KAI LENNY: SEVEN SPORTS IN ONE DAY AT JAWS!KAI LENNY: SEVEN SPORTS IN ONE DAY AT JAWS!Watch Kai Lenny pull off seven extreme sports in a single day at Jaws, Maui! From surfing massive waves to windsurfing, kitesurfing, parawing, and beyond, Kai pushes the limits of whats possible on the water at one of the gnarliest waves on the planet. Few athletes can master just one of these disciplines, but Kai switches between them seamlessly! Its a jaw-dropping display of skill, stamina, and passion, all packed into one epic day!Location: Peahi aka Jaws Maui, HawaiiSports: Tow-in Surfing, Wing Foiling, Wing Surfing, Kitesurfing, Windsurfing, Parawing and Twin Tip Surfing (Wakeboard)Edited by Ridge LennyFilmed by ACL CinemaMarc ChambersMaui CartelJon SpenserThe post KAI LENNY: SEVEN SPORTS IN ONE DAY AT JAWS! appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

RAOUL JOA MAKING AN IMPACTRAOUL JOA MAKING AN IMPACTWith the exciting launch of the innovative 2026 Duotone range already being triggered, we caught up with Raoul Joa, division manager for the brand for this exclusive, no holds barred interview. Raoul speaks candidly about tough decisions behind the scenes, the complexities of rebranding and his unwavering passion to make an impact in windsurfing through Duotones cutting-edge products.LIFE-LONG PASSIONWS: Tell us a bit about your background and how you got involved in the windsurfing industry.RJ: Like many kids at that time, I got into windsurfing through my parents! Im still saying that was the best thing my dad ever brought home a windsurfer! I was not even 10 years old. He just bought it for our holidays and used it three or four times and realized that he was not made for windsurfing. I stepped on it and instantly got hookedby being moved by the wind, which was the first step. Especially when I had that half-planing feeling. And this is how I started windsurfing.Windsurfing became my hobby, then my major hobby, then my only hobby and then my sense of life. At that time, there were no computers, no phones, so the distraction wasnt there. There wasnt this information overflow killing you every second. You were really spending time with your equipment, with your hobby and with your family. You spent more time with the things you were doing, plus there were fewer alternatives.You could become a soccer player like everyone else, maybe tennis like the rich people. And then there was this cool sportwindsurfing. And that was about it. Thats why windsurfing is also called the mother of all fun sports. It sounds old-fashioned, but it really was the first fun sport and it completely hooked me.Nowadays, its different. We have so many fun sports and theyre much easier to learn. You get this instant reward and the equipment can be easier to transport. We all know the problems with windsurfing. Plus, the younger generation is constantly distractedphones, computers, social media, information overload. Its hard to get new people into the sport. Windsurfingjokinglyyou have to be a bit of a masochist. You have to really dive into it, make it your thing and keep at it with energy, time and effort.And transportation! If youre young, you dont have a drivers license yet, so you need your parents to get to the beach. Its a huge effort to become a windsurfer. With all the other wind sportswinging, for exampleits so much easier.But still, I do this interview because windsurfing is the greatest water sport on Earth. Winging is effortless; but thats the problem. It gets boring, to be honest. I tried winging a bit and sure, you can jump, its wonderful if youre young and radical and want to hurt yourself. But one advantage of windsurfing is its nearly impossible to seriously hurt yourself.For someone just going back and forth on a lake, winging gets boring after, say, half a year. But with windsurfing, its just complete. I would still say its the greatest water sport on earth!FROM SHOP CLERK TO DIVISION MANAGERWS: And how did you get involved in the business?RJ: Also, pretty early, when I was still in school. I worked in a windsurfing shop. Windsurfing shops at that time were very different than nowadays. This particular one was in Munich, and it was called something that translates into air mattress. Super funnythe guy first wanted to sell air mattresses, then realized windsurfing was becoming huge. That was the mid-80s, and I started working there. At that time, the fairs and shows were still a big deal for retailers.I worked afternoons after school and was already earning pretty good money by the hour. I really enjoyed it. I finished my school degreebarely and had this conversation with my mum. She said I should go to university, and I said, NoI want to earn money from day one. I had a dreamto become a sail designer. Young people should dream!Since I was earning good money at the shop, I wanted to keep working there. But you cant just be a sales guy forever. The shop owner had a great idea; he said I should sign up as a student at the university so he could still pay me officially while I worked, and Id do an apprenticeship-like program. Three weeks working, one week at uni. I finished a sales degree that way.The shop was actually the biggest North dealer worldwide at the time. Tiny shopmaybe 100 square metersbut it had a huge garage where we stored sails. We were selling over 3,000 sails a yearmore than we have in our international warehouse today!The owner of North, Michi Plank, used to visit us often, he lived nearby. After finishing my studies, I asked if I could work for him. Thats how I got into North Sails, firstly in customer service. My first job was a tiny desk in a small town near Munich, typing in orders and calling German customers.From the beginning, I told Michi, I was always into products. I said, You guys have great sails, but your harnesses are a nightmare. This is complete sh**! And he let me deal with the factory to start improving them. Thats how I got into development. Then I worked on improving the boom front end.Eventually, two of my rep colleagues who were good friends, told my boss that I was more valuable working on products than in customer service. So, I eventually became the product manager at North.WS: Whats your title now?RJ: Now, of course, we have official titles like every company. My official title, well it was actually me who pushed for the change. Before, the responsible guys for each sport division were called line managers. I said, What am I, taking a line every morning to go to work? (laughs) Bad English. I said, Come on, were handling divisions. So, they finally changed it to division manager.THE DUOTONE REBRAND: A RISK THAT PAID OFF!WS: How tough was it to change from North to Duotone?RJ: That was our first big brand switch. Endless meetings. Our shareholders didnt want to sell to the new owner of the North brand, who was trying to acquire it below market value.So, we did the unthinkablewe said, Lets change the brand. I still believe this will be in marketing textbooks one day. I dont think there has been any market leader in a sports brand who has changed its brand name before. A market leader changing its brand name?its like if Mercedes said, Lets become Ypsilon-Automobile. It was a suicide crazy move. But our shareholders invested in the move, and we pulled it off.Since we were starting from scratch, we could fix parts of the brand image. I personally never liked the old logo with North Sails. It was so old school. We were trying all sorts of things to make the brand look cooler like the advert with Nik Baker wearing the fur jacket and funky adverts with the Moreno sisters. Pryde were the cool brand at the time and we were the technical, boring, German engineering brand. So, we said: Lets combine our unbeatable technology with a super sexy, fresh brand and logo. We became the youngest brand! It was scary but it worked. Sales went upwe reached the next level.WS: Did you have a plan for how long it would take for people to accept it?RJ: Thats where we spent the most moneymarketing. Kiteboarding was already five times bigger than windsurfing. If the kite move would have failed, the company wouldnt exist anymore. So, we went all in.I remember driving into Tarifa and seeing a massive Duotone billboard. I thought, We did it. It was such an exciting time. The second move; rebranding Fanaticwas similar, though on a much smaller scale.COVID BOOM AND BUST!WS: How tough was it steering the brand through COVID?RJ: Oh, that is the good thing about human beings. Human beings tend to push away bad impressions and bad things happening to them if its death, being divorced, and so on, which is good in a way. Looking back COVID is so far away. Its like reading a science fiction book or watching a science fiction movie. You know, what the fu**! We were in prison. We couldnt go out, meet people. How is that possible?But actually, after the first shock Were going to have zero selling, its going to stop, its going to collapse, we all stay at home video meetings were born at that time. Actually, for all the individual sports, it turned out to be a massive boost. Unfortunately, leading into a massive breakdown after the boost, because all the people bought all their stuff during COVID, because individual sports were allowed, team sports were not allowed.So, it was just a buying in advance, I would call it. And now the customers all have their garages full of toys, and it is really hitting us now stillwith the overstock and the same with the stock situation at some dealers.After COVID we were producing like hell. We opened up three different factories just to get enough SUPs at that time. Shops were just putting in mental orders. And that in a smaller degree happened to windsurfing as well. I was like, Jesus Christ, windsurfing is booming whats happening? So these were really crazy times from zero to hero, unfortunately back, not to zero, but yeah, above zero.LETTING GO OF STARSAND FACING THE BACKLASH!WS: How tough was it to let Mark Par and Pierre Mortefon go from the team? That must have been a difficult decision to make?RJ: I have to be careful because we got kind of a windsurfing sh**storm for doing thatespecially because we let them go both together. We had to, to be honest. Since we are an investor-driven company and we do not have a sponsor daddy, sponsor mummy, sponsor wife, sponsor whateversome of the smaller brands have thatwe are only able to spend as much as we are earning, worst case. Actually, we should make kind of a profit.That is the whole game with investors. They invest into something to get money out of it. Otherwise, they could leave the money at the bank. And so, we were really forced to do that move. We were forced to do it before all the other brands! I mean, especially the smaller brands, because a year later, if you look at Pryde or Starboard just to name two, they had to do exactly the same thing we did, just one year later. We put a social media post out there thanking them in a really friendly way but it exploded back at us. That hit us by surprise and not a positive one. It was not very clever from us in hindsight.We were really rethinking and restructuring all our cost budgets, because we had to match them with the dramatic sales drop we had at that time after Covid. Our most expensive riders were Marc and Pierre and the decision was made that they had to go! Victor was on a three-year contract so we could not drop him at the time.It was not like we didnt like Mark Par anymore or we didnt like Pierre anymore. It was justwe had to let people go and save budget.Mark Par went back to Simmer. Im pretty sure it helped them for development, because Mark was heavily (I have to say that, and were still thankful) involved in the Super_Hero D/LAB development.That was mainly done by Mark. I would say like 80%. Obviously, he took that knowledge with him. Not that Kai Hopf made him a sail designer, but he explained a lot. Thats the essential thingthat the tester and the designer find a common solid language that they understand each other. Some guys say great, but mean great is not good. Others say unbelievable, but everything is unbelievable. You really need to find your language and technical understanding. And Kai always tells me it takes at least 1.5 years to teach that and to learn that from the other sidefrom the riderhow he explains things, to find a common ground. And they had achieved that, and this is why Kai was super sad that we had to let him go.KAI HOPFF: THE UNSUNG GENIUS!WS: You mentioned Kai Hopfyouve obviously got a lot of admiration for him as a designer. Tell us a little bit about why you think hes a genius?RJ: No matter who youre talking to, no matter what kind of productboards, fins or sails theyre like, Yeah, OK, I shouldnt say, but hes the best. Hes the best designer. Its unbelievable what hes doing.Nobody knows him very much outside Maui but its a common knowledge on Mauibut he is a fu**ing genius. He has difficulty sleeping, that why sometimes hes very grumpy and difficult to socialize with. He doesnt feel comfortable if theres more than two people around. Like you and me together, thats OK, but with a third or fourth person, he starts to feel uncomfortable.But on the other hand, if he accepts you or calls you a friend, he does everything for you. As I mentioned, when Mark Par was doing the interview with Ben Proffitt, he literally had 4 or 5 packs of fins. I thought he was Mr. Fin he was discussing fins and this and thatand I was like, what the fu**? These finsevery single one, except for maybe two, were from Kai.He started as a World Cup rider, so he knows what the guys want and demand, because he demanded the same for himself. Then hes been in design for such a long time. Hes very good mechanically. He was building his own CNC machines, his own plotters. Ordering parts from China on eBay and putting it all together by himself. He even built the first laser cutter for GSL for our factoryand sent it there.Hes somehow a universal genius. Again, he can be difficult to deal with socially, but hes a great guy. Hes the best designer all around. There might be someone better in one specific thing for example, Robert Stroj, great sail designer or Sean Ordonez, great board shaperbut were not hand-shaping anymore nowadays.I dont think theres anyone, at least in windsurfing, being a top-notch designer in all aspects, sails, boards and fins. Silently, behind the curtains, everyone admits this.AI IN DESIGN: PRECISION OVER GUESSWORK!WS: How important is AI in windsurfing design these days?RJ: Apparently, its everywhere, and we wont get rid of it anymore. Thats a fact. Whether you like it or notwhether its good for mankind, Im not sure. Worst case scenario, its like Terminator. But the Genie is out of the bottle and we cant put it back in.It has tremendous possibilities for us humansunfortunately also tremendous threats. But with the right software (and thats why we had a software written especially for us) the industry standard program doesnt allow you to do that.When you create a board it consists of three elements: the rocker line, the outline and the rail radius. Kai is a strong believer.and this is impossible to reach by hand. that these curves need to be synchronized. The industry-standard software Shape3D couldnt do it either.He believes, for example, if you have a rocker line thats straighter in the middle, then the outline should be straighter there as well, means less curvature. Same for the rail shape. More radius at the nose and tail and the outline and rocker line should match that curvature at the same positions. Long story short the curves should never work against each other.Our software is mathematically driven. A lot can be done by hand, by typing it in and checking the 3D modelbut that only goes so far. Thats why after Kai designs the board, it gets AI-checked and adjustedwere talking millimetresto make the curves match 100% to each other.WORK, PASSIONAND FINDING BALANCE!WS: Do you ever switch off from Duotone? RJ That is a very good question, and I think I can speak for others in the industry too. We are all in the same boat. That is the downside, I think, for all of us in the industry: if you make your hobby your job. The positive thing is that youre drivenyoure simply driven because it is your hobby. You do it with joy every day, and youre pushing all the time.I could also design toilet seats. I mean, Im sitting on one at least once a daymore like three or four times a day. But I wouldnt do that job with the same motivation, to be honest.But this can also turn into a negative. When it really becomes the sole part of your entire life. And that used to be the case with me until I got really, really seriously sick. Not just a cold. In the early 2000s, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. They told me at the time, it was from too much stress, too much alcohol, yes, too much smoking, yes and maybe too much working and never switching off.Fortunately, I met my wife around that time too. And even though its officially an incurable disease, Ive had no symptoms ever since. And since it wasnt just a cold that goes away after a week or two, I became much more careful with my energy level.Its not that Im not still thinking 24/7 about my job and how to improve Duotone and windsurfing in general; but I know my limits now. Im a much healthier person.I need a minimum of 8 hours of sleep. I instantly stopped smoking. Havent touched a cigarette since then. I didnt drink a drop of alcohol for five yearsI couldnt quite keep that up, but now Im definitely not a heavy drinker anymore. And Im not partying all the time like before.WHY COMPETITION IS ESSENTIAL?WS: Do you like having the competition amongst the other brands?RJ I love it. I love it! You wouldnt expect this; but I hate monopolies. I simply hate monopolies. Because if youre the only one, with no alternatives you get lazy, you get slow and you get arrogant. Thats the natural result of a monopoly. If theres no competition, why should I move ahead? Why should I be a nice guy? Everyone has to buy from me anyway. If it were only Duotone, Id say, Yeah, if you want to go windsurfing, you have to buy our boards, our masts, our stuff. Tough sh**. I dont need to be nice. Real development and progress only come from competition. And so, honestly, I love it when a competitor gives me a challenge.The last time I really felt that was when I saw the current Goya line. They improved a lot of things visually, too. Even the boards. I was like, What the fu**? And their sails, with all the different materials I was like, Wow!But it wasnt, What the fu**, I hate these guys. It was, Wow, greatnow I have a challenge. What do they have? What is better than us?It was the same back in the daysup until maybe 2010. I was always the first one to grab the new NeilPryde brochure because they are located very close to our offices. They had this amazing boom front end and not to mention all the great riders. I was like, What the fu**, I would love to have that! Slowly, over the years, we were like, OK, now we have something that we think is even betterlighterwith better graphics, better function. So, we worked our way up.So yeah, I love competition. Unfortunately, its getting less and less, because of the market situation. Fewer and fewer brands can afford to invest in R&D.PWA FOIL RACINGWHERE IT ALL WENT WRONG!WS: What do you think of PWA foil racingIs that good for the brands or is it a marketing?RJ: I guess you know all of my pain points? Foil racing is one of these pain points, not that I hate foil racing, not at all, dont get me wrong, just how it has developed or how PWA and its riders have taken it on. I think, to be frankly, its a complete F**k up.I think its the new version of formula racing and in Formula racing we were stepping out at a point because it was such a madness. And in foil racing, it wont take much more honestly.They took it into a completely wrong direction.When it originally came up, the argument was: we need the events to happen and we need a result! With fin racing that was always a risk. And this is how PWA brought it up.Hey, we finally have something which will guarantee us a result at whatever venue. And I was like, f*ck it, fantastic. I love it. I was completely forward with foil racing and I am still, I still would be in theory.But then, since it is a rider organization, which I think nowadays, at least, doesnt make sense anymore because its all so small that nobody should work in his own interests. Everyone in the industry and just rephrasing, my dear friend Francisco Goya, we need to be one family, but hes completely right. We are so small. The magazines cant work against the brands anymore. The industry cant work against the shops anymore in their own interest. We all must work together. Im sorry to say, but some of the riders were moving the rules into a direction for their best interests.I said right from the beginning, lets have a sail size limit for foil racing. But were not talking 12 m or 11 m. Were talking about 6.5m, maybe that was a bit radical.I would have also been happy to discuss that. But not much bigger, please, because what does it mean?Automatically, when you increase the size of the sail and you reduce the foil-wing size. And thats the opposite of what we need for racing and the opposite of what usual foil windsurfers are doing at their spot. And this is why I also stepped out of formula because its the opposite to what usual windsurfers were doing at the lake sailing this direction and the formula guy was sailing in the other direction 90 degrees up and downwind, complete bullshit.And thats the same what happened with foil racing. Foiling, most people who are still doing it are doing it on a 5.0/5.3 wave sail, and in PWA they are going 9.5 square meters. Are they completely nuts using tiny toothbrushes for their foil-wing size? I would have instantly set a minimum foil-wing size limitation and a maximum size sail and it would have been a blast.First of all, we would have created a great alternative to IQ-Foil which is killing us completely in the PWA in this discipline, and I would also have, of course, regulated the amount of equipment which theyve done, but the size is the crucial part.And of course we have the riders saying, Yeah, but we are much faster with bigger sails and smaller foils. Yes, thats true. But were always talking about the complete field. If the whole fleet is 10% slower, you wont see a difference because theyre all 10% slower because they have to use bigger foil-wings to get going with their smaller sails. Whats the f**king problem?And you know what, the best guys will still win because the best always win, no matter if its big sails or small sails. Im getting mad if I think about this. That was a huge mistake.I hate it. I really hate it.And I hate it if certain individuals, change the sport or the rules for their own interest and not seeing or not caring what it means for the whole sport. And this is why Im not a big fan of PWA foil racing at the moment.2026EXCITING INNOVATIONS IN THE PIPELINE!WS: How excited do you get when youre about to release a new range?RJ: That depends. Of course, Im super excited for 2026 since were having the most innovative range ever and especially in these difficult times. Its not that we planned it.Its also by accident and so many things working together: the new factory, new softwareit simply all came together, which rarely happens and then of course I get excited.But yeah, I hope also for our customers it will be a bit like Christmas when you present the new toys, something technically new as well as a new look you feel a bit like Santa Claus giving the boys new toys! It is going to be an exciting year ahead and I hope the new range goes down well.JUSTIFYING THE COST!WS: How do you justify the cost of a windsurfing board these days?RJ: When you see some of these videos of the factories that have been on YouTube, a lot of people realized every step in the process costs money! They were saying in the comments, wow, wow, wow, I have not thought that the boards are handmade and there is hardly any, (in our case zero) machine building involved. One or two guys were even commenting: I think the boards are even too cheap if seeing all this, the handwork involved and all the people in the process and all the effort that goes into making a board. Yeah, of course, Thailand helps. Thailand is a rather cheap labour country still, but the end result is still its an expensive sport no matter what we do.The only thing which really saddens me is if I hear commentsnot on the video, but comments in generalwhere people say, They must have such a margin Unbelievable! And now theyre also selling their stuff direct for double the margin.So, first of all, margin goes along with quantity of products sold. If you sell one product, you have to make a lot of money like luxury boats. If you sell Samsung phones, you make lots of them. Due to the high quantities, of course, you can work with a smaller margins. Also customers rightfully demand to have new things, new developmentthis costs money. You want to have riders on the team and that needs money. Everything in windsurfing costs moneywe dont have to just pay for the manufacturing; we also pay our riders, our developers. And we want our suppliers to earn money as well. Because also with your suppliers you should have a fair relation since there are not some many left anymore in Windsurfing.And the most importantI thinkno matter which sport, tell me a sport which is really cheap. Winging? For sure not. Kiting? For sure not. The equipment in both sports is much more expensive than one windsurfing sail. So, I think its pretty equal what you have to spend. Look at mountain biking! Of course, I need an e-bike. Come on, a high-end Enduro e-bike can cost you like a cheap car nowadays.DUOTONE ASPIRATIONS!WS: So, what are your aspirations with the brand now?RJ: Well thats a hard one. You could say Im almost in a kind of pre-retirement phaseif thats even the right term in English. And funny enough, thats exactly what the guys in my team asked me when we formed the new Duotone Windsurf department.When I say team, it sounds like this big dramatic thing, but really, its a tight group: Alex, whos involved in both sales and marketing; Jannik, whos focused on sales; myself, mainly handling R&D, the brand direction, and marketing strategy; then theres Dani and Marco for testing, Kai and Dani on the design side.When we formed this new windsurf team, everyone asked me, So, are you sticking around? Or is this you stepping back? And I told themyes, technically I could retire, but the truth is, I love what I do. I love working in the sport, working for the brand. And honestly, Im having the best time of my life with this team.As I explained in an interview when we integrated the Fanatic boards into Duotone, it wasnt some dramatic restructuringit was more like a natural shift. When one brand focuses on boards and the other on rigs, you naturally get split attention. But now, it feels like were unified, everyone pulling in the same direction, and the relationships are stronger than ever.That energy is incredibly motivating. And the outcome of that is what were seeing in the 2026 range, which I genuinely believe might be the biggest innovation push weve ever had. Its wild to say, but I think its true.I just want to enjoy that journey, to see the feedback, like we had with the Super_Hero D/LAB. At first, people were scepticalJust another hype thing, they said. But then, a bit later, some of our reps came back and said, You know what? I went windsurfing the other dayyoure right. That sail is unbelievable.Thats what I live for: that moment of realization, the spark in someones eye when they try something new and it just clicks. Thats what Im aiming for with the new boards and sail updates. I want to see that same excitement, like a kid unwrapping a new toy!DUOTONE Windsurfing Welcome to True Windsurfing.The post RAOUL JOA MAKING AN IMPACT appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

LUCAS MELDRUM: PWA TENERIFE BREAKDOWN!LUCAS MELDRUM: PWA TENERIFE BREAKDOWN!Lucas Meldrum one of the few Brits on the PWA tour these days talks us through his experience at the 2025 PWA Tenerife World Cup!The post LUCAS MELDRUM: PWA TENERIFE BREAKDOWN! appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

The post Vortex Crossing with Charlie Head: Update appeared first on SUPboarder Magazine.

World-record holder Adrian Angell is returning to the scene of one of his most memorable achievements as he sets out to raise even more money for Diabetes UK.Adrian is set to revisit the stretch of water on which he set his record last year, as he takes on the Thames 200 Ultra this August Bank Holiday Weekend. The event will see Adrian not only navigate the extreme 200km course, but also 45 locks along the way.Last year, Adrian paddleboarded 124 miles down the River Thames, from Lechlade to Teddington Lock, in 35 hours and 52 minutes setting a new world record. But its not breaking records that will drive his efforts this year; instead, its the fundraising which will see him tackling yet another ambitious challenge.Cumbrian-born Adrian, 59, now lives in Cincinnati in the United States, but hes no stranger to paddleboarding the waters in and around the UK. As well as his record-setting Thames paddle, he has also navigated 36 miles of the Irish Sea from the Isle of Man to his hometown of Seascale in just eight hours and has crossed the English Channel on his board.I started paddleboarding in 2007, having got into it from windsurfing. I grew up windsurfing off the coast of Cumbria, explained Adrian. I have family members and friends who live with type 1 diabetes. A family member knew of my love for paddleboarding, so suggested I fundraise, and thats how I ended up paddleboarding across the English Channel.Over his various challenges, Adrian has raised more than ten thousand pounds for Diabetes UK. Clare Howarth, Head of the North Region for Diabetes UK, said, Were so grateful to fundraisers, like Adrian, who take on such epic challenges to support Diabetes UK. The money they raise helps fund our vital research,which, in turn, helps improve the lives of those living with diabetes.We wish Adrian the very best of luck with his paddle.Adrians training schedule is now ramping up with the date on the Thames coming ever closer. Adrian said, Its a mixed blessing that there are so many locks. As theyre every few miles, its good and bad because its a little bit of a break, which helps keep you focused, but it does become tiring dragging your board in and out of the river!My long training paddle is usually on a weekend, and the maximum distance Ill do is probably around 30 miles. Over a certain distance, it doesnt make much difference. Its a mental thing more than anything else.You can support Adrian via his fundraising page at:https://www.justgiving.com/page/adrian-angell-9?utm_medium=FA&utm_source=CL.

The post David Haze Explores Dorsets Coastline Using Public Transport appeared first on SUPboarder Magazine.

SOL DEGRIECK: SHES GOT SOUL!SOL DEGRIECK: SHES GOT SOUL! At a mere 15 years old, Sol Degrieck is fast becoming one of the most exciting young talents on the PWA wave sailing scene. Hailing from Belgium, shes already pushing boundaries far beyond her yearsthrowing push loops, landing back loops and fearlessly attempting double forwards at Pozo. With a mother whos a three-time Olympic windsurfer, a determination to train every chance she gets and a deep love for the ocean, Sols journey so far, is nothing short of inspiring.In this exclusive interview, Windsurf caught up with Sol during the competition in Pozo to talk double loops, school-life balance, her fearless approach to waves and her dream of one day becoming World Champion. With legendary rider Justyna Sniady, tipping her as a future star, its clear that Sols not just got talentshes got soul.WINDSURF: Youve come to Pozo this year with a new set of trickswhen did you start learning the double loop, push loops and back loops?SD: I started learning the push loop and back loop quite a while ago. Before and after the Chile event, we also came to Pozo, not too close to another eventso I could learn without much pressure. Every day I did some push loops and back loops and also two double forwards attempts.I was just trying to attempt a couple of doubles, every session when the conditions allow it. Now, two weeks before I came here to Pozo, I started landing the back loops and push loops. Ive been trying some more and now I hope nail them in the competition.WINDSURF: Have you landed a double?SD: A double? Not yet. I can land the push loop and back loops. Push loops when theres more wind and I am more overpowered and back loops with less wind, when I am less overpowered. Im just trying and getting closer every time.WINDSURF: So now youre 15?SD: Yeah, correct. 15!WINDSURF: Whats your weight now?SD: I think Im about 60 kg. Im not sure actually. I was about 55 kilo or something like that last year.WINDSURF: Do you think the extra weight and strength helps?SD: Probably for more wind it helps for sure because you have to hold down your sail when it is nuking. When youre overpowered, its better to have more strength. And for lighter winds, strength also helps for pumping better so you can make more speed.WINDSURF: Is your goal to be world champion one day?SD: Yeah, sure, one day. Lets see how it goes!WINDSURF: How are you combining school with all this windsurf training and competition?SD: At the moment, I just finished 4th year of school in Belgium. I still go to school live, so whenever Im not at school, I take my books and they tell me, Make that page until that page. Just before the comp I also had my exams, and then after the exams I came straight here.WINDSURF: You dont go to school online?SD: No, I go to physical school, and then around the holidays we extend the holidays a bit and come here to Pozo or to another event!WINDSURF: What age did you start sailing?SD: I think I started windsurfing when I was about 7. That was on a lake. I sailed on a lake for about two or three years and then sailed on the ocean. We also had a lot of time because we were in lockdown. I learned mostly before, but the first time on the sea was during the lockdownlike after the big lockdown. We had a lot of time to go on the water because I didnt have to go to school, so I was on the water mostly every day. My mum swam behind me a lot because I couldnt water start yet, and she would put the gear right so I could try and get up again.WINDSURF: Your mums an ex-Olympian, is that right?SD: Yeah, she did three Olympicsin London, Sydney and Athens.WINDSURF: So, she got you into windsurfing?SD: Yes I even went to the London Olympics, I think in 2012. Im not sure which one is when, but I went to one Olympics. My mum says I slept on the board bags, but its not really a memoryits more just something Ive been told.WINDSURF: What about big waves? You seem to like those as well!SD: Yeah, theyre really nice. Theres always something new to see in windsurfing and I like big waves because you can do a lot with them. Its just nice to ride big waves. You sail with them, in bottom turns and top turns it feels so exhilaratingthe feeling of going high up and dropping inI love it!WINDSURF: In Fiji you were riding some of the biggest waves on a gnarly reefyou didnt think about going down and getting pounded on that reef?SD: No, if you dont experience it, you dont really have anything to be afraid of. If you dont know what the consequences are, then it doesnt really matter. Luckily I have not had any bad experiences yetWINDSURF: What about your equipment? What size boards are you up to now?SD: At the moment, for really windy days; like super overpowered, Im on the Severne Pyro 56L. Other than that, Im mostly on the 62L. For light winds, like really light winds, I use the 74L or 68L.WINDSURF: You always seem to be one of the first out. Is that just because youre super keen to get on the water all the time?SD: Mostly, yeah. I love being on the water. Also, if youre early, there are fewer people, you enjoy it more, have more space for yourself and more space to try some new tricks.WINDSURF: What did it feel like being in a final with Daida and Sarah-Quita?SD: I was pretty stoked. Ive always looked up to Daida and Sarah-Quita and I try to do the moves they also do. Its just really amazing to be in the final with them. It was my first final in Pozo as well, which was really incredible. Its amazing to share the podium with those girls.WINDSURF: How do you learn? Do you watch videos or just observe people sailing? Or do you get advice from other sailors?SD: Mostly I just sail and try myself. After so many attempts I come to the shore, and my mum watches a bit of everyone while Im sailing. She says, Do a little bit more of this, a little bit more of that, and that helps and in the end I can do it.WINDSURF: When you leave school, are you going to go full time into windsurfing?SD: Hopefully. After schoolIve got two more years. Then Im not going to go to college straight away so I can travel a bit more and mostly sail wherever its possible and just enjoy.WINDSURF: And whats your backup job just in case this doesnt work outor you dont know yet?SD: I dont really have one yet.WINDSURF: Is that all you think about, windsurfing at the moment?SD: Yeah, pretty much. All windsurfing.WINDSURF: What do you look at on your phoneInstagram?SD: I dont look on my phone!WINDSURF: You dont?SD: No, I read books. When Im not reading like real books, I read cartoons or look at Tricktionary and try to learn new moves.WINDSURF: So you dont spend much time on the phone?SD: Barely!WINDSURF: Well good luck for the future and we hope all your windsurf dreams come true!SEVERNE WINDSURFING GEAR FOR THE REVOLUTIONJUSTYNA SNIADYSol was trying double loops, the day before the event. My favourite thing about Sol is that something that you see rarely with the girls and it wasnt really around in my generationShe sails like one of the young boys, you know, she doesnt listen to the fact this is dangerous. She just tries everything, goes for everything and eventually she will learn everything! I actually took a picture with her back to back with Sara Quita the other day before the event and we were laughing because they have the same hair and exactly the same height and build, so shes definitely built for success! You can safely say that she loves windsurfing as well and thats another important ingredient for her to be a future star.She was lucky enough to be coming here super early in a super early age that her parents have a place here that she can come and train a lot and she travels around different conditions! All these things that you know some people dont get on tour, but on top of that she takes advantage of it, she doesnt take it for granted at all.I see her on the water first and last to come off every day, so I think as a mix of ingredients for success, I would say soul has them all and shes a cool kid, so you know you got to root for her!The post SOL DEGRIECK: SHES GOT SOUL! appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

NEW DUOTONE WARP_FIN & FALCON_FIN D/LABNEW DUOTONE WARP_FIN & FALCON_FIN D/LABWith fin racing making a strong return to the PWA calendar this season, Duotone has stepped up with major upgrades to their racing program. The brand has just unveiled the all-new Warp_Fin and Falcon_Fin D/LAB sails and boardsengineered and designed for maximum speed, precision and performance.WARP_FININ BRIEF:The WARP_FIN, inspired by an 8-time Slalom World Champion design, has been upgraded with new sizes, including a 6.2 option, and several technical improvements. Unlike most racing sails, it is race-ready straight out of the bag, requiring minimal tuning thanks to clear rigging markers. Combining lightweight construction with durability, the sail is designed to last beyond one season. Its high aspect ratio, shortened boom, and forward-shifted profile reduce sailing weight and maximize control in strong winds. The Hyper.Cam 2.0 system allows easy camber adjustments without spacers, even while rigged. New refinements, such as a raised clew eyelet, shorter boom with increased cutaway, stiffer battens, and optimized volume distribution, enhance handling, control, and acceleration. The WARP_FIN delivers exceptional planing power, acceleration, stability, and responsiveness, making it the best choice for slalom and speed sailing.WARP_FINBased on the 8 times Slalom World Champion title winning machine the WARP_FIN has undergone some substantial improvements including new sizing and the addition of a 6.2 size.Apart from that the WARP_FIN features some truly unique features and advantages:Ready To Race Right Out Of The BagUnlike most other slalom racing sails the WARP_FIN does not need any time-consuming fine tuning. Even with our slalom racing sails our aim it that you just take your sail out of the bag, rig it according to the visual markers, and you can be assured to have the performance than our racing team.Light Done RightWe all love minimal weight. But apart from being one of the lightest fin racing sails, its a well-known fact that our sails arent just made to last just one season. Instead, the WARP_FIN can even be brought to a second-hand life.Focus On The Course And Tactics And Not The SailThe more pronounced High Aspect Ratio design, especially in the larger sizes, with a shortened boom length and a forward-shifted profile results in the WARP_FIN featuring maybe the lowest sailing weight of all racing sails. It simply requires less power, is lighter in the hands and offers more control at the upper wind limit. This way you can full focus on the course, but also to be able to sail for many hours in a row to win at the end of the week.Hyper.Cam 2.0This camber plays in a totally different league than anyone else. Everyone knows it is utmost essential to have the absolute perfect camber tension to ensure a race winning performance. The HPER CAM 2.0 is the only camber which does not require any spacers to find the ideal tension. Instead, you adjust the length of the cams via a small screw.This can easily be done even on a fully rigged sail. So, you are not just looking for the theoretically fastest fin racing sail. But instead a sail which is ready to race out of the bag and can be fine tuned within seconds rather than days. And offers the lowest sailing weight without sacrificing durability. Well then there is no alternative to the WARP_FIN as it is the only fin racing sail out there ticking all the boxes!But thats not all here is whats newClew eyelet moved upFaster response from the sailShorter Boom with increased Cutaway ClewGives the sail a better release and gives the rider more control in choppy conditions and easier handling and gybingDifferent Volume distributionBetter connection with the board which gives the rider more board-controlStiffer battens @ batten no. 2, 3 and 4More direct feedback and accelerationNew sizes across the entire rangeAdditional size in the smaller range (6.2)Ensures the perfect setup for speed sailing or events like Defi Wind. Still offers perfect steps for the SlalomX discipline with: 5.7, 6.7, 7.7.Benefits: greater planing power & acceleration ideal mix ofmaximum power & forward pull without loosing stabilitybenchmark rotationSo you are not just looking for the theoretically fastest fin racing sail. But instead a sail which is ready to race out of the bag and can be fine tuned within seconds rather than days. And offers the lowest sailing weight without sacrificing durability. Well then there is no alternative to the WARP_FIN as it is the only fin racing sail out there ticking all the boxes.WARP_FIN 2026 fin racing sail | DUOTONE WindsurfingFALCON_FIN D/LABIN BRIEFPWA Fin Racing is back and we come with the biggest update to our entire racing program in over 10 years! Thanks to our exclusive AI_BOARD_3D software, every size has been reworked to synchronize rocker, outline, and rail curves with artificial intelligence, eliminating conflicting design elements. Key innovations include higher rails for maintaining perfect trim, a completely redesigned tail for improved release, shorter lengths for reduced nose lift and incredible control, and an updated recessed mast track for maximum efficiency between sail and board. The medium board has been enlarged to 118 for added power, while a new 124 (76 cm wide) size joins the lineup. Proven racing shapes and full custom sandwich technology complete this ground breaking package.FALCON_FIN D/LABPWA Fin Racing is back and we have an unbeatable package for you!2026 marks the biggest update to our entire racing program (boards and sails) in over 10 years!In addition to our industry-leading FULL CUSTOM TECHNOLOGY all shapes have been reworked over the last 2 years using our exclusive AI_BOARD_3D software.The result is simply mind-blowing.This already starts before hitting the water. Simply lift the board and you will be shocked how light it is. Then knock on the hull and you immediately realize how stiff the board is. Compare it with a typical semi-custom production board and the difference is imminent.But wait until you put the board onto the water. Our last years boards had already proven to be one of the fastest but these boards are on a different level. Besides all new shapes the secret of this performance jump is our new AI_BOARD_3D software. The curves of the key elements rocker, outline and rail get synchronized to perfection using artificial intelligence to avoid that the curves work against each other. When starting we had tested this on the existing FALCON_FIN boards. Even though the human eye couldnt tell the difference between the boards, the difference on the water was overwhelming, as the AI-optimized boards showed a performance increase of a good 10%.AI_BOARD_3D For the first time ever, all board sizes offer the same level of performance. Higher rails Make it very easy to maintain the perfect trim. Completely redesigned tail Provides more release and keeps the board accelerating. Shorter in every size Less nose lift and incredible control. Updated RECESSED MAST TRACK AREA Maximum efficiency between sail and board.Bigger medium boardThe 118 medium board got bigger for improved power and accelerationAdditional sizeNew to the range is the 124 size.Benefits Proven fin racing shapes 100% full custom sandwich technologyFalcon_Fin D/LAB 2024 fin racing board | DUOTONE WindsurfingThe post NEW DUOTONE WARP_FIN & FALCON_FIN D/LAB appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.