The 2021 summer was not a relaxed one.
We arrived on the island late June as scheduled, but I brought along my worries of a non-Covid health issue – no testing mood, no posting mind.
Having radically closed this outstanding issue at the end of November, I’m now starting to work-out again in order to be fit for the 2022 windsurfing season, and in the meantime, here is the first post of the year.
But let’s go back to Spring 2021, when Thomas Bakirtzis & Stavroula, owners of Stonero watersports shop in Thessaloniki & lake Volvi surf club, announced the launch of their own – locally built windsurfing & wing boards brand Big Z. Well, such things don’t happen every day, especially when backed by a supportive traveling test visit of the full range of boards, to many sailing spots all over Greece! Mind you, the boards are semi-custom & there is a full options pricelist covering construction, fin configurations & graphics. Wishing success in person, was the least I could do.
New vintage boards
Maybe you are aware, that I see well-designed vintage boards in an affectionate way.
Within a few months, I was offered 2 such boards, one custom & one production, both of Australian origin.
The first one is a Mike Davis, which my friend Kostas Gretsos, proud owner/skipper of Afroessa GRE-1353 (one of the main contenders of the Performance sailing yacht regattas IRC1 class, bought secondhand a long time ago from Philip Adamidis (yes, WS GR-1), a board Philip got personally from Mike’s shop, having slept in the car, to save money for more equipment…It has a very unusual channel bottom design, and all the riders were fascinated by its performance.
I promise, one day this board will become part of a Windsurfing museum.
“Starting Mike Davis Designs in 1973, I was finally free to shape the boards with all of the design feature ideas and tweaks that’d been accruing in my head like so many nagging questions – No more trying to convince the boss or toning or watering-down or compromising of the concepts by the ‘writers of the checks’ to appease those anachronistic customers resistant to change, who insisted that those little details couldn’t possibly make that much difference. At the risk of sounding proud: All of which, I note with pride, still grace every modern surfboard to this day. Feel that Tucked under-edge? It is the difference between a good board and a great board. I conceived it, named it, and introduced it in 1973 and it’s been ‘stock standard’ on every performance surfboard ever since. I saw things differently and came up with different tweaks – solutions to age-old problems that remain current today.” Mike Davis
From the Museum of Surf
The second board is a Strapper wave, shaped by Mike Di Sciascio, who in the early ’90’s having as a rider young Jason Polakow, one of the world’s best ever wave sailors/waterman, with unique talent and marketing, strong logos and graphics, made a major impact globally, with the legacy still in the sport today.
It’s interesting to note this was the treasured board of Vasso, Kostas’ wife – no coincidence both these great boards were under the same roof…
Summer 2021
Of course, there were nice scenes in New Golden beach, with most friends present & the Paros Windsurf Center flourishing – I share some photos, mostly windsurfing – with the exception of our friend Alecos, who is progressing in wing foiling, followed by Mari and encouraging Kostas & myself to join.
Having heard some time ago, from my friend Kostas of boardsΝwheels, about the extreme precision Kafros custom carbon booms, I was very happy to meet Giannis in N.G.beach, joining the hardcore “locals”, most of which rely on his booms. He sure had a great sailing time among friends who appreciate his fine work.
Packing for Paros, I could not find my impact vest, so I called on duty the historic vintage one that my friend George “Tigana” had given me years ago. It is the special vest designed by Anders Bringdal for his Liberty Team – the one who won the first-ever TransAtlantic Windsurf Race in 1998. George went on board as a photographer of the Greek team, but was soon assigned to the athlete’s recovery squad.
The vest has plenty of special pockets & fasteners and is equipped with a Dakine watering on-the-go system. An enviable piece of history!
Thanks to my good friend & surfing buddy Kostas Vergos, I received one more precious vintage gift, a Dave Kalama slotted wave fin, absolutely new. I share so that those who understand will enjoy.
zaosan
Hitthewave 