with the Fanatic Boys
Boardseeker catches up with Arthur Arutkin after his first trip to Matanzas with Victor Fernandez and Klaas Voget, as well as finding out from the two mentors more about this world class destination and the top up and coming sailors.
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Arthur…
Yes, it was my first trip in Chile and I really appreciated the trip, it’s one of my best trips for sure!
It was amazing to sail with two of the best riders in the world, Klaas and Victor, that permitted me to progress a lot, the condition were not so easy but when we were wave sailing it was incredible!
I’ve learnt a lot of things, there are a lot of things you need to know to be a good windsurfer.
Unfortunately, I got injured on the last day of the trip and I had to be operated on so I haven’t really been on the water since then, but I look forward to being on the water again soon.
I’m really happy to be on the Fanatic team, I feel really good with everybody like Victor, Klaas or Alessio
This year I want to progress as much as possible, have fun with my friends on the water and hope to go on the water everyday!
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Klaas…
We always go to Matanzas, one of the windiest places in the area. There are a few really good spots in a short driving distance. It’s also the closest spot to Santiago, so it’s the place where most of the locals come for sailing.
I’ve been there from middle of December and during my first two weeks i’ve had some good wind and waves. Then it calmed down for over a month and then we scored some good sailing towards tzhe end of the trip. It wasn’t the best year for wind, but we still had some good days. Also a lot of surfing. I had an annoying sinus infection that finally had to get operated in february, so i also missed a few days out of that reason.
I’m workiong on getting more and more safe in my wave moves and then there is another project coming up. I’ve been trying doubles for several years, but never really got them dialled – so that one needs some attention before the first event.
It’s great to finally see something new happening. Cape Town and Chile are both my winter training grounds, so i’m pretty happy about it. If we manage to still get Maui back on the calendar, we’re almost having a complete tour. Unfortunately all stops are port tack (except Sylt – can be both), so i don’t think the new addition will change much in the results, but at least we’ll have a chance to some great down the line sailing in Chile.
Arthur has been doing good and i think he has improved quite a lot. We’ve been jumping for a few days in Pupuya and he’s pretty fearless in trying things. Also he’s doing already very good on the SUP in the waves and you can see that it helps him to make quick steps in waveriding also on the windsurfboard.
There are a few young kids coming up like Alessio Stillrich, Bernd Roediger, Moritz Mauch, or Morgain from Maui – all have the ability to kick out some big names already. Bernd just won the AWT event on Maui against the Who is Who! Alessio made it into 13th place in both of the PWA events he did in 2012. It’s great to see these guys pushing.
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Victor…
We were based at Matanzas, it is small town at the coast around 2.30 hours from Santiago de Chile and we get the most windy days over there.
I´ve been 2 months. The first three weeks we were very unlucky with the wind but we had amazing surf with northwest swells in different surf spots. The last 3 weeks of the trip were really good, we sailed different spots as Matanzas, Pupuya or Topocalma. All three have completely different conditions and we just change the spots depending on the tides or wave size. If it´s very small we go a lot to Pupuya as it is more a jumping spot and it is the windiest. If the swell is bigger we do Topocalma or Matanzas.
I´m trying to get back on my level of 2012 as I felt sailing very good until I got injured on Sylt. Right now I feel much better and I want to gain the same level and do it even better.
I think all aditions are good for the Tour, specially the event in Chile, down the line wave riding which we did not have yet on the tour. Chile is one of the events that Iam really looking forward this year as it is new and I know how good the conditions can be.
Arthur is a great sailor for his age, he has good knowledge of the waves as he is very good Sup rider and you can see in his wave riding skills. We did a lot of jumping in Chile too and I think he is progressing a lot. I see other kids like Alessio Stillrich and Pablo Ramírez in Pozo, Bernd Roediger and Morgan Noireux on Maui, they are all riping and it is great to see young guys coming up.
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Boardseeker Windsurfing Magazine » | Boardseeker Windsurfing Magazine
MY CAPE TOWN – Christopher Friis
MY CAPE TOWN features the 22 year-old Danish wave sailor Christopher Friis.
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continentseven.com
The X-OVER – 100L FREESTYLE WAVE BOARDS TEST INTRO
The X-OVER - 100L FREESTYLE WAVE BOARDS TEST INTRO
100L FREESTYLE WAVE BOARD TEST REVIEW REPORTS
Leading on from the previous issues’ wave board tests, we flew out to Dahab, Egypt, to check out the latest offerings in the ‘Freestyle Wave’ category, with eight boards around the 100L mark under the microscope.
Report by Dan Newman
Pics by Mark Kasprowicz
Pics by Mark Kasprowicz
(This review originally appeared in the Jan/Feb 2013 issue of Windsurf Magazine. To read the latest features, print and digital subscriptions for readers worldwide are available HERE.)
Wave-Freestyle or Freestyle-Wave (FSW) is a fusion between two disciplines creating a sub category of versatile boards designed to deliver on a multitude of tasks.
BIG ASK?
To many, wave and freestyle both appear to be very similar disciplines. They both look very spectacular and can involve lots of aerial trickery, but that’s about where the similarities end and the demands that riders put on their boards becomes very different. Amongst other things, a wave board needs to grip and turn on a wave (traditionally involving more rocker curve) whereas a freestyle board needs to pop and slide on flat water (flatter rocker). Of course there are overlaps. Early-planing for example. Not to mention speed to carry into moves on any type of water. So, is it possible to produce just one board to perform equally at each end of the spectrum, or do FSWs try to do too much, become diluted and never quite specialise in any particular area? That could possibly be your view as a pure, dedicated wave sailor, or a focused, hard-core freestyler. But, not every windsurfer falls into those two categories, so there must be plenty of people demanding more versatility to crossover between styles?
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
The idea of a super-versatile, all-purpose board has been going forever and appeared under many labels: Freestyle Waves/FreeWaves/FreeMoves or even Chameleons and Wave-Slaloms as they were labelled back-in-the day. But is it still such a big ask to deliver freeride, wave and freestyle characteristics in one package?
RISE OF THE COMPACT
Recent trends and discoveries are all of a sudden changing the landscape. Breakthroughs in both wave and slalom board design have seen ‘compact’ (shorter, wider and increasingly thinner-railed) shapes surface. Wider equals more stability and earlier planing, and shorter equals a better fit into the ‘pocket’ of waves and extra ability to pivot tightly. That, alongside the growth of turn-enhancing multifins, has seen some waveboards lose their slower, banana-esque profiles and adopt…wait for it… faster, ‘FSW-type’ rocker lines underneath! In fact there’s almost a total overlap between large waveboards, of which there are now more than ever over the 100L mark, and smaller FSWs. So which is best? As you’ll see in this test, with a various styles offering bias from freeride, freestyle or wave sailing styles, it all comes down to how these match your personal brief.
SO WHERE DO YOU FIT IN?
The easiest way to set it out is to profile the three main riders these boards are aimed at.
1. The freeride sailor, perhaps based on inland water, who wants a fun, fast-and-furious high-wind board for ‘burn & turn’ action as a change down from larger freeride or slalom gear.
2. The freestyle-orientated rider who wants the added versatility to occasionally venture out into some waves but doesn’t want the expense of a whole quiver of boards.
3. The harder-core, coastal/wave sailor that’s looking for a board, maybe as a big brother to a smaller, dedicated waveboard, that’s entertaining on the flatter days or bump & jump conditions, but capable of snagging some nice rides if the wind’s light but the surf’s OK.
THE LINE UP
We have a wide and exciting range of boards on this test, with eight impressive examples. In alphabetical order, we have the – Fanatic Freewave, Goya One, JPAustralia Freestyle Wave, Quatro Freestyle Wave, RRD Freestyle Wave, Simmer Freewave, Starboard Kode and Tabou 3S.
There’s a few new shapes and models for 2013 plus the multi-fin craze is influencing this category too, with a couple of Trifin convertibles now in-the-mix.
LOCATION
Our chosen location for testing this kit was once again the windsurfing paradise of Dahab in Egypt. Basing ourselves with Harry Nass, we set up our operational HQ at Centre One and, with three other centres positioned around the resort, we had full and easy access to the whole bay.
Dahab is a great place to windsurf and test with nearly everything we need to get the job done – sun, warm crystal-clear water and constant, reliable winds. Dahab also has a decent range of conditions with glassy flat water to larger rolling swell. Unfortunately there’s no breaking surf there, so we were unable to test this side of the board’s performance although there is some good bump & jump style ramp conditions to have some fun in. While on test we experience a good variety of conditions (as well as a freak hail storm!) with winds ranging from around 10 to 25 knots.
Our test trip coincided, yet again, with reports of trouble brewing in Egypt and, as before, we found there was no hint of any bother around Dahab, so if you’re thinking of going you really shouldn’t be put it off at all, it’s well worth it and very safe and welcoming indeed.
FINS
There’s quite a selection for fin shapes and sizes in the various boards on this test, as well as a couple of multifin ‘convertibles’. All of the singlefin boards come supplied with rather large fins, which is great for freeriding and blasting but if you do really want to exploit the full wave and freestyle performance of any of them, a smaller alternative fin would be highly recommended. The idea of including optional thruster set-ups on a couple of the boards is to add even more versatility and extra wave riding performance.
CRITERIA
What we’ve set out to do here is put the boards through their paces head-to-head and check out their performance in the main basic criteria’s of early-planing, acceleration, top-speed, handling and overall feel while we jump them, gybe them, drag race them and generally tear-it-up. After a couple of weeks we can get a firm idea of what each board is all about and let you know which one should be your best new year’s resolution!
Enjoy!
READ THE INDIVIDUAL REPORTS
Fanatic Freewave 95L
Goya One 94L
JPAustralia Freestyle Wave 101L
Quatro Freestyle Wave 95L
RRD Freestyle Wave 102L
Simmer Freewave 105L
Starboard Kode 103L
Tabou 3S 96L
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Windsurf Magazine
Justyna Back Loop…Plus Simmer International!
Justyna Sniady has made an almost unbelievable recovery, from being unable to walk just months ago the Polish ripper is now back sailing and landing some pretty high jumps! The video below shows how Justyna has had no fear since being back on the water, and is already going for back loops! Justnya has also been spotted on her Simmer Sails recently, but now it is confirmed that she is part of the Simmer International team, congratulations! After her results on the 2012 BWA tour were held back due to her injury, we are sure Justyna will be ready and raring to go in Wales in a few short months as looks to improve on her previous position.
Justyna on signing to the Simmer team:
“I’m really excited about joining Simmer Team! It is a great bunch of people who know how to have a good laugh while pushing the performance on the water as well. I have really good memories of Simmer as I landed my first frontloops and pushloops on their sails a few years ago in Pozo. Also as soon as I jumped on my new 2013 Simmer Sails my backloops just clicked so I think we make a good match!:) I really like both Icons and Blacktips – they are light, maneuverable, really stable and most importantly for my style of sailing – pretty unbreakable! 
It’s great to be back on the water and get the support despite my severe injury from last year.”
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Boards Windsurfing » Windsurfing News
Proffitt’s WA Training Diaries – Part Two
Proffitt is back to talk through that crash and how he is coping so far with a separated shoulder, one not to be missed as it also features Miss Justyna Sniady pulling off some awesome backloops too.
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Boards Windsurfing » Windsurfing News
with Ben Proffitt
Next in the Boardseeker wave technique series, we are joined by Ben Proffitt to talk through the importance of Wave Selection. Image credit PWA/JC.
Check out more from Boardseeker on wave technique here.
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Boardseeker Windsurfing Magazine » – Boardseeker Windsurfing Magazine
A WA Secret Spot
Colin Leonhardt of Windsurf Australia and Justyna Sniady join Ben Proffitt and Peter Volwater on a trip to a secret left in the heart of WA (the trip before Proffitt’s injury!). All images credit Colin Leonhardt/Windsurf Australia.
Colin Leonhardt: “There are very few quality sailing spots on this planet that haven’t been explored, so with a forecast that suits this certain offshore reef in Western Australia Ben Proffitt and Peter Volwater decided to make the overnight drive to this location last weekend. With a jet ski in tow to get us out there we hit the water late morning and spent the rest of the day enjoying some of the best waves this state offers. This is the first time this location has been photographed so here’s a selection of images from that day courtesy of Windsurfaustralia.com.”
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Peter Volwater: Continuing the challenge to find West Australia’s best surf/windsurf destinations, we ventured to a break on the south coast which we call “the left”. I had heard about this place before, about 10 years ago and in the three times I have visited it has been going off each and every time. As long as there is an easterly sea breeze on the south coast and even just a small 2 meter swell, it’s on.
Mix the roaring 40′s in the southern hemisphere and hot Australian summer weather, and you have the perfect ingredients to fire up some epic wavesailing.
When we woke up there were still a couple hours more to drive, 50kms before arrival we fueled up and took breakfast on the road; we were in a hurry as the swell would be dropping, so there was no time to waste. Driving through town straight to the jetty and the view was just amazing! We could see nice big lumps breaking on the outer reefs and the wind was already honking. We dropped the ski in the water for Col and quickly rigged up and headed out there.
“The left” was peeling and soon Ben joined me to ride one wave after the other, perfect lefts!
We ventured further out to sea, to the next patch of reef where there was a ledge with super hollow waves breaking. When Ben cut back on one he was still very deep and didn’t quite make it around the section and I saw him wipe out right in front of me, which worried me for a bit but when he came up and nothing was broken and he smiled we were just laughing! It was real funny to see as he didn’t get hurt. I did warn him before that this wasn’t really a wave just a dry reef with water sucking off it, a real shallow ledge!
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Whilst it was hard to ride this one we went back to “the left” and caught many more waves and good jumping, I saw Ben bust some big airs and even Justyna came sailing out through the reef.
I told her the wave was going to be waist to shoulder high but the swell had amazed me, it was actually quite a lot bigger than expected! Also, it normally looks a lot smaller from the shore until you actually get out there. One thing we never discussed though was that this place is renowned for the big white sharks and at the local pub there are photos of a six meter one that they had caught in the past and had brought in. That’s not something you want to have on your mind when swimming out there!
We saw out on the rocks a massive sea lion resting and apparently it had a calf too. Also, a stingray whilst snorkelling and a brown snake on the road on the way back to Perth.
After taking the photos our happy snapper Col went out there for some waves of his own and enjoyed some of the best WA waves today. It was a fun and adventurous trip getting familiar with the wildlife out here and epic epic waves. And there is many more just waiting to be explored with that much coastline, will it ever get crowded?
Taking into account the abundant sea life, it being a very unpopulated area with only few surfers who even know of these waves, the long paddle out and not ever seeing any windsurfers here, many waves will probably stay unridden…..meanwhile we’ll keep searching for different waves!
It was shortly after this trip the Ben Proffitt injured his shoulder, Boardseeker wishes Ben a speedy recovery and will have more from him very soon.
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Boardseeker Windsurfing Magazine » – Boardseeker Windsurfing Magazine
Explore and Play episode 5
Sylvain and Benoit Moussilmani check out Tunisia in the 5th episode of their podcast - Plug and play! If you haven´t seen previous episodes yet, make sure to check them out.
Explore and Play - épisode 5 - Tunisie by Lesmouss
Paradis Island Episode 4_4 by Lesmouss
Peaceandlove-Hawaï-Episode1_3 by Lesmouss
Extreme Racing-Hawaii-Episode2_2V2 by Lesmouss
Gagakids-Hawaï-Episode3_3V2 by Lesmouss
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SIMMER STYLE - world news
Simmer Style Talent Academy
Join International Simmer Style team rider Christopher Friis for 5 days of intense talent development in the windsurfing mecca of El Medano, Tenerife. The clinic is targeted at 13 to 22 year old windsurfers who want to move forward in the sport and at the same time want to learn the mechanisms of modern day sponsorship and professional sportsmanship.
For more info check out www.facebook.com/surfTWS or contact Christopher Friis: chris@tws-windsurf.com
GoPro Wave 360's from Christopher Friis on Vimeo.
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SIMMER STYLE - world news
Update from Friis
Once again I find myself back in Cape Town, South Africa for another winter of endless waves and windy beaches. This year has been a little different though. I joined a group of friends where I stay in a little wind hut in the garden of a hostel in the middle of Bloubergstrand. It’s been a great way to meet new people and it’s a perfect base for windsurfing north of Cape Town. Life down here runs in a very similar routine every day, you wake up, tjeck the forecast, the tide and the weather stations, then you go for a session, get back to the house for lunch, relax a bit and then you go for an evening session. By the time you get back home again you are so tired you only want to go to bed.
On the water this year I got it in my head that I wanted my Wave 360’s ready for competition and I’ve been charging every single wave hard to get the trick consistent. It’s not an easy thrick to get right because it requires perfect timing and choice of wave and section, but I’m starting to get the feeling for it now and my consistency is much better than before. I caught a few of them on my GoPro Hero 3 and put together this little video:
GoPro Wave 360's from Christopher Friis on Vimeo.
Here’s a few photos from a session I had in Whitsands the other day. It was blowing for 3,7 and the ramps were just perfect for jumping. I managed to pull off some pretty high tweaked pushloops, probably even the highest I’ve ever done. The best one unfortunately got a bit blurry, but you get the picture anyways! 
It’s also been a long time wish for me to put together a well made video and this year things have finaly come together as I have teamed up with videographer Henri Meyer and Manuel Grafenauer to produce a cool little short clip for the web. The past 3 weeks we have been testing, tuning in the cameras, worked on camera angles and getting the right light for the clip. It’s really a lot more work than you might think and I have a lot of respect for the people who do this for a living. Here is a few screenshots from some of our clips. Note that none of them has been color corrected yet! So it’s just the raw footage you are seeing.
I still have another month to go on here in Cape Town and I will probably be back with another update as soon as I have some good stuff for you guys
Best regards
Christopher Friis
DEN 36
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SIMMER STYLE - world news