Pritchard Windsurfing

Hey fellow windsurfers- Hope everyone is having Fun this summer getting blasted with some wind! It has been great here on Maui- We have even had WAVES which is rather unusual for Maui in July/August! I’m not complaining one single bit about that. Here is the latest in what has been going on in the world of windsurfing from my view looking in......

PWA- It has been a couple years that I have been on tour now and I have to say that I really enjoy looking in on the contests from the PWA website. I know all the places and most all the guys so it is fun to wake up and check the live ticker to see what is happening without being there! The Freestylers are doing moves that I never thought possible- and then going even further than that- WOW, when is that going to stop..... probably never. The Wave guys are kinda bummed on the tour right now- not much going on. Gran Canaria was most like a freestyle event from the sounds of it- pretty flat and windy and that favors the freestylers a little..... actually it favors the best sailors, those that can do it all and I was pretty impressed with the level! I always thought they should call wave performance on the PWA tour, Freewave and just combine the two disciplines but there was way to much resistance from other sailors to do that...... The big news is that the Cabo Verde event is back on the schedule for November so that should be something to look forward to- It is going to be an interesting title hunt! The slalom guys have been working hard and paying their dues.... It has been a showdown of the big boys, Antoine and Bjorn mixed with a little bit of Finian and Micah! That has been fun to watch. I know how much work goes into winning those events and it looks like AA is in a good position with one event left...  My brother is another story-  Not sure what exactly is going on there but something isn’t working right for him! I ask him and he puts his head down and shakes it..... I know that he is frustrated and working as hard as he can to change things up but you are pretty limited as to what you can change with the PWA equipment rules-

USA Scene- from what I have heard, the Gorge was off to a slow start and San Fran had some fog issues.... Hatteras is in a down season right now in mid summer and I am not sure about Texas???  The Davenport boys have reported some pretty good action as well as the So. Cal guys getting some epic south swells and lighter winds- I’m headed over there in September for some vacation time and will be scouring the coast for some over head down the line ACTION!

New Stuff- There is a lot of hype out there already for 2011 goods.... I think the talk of the town is the QUAD boards. Everyone is hot for them now. I think they have potential- I have been getting on them and learning about how they work. I come from a single fin background- I was never much of a twin fin guy and I think the Quads are pretty cool! I am waiting for some decent waves to really crank some turns and see what they got!

MP Scene- Well I have to say that I have been pretty busy... I’m definitely not bored that is for sure. I have been back on the water giving it full power, getting upside down again and having some fun! The goal is to be 100% for wave season and I feel I’m on track. I have been doing a lot of teaching and learning a lot about what people are doing wrong in their turns and jumps..... I have been out with my helmet cam and documenting the moves so that has been a good teaching tool! On the business side of life I have been getting people hooked up with new and used gear- That has been pretty busy this summer which shows that people are pumped on windsurfing and upgrading.....  You know the saying, when in doubt, GAS IT.... If you need new stuff, get it!!!! The other big news is our little dude turned ONE YEAR old and is already jumping on boards and sails.... literally. He loves windsurfing- anytime he sees a sail or board, he jumps on it and checks out the harness lines to make sure they are just right!

Upcoming Clinics- If you haven’t been to Punta San Carlos and are thinking about wave sailing, NOW is the time! We have a wave camp going on October 2-9^th.... It should be awesome. If you think wave sailing is out of your reach, think again..... San Carlos is the perfect spot to get your feet wet in the waves. Slow, gentle and super fun,  this is a trip that any windsurfer will love. Check out the SoloSports website for pics and more information: www.solosports.net

I am also doing Aloha Windsurfing Clinic’s here on Maui with my friend Shawna who is awesome! We are almost sold out of the October 16-23^rd dates but there is also one in November- for information on these Maui Clinics, check out: http://www.shawnacropas.com/ShawnaCropas/Maui_Clinics.html

One thing is for sure, you will learn something and have LOTS of FUN!!!!

Hope to see you all on the water one day.......

Best Winds-

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Man it is nice to be home, to sleep in your own bed, to wake up and make the breakfast you really want to have. I was thinking about that today when I woke up and made a nice fresh banana smothie, with some toast and sat on the computer and watched some Vimeo movies. I have to say that there are some really creative professional people out there.

I watched the Windsurfing Move II  the other day and man was it good. It sure did get me inspired to make a film. I really want to ask Jace what shots came from what camera cause I almost think I could pick out the shots from the 7D. But what an inspiration for sure! Out on the water, all I keep thinking about is the storyline for my video. I really hope I can pull one off. 

Other than that been having some nice wavesailing here at Hookipa. Pretty fun, just to be out in the waves again, really the first time since Pistol River. That is a long time. 

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