NZL 727

Southerly storms

2011-07-05T01:57:00.000-07:00

It's been a little warm in Wellington this winter. Like two of the warmest months on record recently. I'm not complaining. However, we have been missing our beloved southerly storm fixes. Thankfully we have had a run of them in the past couple of weeks. Snows falling, roads close, ski fields open and we get action.

Oh, and I have been testing the 2012 Fanatic Quad. It is now my most favorite thing.

More Windies

2011-02-08T22:28:00.000-08:00

Some more photo's from Windies. Still haven't got back there . . .

Windies exposed

2011-02-06T01:05:00.000-08:00

Four pages of coverage in Windsurfer Internationa l of my last session at Windies in the Wairarapa. Thanks to Tim Haxell for taking the pictures.

Haven't got back there yet, although there have been several opportunities.

2010 Freewave finale

2010-11-08T00:13:00.000-08:00

Awesome out of control conditions for the third and last round of the Wellington Freewave series for 2010. 40 knots plus at Lyall Bay and grunty logo southerly swell saw another reduced amount of entries. But enough for two heats, a repercharge and a final.

Tweaking in the weekend - photo by Anton

Because the last two previous events were wave events, the last event was earmarked as a freestyle event. A compromise was reached on the beach to run the contest in the waves but with an emphasis on freestyle.Because it was so windy, freestyle moves were limited giving way to wave orientated moves - loops, backside aerials, wave riding and big f..ing jumps.

Showing off the new board and new sail - pic by Anton

The final was quickly sorted and after a ten minute thrashing in the elements, the round and the freewave series were decided. Clayton took the round and the crown for a consecutive year with a mix of old school freestyle and sold wave riding and jumps including a landed gu screw. I was runner up for the second round and a second place in the series again for 2010. Tim Haxell freestyle specialist took third place actually managing to hold down some freestyle moves in the extreme conditions.

Anton was photographer of the day - all his shots can be seen here.

Troy Purcell who squeaked into the final and 4th place has written a great account of the day from his perspective.

High times at high tide

2010-10-12T20:46:00.000-07:00

After a run of disappointing results I have finally I have got a good result in 2010. Over the weekend I managed to win the 2nd round of the Freewave series. IN doing so I have recovered from 4th place to 2nd place overall with one round to go.

Just about to pull the trigger

And I very nearly didn't compete at all.

Saturday looked like it would be marginal plimmy at best and I also have got a lot of work on trying to finish our new house, so I was a whisker away from not going at all. However I came to my senses in the end and was duly rewarded with possibly the best contest conditions seen at plimmy in a very long time. High tide is usually not the best time for swell at plimmy. However, today it was a super high tide and combined with a reasonable swell the waves on the beach were of a good contestable size, plus the wind was cranking, easy 4.0 weather for most and super steady (especially so for the inside at Plimmerton).

The body always follows the head

With a fleet size reduced in size (but not quality) the event kicked off and was run smoothly and quickly over the next hour and a half by Eric (check out the WWA report). Sailing on my new Neil Pryde combats I knotched up wins in my heat and the semi. As usual my jumping was feeling good but I knew I was going to have to pick up my waveriding to win in the final over Clayton, Tom Taylor and Klaas. In the final I managed to quickly latch onto a couple of great waves and rode them right through to the beach. In the air I focussed on getting height and tweak and variation of moves.

Clayton, high and tweaked

This combo I think gave me my first win over an in form Clayton in a couple of years. Klaas came in third and Tom had to settle for 4th this time.

Clayton, even higher

Lessons learnt over the weekend.

Lesson 1 You gotta be in to win - The best way to get over bad results is to keep on competing even if it means risking getting more bad results
Lesson 2 Contest sailing is exhausting - 15 minutes heats seem to last forever when it is really windy.
Lesson 3 Brand new gear rocks especially when it makes you sail better. I can't wait to get back out their on the new Combats.

Tom Taylor, shovin it

All pictures by Anton aka fuzzy hedgehog

Wave champs water shots

2010-10-01T02:51:00.000-07:00

Another, great set of water shots from Chris Brown. I was really close to him on this shot, he was almost immediately upwind of me. He told me it felt like I almost looped over the top of him. Great effort and a very different perspective.

Wellington Wave Champs 2010

2010-09-19T01:11:00.000-07:00

Rotating through my thousandth push loop? Quite possibly.

From Wellington Wave Champs 2010 All pictures Taken by Dave McPhee Wildwinds

The Wellington Wave Champs 2010 (also the first round of the freewave) was held today at Plimmerton in some pretty extreme conditions at times. The surf was large for plimmy with shoulder to head high waves breaking on the shore and it was windy. The gusts in excess of 40 knots with most sailors battening down the hatches on flat 4.0s. I was pretty stoked as I quite like these types of conditions and seem (from previous experience) to have an advantage. On the other hand the competition was going to be stiff. This event is the first time we have seen all the top Wellington sailors together at one time. Tim Haxell who has been in awesome form recently, Tom Taylor the former international freestyle wizard now back living in Wellington, Tim Bamford just before he moves back to Maui, and of course the always on form Clayton Dougan.

Rubber clad in serious reflection, or perhaps just wondering where the sausages are.

Most of the heats ran through without too many surprises. I was definitely on form in the air possibly to the detriment of the wave sailing. I think I landed pretty much 100% of my push loops and sprinkled in a few ok forwards, cheese rolls, and shove-its.

The biggest surprise in the semis was the outing of Tim Haxell, who was one of the main contenders. However, it was a stacked heat between myself, Tim and Clayton with Clayton taking the other spot in the finals. The other semi was held in increasingly marginal conditions (especially if you were on a 4.0) and delivered an on form Tom Taylor and Tim Bamford through to the four man final.

Probably the last time this purple monster will be used before I get a new set.

From Wellington Wave Champs 2010

So the final kicked off and the wind backed off. I was screwed, probably getting on the plane a couple of times and having real problems getting out the back with the reduced wind strength, and the down wind current. In the twelve minute final I got about two waves and no jumps. made even worse by seeing f the others planning around out the back.

So it was fourth place for me, which was not such an embarrassment against these guys, but I was still really disappointed as I was aiming a lot higher. On the other hand there was not a lot I could have done about it, as it was a real case of the conditions conspiring against me. Clayton won surprise surprise! Not sure as of writing this what the other places were.

Thanks to Eric and the judges for organising the event, not easy I know. Kinda like herding cats.

Downfall

2010-05-07T02:47:00.000-07:00

It's been months since the New Zealand Wave Nationals and it has taken me this long to build up the motivation to talk about the contest and the weekend. The weekend was one of the best Taranaki weekends I have had in a long time. Heaps of sailing, surfing and shooting shit with the boys. The only downside for me was the contest.

From Wave Nationals 2010

I was all amped to defend my wave nationals title. After several false starts the contest finally got good contestable conditions at Kina Road South on the last day. About logo high sets and a light but steady south easterly. that looked about right for my light wind setup on the 81 litre Fanatic New wave single fin and the 5.7 Firefly.

From Wave Nationals 2010

My first heat was held in light conditions that filled in as we sailed. Sailed against Taranaki guru Chris La Franchie, Simon Sweet (who I hadn't sailed with before), and Jebbe, with the top two going through.

After a couple of waves I soon figured out that Simon was no slouch and I realised that I was going to have to pull finger to even make it through one round.

Contest sailing is a real mind bender, they can be the best of times, and they can be the worst of times. Today was one of the worst of times. I felt like I sailed well and got heaps of waves but in the end it wasn't enough. So, I was out in the first heat of the first round!

Ouch!

Anger, blame, denial, and finally acceptance in about 15 mins. . . actually maybe a bit longer . . . . .

From Wave Nationals 2010

On the upside the contest was over for me so I was able to just go out and enjoy myself while I came to grips with my early exit. The wind really filled in as the contest and the day progressed, with solid 5.0 conditions and a good swell.

Chris went on to take the wave nationals title and looked pretty much untouchable, cranking big aerials off the top of the break. Chris' brother took second and Wellington sailor Tom Taylor took third place, Simon Sweet went on to the finals also and got fourth.

Thanks to all the organisers especially James Dinnis, Mike La Franchie, Oliver Perkins and the judges. All shots by Craig Olsen www.sportshotz.co.nz

A sick new spot right under our noses

2010-04-25T02:24:00.000-07:00

After 3 and a half weeks of a self enforced break from windsurfing I was amping to get in the water. Hooked up with Easy E and Tim Haxell to scout some possible freestyle spots around the narrow neck of the Porirua Harbour. Set off from Whiteria Park side of Plimmy and after annoying the kiters for a while shot off downwind not knowing exactly what to expect.

Spot 1 The shallows
The first spot we came to was a starboard tack spot which was ok but a little shallow. After I suffered a major prang with a sand bank we set off downwind again. Wind was surprisingly strong in the neck of the entrance, at least 5 knots on top of the gusts at plim. Nice standing chop enabled some high and dry forwards too. The entrance mustn't be more than 100 metres across and felt like sailing on a small river.

Spot 2 The MCC

The next spot was a port tack spot right in front of the Mana Cruising Club. Nice sandy beach, grassy bank and park surrounding it, super flat water, super deep just off the bar. Epic Freestyle. Would have stayed here longer if I could do any decent moves on port tack. Tim Haxell giving the MCC a evening work out.

TIMHAXELL AT MCC from THAX on Vimeo.

Spot 3 Railways

Next stop had a port and starboard tack spot. The starboard tack spot was the best of the two and we lingered here for a while before Eric noticed a guy standing on the Mana marina break water shouting and waving. Thought we might have got into trouble with the boaties but as I went over to investigate and discovered that it was Chris Brown who had seen us from his place and come down to investigate and take pictures.

Back to the MCC

Chris couldn't get close to where we were sailing so we tacked back up to the MCC for a photo hog session. This spot ended up being awesome, super flat and fast, the boys were cranking Easy E cranking around some of the finest socks i have seen him do, Tim Haxell was absolutely going off cranking through dozens of spock OH, super quick grubbies and even a grubby diabalo. Awesome to watch, in fact quite a few park goers sat on the bank to watch the action.

Eventually got tired and decided to tack back to Whiteria, which took quite a while against the incoming tide.

Awesome session nothing like exploring new spots and finding smooth water, especially in Wellington. Will definitely be back here soon.

Note to self: this spot is much better accessed through the Mana marina.

Almost three in a row.

2010-03-22T23:16:00.000-07:00

I really love racing . . . The up and downs, the in and outs, the strategy. Today had all of these and more, although we could have done with a tad more wind.

I put my plan into action and stuck to the starboard side of Somes Island. Immediately I thought that the plan was coming undone. I could see the sailors on the port side of the course getting some good lift while i was languishing in the doldrums. It seemed like an age before the wind filled in and I finally got the 125 litre Fanatic Ray the C3 Sting 42cm and the Severne Overdrive on the fly. I was still on and off the plane until 500 metres before the tip of Somes. I pretty much thought all was lost for even a top ten finish. But I stuck to my plan (not that I had a choice).

Closer to the Island I started to get some really good lift and make some good ground downwind. Kept in the wind through the inside of the island, as per the plan and somehow managed to leapfrog the majority of the fleet which had become becalmed on the port side of the island.

Only two sailors in front of me now. Clayton and Tom Taylor. Once I past the bottom of the Island I got into another couple of good gusts and managed to get past and pull away from Tom mainly thanks to the larger board and sail combo. I was on a roll and had only Clayton to catch now to pull a triple.

I was starting to believe it was going to be possible too as I started to pull him in by getting into more favourable wind shifts. However, it was going to be a big ask as I had no gear advantage this time, I had a lot of ground to make up, and Clayton is a one of the most experienced race sailors in the country.

Unfortunately the wind also deserted us the closest we got to Eastbourne and while I was only about 100 - 150 metres behind Clayton there was no getting past him as we both limped to the finish line. I didn't give up though until I actually saw him hit the beach as I was higher and behind him and any lift would got to me first and have given me a shot.

So in the end another second place . . . . in a season of seconds. However, not bad considering that at one point I thought I was going to be lucky to place at all. Lessons learnt today - never give up - stick to the plan.

Congrats Clayton, thanks Wild Winds, and thanks to the WWA for a really well run event.

The picture shows Clayton's and my GPS tracks overlaid on a google map of Wellington Harbour. Clayton's is the longer outside track mine is the shorter track on the inside. Top speed from memory was around 27 knots which was not bad in about 15 knots of wind max.

Testing C3

2010-03-17T21:59:00.000-07:00

Over the last month I have been lucky enough to test the new C3 prototype freestyle and wave fins. This is my report on the experience.

The Spinner 18cm

From Fins

Compared against a stock 22cm fin on the 101 Fanatic TE Skate. Tested at a variety of locations and conditions.

The most immediate thing I noticed with the Spinner is its speed and the control at speed. This is probably not surprising given the racing and speed pedigree of the C3 brand. I immediately felt how much easier it was to slide through moves. The Spinner needs very little encouragement to slide and its sliding characteristics seem to get more controllable the faster the board speed, which is the complete opposite of the stock fin. The board also feels ridiculously fast off the wind, faster than a freestyle board should sensibly go but with a lots of control. Over time the Spinner has encouraged me to keep my pops lower and faster.

Overall impression
The Spinner makes me sail better, smoother and more consistently stick moves with higher speed and control (even in significant chop), and is my definite preference in powered up sessions. For larger sails or when sailing in slightly underpowered conditions I would personally prefer a larger version, say a 20cm to improve low speed planing and upwind ability.

The Vortex 23cm
Compared against a stock 23cm fin on the Fanatic 81 New Wave at cross-off head to logo Lyall Bay.

Like the Spinner the first thing I noticed about the Vortex was the speed and control at speed. But the most surprising thing was the power of the fin through the bottom turn. It seems the harder you push the board through the bottom turn the more board speed that is generated. Like a multi-fin board you can easily adjust to a tighter turning arc, however unlike a multi-fin board the Vortex generates a noticeable surge in power off tight bottom turns. The best way I can describe it is a whip like feeling.

The Vortex has no noticeable downsides in comparison to the stock fin.

Overall impression
Please don't take the Vortex back! The Vortex has injected the excitement back into my single fin and makes me want to sail my single fin in good cross-off conditions all the time.

Freewave final photo's

2010-02-27T20:28:00.000-08:00

Some more photo's from the last round of the freewave (see as close as you can get to wining. . . ) taken by Dave McPhee from Wildwinds. I like this one as it shows some good style and a nice carve for a rubbishy little Plimmerton beach break.

The James Court Sessions

2010-02-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

A young ripper in the Wellington Windsurfing scene Tim Haxell damaged his ankle quite badly recently at the last round of the Wellington Freewave and is off the water for a couple of months recouping. I lent him my old video camera and am now enjoying the fruits of his labour.

Nice one Tim, I promise to return the favour . . . . when I am next off the water!

JAMES COURT SESSIONS from THAX on Vimeo.

As close as you can get to winning . . .

2010-02-14T01:09:00.000-08:00

. . . without actually winning.

From Freewave 09 final

Plimmerton has not worked for well over a month and a half. And the last round of the freewave fell squarely on the day Plimmy decided to reawaken. And man did it decide to wake up. Wind was a ferocious 35 to 40 knots plus, and while it wasn't breaking out the back at first the swell was not bad right on the beach. It was pretty much unsailable out the back anyway with big willy walls pulsing through Perfect for a freewave, allowing the action to happen about 20 metres off the beach.

My first heat was the best heat I think I have sailed at Plim. Landed pretty much everything and lots off them, latched into some pretty good walls on the beach and felt really relaxed. While I was feeling confident I watched Clayton in the next heat sail the best heat I have ever seen him or anyone sail with my bare eyes. His back loops were just huge and flawless, and he got one Pozo height jump out the back. I was definitely going to have to sail out of my skin.

From Freewave 09 final

Thankfully I didn't meet him in the semi. My semi was ok, got some great waves, but my jumping suffered from a lack of ramps, but enough to get me through to the final with Tommy.

The final was held in conditions that appeared to be mellowing, which prompted me to switch to the 4.5 (a decision I would later regret). In the final was Clayton, Tommy, Klaas, and myself. All thoroughly deserved to be there. Tommy and Klaas were cranking beautiful antigravity forwards (some in perfect sync).

My sailing in the final was a shocker. A front came through right on the start so, I was maxed and while getting some good airtime, really struggled to land anything dry. But worse was failing to latch into any waves. Everytime I came in it just seemed to be flat. In the end I was desperate to get just one scoring wave, so I was trying to thrash around (and screwing up) on ankle size white water.

From Freewave 09 final

Convinced that I was gonna take the wooden spoon I shot out the back to take out my frustrations on the now solid swell out the back. In the end it appeared that i wasn't the only one that struggled and I managed a very respectable 2nd place, giving me equal point lead for the series with Clayton (who came in third). However, a second series win in a row was not to be, with Clayton having notched up a win in the first round giving him the edge on a count back.

Tommy Fahy, sailed a very consistent heat and actually got some waves to win his first ever round of the Freewave series. A well deserved win by all accounts. Nice one Tommy.

All photo's by Dave McPhee - Wildwinds

Large at Lyall Bay

2010-01-16T23:26:00.001-08:00

There have been some positive things to come out of the crap summer we are having. The biggest positive is the wind. It has been fricking windy. Nine windsurfing sessions so far this year and the main sail I have used is the 4.0 and 4.5.

As an example today was large and completely unseasonal:

Wind was large (gusting well over 40 knots)
Waves were large (logo plus)
Jumps were large
Crashes were large
Sail felt really large

It was a great sail after a day of fluffing around waiting for the wind to drop (which it never did). Thanks to Troy and Hoody for keeping an eye on me enjoying the largeness. And thanks especially to Tim Haxell for shooting and editing this footage. I owe you one Tim.

Update: Now featuring on the continent seven website.

JAMES COURT storm session from Haxell Tim on Vimeo.

2009 - the year in review

2010-01-05T00:29:00.000-08:00

Despite the cold, 2009 was a good year for windsurfing in Wellington. To review 2009 I have used the stats from Sessionlogs to answer the following questions:

How often did I sail?
When did I sail?
Where did I sail?
What sail did I use?
What discipline did I do?

The stats that follow represent a good indication of the type and frequency of sailing a motivated wave / freestyle sailor can get in Wellington while working a full time job and wrangling two young children.

How often did I sail?

In 2009 I had 103 windsurfing sessions, up six sessions from 2008. This number of sessions represents:

approximately one windsurfing session every three days, or
28 per cent of days sailed.

When did I sail?

Figure 1 shows the distribution of these sessions by month over the year.

Figure 1 Distribution of windsurfing sessions by month

January was clearly the most windsurfed month at 18 sessions followed by November at 15 sessions. Months with high frequency of sessions are primarily due to the effect of daylight savings. Months with longer daylight hours (longer days equals more opportunity for afterwork sessions) and holiday periods generally had more sessions.

The least windsurfed months were the winter months (June, July, August, September). These were least sailed primarily due to the effect of daylight savings during these months. That is shorter daylight hours meaning no opportunity for afterwork sessions.

What did I sail?

Figure 2 shows what sail size I used during what month and figure 3 shows the percentage of sessions on each sail. Figure 2 give an indication of how windy each month was while figure 3 shows how frequently each sail was used.

Figure 2 Distribution of windsurfing sessions and sail size used by month

Of particular note is May. Out of eight sessions this month 5 were on the 4.0, two were on the 4.5 and only one was on the 5.0. May was uncharacteristically windy in Wellington dominated by super strong and super cold southerly storms.

Figure 2 also shows the seasonal influence on the size sail used. The spring equinox increases not only sailing frequency but the number of sessions had on the smaller (especially the 4.5) sails. Likewise the summer months (Jan, February, March, April) are more dominated by sessions on the bigger sails (5.0 and 5.7).

Figure 3 Frequency of sail size used

Figure 3 shows that the 5 metre sail was the most frequently used, then the 5.7, closely followed by the 4.5, with the 4 being the least used sail (but probably the most abused!). However, all sails in the quiver are well used and therefore needed to maintain the current number of sessions per year.

Where did I sail?

Figure 4 shows the distribution of windsurfing sessions by location. Obviously the Wellington spots (Ditch, Lyall, and Plimmerton) feature the most frequently. Out of the Wellington spots the Ditch, and Lyall Bay are the most sailed mainly because they are the closest to home. The ditch is a favorite due to its consistency

Figure 4 Windsurfing sessions by location

What discipline did I sail?

Figure 5 shows the time devoted to the different windsurfing disciplines. I devoted almost all of my sailing in 2009 to either wave or freestyle sailing. Surprisingly and without conscious effort my time is almost split equally between wave and freestyle sailing.

Figure 5 Percentage of sessions devoted to each discipline

A special thanks to the Sessionlogs team for providing the excellent website that has enabled me to compile this information.

Plane away forward

2009-12-12T14:20:00.000-08:00

Chris Brown snapped this sequence of me at Plimmerton yesterday. I am a bit over doing forwards and I am only really happy if I do a big delayed one, or I plane away from them. This is the first documented version of the later.

Big ups to Chris Brown and his shock proof and water proof Olympus. Must get myself one for Christmas.

Push loop water camera sequence

2009-10-17T01:12:00.000-07:00

Chris Brown snapped this awesome sequence from the water of one of my push loops during the first round of the Freewave. Felt really close to landing on him!

Wellington Freewave Report - Round 1

2009-10-14T00:32:00.000-07:00

Awesome conditions for the first freewave of the season. Plenty of wind, about just right for the 4.0 and SW which is cross-onshore. A good size swell, not too big and not too small. Sun out - at least periodically - 20 plus keen competitors, all more than competent to handle the conditions. A really good vibe on the beach.

The only downside was that it freezing. Not as cold as it has been this year, but still cold enough to make sailing for extended periods uncomfortable. Competition was really well run and organised (cheers Nick Hunn and David Rowe), and we managed to get through the heats reasonably quickly.

The early heats were held in primo Lyall conditions, good grunty ramps, heaps of power. lots of big moves being laid down. Stand outs were Tim Haxell's total disregard for life and limb - launching into huge tweaked end over forwards at every opportunity. Rob H's big shove-it's, and of course Clayton's perfect run of flawless sail away back loops and slashy down the line bashes.

I felt like I was sailing OK too, and was really gunning for the win. As usual Clayton's form throughout the heats showed that he was going to be the main to beat and I went into the final thinking that I would need to concentrate on the wavesailing to stand a chance of getting the no 1 spot. So after laying down my routine of reasonable aerial moves I set about making sure that I had some good waves too.

However, rather than the wavesailing, it was Clayton's impressive planing backloops and big springy forwards on the inside that undid me.

So great conditions and great sailing, but 2nd place for this round.

Time to learn a new move I think . .

WWA Report by Nick Hunn

Results:

1. Clayton Dougan

2. James Court

3. Troy Purcell

4. Rob Harrison

5= Lawrence Young / Tim Haxell

7= David Lee-Smith / Uli

9= Colin Doig / Eric Torvelainen

The top 4 fought out the final with Clayton just beating James by a very small margin. James was marginally ahead on the wave-riding but Clayton was slightly further ahead in the jumps. With equal weighting, the result went to Clayton. Highlights were Clayton's huge back Loop, followed up with a very high and clean forward, and James' big clean Push Loops and contest savvy wave riding.

3rd and 4th was just as close, with Troy taking the 3rd spot with better quality wave-riding. Highlights were Troy's now world-famous bail, and Rob's 1 handed forward (almost clean!).

Highlights from earlier rounds included monster, fully commited forwards from Tim - perfect except for the crash landings! Quality wave riding from David Lee-Smith, dangerous photo journo impersonations from Chris, and the judges (almost) deducting points from Gary for pulling off freestyle moves on the inside!

It was a seriously cold day so we didn't run the B final - and the sausage sizzle will have to wait till next time!

Exposed on Continentseven

2009-09-06T01:42:00.000-07:00

Continent seven is an Austrian based website dedicated to windsurfing news, moves, pictures and videos. A long time favorite site of mine. Tim Haxell send the previous posts vid to them and surprise surprise they posted it. Super stoked to be mentioned on this site.

Summer freestyle session

2009-08-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

Tim Haxell and I having fun in the ditch taking turns with the camera. Thanks Tim for editing and posting the footage

THE DITCH summer 08/09 from Haxell Tim on Vimeo.

Mid Winter Lyall Bay Session

2009-06-20T19:19:00.000-07:00

I don't like the cold much, but I do like the Mid Winter sailing on offer at Lyall Bay. Especially when it is not too windy, with a nice chunky swell, and 4.0 - full power! This video shows a classic example of Lyall Bay at its mid winter best. Footage is thanks to Troy Purcell. Hope we get a few more days like this before spring.

Great Southern Land

2009-06-12T04:43:00.000-07:00

Recently returned from a family trip to the South Island. Highly enjoyable and hugely scenic. Heaps of wave sailing potential especially around Kaikoura and the Catlins. Heaps of cross shore wind and heaps of swell the whole time i was there. I plan to make a return trip with others to fully explore in a warmer season!

Windiest windy wind

2009-06-12T04:37:00.000-07:00

We have had some crazy wind recently in Wellington. Crazy wind and crazy cold, hail and snow and -5 degrees wind chill, couldn't keep the boys out of the water.

Willy skipper

2009-04-14T00:40:00.000-07:00

Had a video session in the ditch on Monday. Have added this willy skipper video to add to the willy skipper instructional.

Dom Post Harbour Blast Article

2009-04-03T01:11:00.000-07:00

Article on the Harbour Blast that appeared on page 3 of the Dominion Post on the 30 March 2008 written by Andrew Gorrie

"About 38 windsurfers and six kitesurfers took full advantage of yesterday's blustery Wellington morning for their annual "Harbour Blast" race around Matiu/Somes Island.

It was the first time in the history of the decades-old race that kitesurfers had taken part - though they had to start later than their water-bound colleagues for safety reasons.

Race officer Bob Zuur, of Wellington Windsurfing Association, said racers took off from Hikoikoi reserve in Petone about 11am and finished at Eastbourne some 25 minutes later.

Contestants James Court and Jimmie Fourie, both of Wellington, took out the board and kite sections respectively - though it was not clear by last night which of the two had completed the course faster, Mr Zuur said.

Conditions had been "close to ideal" and the match-up between the two wind codes would hopefully lead to more joint events, he said. "There's quite a bit of competition between the two . . . They're kind of like Aussies and Kiwis."

Wellington had once been too dangerous for a lot of kitesurfing but rapid advances in technology had made the sport much safer on the gusty harbour, he said.

The city is home to about 200 windsurfers and 40 kitesurfers"

Harbour Blast Champion x 2

2009-04-02T01:51:00.000-07:00

The best thing about winning is winning when you don't expect it. There are no expectations no anxiety and you have lot more fun in the process. Even though i won the Harbour Blast last year, I am not a racer (I think the last time I was on race gear was during the last race) and had almost as little expectation of winning this year as I did last year. The following is my report on the day.

Just about a perfect day for the 2009 Harbour Blast. Sunny heaps of wind, almost too much. Heaps of happy smiling people. lined up at the start with the windsurfers and started with a grunty gust that got us off the beach. Woo managed to ride the gust about a couple of hundred metres in front of everyone else. Managed to catchup with Woo half way to Somes Island, through lots of stop start gusts. Wind was getting lighter the closer we got to the motorway and saw a couple of guys (Tim Wood) smoking down the inside of the island so gibed back toward the island and thankfully into more wind.

At this stage Woo and Tim were significantly ahead of me, Woo having turned back to the island earlier. Finally got some really good pressure toward the bottom of the island and gibed again to avoid the wind shadow on the south side of Somes island and to get a good downwind run to the finish. Sailed a couple of hundred metres deeper downwind than Woo before I gibed onto the final run. This paid off in spades as Woo got held up by the wind shadow and I got into some really good wind.

With Woo behind me there was only Tim left in front of me. With Tim in my sights (distantly) I was smoking toward the finish line. To my surprise I past him in the water with a broken mast (a really unlucky break!). All I needed to do now was sail to the finish line, and hope I could keep it all together, which was not as easy as it sounds. By this stage the wind was cranking and I was going full noise downwind skipping from chop to chop. The board and fin were solid as just eating up the chop allowing me to concentrate on my line and find where the finish line was.

Finally crossed the finish line 20 minutes after I started in first place. Second time in a row. BBQ and beers afterward were awesome and the trophy has taken pride of place in the house. Wouldn't have got even close to winning without the sick gear. The 5.5 Neil Pryde RS sail, the Fanatic Ray board and C3 Venom fin were super fast and super solid.

Thanks to all the organisers especially Bob, Carol, Dave, Duncan for a well and safely run race.

Helmet cam footage at Plimmerton

2009-02-21T00:02:00.000-08:00

This footage taken by Craig Woogis using a helmet cam. Troy Purcell and I get some good coverage in here. I am on my purple sails and there is some good and unusual angles on my low altitude push loops.

"At the top of his game" - Cafe' Culture Mag

2009-02-20T23:36:00.000-08:00

This article appeared in the December o8 edition of Cafe' Culture, another one of the magazines put out by William Davenport. I was pretty stoked with the article being run in a high exposure non-windsurfing magazine and the additional readership that brings. For months afterward I was bumping into people I barely know - who would say "hey were you in a magazine or something recently? " or my favourite "Aren't you the best windsurfer in the world?". Not quite!

Here is the intro to the article written by William Davenport. If you want to read further and check out the photo's click on the pictures.

You may have been driving from Oriental Bay to Kilburnie, along the esplanade at Petone, enjoying the view at Eastbourne Beach or sipping coffee at Maranui Cafe' in Lyall Bay, when you have seen these guys on the water with there colourfull sails. What is obvious is these guys like the Wellington Winds. What is not so obvious is that we have a National Champ out there most days enjouying the conditions. James Court was crowned Windsurfings National Wavesailing champ earlier in the year and I caught up with him to not only find a bit more about the man, but also more about this visually stunning sport . . .

The "How to series" - The Vulcan

2009-02-05T22:48:00.000-08:00

The next installment in the how to series is the vulcan. Often called the entry move to aerial freestyle moves, it presents a high entry hurdle for most sailors. I hope this article helps those trying to crack this move.

The following article was published in the December 2008 Wind&Kite. It is one of the series of "how to" articles I have been writing for the mag. click on the picture to read the article.

The "how to series" - The Willy Skipper

2009-01-18T23:15:00.000-08:00

The willy skipper is one of my first and favourite moves.

The following article was published in the December 2007 Wind&Kite. It is one of the series of "how to" articles I have been writing for the mag. click on the picture to read the article.

Tora - A late autumn roady

2008-12-17T21:13:00.000-08:00

Recently published Wind & Kite article I wrote about a Tora roady we did last autumn. Aaahhh, good times . .

Everyone knows that Wellington is windy and that we get a lot of sailable days. However, good down the line wave sailing conditions in the capital are a rarity. Lyall Bay and Plimmerton can produce the goods, however true cross-shore conditions are unusual and challenging at the best of time.

So, to get their fix most Wellington wave sailors need to travel. The most common location for Wellingtonians to go is Taranaki. However, a lesser-known alternative is the remote South and South-eastern Wairarapa Coast.

Well known amongst the surfing community, the Wairarapa is littered with good quality surf breaks that can hold large and heavy waves. Many of these spots have been wave sailed off and on by the Wellington hardcore since the late 80s.

Tora is one of the better-known spots, producing a long right-hander peeling off an exposed rocky reef. The swell hits the outside reef first, losing size as it wraps into the inside. On bigger swells the outside break connects, via a fast section, to an inside small but well formed break.

After a very early 6 am start and a two-hour drive from Wellington we were sitting in the car wondering why we got up so early. It was hard to feel optimist about our chances of getting some good down the line sailing. Into our second hour of sitting in the car we were staring through rain bleared windows at a dribbly 2-foot swell ruffled by a 4 knot onshore our hopes were starting to lag.

The wind and swell forecasts had been looking solid all week showing a 3-metre groundswell and a 35 – 40 knot SW. Perfect conditions for a Tora sortie.

Like some minor miracle bought on by our collective wishes at 10am the wind turned cross off and started to pick up. The swell cleaned up and stood up. And, almost as if on cue, a convoy of the late risers rolled into the car park. Bastards!

After another half an hour the situation had improved remarkably. The swell had picked up to head to logo sets and a 25-knot south westerly was fanning it. The sets were still looking a little disorganised, but there were some chunky sections offloading on the reef. A rigging frenzy ensued despite continuing showers and the temperature hovering around 8 degrees. It never ceases to amaze me how much watching peeling waves with the cross-offshore spray pumping off their crests motivates me to get out there.

With 12 wave starved Wellington sailors jostling for position, getting set waves proved challenging, forcing the desperate and adventurous to take on the smaller shoulder to head high waves. These waves rolled and boiled through a complex rock garden. After a while you get tuned to where the rocks are and could even incorporate them into your ride by smacking the section as it surged over the rock. By an amazing stroke of luck no fins or skin was lost despite some badly mistimed hits.

The bigger set waves were the ones to get, providing nice big long walls with fast breaking sections, throwing out chunky lips. They were just the right size for going hard without having to worry too much about the consequences. There were lots of lip smacks going down by everyone; big style carves at the end of the sections and even the odd aerial by the more adventurous.

Like pigs at the trough, most sailed until they physically couldn’t sail any more. For me, it took about three hours until the skin started to slough off my hands.

With bleeding hands, pumped forearms, shaky knees, mild hypothermia, and big smiles we were content that we had drank our share of the conditions. One by one we bid farewell to Tora and embarked on the long journey back to Wellington not knowing exactly when we would return again or when or where our next fix was going to be satisfied.

Tora Notes

What’s it like?
Probably the most consistent wave sailing spot in the Wairarapa. This right hand breaking reef break is pretty much guaranteed to be working in a good southwesterly. The southwesterly is cross to cross-offshore and unlike most cross shore locations you can usually plane off the rocks, which is just as well as the launching area closes out regularly in large swells. Picks up any kind of swell, but an E to SE swell seems to wrap in best.

The break has two parts: the outer reef and the inner reef. The reefs break separately on small swells and connect on large swells. Waves breaking on the outer reef get massive. The sailable wave easily gets over mast high and can handle much bigger. The bigger the swell, the further out the waves break and the better it gets. It is possible when the two reefs connect to get over 500 metre long rides. In small swells waves will break closer to the beach where you will find occasional rocks popping out whilst going down the line.

What should I look out for?
Watch out for the sometimes-heavy shore break and especially the rocks just below the surface on the inside and at the launching spot. Avoid straying into the incredibly heavy bombora on the northern side of the bay. Never sail alone, especially here.

Who does it suit?
Intermediate up to logo high. Expert only when it’s bigger than logo.

What are the best conditions?
Southerlies, best in a South Westerly. Easterly to southe easterly groundswell.

How do I get there?
Follow SH2 Head over the Rimutaka to Featherston, then to Martinborough where you head south towards Lake Ferry. About 1 km after leaving Martinborough, you take a left, and it’s signposted from there right to the beach. Martinborough to beach is about 30 minutes of driving. Once you get to the beach, turn right, and follow road for about 1 km through the scattered beach batches. There is a round toilet hut near the beach. A grassy rigging and launching area is located to the right of this little hut and river mouth.

Online Resources
• www.wind.co.nz - for online subscription service real time wind information from nearby Castlepoint. Text CAS to 9463 (WIND), calls cost 99 cents per message.
• www.metservice.co.nz - Marine forecast for Castlepoint.
• www.windguru.cz - Wind and swell forecasting tool. Type Tora into the spot search tab. Wind forecasts seem to be pretty much spot on.
• www.deepfried.tv - Article and video clips of a trip here in June 2004
• Slogger - Google map and logs of sessions had at Tora, including more photos and links to YouTube videos.

Wellington Freewave Champion 2008

2008-12-17T20:01:00.000-08:00

The third and final round of the Wellington Freewave series 2008 was held on the 29 November. The forecast was looking pretty dodgy, although there was a slight hint that the northerly would kick in on the Saturday.

In keeping with the hint, just enough of a northerly picked up to run the last round. The venue was Shark Bay and the format was freestyle. Now, I like freestyle and probably had as better chance of wining the round in these conditions than in the waves, but the condition were flukey bordering (13 - 20 knots) on being just sailable. Despite some grumblings in the ranks (mainly from the wave orientated sailors) and a vote to quell any disquiet, we pushed on.

I had a good heat managing to go through most of my limited freestyle routine in the ten minute heat without any hitchs and I was through to the final. The second heat was a little closer, with Clayton Dougan and Chris Norris (both title contenders) vying for the last finals slot. Instead of making a very hard call the judges decided a draw, putting seven into the final.

The final was held in a diminishing wind so most sailors had to frantically pump t get on the plane. Despite the conditions all manner of planing moves were thrown down flaka's, grubbys, spocks, vulcans, willy skippers and believe it or not forward loops in just planing conditions. There were some pretty motivated sailors out there. I had a frustrating final not quite getting enough board speed to land a spock or a forward.

In the end the judges had to make some hard calls, but I managed to snag third place. It wasn't pretty, but third place was all I needed to win the overall series.

Super stoked to finally win this event after seven long years of getting in the minor placings. Stoked also for young Tim Haxell who took out his first round win and great to see Tom Taylor back in the saddle after a long absence.

Check out Wildwinds gallery for more event photos taken by Dave McPhee .

The "How to series" - The Boomerang

2008-12-03T00:02:00.000-08:00

The following article was published in the spring 08 edition of Wind&Kite. It is one of the series of "how to" articles I have been writing for the mag.

The Boomerang

Introduction
In 2002 a visiting Austrian windsurfer named Michael Rossmeier (who later became a PWA sailor and authored the Tricktionary) competed in the Wellington freestyle champs. Michael won the contest throwing down spocks, flaka’s, and lollypops at a time when most of us hadn’t even heard of, let alone seen, these moves.

At the time, I asked Michael how he got so good sailing on local lakes in Austria. He replied that he would go out everyday regardless of whether there was enough wind or not. Since then I have come to realise that one of the most attractive things about freestyle windsurfing is that you can have a lot of fun and make a lot of progress in sub planning conditions. Light wind tacking, boomerangs, heli-tacks, monkey gybes, auto-rotators, geckos, and a vast number of other moves can all be performed without ever getting on the plane. These moves also provide the fundamentals for the more complex planning and aerial moves.

The boomerang is one of my favourites. As its name suggests, it involves throwing the sail down and waiting for it to boomerang, or bounce back, into your hands. The movement seems to defy gravity and is guaranteed to impress. An added bonus with this move is that most sailors should, with a minimum amount of trial and error, be able to do it.

Skill level
This move is for anyone that has learnt the basics of windsurfing.

Risks
This move has very low risk. However, make sure you have a clear area so you don’t drop the sail on anyone or in someone’s path. May cause embarrassment if sail fails to boomerang.

Equipment
A board that will float and wave or freestyle sails. Big boards will provide extra stability and float in light winds. However, any equipment will do, although it may be difficult on fully cambered sails or if you are up to your knees on a small board.

Conditions
This is a great move for mucking around on light wind days. However, the boomerang can be successfully pulled off in almost any conditions.
More information on light wind freestyle
To get inspired on light wind freestyle check out Caesar Finies from Bonaire on YouTube

Step One
As you are approaching your transition bear off, then turn back into the wind. In sub planning conditions you will need to bear into the wind more than for planning conditions.

As you are turning into the wind throw the sail down. Rather than just throwing the sail straight down try and throw the sail slightly forward so that it slices through the air as it falls toward the nose of the board. Drop your front hand first but then throw the sail with your backhand.

Step Two
As you let go of your rig you will need to be prepared for the sudden loss of the rig compensating your weight. In first attempts it is common that as you drop the rig you lose your counter weight and fall off the other side. In good boomerangs the sail will hover at the waterline for what seems like a long time. Watchers (and sometimes yourself) may think that you have just dropped the sail in the water.

You can add emphasis at this point by striking a super casual move. Think laidback long boarder, John Travolta in staying alive. Maybe even grab your crotch, Michael Jackson style.

Step Three
As the sail drops and slices into the wind, the back winding effect should take over causing the sail to hover over the water then slowly float back into your hands. All you need to do is maintain you balance on the board until the sail comes back. This can be harder than it seems.

Next Steps
Once you have the boomerang mastered you might like to try the boomerang tack. The boomerang tack involves throwing the sail more forward so that it slices further into the wind. At the same time continue to bear the board into the wind. The combined action of the sail slicing into the wind and the board bearing up into the wind should allow you to recover the sail on the opposite tack.

The boomerang also provides some of the fundamental principles for the shove-it. Instead of throwing the sail down you need to throw yourself with it, while in the air. Simple!

TWC 08

2008-11-12T21:32:00.000-08:00

Being meaning to do a post on the recent Taranaki Wave Classic 2008 but either been recovering or been too busy. The contest this year was held over two days at two locations around the fantastic Taranaki coastline.

After winning the Wave Nationals this year and the last round of the Freewave my expectations were high of at least getting in the minor placings. However, a combination of running out of Gas in the finals and the local knowledge and experience of the local crew saw me relegated to a 5th placing in the mens open. Local Taranaki boy Chris la Frenchie won the contest with a polished performance and heaps of aerials.

Day 1 - Waitara
Day 1 was held at super crowded Waitara. Seemed to get my waves though, probably through good luck rather than good management. The best thing was the jumping! You could line up the ramps from about 100 metres out and just launch into the stratosphere. I reckon I did one of the biggest push loops of my life during the super session. Everything went quiet and it became difficult to breath without breathing apparatus. Got windier and windier and made the mistake like everyone else in the final of thinking I could handle a 4.5. Waves were a bit choppy, however there were some moments of joy.

The Fanatic Twinser just thumps the sections and feels super safe and controlled on even the latest lip smack.

Day 2 - Pungarehu
I love Pungarehu and I hate Pungarehu. Was super windy (could barely open my eyelids on the wave) but surprisingly smooth on the wave. Was nervous about sailing the twinser in such extreme conditions, but I didn't need to have been. Haven't found the limits of the board yet and am looking forward to pushing it some more. Looking at the photo's and video, I think my timing needs work and I probably need to get more vertical and deeper in the pocket. Had a huge swim from way out the back and did some good underwater exercises. Sailed till I failed. The rocks gave me a bit of loving too. Spent the next day nursing cut feet and hands, pulling sea urchin spines out of my feet, and explaining to my work collegues that the mark on my neck was not a hickey but a wetsuit rash.

The TWC and tangaroa delivers yet again.

video by Caroline Read

The colour Purple

2008-10-17T00:30:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention that I also have some brand spanking new - and purple - sails. They are 2009 Neil Pryde Zones and I love them. I still can't decide what is better - new sails or new boards. Kinda leaning towards new sails.

And, here they are in all their technicolour glory caught mid pushloop at the last freewave comp. Hard to miss, and looking really good in this shot set against my mono-chromatic board and wetty.

By the way, thanks again Willy (Wind&Kite) for the shot and Wildwinds for putting it on the front page. Can't wait to get my hands on the whole sequence.

Finally!

2008-10-13T01:46:00.000-07:00

Finally won a Freewave series round. It has been a long time since I have won a round, with lots of seconds but no first places for at least a couple of years. The natural talent of Clayton Dougan being my using nemesis.

Last weekend was a ripper of a contest. probably the windiest contest we have ever held at Plimmerton. The wind was so seriously out of control at one stage that there was no one out and most sailors were hiding in the bushes trying to avoid flying objects. Thankfully the banshee conditions relented slightly for the early rounds.

Most rigged 4.0 or smaller and most wished they had smaller sails. Won both my heat and the semi with some strategic and lucky sailing. Managing to nail a big ankle dry pushloop in the semi about 20 feet off the beach enabling me to concentrate on spanking the wasit high shorey for the next nine minutes. The cool thing was is that I could here the crowd hooting as I landed. Cool!

In the final the banshee conditions returned giving us super over powered conditions especially out the back. I went out with the same strategy and almost replicated the semi with another perfect ankle dry push loop this time about 40 feet of the beach. All I need to do is concentrate on getting good waves and a couple of reasonable jumps.

In the end I think it was these push loops that got me through and the fact that Clayton got knocked out in the semi. However, if we were judging on size of jump I would have been well short. The attached photos show second place getter Will Thorp hanging some serious plimmy airtime. On days like this everyone calls plimmy the south pacific pozo.

Some seriously good wave riding going down. Most notably from the boys who have the new twinsers.

My first placing in this round gives me the lead in the series going into the third and final round. To win I need to get a fourth or better. Fingers crossed for good conditions and my roll to hold.

New Toys for the boys

2008-10-13T01:23:00.000-07:00

Recently taken delivery of some new babies. This is my board line up for the 08/09 season:

Fanatic Newwave Twin - 78 litre - Team Edition - Yes a twinser, sailed some demos a lot recently and very impressed at how comfy it feels on a wave. Probably as close to surfing as I have felt on a windsurfer, ever.

Fanatic Newwave - 81 litre - Team Edition - Single fin - this is going to be my light wind big wave board, especially for Taranaki.

And finally, my year old 97 litre skate - team edition.

No matter how many time its alway great getting new toys. First time that I've ha a full team edition line up - Stoked.

Freezing in the fourties - Freewave Round 1

2008-09-12T01:57:00.000-07:00

Earliest start for a windsurfing contest ever! After looking really dubious all week the forecast pulled it together at the last minute to produce close to all time conditions at Lyall Bay. Wind was cross onshore at about 25 - 30 knots, waves were clean and chunky logo high.

The only downside was that it was fricken freezingly miserable. At 8 am it was 5 degrees on the beach, accompanied by horizontal sleet. When the cloud eventually cleared the surrounding hills were covered in snow.

Amazingly about 15 sailors dragged themselves away from their heat pumps to kick off the first freewave of the year. Because it was so miserable, instead of running through a series of heats, we had one heat followed by a five man final. I managed to squeak a second place out of it despite some pretty average wave sailing and letting some perfectly good jumps go on the landings. I blame the cold.

Clayton's solid wave-riding gave him the win. Clayton is such a naturally gifted sailor wave sailing onshore conditions better than most sail perfect cross shore conditions.

1. Clayton Dougan

2. James Court

3. Chris Norris

4. Troy Purcell

5. Tim Bamford

One of the best things about this contest was the exposure that Tim Haxwell and Willy Davenport (wind & kite) managed to organise. The top photo is of Chris Norris mid back loop featured in Wellington's daily newspaper the Dom Post.

Also check out the Wildwinds site for some great pictures from Dave McPhee. Respect to Willy and Dave for risking their fingers and equipment in the conditions.

Freewave Series 08

2008-09-05T01:44:00.000-07:00

It must be spring. The Wellington Freewave series kicks off tomorrow at Lyall Bay. Conditions look like they are going to be OK after threatening to dud out all week. Because it may ease, we are looking to kick off at around 8.30am!

Forecast is as follows:

*STORM WARNING IN FORCE*
Southerly 40 knots, rising to 50 knots this evening. Easing to 35 knots overnight, to 25 knots around midday Saturday, then dying out at night. Sea becoming high for a time. Southerly swell 2 metres.Poor visibility in rain, clearing in the morning.

Life beyond Push Loops

2008-08-23T21:13:00.000-07:00

I submitted a post a couple of weeks back on a great session at Lyall Bay where we tested the Fanatic new Wave Twin. Dave McPhee finally got the whole roll of film onto the wildwinds website. The slideshow below shows all the shots in sequence , and includes Troy Purcell (red Sail NZL 59) and myself (gold with silver helmet NZL727). I was really nailing my push loops this day , and Dave got a couple of great sequences including some really tweaked looking ones.

Talking of push loops, I just love doing them. Preferably off big steep sucky waves. But I will crank them off anything I can get. However, I think I have almost overdone them and need to start working on something new to mix things up and get excited about. I am contemplating getting stuck into super tweaked table tops, work on my back loops, crazy Petes maybe, and monster high vulcans.

Anyone have any other suggestions?

If you want the full Flickr experience check these pictures out on the wildwinds website.

My surfing pedigree

2008-08-23T01:50:00.000-07:00

Growing up in a surfing family, I never really had a chance not to get sucked into surfing and the surfing subculture. From as early as I can remember I have been aware of surfing, going to the beach to watch surfing, hanging around with my fathers surfing mates, and eventually transitioning into living this lifestyle myself. For most surfers I imagine surfing was almost a rebellious activity. For me it was as normal as riding a bike, it was expected.

My father has been surfing since 1958 and is still surfing today at 66 years old. When I was growing up I used to go through his old surf photo albums and try to imagine what it was like surfing when the sport was in its infancy. I recently transferred many of these photos into digital format. The following are a selection that I really like.

The top shot is my father Mike Court "in the curl" as they called it in May 1964 at Manu Bay, Raglan. The photo was voted photo of the year by Australian Surfing Life magazine in the same year.

Fanatic Twins 09

2008-08-09T01:11:00.000-07:00

Yet another southerly storm lashed Wellington today (08 has been the year of southerlies). This southerly was actually sailable (just). Got to try the new Fanatic New Wave Twin today in cross onshore Lyall Bay, 30-40 knots and about logo waves out the back. Three comments so far:

They are really soft landers from high jumps - the pinny tails make tail first landings a joy
They definitely have a ride feel smaller that the stated volume - 78 felt at least 5 litres smaller to ride
They are incredibly controllable in tight spots and very very snappy off the top.

Did I mention it was cold? OMG it was one of the coldest days I have sailed. Sunny, but snow in the hills, about 5 - 6 degrees on the beach (without wind chill). Couldn't speak properly after the first half hour. Couldn't think properly after the second half hour. Dave McPhee (Wildwinds) came down to snap a few shots of Troy Purcell and I (see below).

Check the Wildwinds website for a few more shots.

The Tora sessions

2008-08-07T03:05:00.000-07:00

A little while back I posted a blog about a road trip to the Wairarapa called Tora Tora Tora. Willy Davenport from Wind & Kite made the journey too, and shot the whole session.

I am so stoked Willy has come onto the scene down here. It is so good having someone dedicated to documenting these sessions. Often everyone is just too busy sailing to take lots of shots. If you are lucky, someone will come in early and snap a few, but usually when everyone is completely tapped.

The photos on the right are a sequence of, what I think is, a nice lip smack! Not a big aerial but a nice grunty angle.

Thanks Willy!

Helmets – a no brainer decision?

2008-07-29T03:06:00.000-07:00

This is an article written for Wind & Kite Mag a couple of years ago. At the time I wrote the article I very rarely wore a helmet. After working through the arguments against wearing them, I now wear one on the water most of the time. - Photo above was taken by Willy Davenport from Wind&Kite Mag)

How many of you wear helmets? Not many, right? And it seems that the better the sailor you are the less likely you are to wear one.

So why don’t more sailors wear helmets?

The logic seems simple enough - a hard shell or thick soft shell that protects and cushions the head and brain from impact injuries that can cut, or more seriously for a windsurfer, concuss. Most helmets will also prevent eardrums bursting and, most importantly in colder climates, keeps your head warm (the head is the main source of heat loss). Some helmets also include visors that keep the sun off and prevent those icy southerlies from lashing the skin from your face.

Well, after discussing the helmet issue with some of my windsurfing colleagues, we came up with a list of 5 main excuses that sailors don’t wear helmets:

Head injuries are rare in windsurfing
They are uncomfortable
They increase or decrease the noise of the wind
They don’t protect the face
“People will think I am soft” & “They don’t look cool”.

So let's have a look at these 5 main excuses to see if they stack up.

1. Head injuries are rare in windsurfing

Injuries to the head are the second most common place to be injured when windsurfing.

A 2001 study of 260 injuries[1] sustained by 49 world cup windsurfers found that head injuries accounted for the second highest number of injuries (17%) after knees and ankles (59%). The cause of the head injuries were by forward loops, backward loops and table top attempts.

My observations this year appears to reinforce these findings. For example, in the last two months in Wellington I have seen four head injuries to sailors. Two front teeth knocked out on the boom from a push loop attempt, one burst eardrum from a slapping on the water during a back loop attempt; and a cut to the head requiring ten stitches from a fin in the shorebreak. In addition, I had a reasonably sharp blow to the temples from the back of my boom that left me pondering what could have been, if it was a bit harder.

2. They are uncomfortable to wear

Well fitted helmets should be a pleasure to wear. Modern helmet design if fitted properly, are comfortable and warm and chin straps will protect the neck from chaffing. If you have an unusually (mutant) large, small or strangely shaped head this may be a valid excuse.

3. Increase or decrease the noise of the wind

Helmets are well known to increase the noise of the wind, or if they cover the ear completely, reduce the noise of the wind. In the past this is just something the wearer would have to get used to. Now, in recognition of this issue some helmet makers have introduced helmets where ear protection is optional eliminating any effects on noise. Obviously this option comes with the downside of reducing the protective value of the helmet to ears and ear drums.

4. They don’t protect the face.

Helmets offer good protection to the rest of the head including sensitive temples. However, the face from the brow down is often left exposed by most available helmet solutions.

6. They don’t look cool & people will think I am soft!

A lot of windsurfers just don’t think they look cool, or that there mates will think that they are soft if they wear one.

These excuses are the most dominant and the hardest to address. For cycling and motorcycling, where the consequences are much more severe, governments have had to resort to regulation in an attempt to get people to “helmet up”.

Unfortunately this excuse is only further entrenched by the top local and professional sailors. The 2001 study cited above found that only 10% of the professionals surveyed used a helmet to prevent injuries of the head. The average sailor see these guys pulling double loops and huge back loops in 40 knots without any head protection and think if these guys don’t need head protection then I will be “sweet as”.

This stigma is likely to continue to persist unless the “cool” sailors change there minds about helmets.

So in break down the 5 excuses don’t really stack up against the obvioius benefits of wearing a helmet. It seems that wearing a helmet will:

Keep you warmer - enabling you to sail longer

Safer - from potentially life threatening head injury

And, as a result of the above more confident to push your boundaries.

In contrast, not wearing a helmet may make you consider yourself a bit harder and “cool” (this is a certainty in colder climates).

Ultimately, the decision is up to the individual sailor. However, looking at the issue purely from a cost benefit perspective the decision is a no brainer – Helmet up!

[1] Gosheger G, Jagersberg K, Linnenbecker S, Meissner HJ, Winkelmann W.

Sportverletz Sportschaden. 2001 Jun;15 (2):50-4.

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11475622&dopt=Abstract

The last storm of July

2008-07-27T21:27:00.000-07:00

Hot on the heals of the biggest storm in ten years to hit the North Island. Another storm, and probably the last one for July, is set to hit us over the next couple of days. This caps off a very unusual July where every week has seen a storm of at least once in a year proportions. It will be interesting to see the climate stats for July when Metservice releases them. I am sure there will be a few records broken. I have certainly broken a few records in July sailing wise like:

The most numbers of days in any month where it has just been too windy to sail
The most numbers of days that I have ever sailed in July (Typically the coldest, most settled month)

The winter of storms

2008-07-24T01:55:00.000-07:00

July in New Zealand is usually one of the more settled months. It is mid winter. it is cold and the winds are usually lighter. Sure, there is the odd chance of maybe a southerly storm blasting through. However, this July has not been normal. Every week in July has seen an intense storm hit Wellington, typically from the south. And they have been violent! The type of storms you only expect a couple a times of year (if that), often sustaining average wind speeds of over 50 knots.

At this very moment I am hunkering down in front of the fire listening to yet another gale force southerly. At the same time I'm looking at the forecast trying to make some plans for this weekend and spot this beast (see picture below) dropping out of the Tasman Sea to spank the North Island. 967 hPa! over the North Island! Batten down the hatches!

I almost feel sorry for a mate of mine who is heading to Tavarua this weekend, only to meet the swell of the century. He is gonna have to pack an extra set of gonads!

I'm a Fanatic

2008-07-16T02:34:00.000-07:00

My bio just got updated on the Fanatic website. The top photo was taken by Willy Davenport during the 2007 Taranaki Wave Classic. Stoked!

Winter Storm at Lyall Bay

2008-07-06T15:11:00.000-07:00

The last two weekends have coincided with two of the most violent southerly storms this year. Last weekends storm was just completely over the top, with no one interested to go out. Windspeeds were averaging 42 knots gusting well over 50 knots of frozen air from Antarctica.

This weekends storm was slightly more subdued producing 38 knots gusting 48 knots with snow in the hills. It had been a long time since my last sail. So, I was fizzing to get in the water. Probably too keen. I finally gave up waiting for the condition to ease, and went out in conditions which were well over the top. Had my 4.0 up rigged tight as a drum, put a 19 cm fin in my 72 litre, lowered my boom, and still got fully spanked.

There were moments of control where I got a couple of jabs down the line on the inside, and where I felt confident enough to throw a few push loops. Otherwise it was hunkering down and sheeting out, sliding sideways, tail walking, and trying to survive. Definitely ranks as one of the windiest days I have sailed. As always, after sailing these types of conditions I am nursing a few minor injuries that I can't remember doing. Including a badly twisted wrist (hope its not fractured).

I wouldn't say that it was enjoyable sailing, but it was a challenge, and it well and truly blew the cobwebs out of my head (probably with a few brain cells)!

Check out the vid. Thanks to Troy Purcell for the sailing footage.

Wellington, New Zealand - the windiest city in the world?

2008-06-29T00:39:00.000-07:00

This is an article I prepared for the Wellington Windsurfing Association about 3 years ago. It provides a good run down about how windy wellington is. I haven't yet managed to confirm or otherwise whether Wellington is the windiest city in the world. All I know is that it must be close. I welcome your feedback.

We wanted to find out exactly how windy Wellington is and when it is windy. What is presented here is a gathering together of available information that better defines Wellington's wind climate in a form understandable to wind junkies.

We all know that Wellington is pretty windy, but not many of us know exactly how windy. It's easy to find detailed statistics on sunshine hours, rainfall and temperature however, wind speed statistics and information are harder to find. How do you know for sure which month is the windiest, was last year windier than the previous year, etc, etc. This is important and interesting information for any wind sports enthusiast to be able to compare with experience or decide which month to take annual leave.

Wellington wind summary:

• Wellington is located in a River of Wind - a wind corridor between the South Island and the North Island.

• Wellington is the windiest main centre in New Zealand with a mean annual wind speed of 22 km/h.

• Wellington also has an average of 22 days per year with mean wind speeds over 63 km/h (40 knots).

• Wellington averages 173 days a year with wind gusts greater than about 60 km/h or 32 knots.

• October is generally the windiest month of the year with a mean of 27 days with wind speeds over 15 knots, 19 of those days are over 20 knots.

• North is by far the most common wind direction, blowing from this direction (0 degrees) a massive 37.6% of the time.

• Wellington is one of the windiest cities in the world (possibly the windiest) and is windier than other southern windy cities including Cape Town, Perth, and Geraldton.

• The strongest wind speeds where recorded at Hawkins Hill of 248km/h (134 knots) on the 6 November 1959 and 4 July 1962.

Rivers of wind

Wellington is located next to Cook Strait, which forms a narrow gap between the mountain ranges of the North and South Islands. This gap between the islands and mountain ranges accelerates the wind through the Cook Strait making Wellington a very windy city. Wellingtons physical wind climate is best described in an article written by Metservice head forecaster at the time Bob McDavitt for NZ Windsurfer magazine in 1995 titled "Rivers of Wind". McDavitt describes what Rivers of Wind are:

"These occur over the sea at the downwind end of a long range of mountains. These rivers are strongest when there is a HIGH on the weather map and isobars are drawn across the mountains. The wind can not follow the isobars through the mountains, and a HIGH may restrict airflow up and over the mountains, so that a lot of the air that collects up-wind of the mountain chain can only exit around the ends or through the gaps . . . and this wind blows best once it reaches the open sea. . . . Wellington is located next door to Cook Strait and is a perfect example of wind galloping through the gaps."

McDavitt also compares wind statistics between New Zealand main centres, showing their mean wind speed km/hr and number of days with wind speeds over gale force (63km/h) between 1971 and 2000. Figure 1 shows that Wellington tops the mean wind speed comparisons with the notable exception of the Chatham Islands and ranks number 3 behind Kaikoura and Scott Base for the number of gale force days.

Figure 1 New Zealand Wind Statistics 1971 - 2000 Source: NZ Metservice

Metservice data - Wellington Airport

We have analysed the Metservice data to determine:

when it is windy, and
what direction it blows from.

The raw Metservice data is for Wellington Airport between 1995 and 2001. The Wellington Airport site was selected as it is the closest Metservice weather station and considered representative of most of the main Wellington City sailing spots particularly Lyall Bay, Evans Bay and Seatoun.

So when is it windy?

Figure 2 shows the mean number of days per month wind speeds at the Wellington airport that exceed 15 knots and 20 knots for at least one hour per day. A mean of 15 knots was selected as the minimum amount of wind required for most sailors to have a reasonable light wind sail, the 20 knot threshold was selected to identify higher wind conditions.

October is the windiest month of the year with a mean 27 days of wind speeds over 15 knots, 19 of those days are over 20 knots. July is the least windy month with a mean of 21 days with wind speeds over 15 knots, 12 of those days are over 20 knots. October to January is the windiest time of year with the least windy months extending from February to July.

Figure 3 Wellington average wind speed per month

This graph sourced from Windfinder and shows the breakdown of average wind speeds per month. The location of the monitoring station is unknown.

Which direction does it blow from?

To determine which direction the wind blows from, the direction of wind speeds over 15 knots and 20 knots was determined. The figure below shows this distribution on a radar graph (similar to a wind rose).

The funnelling and redirecting effects of the Cook Strait can be seen strongly in the above graph.

Northerlies are the most common a massive 37.6% of the time, the next closest frequency direction is from the South at 13.1%. Westerly (WNW, W, WSW) and Easterly (ENE, E, ESE) wind directions are not represented at all. Higher wind speeds over 20 knots (blue) show a similar distribution. The bias to direct Northerly and Southerly wind directions is probably slightly exaggerated by the North South alignment of the hills surrounding the airport.

Metservice lead forecaster Erick Brenstrum in an article for NZ National Geographic describes this effect.

"On average, northerlies outnumber southerlies about two to one through Cook Strait. This is because Cook Strait lies in a latitude where westerly winds predominate, but the westerlies are deflected by the mountains to blow north or north-west through the Strait."

Source: www.metservice.co.nz

How strong does it get?

Wellington is not only known for its frequently windy conditions but for the strength of its wind. The Metservice reports the following extreme wind conditions in Wellington:

Wellington averages 173 days a year with wind gusts greater than about 60 km/h (32knots) and gales in the Wellington region regularly measure gusts over 140km/h (75 knots).
The strongest wind speeds where recorded at Hawkins Hill at an incredible 248km/h (134 knots) on the 6 November 1959 and 4 July 1962.

Source: www.metservice.co.nz

How does Wellington compare to other windy cities

The average windspeeds from other cities in the southern hemisphere known or reputed to be windy cities have been compiled and compared to Wellington using the My travel guide climate graphs.

Wellington easily tops this simple list with the highest windiest month average of approx. 36km/h and the highest least windiest month average of approx. 24km/h.

Figure 5, Monthly average wind speeds comparisons between Wellington, Cape Town, Geraldton, and Perth.

Updates:

I have posted some additional statistics from Windfinder comparing Wellington Windspeeds against other windy cities.

What's in the backyard?

2008-06-21T01:48:00.000-07:00

Mike Stewart sailed here about ten years ago. Direct flights from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch and rental cars and cheap accommodation available.

It is always difficult to stray from the known tried and tested spots. There is a high chance of the conditions not being quite right or the waves not showing up. However, when you score a new spot when its on, the experience gets vividly scorched onto your memory, much more so than your one hundreth and one session at your local. So go explore round the corner. . .

What happens when you get serious

2008-06-13T02:41:00.000-07:00

This is a bit of a story about what time on the water and persistence does.

This sequence is a fantastic series of water shots taken by Chris Brown of Troy Purcell rotating through a great backloop at Plimmerton. Troy is a great sailor and has been sailing forever.

About 1 year ago Troy got a lot more serious about getting on the water whenever he could, trying new stuff and persisting with it until he got it.

I hear so many sailors moaning about how they just can't master back loops, forward loops and other tricks. But, I very rarely see them trying them.

If you want to progress and master new moves you have to spend heaps of time on the water and make attempts every opportunity you see. Sometimes you can crack them off quickly, but mostly it takes hundreds of attempts to even start to get a feel for them.

This fantastic backloop is a direct result of the dividends this approach delivers.

Hey mum I'm on Fanatic!

2008-05-24T00:13:00.000-07:00

Stoked! My win in the 2008 New Zealand Wave Sailing Nationals has hit the Fanatic webpage.

I really love their boards. Fanatic make no nonsense, no compromise wave boards that just work. On top of this they are super tough. "Yeah right" I hear you say "he gets cheap boards he has to say this". Seriously, even if I didn't get a deal I would be riding these babies, I think they are the bomb.

Here is a bit of a run down of my quiver:

We will start with the smallest first - the 72 litre All Wave. I selected this board over the New Wave to better suit the average Wellington conditions - cross on and windy as hell. While it is a All Wave it borrows the single concave from the New Wave range. As a result it is super confident through the bottom turn, and maintains the speed when going down the line, even in onshore slop. It top turns super tight, and the extra volume in the nose gives you snappy turns off the white water. These boards are also great for jumping - the stubby noses and extra volume put you into orbit when hitting big chunky sections. I really haven't found its limits yet.

For my light wind wave board I have the 81 Litre New Wave. I have had some of the best and biggest ride of my life on this board. This board gets very little use in Wellington, cos it is always windy as hell. However, this is the board I usually use in Taranaki especially on those big light cross off days when you need the volume to survive. I feel totally in tune with this board and super confident to push it as hard as I can through hairy lumpy bottom turns. When negotiating super criticl sections or smacking the lip it is super smooth and I would best describe it as a safe pair of hands. I don't need anything bigger, it floats me out the back even in super light conditions, and anything bigger wouldn't be the same.

Last but not least is my 97 litre team edition freestyle board. Yes I freestyle as well, or at least try to. I started freestyle because I wanted to get on the water between wave sails. Now I have the freestyle bug big time. My bag of tricks is reasonably modest at the moment, but I love the discipline it brings and the huge number of moves to work on. This board is really cool and gets me planning on the water from about 13 knots, and is light and nice and poppy! I take it on holiday with me knowing that as long as there is water where I am going I will be able to take advantage of it.

Wellington on Boardseeker

2008-05-23T14:24:00.000-07:00

Online windsurfing Magazine Boardseeker has run an article on Windsurfing in Wellington.
Jointly written by recent visitor from Maui, Tatiana Howard, and local Wellington sailor Tim Bamford, the article provides some basic information on windsurfing in Wellington. It also includes some great shots of local sailors including Clayton Dougan, Troy Purcell, James Date and myself sailing Plimmerton and Lyall Bay.
Always good to see Wellington and New Zealand getting some coverage. If you want to get a flavour of what the conditions are like down here in the roaring fourties, check it out.

C3 Fins is back

2008-05-21T01:36:00.000-07:00

Local Wellington Fin designer Boogie Vierth and C3 performance fins is back with a range of custom high performance fins. Boogie is concentrating on Slalom and speed models before applying his considerable talents to Wave and freeride fins. Over the last 3 months I have been lucky enough to test some of the proto's, and won the 2008 Wellington Harbour Blast using a proto VENOM. They give a very unique feeling ride. It feels like the board is lifted higher in the water than normal fins, giving a kinda light floaty ride. The net effect is heaps of speed and control even when going downwind like a bat out of hell.
I am hearing really good things about the pending wave fin range and can't wait to check them out.

The First Storm of Winter

2008-05-03T15:47:00.000-07:00

After weeks of marginal conditions, typical of autumn, the first of the winter southerly storms arrived on Saturday. The winter storms are characterised by extremely strong and extremely cold southerlies. Conditions are generated by deep and fast moving depressions that blast Wellington with freezing air all the way from the sub Antarctic.

Lyall Bay is my favourite place in these storms. Lyall Bay funnels the southerly and produces a heavy pitching wave that gets really big in the middle of the bay. One of my favourite things to do in the whole world is to sail downwind as fast as I can go, and hit one of these mothers full tit just as the lip is coming down. If everything goes quiet, and slows down, you know you are super high.

Yesterday was a great wind direction, cross onshore from the SW, combined with a super solid mast high swell. The only problem was that the wind was absolutely nuking. I rigged my 4.0 as flat as I could and was just getting spanked in the gusts. Wellington airport was recording an average wind-speed of 32 knots, and based on the surface conditions I would estimate that the gusts were well in excess of 40 knots (wind blown spray and misting).

Great session with huge jumps and push loops, and some good down the line hits when the win relented. Had some good spankings too and had to swim for my gear about three times. Session ended with a snapped top batton, which was my cue to go in.

William Davenport, once again spent the entire session clinging to the stairs landing at the Maranui Surf club taking pictures. Respect! Will post his pictures once I can get them.

Propellers

2008-04-25T00:11:00.000-07:00

Forced myself to go for a surf today. Been hearing about this right hander, about 5 minutes drive from home, called propellers from a guy at work who rates it. I think it is named propellers because this is where the prop off the wahine was found? Checked it out on Thursday in a big south swell and it looked pretty good, but was probably a little too big for the spot too handle. Finally gave it a crack today thanks to a heads up from Rod Drury. As a result had the best surf I have had in Wellington. Only 4 in the water (including me) and some good sized sets coming through. Sat on the shoulder to ease into the place. However, this seemed to be the best spot to sit as I could easily pick off the big set waves. Had heaps of good waves including fins free take offs and some super fast top to bottom walls on some of the inside sections. Heaps of rocks to dodge (I suppose that's why there were not too many people). bailed through the back of a wave on a super fast insider (lost the balls to continue due to proximity to shore) and snapped my leggy. Luckily managed to recover board before the next wave. If i had of lost it it would have got fully worked.

Fully amped on surfing again and will check props out tomorrow.

Up da Naki!

2008-04-23T02:11:00.000-07:00

Taranaki is truely New Zealand's most wave rich region, boasting numerous breaks that all get great cross off wavesailing conditions. However, the crown jewel of these spots is Pungarehu - a freight train left hander that growls and spits about 200 metres down a rocky point. It can handle size too, which is good because it is on the most exposed part of the coast and regularly gets over mast high, and I have seen it still breaking well at close to double mast. This video here is one of the best recent examples of the Pungarehu experience and the talents of James Dinnis -aka Mr Carbon Art - (blue Maui Sails). Watching this video makes me want to drop everything and go. Enjoy.

More Wave Nationals Pictures

2008-04-21T17:10:00.000-07:00

Just got some more shots of myself from the Wave Nationals held over Easter. Thanks to Oliver Perkins for taking and letting me use these shots. Check out his services at www.spore.co.nz.

Sailing Hangover

2008-04-20T14:20:00.000-07:00

Two days later I am still recovering from the Tora road trip previous post). The worst damage is to my hands - five holes and one blood blister. Stings like hell in the shower. Made me realise how intense wave sailing in windy weather is compared to other disciplines. That and I probably overdid it by sailing for almost five hours. I also need to concentrate more on hydration before and after the session. I usually drink a powerade before and after a two hour session. I did this at Tora but probably needed a couple more bottles to avoid the sailing hangover.

Tora Tora Tora!

2008-04-19T01:16:00.000-07:00

First session at Tora in about 2 years. Went over early (left welly at 6.30am) to get the most out of the day. Got there about 9.00am. Arrived to 4 knot onshore and a dribbly 2 foot wind swell and rain. By 10am the wind kicked in, turned cross off and the swell cleaned up and stood up.

Head to logo sets and nice chunky sections to hit. Great size as you could really go for it, without fear of damaging gear or body, unlike more recent wave sails I've had.

Heaps of guys out. I counted 12 on the water at one stage. Willy from Wind&Kite Mag and a couple of others were taking pictures and video footage. So I will try and get my hands on these and post them.

While I wasn't complaining, it would have been nice to had got a more consistent groundswell and slightly warmer (8 degrees at one stage).

Note to self: Windguru forecast was pretty much spot on, with the exception of swell.

Always good to score a session in the Wairarapa. Until next time . . . .

The "how to" series - The Push Loop

2008-04-14T14:08:00.001-07:00

I have been working with Willy Davenport from the Wind and Kite magazine on a series of technical articles. This has been working out really well with two articles published already.

The first is an article on "how to do a Willy Skipper." December 2007 issue of Wind & Kite.
The second is an article on "The Push Loop" (copy attached) March 2008 issue of Wind & Kite.

The main factor in putting together these is Willy's Camera which catches 6 frames per second. At this speed he can capture about 12 frames during any given move, showing all stages of a move.

I want to provide a mixture of advanced to basic moves in upcoming articles. Next up in the series will be Spocks, and Boomerangs.

Ha, I won! . . Twice in two weeks!

2008-04-13T02:43:00.000-07:00

Yes, it has been a successful couple of weeks for me. Need to get me a lotto ticket too. My only regret was not being able to contest the Auckland Freestyle Champs.

Winning the Harbour Blast was completely unexpected. I only entered to make up the numbers, initially intending to sail on my 97 litre Freestyle board and my 5.0 Neil Pryde wave sail. With about 2 minutes before the starting horn Dave McPhee (Wildwinds), the fairy godmother of windsurfing, materialised in front of me with a brand new 2008 Fanatic 79 litre slalom board sporting a C3 VENOM fin. Wicked! So 5 minutes later I was blasting off toward Somes Island on a board I had never used before, sailing faster than I had ever sailed, in some really rough conditions (winds gusting over 40 knots). Half way towards Somes, I was out in front, but still expecting the top race sailors to reel me back in. However, I never saw them, or any other sailor, again for the rest of the race. In hindsight I was on the perfect gear for the extreme conditions: - a controllable wave sail combined with a really fast and controllable board and fin set up that was easy to ride and just floated above the super rough conditions.

Wining the Wave Nationals was not as completely unexpected, but still unexpected all the same. At the moment there are more than half a dozen great wave sailors that all have the ability to win the nationals, including some fantastic local sailors. Rather than outright skill, I think my win in the finals was a combo of good strategy and good gear for the big and light conditions. The 81 litre Fanatic New Wave and the 5.7 Neil Pryde Expression had enough volume and power to get me out the back safely, up to the main break easily and to stay there. This attribute gave me priority and enabled me to pick and choose what waves I got, which is half the battle. On the wave, the New Wave enabled me to carve tight and clean top to bottom lines, and most importantly feel confident and "safe" when negotiating or smacking big critical sections.

Thanks to all the organisers of these events. I really feel that the New Zealand Windsurfing community is buzzing at the moment, mainly because of the great events that are being put on. Lets keep them going.