ONE DAY. ONE NIGHT. ONE MISSION! BOB VAN DE BURGTS 24-HOUR RECORD ATTEMPT!ONE DAY. ONE NIGHT. ONE MISSION!BOB VAN DE BURGTS 24-HOUR RECORD ATTEMPT!Professional windsurfer Bob van de Burgt has built a reputation on pushing beyond the limits of endurance. But this challenge was about far more than a world record. After completing a brutal 400-kilometre crossing to the UK and back in 2024, Bob set himself an even bigger goal: to windsurf non-stop for 24 hours and attempt the world record for distance covered in a single day.Battling darkness, exhaustion, changing wind and physical pain, he would spend an entire day and night on the water in what became a true test of determination, resilience and mental strength. But at the heart of the challenge was a much bigger purpose.Through his campaign Race Against Time, Bob partnered with the Dutch charity Spieren voor Spieren to raise money and awareness for children living with muscle diseases. For these children, every day is a race against time as their muscles gradually lose strength.Over 24 relentless hours, Bob van de Burgt pushed his body to the absolute limit, not just to chase a record, but to give hope to children fighting battles far greater than his own. We caught up with Bob to find out how he broke the record and how tough this endurance mission was mentally and physically!Photos: Brouwersdam and Daan van LieropWINDSURF: So tell us about the challenge you set yourself and the charity you were raining money for?BOB VAN DE BURGT: So, after my double crossing to the UK and back, I was looking for a new challenge. And, you know, I fell in love with this charity fighting muscle diseases for kids.When I initiated my first challenge for themthe crossing to the UK and back, which was around 400 kilometres in 18 hoursI already knew I wanted to push it further next time.This time I wanted to take an extra step and make it even bigger and more extreme than before. Pretty quickly I came across the idea of a 24-hour attempt, which would basically double the kilometres and add a lot more hours on the water.Thats how the new challenge was born. And for me it was always clear that I wanted to do it again for the charity.The weather window this time was very, very shortonly two weeksbecause of all the logistics involved. We had volunteers, a livestream, support boats and whats important to understand is that the record itself was almost secondary. The main goal was to raise money and awareness for children with muscle diseases.So, the whole thing wasnt fully optimised purely for the record. Thats also why I stayed in Holland instead of going somewhere like Gruissan, where the conditions would probably make the record a lot easier with steadier wind and longer reaches.In the end, we only had those two weeks to work with, and we were looking for at least 15 knots throughout the full 24 hours, from a direction that would still allow proper reaches.The reaches were still very short, but at least the conditions were workable.WINDSURF: What were the biggest logistical challenges?BOB VAN DE BURGT: There were a few. First of all: the dark.I discovered that I could actually foil with very little light. What we found was that if I could at least see the nose of my board, I was more or less okay.I didnt need to see every gust or detail on the waterjust enough to know where the board was pointing.We had a line of sailing boats with generators and lights, which helped create enough visibility for me to keep going through the night. The really hard part was not being able to see the gusts.Normally, you spot a gust, keep going another few hundred metres and then jibe right into it. In the dark, you cant do that. You only feel when the power comes in, and then you react.So, the whole game changes completely at night. It becomes much more technical and honestly really difficult. But apart from the lighting setup, there werent too many other logistical issues.WINDSURF: What was the decision day like before you finally pulled the trigger?BOB VAN DE BURGT: The day we decided to go for it was actually pretty chaotic.One of the key guys helping was also the race director of Round Texel, and he had literally just finished that event on the Saturday. We were already looking at Tuesday as our possible weather window, so everything happened very quickly.I think on Monday evening around 6 p.m. we finally gave the go-ahead.Even then, we didnt have a completely fixed start time. Originally, we planned to start around 3 p.m., but it was insanely windy, and I was worried about completely destroying my forearms in the first hour by hanging onto the boom too hard. So we delayed the start until 6 p.m.Once the decision was made, though, I was actually pretty relaxed. I was just chilling at home before heading out. Then suddenly it was showtime.WINDSURF: What gear did you ride?I rode quite a lot of gear during the attempt. I used the FMX 162 Hyperion Pro the whole way through. I had two boards and switched between both of them.For sails, I used the F1SL setup 8m, 6.9m and 5.9m.I started on the 5.9m because I was really powered up early on. Then during the night, when the wind completely dropped, I switched from the 5.9m to the 8m. That felt extremely heavy after already being on the water for so many hours in really shifty, light conditions.I stayed on the 8m for many hours, then eventually moved back to the 6.9m for the last five hours or so.That final setup turned out to be perfect. I think overall the balance with the gear was really good and everything worked great.WINDSURF: What were the biggest lows and highs during the attempt?BOB VAN DE BURGT: The biggest low was probably already in the first hour. My hip started hurting almost immediately and my legs already felt heavy because of all the brutal gusts. I remember thinking: Oh no this is going to be a very, very long 24 hours.But interestingly, the pain stayed more or less the same for hours instead of getting worse. Id spoken to some serious endurance athletes beforehand, and one thing they told me really stuck with me: pain doesnt automatically keep increasing. Sometimes it just stays at a manageable level for a very long time.I held onto that mentally.The night was also really hard. Its scary being out there in total darkness with failing lights, not seeing anything properly, and trying to keep foiling. Then came the moment where the wind completely died. There were only about 4 to 6 knots, and I kept pumping for hours trying to stay going. At one point I finally had to come off the water, and honestly, that was the deepest low point mentally because I thought the record might be gone.My arms were cramping from all the pumping and restarting.Then eventually the wind came back, which became a huge high again.Later, with around five hours left, the team actually took me off the water briefly because I was almost falling asleep while sailing. They gave me pancakes, got some energy back into me, and sent me out again. At that point I was absolutely destroyed.But then with around three or four hours left, Thijs Hanemaaijer came out sailing with me on the perfect setup and suddenly I found a completely new energy tank. The final two hours were probably the hardest I pushed during the entire challenge.And crossing the finish after all those hourswith my family, sponsors, the charity team, support boats and people cheering around methat was definitely the biggest high of all.WINDSURF: What did you eat, and how often did you stop?BOB VAN DE BURGT: I ate roughly one item every houreither an energy bar or a gel with about 30 grams of carbohydrates. On top of that I drank around half a litre of sports drink each hour, which added another 50 grams of carbs. So in total I was taking in around 80 grams of carbohydrates every hour.By the end we calculated that Id consumed over two kilograms of sugar across the whole attempt, which is honestly crazy.Before the dark I also had some pasta pesto, and later during the night when the wind completely disappeared I ate pancakes. I had another quick pancake stop before the final five and a half hours as well. As for stops: one break before the dark for food, one break when there was no wind, and one short break before the final push.WINDSURF: How many times did you crash or have issues?BOB VAN DE BURGT: I only crashed once!That happened during the night when one of the support boats lost its light while I was gybing. I was actually shouting that the light had gone out, and then I fell. It was cold and pretty intense. Whats crazy is that over the full attempt I completed 475 gybes and only crashed once. So honestly, thats a pretty good score.Apart from that, there were no real issues at allno broken gear, no damage, nothing major.WINDSURF: What was the night session like?BOB VAN DE BURGT: The night is always scary. The atmosphere changes completely. Everything feels more gnarly and technical. Like I mentioned before, you cant properly see the gusts, so judging where to jibe becomes much harder. And during the night the wind usually drops as well.But after a few hours you adapt. You stop stressing about the darkness and just work with whatever visibility and light you have. And then there was also lightning all around us. I didnt hear it much, but I could see flashes everywhere, and apparently it was very close. The team later told me they almost pulled me off the water because of it.We ended up just staying on the safe side of the storm, but it was definitely intense.Foiling through the night in those conditions was honestly crazy!WINDSURF: What section of the challange did you cover the most distance?BOB VAN DE BURGT: Definitely during the first four hours when we had proper wind. I think I covered somewhere around 250 to nearly 300 kilometres during that opening phase.The night was slower, especially once the wind dropped. Then first thing in the morning it became very patchy and light, with really short reaches and a lot of stopping because there simply wasnt enough wind.From around 11 a.m. until the finish at 6 p.m., the wind improved again, and thats where I covered almost half the total distance. Whenever there was pressure in the sail, the kilometres came incredibly quickly. Without wind, though, it became brutally hard.WINDSURF: What did you feel like at the finish?BOB VAN DE BURGT: At the very end I actually had no energy bars left, and I think I hit a serious sugar dip. When I arrived back on land I almost passed out. It felt super euphoric and amazing emotionally, but physically I was completely empty.They sat me down, gave me food and sugar, and I just needed some time to recover.It was funny because there were loads of journalists and photographers around me, but theyd all been told not to ask questions yet. So I was sitting there like a monkey in a zoo with cameras everywhere, but nobody speaking to me.Mentally though, I was incredibly happy.We didnt get perfect wind for the full 24 hours, but we extracted absolutely everything possible from every gust. There wasnt one extra kilometre left out there.WINDSURF: Did anyone sail with you?BOB VAN DE BURGT: YesThijs Hanemaaijer sailed with me during the final four hours. He really helped push me during that last stretch. The support boat also communicated through him because after so many hours your decision-making gets slower and less sharp.Sometimes they would tell me when to gybe into a gust, remind me to eat or drink, and honestly there were moments where I completely forgot to do those things. That made a huge difference.After being alone for so long, having somebody out there beside you at that level gives a massive energy boost. So Thijs played a really major role in helping me finish strong.WINDSURF: What was the final result?BOB VAN DE BURGT: I officially covered 761.82 kilometres.Some trackers showed 780 or 782, but the official system removes distance below certain speeds, so 761.82 km is considered the accurate and safe number for the world record. And most importantly, we raised 38,325 for children with muscle diseases.Thats what mattered most!WINDSURF: Who would you like to thank?BOB VAN DE BURGT: You got a minute? Id like to thank, many people. Main sponsor Howden who made it all possible and especially Danni. Moisha who worked tirelessly. Roel and his team, Marco, Thijs, Daan and his team, the Brouwersdam. And everyone who was involved, you know who you are! And obviously the charity Spieren voor Spieren for doing what they do!WINDSURF: Whats next?BOB VAN DE BURGT: In one interview with Dutch media I jokingly mentioned crossing the Atlantic. But honestly, these challenges all started as jokes too so who knows. For now though, I definitely want a break of at least one and a half to two years from these kinds of extreme projects.You can only do so many of them in a career.Even now, a week later, I still picked up a small forearm injury and my energy levels are only slowly coming back. So for the moment, Ive had enough. But overall, its been an absolutely awesome experience!WINDSURF: Congratulations and we hope you recover and can do another challenge some time in the future!The post ONE DAY. ONE NIGHT. ONE MISSION! BOB VAN DE BURGTS 24-HOUR RECORD ATTEMPT! appeared first on Windsurf Magazine Online.

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SCORE MORE, STRESS LESS: CHILE WAVE CAMPS WITH FINN MELLONSCORE MORE, STRESS LESS: CHILE WAVE CAMPS WITH FINN MELLONOver recent years, Chile has been put on the map by the epic IWT/ PWA tour events and as a consequence become a wave sailing location that many of us dream aboutendless left-hand point breaks, relentless Surazo (south) winds and miles of untouched coastline. For Finn Mellon, that dream became reality a few years ago and ultimately something worth sharing.What started as a one-off trip to the evet in Matanzas, quickly turned into a vision to bring others into that world through his guided wave camps in Matanzas. Blending world-class conditions with his acquired local knowledge, logistics dialled in and a crew of like-minded ridersFinns trips offer more than just great sailingthey deliver a full immersion into one of the most incredible wave sailing destinations on the planet.THE DREAMFINN MELLON: Three years ago, I travelled to Chile for the first time. It had always been somewhere in the back of my minda place I associated with perfect, sand-bottom left-hand point breaks and long, peeling waves. That dream became reality when Lucas Meldrum floated the idea of heading there for an upcoming World Cup event. I didnt need convincing, I was in immediately.We were lucky enough to stay with Victor Fernandez in the beautiful Chilean home he shares with Klaas Voget. Both Victor and Klaas were early adopters of the region, buying property there over 14 years agolong before Chile became a serious destination on the windsurfing map.Victor showed us around Matanzas and the surrounding coastline, and from day one it was clear this place was special.THE CHILE ROUTINELife quickly fell into a rhythmand it was an amazing one. Early starts chasing the morning wind. Long sessions on the water. Then the drive back to Matanzas for an evening sail, followed by beers in a wood-fired hot tub, swapping stories as the sun disappeared over the Pacific. As daily routines go, it doesnt get much better.That first sojourn remains one of the most enjoyable windsurf trips Ive ever experienced and more importantly, one of the most memorable.FROM TRIP TO VISIONThat feelingpure windsurf stoke, in such an incredible locationis something I knew I had to share.This year, I set up two Windsurf Wave Trips in Matanzas. The idea was simple: a 10-day experience where you live the windsurf lifestyle like the pros. Everything is taken care offrom logistics and planning to choosing the right spots each dayso the guests can focus entirely on scoring the best conditions possible. I would say this type of windsurf camp is more of a windsurf experience and guided tour rather than an out and out full coaching course. Of course I still give coaching pointers and we run video analysis of our daily windsurf clips but I would say the main focus and goal for me is to provide a once In a lifetime type trip for you In one of the worlds most amazing places. And maybe so easy that it doesnt have to be once in a lifetime!And one of the biggest surprises? Doing it this way often works out significantly more affordable than trying to organise a Chile trip solo.MORE THAN JUST A TRIPThese camps arent just about sailing incredible waves, theyre about the full experience.From scoring world-class sessions on endless left-hand point breaks, to sharing houses with like-minded riders, exploring remote waves and immersing yourself in Chiles unique coastal cultureit is designed as a trip that goes far beyond windsurfing.But dont just take my word for it.VOICES FROM THE WAVE CAMPSTo get a better picture of what the experience is really like, I caught up with a few of the riders who joined me on these trips. From first impressions to standout sessions, their stories give a real insight into what makes Chileand these wave camps.so special.SANDY RAMUS SOUTH COAST WINDSURFERFor Sandy, the trip was about finally turning a long-held idea into reality.You hit a point in your windsurfing lifesomewhere north of 50, when one day needs to become this season. That moment came over a Guinness with Finn after a clinic in Brandon Bay. He just said: Chile, mate. A few months later, we had a crew, a plan and Chile 2026 was on.Arriving in Matanzas, the tone was set immediately, clifftop accommodation, empty beaches and a tight-knit coastal community.This wasnt a hotelit was our mission headquarters.But it was the sailing that defined the trip.Turning the corner and seeing that point break for the first time was unreal, logo-high waves peeling perfectly down the line. Two-kilometre rides, four-hour sessions and it just kept delivering. Without question, the best down-the-line wave sailing Ive ever experienced.OLLIE SARGENTOllie hadnt even considered Chile before the tripbut quickly realised how accessible it was.Id never thought of Chile as a windsurf destination, but it was way easier than expectedflight via Madrid, a short transfer from Santiago to Matanzas and youre there.What stood out most was the setting and overall experience.Its an incredible place, amazing food, clean beaches, friendly people, and our house overlooking the ocean was unreal.And on the water, it exceeded everything.We had three days at this spot a couple of hours drive South of Matanzas where we were staying. They were, without question the best windsurfing conditions Ive ever sailed: mast high peeling waves, consistent cross-off 4.5m wind, a sandy beach (no reef), blue water and sunshine. Followed by ceviche and beer overlooking the surf!Even the intimidating reputation didnt quite match reality.Its less terrifying than you think. The waves are big, but once you understand the spot, it was manageable and having Finn there made a huge difference.SARAH JACKSONFor Sarah, Chile had been on the radarbut the logistics were the barrier.Id thought about going for years, but its not a straightforward trip. Multiple locations, off-road driving its not like the Canaries. Seeing Finns trip made it an easy decision.The reality? Challengingbut rewarding.The sailing was harder than I expected, bigger waves and lighter winds, but that made it more rewarding. Having Finn there to guide us and put us in the right spots meant we scored way more than I would have alone. The challenge made it more rewarding and knowing Finn was keeping an eye on me and also putting us in the right places to score the best conditions made a huge difference. I know I wouldnt have scored as many days if I wasnt with Finn!And off the water, staying with a group of passionate windsurfers makes a huge difference too. It was so much more enjoyable to be with friends and likeminded people. Some of the people in the group I knew in advance and others I didnt but windsurfing brings people together and it was fun to be around other people with a similar level for the trip.And the group dynamic played a big role.Being with other windsurfers made it. It pushes your level and makes the whole experience more fun.My standout momentPichilemu was amazingyou can just ride forever and on the shoulder theres almost no consequences so you can grow your confidence and decide how deep you want to ride. This is such a win and makes for so much fun, especially in new places. A lot of the best waves in the world come with a pretty high tax (e.g. the rocks in Hookipa) which definitely saps some of the enjoyment factor, but Pichilemu is just dreamland. Endless waves and a fun crowd is the perfect recipe for the best sessions ever!LESSONS LEARNEDMatt Scott: I learnt that its totally worth the effort to travel to the best waves in the world! Having windsurfed for almost 40 years, its incredibly rare and rewarding to ride perfect waves in the sunshine with friends. Finding those waves would be impossible without Finn guiding us.My other learning is dont be afraid to get deep and start your bottom turn in the white water to stay in the pocket! And lastly, learning to aerial in your 50s is totally possible!!Ola Pettersson: I would say I improved my general wave sailing focusing on my stance on the board, looking down the line in front of the sail, actually getting onto the better waves, and riding them in the better sections!THE VERDICTAcross the board, the feedback is consistent: Chile delivers.Its not the easiest destinationbut thats part of what makes it special. With the right guidance, it becomes one of the most rewarding wave sailing experiences out there.And with Finn Mellon leading the way, its not just about finding good conditions, its about making sure you score the sessions you came for.CAPE TOWN VERSUS CHILEIf you are toying with the idea of either Cape Town or Chile here are the views from Sarah Jackson and Finn Mellon Sarah Jackson: Both locations have a lot of opportunities to sail different locations and having a guide definitely helps in both, especially if you havent been before. I havent done Finns clinic with Dieter in Cape Town, but they are known for being the crew that are always scoring! Ive done quite a few trips to Cape Town so Im a bit more in the loop and get the info from the locals on wheres going to work each day but if you dont have that then you can really lose a lot of sailing days in both places! Conditions wise, they couldnt be more different to me!I dont head down south of the city much in Cape Town so the conditions are mostly bump and jump with some fun wave days, but you can almost always find somewhere to score. Chile is the oppositeit is all or nothing, but when its on, its epic! Which would do I prefer? That is hard to say! I think Chile offers so much more with big waves and performance riding whereas Cape Town is a lot friendlier conditions. Both have good steak, good wine and a fair bit of driving involved if you want to score the best spots, so ultimately it depends on which conditions youre looking for!Fin Mellon: Cape Town is a solid comparison to Chile, as almost everyone heads to Cape Town for their winter windsurf trip nowadays. Surprisingly Chile,is not that much more expensive than a trip to Cape Town. Flights are actually cheaper to Chile than Cape Town. Accommodation costs are pretty similar, food is more expensive than Cape Town that is for sure. Once you are in Chile, I would compare the cost of living similar but slightly cheaper than Ireland and the UK.More info about Finns camp here!Finn Mellon Coaching Wave CampsCHILE WAVE CAMP VIDEOThe post SCORE MORE, STRESS LESS: CHILE WAVE CAMPS WITH FINN MELLON appeared first on Windsurf Magazine Online.

THURSO OR BUSTTHURSO OR BUSTJohn Carter and Timo Mullen are no strangers to punishing road trips and when it comes to chasing waves, their fear of missing out (FOMO) is relentless. Drawn by the promise of a 7.5m swell and screaming northwest winds, the duo set their sights on Thurso, Scotland, embarking on yet another wild mission to score that elusive session!Photos: John CarterClick any photo to scroll and enlargebest viewed on a big screen!THE CALL OF THE NORTHWhen you scan a winter swell chart for UK, theres almost always somewhere going ballistic. Most sane people stick to obsessing over their local breaksnot eyeing up waves at the complete opposite end of the country, like its a casual day trip. But if you want it badly enough, there are sessions to be scored somewhere. The catch? Eye-watering fuel costs (especially at the momentThanks D.T!), endless miles on the road and the very real possibility of a full-blown skunking that can leave you crying in your beer and deflated for weeks.Sothe question is: how much is scoring epic windsurfing worth to you? Are you willing to roll the dice, torch your bank account, and gamble it all for a shot at a once in a lifetime session? Are you hungry enough or like the Motley Creware you stupid enough!For JC and Timo, the decision was a no-brainer. A heaving 7m swell with a 17-second period lit up the charts for Thursoand that was all it took to alert the infamous Motley Crew red phone into a frenzy. Within moments of total disregard for rational thinking, logic was out the window, the van was packed and another completely unhinged mission to the wild north coast of Scotland was underway.JOHN CARTERMAUI OR MADNESS?I must admit before this trip I was already toying with the possibility of flying out to Maui to go shoot the Maui Pro Am, which was another kind of ludicrous scheme, as I was planning to go for a mere five days. But as I was hovering over the confirm button on United Airlines, a message Timo pinged up on the phone mentioning Thurso and a 7m swell. I was intrigued. Now Maui or Scotland (in March), I am not sure which location most would choose, but I was actually drawn in by the thought of chasing something wild in Scotland as opposed to shooting the best in the world shredding Hookipa. I guess its officialI must be a glutton for punishment. The allure of the storm chase or the FOMO of missing it, had me hooked. The fuel bill alone for the Scottish Sojourn, was enough to make your eyes water. But Timo, ever the optimist, figured if we kipped in the van, we could just about make it work. Our original plan and I use that term loosely was to roll out of Southampton at 7am on Friday, squeeze in a session somewhere in Northumberland that afternoon, push on to Thurso, score all day Saturday and still be back on the south coast in time for a Sunday roast. Simple, right?In reality, it was a brutally ambitious schedule, stitched together with caffeine, blind optimism and a complete disregard for comfort. There were definitely going to be moments that felt less like a road trip and more like torture.But Thurso it only happens a few times a year. Its one of my favourite spots to shoot and the charts were lighting up with this mega swellproper, full-throttle conditions. The kind that could deliver an all-time session while quietly hinting it might also be a complete write-offWhat if it was too big? Too wild? Too out of control?Then again, if anyone was going to give it a crack regardless you could always count on Timo.So, for various personal as well as professional reasons, I ditched a week trip to Maui in exchange for a three-day mission to Scotland where we would be sleeping in the van and driving nearly 1500 miles. Now sometimes you really do have to question your own sanityright?THE LONG ROAD NORTHEn route to Bantham we stopped for an obligatory photo at the Angel of the North and to let Timos dog, Teddy stretch his legs. By the time we hit Bamburgh mid-afternoon, reality had already started chipping away at the dream.Forecast: 1.6m swell.Reality: 1.6cm waves.The wind was howling, the castle looked majestic, the light was perfectbut there were absolutely no waves. Classic.After another five hours driving later, bringing the days tally to about ten hours Timo was toast and decided to pull over on the side of the road, just after Inverness to sleep. At this stage huddled up in a sleeping bag in the back of the van with Teddy at my feet, the thought of Maui started to sound quite appealing once again. Maui over Scotland was definitely the ongoing theme here.The next morning it was icy outside (Maui was in the mid 80s) and we were up at 7am, ready to hit the road for the final two hour stretch to Thurso. The sun was shinning and I was already feeling a bit guilty that we were not already on location to catch the first light. We were not running with our normal military precision, that was for sure! Around 9.30am, we finally pulled into Thurso, which is apparently home to the founder of the Boys Brigade according to the sign at the entrance to town, and headed straight to Tesco to grab the obligatory breakfast bapa stalwart tradition after our past few trips up here. Our first glance of the ocean from the Tesco carpark revealed walls of white water breaking across Thurso BayIt looked massive. Or were we seeing a wavy mirage through our tired eyeswe would soon find out!Finally, we pulled into a spot we call The Spur just outside of town. You have to drive down a long narrow track and through a few farmers gates but once you get to the little bay at the bottom the detour is always well worth it. Not surprisingly we were totally alone at the spot. No other idiot would be stupid enough to drive up to Scotland in March for a 7m swell and 40 knot winds. The swell was not quite as big as we had hoped after seeing that white water in Thurso Bay. To be fair it was still over mast high and solid, but we had been hoping for double mast high and out of control. The wind was howling however, the sun was shining and it was still looking epic, so we could not really complain too much.DRONE VERSUS SCOTTISH WINDWhile Timo rigged up, I launched the drone. Big mistake. Getting it out over the break was easy. Turning it around was a different story. The wind had other ideas. Full throttle on the controller and the drone just hovered there like it had given up on life. The battery was dropping and my panic levels rising. Eventually, I steered it lowjust above the waterand crawled it back at a tediously slow rate. Somehow, it survived.HAIL, WIND & COMMITMENTTimo headed out on his Duotone 3.7m and 84L Grip and was soon out in the thick of the chaos looking to drop in on the biggest sets he could find. The temp was a frosty 7 degrees and once again the thought of landing in Maui to balmy temperatures crossed my mind.Timo seemed a tad underpowered on the 3.7m and lasted for about an hour before a crazy squall hit sent hailstones the size of marbles hammering from the sky. But at least we were underway with some action in the bag. Surely, we would score plenty more before the day was done. Or would we?THE CLASSIC MISTAKEThe next few hours were more than frustrating. We had always planned to sail at least two spotsmaybe three, so we packed up at The Spur and went exploring. For one reason or another, most of the other breaks just didnt look quite right. Meanwhile, the sun was shining, the waves were firing and the clock was tickingwe ended up just driving from break to break wasting precious time. In shortwe achieved absolutely nothing.There is one saying that I always kind of remember from the past isNEVER LEAVE WIND AND WAVES! We left wind and waves!RAW REDEMPTONEventually, we crawled back down the track to The Spur. It didnt look amazing. But wed learned our lesson and stuck with it. Timo rigged a 4.0 and headed out.Then it happened. The clouds lifted. The light turned on. The sets started stacking. For the next hour, Thurso delivered clean, powerful lines, mast-high plus sets and that magical, crystal-clear Scottish light! It was proper raw conditions. Unforgettable. This was the moment wed driven 1,500 miles for. Then, as if on cue, the hail returned to shut it all down.Once again, we broke the golden rule and started driving and looking at spots again. But this time the cloud lingered and there was nothing on offer to outdo what we had just scored.OF COURSE THERES MOREOn the way up Timo had been casually mentioning skiing quite a bit into the conversation, which seemed a bit oddSuddenly on the way out of Thurso I figured why. Apparently, there has been some fresh dumps of snow in the Aviemore region. Most people would call it after the session in Thurso. Not Timo. Hidden in the van: skis, helmet the works.Next stop: Aviemore.Fresh snow. Blue skies. One more session this time riding slopes not waves. Because apparently, one extreme sport per trip for Timo just isnt enough.SO WAS IT WORTH IT?With all boxes tickedwindsurfing, skiing, mild psychological damage, we faced the final challenge: A 10-hour drive back to Southampton. Somewhere around hour six, Maui crept back into my thoughts again. Warm water. Palm trees. Hookipa. Hmmm. But heres the thing. Trips like this rarely make sense on paper. Theyre expensive, exhausting and finely balanced on the knife-edge between scoring and complete failure.But every now and then, everything lines upjust enough to remind you why you do it. The cold. The chaos. The uncertainty. That one session. And suddenly, it all makes sense.Maui will still be there. But ThursoThurso only goes ballistic a few times a year. And this timeWe were there!As it turned out, by the time I got home the Maui Pro Am still hadnt even started, bad weather had halted proceedings. Hawaii was still on the tableBut then a fresh forecast lit up in Cornwall. And just like that here we go again!The post THURSO OR BUST appeared first on Windsurf Magazine Online.

FIJI BEHIND THE SCENES: PAUL VAN BELLENFIJI BEHIND THE SCENES: PAUL VAN BELLENPaul van Bellen captures some interesting behind the scenes moments that you dont usually see from the Fiji Wave Classicfrom life on the beach to the raw reactions of sailors returning to the mainland after an unforgettable day on the water.The post FIJI BEHIND THE SCENES: PAUL VAN BELLEN appeared first on Windsurf Magazine Online.

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WINDSURF TRAVEL HACKS: LENNART NUEBAUERWINDSURF TRAVEL HACKS: LENNART NUEBAUERLennart Neubauer guides us through check in the latest of our latest Windsurf Travel Hacks series.LENNART NEUBAUERMy top travel hacks:LN: Always register windsurf equipment in advance by calling the airline. Be at the airport at least 2 / 2.5 hours before departure.Make sure to check the airlines windsurf baggage policies! Some airlines example KLM and Ethiopian are stricter with checking weight etc.Always be friendly and patient at check in, theres a chance they have never seen windsurf equipment before.Avoid booking with multiple airlines, as you will get charger for both airlines meaning you pay the windsurf gear twice.A bonus hack: If you know youre overweight, but the board bag on the scale at the airport and lift it slightly with your heel. Dont forget to play it cool :)BOOKINGLN: I usually look for flights on Sky Scanner and then end up booking directly on the airlines website. That way, in case of delay or cancelled flight I can talk to the airline directly instead of dealing with a third-party company.PACKING LN: I always pack my board bag in a specific way. If its only one, Ill put the board on the bottom, following the sails, then the mast and at last the boom. You want to have the boom as far away from the board as possible, as its quite easy to damage the board with the boom head. If you want it extra light, leave out the sail bags, weighing a couple hundred grams each, that can quickly save a kilo. The harness you can put at the nose or tail of the board for extra protection.ONBOARDLN: For long haul flights, I always have a pillow, noise cancelling headphones and a lot of water with me. Top tip here. Put the pillow on the table in front for good sleeping position (reminds me of school). Also, I usually ware warm clothes as I easily get sick from the airplanes AC.SEATSLN: I almost always choose / buy seats at the isle. Im quite tall so I like stretching out my legs from time to time. Sitting at the window can be nice for a better sleeping position, but a bit annoying if you want to stand of from time to time. Try to avoid getting sandwiched in the middle if possible.CHECK INLN: For the sweet talk, its good to be respectful and not too pushy at first, especially if you have time. If asked how much it weighs, never say the real weight, if you know youre overweight. If the limit is 32kg and your bag is 35, say it weighs 28. Some airports for example in Athens, Greece dont weigh the bags, they just ask how much it weighs. Avoid saying the exactly 32kg, so they think your unaware of the limit, so at 28 for example they wont get suspicious mind games.TROLLEYSLN: For trolleys, I just load everything on to one trolley and proceed to say excuse me and sorry for about 100 times till I get to the check in counter!The post WINDSURF TRAVEL HACKS: LENNART NUEBAUER appeared first on Windsurf Magazine Online.