Colas Nahaboo personal site, with discussions about programming code, web and computing topics, surfing and SUPing, and various musings. Zola 2008-10-05T00:00:00+00:00 https://colas.nahaboo.net/tags/windsurf/atom.xml 2008-10-05T00:00:00+00:00 2008-10-05T00:00:00+00:00 Unknown https://colas.nahaboo.net/surf/windsurfing-back-to-the-roots/ <div class="obsolete-overlay"> Legacy </div> <style> .obsolete-overlay { /* Position fixed to cover the screen as you scroll */ position: fixed; top: 40px; left: 60%; transform: translate(-50%, -50%) rotate(-5deg); /* Look and Feel */ font-size: 2vw; /* Scales with screen width */ font-weight: 800; color: rgba(255, 0, 0, 0.4); /* Red text with 40% opacity */ background: rgba(255, 255, 0, 0.2); /* Yellow background with 20% opacity */ border: 15px solid rgba(255, 0, 0, 0.3); /* Red border 30% opacity */ padding: 10px 20px; /* Technical magic */ z-index: 9999; /* Keep it above everything else */ pointer-events: none; /* IMPORTANT: Allows clicking through the text */ text-transform: uppercase; white-space: nowrap; user-select: none; /* Prevents highlighting the watermark */ } </style> <p>I am an avid <a rel="noopener external" target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windsurfing">windsurfer</a>, or maybe I was. The sport is now mature (I have started in ... 1975), and have somewhat lost the excitement we enjoyed before as the state of the art was constantly progressing, but have stagnated for some years now. It even kind of became an "old people sport", as the new generation - even my daughter - took on <a rel="noopener external" target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitesurfing">kiteboarding instead</a> which is easier to learn and less physically taxing, especially when you must carry all the gear on soft sand.</p> <p>But the excitement is back, in the form of a... return to the roots! First a lot of people began to put a windurfer rig on top of a surfboard, specifically the new large <a rel="noopener external" target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stand_up_paddle_surfing">SUP</a> boards, able to support more weight than regular surfboards, not unlike <a rel="noopener external" target="_blank" href="https://www.surfline.com/surfaz/surfaz.cfm?id=924">tandem</a> boards. It is really a return to the roots, as the first windsurfer was conceived exactly in this manner (putting a rig on a longboard). However, this time, thanks to the progress both in windsurfing technique, sails, rigs and fins, and board construction and shape, the result has nothing in common with the early sailboards. Even Robby Naish, our God of windsurfers has <a rel="noopener external" target="_blank" href="https://www.shq.com.au/shq/ktml2/images/uploads/SUP/DW_img003.jpg?0.44054415931884455">tried it</a> too.</p> <p>Then,what happened to surfing has been happening also to this "new old" surfing-with-a-sail reinvention of sailboarding. First, we saw the "hotdogging" movement I witnessed in my surfing youth with wide and shorter boards, with a fin placed full forward and a step to release the water flow at the tail. For surfing it was the famous 1970 <a rel="noopener external" target="_blank" href="https://www.newyorksurf.com/modules/xcgal/albums/userpics/10359/normal_small%20aipa.jpg">stingers</a> of Ben Aipa, for windsurfing the <a rel="noopener external" target="_blank" href="https://www.kona-windsurfing.com/products/konaminitanker.asp">Kona</a> with a step bottom, and modern windsurfing traits that are the pad and straps.</p> <p>And now, we are entering surfing's 1960s and its the twin finned short <a rel="noopener external" target="_blank" href="https://www.surfline.com/surfaz/surfaz.cfm?id=803">fish</a>, with the new AHD <a rel="noopener external" target="_blank" href="https://www.a-h-d.com/news/index.wrd?newsid=340&amp;ahdid=3ea1a823d8d614e09fdb88978d143f45">Sea lion</a>, a strapless twin fin, and even some custom boards like the one in the picture</p> <p>We are even seeing the return of soft cloth (aka Dacron) sails, in the form of the new <a rel="noopener external" target="_blank" href="https://www.hotsailsmaui.com/2008/sails.php?sail=superfreak">superfreak</a>. Although I must confess that I am not ready to move back from my beloved <a rel="noopener external" target="_blank" href="https://www.ezzy.com/">Ezzy sails</a>.</p> <p>So, I am back on a windsurfer after 33 years, with my new Kona and Sea Lion, ready for new adventures... see you on the water!</p>