3.4
Some time ago I tested the 3.4 Firelight. Super compact and small. Actualy it was the first time I used a sail this small. Before 3.5 was my smallest. Well this one is Pozo aproved!
Patrik Diethelm Trailer wave 78 / Hot Sails Maui Firelight 3.4
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paulh115
3.4
Some time ago I tested the 3.4 Firelight. Super compact and small. Actualy it was the first time I used a sail this small. Before 3.5 was my smallest. Well this one is Pozo aproved!
Patrik Diethelm Trailer wave 78 / Hot Sails Maui Firelight 3.4
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Paulh115
Rider of the Week
Fiona Wylde I am fifteen years old and totally hooked on windsurfing. My parents began teaching me how to windsurf when I was four. I didn’t really like it all that much, but by the time I was seven I was starting to get a feeling for the sport. When I turned eleven I decided [...]
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American Windsurfing Tour
News Headlines – Fri 20th
PM Update - Black Knight at Pozo, Camille Juban, Dahab Action and Nick van Ingen...
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Boardseeker Magazine | Latest News
Dan Macaulay in BOARDS Magazine Article
Dan Macaulay in BOARDS Magazine Article
Dan is a good friend of The OTC and founded his marketing consultancy Brandwave around the same time we opened our first centre in El Médano.
We have recently worked with him and his team on several projects, some of which can be seen now ... and some of which will become clear shortly!
In the meantime, take a look at this recent article on BOARDS Online (click on the image on the right to be redirected) to get to know a little more about what Dan gets up to!
News Posted - 20/04/12
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The Official Test Centre - Tenerife and Weymouth UK - Latest News
Spartan U17 Day
Spartan held a demo/coaching day with UK and PWA star Max Rowe for budding freestylers and people completely new to the scene. It was a huge success and we can’t wait to see more like it…
“With summer getting closer and the water temperature rising it is the perfect time of year to get into windsurfing! With this in mind and knowing that there are lots of children complaining about having nothing to do on our little island of Mersea, Spartan wetsuits decided they would organise a taster day on the beach to encourage the youth.
Being 17 and having grown up and learnt to windsurf on Mersea I have usually sailed with people of my parents’ age. However over the last couple of years the numbers of younger people learning to windsurf has grown on the island. This event had a lot of people and with PWA freestyler Max Rowe on the scene there was plenty of encouragement, motivation and inspiration to go around. It was the perfect idea.
We set up the tent at 11.30ish with big Spartan banners and North and Fanatic flags which could easily be seen from the road and water. Max arrived at 12.00 and rigged up alongside me and a few of the other guys. Before we knew it parents and children of all ages were appearing, either wanting to try windsurfing or just watch. With the wind blowing nicely and a few people already on the water it was time for me to get out there, closely followed by Max. I was just managing to get going on my big slalom kit but there wasn’t quite enough for the freestyle kit. The wind gradually dropped until it was perfect for learning and the sun seemed to appear. Lots of the beginners hit the water and were giving it their all, amazing us all with their enthusiasm and natural ability. With some coaching and encouragement from Mark and John from Spartan, all us other local windsurfers and Max, some of the guys who hadn’t even stepped on a board before were heading off out to sea causing their parents to panic on the beach!
With the sun still out and the afternoon growing old it was time for John to light the barbies! Sausages were cooked and were handed out to everyone on the beach, warming up their cold and tired bodies. While everyone was digging into the hot dogs Max headed out on to the water with a smaller sail on a big Fanatic beginner board and was showing off his light wind freestyle. He was closely followed by Rusty, an ex-professional windsurfer, who attempted to compete against Max with his old school moves, which still are very impressive today.
As the temperature started to drop and black skies came overhead the majority of people packed up and feeling very proud of themselves departed. However having seen forecasts for building wind a few of us held on. Before we knew it a big front of wind came through allowing me to be fully powered on my 8.0 North Warp and Max was able to plane and demonstrate his skill on his 4.7 North ID. We had a really good half hour, it was the perfect end to the perfect!
After getting changed and packing up we headed to The Coast Inn, a pub/restaurant down the road, for a well-earned drink (well in my case a coke) to finish an awesome day!!”
Jack Trollope (K 998)
Max Rowe K-20 Fanatic, North, ION, Club Vass, Globalshots, Black project Fins
“Having also grown up windsurfing on Mersea Island it was great to go back and see so many keen kids down there getting into it. I know when I learnt the most motivating part of it was having friends of a similar age to share it with. The idea of the day was to hopefully inspire some kids that are already blasting along to keep pushing themselves and to get them trying some freestyle as well. Along with helping out some complete beginners. Big thanks to Mark and John from Spartan for organising the day and hopefully we’ll be doing another one soon.”
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Boards Windsurfing » Windsurfing News
News Headlines – Fri 20th
AM Update - PWA Italy latest, Muzza on Maui, Kevin Pritchard in Texas, 80 Days in the Desert and more...
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Boardseeker Magazine | Latest News
Jamie D wins Dahab
Check out JamieK787.com for the full story.
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K4 Fins - Specialising in Performance Wave, Freestyle and Speed Fins
OTC UK POWERED BY PURAVIDA BOARDRIDERS HOST NATIONAL EVENT
The ever popular Official Test Centre is to host the next BSA event, read on to find out more…
On the 28th and 29th of April, the British Slalom Association (BSA) roll into Weymouth town and park up on the doorstep of the windsurfing centre in the grounds of the WPNSA – the Official Test Centre (OTC). The centre has gone through a fantastic rejuvenation over the winter with the collaboration of Puravida Boardriders, a retail outlet from South Wales, to bring the very latest 2012 kit from all the major brands to fingertips of the centre’s clients. To celebrate the joint venture, the weekend’s event doubles up as a the centre’s main open day, with £5.00 taster sessions available throughout the weekend and a FREE hog roast for all the BSA competitors on Saturday evening (£5.00 to all others). Fully fuelled, everyone at the event will then be welcomed to a massive party in the Academy’s hangar, with DJs mixing in between the sets of the live band – The Cheap Shots – a reputed local band covering popular anthems. Wind permitting there will be racing throughout the weekend, for the Master Blasters, Amateur and Pro Fleets, yet plenty of other activities will be organised should the wind not materialise. One thing is for sure, it is a weekend not to be missed!
For more information, email: info@otc-windsurf.com or call 0121 288 9965 / 07817 717904.
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Boards Windsurfing » Windsurfing News
The aerial style of Camille Juban
Following Graham Ezzy’s interview with Josh Angulo he now catches up with Camille Juban. Camille (1990) moved from France to Guadeloupe when he was a kid (‘My parents were doing windsurfing on a lake but I guess they got tired of the cold and they wanted us to grow up on a warm place’) where he found the perfect setting to develop his windsurf skills. Graham (1989, born and raised on Maui), followed a different path and actually moved away from perfect waves to study English literature at Princeton University. Graduated last year, he is now back on Maui to perfect his own skills in the waves. Two boys with a totally different background, yet both part of the new generation of windsurfers at Ho’okipa.
Graham: I remember seeing Camille sail the first time when he came to Maui years ago and being really impressed by his windsurfing. Six years later and I’m still impressed. He’s established himself not only as the best French wave rider in the world but also one of the best down-the-line riders in the world, with a win at the Maui Makani Classic 2011 to prove it.
Camille, you’ve always had one of the best cutbacks in the world, but you weren’t very consistent on the tricks. This last fall however, I saw you land some insane takas, goiters, and 360s; umi even captured a wave with two wave 360′s on it! What changed for you?
Camille: ‘Well, this is a big part because of you guys; Ricardo, Victor, Brawzinho, Levi, Kauli, you all pushed the level so high landing all those tricks that I had to train on landing them too and I think the experience from the years before just paid last fall.’
The final heat of the AWT Ho’okipa contest had big waves, light wind, and gnarly currents. How did you feel in the heat and what did you think about in order to win?
Camille: ‘My main goal in this contest was to arrive in the final and I was really focused and concentrated for it. So once I was in the final I knew I had a chance to win, I had the feeling that it was ‘my day’ and felt confident. Despite the stress I tried to stay focused on the two bigger and best waves I wanted to have. I got them and I think it was one of the best moments of my career!’
Landing two tricks on one wave is very rare, even for the best windsurfers in the world. Do you think about this before or just see what happens?
Camille: ‘I try to do more tricks on a wave when conditions are good for it and when I have the feeling. To be honest, on the wave umi filmed (see below), I don’t really like the way I turn the first one but the second section was calling me to make a 360 on it and this one felt way better.’
Who from the windsurfers of the past inspire you the most?
Camille: ‘I get a lot of inspiration from Levi Siver, Francisco Goya, Jason Polakow and Keith Teboul because Levi and Polakow were powerful and Keith and Francisco have an amazing style.’
What about the current generation?
Camille: ‘I really like Alex Mussolini and Thomas Traversa because they have a super nice fluid style, Marcilio Browne because he has a powerful style and he’s the best at jumping, waveriding starboard and port tack. And of course yourself, Graham Ezzy, because we push each other in the water for new moves, and cause you’re killing it at Ho’okipa.’
Enough smoke up my ass! You’ve won at Ho’okipa and are considered by pretty much everyone to be the best French wavesailor in the world, what’s the next step?
Camille: ‘Even if I improve in contests at Ho’okipa I still want to improve on PWA spots because it’s a challenge for me, but the next step would be to keep on trying combo waves and new moves.’
I’ve noticed that with a lot of windsurfers, their fathers play a large role in their windsurfing career. Did your father teach you to windsurf? Did he want you to be a pro?
Camille: ‘My father definitely played a big role in the beginning of my career. He paid my first trip to Maui, took me to Morocco in the summer time to train starboard tack when I was younger, he was dealing with my first sponsors… And yes he wanted me to be a pro but he did it for me and not for him. It was my choice and I was not so good at school anymore, so he just showed me the way until I was old enough to take care of myself, and my career.’
I feel that you and I are from the same generation of windsurfers. What do you think best defines the style of our generation?
Camille: I think we started sailing much younger than the old generation and the gear is much lighter, so for those reasons we are able to push the level of the tricks and have a more dynamic and aerial style.’
Here’s a little rough cut showing the aerial style of Camille; keep an eye on this page for the full Maui clip featuring Camille, Graham and Brawzinho, out soon!
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umi