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 2-9th.... 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 16-23rd 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!!!!
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.
Back in Maui and it is pretty nice to be back. Although it is flat and not much in the way of waves, there has been pleanty to do. We did have a nice little south swell followed by a small micro north swell, but is is pretty be nice to where i call home. The first time sleeping in the King dady bed was pretty nice too. Now just working on my tickets to Denmark and Sylt. Man the travel these days is so darned expensive these days. And to top it off Cabo Verde is back on, which I am totally stoked about but that also means another $2k just in airfair to go over there.. Better get on the stick and get some good results.
I have been loving the camera here. It has been fun to take a break from video and get back to photography again. so much easier on the editing. Tons of fun! If I get any breathtaking shots I will be sure to post them. I have had some fun shots of Kaden up on my facebook page and some cool shots over at Resi's blog . Check em out.
If you know anyone in Maui or you are in Maui, my rates are reasonable for shoots and would love to do some work to pay off the camera bills!
Well it has not been so great for me here in Turkey. Been fighting hard and focused but just not pulling it together. Must be the heat or something. Ha ah.. I dont think so. I managed to slip and fall at one of the gybe marks, I managed to sail in the wrong heat and get disqualified from the round, I managed to almost make it to the final and have my mast snap, and in the other one I cant even remeber, oh Arnon fell right in front of me and I could do nothing except crash with him. So to say the least, not quite happy with my current 25th place ranking. As they say S*&t happens! We have a couple more days left and I hope to get at least into the prize money.
Just finished with Fuerte and we had some great wind this week with racing every day. I had a good event, nothing amazing but feel like I sailed good and had consistant results wich was good. I was mostly on 7.6 Vapor with my 111 Isonic with the fins around 38 and 42 for the most part. Was focused and had ok speed amongst the giants.
Next week on to Turkey and hope to improve once again!
Well I wish I could say I edited this.. but I didn't.. I think this is amazing looking with lots of fun. Feel free to share it with your friends and check out the new Starboard action. Hope you like it. A lot of time and effort went into the making of this clip. Enjoy
Well, Fuerteventura is coming up in a couple of days and it is time to go! Time to get a good result this year. I need to get at least back on the poduim if not on top of it. I hope we have good wind and I can prove to myself and to my sponsors that I have what it takes to win and help them out. I know I can do it, it is just a matter of getting the good starts and having some good speed on the first reach!!
In the off time I put together a cool clip of the Koster Kid!
Sometimes the days go bye so fast you dont know what hits you. You start off with some emails, then getting your gear organized, then heading down to the beach, then working on the computer, then doing whatever you do... Truth is really, I have just been having too much dang fun. I have been traveling like a madman lately but having the time of my life.. I am thinking about going to work for the airlines as it seems like I am on them so much that I might as well work for them.. Here has been my travel schedule this summer.. I am going from memory on the airport codes, but if I get them all right, it is getting scary. So Maui is easy one and that is where I will start. Ogg to HNL to NRT to PUS, PUS, NRT, HNL, OGG, OGG, LAX, LAX, DEN, JAC, JAC, DEN, HAM,BCN, BCN, SFO, SFO, LAX, JAC, JAC, DEN, JAC, JAC, ORD, IAD <had to look that one up, Washington Dulles, MAD, LPA, LPA, MAD,IAD,DEN, JAC, JAC, MSP, MSP, JAC, JAC, DFW, MAD,,finally to Fuerteventura.. Hows that for racking up the miles...
Well Gran Canaria didn't really go as planned. Having Victor Fernandez, in your second heat in the singe, and Kauil Suadi in the first round of the double elimination, really didnt help me out in the less than perfect Pozo conditions. None the less it has been a nice summer, with great winds everwhere.. Hope everyone else is getting wind somewhere.
Isnt summer time great. The warm air, the fresh winds, the good times with your friends. The only thing I dont like about summer is that you have to go to the southern hemisphere for waves. After my trip to the Oregon coast I seriously didnt want to leave. It had wind, waves, was relatively uncrowded. I think it is almost better wavesailing there than in Maui this time of year. I need to go to GC to get into grove with the wave comp that is happening over there. It should be fun!!
Pritchard Windsurfing is having some great deals on boards sails and more. Email us for whatever you want!!
Well what a fun event. It sure went buy fast though, between editing videos and photos, and competiting, it was pretty much a blur. We had a super final with a 20 minute heat between me and Goya and I managed to come out on top. I had a great sail, was super fun and just had loads of time to go out and try whatever whenever with some big back loops, push loops and even went for a double forward whicih is pretty uncharacteristic for me.. All in all super great event. Big thanks to everyone who made it happen.
Day 2 at Pistol River was another amazing day of action. The event crew went through some serious amount of heats starting bang on 11 am and running non stop till 7:30 pm. There was great conditions, the juniors were absolutely ripping and the talent from Maui was definitely very high. Bernd Roediger was ripping really hard, Zane Schweitzer really stepped it up with some great wave riding and good jumping. I was also really impressed with Skyler Haywood ripping it up in the Expert mens division. The Experts over here is made up of a pretty heavy hitting fleet and he advanced through a lot of heats. Nice work. Whit Poor was in a groove ripping it up, Jesse Brown had some nice waves, Sean Aitken was smooth and stylish as always, along with MORGAN NOIREAUX, the quiet ripper from Maui busting out one handed backloops and great wave riding and is definitely someone to keep an eye on.
Robby Naish turned up and had some fun out on the water. Check out the video with him hitting some nice backside smacks.
What a great event here at Pistol River Oregon. Reminds me of Guincho Portugal. I hope this event continues and attracts more and more riders. I know Boujama Guilloul would be absolutely killing it out here. I am sure Levi Siver would be here if he wasnt doing the Oxbow totally bananas tour. Maybe next year.. Would be fun to watch.
Wow, Pistol River has been going off. I have been up here for 3 days now and have sailed epic conditions every day. Now we have been having the Pistol River Wave bash and what a great event. Everyone is super stoked and the conditions have been insaine. Tons of fun with all different divisions and stoke. So far we have had a single elimination done in every division. Check out my Facebook page for photos HERE , and the video below!! Enjoy!!
Just on my way back from Barcelona heading over to San Fransisco to catch a ride up to Pistol River Wave Bash. There is going to be some fun to be had this weekend so be sure to come over if you can. It is going to be fun fun fun!!!!
I had a tough day today, but working on it. Managed to get to the final with an amazing gybe but other than that was struggling for the most part. I was on my 131 and 8.4 and that felt pretty good most of the time. The semi final was super windy and I was overpowered but then I went to my 7.6 for the final and it dropped a bit. I am a bit bummed out with my performance but I have started here a lot worse so hopefully I can make a comeback.
The first wave event on the mainland US for quite some time is coming up soon!! Come and support this great event if you can! Matt is going to be the head wave judge and it should be fun. I am going to be coming back from Costa Brava, hopefully with a big trophy in my hands, and go up to Pistol River.
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Summer 2010
We received a lot of great comments and input to the new logo...... Thanks everybody for that. You can see what we have changed based on all your comments!!! The feeling of the moving waves, the two sails, two brothers doing what they love- It's all in there. Be part of it....
Kev has been testing the Starboard Quad out and putting in some pretty impressive turns. I'm not quite sure what to think about the 4 fin set up- I believe they are a fix to the twin fin problems and think that a good single fin for most people is hard to beat. For the elite few that are able to utilize the quad or twin fin set up, I think these shapes can do some amazing turns- most of that boils down to rider input..... We have some great deals on all the new Starboards- Pick the one you want and let us know, we can get it to your door!
For all of you that took advantage of the 15% off deal hopefully your new toys are ready to get wet. The Tabou Rockets have been flying out the door! We have also seen a lot of interest in the 3S boards- the 86 and 96 in particular have been turning heads. Everyone that rides these new shapes falls in LOVE..... The Pocket Wave's have been doing great all over the world- these single fin rippers are rivaling turns of the twin fins but get going much faster, have better upwind power and more push to get you high in the sky. www.tabou-boards.com/boards
How about masts? Masts are probably the most overlooked item in your quiver- you stick it in, rig it up and don't think anything of it. If you want to improve performance of your sail, pay attention to your mast. The beauty of a good mast is that it can make an older sail feel good! If you buy a brand spankin 2010 sail and use your old dog mast from 2001 you are compromising the performance of your new sail.... I know you have heard it all before- but it really does make a significant improvement to your sailing experience! Gaastra 100% Carbon Masts are fully stocked and waiting for you.... they are expensive, but worth it! Email any questions you may have....
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Race season just kicked off! Kev has been getting tuned up and ready to race. He has been making lots of notes for you guys and sharing all his tuning tips on the GAASTRA Vapor's.The PWA schedule is pretty full for the slalom guys- the first event just finished in Korea May 15-21...... Next event is in Costa Brava- anything can happen there! Here is an interview from MP to KP about Korea- Check it out here! Windsport.com
Aloha Windsurfing Clinics on MAUI If you guys are looking for some fun and intense instruction, sign up for one of our week long all-inclusive Maui Clinics. Don't be intimidated by Maui, it is one of the friendliest places to windsurf in the world! Even when there are large waves, there are still places to sail in flat warm water! I will be running week long camps with Shawna Cropas an established sailor and instructor who has traveled the world running windsurf instructional holidays while promoting our awesome sport. She specializes in the novice/IMPROVERS/intermediate teaching and I focus more on intermediate/advanced sailors! Maui has been waiting for a program like this and we are the first to bring it to reality..... Sign up and let us do the rest- Check out the schedule below and email us for any questions you may have.
Beachfront Accommodation/ Daily Instruction/ Video Analysis/ Nighttime activities/ Fun in the SUN! For more information check out http://www.shawnacropas.com/ShawnaCropas/Maui_Clinics.htmlFor bookings and pricing, contact Vela at:
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ALOHA WINDSURFING CLINIC SCHEDULE 2010 June 26- July 3 September 4-11 October 16-23 November 13-20 If these dates don't work with your current schedule, private lessons are available so don't be shy- send an email for further information:
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Maui Gear Rental
Forget about paying ridiculous amounts for excess baggage and rent the best gear on the planet- We have the latest and greatest from Gaastra/Tabou- 100% Carbon Masts, Carbon booms, Streamlined Extensions and uni's! Gear can be delivered to your beachfront accommodation- you get rigging lessons as well as some sailing tips! Click here for details.
New or Used Gear
Are you ready? Get just about anything and everything you could possibly want- all with a simple call or email. The Shop has been jammin- If you don't see what you need online email your wish list and we can get you dialed in.
Call 808 575 9339 Hawaii Standard Time or Email Matt:
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Email Kevin:
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