JAEGER STONE: LIFE AFTER THE PODIUMJAEGER STONE: LIFE AFTER THE PODIUMFrom world-class wave rider to firefighter and father, Jaeger Stone reflects on a competitive windsurfing career cut short and a life reshaped by injury and COVID.At his peak, the West Australian was one of the most dangerous competition sailors on the PWA / WWT World Tourfast, powerful and especially lethal in the wave riding department. His highest ranking was 3rd in the world in 2015, and winning the Red Bull Storm Chase and Tenerife in 2019 confirmed his place among the sports elite. He might well have gone on to win the title that year, but his campaign was cut short by an injury immediately after Sylt and he missed out on the final event in Maui.When injury and the global shutdown brought his competitive career to an abrupt end, Stone chose not to chase an uncertain return. Instead, he stepped away from the tour, found balance at home and redefined what windsurfing and progression mean to him today. We caught up with Jaeger for this candid interview where he opens up about leaving the tour without a farewell, finding purpose beyond competition and developing boards with Severne and his father.Photos: John Carter // Click on any photo to enlarge and scroll!WINDSURF: Congratulations on winning in Margaret River how did it feel to win the first 4 star event of the season in Australia?JAEGER STONE: It was amazing to win this years event, especially given that everyone here was pushing themselves so much. Margaret River is an intimidating wave, but I didnt really feel like anyone was holding back and that motivated me as well. Typical of Margaret River, the wind was up and down but overall the conditions were ideal and there were plenty of moments throughout the day that allowed for some pretty good windsurfing. Ive put in a lot of time sailing here but its a wave where anything can happen and it can be so challenging to ride well, even without the constraints of competition. To sail consistently and to find at least one wave that I was really happy with in each heat was a good feeling.WINDSURF: What was your plan in the final?JAEGER STONE: My initial plan was to try to select the best waves and ride them as they allowed. My first 2 waves in the final felt pretty good, especially my second wave. After that I just wanted to try to get the biggest wave I could to continue building, but unfortunately that didnt happen and I was either out of sync with the sets or they just fizzled out. Realising it wasnt going to happen, I went back to my original approach and got another decent wave towards the end of the heat.WINDSURF: Did the result make up for last years disappointment?JAEGER STONE: I like to do these events to support Severne, the organisers, and windsurfing in WA. Its nice to win but it doesnt really matter whether I do or not and I think if most people lose fairly theyre happy to accept that. I think its really important that 4 and 5 star events maintain a high standard to encourage the best windsurfers in the world to attend them, to promote our sport in the best possible way, and to hold credibility. It was disappointing that last year an obvious mistake was made and I lost an opportunity because of it, but I feel like because of that, standards were lifted this year. Judging mistakes are always going to be made, but its important that when youre competing for a World Title and spending a significant amount of money to attend these events, that the mistakes are infrequent and not too costly for those involved.WINDSURF: What is it like to have the young guns like Jake Ghiretti coming through and making it through to the finals?JAEGER STONE: Yeah, Jake is really confident at his home break and although I didnt pay too much attention to what he was doing while I was sailing against him (because I was focusing on my own sailing), he didnt seem to be holding back and that was obviously rewarded. He is easily one of the most committed windsurfers out at Main Break now and he is pushing me more and more each season.Hes young, keen, and passionate about windsurfing so its good fun when hes out there. He probably found the cleanest wave of the event in his semi-final and got the photo of the event in the Juniors. Philip, Takuma and Julian are all amazing windsurfers that have won, or could win this contest, but it can be a difficult place to sail at times and unfortunately for Julian and Philip they broke gear at critical times as well. Its all a part of it, and of course they want to win but theyre also just out there having fun so theyll be happy for Jake too!WINDSURF: How was the atmosphere at the event?JAEGER STONE: As I alluded to in the question above, the event is quite relaxed and the feeling amongst all the windsurfers here is that its fun to be a part of. Everyone is pretty happy to be sailing together in such a beautiful location. I think the difference this year compared to the last couple was that the level of commitment from the majority of the fleet was higher and that lifted the excitement on the water and morale on land. Ivans pizzas always bring everyone together after sailing and spending the evenings down at the point with everyone is pretty cool.WINDSURF MAGAZINE: What was the reason you gave up competing on the PWA and WWT tour?JAEGER STONE: Yeah, so 2019 was my last year on tour. At the end of 2019 I had a bad knee injury. I competed in Sylt, then came home for a week before Hawaii. The first day I got home, I got off the plane and went sailing at Hells Gates out at Point Moore in Geraldton and injured my knee quite badly. I was out of the water for about four months with that injury.I got back to full fitness and then COVID started kicking off. It was around March and the day I was due to fly out to Maui, borders started closing within Australia and WA. I decided to delay my flight and from that point on, windsurfing contracts basically got cut in half pretty quickly. There was no real certainty about 2020 going ahead.CHANGE OF DIRECTIONI got back into Physiotherapy a bit, met my partner Chelsea and really enjoyed being at home and doing other things for a while. I realised physiotherapy wasnt what I wanted to do long term and I gave the firefighter recruitment process a go. I knew people in the fire serviceone of my good friends, Mathias, is in the WA Fire Service and had recommended it for quite some time.My recruitment application was delayed because as soon as I began the process I dropped a fishing knife on my foot, severing a tendon and requiring surgery. Meaning I couldnt do much for at least another three four months, which was another windsurfing delay as well. However, I was lucky enough to get accepted into the fire service in early 2021 and I felt like that was an opportunity I couldnt turn down, especially with the uncertainty continuing around sponsorships and the world tour.I soon realised I didnt really miss competing that much. I felt like I was ready to transition into the next stage of life and it was nice to feel like I had a sense of control over that.A NEW CAREER, A BETTER BALANCEWINDSURF: So, youre now a firefighterhow do you enjoy that?JAEGER STONE: Yeah, it is an amazing job! It provides such a great work-life balance. I find it so interesting because its not just firefighting, there are so many different areas of the job you can learn about. As well, being a firefighter encourages you to stay active and I get plenty of time off to continue windsurfing and to spend time with my family.Theres also financial security. I almost feel like I have the lifestyle I had on tour, but without the financial stress and without the constant dedication to competition. If youre trying to win a world title, you really need to dedicate most of your year to it. I was spending six or seven months overseas, usually by myself, and I was so lucky to do that for the time that I did, but I think I was just ready to do something else.LEAVING THE PRESSURE BEHINDWINDSURF: Do you miss the tour?JAEGER STONE: No, I dont miss the tour. There are some competitions that pop up, like Fiji and Chile that look exciting and fun and hopefully Ill get the chance to go to those, but I dont miss dedicating an entire year to focus on competitive windsurfing. I would say that I do miss the complete freedom to travel whenever I wanted, but Im looking forward to travelling for different reasons now.I like the balance I havebeing challenged outside of windsurfing with my work and spending time with family and friends at home. Its a different stage of life.WINDSURF: So, whats windsurfing mean to you now?JAEGER STONE: I still challenge and push myself because I want to progress, but more so for enjoyment. My focus has shifted more toward wave riding. Im not jumping anywhere near as much as I used to. You can go out and flog yourself doing push forwards and doubles every day, but your body pulls up pretty sore. I still have to think about going to work so I dont do that too often now and just pick and choose my days. I love trying to jump high, and having dedicated jumping sessions, but wave riding is what Im really passionate about.Working with Severne and my Dad on boards and gear is fun. Filming as well. Theres something unique about WAI am biased because I grew up here, but the coastline from south to north is incredible and being able to windsurf in so many different locations and conditions is pretty special.WINDSURF: So, you feel in your happy place for windsurfing?JAEGER STONE: Yeah, definitely. Theres so much variety and Ive got a lot of good friends here who windsurf. We push each other, do fun trips, and theres no pressure. Its simple and easy.THE STONE WAVE BOARD PROJECTWINDSURF: What about the new Severne Stone wave boardcan you tell us about that?JAEGER STONE: Yeah, so a few years ago Severne were looking at modifying their wave range. The idea was floated to try an asymmetrical board and we worked on that for quite a while. It was fresh and exciting and gave new sensations, but it was a niche product and hard to get off the ground in the market. With production delays and testing taking too long, it all got drawn out.Severne went back to the drawing board to refine the wave range further. Dad and I had been working on pintails for a while we all grew up riding them. Severne didnt have one in their wave range, so we were asked to help develop a more dedicated down-the-line wave board that riders like Ben, Phillip, Dieter, Lina and others would enjoy.Weve been working on it for about two years, and its been released for the 2026 season. The goal was to create a production board that Id happily take anywhere, but especially on a forecast chasing the best wave sailing conditions. I dont think there will ever be a one-board-fits-all solution but I believe versatility is important. Ive grown up riding my dads boards since I was 11 years oldhes been building boards for me for over 24 years and hes actually allergic to epoxy, so his boards are constructed with polyester, a very different construction to the boards produced by Severne. I have and use a mix of boards; production and prototype boards from Severne and custom boards from my Dad, which are really just Severne prototypes as well. As I mentioned, Dads boards are polyester so thats something that needs to be considered when Im testing, but generally theyre a perfect master board or reference for us. My Dad and I do R&D, provide feedback and ideas to Severne, Severne produces further prototypes, I test those, and eventually the board ends up in production. Its constant development to hopefully create a production board that people enjoy riding.I like the way Severne approach it. I have my wants and needs in a board and sometimes those are a bit extreme to incorporate into a production board. We test boards thoroughly. Myself, Dad, Ben, Dieter, Lina, Phillip, Iballa etc. all get an opportunity to test boards so feedback can be gathered. Then we look at the common elements everyone likes and what fits the design brief. Severne aims to build a board that ticks as many boxes as possible for that particular design and ideally pleases most of the windsurfers who buy them. We can add even more rocker, tail kick, or vee for example, but that can come at a cost to general sailing and ease of use, meaning that perhaps that board isnt as appealing to the market. Its always about balance and thats what were consistently working on. I think we do that quite well, and its really enjoyable having all these different boards to test.WINDSURF: Are you quite into the board design side of things?JAEGER STONE: I amnot as much as my Dad though. He lives and breathes it. I enjoy the windsurfing side and learning how subtle changes affect my sailing. Dad gets into the nitty-gritty details. I like understanding the equipment Im riding and visualising how I want to windsurf, then trying to develop gear that helps me do that.Its great having all these resourcesDad, Severne, production boards, custom boards, prototypesbecause you revisit things that worked or didnt work years ago. Its constant testing and learning.WINDSURF: Do you enjoy working with Paul van Bellen? Youve put out some amazing videos.JAEGER STONE: I do. Paul is an amazing drone pilot, and he is a very creative with editing. Hes very passionate about windsurfing and captures the WA windsurfing scene in an artistic way. Ive been lucky that hes been around the last couple of years and willing to film. Sometimes the drone is incredibly close and Im aware of it, but mostly I just windsurf as I normally would. The footage he captures is amazing. In WA from about 1 p.m. onwards the glare is ridiculous, so filming from land is almost impossible until late afternoon. Drones are really useful for cutting out glare, and theyve given us a new option to capture high quality footage.FATHERHOOD AND PRIORITIESWINDSURF: What about becoming a fatherhow has that changed things?JAEGER STONE: Haha having kids definitely changes your life. Weve got onehes about 14 months old now. Im no expert but I feel like your priorities change completely. They demand a lot of time and attention, and I feel like my job is to give that to him and to support my partner as best as I can as well. Im fortunate with my job; I get a lot of time off which means we spend so much time together as a family. I underestimated how challenging it can be at times, and I thought I was patient, but Ive definitely got plenty to learn. I also realise now Im probably quite selfishso much of the time all I want to do is go windsurfing and surfing and Im lucky to have a partner who is incredibly supportive of me still doing that so often. Overall, being a parent is really fun, and there are so many special moments, especially now as hes interacting and learning so much.WINDSURF: Does it feel strange that your tour career ended without a clear retirement moment?JAEGER STONE: A little bit, but thats the way it is I guess. I chose to leave on my terms. The one thing I didnt doand wouldve loved to, was win a world title. I feel like the tour now probably suits me more than it did back then, and when I left, I felt like I was still approaching my peak. I felt like I could win any heat and if you can do that, you can win any contest.But life changes and during COVID I reassessed my values. There was so much uncertainty and dedicating another full year to the tourone bad event means another yearit was hard to justify. Financially, from Australia, it was expensive to travel for windsurfing and one of my dreams was to buy my own home. I have that now which would have been difficult to do while paying for a world tour campaign. Over time, the world title started to mean less to me. Growing up, I always dreamed of being world champion and I wouldve loved that, but it didnt play out like that so thats fine.STILL CONNECTEDWINDSURF: Do you keep in touch with the other guys from the PWA / WWT tour?JAEGER STONE: Yeah, casually. Phillip comes to WA a couple of times a season and we sail together. Julian has been here the last few seasons too. I keep in touch with a fair few of the guys like Marc, Ricardo, Graham etcmostly through WhatsApp and social media. They were good friends on tour and they all continue to motivate me as well.I was really happy for Marc Pare winning the world titlehes well deserving. Hes humble, trains incredibly hard, and is very dedicated so its cool to see his success.PROGRESSION WITHOUT LIMITSWINDSURF: What are you working on with your sailing now?JAEGER STONE: Im just trying to wave ride as fast and as powerfully as I can. Windsurfing is unique because we have so much speed, but the sail and wind limits how much we can wrap turns like surfers. Ideally you want speed and power to look effortless and stylish. Ive always tried to approach windsurfing from a surfing perspectivegoing vertical, squaring off the bottom, flowing between turns as much as I can. Fin wafts are a bit like a ninja kick. That probably comes from growing up sailing cross-on conditions at Coronation, where you dont really get many opportunities to do drawn out carves but instead get perfect crumbly sections for kicking the tail out the back.In WA we have so much variation down-the-line at Gnaraloo or Esperance and big heavy A-frames at Margaret River. Each wave requires a different approach. Trying to master all of that keeps it fun and keeps me learning. The motivation to keep getting better in those locations is one of the reasons why the Stone board developed. We get some really special conditions here, and I want to ride those waves as well as I possibly can. People like Thomas Traversa inspire megoing on missions alone, committing to huge waves. That feeling is pretty special and guys like Thomas motivate me a lot.Windsurfer Magazine review of the Severne Stone 88LThe post JAEGER STONE: LIFE AFTER THE PODIUM appeared first on Windsurf Magazine Online.

ENGLISH RIVIERA SET TO HOST ICF SUP WORLD CUP AND PADDLE UK SUPER FESTIVALThe English Riviera is 100 days away from hosting one of the countrys biggest water sports events.The ICF SUP World Cup 2026 and Paddle UK SUPER Festival will take place from June 2428. Paddle UK, with Torbay Council, is preparing for a week of international SUP racing, festival activities, and community celebrations.About 200 elite SUP athletes will compete in sprint, technical, and distance races at Torre Abbey Sands. Experienced paddlers can enter World Cup races, with 9,000 in prizes in the open category.With only 100 days to go, its fantastic to be working with Torbay Council as excitement builds towards this summers event,said Ashley Metcalfe, CEO for Paddle UK.We are working hard to deliver an exceptional SUP World Cup and Paddle UK SUPER Festival that will inspire more people to get on the water, grow the sport of stand up paddling, and showcase the English Riviera as one of the UKs top SUP destinations.The Paddle UK SUPER Festival features family-friendly activities, entertainment, and open participation.Torquay waterfront and Paignton pier will host races, live entertainment, food, and community festival events across beaches, harbours, and promenades.A highlight will be an attempt to break the World Record for most SUP paddlers on the water, expecting about 1,000 participants, viewable from surrounding Bay locations.The event welcomes all, with Have-a-Go sessions and relaxed races for beginners, making it an ideal weekend for families and those wanting to try paddleboarding.Race Director Brendon Prince said:The festival will cover everything from introductory beach sessions to advanced adventure paddling, offering a range of experiences for participants of all levels.The event demonstrates that Torbay is a premier SUP World Cup location, inviting visitors to experience and explore the diverse journeys paddleboarding offers.The leverage an event gives you to create legacy is fantastic.Torbay Councils Cllr Jackie Thomas, Cabinet Member for Events, Tourism, Culture and Corporate Services, said:We are thrilled to be hosting the 2026 ICF SUP World Cup and SUPER Festival here in Torbay. Our stunning coastline is the perfect stage for this global event, and its a wonderful opportunity for residents and visitors to come together and celebrate everything that makes the English Riviera so special.Further Information:To learn more or register for the event, please visitwww.superfestival.paddleuk.org.uk.https://paddleuk.org.uk/sup-world-cup-and-paddle-uk-super-festival-100-days-to-go/

GOYA CUSTOM THRUSTER 4 REVIEW: WINDSURFER MAGAZINEGoya Custom Thruster 4 Review: Windsurfer MagazineThe Windsurfer Magazine test team have been putting the Goya Custom Thruster 4 (86L) through its paces, and it sounds like they had a pretty great time on it. Hailed for its easy going nature and versatility, it performs in down the line conditions but also on less than perfect days, it is capable of big open turns or even tight pivots. It sounds like the team found this board a real pleasure to sail!Windsurfer Magazine The third board to be put through its paces in the 85L Wave Test is the Goya Custom Thruster 4 86L. Hailed for its easy going nature and versatility, it performs in down the line conditions but also in less than ideal, capable of big open turns or even tight pivots. A real pleasure to sail!Link to the board: Goya Windsurfing Boards Custom Thruster 4 Pro CarbonTesters: Scotty Stallman Windsurfer Magazine Head Tester + GA/Tabou Int Teamrider Tris Best Windsurfer Magazine Editor in Chief + TesterWindsurfer Magazine Windsurfing focused print magazine based in the UK.The post GOYA CUSTOM THRUSTER 4 REVIEW: WINDSURFER MAGAZINE appeared first on Windsurf Magazine Online.

The post Dam to Dam Paddleboard Challenge Returns in 2026 appeared first on SUPboarder Magazine.

HTTPS://PADDLEUK.ORG.UK/100-Day Countdown Begins:English Riviera Set to Host ICF SUP World Cup and Paddle UK SUPER FestivalThe English Riviera is 100 days away from hosting one of the countrys biggest water sports events.The ICF SUP World Cup 2026 and Paddle UK SUPER Festival will take place from June 2428. Paddle UK, with Torbay Council, is preparing for a week of international SUP racing, festival activities, and community celebrations.About 200 elite SUP athletes will compete in sprint, technical, and distance races at Torre Abbey Sands. Experienced paddlers can enter World Cup races, with 9,000 in prizes in the open category.With only 100 days to go, its fantastic to be working with Torbay Council as excitement builds towards this summers event, said Ashley Metcalfe, CEO for Paddle UK.We are working hard to deliver an exceptional SUP World Cup and Paddle UK SUPER Festival that will inspire more people to get on the water, grow the sport of stand up paddling, and showcase the English Riviera as one of the UKs top SUP destinations.The Paddle UK SUPER Festival features family-friendly activities, entertainment, and open participation.Torquay waterfront and Paignton pier will host races, live entertainment, food, and community festival events across beaches, harbours, and promenades.A highlight will be an attempt to break the World Record for most SUP paddlers on the water, expecting about 1,000 participants, viewable from surrounding Bay locations.The event welcomes all, with Have-a-Go sessions and relaxed races for beginners, making it an ideal weekend for families and those wanting to try paddleboarding.Race Director Brendon Prince said: The festival will cover everything from introductory beach sessions to advanced adventure paddling, offering a range of experiences for participants of all levels.The event demonstrates that Torbay is a premier SUP World Cup location, inviting visitors to experience and explore the diverse journeys paddleboarding offers.The leverage an event gives you to create legacy is fantastic.Torbay Councils Cllr Jackie Thomas, Cabinet Member for Events, Tourism, Culture and Corporate Services, said: We are thrilled to be hosting the 2026 ICF SUP World Cup and SUPER Festival here in Torbay. Our stunning coastline is the perfect stage for this global event, and its a wonderful opportunity for residents and visitors to come together and celebrate everything that makes the English Riviera so special.Further Information:To learn more or register for the event, please visit www.superfestival.paddleuk.org.uk.https://paddleuk.org.uk/sup-world-cup-and-paddle-uk-super-festival-100-days-to-go/

The post Port Stephens SUP Challenge Returns for 2026 appeared first on SUPboarder Magazine.

The post Registration Opens for the 2026 Molokai-to-Oahu Paddleboard World Championships appeared first on SUPboarder Magazine.

THOMAS TRAVERSA: STORM DARRAGHTHOMAS TRAVERSA: STORM DARRAGHThomas Traversa looks back on an wild storm chase session back in December where he drove from Austria to Britanny to sail some of his favourite spots. Traversa shares a look back at this unforgettable chase, a mission that paid off with some epic big-wave windsurfing in the heart of the storm!Thomas Traversa: December 24, Storm Darragh hit the French Atlantic coast I drove from Austria and scored 2 days of epic conditions, sailing beautiful waves on my 3.3 sail. Robin was also sailing with me on day 2, we had a very rare session at a good beach break. my local friends Stef, Rayan and Fred made this video possible!Music by Hania Rani, recorded at Arte piano dayThe post THOMAS TRAVERSA: STORM DARRAGH appeared first on Windsurf Magazine Online.

The post Treasure Coast Paddle Battle Opens 2026 USA Surfing SUP Race Series appeared first on SUPboarder Magazine.

UNPACKING THE BOARD BAGS WITH ROBBY SWIFTUNPACKING THE BOARD BAGS WITH ROBBY SWIFTIn the latest episode of the PWAs Unpacking the Board Bags series, Robby Swift reflects on an incredible 25-year career on tour. From charging massive waves at Jawsto battling brutal conditions in the Red Bull Storm Chase, Swift shares stories, highlights and the experiences that have defined his journey in professional windsurfing. Definitely worth a watch!In 2000, a British kid burst on to the PWA scene fresh out of the Maui Ocean Academyfreestyle, racing, wavehe did it all and took his first World Cup victory in 2003 in Fuerteventura in Freestyle. Most thought this would be the first of many, but a career plagued by injuries at critical moments, denied Swift from further successes. Twenty Five years later, and still reaching World Cup finals, the time has come for Robby to explore different waves and redefine his priorities. Family time, life on Maui and hunting new locations its not the last were going to see of Swifty with two events this season on his doorstep, but hes no longer going to be following the tour that has defined his life thus far. Filmed in Sylt at the Miramar Hotel, we Unpack the Boardbags and Robby talks about how hard it is now to make a living as a pro windsurfer, the good old days where with one seasons prize money you could buy a house, injuries, gnarly crashes at Jaws, Red Bull Storm Chase, future plans and what its like raising two groms on MauiThe post UNPACKING THE BOARD BAGS WITH ROBBY SWIFT appeared first on Windsurf Magazine Online.