Discover Windsurfing

I for one have always been a fan of Summer Camps and the great value they have in providing experiences that a child wouldn’t ordinarily have in their day to day lives.  Needless to say I was quite happy when I came across the Shake-A-Leg Miami organization and their Water Sports Summer Camp which gives a great focus on kayaks, snorkeling, and windsurfing.  The Summer Camp will focus on proper technique as well as enjoyment in an effort to promote more sports activity in kids across Miami, Florida.

The Shake-A-Leg Miami Water Sports Summer Camp works as an invaluable tool to get kids active and to hone any skills they already have.  The classes are set to mix experience windsurfers, kayakers, and snorkerers with beginners to emphasize teamwork and unity amongst the different skill levels and age groups.  For more details about the organization or how to sign up for any of the many Summer Camps they have to offer please check out this link.

Windsurfing Direct is Americas #1 Windsurfing Store – The Name Windsurfers Trust! We offer the top Boards, sails, packages and gear with Unmatched Savings and Value..  The Pros at Windsurfing Direct are America’s Specialists, with Industry Leading Personal Service. Our Pros are Here to Help you choose the right board and gear for your needs. Visit www.windsurfing-direct.com or call the Pros at 800-617-9463.

It is always good to see big names in the windsurfing industry join together for events that look to use their influence to make events that celebrate how great our sport can be.  We recently heard that none other than umi and Open Ocean Media have joined forced to sponser the Essaouira Wave Classic Invitational which will be held off the coast of Essaouira, Morocco on May 10th-20th.  The event will gather some of the best windsurfers and wave riders from around the world and will feature races that will vary across all windsurf disciplines.

Umi will have their cameras recording every bit of the action that will happen to the event and we can’t wait to see all the great footage that’s sure to come out of the event.  For more information please check out this link for the Wave Classic Invitational’s homepage.

Windsurfing Direct is Americas #1 Windsurfing Store – The Name Windsurfers Trust! We offer the top Boards, sails, packages and gear with Unmatched Savings and Value..  The Pros at Windsurfing Direct are America’s Specialists, with Industry Leading Personal Service. Our Pros are Here to Help you choose the right board and gear for your needs. Visit www.windsurfing-direct.com or call the Pros at 800-617-9463.

Boards Windsurfing recently reported on the Round Hayling Windsurfing events that were held on Hayling Island, UK.  Temperamental weather made for very interesting heats that had all the windsurfers using all their windsurf skills in an effort to keep on course.  There were wind gusts that reached 42 knots and 90° wind-shifts that could easily take out an inexperienced windsurfer.

Guy Cribb, the winner of the weekend’s main event, was cited in the article as saying, “I took my biggest slalom board – the 2010 Fanatic Falcon – straight out of the wrapper with a 50cm fin to ensure great upwind and early planing performance.”  His preparation made for him easily passing most of the dozens of his competitors that participated in the long distance windsurfing marathon.  Of the almost triple digit participants, only 9 were able to brave the severe weather and cross the finish line.  Thankfully no one was hurt and the weather made for quite an exciting event.  For more information please check out this link.

Windsurfing Direct is Americas #1 Windsurfing Store – The Name Windsurfers Trust! We offer the top Boards, sails, packages and gear with Unmatched Savings and Value..  The Pros at Windsurfing Direct are America’s Specialists, with Industry Leading Personal Service. Our Pros are Here to Help you choose the right board and gear for your needs. Visit www.windsurfing-direct.com or call the Pros at 800-617-9463.

One of the United Kingdom’s top windsurfers was recently added to Gaastra’s team of top notch surfers for the 2010 windsurfing season.  Phil Horrocks was signed by Gaastra because of how quickly he’s made a name for himself in the PWA out on the waves and seemed like the perfect fit to fill out the Gaastra 2010 wind surfing team.  Phil chose Gaastra because of how well the Manic racing sail fit his style and provided immediate power that set itself apart from the rest of the sails out there.  For more details check out Gaastra’s homepage for full profiles on all of Gaastra’s 2010 Windsurfing Team.

Windsurfing Direct is Americas #1 Windsurfing Store – The Name Windsurfers Trust! We offer the top Boards, sails, packages and gear with Unmatched Savings and Value..  The Pros at Windsurfing Direct are America’s Specialists, with Industry Leading Personal Service. Our Pros are Here to Help you choose the right board and gear for your needs. Visit www.windsurfing-direct.com or call the Pros at 800-617-9463.

The top racers in the most recent Formula Windsurfing World Ranking have been contacted and confirmed for the 2010 World Championships.   The event will be held on Lake Potrerillos near Mendoza City, Argentina and will take place from March 21st to the 28th and hosted by the Federacion Argentina de Windsurf (FAW).  Lake Potrerillos is a picturesque setting with the Andes Mountains serving as the perfect back drop for the water sports event.

The competitors were chosen from the best of the best windsurfers from around the world and each is well known within the windsurf world.  For more information about the professional level event please check out this link.

Recently Team Gaastra Windsurfing made the announcement that Finian Maynard would be moving away from his long term usage of Neil Pryde windsurf products and would be joining Team Gaastra for the upcoming 2010 Windsurfing Season.  Finian is well know for his great windsurf slalom skills and his above average suite of skills that consistently has him amongst the top tier of international windsurfing rankings.  In an effort to get a leg up on his PWA competition for 2010 Finian knew Gaastra superior professional windsurf products just might be the waterman’s best bet to not just place top 10 but win the championship.

To mark the occasion Finian chose to do an exclusive interview with Continent Seven that can be seen through the following link.  If you’re looking for a quick overview of Finian’s career check out his profile on Team Gaastra’s homepage.

Windsurfing Direct is Americas #1 Windsurfing Store – The Name Windsurfers Trust! We offer the top Boards, sails, packages and gear with Unmatched Savings and Value..  The Pros at Windsurfing Direct are America’s Specialists, with Industry Leading Personal Service. Our Pros are Here to Help you choose the right board and gear for your needs. Visit www.windsurfing-direct.com or call the Pros at 800-617-9463.

It is very easy to empathize with the widespread strife that has slowly gripped the world as the result of the outbreak of earthquakes, tsunamis, and natural disasters but it takes a different sort of person to be galvanized by these events into helping make a difference.  Whether it’s the large amount of missionaries and ordinary people making their way to Haiti or the thousands donating money to relief funds for other areas in the world, people have been moved to help those in need.  One such place that is in desperate need of a helping hand are the cities in and around the country of Chile.  Thankfully Team Fanatic’s Klaas Voget has taken up the call and is asking fellow windsurfers and anyone with a heart to find a way to help the many cities in Chile that have been effected by a recent Earthquake.

Late in February Chile was hit with one of the most intense earthquakes ever recorded in history but thankfully the water depth it occurred at shielded Chile from being fully affected by the 8-9 magnitude earthquake.  The truly devastating earthquake in Haiti was a level 7 but occurred in shallower waters making the earthquake all the more deadlier.  The lower intensity of Chile’s earthquake does not lessen the veracity of Klaas’ call to arms for this scenic windsurfing destination.  Klaas Voget was on the island during the earthquake and was quick to give a stirring account of his situation as soon as he could in hopes that the information would help spur people into action.  Hundreds have already died and millions have been reported to have been affected by this great tragedy.

Joining with his friends and fellow windsurfers from around the world Klaas is championing a Chile Earthquake Response fund.  Thankfully through his urging and those of his wind surfing brethren a lot of money has been raised but there is still more to be done to take Chile down the road to reconstructing what was lost during the earthquake and to help those that have loss much more than houses during the natural disaster.  Please join in giving whatever you can to and spread this link to anyone you think would be willing to follow y our lead http://www.justgiving.com/ChileEarthquakeResponse or join the EightPointEight Earthquake Earthquake Relief Effort on Facebook.

Tabou is well known for its superior quality windsurfing race and high performance boards. the mad scientists at Tabou have looked to redesign the New 2010 Manta. Designed to use a wider range of sails and fins to support high wind speed runs and all the way down to light air slalom racing and everything in between .  By taking some cues from the Rocket line of boards and combined them with the Manta series to revamp the 2010 line of windsurf racing boards.

The super-trick Manta Pro Team Race windsurfing boards are set to take on the windsurfing world! By providing an unparalleled experience any veteran is bound to see as soon as they hit the water.  The boards are now available in an ultra thick 3k Carbon set up which is lightweight but durable enough to take any beating you will throw at the boards.  Tabou Boards tapped non other than legendary shaper Fabien Vollenweider to help create this state of the art board that allows you to trim harder and hit top speeds in record time.

Windsurfing Direct is the name that windsurfers trust by providing the top windsurf racing sails, windsurfing accessories, and boards.  Please head over to our site or call our Wind Surfing Pros at 800-617-9463 and let us help you choose the right windsurfing rig, board, or accessories for your needs.

News about the possibility of a tsunami in Hawaii has been in the headlines for  a couple weeks now but it’s no surprise that the hardcore windsurfers from the island were not scared off by the reported Hawaiian tsunami.  Many of the islands’ windsurfers were more than happy to take advantage of the bigger waves while it was still safe to do so.  While this extreme sport undertaking is not suggested for every wind surfer out there, the folks in this gallery of photos looked like they were having a blast.  Rather than immediately seeking shelter during the Hawaii tsunami warning these thrill seekers got on their boards and chose to windsurf off the coast of Maui and took advantage of this once in a lifetime experience.

Climbing the world rankings within the PWA can be quite the task and climbing to the top of that list can be a lofty goal for any windsurfer to aspire to.  Which makes Sarah-Quinta Offringa’s achievement of becoming the champion of the PWA two years in a row all the more amazing.  Add onto this that Sara-Quinta is not only a highly skilled windsurfer but also only 18 years old and you have recipe for a very long career in the PWA that is already off to an amazing start.

All of the above is what makes Team Gaastra’s recent announcement of adding Sarah-Quinta Offringa to their windsurfing team all the more important.  Gaastra courted Sara-Quinta because of her competive drive and her tendency to think outside of the box when it comes to the tricks she does during competitive heats.  Sarah-Quinta has a future ahead of her that remains to be seen but Team Gaastra doesn’t doubt that it will only get better as she becomes a veteran of the sport.  The rest of Ms. Offringa’s Team Gaastra profile can be found at this link.