Instead of the usual biggest trick wins, this time the next generation were split into teams led by pro captains - Victor Fernandez (Fanatic / Duotone), Marc Pare (Fanatic / Duotone), Arthur Arutkin (Fanatic / Duotone) and Mads Bjørnå (Fanatic / Duotone). Only one sailor from each team was allowed on the water at a time and they would then need to land their best jump and link together their best wave as quick as possible - making sure to claim the move/wave by raising their arm to indicate that the judges should just that manoeuvre. Once complete the sailor must then return to the beach and tag their next team mate. As an added incentive to land all their moves as quick as possible, the fastest team would be awarded an extra 10 points!

Unfortunately, with the wind being bang onshore that made the conditions quite difficult, but there was still plenty of excellent action with Fernandez and Pare both landing double forwards, whilst Fernandez also spun through a stylish taka. Meanwhile, Anton Richter (JP / NeilPryde), who won the U15s on the opening day - landed a textbook backloop!

After the completion of the semifinals, Team 2 leg by Arthur Arutkin (Fanatic / Duotone) with (Giulio Gasperini (Starboard / Severne), ,Valters Videnieks (Hot Sails Maui), Nick Spangenberg (JP / GUNSAILS), Maria Behrens (Fanatic / Duotone), Lars Bubelach, Mads von Holten (Fanatic / Duotone) - would take on Team 3 Tobias Bjørnå (Fanatic / Duotone), Lennart Neubauer (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins), Leon Maethner (Fanatic / Duotone), Henri Kolberg (Hot Sails Maui), Luis Ilgner, Nadia Jablonski (Sailloft Hamburg), Leo Ricther (JP / NeilPryde) and their captain Mads Bjørnå (Fanatic / Duotone), who was a late stand-in for Klaas Voget (Fanatic / Duotone), who couldn’t make it. With the wind dying for the final things became even trickier, but in the end Team 3 deservedly took the victory with all of their team members successfully landing stylish jumps and wave rides!

Later today the official prize giving ceremony will be held to conclude what has been an excellent week in Cold Hawaii once again!

The wind remained relatively light throughout day two of the 2020 ​Noerstick Cold Hawaii PWA Youth Wave World Cup, but there was still enough to run a fun supersession in which the Youth’s would be judged on their best single wave score. That led to victories for Giulio Gasperini (Starboard / Severne), who finished 2nd in the U15s in the main contest, whilst Liam Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne) once again came out on top in the U17s. Simon Thule competing in his first event was able to claim the top spot in the U20 Boy’s, whilst 15-year-old Lina Erzen (Flikka / Duotone) claimed an impressive victory in the U20 Girls.

The forecast for Wednesday 17th looks promising with northwesterly winds of up to 30 knots expected whilst the swell is expected to increase to about 6ft, so there should hopefully be more action to come from the young guns!

Result ​Noerstick Cold Hawaii PWA Youth Wave World Cup - Girl’s

1st Line Bang Wittrup (Goya Windsurfing)
2nd Lina Erzen (Flikka / Duotone)
3rd Maria Behrens (Fanatic / Duotone)

Result ​Noerstick Cold Hawaii PWA Youth Wave World Cup - Boy’s U15s

1st Anton Richter (GER | JP / NeilPryde)
2nd Giulio Gasperini (ITA | Starboard / Severne)
3rd Tobias Bjornaa (DEN | Fanatic / Duotone)

Result ​Noerstick Cold Hawaii PWA Youth Wave World Cup - Boy’s U17s

1st Liam Dunkerbeck (ESP | Starboard / Severne)
2nd Lennart Neubauer (GER | Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins)
3rd Lars Bubelach

Result ​Noerstick Cold Hawaii PWA Youth Wave World Cup - Boy’s U20s

1st Henri Kolberg (GER | Hot Sails Maui)
2nd Simon Thule (DEN | Starboard / Sail Loft Hamburg)
3rd Malte Rahbeck Oegelund (DEN)

Sebastian Kördel (Starboard / GA Sails / Starboard Foil)

1. I miss the thrill and adrenaline the most when going full speed towards the first mark with 7 other fast guys. 

2. I could do without the waiting on the beach and airport hustle while traveling.

Max Matissek (Fanatic / Duotone)

1. The PWA family

2. The gusty spot of fuerteventura 

Caterina Stenta (RRD / RRD Sails / AL360 / Maui Ultra Fins)

1. I miss the adrenaline before the heat, the pre race preparation and hanging out and sailing with people from the tour. 

2. I don't miss struggling with the boardbags transport in the airports, finding a place where to store everything on tour and the excess fees fight at the check in counter! 

Marina Alabau (Severne Sails / Starboard Foil)

1. I miss having the same level of motivation for training with no competitions close.


2. I don't miss going to the airport with the boardbags.

Thanks Basti, Max, Caterina & Marina!

Girl’s

Line Bang Wittrup (Goya Windsurfing) enjoyed a great day as the young Dane was able to win two out of the three girl’s finals completed on day one, which gives her a slender lead over Lina Erzen (Flikka / Duotone) in second place, while Maria Behrens (Fanatic / Duotone) completes the top 3. All the girls thoroughly impressed the judges with their cutbacks in particular catching the eye.

Boy’s 

U15

The level in the U15s proved to be incredibly close with almost nothing separating the top 4 boys. In the second semifinal Anton Richter (JP / NeilPryde) caused a big upset as he took down the local talent of Tobias Bjornaa by just half a point, leaving the local boy gutted not to make the final at his home event. The young Dane picked himself up from that disappointment though to successfully win the battle for the final place on the podium against Val Erzen (Flikka / Duotone), who also impressed the judges throughout the day. 

Having caused the upset of the day, Richter, continued to impress and deservedly won the final ahead of Italian Giulio Gasperini (Starboard / Severne), who also enjoyed a solid day of competition.

U17 

Last year’s U15 World Champion - Liam Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne) - and Vice-World Champion - Lennart Neubauer (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) - set up another final together with both sailors looking in formidable form. Having looked so dangerous in the preliminaries - Dunkerbeck - continued to fire on all cylinders in the final and was able to gain the upper hand against Neubauer with his rail-to-rail fluid wave riding really standing out! 

The top 3 was completed by Lars Bubelach after the German was able to see off Marlon Moelner.

U20

In the U20s, Henri Kolberg (Hot Sails Maui) / Maui Ultra Fins) was the clear standout sailor with the 19-year-old sailor being the only sailor in the fleet to land double forwards! The top 3 in the U20s was completed by Simon Thule and Malte Rahbek Oegelund.

The forecast for the next couple of days looks quite light, but there is still the possibility of hosting a super session later in the week.

Result ​Noerstick Cold Hawaii PWA Youth Wave World Cup - Girl’s

1st Line Bang Wittrup (Goya Windsurfing)
2nd Lina Erzen (Flikka / Duotone)
3rd Maria Behrens (Fanatic / Duotone)

Result ​Noerstick Cold Hawaii PWA Youth Wave World Cup - Boy’s U15s

1st Anton Richter (GER | JP / NeilPryde)
2nd Giulio Gasperini (ITA | Starboard / Severne)
3rd Tobias Bjornaa (DEN | Fanatic / Duotone)

Result ​Noerstick Cold Hawaii PWA Youth Wave World Cup - Boy’s U17s

1st Liam Dunkerbeck (ESP | Starboard / Severne)
2nd Lennart Neubauer (GER | Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins)
3rd Lars Bubelach

Result ​Noerstick Cold Hawaii PWA Youth Wave World Cup - Boy’s U20s

1st Henri Kolberg (GER | Hot Sails Maui)
2nd Simon Thule (DEN | Starboard / Sail Loft Hamburg)
3rd Malte Rahbeck Oegelund (DEN)

Yentel Caers (I-99 / Point-7): “First of all it’s really important to be comfortable with your gear and also the basic moves such as upwind 360s and helitacks, but also the flake will help you unlock the shaka a lot because the end of the move is exactly like an upwind 360 and flaka. 

Once you’ve got the basics down you need to find a nice steep piece of chop. I recommend to learn the shaka on lakes because normally you have the chop slightly upwind from you, which helps with getting the initial pop up. Move your backhand slightly back on the boom and bend your elbows slightly then began to carve upwind by pulling up on your toes. When you take off you are going to stretch out your whole body. You need to straighten both your legs and front arm simultaneously, but sheet in your backhand. This is really important. Try and point your board directly into the wind and bring your body weight over your gear (forwards), while the sail goes back to turn the board upwind. Once you start to get the body and sail movement the end of the move is relatively simple as it’s the same ending as a flaka. Once you can do it, the shaka is one of the easiest moves to do in all conditions and it’s also still one of the most fun!”

9-time PWA Freestyle World Champion Sarah—Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins): “Try sailing in a straight line and all of a sudden carve upwind to launch of the chop. If you're already sailing upwind before initiating the move you lose momentum and it becomes hard to land the shaka.

-As you carve up wind for the shove it, look over your shoulder really hard, lay your sail down and push the sail down with your front hand. Not as much with your back hand.

-Always lean your body weight toward the nose of the board. Actually kind of in between the the mast and the board. These are my top tips.”

Antoine Albert (Goya Windsurfing): “Better know how to flaka as it’s kind of the same rotation. Better not be to powered up at the beginning, just good, because then the move is harder to control, and choose a stiff on shore chop.
Top tips -> Stay over the board, don’t throw yourself on the back. You have to give an energetic kick with your hip and throw the sail as far forward as you can (like a low wind stall, you know what I mean ? :p ) and then don’t forget to push with your front hand in the air to control the up wind position.

Riccardo Marca (Fanatic / Duotone)

- Before stepping up to the shaka you should be able to flaka as first it’s important to have the confidence with an upwind rotation.

- Possibly try this move in a choppy spot, it will help you to take off the first times. 

- During the shaka move your head in the direction you want to turn.

- The sail has a lot of power in this move so you will have to learn how much pressure you have to put through your hands.

- Keep your legs stiff during the first “air-time” part of the move.

Oda Johanne (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins):

“My shaka tips: Have a lot of speed look for a chop and carve the board aggressively as you keep the speed and your body flying forwards (not too much upwind) with your backhand sheeted in and push down hard with your front arm. As soon as you are in the air push also hard on the backhand to fly longer. Look around in the direction you are going and enjoy the airtime!”

Adam Sims (Patrik / Sailloft Hamburg):

- Power in the sail is the most important and speed is definitely your friend. 

- Aim to take off across the wind and as you carve up to get the board in the air push down on the boom and swing it behind your body, so the sail is pressing against your shins.

- Pull up with the back hand if you are struggling to rotate in the air.

- Aim to land the move first, don’t aim to try and do it high, you need to learn the rotation first, height comes later.

- Lastly, if you are rotating and not sliding then go off the wind a few degrees.

Victor Fernandez: “One of my 3 favourite spots in Gran Canaria where we usually sail in lighter winds. I just had a few sessions on a 4.7 Super Hero proto by @duotone.windsurfing , the sail is feeling amazing :). Thanks for the filming @nachorochae17 @marcpare334 @joanpareborralleras & @josep_e203”

You can see Victor Fernandez’s latest clip here.

1. What do you miss the most about not competing?

​After 17 years travelling, competing with a fixed schedule thru out years and suddenly all that comes to a halt its sure a mixed feeling, now I understand how fortunate we as windsurfers are to be able to be so free and travel around the world, compete and get to meet again new people, friends and much more, the competition side, adrenaline, the tension, the nerve wrecking, soar muscles in windy Fuerteventura. The any moment big shore break 10 days in cold Sylt, the waiting game in Japan, Korea but got to be prepared for that little wind prediction.. there's a lot more that is missed, but I am sure 2021 will be better than 2020.

2. What do you not miss about competing?

​Just the traveling with all the boardbags!!!

Thanks, Taty!

Antoine Albert: “With all the competitions getting cancelled whole year long, I decided anyway to move to Gran Canaria for a month and half in order to train as good as possible in freestyle and wave.
Here is a little recap clip, wave only, mostly filmed end of august.

Filmed by Marc Paré, Nacho Rocha, Victor Fernandez, Joan Paré”

You can see Antoine Albert’s latest edit @ youtu.be/LQO169Y4E4g

Lina Erpenstein: “I’m super excited to show you this clip from my time in Western Australia last winter. It’s been an epic trip with many great moments and sessions to remember. I’m probably mostly excited because I wrote the song to the video myself. I was having so much trouble to find a CC song that would fit until I just made my own. Curious to know how you like it!

Thanks to everyone for filming!
•••••••
Twogoatmedia
Nicolas Hess
Dieter Van der Eyken (Severne / Severne Sails)
Sarah Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins)
Oda Brødholt (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins)
Julian Salmonn (Bruch Boards / GUNSAILS)
And many more :)
••••”

You can see Lina Erpenstein’s latest video from Western Australia here.

If you were reborn in a new life, would you rather be alive in the past or future?

The future please, as we will be out of lockdown and I can go windsurfing again.

Would you rather be free or be totally safe?

Free, but without any sharks.

Would you rather have free Wi-Fi wherever you go or have free coffee where/whenever you want?

Free wifi, I hate the smell of coffee.

Would you rather lose the ability to read or lose the ability to speak?

I'm not famous for either…

Would you rather spend the rest of your life with a sailboat as your home or an RV as your home?

I love my van.

Would you rather have unlimited international first-class tickets or never have to pay for food at restaurants?

Free food always.

Would you rather be forced to dance every time you heard music or be forced to sing along to any song you heard?

I'd  rather sing ....not sure others would agree.

Would you rather travel the world for a year on a shoestring budget or stay in only one country for a year but live in luxury?

I'd rather travel all the time.

Would you rather have a horrible job, but be able to retire comfortably in 10 years or have your dream job, but have to work until the day you die?

Dream job please… I already have it… windsurfer.

Would you rather be able to land every move in the world right now and never crash again or still be able to still learn new moves, but crash 10 times more frequently than it usually takes you to land a new move?

I love learning to crash in different ways... crashing with style is always fun.

Thanks, Jenna!

Ricardo Campello: “A few days ago back at Ho’okipa giving a more consistent try on the #superman. I will keep on working to see if it’s possible to land it. On my last try I got more convinced that it is possible - what do you think?”

You can see Ricardo Campello trying to crack the superman @ https://www.instagram.com/p/CEpZ8FLDcTU/

Photo Credit: Jimmy Hepp & Fish Bowl Diaries

Last year’s Boy’s U17 vice-world champion - Lennart Neubauer (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) - is just one of the names already on the registration list and the 16-year-old is looking forward to competing in Denmark already… Here’s a short video with Lennart.

Arthur Arutkin (Fanatic / Duotone), who lives in Wissant, couldn’t resist the storm chase conditions and you can see the highlights of his very own storm chase @ https://youtu.be/69tvMCxaD48 - which features some massive backloops and bailouts! 

Back on the water after the birth of your soon Axel and a new daily routine to go with it… how has it been?

Axel arrived at our lives after two years trying with doctors. After going through cancer I never lost my hope to become a mom, and even though it has been a hard road, we are now a happy family. 

My pregnancy was also really hard with lots of rest and could not do any exercises just some walking. It became even harder with the lockdown due to COVID, giving birth in a hospital with lots of people with the virus. I gave birth one month before the time due to the type of pregnancy I had and to avoid putting mine and Axel’s life at risk. I had the C section on April 9th, and after 5 weeks I started doing some exercises for my pelvic floor and slowly started sailing seven weeks after giving birth. Three months later I continue sailing every day and slowly getting stronger. I don’t really feel like before at all, but this will be just a matter of time and effort. For now, my daily routine is breastfeeding, windsurfing and working with the physiotherapy clinic I am building and my studies

How was it to get back into the water after several months without sailing?

It was an amazing feeling. We scored some starboard tack sailing in May and after each ride, I had to take deep breathing to continue sailing ;-). My hands were wide open but it was the best feeling in the world.

Last year you only competed on the PWA event Pozo for clear reasons. How hard was it to watch the rest of the tour from the sideline and not compete together with your sister?

Yeap, in 2018 I did only two events (Pozo and Tenerife), then I couldn’t go to Sylt because I was pregnant… I had another 3 losses after this. I was not sure I was going to compete in Pozo last year, just one month before I had another loss, but even though I was not in shape I decided to compete last minute. It mentally helped me to announce I was not going to compete at more events that year. I guess to be mentally ready and without the stress of the competitions, helped me to get pregnant again.

For the past 8-9 years, you and your sister have been organising the PWA event in Gran Canaria together with your team. Unfortunately, it had to be cancelled due to COVID19 this year. How was this experience from an organisers point of view?

To cancel this year’s event was a really hard decision. We followed the news every day and it was far from encouraging. After talking to the sponsors of the event and looking at all scenarios I think we did a strong exercise of responsibility. We couldn’t apply any protocol to avoid contagious, riders coming from all over the world, without test or having the tent working. I just hope there is a solution soon and we can work something for next year, there is still a lot to learn from ourselves (how we face this) and the virus. The Canary Islands are working on an action protocol to ensure every life involved in all the sports events is safe. For now, all the sports events in the Canary Islands has been postponed (until November or December where it obviously wasn’t possible due to the trade winds) or cancelled until next year.

Any tips for aspiring windsurfers and athlete mum’s out there?

Uff, this is a hard question. I am fortunate to live right in front of the sea, and can easily jump in the water with some prior organisation and obvious help with the baby. This could be a good tip ;-). No, but seriously, every family is a world. To be a mother and windsurfer is not the same as being a dad. First the physical scars after giving birth, then breastfeeding… there is still a lot to learn, so I am also happy to hear tips from other mams around the world.

Photo Credit: Jose Pina

Flo Jung: “If you want to spend time on the water, Pozo is the place to be . This is what I love about this little fishing village in Gran Canaria. The waves are maybe not perfect but you can sail almost every day during the summer months. Here are some short impressions of a few days in Gran Canaria in August. Enjoy the clip…”

You can see Flo Jung’s short impressions of Pozo @ youtu.be/AXpuP2GU4LY

Nic Hibdige: "One of the better summers for wind here in the UK!"

You can see Nic Hibdige's explosive new clip here.

Photo credit: Andy Corner

Julien Wiemar (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) and Valentin Böckler (Starboard / GUNSAILS / Maui Ultra Fins) recently travelled to Lake Garda where they met up with Italian freestyler and friend - Riccardo Marca (Fanatic / Duotone) where they produced the latest Air Camp episode, which you can see @ youtu.be/JwN45f_CMsk

Air Camp: “Times are changing and the level of freestyle windsurfing keeps going up, up and up. Air Camp took a trip to where it all began to see what the fuss was about and get some well needed training in after lock-down… we don’t mean where COVID-19 began silly, we are talking about the foundation of modern Freestyle Windsurfing. Check out the beautiful location, crazy scenery and happy-go-lucky Air Camp style over on their Youtube channel. Rumour has it that Air Camp is looking for more projects to film with freestyle windsurfers. The real question is… where should “Air Camp Go…” next?” 

If you were reborn in a new life, would you rather be alive in the past or future?

In the future hahahaha don’t really have a reason but I think I would prefer it.

Would you rather be free or be totally safe?

I think be free so I can do whatever I want.

Would you rather have free Wi-Fi wherever you go or have free coffee where/whenever you want?

Free wifi, I don’t like coffee hahahahaha

Would you rather lose the ability to read or lose the ability to speak?

Speak so I can actually still read magazines and books.

Would you rather spend the rest of your life with a sailboat as your home or an RV as your home?

In a boat for sure, I can’t stay at home!

Would you rather have unlimited international first-class tickets or never have to pay for food at restaurants?

Unlimited international first class tickets hahahahaha, I will be traveling everyday for sure!

Would you rather be forced to dance every time you heard music or be forced to sing along to any song you heard?

Be forced to sing, much less embarrassing

Would you rather travel the world for a year on a shoestring budget or stay in only one country for a year but live in luxury?

Travel the world, you learn a lot from different cultures!! Is much better than staying in the same place!

Would you rather have a horrible job, but be able to retire comfortably in 10 years or have your dream job, but have to work until the day you die?

Have my dream work! So I can enjoy working and don’t mind to spend that much time working.

Would you rather be able to land every move in the world right now and never crash again or still be able to still learn new moves, but crash 10 times more frequently than it usually takes you to land a new move?

For sure land every move right now hahahaha!!! Still a lot of moves to land!

Thanks, Marino!

Adam Sims: "From Iceland to the deserts of Namibia, As Far As We Can II takes you on a journey to discover new locations and never before surfed spots. Episode 3 sees the crew attempt the final mission to reach a spot never surfed before."

You can see the final part of As Far As You Can II @ https://youtu.be/IncpkVtdBrs

Kai Lenny: “Wave sailing tandem Windsurfing at Ho'okipa with world champion and mad man, Ricardo Campello. The beginning of riding huge waves and sending massive jumps.”

You can see Ricardo Campello & Kai Lenny’s maiden tandem voyage together @ youtu.be/6rfHgQkjFFM

Despite knowing the ocean intimately, I struggled to write about it. I could not think of anything interesting to say about waves or the ocean. I was too close to them and could not get any perspective. The poems I did write were strange and too microscopic—noticing the distorted colors and sounds one hears underwater as related to the Hawaiian language. I did not enjoy writing these poems, and I enjoyed reading them even less. 

After graduating from Princeton, my writing turned to other things: drama, essays. I started competing full time on the world tour, trying to fulfill the dreams of my youth. Competitions are full of dead time. Hurry up and wait. A windsurfing world cup is normally a week long, but the competition only happens when the wind and waves are good enough—as determined by the head judge—to compete. The first day is busy with registration and rigging sails to be ready to perform at a moment’s notice. And then you wait. You can’t wander very far from the beach because the event could be called on at any time. I thought that I could use this time for something productive, but the mind, ready to suit up and compete at the blow of a horn, struggles to concentrate on much. The week of waiting and at the end you are completely exhausted—mentally and physically. 

Poetry can provide a certain therapeutic calm—more than other kinds of writing, at least for me—and I felt the itch to write some poems. Brenda Shaughnessy’s advice came back to me, and I focused on the sea. 

My method for writing poetry is to take a lot of notes, let those notes ferment over some weeks, and return to the notes to see what I still find interesting. Most of the notes and half-poems are discarded. One of the discarded poems from that time was the following: 

Cardinal

Waves: a better mark than stars
for the dead. 
The infinite dead. 
Some say that there are more people
alive now than ever before. 
That’s wrong—
the dead greatly outnumber us. 
Like the waves beating the shore, 
our eyes wander, lost in their endless crashing: 
an uncountable infinity of an army. 
An army general’s nightmare. 
And yours.
And mine. 
Until you realize that each wave is the same
water rising and falling. 

The discarded fragments—ideas, metaphors, half-poems like the one above—live in a notebook or a text file never to be seen again. 

Fast forward to 2017 when I was writing an essay for a British magazine about a recent surf trip to Cabo Verde, an island in an archipelago nation off of western Africa. I wrote: “windsurfing is a strange sport. We go around and a round in circles, riding the same water that keeps rising and falling.” 

I had completely forgotten the old half-poem with this idea, but the phrase felt familiar enough that I went back through my old notes to see if I had used it before. I found “Cardinal.” I did not feel bad about stealing the idea from my discarded poem. 

But after the essay was published, that line kept coming back to me—“the same water that keeps rising and falling”—and I had a nagging feeling that something was not right. 

I turned to Google, and to my surprise, I found a hit: “…not wave after wave, as it appears from the shore, but of the very same water rising and falling…But it is when we perceive that it is no succession of waves, but the same water, constantly rising, and crashing, and recoiling, and rolling in again in new forms and with fresh fury, that we perceive the perturbed spirit, and feel the intensity of its unwearied rage.” The source is John Ruskin’s “Modern Painters,” discussing Turner’s paintings of the sea.

I was mortified. Not only had I inadvertently plagiarized the idea, but the original was much better than my homage. 

I guess I had come across Ruskin at Princeton—storing his ideas in my sleep-deprived mind without care to properly catalog and credit. 

I went on to read the entire essay “Of Truth of Water,” and I was awed by Ruskin’s surf writing. Yes, he is writing about painting, but make no mistake, this is top tier surf writing. 

What is the point of good surf writing? On the surface, there is value in using surf writing to communicate surfing to non-surfers. See! This is why I’m never around when the waves are good. 

The best surf writing though—which is very rare—does something more. The best surf writing shows surfers something we knew but did not realize about surfing. Ruskin does this. 

Another example is Tim Winton in his novel “Breath.” The novel is full of great surf writing, and one of the best examples does not even talk about the ocean or surfers. The protagonist reacts to seeing surfing for the first time: 

“I couldn’t have put words to it as a boy, but later I understood what seized my imagination that day. How strange it was to see men do something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant, as though nobody saw or cared. In Sawyer, a town of millers and loggers and dairy farmers, with one butcher and a rep from the rural bank beside the BP, men did solid, practical things, mostly with their hands. Perhaps a baker might have had a chance to make something as pretty as it was tasty, but our baker was a woman anyway, a person as dour and blunt as any boy’s father and she baked loaves like housebricks. For style we had a couple of local footballers with a nice leap and a tidy torpedo punt, and I would concede that my father rowed a wooden boat as sweetly as I’d seen it done, in a manner that disguised and discounted all effort, but apart from that and those old coves with plastic teeth and necks like turtles who got pissed on Anzac Day and sang sad songs on the verandah of the Riverside before they passed out, there wasn’t much room for beauty in the lives of our men. The only exception was the strange Yuri Orlov, who carved lovely old-world toys from stuff he fossicked up from the forest floor. But he didn’t like to show his work. He was shy or careful and people said he was half mad anyway. When it came to blokes, his was all the useless beauty the town could manage.”

Just before the global quarantines began in the spring of 2020, my friend Paul Reis filmed my windsurfing with his drone. I loved the footage. Similar to the best kinds of surf writing, the footage  revealed an essence of windsurfing at Ho’okipa Beach Park on the north shore of Maui. 

Most windsurfing and surfing videos that are released online are quick-cut montages of best-moments. We call it surf porn, and it feels good to watch but does not at all transpose the feeling of riding waves—or even of sitting on the beach and watching people ride waves. 

Paul’s footage, following me like a bird from above, captures the uncut reality. Flying a drone in gusty winds and rain is not easy. I’ve released many surf porn clips online—full of action. But I’m more proud of what this clip shows about my windsurfing skills: four uncut minutes, two good waves, a subtle dance with the ocean. 

Reflecting on what narration could possibly live up to the footage, I found myself revisiting Ruskin and the idea of the same water rising and falling. I wrote the narration as an homage to Ruskin’s surf writing—some of the best.

After recording the audio and editing the first draft of the video, I sent it to some friends for feedback. A Princeton friend, also a surfer, gave me a few notes. Number one: “Waves don’t enjoy or dislike anything.” Which is a reference to the question I ask: “Do waves enjoy being ridden?” 

When he said that, I laughed because he was so obviously right yet so obviously missing the point. I really love that concept: do waves enjoy being ridden? But was it too silly and ill-fit for this serious clip? 

Brenda Shaughnessy used to quote the famous Faulkner line in our poetry seminars: “kill your darlings.” At the time, I took it to mean that your favorite lines destroy the unity of the poem—and the whole is greater when a part is not trying to steal the spotlight. A poem, then, is each line while at the same time being the sum of all the words—just as the waves are many individuals but also the same water rising and falling. And if you continue the metaphor to its logical end: yes, the waves do enjoy being ridden because I am the waves. 

You can see Gaham Ezzy's 'Art of Waves' @ https://youtu.be/NuLFvfVLQ5Q

Marcilio Browne (Goya Windsurfing) has just released an new edit and it is nothing short of exceptional with his progressive style being irresistible to watch, so while he didn’t write many words to accompany the clip… you don’t really have to when the action is this good!

You can see Marcilio Browne’s epic new edit @ youtu.be/V4LgndkDJTE

Once again, Cold Hawaii in Denmark is ready to welcome the World’s best youth windsurfers to one of the best windsurfing spots in the World.

This time, the small, cosy fishing village in Klitmøller will host the 'Noerstick Cold Hawaii PWA Youth Wave World Cup 2020' with contests being run for the boy’s and girl’s in the following age divisions; U20, U17, U15 and last, but not least U13.

In recent years the level on the Youth PWA World Tour has skyrocketed with a great influx of youthful talent starting to emerge and with the added motivation of competition, they continue to push themselves to the limits - further improving their level. The upcoming week in Cold Hawaii should prove to be another great stage for the Youths to show off their progression - both in the jumping and wave riding departments.

So, if you are a budding youngster, that has either competed before or looking to make your debut, then please go ahead and register for the event @ nasa.coldhawaii.eu.

Klitmøller and the Cold Hawaii region has established itself as a well-known spot on the PWA Wave World Tour over the last ten years or so, and we are sure to see great conditions again, whilst having a fantastic week as we try to find a World Cup Winner in every class. With just one Youth Wave event taking place this year there will be no official Youth World Champions this year, but there will still be plenty of bragging rights for the eventual winners of the event!

The event is part of the Cold Hawaii Games, which will see more than ten different sports events taking place along the beautiful coastline of Cold Hawaii, and we look forward to welcoming surfers and crew alike to see the action during, statistically speaking, the best time of the year for both wind and waves in Denmark.

The event is created in a co-working environment between Friends of Cold Hawaii and the local surf club in Klitmøller North Atlantic Surf Association called NASA and PWA together with our sponsors.

Facts

- ‘Noerstick Cold Hawaii PWA Youth Windsurf Wave World Cup 2020' will take place from Sunday, September 13th - Saturday, September 19th.

- The classes are U20, U17, U15 and U13 - for both boys and girls.
 
- Main sailing location will be in front of the NASA clubhouse Ørhagevej 189, 7700 Thisted. If the wind turns more Westerly, we have an option to sail in the nearby town of Hanstholm.

- Full video, photo and social media coverage from the Cold Hawaii Games will be shared by the PWA and many more.

- Cold Hawaii Games is presented by: Thisted Kommune, Spar Invest and Nordjyske Medier.

- More information and registration details can be found @facebook.com/nasa.coldhawaii/ & nasa.coldhawaii.eu

Two of those faces include teammates Oda Brødholt (Starboard / Severne Sails / Maui Ultra Fins) and Maaike Huvermann (Severne / Severne Sails / Maui Ultra Fins) and they have just dropped their latest edit 'It's About FREEKing Time' - which features plenty of epic action from their freesailing in Naxos.

Intro: “Freestylers Maaike Huvermann and Oda Brødholt train together in Naxos, but Oda is late for their training... Prepare yourself to witness wild drifting with a Fiat Panda and powerful freestyle tricks! See you all on the water!"

You can see 'It's About FREEKing Time' here.

Iballa Moreno: “In the clinic we not only taught the technical aspects of the sport, but also how to become a better professional both on and off of the water. I want the girls to continue our legacy with - strength, illusion and imagination -  those are the three words our father taught us to fight strong for our dreams.

Apart from the refining the girls technique, we also taught them how to respond to interviews in front of the cameras, how to promote sponsors, how to correctly use social media and also raised ecological awareness through our beach cleaning. Further to that we also introduced the importance of nutrition, physical training and how to perform better in the competitions by knowing how the judging works... when there wasn’t enough wind to sail we also skated and even went whale watching, swimming etc. A complete week of fun with the girls ;).

Prior to mentoring the girl’s I studied for two years to become a surf, sailing and life saving trainer (coach) - adding to my vast knowledge that I have gained over the years on tour.”

With the event concluding on the 9th August 7Pixels have just released a nice round up of what looks a highly productive week with the girls all pushing themselves to new limits, which you can see here.

Sarah-Quita Offringa. “My initial plan was to travel to the Canaries because I badly wanted to wave sail and jump most of all. But with the travel advice changing a bit every now and then I decided to go to Greece where I saw Oda, Hakon, Maaike, Lina, Val, Balz and Eva ripping at Lennart’s home spot. It’s been a long time since I travelled to a totally new place, so I was very happy to book that ticket and come down here.”

“Quick Session at the lagoon a couple of days ago! Old school/new school tricks mix. It was so much fun :) Can’t wait for a proooooper smoke on the water type session!

Thanks Balz Müller for the edit and Igor for the filming!”

You can see Sarah-Quita Offringa's latest video @ https://youtu.be/bCOr1dJTP4o

If you were reborn in a new life, would you rather be alive in the past or future?

I would choose in the past, when I was younger hahaha!

Would you rather be free or be totally safe?

Free for sure.

Would you rather have free Wi-Fi wherever you go or have free coffee where/whenever you want?

Hard one, but I need coffee in the morning.

Would you rather lose the ability to read or lose the ability to speak?

Maybe lose the ability to read, I don’t need it to sail.

Would you rather spend the rest of your life with a sailboat as your home or an RV as your home?

Mmm hard one. Maybe a sailboat to be able to sail to amazing and deserted spots.

Would you rather have unlimited international first-class tickets or never have to pay for food at restaurants?

Really? 100% unlimited international first-class tickets.

Would you rather be forced to dance every time you heard music or be forced to sing along to any song you heard?

I am so bad in both, but I would choose to dance.

Would you rather travel the world for a year on a shoestring budget or stay in only one country for a year but live in luxury?

I would travel world on a shoestring budget, including the boardbags hihihi.

Would you rather have a horrible job, but be able to retire comfortably in 10 years or have your dream job, but have to work until the day you die?

If the job is to be a windsurfer, a dream job.

Would you rather be able to land every move in the world right now and never crash again or still be able to still learn new moves, but crash 10 times more frequently than it usually takes you to land a new move?

Love to learn, I don’t mind if I have to crash many times. Difficult things are more attractive for me.

Thanks, Pons!

You can see Arnon Dagan’s light hearted video @ youtu.be/eIaohFC7S-k

Adam Sims: "Epic conditions on Fuerteventura after 3 months lockdown. Early season with restricted travel meant that it was a ghost town. We scored awesome sessions with the local crew and friends. Enjoy the GoPro only edit!"

You can see Adam Sims’ latest edit from Fuerte @ youtu.be/XjzKSaDQKSk