WINDSURFING BEAUTIES

Windsurfing being full of beautifully tanned and physically fit athletes, always had much more sex appeal than many other sports.

Windsurfers spend most of their time half naked or dressed in body hugging zipped rubber, in a wet environment. Does it need anything more?

Apologies for presenting only female athletes, but after all, this is just a personal blog…

 

Planche mag July 1985:”Nathalie by Christian Petit”

The Morenotwins – identical twins, Daida E-64 & Iballa Moreno E-63 (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 1977) not only dominate the world of windsurfing at the moment (2018, since 2000) but they are also considered idols by the young generation who see them as women capable of facing giant waves and ride them easily.

Whithin the growing interest for xtreme sports that is being generated worldwide, Daida and Iballa Ruano, with their 25 PWA world tittles,represent the all times records in women´s sports.

But competition is not everything. they have also created a club morenotwins, where they organized clinic for women, kids, windsurfing camps and most recently the PWA world cup in Pozo Izquierdo – Gran Canaria. One od the biggest stop of the wave tour around the world.

Evi Tsape ,  is the most accomplished Greek lady wave rider in the PWA, having reached 5th Overall both in 2009 & 2011 that she had the time to follow the championship.

For Nikola Girke, we have a rare case of an athlete, who has made the transition from one sport to another and to have competed in two different events at the Olympic Games. At the 2004 Athens Olympics , Nikola crewed on the two person 470 sailboat, finishing 13th. In 2005, she switched to RSX windsurfing.  A respectable 17th place finish at the 2008 Olympic Games, inspired her to continue in pursuit of bringing home an Olympic Medal for Canada. Result, an improved performance for the 34 years lady sailor, a 10th place at the 2012 London Olympics plus the same position at the 2012 RSX World Championship. It should not pass unnoticed, while training in the Brazilian waters, she won the Buzios event of the Brazilian Slalom Championship (just for the fun of it), plus the 2nd place of the Buzios leg of the S.American RSX Championship!…With her sights set on Rio 2016, Nikola is up for yet another challenge, switching boats for a 3rd time, teaming up with Luke Ramsay for the new mixed crew catamaran, the Nacra17. With such determination, we look ahead for the medals. Instead of just reading about, watch this short video.

Gelly Skarlatou, is a world champion and a long term Greek Olympic windsurfing team member, rightfully one of my favorites. I would like to include a short video. 

Wendy Salvador, from Holland, started windsurfing when she was 14. A pro dancer, model & ski instructor in Austria. Moved to Maui, windsurfing everyday and making a living out of modelling.

Jazzy Noah Zwerus  NED-180, PWA freestyler

Updated now and then…

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MERRY CHRISTMAS card from PATRIK boards

Well, as my friend Leo used to say, nothing happens just by chance. The only wishes I got from a windsurfing brand came from PATRIK, and coincides with my decision to start the new year with the acquisition of a Patrik Ride 125 board!

This board will complement my boards range, and looks well suited for my taste for rather long & not very wide designs,  measuring 251 x 67.5 cm

From the above photo, you can have an early view of the new graphics of Patrik boards for 2015. Enjoy.

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JOE COCKER – R.I.T(une) 22.12.2014

This is how I got to know Joe Cocker, the greatest British rock/soul singer – from his performance in Woodstock in 1969, recorded in the 3LP album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRzKUVjHkGk  – With a little help from my friends – 1969

Here is a tribute song of the Scottish group Stone The Crows, written by guitarist Les Harvey & percussionist Colin Allen (unfortunately, Les died a year later – while performing with S the C in Wales, contacting an unearthed microphone he was fatally electrocuted. Lead vocalist is the great Maggie Bell.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eST4nEO4_qk – Mad Dogs & Englishmen – Stone the Crows, “ode to john law” LP – 1971

In 1970, in order to make an American tour Cocker had to quickly form a new band. This was a large group of more than 30 musicians, including pianist and bandleader Leon Russell, three drummers, and backing vocalists Rita Coolidge and Claudia Lennear. Denny Cordell christened the new band “Mad Dogs & Englishmen”, after the homonymous Noël Coward song . 

During the Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour (later described by drummer Jim Keltner as “a big, wild party”), Cocker toured 48 cities, recorded a live album, and received very good reviews from Time and Life . However, the pace of the tour was exhausting, Cocker became depressed and began drinking excessively. Meanwhile, he enjoyed several chart entries in the United States with “Cry Me a River” and “Feelin’ Alright”. His cover of The Box Tops’ hit “The Letter”, which appeared on the live album and film, Mad Dogs & Englishmen, became his first US Top Ten hit. After spending several months in Los Angeles, Cocker returned home to Sheffield where his family became increasingly concerned with his deteriorating health.

Since then, there were many more concerts, more LPs – until 2 days ago.

His voice lives on.

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Windsurfing in Mauritius

 

 

Our friend Arnaud, who spends all-year-long testing windsurfing equipment around the world, when asked where we should go for windsurfing, he replies blandly: “to Paros”…

Well, putting aside the various problems of our disorganized country, we are considered spoiled, being blessed with the fascinating combination of crystal clear sea & plenty of wind, in an attractive environment full of antiquities, not forgetting the mouthwatering Greek cuisine.

As years go by, less and less we enjoy cold weather, so a week ago, we decided to try Mauritius – Indian Ocean, East of Madagascar, at the Capricorn Tropic level.

This tiny nation is just 10 times the size of Paros island.

The best windsurfing/kite spot is considered Le Morne peninsula, at the SW of the island. Conditions differ dramatically from the ones we are used to in Paros, due to the very different environment. There is a good description by Buzz, which will help first time visitors.

The Indian Resort that was housing the Watersports station Mistral Club (MC), was under renovation and according to plans, 3 new hotels will start operating at the site by February 2015. In the meantime the closer you can lodge is St Regis resort.

Before going to the MC, I decided to check the windsurfing facilities of Lux resort and the Pryde Club just next to it, on the public beach between Lux and Dinarobin resorts.

The Lux material was in a rather poor condition, with very basic sails – equipment good just for beginners.

The Pryde Club is focused on kite & sup, no windsurfing, so there in no real option but the MC further down the beach.

The first day I visited the Mistral Club, was windy alright, but rainy…There was no securely dry place to leave my backpack & camera (no lockers), and my non windsurfing company had nowhere to lay down not getting wet. We walked away looking for a better chance to return.

4 days later, weather conditions looking more favorable, plenty of sunshine and just OK wind ~17 – 19 knots, we went back.

In search of an average-Joe experience, I did not inform the staff about my blog, but just asked for a 120l Gecko board and a large sail, having agreed to book for 1 hour including 10 euros damages insurance – a total of 1,680 rupies (1 euro= 38 rupies).

I got a pair of shoes from the club and started sailing. I familiarized myself with the terrain, always staying within safe limits, as I realized that the waves area was quite far away (1,5 km from shore) with no rescue watch on duty. Although conditions were not thrilling, I tried to get the maximum from my equipment, speeding on the flat water. I soon realized the board was missing punch, and went back to check.

I noticed the fin was relatively small for such a board, and in poor condition,while the 6.9 sail had a torn luff and some patching tape, so I asked for what I thought was the easiest fix – a bigger sail. Surprise, surprise, I had already taken the biggest size of sail the club has. I say surprise, because they do carry several larger boards that actually demand larger sails to do what they are designed to do…As a remedy I trimmed the sail less flat, reducing the boom’s length by 1 click. I completed my sailing on this tired equipment and upon paying, I pointed out that since I was not a novice and having asked for a freeride board (not a wave or a freestyle that are prone to maneuvers damages), under conditions so calm, by asking for an insurance coverage I was expecting to get mint condition equipment. The girl at the desk gave me an unprofessional reply, that I should have told them before getting in the water, as if it wasn’t them who handed me the board & sail.

Now that I’m back to my computer, I checked the Gecko 120 specs and verify my impression that the board I was given was fitted with a too small fin. The worn – out fin was 36, when the standard is 39…

My brief experience from Le Morne, is that if you do not have your own equipment, Mistral Club is the only realistic option, but check well what you will get to ride. Demand standard board fittings, otherwise you will get a wrong idea about the board you will ride!

If you wish to hit the waves, do it in company preferably with some locals and definitely not alone!

As shoes are a must, try to find some ankle-high, so that when stepping on the sand, no sand will get into your shoes. It is very annoying.

On the beach, stay away from the coconut trees, because falling cocos are dangerous. One fell less than a meter away from me, while I was taking the photos!

In the public beaches areas, you have the option of food & beverages at a fraction of the resorts prices. Unfortunately, they are not allowed to operate in the evening.

In Le Morne we had the company of some very cute feathered friends, like this one, who was posing for me at the Point beach.

 

Sunsets were spectacular, but I’m looking forward to sail in Paros again.

And a sentimental remark: When talking about a PRYDE club, I would expect to find arrays of Neil Pryde sails, rigged to rocket me away, while at a ºMISTRAL club, I would love to have the choice of the complete boards range of the historic brand, not to sail on a Fanatic board rigged with a North sail bearing the Mistral logo…

December  2016

I just came across an interesting windsurfing Mauritius review in Windsurf magazine, complemented with nice video filming.

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