FIN MELLON: FATHER AND SON ROAD TRIPFIN MELLON: FATHER AND SON ROAD TRIPFin Mellon takes us on an spontaneous road trip through Irelands stunning landscapes as he shares a solid windsurfing session at a hidden gem in Kerrywith his dad along for the ride!Fin says:Dad and I head off on another windsurf road trip! Did we score ?, not entirely a score for what this place can produce but we had fun so that makes it worth the drive!One of my favourite things about windsurfing is the fact I get to share it with my Dad, Niall.. Although this day we didnt actually sail together (we took turns filming) these days are still memorable. I am pretty lucky to be able to share these moments with my dad right !? Want to sail great waves and places like in this video, Join me on one of my Irish Wave camps or hire me as a private guide for the week. More info https://sites.google.com/view/finn-me My sailing level wasnt quite where i wanted it to be! I felt pretty weak to be honest from the food poisoning so that didnt make it very easy ha. Once again apologies for the pretty poor sound quality. I didnt bring the mic with me haha, one day ill get it right lolGOYA WINDSURFINGQUATROThe post FIN MELLON: FATHER AND SON ROAD TRIP appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

JULIAN SALMONN: MY BUCKET LIST, EL CONFITALJULIAN SALMONN: MY BUCKET LIST, EL CONFITALJulian Salmonn has to pay his dues, but eventually the stars align to allow him to cross off the infamous and dangerous El Confital from his bucket list.Words: Julian Salmonn // Photos: Benjamin Boerez @photomedanoTENERIFE AN ADOPTED HOMEThe Canary Island of Tenerife has been my adopted home and training ground for over 10 years now. The World Cup spot of El Cabezo offers almost perfect conditions year round, but should you seek it, Tenerife has some extreme challenges in store for windsurfers.BUCKET LISTThe wave in El Confital is right at the top of my windsurfing bucket list, but it is quite fickle as it only works with a south swell, while the wind is almost never coming from the right direction to sail it, add to this that the spot is predominately dominated by surfers and bodyboards and you quickly realise just how much luck you need to be able to make a dream, a reality.CONSEQUENCES Despite its close proximity to the World Cup spot of El Cabezo, this spot needs and provides a very different setup. El Confital is a much more challenging/dangerous wave compared to El Cabezo as it possesses a serious amount of power often with a pitching lip that is more than ready to claim any unsuspecting passengers. If you fall here, you must be prepared for the consequences of being washed over a razor sharp molten rock reef. However, when all the elements and risk taking align, you can be rewarded with simply fantastic conditions, even if only for a brief window.Even when El Confital is producing these few and far between perfect moments, it presents a real challenge for windsurfers to be able to score it due to everything needing to fall into place at exactly the right time the wind, the tides, local bodyboarders/surfers, to even start to contemplate daring a session.ENTIRE AT YOUR OWN PERILAt low tide the spot is so dangerous that even the bodyboarders avoid the peak because even the small waves suck the reef completely dry and the wave then breaks directly onto the rocks for want of a better word it is unsurfable!NO TIME TO LOSEThe Friday in question, I received a call from a friend of mine, who told me that he thought the spot could work, however, given the fickle nature of the spot, we would need to hurry. Without even a moments thought, I hurriedly began packing my equipment, eager not to waste even the slightest opportunity of sailing this spot, while my friend, and photographer, Benjamin, needed absolutely no convincing about joining this impromptu mission.WEAPONS OF CHOICEWith no time to waste, I quickly selected my trusty GUNSAILS 5.0 and Bruch Boards 94L as my weapons of choice, before we attempted to scurry down the rocky entry, which was the first of many challenges throughout the day.The spot certainly isnt easy to read from the water the very beginning of the wave breaks directly onto the rocks, so here, the most you can do on this very short section is a turn, or an aerial, as the second half of the wave hammers directly onto the reef, which is exactly why there were no bodyboarders or surfers taking their chances on that day.EASING MY WAY INWith this treacherous setup in mind, I initially decided on taking a slightly smaller wave for a warm up as my game plan. Of course, I also had the photographer in mind, and I wanted to show him exactly what was possible here. However, on just my second wave, I couldnt resist trying an aerial, but I was a little too deep to make it over the section. For the first time I realised just how much this spot punishes even the smallest of mistakes. There really isnt much margin for error, as I quickly found out while stood in ankle-deep water on the reef, wondering what Id gotten myself into.IMPACT ZONEWhen my board hit the rocks, I was then catapulted forwards, and soon found myself between the sail and the reef in shallow water. Not exactly an ideal situation shall we say. Fortunately, I escaped without injury, but the same couldnt be said of my board as the reef had more than left its mark on it. After a quick regroup, I gathered my equipment and scrambled over the rocks for the first time, but not necessarily the last.PERSEVERANCEDespite a tricky start, my motivation to achieve some great photos from this session didnt wane in the slightest. In fact, if anything, it only spurred me on. I adamantly approached my equipment once more, ready for another crack at it, but the reef had different ideas in mind once again as it visibly snared at me with its razor sharp teeth. On this occasion, the wind deserted me exactly when I needed it the most, which left me without drive, but even worse, in the most critical section of the wave, which I was already becoming far too familiar with. With not much time, nor options, I begrudgingly made the decision to ditch my equipment, while trying to save myself. However, due to the sheer force of the water, and the precariously shallow nature of the reef below me, I was powerless but to watch my sail being almost immediately dismantled into its individual components.A MOMENT OF LUCKHowever, this time around, lady luck was on my side. At first, my gear looked as though it was going to be washed on to the rocks (not so lucky), before it was was sucked into a tiny channel by the vicious current. By the time I reached my equipment, after another lengthy swim, I was further out to sea than I had imagined, so I decided to make the most sensible option, which was to derig what was left of my rig, before paddling back in.Despite more than a few setbacks, I was still unperturbed and simply refused to give up. I wanted to ride this wave and come out unscathed at least once. So, with my 5.0 now trashed, I grabbed my 5.3m and ventured out again. Finally, the elements were on my side, and I was able to ride this unforgiving and challenging wave until the daylight began to fade with a combination of turns and aerials.After many trials and tribulations over the course of the day, I eventually exited the water just before nightfall, more than satisfied that I would finally be able to cross El Confital off my bucket list although I hope to meet you again someday soon. For now though, its back home to my trusty and ever reliable El Cabezo.The post JULIAN SALMONN: MY BUCKET LIST, EL CONFITAL appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

Follow Perth Standlick as he takes on the 7.5km Sydney city beaches run from Maroubra to Bondi, reaching speeds of up to 42 km/h. Riding a hydrofoil connected to a SUP, he uses wind chop to [&hellip... Read More

GOYA TEAM: CUSTOM THRUSTER AND QUAD EXPLAINEDGOYA TEAM: CUSTOM THRUSTER AND QUAD EXPLAINEDFrancisco Goya, Marcilio Browne, Adam Lewis and Keith Teboul talk through the line up of Goya wave boards!GOYA WINDSURFINGThe post GOYA TEAM: CUSTOM THRUSTER AND QUAD EXPLAINED appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

Britt breaks down Eco Carbon Tech (ECT) with Pipe Pro champ Barron Mamiya. ECT is a new type of carbon hand-lamination that will level-up your performance by providing a board that is livelier, stronger, familiar feeling underfoot, and more environmentally responsible.ECT boards are hand-built by the same crew of surfers that have been crafting your boards for years. Available in PU/PE and EPS/Epoxy constructions, ECT can be custom ordered on any boardallowing your board to be built just for you and never leaving you stuck between sizes.For those wanting to take their surfing performance to the next level, look no further than Channel Islands ECT built boards.LIVELIER- Eco Carbon Techs (ECT) construction creates a Livelier PU/PE or EPS/Epoxy board- ECT construction uses a carbon resin that allows for a more traditional feeling flex pattern, albeit a more dynamic one that enhances any boards performanceSTRONGER-15% stronger than standard lamination-Performance of a single layer of fiberglassdurability of twoFAMILIAR- ECT is more familiar feeling than other type of carbon build- Most carbon-built boards are quite stiff, and dont dent on the deck, which creates a rigid shell around the boardmaking its flex foreign feeling.-ECT enhances the level of performance youve been accustomed to from your standard shortboard constructionECT GLASSING-Stock: Single 6oz deck/4oz bottom (Pro Light)= Strength of 4+4 deck/4 bottom-Team: Single 4oz deck/4oz bottom (Team Light)= Strength of 6 deck/4 bottomSMALLER FOOTPRINT- Uses 90% less energy than virgin carbon fiber- Recycled carbon saves waste from going into landfillsFind at a surf shop near you or cisurfboards.com

THE ALOHA CLASSIC: DISSECTED!THE ALOHA CLASSIC: DISSECTED!PWA / IWT ALOHA CLASSIC 2024With a huge IWT / PWA tour calendar lined up for the 2025 season, we take an in depth look at the 2024 Aloha Classic Wave finals with candid insights from the key title contenders at the event!Words: Bernd Roediger, Marcilio Browne, Victor Fernandez, Morgan Noireaux, Kai Lenny, Sarah Quita Offringa, Lina Erpenstein and Sarah Hauser.Photos: Fish Bowl Diaries.BERND ROEDIGER: THE SAMURAI STRIKES AGAINWinning the Aloha Classic means more to me than anyone, Im sure. I say that because this is uncomplicated: it is undoubtedly the purest part of my life, the simplest pursuit. Contrasting with every other scheme Ive hatched or wish Ive yearned to fulfil and had postponed or corrupted. Out there on the water, things are clear, the wind chooses the moment, the wave provides the amplitude and the sailor rides in the pocket of this confluence; how does it feel? Like letting go and finding yourself there. I feel there isnt much human error involved, not much choice, save for the choice to bring your awareness to reality, focus on the moment, ride what is there, take what comes. The mind is a battlefield, and on every other front I see the tides ebbing and flowing between the bastions of my peace and hordes of anxious doubts that besiege me. In the water I felt free from distress, I think all sailors feel this and name it freedom. I welcome the pleasure of riding well but take far greater satisfaction in my discerning what is and is not within my scope of control, adjusting my sails to the winds -as it were- and seeing where it takes me. DEALING WITH NERVESAs I said, I am generally a bundle of nerves on multiple fronts. Going into Finals Day, I was taking with me a lot of energy from outside sources and wigging out. It took some time and water therapy but the stoke came, I began watching the waves intently, eagerly because it looked like such fun, and at that point most of my concerns melted.The low point was probably my first heat of Finals Day, again I was stressed going in, and tried to override those feelings with aggression and speed: the shortest path to any desired point. But after a disastrous heat that very well could have been my last in this event, I was able to reset.MUSICAL THERAPY I listen to music from time to time while riding, and I always do so just with my phone speaker, I dont like earphones or waterproof gadgets. I use a drybag that I picked up from some friends developing them in Fiji, theyre called Cyclone bags, it fits across the body very well and keeps my phone safe.I started out listening to Metallica, again I felt I had to hype myself up for some reason, which may have been true, but it was also almost a fail. Then changed to some of my favourite hits from the 80s, as I was feeling happy and nostalgic and really just pleased to be out in the Quarter Finals with the best sailors. Then in the semis I listened to my favourite modern composer Martin ODonnell, I guess I felt I had something to prove there or at least wanted the heat to feel epic. In the final I didnt really feel much need for music, so I instead listened to some very peaceful chanting from Ananda.IN THE MOMENTI guess the music reflected my general feeling that the Finals Day of the Aloha Classic was something for me. For some context my parents werent attending for the first time since I started competing in the Aloha. I am in a very different point in my life, one in which the meaning of these events has changed. What people thought of me, whether my sponsors would be pleased, thats kind of faded. I realized that now I am really going out of my way to be a pro windsurfer and doing it totally because it is what I love, and it is for me and I should really enjoy each moment with that in mind. I am a bit hesitant to admit fully how selfish Ive become, in some ways I think Im hiding it well but in others it is becoming evident, Im doing all this because I feel Ive found my own proverbial pot of gold and every moment I spend doing it is like dipping into that pot and finding it always overflowing.CONDITIONSConditions changed more often than I have ever seen in an Aloha. Wind was up and down, constantly calling into question what gear to take. A few times it felt like the wind was going to fade with a coming squall, but the question was when? It would then die as soon as the heat started, so youd be stuck out there with whatever call you made. Luckily, I had my KS3 Lithium! And this is not a sails pitch but rather a disclaimer I feel I must make. Because these new sails are 30% lighter, and are the lightest wave sails available in the world, theres a bit of an advantage I exploited in these light-air conditions, and well see whether other brands start to fully embrace this new material to keep up. Pair that with a Flikka board, which I still think are the lightest boards on any beach youll go to, and its certainly fair to say I had an upper hand.I think my best move came in the Final, which was nice to really build into a peak at the right moment. Again, I was looking for the opportunity but not trying to manufacture one, it was just a matter of seeing it. Morgan definitely saw his moment with a big 360 in the semis, it just didnt go his way the rest of the time. But I really respect him for throwing the big 3 when the chips were down, because thats what it takes, you have to be willing to shoot your shot and potentially wind up on the rocks; I think that honouring the moments the conditions give you is the embodiment of peak windsurfing and deserves to be scored high.THE TOURI am always going to be happy for myself and all the other riders to have as many opportunities to sail as possible. I think its a great thing for the committed tour guys to have these amazing overall results after a real-world tour. I think its cool for guys like me who kind of cherry pick and have fun in some epic places. Its more windsurfing, whats not to love?MARCILLIO BROWNE: 2024 PWA / IWT WAVE CHAMPIONGoing into the Aloha was a bit stressful, especially with the title race being so close. But I have been in the same situation in the past, so I was more relaxed and tried to stay focused on what needed to be done heat by heat.For finals day, I was mostly on my Goya Banzai 11, 4.5m and 4.7m. In the semi-final heat it was very difficult as the wind fully died and we were all stuck floating on 4.5s. With eighteen-minute heats there was no time to go in, change and get back out, so we all just had to try our best with what we were riding. Instead of going far out I stayed inside and luckily some waves went under the other guys, which I was able to take. There was no room for mistakes, I think I sailed had a total of three waves that heat.TITLE MOMENTI felt a massive sense of relief and happiness when I found out I was world champion. But a moment like that takes a few days for it all to sink in. The initial feeling was more like all that weight coming off WINNING FORMULAI think my success comes down to a combination of factors. Living in Maui we get lots of conditions, so over the past five or six years my training schedule has become lot more organized, focused and productive. In a sense I have become more efficient. On top of that our gear at Goya improved. We made equipment lighter, faster and now I can get away with riding smaller gear in lighter winds, which is huge. Having kids also really made me put things in perspective more and I dont care for the contests the same way I did when I was younger! I still care about winning a lot, dont get me wrong, I think and train for it every day, but i am not as nervous as I used to be when I was younger! The change happened after i had kids. Obviously, there are ups and downs, some events I will get more stressed than others, but I have more ways of dealing with it now.THE FINALS DAYConditions in the final were solid, with plenty of wind and waves but for some reason I had a hard time lining up any decent waves. At least for me they were either closing out or not having too much wall to work with! Camile and Bernd rip and they are always favourites here, so it was cool to share the final with them.The level this year, every rider was ripping hard. The level In Maui has raised once again I would say. Especially during the quarters finals, I felt like the conditions were the best all afternoon, Levi Siver and Kai Lenny had some of the best heats of the event in my eyes. It was amazing to watch. Their turns were so late and committed, and they were combining that with longer rides and tricks that was incredible sailing.I was also stoked to see Liam Dunkerbeck making his first final. It only seems a few years ago he was just a kid, now he is one of the best in the sport, that is great to see.Now the Aloha is over I will have a bit of a vacation on Maui now and enjoy my family. I would love to take kids for a snow trip, so will see if we can make that happen. Then I will get ready to compete again next year.VICTOR FERNANDEZ: 2ND OVERALL 2024DUOTONE WINDSURFINGThe event went well, conditions were challenging, especially on finals day with the wind changing a lot, it was very difficult to come back to the beach and change gear with the offshore winds, so it was key to be on the right gear specially when the wind dropped drastically. Considering the conditions I am very happy with my performance and the result. My semi final was my worst heat as I was not in the rhythm with the sets.The level was great from all riders. I was feeling good and calm, I had an awesome year and am having so much fun at this stage in my career. I am also very happy how my gear is working specially in wave riding conditions. I had some fun heats and felt good riding good size Hookipa, my low point was not being able to put a better heat in the semis, but I know this can happen, it is part of competition and we normally get tricky conditions when competing. I had some decent big airs and vertical turns, which are my favourite riding to do. I almost landed a good forward off the lip, but my foot came out of the strap. My favourite moves of the event were a very critical turn from Marcilio and some crazy rides from Kai Lenny and Levi Siver.COMPLETE TOURI like the variety we had this year, side onshore wave riding in Japan, sick down the line Chile, nice fun onshore jumping and riding in Pozo and Tenerife, crazy onshore on Sylt and sick down the line starboard on Maui, it is a proper wave tour and most complete overall sailor wins.Yes, I am very happy, it is my seventh, Vice World Championship in my career beside my three World Tittles. My plan is to keep windsurfing and learning and enjoy next season. I go home in five days to see my family in Almerimar, I will be there for a month and after I go to Cape Verde, one of my favourite places on earth for wave riding.MORGAN NOIREAUX: 5th OVERALLDISSAPOINTMENTHonestly, Im really disappointed with my result at the Aloha. I won every one of my heats up until the semis and sailed really well in each of them but sailed a really poor semi-final. I was out of rhythm and had poor waveselection. Saying that though, I still nailed a decent first scoreand ended the heat with the best wave 360 of the event which only scored a 7. Watching the heat back Im really confident in the fact I should have gotten through but obviously that is my own personal very biased opinion and leaving it up to the judges was my own fault. I ended up 5th whichis a decent result but here at home if Im not winning, Im not happy and its been two years in a row whereIve finished 5th in the event. In addition, finishing5th in the Aloha means I finished5th in the world again for the 2nd time in a row as well. Had I reached the final I had a great chance of jumpingup into 3rd overall. Whats done is done though and Im moving on to next year with a lot of motivation!I think it was impossible not to have nerves, but I felt comfortable leading up to the event. Ive put in so much time at Hookipa. I put in way more hours than anyone besides maybe Braw and I honestlyjust work really hard at being the best windsurfer I can be year-round. I was just telling myself to be confident after all ofthe time and effort I put in and that helped calm a lot of the nerves I was feeling. The event itselfwas awesome. We had some epic conditions and if the conditions are firing, its a lot harder to complain. From a riders perspective itfelt like theevent ran smoothly compared to last year, which was really nice.HIGHS AND LOWSMy high point was my round five heat. I was against my friends Julien and Vincent, and we just had a blast. I think three-man heats should be more common. It feels like everyone gets way moreopportunitiesto catch waves. The wave riding takes the front seat as opposed to wave catching tactics. Low point was obviously my semi-final. I really felt like this year was my year and when I landed that 360 in the last 30 seconds it gave me that little bit of hope, which ultimately didnt lead to anything. Its just windsurfing though so I cant take it too hard, but it was a bit of a difficult pill to swallow.The conditions were great. We had logoto over mast high waves every day. The wind was lighter the first two days but super contestable and we finished off with a pretty windy day. There were some tougher heats conditionswise, but I was fortunate in that aspect and got great waves and wind every time. I rode my 5.0 Combat and 89Ultimate wave the first day. Same the second day and on finals day I sailed on my 4.7 and 89 in my first and then switched down to 4.2 and 85 in my last heat. All of my gear felt amazing, so I was really happyabout that.WAVE 3My best move was my wave 360 in the semis. I saw a goiter from Kai that I thought was really cool. Really vertical rotation off a section I dont think anyone else would have thought of doing a goiter off.This year I think the number of events was perfect. Id love a bit more starboard tack representation, but I think that might be a bit of a pipe dream ha-ha. Next year it almost seems like we will have the issue of having too many events. Everyones budgets are small and keep getting smaller which makes it hard to go to these events. If were going to have a problem, too many events, is probably a good one to have though.SARAH QUITA OFFRINGA: PWA OVERALL WAVE CHAMPIONNormally I would have arrived in Maui a lot earlier before the contest, but Sylt ended pretty late and I still wanted some days at home in Aruba, so I only arrived about six days before the event. Lina Erpenstein arrived the day after me and we found a place to live in Haiku. Weve stayed together for the past three Aloha Classics, and its always been fun. Thankfully, I got to sail a lot before the event. I actually over did it a bit and after day four of sailing, I could hardly get out of bed. I was so exhausted. There were some really fun early morning and evening sessions with the usual suspects out at that time like Maria Behrens, Takuma Sugi, Maria Andres, Lina and Pauline Katz.I was so psyched to be back in Maui and also to be in the position to fight for the title. We scored a never-ending forecast so I could sail my heart out and get dialed in. I had two sessions a day every day for a week there was really nothing else I wanted to do than sail!COACHING PAYS OFF!My mindset was a bit less focused on competition and a bit more on learning as much as possible, so to make the best out of it I connected with Graham Ezzy to get some coaching and local knowledge. And I feel like in four to five days I learned heaps. His comments and observations kind of gave me a different perspective on wave sailing and what I need to look for to improve on different levels like reading the wave, setting myself up to get the most out of the wave and bottom to top turn technique. Ive learnt everything intuitively over the years with some tips here and there, but it helps so much to have someone to analyze this stuff with. That was a good experience. It would be cool to see what the future holds in terms of professionals on tour having coaches.MINDSETI had so many good days on the water before the contest that I was just really keen to compete and for the first time ever I was actually excited to ride a big swell if that was going to be on the menu. Usually, I get a bit phased by the bigger waves and thats the toughest challenge at Hookipa, but after Fiji something has switched for me, and I was actually looking forward to some solid swell. I will never forget seeing Coco Foveaus face in Fiji after a massive wave and I could only see pure joy. I could not relate at all at the time, but something changed and I understand this excitement and rush 100% now and I was looking forward to it!So, all week before the event I was in a really good headspace, on the first competition day I felt happy and free on the water and loved the conditions. Then we had a few days break before final day and thats where I had a harder time to stay relaxed and happy. Because I started thinking a little bit more about the possible outcomes of the heats, it was quite a struggle mentally on the days that we were on hold before finals.FINALS DAYThe finals day was a little bit rough! The wind kicked in early and after watching the first heats I was sure I was going to be on my 4,2m for the rest of the day, and after the first round of strong wind we saw it disappear to almost nothing. I guessed that that this was going to happen all day. So, I basically ended up rigging4.2, 4.5, 4.7, 5.0 and my 5.3.I would never have imagined sailing a heat at Hookipa on 4.7m and not being able to bottom turn being too overpowered to close the sail. Crucially my first heat of the day was the deciding heat for the title, and I actually went back to the beach to switch my 5.0 to my 4.7. I think I would not have been able to get the scores I needed being even more overpowered on the 5.0!For the next heat I was just trying to read the wind. Usually looking upwind, you could see if there was more wind coming or not. Finals day felt pretty tense for me, looking back. More so because knowing that I would face Lina in the Semi-final and that Id have to stay ahead of her if I wanted to win the title. Besides that, as soon as everyone realized how tricky the wind was going to be you could feel that riders were a little bit more indecisive on what gear to take. Unfortunately, it was really hard to choose the right sail and I think that cost some people their heat.ALL-IN!The way the year turned out I really didnt have a choice but to go all in. I couldnt make it to Chile, which in the beginning was fine, but then some other events on the calendar that I planned to go to were not happening. So, all of a sudden, I had zero breathing room and all the events I did mattered, so that brought a lot of pressure. Pozo, Sylt and Maui were all go hard or go home situations. After Sylt I had 2 x 1stplaces in the pocket, so I was mostly just grateful that I got back into the title race, but that still meant I couldnt miss Maui.And since I made it so far, I really wanted to end the year winning that title. Because Maui is a starboard tack spot felt like that gave me a bit of an advantage because its my natural stance. My main goal was to be patient and pick the ride waves and just trust my riding.TEARS OF EMOTIONMannwhen I found out I had won the title I just started crying, I felt so much relief, and the tension just left my body. I felt like Jello. I still feel like Jello two days later. I still have mixed feelings about it. Especially realizing afterwards that it was my last wave in the last seconds that made that difference.I had such a strong motivation to win the title coming from behind but at the same time Lina is one of my best friends on tour and I love training with her because I feel like we really push each other. She won the Chile event and her sailing in Tenerife was so solid and I just felt extremely happy for her performance this year. She definitely would have deserved the title this year! So winning was a relief, but at the same time I felt a bit heartbroken for her because it was SO close. Ive done some trips with her over the years, and I just know how badly she wants it and Ive seen her put in the hours. Ive seen the progress and it all really did come together this year for her. She came up to me quite quickly after the heat and we both had a bit of a cry but soon also a little laugh on the beach. She told me not to feel bad and that shed get me next time. I hope she feels proud of her achievements this year, especially juggling her final year in medical studies. Its inspiring.I still really wanted to win the final! I knew that Sarah Hauser as local rider was the one to beat. I chose the right sail size; I felt I actually sailed well and was patient enough to get on the bigger waves. I had two beautiful rides, which I felt were up there, but in the end it wasnt enough. I think Sarah Hauser did some great sailing and she reads the waves well. Ultimately, I think it was the better way to end for me because I was happy with my sailing, which doesnt happen all the time. And since that wasnt enough to win it means I have some things to work on, and that keeps the fire burning to keep pushing for the next time around. I cant wait!GEARFor board I sailed the KP (Kevin Pritchard) model from a few years back. My Starboard KP model board that I won the Aloha on in 2019 was damaged and because Hookipa is so specific and the event was do or die for me, I didnt want to compromise, and I asked Kevin if he still had his. He did. And it was a great choice. Feeling comfortable on your gear means everything and it really allowed me to focus on just riding. I sailed my 5.3, 5.0 and 4.7 combat. Im so happy with the NeilPryde sales this year, they feel softer and well balanced! Because I didnt have so much time, I didnt try anything else but would love to get more into the pure down the line sails and give the Zone a try in Maui.CELEBRATIONI have not really been able to celebrate yet. Its like Im still processing everything. Its my 4thwave world title, but also my 3rdtitle this year. One in every discipline. Thats surreal. I feel like such a load came off my shoulders, but I have also landed in an after-contest dip. I am off to Brazil after Maui for the usual end of season sailing. Ill take some time to figure out what I want to do next year!SARAH HAUSER ALOHA CLASSIC WINNERBUILD UPI was a little anxious before the event because I thought it would be really cool to win the Aloha Classic with the unified fleets. When the PWA sailors come to Maui I feel like we learn from each other. It pushes everybody and makes us better athletes. Because my chances at an overall podium were pretty much gone with my counter performance in Chile (9th) and the Fiji event being cancelled, I wanted to put a little pressure on myself, so aiming for a win at the Aloha felt like a solid goal. But as we know, anything can happen at Hookipa, and the competition is fierce in the womens fleet.This year we had stormy conditions with lots of rain squalls creating massive wind fluctuation. As a competitor, its a nightmare, it feels like flipping up a coin when you decide to go on big or small gear. I had rigged my 3.4, 3.7, and 4.0 Goya Banzaii Surf Carbon and had 61L, 63L and 68L custom Quatro boards ready for action. I picked my smallest equipmentfor the semi-final as the wind was nuking and that went well. Then I picked my medium size equipment (3.7 / 63L) for the final and the wind completely died at the beginning, so much that I was not even at the peak when the heat started (I was still trying to make it out). MAKING IT COUNTLuckily there were some remnants of the east swell, and those waves broke far into the channel so I was able to get a score at the beginning, but the wave faded quickly and I could only get two solid turns and a third ok turn. I spent the rest of the heat catching the same type of waves and I knewit probably wasnt enough to take thelead. Five minutes before the end I was finally able to find a wave that opened, and I gave it my all. I stayed in the pocket and somehow managed to execute six decent turns on that wave. That said I had seen great turns here andthere from the other women in the heat, so I had no idea who was leading until I got back to the beach.Then I saw people cheering and I wondered if it was for me. When I realized it was, Ijust threw my hands up in the air and felt this huge relief and joy. I got carriedon the beach by Adam and Casey and I was just trying to slow down time to stretch this happy moment.LINA ERPENSTEIN: 2nd OVERALL WAVESWORK AND PLAYI was leading the tour for a long time this season which is a success for me. This year I did full time medical studies so most of the year I was working in a hospital or with a GP. I did not have much time to train. Windsurfing was my second priority this year and I only really did the competitions. I finished second overall, so I am happy with that and now I am hungry for more. I am always a bit nervous going to Maui as I am a bit intimidated by big waves and we never know what we are going to get, it is cool how quick you get used to bigger waves, once you get to sail them.HIGHS AND LOWSThe high point for me was the semi-final, even though I lost, I felt like I sailed a solid heat. My starboard sailing is not as strong as my port tack sailing so I was happy with what I could show. I guessed my sail sizes wrong twice on the finals day. The wind was so up and down we had no idea what sail size to choose. It went from 5-30 knots. I was just concentrating on doing decent top and bottom turns. 2024 was a great year for events, we had a great variety of conditions with Chile, some awesome European events and finishing in Hawaii. The tour is a lot more versatile now and I was stoked to compete in so many different spots.KAI LENNYREFLECTIONSThe Aloha Classic this year was super fun! It is always amazing mixing it up with the worlds best. I was stoked to receive a wild card into the event. It would have been great to make the finals, but the level is incredibly high and from quarterfinals on, every hear could or been a final.The board I was riding this year was a collaboration I did with Quatro. I designed / shaped the board, and they built it in an ultra-light construction. It is the closest thing to a surfboard I could make and it allowed me to draw lines Ive been dreaming about. At the end of the day, I am competition you need ride the way the judges like to score. I could have or should have done more of that, but I was having too much fun riding the way my new board allowed me to.The post THE ALOHA CLASSIC: DISSECTED! appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

MARC PARE: JOINS O'SHEAMARC PARE: JOINS OSHEAOShea International has announced a partnership with the incredibly talented windsurfer, Marc Par. This collaboration will see Marc donning OShea wetsuits for the upcoming seasons as he continues to compete at the highest level.Photos: Courtesy Simmer Style,Daniell Bohnhof,Yde Media andMoritz Mauch,Marc Pare, who is without doubt, one of the best wave sailors in the world today, shared the news with his followers on social media:I am excited to announce that I am partnering up with OSheasurf to ride their wetsuits for the upcoming seasons! This partnership feels extra special as this was Farrels brand and he was a huge supporter of mine during the beginning of last season. Together with OShea surf we have some awesome projects for the near future and Im really excited for them to materialize and to carry on Farrels legacy!Head honcho of windsurfing at OShea International , Adrian Jones says Were delighted to be working with Marc, supporting him with the equipment he needs to win events and take on some of the toughest and coldest conditions on his adventures worldwide. Marc is a talented and driven athlete with incredible experience in product development. Were excited to collaborate with him to keep pushing the OShea product line forward.The post MARC PARE: JOINS OSHEA appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

THE FASTEST WOMEN ON THE PLANET!JENNA GIBSONTHE FASTEST WOMEN ON THE PLANET!Dorset based windsurfer Jenna Gibson is officially the fastest women on the planet, after clocking a run of 48.03 knots on the 500m course at Lderitz! She is also the first woman to break the 50-knot barrier for peak speed. We caught up with Jenna to find out about here journey to Namibia and how she went about reaching her goals!Photos: Peter Davis,113photosport, Simon Pettifer and Jenna Gibson.THE JOURNEY TO THE CANALIt was a long journey to Lderitz which took three days. We were helped out on the UK side by Holiday Extras, who helped make the travel details run smoothly, Although, we almost missed our flight by staying in the airport lounge too long! It took two flights to get to Cape Town. When we landed in Cape Town we spent a night with Mitch Wagstaff who kindly let us stay at his place. Then we set off the next day.Our friends gave us tonnes of advice beforehand on which routes to take and which border crossings to use to reduce the problems with customs etc. We broke down the journey on the way to Lderitz into two days, by staying overnight in Springbok in northern South Africa. There were many details that were important to know. Jim Crossley was an invaluable help, and gave us a handwritten map, where he had put notes on where to fill up with fuel and all that. You are not guaranteed that there will be fuel available at regular intervals and there could be many miles between service stations. It is a twelve-hour drive from Cape Town to Lderitz but there are only about four turns on the journey. Other than that, it is just one straight road the whole way.The journey to Namibia was unforgettable. We saw so much wildlife and amazing landscapes on the way that blew our minds. It felt like we had been on a safari. The scenery was mostly dessert but every time you turned a corner or went over the top of a hill the landscape could completely change. It was incredible to see how varied and dramatic the dessert can be. Though the three-day trip was exhausting, but it surpassed all expectations. While there was plenty of sand, the desert was surprisingly greener than I had imagined. None of the photos or the videos of that journey could capture the beauty of what we witnessed or do it justice! It was simply incredible. At one point we realized, we had been driving for ten hours without even thinking of playing music, we were that captivated by the views. The road trip alone made the journey worthwhile.FIRST IMPRESSIONSWhen you first turn up in Lderitz, you arrive at the finishing box of the canal. It looked absolutely tiny! It looked so short. I didnt believe that I would be able to slow down from 45 knots in that short a distance. It looked really intimidating. We drove up the whole canal and it looked so much smaller in real life than it does on the videos. The longer we sat there and stared at it, it kind of felt like it was growing!It did not seem as bad once we were there for a few days. When you are sailing on the canal you dont even use most of the room that is available. You need to be on the windward bank to get the flat water. The canal is about six metres wide and I dont think I used the bottom downwind three metres. Nevertheless, the canal is intimidating. It is also very shallow so you need to be aware of that.When we arrived, the wind was light and we just wanted to go down the canal to practise, the starts and the finish. A few times when I slowed down, my fin was catching on the bottom by more boards sinking just a few centimetres. It was ridiculously shallow. Once you are used to it you are so focused on sailing that you dont think about the size of it so much. There were definitely a few aborts at the finish when I had to fall in backwards to stop before hitting the bank.We had a few warmup days at the beginning, where it was pretty light. They let us sail on the course so we could get used to it. If we didnt get that warm up it would have been a lot more intimidating. If we had arrived on a high wind day, I am not sure if I had managed at all. There was so much to get used to. I had to build my confidence of sailing so close to the bank. But we were quite lucky with how the conditions turned up for us. Those first few days of light winds were so important for me to learn how to jump start. The start box feels quite short compared to what you would do for a slalom start. In slalom you get a nice long run up into the start. This was only a quarter of the size of that before you bear away onto the speed run. You had to get in the foot straps and get hooked in super quickly which took a bit of practise. The wind gods were definitely in my favour on this trip.FEAR FACTORTo begin with it was scary going down the canal so close to the edge. We built up to it, especially when we had some lighter days to tune in before the wind went ballistic. Sailing close to the edge is a lot less scary than sailing further away and in the chop. If you hit a big lull close to the edge, you can lose pressure in the sail and the board could carve up into wind and into the sandbank. I did have a few sketchy moments, but I did not hit at any point thankfully. As my confidence grew, I was sailing closer and closer to the edge. The sandbanks are not necessarily straight so in order to keep as straight a line as possible, there were some points where I was pretty darn close!Windsurfing is a bit like meditation. You completely clear your head and focus on what is in front of you. On the strong wind days, I did get a bit more anxious. Especially handling the gear and I was just struggling to hold the sail. I did sit out some moments when the wind was strongest but looking back, I wish I hadnt. I wish I was not influenced by some of the other people there. While I was sailing, I was not scared of crashing. It is only while you are waiting that you are scared of heading back onto the water. If you think about crashing or being negative in any way, then you are most likely going to crash! Keep that out of your head and then if you do feel a wobble do everything you can to prevent it.SPEED RUNSIn total I had between 130-150 runs down the canal over the whole time I was there. On some days I had up to twenty runs down to only seven or eight if the conditions were not favourable. It completely depended on the wind, the energy I had and the forecast for the next days. I was trying to be a bit tactical with that. I was also trying to get as much time on the water and learn as much as possible. Some days I was focused on my technique, so I did more runs and other days I was more into equipment tuning. You would get a lot less runs but still get plenty of use out of the day.The more wind there was, the more people there would be on the canal. When it was a possible record-breaking day, everyone was a bit more serious and focused on waiting for the right moment. On those days there were a lot less runs. There was an order in which we sailed, unless a rider would stop to change equipment. If you miss your start slot you would have to go to the back of the cue of the riders waiting to go. It wasnt too bad where we only had a few riders during the holding period. Everyone was pretty easy going about taking their turns for a run. There was an aspect of saving your energy so you didnt always want to go straight away so you could recover between runs.RECORD BREAKING DAYSI broke the record on four different days. The first day I broke it, the forecast for the next day was even windier. A lot windier. People had said to me, as it gets windier the lighter sailors can struggle to go any faster. Lighter sailors often do their records on the lighter wind days. The first day I broke the record it was around 35 knots and the next day it was 50 knots and I did not go much quicker. Then the wind dropped down to around 40 knots and I broke it again. Windier was not necessarily faster. If you are overpowered it can be hard to keep everything locked in and push all of your strength into the kit, without struggling to hold it down. When it was a bit lighter and flatter, I was not getting as psyched out by the conditions. That helped me go faster as well. So, we had everything from 35-50 knots on the record-breaking days and I think it is possible to beat the record in all of those conditions.THE FASTEST RUNSTruth be told, you dont know they are the fastest runs util you get to the end and you look at your watch. The slower runs can feel like the fastest. They can be scarier if you are out of control. The last run that I did break the record on, the wind had completely dropped. I was sailing for the sake of it. The wind was lower than the day before and we were not necessarily thinking we were going to break any records. I went down the canal anyway and out of nowhere this gust hit me. The water state had not had time to get choppy or anything. I had a beautiful smooth run down to the finish. I was slightly underpowered comparatively, but I was totally in control and it felt super-fast. By that point in the week, I was a lot more set up and dialled in. Everything just felt easy by then. If a run ever felt difficult it usually was not as fast.GOALSI definitely hit all the goals I set out to achieve in Namibia. To ask more than breaking the record four times would be impossible. Of course, I am always driving to improve and I would love to see how far I could take it. I dont feel like I am done with speed yet and there is so much more to learn. Two more knots to hit a 50-knot run, is a massive jump in speed sailing. I really have this burning desire to keep pushing and progressing. I want to see how fast we, as women can go. I want to close that gap between the mens world record and the womens record. I will most likely have to wait until next year and hopefully I will be able to try again. There will be a lot to learn in the until then, but hopefully I can go a lot more prepared.It was unreal to break my own record while I was there. You kind of get this never-ending desire to push. It felt like there was an unknown limit of how fast I could go. During the whole trip I was just trying to find that limit. From the very first day that we were there, we sailed at Diaz Point. That was already a personal best for me. The whole trip was PB after PB! After the first world record it was almost a case of me beating my PB again. That fuelled me onwards anyway as I felt very competitive with myself to keep pushing. I was competing against myself and I was pushing as hard as I could. I am so happy with the result of the trip and it was definitely an insane experience.The WSSRC confirmation still hasnt actually come through yet, so it is still not technically official! Apparently with the Guinness book of records, its something you need to apply for, rather than be approached so I need to get on that!50 KNOT PEAKAfter breaking the record, I had to tick a new goal off the list in order to keep up my competitive drive. I did not know if hitting 50 knots was going to be possible or not. On most of my runs over 500 metres I was staying pretty close to my average speed without many high peaks. I thought by improving my peak speed I could improve the average speed on the 500. I knew I was going fast on some of the runs and then at the end of one run I saw I had hit over 50 knots. I was super happy and super excited and just wanted to go down the run again. It is not like you achieve a goal and that is all done. You achieve it and then you want to do it again or set a new goal. I am now addicted and now I am back in the UK I will see what I can do here!CELEBRATIONSOn the first day I broke the record we thought Antoine Albeau had also broken his own record. We had a meal planned with the whole group at the Nest Hotel. There were a few people that were leaving that night. We all went there to celebrate. But then Antoine found out he had not actually broken the record when they checked. You could see how gutted and disappointed he was. When he did break the record a few days later, we went out for a dinner with a small group of us. We signed the windsurf boards in the restaurant with our record times which was pretty cool. It was not really as big as a celebration as what he deserved but we were there to share it with him which was really special.WINDY DAYSThere were a lot more people on the canal when the wind kicked in. On the lighter wind days, a lot of guys didnt sail or they went off to Diaz to get more tuned in on the sails they would want to use on the canal. There is always a bit more wind at Diaz. On the higher wind days everyone was going for it at the canal. It took a bit longer to get your turn. There was more pressure to get the start right and to go straight away and not hold up the cue. It would have been nice to hold on and wait for the right gust but at the same time, starting is difficult and if you mess up the start you dont want to have to wait for the next gust. On the windy days everybody was keen to get on the water and get as many runs in as possible. Most of us were sat around waiting for our turn and chatting amongst each other. So, it was still a super friendly atmosphere and everyone was cheering each other on.LODGINGSThe Nest Hotel sponsors the event. We went there a few times for meals and to meet up with the other riders. They have a room dedicated to the Lderitz Speed challenge. There are boards hung on the wall that all the riders have signed, pictures and rash vests hung up everywhere. We could use that room for all our meals and meet ups. We stayed in a self-catering apartment just on the outskirts of town. It was a bit less expensive, and I could cook for myself. I am gluten free, so it is nice to be able to organize your own food when you are competing. I cooked my own meals to take to the beach with me which suited me better than the hotel. There were plenty of nights when we were too tired to cook so would often go out to eat with whoever was up for it. Everyone was on their phones posting about their days action on the canal, so it was a super relaxed environment. I had quite a few early nights in Lderitz because I was so exhausted. I wanted to be ready for the next day depending on the forecast. One afternoon when the wind was light, we all went to the local museum and we also had an evening watching Bjorns movie.SPEED CREWAll the speed sailors were so helpful with tips and sharing knowledge both online and in person. There were quite a small group this year in Lderitz. Myself and Simon, were definitely welcomed straight into the family there. It was much friendlier than in slalom for example where you are perceived as a direct competitor. In the speed you are only really racing yourself. Everyone was so helpful I cant emphasize that enough. From Kit tips, to rigging, to which lines to take and all that stuff. I had a lot of messages of encouragement and congratulations which has been very heart warming. The speed scene was not secretive at all. It was honestly amazing.SIMON PETTIFERI definitely could not have done all this without Simon. It is difficult when you are trying to help each other but at the same time you must focus on yourself. It might be windy and you are in a rush, it was intense and emotions were running high at times. Simon is one of my biggest supporters and I am so glad that he was there to share those moments with me.HOMESince I got back, I have just been trying to catch up on university work that I really got behind on while I was away, and with the business of Christmas I have just very much been in rest and reset mode, so havent really worked on seeing what doors it has opened! I will be heading to the RYA Watersports Show next month to do some interviews with Peter Hart about breaking the record, so that should be fun!Duotone sportsFALCON SPEED D/LABWorthing WatersportsHoliday extrasThe post THE FASTEST WOMEN ON THE PLANET! appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

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