paid for it and live in Hawaii at the same time. I’m so thankful that my parents supported me and allowed me to follow my dreams.'” Find more Levi on his video page. Check out his News from the same website for even more videos, like this.
Mark Angulo · umi shot the above video that appeared in the July 2011 issue of Windsurfer. It is a great piece introducing Mark as a shaper, innovator and all out wave sailing fanatic. He's the old man in this group and the inventor of many of the wacha call that wave move. He runs Mark Angulo Custom Maui, the business his father Ed started 40 years ago. A couple of short video clips showing his inventions: Mutant & Clew First 360's - Double Mutant
Marcilio Browne · Born in 1989, he comes from Fortaleza, Brazil. You may know him as Brawzinho, a nickname given to him by his father. He comes from a family of windsurfers. His brother Gabriel races on the PWA and both his father and uncle are multiple national windsurf champions. He started windsurfing at the age of 4, won his first PWA event at 16 and his first Freestyle World Title at 18. Now Marcilio only competes on Tour in waves. More videos on his website.
Phillip Koster · He is the current 2011 PWA World Wave Champion which he won at the age of 17. The above video is from the Double Elimination Final at 2011 Pozo where long wave rides are rare. Here's some Maui video before the start of the 2011 PWA World Tour. An amazing video of the final, Koster vs Campello, from the live coverage, September '11 at Klitmoller with commentary by Robby Swift and Head PWA Judge, Duncan Coombes. ( the commercials at the beginning of the video are short )
Postcript · If last week's interview mention of the Exocet D2 got your interest, check out this recent board review from Tinho Dornellas.
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