PWA World Windsurfing Tour

Transfer News

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 20:42:05 +0200

Justyna Sniady (North Sails) finished 3rd in the world in 2019 and just ahead of the 2022 season the Polish girl has announced that she will be joining the North Sails Team. Read more about Justyna's move now:

Justyna Sniady: "I am super excited to announce that I am joining North Sails Windsurfing from 2022 season!

North Sails sure don’t copy what’s been done before. They really came up with a completely new, game-changing sail design and production solution. I felt like a pioneer testing The NS Wave. It’s exciting and a real privilege to join a team that is literally shaping the future of windsurfing!

WOW. North Sails "Wave Clear" sail was love from first ride for me! It's hard to believe it’s possible to make a sail this light weight! That and the power distribution, creates a bliss-point between high performance and ease of handing. The sail has insane wind range and superb control which makes any manoeuvre easier to pull off, even for a smaller rider like me :) I found what I was looking for in a sail.

I've used these sails in wobble and ride down the line conditions of Margaret River as well as 50knots day in Pozo and I am blown away by how they feel! You will not believe how light they are! It's insane - even when you just pick it up on the beach. And on the water - it's a game changer!"

Couch Surfing

Thu, 23 Jun 2022 18:36:36 +0200

Marc Paré (Fanatic / Duotone) was forced to undergo surgery for an ongoing foot problem, which unfortunately ruled him out of the 2022 SOMWR 10x Cabo Verde PWA World Cup. The Spaniard is back on the water now and is set to mark his come back with an appearance at the upcoming Gran Canaria PWA World Cup - which takes place between 9th-17th July. Whilst in Maui, Marco Lang (Fanatic / Duotone), caught up with Marc to find out more about his recovery and ambitions.

Duotone: "His winter plans were turned on it’s head when Marc Paré sustained an injury to his foot requiring surgery. Months of intense rehab meant that he just missed the PWA in Cabó Verde, but Marc is now back on Maui for the annual Duotone x Fanatic photoshoot and he is back in full action! Hear about what happened, Marc’s big comeback at Pozo and how he’s preparing for the rest of the season as well as answering the ultimate question: which is the best windsurfing movie of all time?"

You can see Marco Lang interviewing Marc Paré @ https://youtu.be/ZMlTkBj7HW8

Speed Sailing Dakhla

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 10:42:43 +0200

Oda Brødholt (Starboard / Severne Sails) is best know for her exploits in Freestyle, but whilst she's been training in Dakhla, Morocco, the Norwegian came up with the idea to try and see just how quick she can go on her freestyle board.

Oda Brødholt: "I tried to hit 60 km/h on my freestyle gear! Check out this new Vlog from the desert in Dakhla! Is it the best spot in the world for freestyle and speed?"

Find out whether Oda Brødholt was able to break the 60km/h barrier now @ https://youtu.be/J35h6zC1gts

Into Our Future

Mon, 20 Jun 2022 15:44:08 +0200

Join some of the Future Fly Team - Amado Vrieswijk (Future Fly / Severne Sails), Taty Frans (Future Fly / Point-7), Tomer Shamgar (Future Fly Boards), head honcho - Arnon Dagan (Future Fly / NeilPryde) as they put their equipment through its paces in a variety of locations.

Future Fly Boards: "Future Fly image video featuring the FF team and the brand's spirit."

You can see the Future Fly Team in action @ https://youtu.be/FpGofzCU_M0

Maui Spring Time

Fri, 17 Jun 2022 07:47:20 +0200

Takara Ishii (RRD / RRD Sails) was lucky enough to spend this spring in Maui, Hawaii, where he spent plenty of time sailing Ho'okipa with the wind and waves consistently coming for the duration of his trip.

Takara Ishii: "Hello! This is Takara! Here is a summary of the footage from Maui that I went to this spring. This year the waves were constantly coming in and it was a very good practice! Next time is Spain! I'm looking forward to the tournament!"

You can see Takara Ishii enjoying this springs firing conditions at Ho'okipa @ https://youtu.be/VUhyxZCrxM8

Live Talkin' Race

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 10:16:00 +0200

Maciek Rutkowski: "Here we go, this is a brand new series on the channel! I race my windsurfer... and I comment the action LIVE! We chose a bit of a more simple race to get you accustomed to the format, see what you like and don't like about it (LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS!) and then get you ready for the more intense races coming up! This was filmed in Tenerife on the TWS Pro Training course.

DON'T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE!

Gear used: FMX Hyperion 178, Challenger Aero 8.1, Exploder v39
Starring: Maciek Rutkowski, Enrico Marotti, Bruno Martini, Jordy Vonk, Rytis Jasiunas and more...

Maciek on insta: https://www.instagram.com/maciekrutko/
Maciek on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maciekrutkowski"

You can see the first episode of Maciek Rutkowski's brand new series @ https://youtu.be/mK93v54z2W8

Winter Swells

Fri, 10 Jun 2022 18:38:16 +0200

Dieter van der Eyken (Severne / Severne Sails) spent the winter in Tenerife and as usual the Atlantic was pumping at different times throughout that period. The Belgian has now just released highlights of some of the best sessions which can be seen @ https://youtu.be/p54lT7eEu_8

Dieter Van der Eyken: "The winter of 2021 – 2022 was my second consecutive full winter on Tenerife since moving to the island in 2018. With strong calima winds, a few SW storms and a lot of spot checking it was another winter filled with special big wave sessions.

From an unexpected session in the North to unique conditions in Las Amerias only seen on very rare strong SE Calima winds.

The North shore of Tenerife has some of the best & most intense waves you can imagine where the line between doing the perfect turn/air and a trip to the rocks in extremely thin.

It’s this rush of being at the edge of your comfort zone and the unique feeling in the bottom turn you get when riding waves like this that make it worth the risks.

Thanks everyone for filming & now looking forward to a windy summer on the canaries for some side on riding."

Wave Galore

Tue, 07 Jun 2022 09:42:43 +0200

The waves seem to have been coming non-stop during spring in Maui and Federico Morisio (Starboard / Severne Sails) has been continuing to step up his recovery from injury at a firing Ho'okipa. Catch another great episode @ https://youtu.be/ObWzvFvl0b4

Federico Morisio: "Waves keep coming and conditions are firing on Maui!

There's a lot of work, knowleadge and preparation behind the actual pure action and I'm happy to share more insights about that with you in this video, besides also explaining how the legendary spot of Ho'okipa works and showing you a fantastic day of windsurfing!

Chapters:
0:008 Intro
0:37 Morning routine
1:28 Ho'okipa insights and Spot explanation
5:20 Action!
6:27 Stoke
7:35 More Action
8:40 Mor Stoke and final thoughts about Ho'okipa

I hope you enjoy it and let's keep going!"

The Windsurfing.TV Podcast

Mon, 06 Jun 2022 09:23:54 +0200

The Windsurfing.TV Podcast is back again with their latest episode seeing the flying Dutchman - Jordy Vonk (Fanatic / Duotone) - taking the hot seat with Ben Proffitt.

Windsurfing.TV: "A NEW series of LIVE podcasts where we bring on experts in the field to answer your questions.
You can do it LIVE or comment on the social media channels before it happens.
Let me know if you like the concept... and don't worry the normal podcasts are NOT going away.

This week we have a Slalom giant, fresh from competing in the Defi Wind.
Super fast in all disciplines and a hell of a nice guy.
He rides Duotone and Fanatic... so fire your questions in.
Who is it... it is of course Jordy Vonk!"

You can see the latest Windsurfing.TV Podcast @ https://youtu.be/7ZqCMUlbHR4

Old School vs New School

Fri, 03 Jun 2022 08:25:43 +0200

Many of the world's top racers have been training in Tenerife for the last few months as part of their annual winter training. Maciek Rutkowski (FMX Racing / Challenger Sails) is just one of those guys and he's been trying to see how an old 1990s sail compares to today's offerings by putting it to the test against several other top racers from the World Tour.

Maciek Rutkowski: ”Can you actually win at World Cup level on a 1990s Old School Sail? And one of the best ones from the entire 90s... Let’s find out!

This time I’m testing out the 1996 Neilpryde VX3 Windsurfing sail and seeing how it can perform in a real competition. I will be comparing it to the current racing gear, having a look at the differences and similarities and seeing what it’s actually like to sail it in some real-life heats with real-life PWA World Cup superstars.

The video was shot in Tenerife during TWS Slalom Training.

Guest starring: Matteo Iachino, Enrico Marotti, Jordy Vonk, Bruno Martini, Rytis Jasiunas and more.. "

You can see Maciek Rutkowski's latest experiment @ https://youtu.be/AS-EXIu8Sz4

Andalucia May 2022

Thu, 02 Jun 2022 09:40:31 +0200

Antoine Albert (Goya Windsurfing) spent some of his spring time in Adalusia, Spain, and the 28-year-old was able to find a variety of conditions, which led to a couple of freestyle and wave sessions, which you can see the highlights of now @ https://youtu.be/_2AQNP0Lt6E

Antoine Albert: "A couple of spring sessions, freestyle and wave, filmed around Tarifa (Andalusia, Spain) both in May 2022.
Camera: Eliran Levi / Philippe Chapuis"

You can see Antoine Albert's latest clip @ https://youtu.be/_2AQNP0Lt6E

2022 Défi Wind

Mon, 30 May 2022 06:17:51 +0200

The wildest mass start windsurfing race comes to an end in Gruissan, south of France, with a windless summer day. After both making shaky starts, the two French racers managed to come back just in time to go home with the biggest trophies.

Achieving his dream, one of the amateur stated about the event and the organizer’s: “Those guys are nuts, but we love it!” Some came to complete all the races, some came to finish the 35km distance at least one time, and some others windsurfed for the first time ever in more than 35 knots in a dead offshore breeze. For others, the only goal was to beat their friends, their dad or daughter. Starting a race with such a large fleet is also a must do for any windsurfer’s bucket list, as worthy as a trip to the windsurfing mecca of Maui. Young waterman Liam Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne Sails), first participation, calls the Defi “entertaining, hard, crazy and captivating”. For the top PWA slalom sailors who attended the Defi in numbers, ambitions were different: wining the famous long distance is a serious target that shines in any racer’s Curriculum Vitae. Battles on the water were tough whether it blew 18-28 knots or 35 + in the windiest races.

Antoine Questel (FMX Racing / S2Maui), 3rd, chose to complete all races on his fins. Matching with the top spots in howling winds, the St Barth resident managed to stay in touch with the front fleet in the lighter races, with efficient power. Antoine Albeau (JP / NeilPryde) adapted his options according to the wind strength. A good mix of fin selection for the firsts races brought him to an early lead when setting his foil on the last day secured him second position overall. Surpassing 1300 racers of all horizons, Nicolas Goyard (Phantom / Phantom Sails / Phantom Foils), the winner, proved once more that he’s a foil master and a leading inspiration for the sport. Thanks to the New Caledonian who believed in foiling at an early stage, windsurfing is reaching a new era. Defi Wind 2022’s edition is clearly opening new visions for the slalom’s elite.

Multiple age groups were crowned. Johan Søe (FMX Racing / Point-7) from Denmark, 19, displayed an impressive performance, finishing 9th surrounded by the main PWA racer's fleet. A name to remember in the upcoming years on the slalom tour.

Marion Mortefon (Fanatic / Duotone / LOKEFOIL), Justine Le Meteyer (FMX Racing / S2Maui) and Delphine Cousin Questel (FMX Racing / S2Maui) had a fierce competition, exchanging positions from race to race. At the end, the more experienced of the ladies, Cousin Questel, took the event victory, combining top speed, solid drive on tight reaches and a strong mental strength through a busy pack. Out of more than a hundred ladies on the starting line, amongst the full pack, the young Justine Le Meteyer from north of France is a solid athlete with a powerful potential for the future. Her 2nd place between world champion Cousin Questel, and ahead of local Tramontana specialist Marion Mortefon, confirms her skills. Marion, who for a while was leading the event, completes the podium of an extremely tight finish: Delphine ended in 88th overall position, 90th for Justine and 95th place for Marion.

Overall Result 2022 Défi Wind - Men’s

2022 Défi Wind

Sun, 29 May 2022 07:45:06 +0200

2 additional races were completed on the famous spot of Gruissan, natural stadium of the Defi WIND. With 2 victories today, Nicolas Goyard (Phantom / Phantom Sails / Phantom Foils) secured a clear leadership thanks to the discard and Delphine Cousin Questel (FMX Racing / S2Maui) is back on top of the ladies podium.

Race 4 started with “light wind”, with anything from 18 to 28 knots, with occasional patches of lulls along the course. Nevertheless, 986 racers left the beach ready to battle it out together. Equipment choice was the tricky decision of the morning: pros had to choose between fin or foil, whilst amateurs were unsure whether to compete with 4.0 or 5.0. Sailors who selected the right option were flying over the whole course like PWA commentator Ben Proffitt on his 6.3! Nicolas Goyard had no hesitation about his gear since the New Caledonian only carries foils in his boardbags. Good on him, after his 2 victories on Friday, the Phantom rider killed the race ahead of local event title holder Nicolas Warembourg (Patrik / Patrik Sails), surprisingly flying this time on a foil. Matteo Iachino (Starboard / Severne Sails) also chose to sail over the chop of Gruissan to cross the finish line in 3rd. Before completing their race, top ranked competitors had to overtake curtains of hundreds of recreational sailors, who were off the plane on too small gear. Approaching at full speed through a wall of standing sails on the course, trying to find a way out around the gybe mark was something special as the top racers recalled later. Sailors on fin were not left far behind with Ethan Westera (Tabou / Challenger Sails) showing good velocity to take 5th place. Delphine Cousin Questel made a strong come back in the ladies fleet with a 66th position finish, leaving more than 900 competitors behind.

For the final race of the day, potentially the last one of the event looking at the forecast for Sunday, the Tramontana leftovers offered good strength, but decided to shift to the north. The long stretch of beach of Gruissan is ideal for North westerly direction. With a touch of North, it made the first reach super exciting with a wide open angle. From the start to mark 1 was just a 9km blasting leg of speed and smiles. The opposite tack was not the same amount of fun, just like climbing up a mountain after a large downhill, without a chairlift. Racers on foil made it back easily, and only experienced slalom sailors knowing the specificity of Gruissan could complete the leg in one go. It was no surprise to see Nicolas Goyard claiming his 4th victory of the week out of 5 races. Not far away on his invisible trail, Antoine Albeau (JP / NeilPryde) shows that the oldest pro rider still has some potential in the bag, even on a foil. Lucas Guiraud (Phantom / Phantom Sails / Phantom Foils), Goyard’s sparring partner took a brilliant 3rd place. The first lady to cross the finish line was Dutch Sara Wennekes (Starboard / Severne Sails), easy in front of Marion Mortefon (Fanatic / Duotone / LOKEFOIL) and Helle Oppedal (Fanatic / Duotone). The Défi spirit was fully respected when Goyard, Marion and Pierre Mortefon (Fanatic / Duotone / Chopper Fins / LOKEFOIL) , Albeau and many others welcomed the last finisher who completed race no. 5 in 4 hours and 30 minutes, fully determined to achieve the distance.

Sunday, the last day of the 20th edition of the Défi WIND seems to be a day off in Gruissan with not much Tramontana in sight. With 4 x 0.7 points, foil expert Nicolas Goyard has a clear lead over the rest of the sailors. Antoine Albeau confirms his overall skills whether on foil or fin, and Antoine Questel demonstrates that fin slalom in windy conditions is not dead. Delphine Cousin Questel gets back to her favourite position of leader, ahead of young upcoming talent Justine Le Meteyer, whilst Marion Mortefon completes the podium.

Current Ranking 2022 Défi Wind - Men’s
*After 5 Races

1. Nicolas Goyard (FRA | Phantom / Phantom Sails / Phantom Foils)
2. Antoine Albeau (FRA | JP / NeilPryde)
3. Antoine Questel (FRA | S2Maui / S2Maui)
4. Nicolas Warembourg (FRA | Patrik / Patrik Sails)
5. Pierre Mortefon (FRA | Fanatic / Duotone / Chopper Fins / LOKEFOIL)
6. Matteo Iachino (ITA | Starboard / Severne Sails)
7. Jordy Vonk (NED | Fanatic / Duotone)
8. Basile Jacquin (FRA | FMX Racing / Point-7)
9. Johan Soe (DEN | FMX Racing / Point-7)
10. Maciek Rutkowski (POL | FMX Racing / Challenger Sails)

Current Ranking 2022 Défi Wind - Women’s
*After 5 Races

1. Delphine Cousin Questel (FRA | FMX Racing / S2Maui)
2. Justine Le Meteyer (FRA | FMX Racing / S2Maui)
3. Marion Mortefon (FRA | Fanatic / Duotone / LOKEFOIL)
4. Femke Van Der Veen (NED | I-99 / Point-7)
5. Helle Oppedal (NOR | Fanatic / Duotone)

2022 Défi Wind

Sat, 28 May 2022 07:38:25 +0200

The Tramontana kept blowing its rage on the south shore of France, for the happiness of more than a thousand racers in Gruissan. 2 more long distance races were held at Defi WIND, seeing a fantastic display from foiling expert Nicolas Goyard (Phantom / Phantom Sails / Phantom Foils), who won both races today, and with young French girl Justine Le Meteyer (FMX Racing / S2Maui) overruling slalom experts.

If the forecast was supposed to ease down, wind metres were still spinning with shades of red, from 30 to 35 knots. What more can we ask for real slalom conditions? The organising committee set the traditional 2 laps run along the beach with offshore wind for seemingly never-ending speed runs. With a slight westerly shift, if starboard tack was a bit tight, on port, it was a pure delight with 9km of open reaches. Amateurs loved it as much as Björn Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne Sails), who sailed with the racing flame, still burning deep in his soul. With hundreds of catapults to be recorded, the hardcore sailing conditions of day 1 reduced the fleet to “only” 1000 sailors accepting to dare the Tramontana this Friday.

Unexpectedly, in what remained to be sporty conditions, Nicolas Goyard, who was completely in the shadow on day 1, found his pace to defeat the biggest fleet of his life. Small adjustments on the wings set up, and occasional jumps to get rid of the seaweed on his giant fin, were the keys for the New Caledonian success. Loving that kind of wind strength, Saint Barth racer Antoine Questel (FMX Racing / S2Maui) seemed to be the only one on a fin, who was able to follow the rhythm set by Goyard, but the Frenchman never managed to overtake the foiler. Keeping efficiency with steady 4th-5th finishing positions, both Antoine Albeau (JP / NeilPryde) and Jordy Vonk (Fanatic / Duotone) capitalised precious points for the final results of the week: Albeau still leads the Defi ahead of 1300 competitors, Vonk being second despite a cut in the foot, and ahead of Pierre Mortefon (Fanatic / Duotone / Chopper Fins / LOKEFOIL), currently 3rd.

Another slalom sailor tuned in with the Tramontana, Justine Le Meteyer, who is now the overnight leader of the ladies fleet. The 19-year-old French girl managed to finish all 3 races within the top 100 overall. Marion Mortefon (Fanatic / Duotone / LOKEFOIL) failed to keep the event lead, and we even saw Delphine Cousin Questel (FMX Racing / S2Maui) sneaking into 2nd position to relegate Mortefon into 3rd, for now at least.

Day 3’s forecast shows another excellent potential for more long distance races in Gruissan, 25 to 30 knots, the ideal strength to mix foils and fins. Will Nicolas Goyard, unfortunate 22nd yesterday, achieve his Tramontada?

Current Ranking 2022 Défi Wind - Men’s
*After 3 Races

1st Antoine Albeau (FRA | JP / NeilPryde)
2nd Jordy Vonk (NED | Fanatic / Duotone)
3rd Pierre Mortefon (FRA | Fanatic / Duotone / Chopper Fins / LOKEFOIL)
4th Antoine Questel (FRA | S2Maui / S2Maui)
5th Basile Jacquin (FRA | FMX Racing / Point-7)
6th Nicolas Warembourg (FRA | Patrik Boards / Patrik Sails)
7th Nicolas Goyard (FRA | Phantom / Phantom Sails / Phantom Foils)
8th Matteo Iachino (ITA | Starboard / Severne Sails)
9th Johan Søe (DEN | FMX Racing / Point-7)
10th Benoit Merceur (FRA | Starboard / Severne Sails)

Current Ranking 2022 Défi Wind - Women’s
*After 3 Races

1st Justine Le Meteyer (FRA | FMX Racing / S2Maui)
2nd Delphine Cousin Questel (FRA | FMX Racing / S2Maui)
3rd Marion Mortefon (FRA | Fanatic / Duotone / LOKEFOIL)
4th Sarah Jackson (GBR | Fanatic / Duotone)
5th Femke Van Der Veen (NED | I-99 / Point-7)

2022 Défi Wind

Fri, 27 May 2022 06:15:30 +0200

Just like Formula 1 driver Verstappen on the grid, Défi WIND 2022 started with hot spinning wheels on green light for the first day of racing. The magical pro-am long distance race gathering more than 1200 furious racers on the same starting line, in 35+ knots of Tramontana, in Gruissan, south of France, is ON! And when the conditions are tough, two names stand out: Antoine Albeau (JP / NeilPryde) and Marion Mortefon (Fanatic / Duotone / LOKEFOIL)!

As soon as registration was closed, the briefing was held in sunny but stormy weather, and you could already see excitement in the participant’s eyes, and a good dose of fear too. The 2022 Defi in association with the PWA mixes all kind of levels, from top slalom athletes to standard recreational sailors. World Champions such as Matteo Iachino (Starboard / Severne Sails), the Mortefon's , Pierre (Fanatic / Duotone / LOKEFOIL) & Marion, Delphine Cousin Questel (FMX Racing / S2Maui), Albeau or Nicolas Goyard (Phantom / Phantom Sails) are the top names on the bookmaker’s list. Local rider Nicolas Warembourg (Patrik / Patrik Sails), titleholder of the last XXL edition is also in contention for another victory, but a couple of underdogs can be expected to disturb the world hierarchy. Just for the fun of it, Thomas Traversa (Tabou / Gaastra), 2014 wave world champion, is on the starting list with his speed gun and a 4.0. Will he beat 5x wave world champion Philip Köster (Severne / Severne Sails / Black Project), twice his size? Can the 13-year-old Camille Moulin cover the 35km distance? Will Alex Decian, 74, from Tahiti, finish his race in gusts up to 40 knots? Also taking part to the Defi, two time Olympic champion Ester Ledecká (snowboard & skis), from Czech Republic, will try to push even further her boundaries, this time windsurfing.

Rough it was! With dead offshore wind, its seemed flat from the shore, but on the course, it looked like a battle field. Mean, heavy chop and powerful wind fuelled the racers to the max on small slalom gear for the experts (5m2) or on tiny wave sails for the amateurs. Conditions were so defying that 200 wise competitors chose to stay safe on the beach. On the run, it was a battle toward the elements. The 150 members of the rescue team were on heavy duties during the course of the next 3 hours. At the end of a demanding combat, only 678 competitors finished the race.

Albeau showed no signs of nerves when approaching mark number 1 in third after a 9km reach. The French machine gybed tight inside of Bruno Martini (JP / NeilPryde) and Mortefon to take the lead. With raging wind above 35 knots, foilers had no chance. 22nd place finisher Nicolas Goyard couldn’t cope with the pace of the leaders on fins. After 33 minutes of fierce racing, the top 3 racers, Albeau, Mortefon and Warembourg, crossed the finish line with just 10 meters separating all of them. Race 1 victory goes in the pocket of Antoine Albeau, solid as a rock when conditions are hard. Warembourg holds on to 2nd ahead of Mortefon. On the ladies side, another close battle was on display. Marion Mortefon managed to keep Delphine Cousin Questel in a short distance, with Femke Van Der Veen (AV Boards / Point-7) in third (84th, 90th and 96th overall). Behind, it’s a real struggle for the amateurs to stay on-board. Many gave up, others finished in pain, but all shared a large smile, proud to have tried to challenge Madam Tramontana.

Antoine Albeau, 49, who reached a top speed of 34.88 knots during the race, summed his victory saying: “I never thought I would be able to still win a race when I see the new generation training so much. On top of that, I only just unwrapped my new gear 2 days ago. Everything was brand new, beside my boom! I can’t believe I can still play at the top level”.

3 more days of exciting racing are scheduled with a Tramontana slowly easing down to the 20-25 knots range, leaving a chance for the foilers to come back into the game. Follow Defi Wind until Sunday May 29th.

Current Ranking 2022 Le Défi Wind - Men’s
*After 1 Race

1st Antoine Albeau (FRA | JP / NeilPryde)
2nd Nicolas Warembourg (FRA | Patrik Boards / Patrik Sails)
3rd Pierre Mortefon (FRA | Fanatic / Duotone / Chopper Fins / LOKEFOIL)
4th Matteo Iachino (ITA | Starboard / Severne Sails)
5th Cedric Bordes (FRA | Tabou / GA Sails)
6th Jordy Vonk (NED | Fanatic / Duotone)
7th Basil Jacquin (FRA | FMX Racing / Point-7)
8th Johan Soe (DEN | FMX Racing / Point-7)
9th Ingmar Daldorf (NED | Tabou / GA Sails)
10th Malte Reuscher (ITA | Tabou / GA Sails)

Current Ranking 2022 Le Défi Wind - Women’s
*After 1 Race

1st Marion Mortefon (FRA | Fanatic / Duotone / LOKEFOIL)
2nd Delphine Cousin (FRA | FMX Racing / S2Maui)
3rd Femke van der Veen (NED | AV Boards / Point-7)

Full ranking can be found here.

No Limits, Only Possibilities

Thu, 26 May 2022 10:32:03 +0200

As the mentality goes... if you aren't crashing, you aren't trying hard enough, but of course some times we all have that crash after pushing a little too hard, which keeps us out of the water for a little while. Oda Brødholt (Starboard / Severne Sails / Maui Ultra Fins) spent some the winter in one of her usual haunts - Jericoacoara, Brazil - and was trying to push her limits whilst there.

Oda Johanne: "When you crash hard, make the best out of it! Oda Johanne is on a windy mission in Brazil some weeks before the PWA World Cup!

Film and edited by Sarah-Quita Offringa

You can see Oda Brødholt in No Limits, Only Possibilities @ https://youtu.be/0hqfp4WufS8

Epic Sardinia

Wed, 25 May 2022 12:24:14 +0200

Last winter a short 3-day window popped up for a decent looking forecast in Sardinia. Maciek Rutkowski (FMX Racing / Challenger Sails) decided to bite the bullet and quickly book flights from Poland to Sardinia, but they still faced a race against time if they were going to make it... fortunately things panned out and they were rewarded with solid wave sailing conditions as well as some quality looking surf.

Maciek Rutkowski: "We decided to go to Sardinia for a 3 day forecast... We had no idea what to expect. What we experienced is probably the most diverse, crazy 72 hour trip I've ever been a part of. Windsurfing, surfing, starboard tack, port tack, great food, good people, amazing landscapes, south of the island, north of the island, rain... rain... more rain. But most importantly fun. And a lot of it! Can't wait to do another trip soon!

Hit SUBSCRIBE and don't miss next weeks video!

Camera: Daniel Dmytrów
Editing: Kacper Wozniak
Starring: Maciek Rutkowski, Przemek Sieminski, Jacopo Testa"

You can see Maciek Rutkowski's 3 day trip to Sardinia highlights @ https://youtu.be/O4h8qhjRfOs

Windsurfing.TV Podcast #57 Ask The Shaper

Fri, 20 May 2022 10:32:16 +0200

The latest Windsurfing.TV podcast is a little different to ones in the past as they gave the opportunity for the viewing public to directly ask questions to the latest name in the hotseat - which this time was Patrik Diethelm, who has a wealth of experience when it comes to racing, board design and now sail design too.

Windsurfing.TV: "A NEW series of LIVE podcasts where we bring on experts in the field to answer your questions.
You can do it LIVE or comment on the social media channels before it happens.
Let me know if you like the concept... and don't worry the normal podcasts are NOT going away.

First up in Patrik Diethelm - Ex F2 Shaper and currently has his own Windsurfing brand where he not only design boards also Sails now. https://patrik-windsurf.com/"

You can see the latest Windsurfing.TV podcast with Patrik Diethelm @ https://youtu.be/8JupF7KgRzA

Spring Sessions

Wed, 18 May 2022 11:23:05 +0200

Spring time is often a great time for wave sailing in Maui with solid swells and consistent trade winds providing excellent conditions. Marcilio Browne (Goya Windsurfing) has just released a new edit from Maui, which was shot during this spring and as usual his riding is on point with his dynamic rail game.

Marcilio Browne: "Some of the best sessions from the 2022 spring
Filmed by: Jake Miller, Fish Bowl Diaries, Casey Hauser.

Music: A forest by The Cure"

You can see Marcilio Browne's world class performance @ https://youtu.be/4AXMcrmMAoo

Rehab

Tue, 17 May 2022 09:48:49 +0200

Federico Morisio (Starboard / Severne Sails): "After 4 months and a half in Chile, as the wind season was coming to an end in the South American country, I needed a change of scenery.

So I decided to travel to Maui, Hawaii, the windsurfing wave "Mecca", in order to start the 3rd part of my rehab process (from the knee surgery I had in late 2021); to put in a lot of hours in the gym and in the water.

Ho'okipa is a super challenging spot, both technically and physically; being able to sail at a high intensity and level here, would represent a great milestone.

Follow my windsurfing day during the first week of my stay in Hawaii!

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:31 Plan for the day
2:14 My breakfast
3:05 Getting to Hookipa
5:25 Wave action
7:27 Session feedback
7:45 Back home

I hope you enjoy it and let's keep going!"

You can see Federico Morisio's latest VLOG @ https://youtu.be/sDonOjIyr6g

Beautiful Bonaire

Thu, 12 May 2022 08:43:09 +0200

Oda Brødholt (Starboard / Severne Sails / Maui Ultra Fins) has been busy travelling this winter and for some of it she made the short hop from Aruba, to another Freestyle paradise, Bonaire.

The Norwegian has finished in the top 3 of the world since 2014 and has been busy training over the winter as she prepares to battle it out again in 2022.

You can see Brødholt's latest training sessions from beautiful Bonaire @ https://youtu.be/fG2n0-Gtzpg

Blind Test

Tue, 10 May 2022 06:22:53 +0200

Most professional windsurfers, especially racers, are very particular about their fins, but can they tell them apart purely by feel? Nico Prien (Starboard / NeilPryde) puts this to the test as he undergoes a blind test to see if he can still decipher which fin he is sailing…

You can see how Nico got on at guessing which fin was under his board @ youtu.be/wpzpnLYLB-Q

Surf Freestyle

Mon, 09 May 2022 10:48:11 +0200

When you think of Bonaire you don't really think of waves, but there is at least one spot - Red Slave - which picks up a little bit of swell and allows for some jumping and a little bit of wave riding. Youp Schmit (Tabou / GA Sails) sailed there last week and KUMAMOVIE were on hand to caption some of the action which you can see @ https://youtu.be/YrbQPqZLh5o

KUMAMOVIE7: "Bonaire Red Slave 3rd.May.2022 Kuma Movie Bonaire."

Close Call

Thu, 05 May 2022 06:59:56 +0200

Join Nico Prien (Starboard / NeilPryde) for his latest VLOG, which sees the German back in Tarifa combining some onshore wave sailing with some windy Foil / Slalom training alongside 2016 Slalom World Champion - Matteo Iachino (Starboard / Severne Sails).

Head over to @ https://youtu.be/8JgJdjO0LEw to see whether Nico was quicker on the fin or if Matteo came out on top on the foil...

Cabo Verde 22

Wed, 04 May 2022 11:11:54 +0200

Victor Fernandez (Fanatic / Duotone) enjoyed his time in Cabo Verde when travelling to the island of Sal for the 2022 SOMWR 10x Cabo Verde PWA World Cup. The Spaniard was able to sail at a number of different locations during his trip and you can now see some of those highlights @ https://youtu.be/CuEMYvclqoE

Duotone video intro: "Pushing the limits riding in extreme conditions - Victor Fernandez takes on the infamous Punta Preta as well as other locations around the island of Sal in search of wave riding perfection!"

The Next Level

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 08:13:20 +0200

Miguel Chapuis (JP / NeilPryde) has been enjoying some great conditions at home in Spain lately and he's been using the opportunity to push his sailing - jumping in particular - to the next level. You can see the results of his latest training mission @ https://youtu.be/awcSTRzgxg0

Miguel Chapuis: "A lot of jumping lately at home with very strong winds. Here are some clips of what I'm trying during my sessions.
Spots: Caños de meca & Playa Chica."

FPV Drone

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 10:00:41 +0200

Federico Morisio (Starboard / Severne Sails) has been out in Chile and was lucky enough to have some footage of him captured via FPV (First Person View) drone, which resulted in a unique outcome, giving a perspective rarely seen whilst wave sailing.

Federico Morisio: "Filming windsurfing action with a FPV drone feels like a dream to me!

I wanted to do this since more than year and I'm happy that it finally happened here in Chile thanks to Christopher!

My knee was actually painful that day, as I'm still recovering from my injury, but when I realised we could film, I just hit the water and gave my best!

I hope you enjoy these original shots! Like the video, comment your opinion below and share it with friends so we can share the stoke for this fantastic sport!

Next video will be about an epic day of pure waveriding, so stay tuned!"

You can see Federico Morisio's latest edit @ youtu.be/aL3ybPoRF4c

Corsica 2021

Mon, 25 Apr 2022 07:44:30 +0200

Last October, Jacopo Testa (AV Boards / Point-7 / AL360) went on a mission to Corsica in the search of epic freestyle conditions. You can see the outcome of that trip @ https://youtu.be/yLGK6u6SQJs

Jacopo Testa: "Freestyle windsurfing, October 2021, Corsica
Spot: Santa Manza, Piantarella, Tonnara

Boards: AVBoards
Sails: Point7
Boom: AL-360
Suggested by We Are Era Music AB
Daniel Norgren - Going to the city"

CS Custom Boards

Fri, 22 Apr 2022 09:17:34 +0200

CS Custom Boards recently joined the PWA, so we decided the catch up with the man behind the brand - Carlos Sosa - to find out more about the brand and what originally attracted him to the wonderful world of windsurfing and shaping. Read on to find out more about CS Custom Boards:

Hey Carlos, firstly welcome to the PWA, how long have you been shaping and how did you first get into it?

I always loved the sea. I was living in Aringa and I saw a guy windsurfing and it really attracted me. So I decided to try it. It was amazing, windsurfing is such an incredible sport and the feelings that go with it too. So I needed a board to keep practicing. I was working as a carpenter and I was good at working with my hands, so I decided to work on my own board. The first shaped board was made from an old windsurf board. I think it was in 1984. Over the years I continued shaping some boards for my friends, and suddenly I was shaping for the best windsurfers in the world. I worked a lot, but it was a great experience.

After many years shaping I decided to chase different business opportunities. However, I never stopped shaping, I still made some boards for myself, like the "Guarrilla", a board known by my friends.

In 2018, Josep Pons (CS Custom Boards / Point-7), after many family meals, convinced me to shape him a couple of boards to compete, and that's where everything started again. So I owe it to him.

Who are you current team riders? And what are your goals for the future?

Apart from working hand in hand with me and absorbing all my knowledge, Josep is the unique CS Custom Boards Rider. I would like to keep shaping until my body lets me. But at the same time leave my entire legacy to Josep, who is learning really fast. He has surprised me a lot by his learning capacity in all facets. I'm sure he'll do just fine.

Are you shaping purely wave boards or are you also producing freestyle/freeride/slalom/foil boards?

Currently we manufacture what the market asks of us. But before we manufactured all kinds of boards except foil, because it did not exist at that point. We manufactured freestyle, freeride, slalom, speed, formula windsurfng and Super x.

If someone is interested to order a board from you how do they get in touch with you?

They can contact us via our website www.cscustomboards.com. It also has a configurator where you can configure you ideal board and choose your own personal graphic design.

Also, potential customers can contact us via email or by Whatsapp : cscustomboards@no-spam-pleasegmail.com / 0034686257410

Thanks, Carlos.

The Windsurfing Podcast

Thu, 21 Apr 2022 15:52:10 +0200

Alex Mussolini (AV Boards / Challenger Sails) is the latest windsurfing icon to join Maciek Rutkowski (FMX Racing / Challenger Sails) for an interview on the Windsurfing Podcast.

The Windsurfing Podcast: "This week we get the inside scoop from Ex PWA tour rider and world tour challenger – Alex Mussolini

0:00 Teaser
1:20 Intro, becoming a pilot and being pro in covid
6:42 PWA judging experience in Cape Verde
15:42 Early years, Oceans Academy in Maui
22:11 Drive to be Pro, NeilPryde sponsorship
28:07 End of NP, Matt Pritchard gave second chance
33:26 Competition learning experience
39:05 Not being World Champ, sacrifices & life choices
49:13 Ricardo rivalry, Pro windsurfing dying, lack of support
59:50 Ultimate wavesailor, never injured
1:04:40 Life saving moment, life changing
1:10:42 Windsurfing relationship analogy"

You can see the latest episode of the Windsurfing Podcast @ https://youtu.be/1AbDIyQC57o