Available in a variety of dynamic new colors, this spirited 195 Sport includes the innovative Turn-Key Starting (TKS) system, standard extended swim platform, full sun pad, and ski and wakeboard storage with heavy-duty vinyl matting. A custom-fitted tandem axle trailer comes standard, complete with surge brakes and swing-away tongue.
Key Features
Limited Lifetime Structural Warranty on hull and deck.
Mercury Installation Quality Certification - standard 2-year limited engine warranty.
Fully complemented dash instrument panel.
Sleek design low-profile windshield.
Standard extended swim platform.
Stainless steel thru-hull fittings.
Gull wing sun pads for engine & storage access from cockpit and swim platform.
Innovative bow rider seating.
5.0L MerCruiser® with turn-key start.
Clarion® 12V AM/FM stereo with CD player.
Standard painted trailer with surge brakes, and swing-away tongue for convenient storage.
Sea Ray Owners Club™ membership.
Specifications
Overall Length : 20' 2" / 6.15 m
Beam : 7 ' 6" / 2.29 m
Draft - Stern Drive Down : 34" / 86.3 cm
Draft - Stern Drive Up : 17" / 43.1 cm
Dry Weight : 2828 lb / 1283 kg
Fuel Capacity : 30 gal / 113.5 L
Dead Rise : 19° / 19°
Max Persons/Weight : 8 / 1100 lbs / 499 kg
(MWC) Max Weight - Persons/Gear : 1200 lbs / 544 kg
Thursday, March 13, 2008
2007 Sea Ray 195 Sport
2007 Sea Ray 185 Sport
Welcome to the new bold look of sport boats. The exciting 185 Sport features next-generation styling with dynamic new graphics and bright new colors. Innovative Turn-Key Starting (TKS) system has been added, which offers automatic fuel-enrichment instead of a traditional choke. A custom-fitted trailer with swing-away tongue is also included.
Key Features
Limited Lifetime Structural Warranty on hull and deck.
Mercury Installation Quality Certification - standard 2-year limited engine warranty.
Fully complemented dash instrument panel.
Sleek design low-profile windshield.
Standard extended swim platform.
Stainless steel thru-hull fittings.
Gull wing sun pads for storage and engine access from cockpit and swim platform.
Innovative bow rider seating.
3.0 L MerCruiser® with turn key start.
Four exciting graphics and gel-coat color package options for extreme customization.
Clarion® 12V AM/FM stereo with CD player.
Standard painted trailer with surge brakes, and swing-away tongue for convenient storage.
Sea Ray Owners Club™ membership.
Specifications
Overall Length : 19' 8" / 5.99 m
Beam : 7' 3" / 2.21 m
Draft - Stern Drive Down : 34" / 86.3 cm
Draft - Stern Drive Up : 17" / 43.1 cm
Dry Weight : 2400 lbs / 1089 kg
Fuel Capacity : 26 gal / 98.4 L
Dead Rise : 19° / 19°
Max Persons/Weight : 8 / 1100 lbs / 499 kg
(MWC) Max Weight - Persons/Gear : 1200 lbs / 544 kg
2007 Sea Ray 175 Sport
- Why compromise on quality when you could be driving a Sea Ray? This great looking 175 Sport offers the new Turn-Key Starting (TKS) system, which features a redesigned carburetor with automatic fuel-enrichment system instead of a traditional choke. Additional features include stylish seating, Clarion® AM/FM/CD stereo, power steering and custom-fitted trailer.
- Limited Lifetime Structural Warranty on hull and deck.
- Mercury Installation Quality Certification - standard 2-year limited engine warranty.
- Colored Hull.
- Marine grade vinyls with mildew & UV protection.
- Finished fiberglass floor.
- Custom-fitted trailer.
- Standard 12v Clarion® AM/FM/CD stereo.
- Power-assisted steering.
- Sea Ray Owners Club™ membership.
Overall Length : 17' 6" / 5.33 m
Beam : 7' / 2.13 m
Draft - Stern Drive Down : 35" / 88.9 cm
Draft - Stern Drive Up : 18" / 45.7 cm
Dry Weight : 2100 lbs / 953 kg
Fuel Capacity : 21 gal / 79.5 L
Dead Rise : 19° / 19°
Max Persons/Weight : 7 / 900 lbs / 408 kg
(MWC) Max Weight - Persons/Gear : 980 lbs / 445 kg
Sea Ray Resources
There’s a whole new world out there waiting to be explored and MarineMax is ready to help you get the most out of it with our complete line-up of Sea Ray boats.
Sea Ray, the world's largest manufacturer of superior quality pleasure boats, produces more than 40 models ranging from 18 to 68 feet. No other pleasure boat manufacturer in the world offers such variety. The four families of Sea Ray products include Sport Boats, Sport Cruisers, Sport Yachts, and Yachts.
Sea Ray's focus on quality is evidenced by a complete line of boats that not only meet but also exceed the standards set by the United States Coast Guard, the National Marine Manufacturers Association, the American Boat and Yacht Council and the International Organization of Standards (ISO). Sea Ray, in fact, is the first pleasure boat manufacturer to be certified for meeting the high ISO 9002 standards.
Quality. At Sea Ray, it's not just exacting attention to details, or careful desire to use only the best suppliers, materials and components. It’s not just employing the highest caliber people in the industry, or four decades of being committed to be the very best in the boating industry. It is, for everyone in the Sea Ray family, a way of life.
So whether its sunset cruises with family and friends or high flying wakeboarding you’ve always dreamed of, MarineMax is there…ready to deliver the boating dream.
Source
Celebrate Mother's Day on the water with MarineMax
"At MarineMax, we know that it's often mothers that organize boating outings and other family events, so we wanted to take this opportunity to offer our thanks," says Glenn Sandridge, vice president of marketing at MarineMax. "We're inviting moms across the country to join us for in a day designed just for them."
At more than sixty MarineMax locations across the U.S., women will be treated to a free day of hands-on learning and fun on the water. All attendees will have the opportunity to participate in the company's popular Women on Water class, designed to introduce women to the fabulous boating lifestyle, including the finer points of docking and steering, maneuvers that can cause stress in boaters of either gender. Women on Water has been a hit at MarineMax dealerships across the country, and women everywhere have raved about this unique educational experience for women only.
It really helped me with my confidence," said St. Louis boater Patty Potter, a past WOW student. "The instructor was calm and made it easy."
The world's largest on-water Mother's Day celebration will take place Sunday, May 4, at MarineMax dealerships across the country and activities will vary by location. The events are free and open to the public, but space is limited. For additional information or to reserve a spot today, call your local MarineMax or visit www.marinemax.com.
Sea Ray catalogs, ads bring home the gold
The Mercury Awards were established to advance high standards in professional communications. They are administered by MerComm, an independent awards organization. This year’s competition received nearly 1,000 entries from 23 countries.
“We are very pleased to be recognized by the Mercury Awards not only for the market collateral we’ve produced, but also for the lifestyle opportunities that we offer. We work very hard to maintain the superior quality associated with the Sea Ray brand,” Rob Noyes, vice president of marketing for Sea Ray, told Soundings Trade Only. “Winning this and other awards raises awareness of Sea Ray’s commitment to being the best in all facets of its business.”
AquaPalooza 2007, originally created as a Sea Ray Owners Club event, drew more than 10,000 boats and 30,000 guests worldwide to 120 local events. The comprehensive marketing and advertising campaign to support AquaPalooza was developed by the St. Louis-based AVALA Marketing Group.
Source
Suzuki wins life jacket promo award
The award is given to the company that best highlights the importance of life jacket wear in its display at the boat show. It was presented by the Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary, U.S. Power Squadrons, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, the National Marine Manufacturers Association and the National Safe Boating Council.
“We’re continually working to promote and display examples of life jacket and safety gear usage throughout the industry, and manufacturers can really play an important role in sharing this key message,” said Cathy Rick-Joule, NMMA vice president and Southern shows manager, in a statement.
“At Suzuki, we realize that PFDs are as important as the motor on a boat, so it was natural for us to include them in our advertising campaign,” spokesman Dean Corbisier said in a statement. “We feel that it’s our duty to clearly portray the importance of safety gear and to encourage our customers to make life jacket usage a way of life.”
Source
Princecraft Versailles 26WK
First Impressions
Comfort. That’s the first word that popped into out heads when we laid eyes on the Versailles from Princecraft. And the fact that it’s known as the Weekender, we knew we wouldn’t be disappointed when we finally had the chance to try her out. At first glance, we didn’t expect much in the way of performance, but were genuinely surprised that this 26-footer went as fast as she did with a Mercury 75hp four-stroke. It just goes to show you can’t judge a book by its cover.
Consumer Test
The versatility and roominess of this boat will make it difficult to head home when the weekend is over. New features on this year’s model are what make it a true Weekender. The 60-inch rear galley, 12-volt receptacle, built-in cooler with drainage, courtesy light, cutting board and sink with portable water tank help make the time on the water even better. All of this is provided without sacrificing deck space. It also comes standard with a large privacy enclosure to ensure discretion while out on the water.
When choosing optional upgrades, the best feature is the full camping enclosure to keep you comfortable for an overnight stay. The front and rear sections can both be converted into sleeping sections (the bow pull-out sleeper bed conversion is considered an option). There are two separate versions of the camper enclosure. The regular enclosure is a fully enclosed canopy with vinyl windows, and the second adds a privacy kit with zip-up windows and a mid-ship separator that divides the boat into two separate rooms, making it the ultimate family pontoon. Other options include a refreshment table with sliding top and cooler, a chemical toilet and a pedestal-mount gas grill.
Seating on the Weekender won’t deny you any comfort either. The doublewide luxury captain’s chair not only slides forward and backwards, but it also swivels which is new for this year’s model. The sculpted vinyl furniture with the embroidered Princecraft logo offers good support. It is soft and wide, accommodating the shortest to the tallest boater. There is chaise lounge seating up front with plenty of storage under all of the seating.
The sundeck on this pontoon easily accommodates two people with the pop-up privacy enclosure and optional chemical toilet located below.
The fiberglass molded helm console contains a locking glove box and integrated cooler. The classy looking mahogany steering wheel nicely matches the console. The console has a thermoformed wood grain dash panel with lighted switches. For ease, you’ll like the smoked windscreen with a quick release feature. Even though it works well enough in its current design, we did feel there could have been a little more room in relationship between the throttle and chair position.
In every aspect, we were pleasantly surprised with the overall look and feel of this boat.
Inspection Test
Below Deck
Two 25-inch round pontoons, which are made of .080-gauge aluminum, support this pontoon. The pontoons are divided into four airtight chambers and the weld quality receives an excellent rating throughout, with no sharp edges. The nose cones have been redesigned to make them even more hydrodynamic. The Z bracket cross members spacing range from six to 22-inch centers, providing more stability near the transom. In addition, the undercarriage is very clean and the wires are chafe protected and well secured.
Above Deck
The single-walled Rotocast furniture bases offer 23-feet of total seating on this pontoon. Princecraft uses high-density foam and expended marine vinyl to construct this model. The seatback height is 18 inches, which makes for a very comfortable, as well as safe design.
The molded fiberglass helm is well constructed with excellent under the helm wiring and installation quality. The console itself uses well-labeled gauges that are easily readable and the full instrumentation includes both digital and analog gauges. Rail height is an important safety feature, so we really like the 29-inch tall rails in both the fore and the aft sections on this boat. All the gates use the lift and lock design and each are aluminum braced for extra support. Worth noting if you have smaller children, the gates do not have any type of pinch protection on them.
Finish Work
The attention to detail was excellent on this boat. The wiring under the helm was not really accessible, but from what we could see it is well protected. There weren’t any sharp edges or screws to be found and everything was well constructed. The 22-ounce carpet is well applied and the reversed French stitching on the furniture adds nice detail.
Performance Test
Powered by a Mercury 75hp four-stroke, the Versailles 26WK performed better than we expected for a 26-footer. At full throttle we reached a top speed of nearly 22 mph in relatively calm waters. The boat pulled a little to the right but was great coming out of the hole, but it did top out rather quickly. She jumped up on plane in a little over four seconds and then held her speed really well. We experienced no propeller cavitation at all and she leaned nicely in the wide turns.
Overall, the Versailles handled really well and we were impressed with what it could do in the performance department. On an added note, this pontoon can also be equipped with a Princecraft performance package that combines a third pontoon, an under deck spray shield, a hydraulic steering system and lifting strakes, making the boat a high performance recreation machine if desired.
Final Thoughts
The Versailles performs surprisingly well with the smaller outboard. We would have loved to test it with a larger engine to see what more this model could do. From the removable cup holders in the front of the boat to the full camping enclosure, Princecraft did an outstanding job with the additions to this year’s model. It would be a difficult decision at the end of every weekend to decide whether to head back to the real world or spend another day on the water.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Bustin' Down the Door Unhinges In Santa Barbara
During the winter of 2006/2007 Shaun Tomson was on the North Shore, working on a documentary. He had a crew around him a lot of the time, ate at Lele’s a lot and seemed to be having a good time. When anyone asked him what the doco was about, he said, “The seventies.”
At the Pipe Masters that winter, Shaun surfed with Cody Graham, Michael and Derek Ho, Tony Moniz and Dane Kealoha in a Legends Heat, before the final. After the heat, Shaun came into the media area up at the scaffolding to watch the final with John Philbin and Sam George. Shaun had just broken his nose out at Backdoor – the first time he had ever done that – but he was stoked. The final was Cory Lopez, Rob Machado, Andy Irons and Kelly Slater. Pipe was firing both ways, but the goofyfoots were soon a sideshow. This was the Pipe Masters where Kelly Slater and Andy Irons went after each other like naked Celts, and Andy came out on top. During the final, Shaun leaned up against the wood window, watching quietly and smiling to himself. He was jazzed he had done well in the Legends heat, amused he had broken his nose. But there was something else in that smile, as he watched two regularfoots dominate Pipe and put on one of the best finals in the history of surfing.
A little over a year later Shaun unveiled his documentary in Santa Barbara, at the Arlington theater, on a dark and stormy night. The weather was lousy, it was Sunday night, but that didn’t keep hundreds of people from showing up to get a first look at a documentary about three years in the middle 70s that changed surfing forever.
There were more people than tickets, the VIP list got all screwed up, Kelly Slater and the director’s mother barely got their tickets and another couple hundred people nearly busted down the theater doors to see Bustin’ Down the Door.
The crowd was thick by 6:00 and as it got close to 7:00, things were getting a little hectic. And then the faces arrived: The Five or Six Horsemen of the modern surf industry. The Godfathers of performance surfing: Shaun Tomson, Ian Cairns, Peter Townend, Michael Tomson, Rabbit Bartholomew, Mark Richards. They looked good, they looked like rock stars on a reunion tour. They were rock stars. That was one of the points of the documentary.
This is a documentary about an era some call the Free Ride generation. This history of what came out of the southern ocean in the middle 1970s and what they did in Hawaii is gospel to surfers of a certain age. But 30 years later, a generation and a half of surfers have benefited from the performance and professional pioneering of these surfers, and Shaun and others thought this new generation should know the gory details – warts and all.
Bustin’ Down the Door details the blood, sweat and fears of Shaun the Prawn, MR, Mohammed Bugs, Kanga, PT and MT and their small group of merry Australian and South African surfers who took clues from Bowie and Ali and shook up the world with their aggressive surfing in Hawaiian waves – and their aggressive promotion in the surfing media.
On screen, speaking into the camera in Hawaii last winter, Shaun Tomson wonders about his own motivation, why he was so competitive and explains it had something to do with his father losing an arm in a vicious shark attack. Ernest Thompson was a top swimmer with Olympic potential, but the shark attack derailed that ambition. Shaun Tomson’s surfing ambition was considered suspect in South Africa as he was growing up and Tomson believes he traveled to Hawaii in 1974 with everything to prove.
Rabbit comes from a broken home, and he has an emotional moment when he describes having to go out and steal $20 to feed his mother and four sisters.
Mark Richards came from a solid home and a loving mum and pop, but he still had something to prove and his family gave him a year to do it.
The years of living dangerously began in 1974, when all those surfers first came to Hawaii, young, ambitious, unknown. There were only a few contests then and very little room for outsiders. All the surfers had their personal and practical reasons for doing well, and they all make it clear they were willing to die in pursuit of greatness.
Bustin’ Down the Door is narrated by the familiar voice of Edward Norton – following in the footsteps of Jan Michael Vincent and Sean Penn – but the real storytelling is done by the principals along with Reno Abellira, Barry Kanaiaupuni, Bernie Baker, Dan Merkel, Randy Rarick, Fred Hemmings, Eddie Rothman, Clyde Aikau, David Gilovich, Phil Jarratt and other guys who were around at the time, on either side of the conflict or right in the middle of it.
The stories have some moments. The ambition of all these surfers was compressed into one slot in the Smirnoff contest in 1975. They wall wanted it, but Fred Hemmings gave the nod to Mark Richards, who didn’t have the $50 entry fee. PT did have the money and he got a round of applause that bordered on an ovation when he explained how he sacrificed $50 to let MR take a slot they all desperately wanted.
MR then takes up the story, explaining how that Smirnoff was held in enormous surf at Waimea, in conditions that made more than a few surfers question “Dead Ahead Fred” Hemmings’ decisions to run it. MR was jazzed to get fourth in his six-man heat, because that meant he didn’t have to paddle out again at nearly closing out Waimea.
But MR did good at that contest, and while it was one for all and all for one with these renegades, Shaun admits to no small amount of jealousy. They were all fueled by pride and need and 20-something ambition and they came to Hawaii. MR got a foot in the door, and they came back to Hawaii the next winter ready to pillage and plunder.
All of these stories of ambition and wipeouts and great sessions and big dreams lead into the winter of 1975/1976, when the Bronzed Aussies and the South Africans dominated Hawaiian surfing: MR won both Sunset events, and Shaun was the first regularfoot to win the Pipeline Masters.
“If they had just done well and kept quiet, everything would have been great,” Randy Rarick said. But Rabbit and Ian made a near-fatal mistake by mouthing off in the surfing media, claiming dominance over Hawaiian surfing and making a series of agro statements that made the volcanoes grumble.
Rabbit and Ian managed to insult an entire island chain of Hawaiians, and the following winter, the aloha matt was whisked away.
Bustin’ Down the Door doesn’t back down from detailing the truly dangerous reception that Rabbit and Ian received when they went back to Hawaii for the winter of 1976/1977. Rabbit was confronted at Sunset, and threatened and beat up and lost teeth. Ian (and Shaun) reveal they both went to town to buy shotguns. Ian slept with a baseball bat under his pillow, and a loaded shotgun in his car: “I knew that if they ever came after me like that again, I would fight my way to my car and kill one of the bastards,” Ian says. “That is how bad it was.”
Bernie Baker and Randy Rarick give the local haole side of the conflict, while Eddie Rothman in shades explains the origins of Da Hui He’e Nalu Black Shorts, and why the brash trumpeting of the Aussies was such a slap in the face to Hawaiian pride.
Ian and Rabbit prove they were not afraid to die by staying in Hawaii when there were serious threats against them. Rabbit describes as “surreal” being taken by Eddie Aikau to a meeting in a convention hall at a big hotel, where 150 Hawaiian surfers read them the riot act.
Nothing any of these guys did out surfing was as ballsy as staying around Hawaii with an entire island turned against them, and to watch this part of the movie is to understand why Shaun, Rabbit, PT, Ian, Michael Tomson and Rabbit are on the Mount Rushmore of professional surfing and modern surfing.
Bustin’ Down the Door is a professional effort, put together with wit and quality by director Jeremy Gosch. Phil Jarrat wrote the narration and Matt Warshaw did the research.
The soundtrack includes Fame by David Bowie and Paint It Black by the Rolling Stones – both songs perfect placed, and that must have cost some shekelim. The rest of the soundtrack is true to the era – although there was no Robin Trower. At the Arlington, the sound quality managed to mangle even Shaun’s perfect elocution, but for the most part BDTD is a quality effort and makes you wonder why it didn’t premiere at Sundance (where Stacy and Sam are killing it with their gang-doc Made in America.)
The Free Ride era of 1974 – 1976 were the years of living dangerously – by land and sea – and Bustin Down the Door details them beautifully. It’s easy to tell a good story when there is a good story to tell, and Bustin’ Down the Door is going to be an eye-opener to a new generation and a half of surfers who have no clue of what the Founding Fathers went through.
Bustin’ Down the Door ends with Shaun getting emotional about the things he went through then, and the things he went through lately. There is a tribute to Shaun’s son Matthew at the end.
To watch Bustin’ Down the Door is to understand Shaun’s quiet smile at the Pipe Masters last winter, as he watched Kelly and Andy have at each other at perfect Pipe. Shaun was the first regularfoot to win the Pipe Masters, and his influence is still resonating today. Rabbit and PT were the original Coolie Kids, and their offspring are winning world titles and giving Kelly and Andy a run for it.
Shaun lost a son to tragedy, but he has many others out there, all following the path he and his Merry Men blazed 30 years ago, crossing the equator to change the world.
MONSTER PANCHO: Sullivan Wins the Monster Pro at Pipeline
Hawaii's Pancho Sullivan wiped out the opposition to claim his second Monster Energy Pipeline Pro, presented by Billabong, at Backdoor Pipe today in barreling waves of six to eight feet (wave face heights). Posting a perfect 10-point tube ride as well as the highest heat score of the event - 18.75 points out of 20, in the 30-minute final, his three rivals were all left in need of a combination of scores to turn the tables. The win earned Sullivan $7,000 and 875 World Qualifying Series ratings points. Pancho first won this event back in 2005, a result that catapulted him onto the elite ASP World Championship Tour (WCT).
While the waves were not trademark Pipeline by any standards, they allowed Sullivan to prove he’s not just a big-wave power surfer but a threat to contend with in all quality conditions. He had plenty of opportunity to build momentum and show his worth after denying a main round seed and surfing all the way through from the trials here. By the conclusion of today’s final, Sullivan had contested a total of eight heats - more than any other surfer in the event.
An all-Hawaii affair, second and third place went to fellow WCT surfers Fred Patacchia (14.25 points) and Roy Powers (9.1 points) respectively, with Dustin Barca fourth (6.5 points).
"Conditions were super difficult so my plan was just to chip away," said Sullivan. "With the incoming swell the smaller waves offered more open face, so my aim was to get a decent score and build on that. A lot of times it boils down to being lucky and getting the right waves."
On starting from the trials: "There is so much luck involved. I was just fortunate I didn’t get skunked. I was pretty wave-starved in the semi’s. But I was looking forward to getting as many heats as possible under my beld before the WCT starts. This is a great opportunity to prepare and train."
Patacchia was surprised to keep his grip on second place after giving up 20 minutes into the heat once he realized there was no catching Pancho. Fred opted to leave the water and trade in his surfboard for a pink bodyboard, apparently not concerned by the threat of injury or losing money by dropping his position in the heat. When he wiped out heavily on that, he took to bodysurfing the barrel.
"The thought of injury and money didn’t even enter my mind," said Patacchia. "I was all about the win, so once I saw Pancho had it, I was done."
Neither Powers nor Barca managed to secure decent rides in the last 10 minutes of the heat and Patacchia remained at second for $3,500. Powers earned $2,500 and Barca $2,000.
Along with the prize money, 14 wildcards into the coveted Billabong Pipeline Masters next December were on offer to locals in this event. Sullivan, Patacchia and Powers did not need to take up the offer, already guaranteed of a start through their WCT status. Fourth placed Barca will get a start, along with other highly placed surfers in the event including TJ Barron, Marcus Hickman, Makuakai Rothman, Daniel Jones, Jesse Merle-Jones, Nathan Carroll, Ian Walsh, Kekoa Bacalso and Ola Eleogram. (Complete list not available at time of release.)
Eleogram also received the Todd Chesser Sportsmanship Award today, selected for his never-say-die spirit during the event. Eleogram finished equal ninth overall, losing in the quarterfinals.
The highest placed non-Hawaii surfers were Matt Mohagen (CA), Devon Tresher (Florida) and Brazilian Dantas Wiggolly, all of whom placed equal 13th with fourth place quarterfinal finishes. The top Australian finisher was Anthony Walsh, who fell one round short of the quarterfinals for equal 25th place.
The Association of Surfing Professionals now heads to Australia for the start of the World Championship Tour. The next professional event in Hawaii will be next winter.
FINAL RESULTS
1st - $7,000 - Pancho Sullivan (HI) - 18.75 points (10, 8.75)
2nd - $3,500 - Fred Patacchia (HI) - 14.25 (7.75, 6.5)
3rd - $2,500 - Roy Powers (HI) - 9.1 (7.0, 2.1)
4th - $2,000 - Dustin Barca (HI) - 6.5 (4.5, 2.0)
MONSTER ENERGY PRO: Centeio Seizes the Day
After yesterday's smoke had cleared and the blood had dried from the early session losers (wrong word choice here, let's just call 'em "eliminated field") the second morning of the Monster Energy Pipeline Pro seemed not so bad a scene to be a part of. The swell had bent around thru the night to a more proper NW angle, once again coughing up some Off the Wall nuggets and corner pocket lefts and then there was the Pipe, itself. Seems that Backdoor was wanting some company, even with Rainos Hayes’ "voodoo chop" cross-bump along the face.
Pipe was trying its best to scream back into action; problem was the east wind-swell was playing hell with the peak and everyone knows oil and water don't mix, and especially out here.
Some usual suspects have stayed on for a third day (tomorrow?), more than a few of the “specialists” fell victim to that voodoo chop shutting the door or double-lipping the drop. You either walked away laughing like Florida’s Devon Tresher who pulled a perfecto-10 and a backup 8 or you walked in Andy Irons’ shoes and couldn’t find a friendly ‘face’ out there in the line-up if his life depended on it. And it does, when you’re of the champ’s stature cuz that's what he does best for a living. Walking out of the water with a total 2 - and about the same amount of minutes still remaining in the heat, Andy got attacked by a half-dozen autograph hounds who probably were absolutely clueless that he had just gone down about as hard as you can without smacking the reef – and he probably felt like he had gone head-first with that nightmare anti-performance. Anyways, he’ll lick his wounds and re-group for a better day ahead.
On the plus-side, Joel Centeio killed it in his heat, Pancho Sullivan barreled his way into the next galaxy and that’s where this story ends. The day finished like it started, waves every few minutes, a ton of wind chop where you didn’t want it and a draining tide that kept everyone looking down for those rail road tie reef heads that were gurgling just short of the surface.
Hey, it’s Pipe and that’s why we’re all here, hoping and praying that there’s still yet a legit day out there on the horizon. The countdown’s still tickin’, we’re less than a week from the end of the waiting period and someone’s hinting of a minor swell NOT till Superbowl Sunday. And flat to 2’ until then. What’s another 4-letter word for misery with a "!" at the end?
NORTHERN STATE OF BOARDS: 10 Questions w/ M-10 Shaper Geoff Rashe
Santa Cruz's Geoff Rashe crafts high quality surfboards under his "M10" label. Since we sometimes appear SoCal centric in our subject matter, we thought it appropriate to touch base with the man behind the "10" for a quick 10 questions regarding the state of the surfboard industry in NorCal. - Scott Bass
1) The dust has thoroughly settled from the Clark foam closure, from your vantage does the surfboard industry stand on firm ground?
Geoff Rashe: I think the surfboard industry is still a little shaken up after the Clark Foam debacle. The foam supply is certainly not a problem. What is more significant is that the price of surfboards rose to an extreme that is disproportionate to inflation. This has hurt sales for many of us. Most surfers are not rich, and I think the old price structure was a result of balanced market forces. My opinion is that prices must come down for things to return to firm ground.
2) What types of new construction techniques excite you?
The Firewire thing is cool. People seem to either love it or hate it. Those who hate it might just not have ridden the right shape. Their difficulty to make customs for an affordable price will certainly be an impediment. I'm working on an eps board with parabolic stringers and the rails wrapped with bamboo veneer. This is very exciting.
3) Have we come full circle to realize that the polyurethane foam / hand laminate is still as valid or more valid than ever before?
I believe that the hand laminated polyurethane surfboard is a beautiful thing. That's not to detract from anything else, but the shapeability, the flexibility, the dampness, the cost, and the limited water intrusion, make it timeless. I do not think anything better will come along soon that will compete effectively with this classic construction.
4) What type of construction is your bread and butter?
We make polyurethane/epoxy, and eps/epoxy, as the bread and butter, polyurethane/polyester might be the crust, and Tuflite would be the gravy.
5) What is your take on the overseas surfboard both in terms of quality of product and in terms of competition to the US market?
There are a lot of different boards being made all over the world. The Cobra factory in Thailand is probably the most sophisticated factory in the world in terms of technology and cleanliness. Clearly there are a few Australian manufacturers leading the world industry in terms of performance pu's. China is not yet a threat, and might never be. They are mass production oriented, which is the enemy of quality when you are making surfboards. Good surfboards are hard to make, and control gets lost when you try to make too many. A serious factor that limits the competitiveness of the imports is the weak dollar. We tried to import Brazilian eps boards and nearly lost our shirt because of the dollar. Now we make everything here.
6) What is the number one problem facing M10 surfboards?
Our biggest problem is one we all share: a soft economy.
7) What is the the best solution M10 has come to rely on?
Our best solution is to make everything in-house. It gives me the most control over the business and the boards. It also gives me the best contact with my end customers, which results in them getting what they want quickly and more cheaply, and my job not getting outsourced.
8) Would you say that M10 surfboaards is customer oriented, if so what are some examples?
I think being as customer oriented as possible is the key to long term success in this business. I have a DSD shaping machine behind a glass wall where people can see their board get milled before their eyes and pick it up a couple of weeks later. This is right next to the epoxy glass room with almost no resin smell, so they can see boards getting glassed too. This kind of involving of the surfer in the production of their new board will effectively compete with imports.
9) Is there a need for a unification of the USA board building industry, a figure head, someone everyone can rally around to speak for them, or no?
As I said before, good surfboards are very difficult to make when you up the numbers too much. If we keep it small, no one producer can supply everyone. That means we can all coexist to supply the surfing population as artist and craftsmen. Surftech has their niche too. Not enough has been said about how much they have supported shapers like Dale Velzy and Renny Yater who started this whole thing. We need to work together as surfers who build boards out of love of the sport and the craft. The clothing companies and outsiders trying to make a buck should butt out.
I don't think we need a single figurehead to represent us. I think not. Gordon Clark took on that role and I think he was too swayed by self interest. That would probably happen to anyone in that position. But I like Rusty for a pretty objective guy in a high place. He speaks for us more than anyone.
10) Do you see a new breed of young shapers or have we skipped/missed a generation?
The young breed of shapers will be fewer and farther between as time goes on. I'm 38 and I am part of the last generation of shapers who got the opportunity to do production handshaping for sizable board companies. You really need that all-day after all-day of shaping from a blank with a planer to get really good at it. Now all production boards are preshaped by cnc machines. But there are definitely some young guys out there shaping some nice boards. More power to them.
SOUND AND VISION: Check Out Hurley's New Rizal Tanjung Movie
SOUND AND VISION: Check Out Hurley's New Rizal Tanjung Movie
More surfing videos on SurferMag.com
BIG NIGHT, BIG CHARGERS: Paradisis Claims Prize at Oakley Surfing Life Awards
The nation's top big wave surfers were bracing for a long night on the town after Western Australia's Alex "Alfy" Cater took out the coveted Oakley Surfing Life Biggest Wave Award at a gala presentation evening in Sydney’s Bondi.
Cater, who’d been runner-up to last year’s winner Damon Eastaugh, took home $20,000 in cash and a brand new Sea-Doo personal watercraft for his effort, and immediately announced he’d be making good on his pre-night promise to the 11 other ride entrants. “It’ll be my shout tonight now for sure!” Cater says.
His ride, recorded last September at the terrifying deepwater break known as ‘Cow Bombie’ near Margaret River, Western Australia, was estimated at over 14 metres in face height by the judging panel (45 feet in surfer-style imperial measurement).
Cater’s wave barely edged out three other rides recorded on the same day by Queenslander Mark Visser and Hawaiians Jamie Sterling and Ian Walsh, who travelled halfway round the globe to ‘Cow Bombie’ to meet the swells.
Alfy’s reaction? “A sigh of relief really mate,” he says. “Now I can pay the taxman all the money I’ve owed him for the past few years.”
The Award will open doors for him in the growing global big-wave competition field, he says. Big surf competitions are now held in South Africa, Hawaii and California along with these Awards. “It’s something I really want to pursue if I can … I’ve been to Hawaii and California and met a lot of the guys who ride their big spots and I’d love to challenge them.”
The jetski will come in handy too – since not long ago, Alfy and his tow partner Ian “Wooly” McPherson had to abandon their own ski under a massive set of 10-metre waves waves at ‘Cow Bombie’. “The ski conked out about three metres from the worst possible spot… We got three waves on the head and that was it for the ski.”
The fact that they were six kilometres from land at the time barely raises Alfy’s eyebrow – which is a little clue as to the sort of person who takes on surf in this range.
Since being inaugurated five years ago, the Oakley Surfing Life Big Wave Awards have revealed a side of surfing long hidden behind the glittering world pro tour arena – a group of surfers who’ve used their home-grown skills and experience to push the sport’s natural limits, often without much publicity or attention outside their peers and slightly horrified onlookers.
“We’re all pretty rough and ready I suppose but we’re doing this because we love it,” he says. “In a way this Award might change some things for me but it won’t change why I go surfing.”
As for Wooly, who towed him into the Award-winner: “He owns a surf shop and he’s one of my sponsors, so he won’t be seeing the colour of my money!” Alfy laughs.
Best Overall Performance Award for the season went to Tasmania’s Marti Paradisis, who pronounced himself “over the moon” after his series of amazing tube rides at the Apple Isle’s remote Shipstern Bluff reefbreak swept the judging panel’s vote.
“It’s on behalf of all the guys I surf with at ‘Shippies’ and who I know could win this Award too …we’re stoked to have waves in our backyard that are as good as anywhere in the world.”
The Shooter Award for photography went to Jamie Scott for his image of Cater’s winning ride.
See the entries for yourself at http://www.surfinglife.com.au/bigwaveawards.
GETTING NUCLEAR: San Onofre Power Plant Crackdown
Last week, Southern California had a tremendous environmental victory. With an 8-2 vote by the California Coastal Commission opposing the proposed Toll Road, Trestles and the surrounding area received a marvelous new breath of life. A day later, along with countless other happy souls, I received an email from The Surfrider Foundation thanking everyone for their support, and informing those who may have missed the news. One sentence, however, rings incredibly true, and quite relevant considering recent events: “… while the Coastal Commission victory carries huge clout--we must not rest on our laurels!” The author, Stefanie Sekich could not be more right.
Just south of Trestles lies San Onofre, with the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) hurtling forth from terra firma. On January 14th, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued a press release detailing safety lapses at the plant that were nerve wracking to say the least. Among them lay the culprit which finally rousted the NRC to demand changes. As described in their press release, “an investigation by the NRC determined that a fire protection specialist provided inaccurate information about hourly fire watch rounds they were supposed to make while working the midnight shift at the plant from April 2001 to December 2006.” For five years this employee went unchecked, not to mention the worker’s responsibilities.
Which begs the question, How could such a gross refusal of responsibility go unnoticed for so long? San Clemente resident, and owner of local surf shop Icons of Surf, Ken Mockett has his opinion, “I see a disregard for ethics which is a problem that goes from personal to business,” says Mockett. “These employees lacked the ethics to do what they were entrusted to do. They decided they knew better than those who set the standard and therefore shucked their responsibility.”
Mockett has a vested interest in San Onofre. Not only does he live near the plant and surf near the plant, but the boards sold at Icons are also favorites of San O. regulars. From economic to recreational investment in the area, Mockett believes the problem speaks more than simply about the individual employees indicted.
“I would imagine it is a trend of the company they work for. Individual ethics usually are a representation of the company’s corporate ethics. The problem starts at the top and filters downward.”
Mockett raises a good point. As stated by NRC Region IV Administrator Elmo E. Collins, “The NRC depends on a good faith effort of nuclear power plant workers to follow regulations.” While there were other safety precautions in place within the plant to prevent fires, such negligence should not even occur in the first place. The fact that it did occur, and continued to do so for five years unnoticed, speaks volumes about the employee’s superiors. The technology and components utilized in the plant are far too powerful and dangerous for such cavalier action by the SONGS employees. This instance suggests there needs to be more regulation than a “good faith effort.”
When contacted, Scott Burnell, a spokesman for the NRC, commented that “It is important, but as we point out in the press release, there are several other fire protection systems and methods in place, such that the over-all ability of the plant to deal with the fire is not affected. But we certainly do take it very seriously, that any employee would put down a false record of any activity at a plant.” While this is reassuring to hear, such Monday morning quarterbacking should not be necessary.
With the potential for disaster that is inherent with a nuclear power plant, it is evident that a simple “good faith” approach to ensure the safety of the plant, the people, and the environment is not sufficient. While the fire check situation is what finally prompted the NRC to investigate, it is clear that such irresponsible behavior is not atypical. Within the past year the NRC found that, “A radiographer deliberately failed to adhere to the terms of a radiation work permit; a technician willfully failed to control the work activities of an unqualified technician performing work on safety-related equipment, which rendered a safety system inoperable for a short time; and two willful violations have been documented for security-related matters.” Quite an abysmal report card for the old refrigerator.
From possible budget cut beach closures, to watershed crusades, and into nuclear plant regulation, the scope of Sekich’s words becomes remarkably apparent. Southern California beaches continue to have their work cut out for them. According to Burnell, the NRC will be there to help, “NRC’s mission is to ensure that every commercial nuclear power plant, and any facility that uses nuclear materials on the civilian side of things is doing so safely and in a way that is not going to affect the public or the environment.” Riding on the coattails of the Trestles victory, it cannot be argued that surfers are lazy, uninformed, or unmotivated. It’s taken some pretty serious events, but it can safely be said that the Spicoli persona has been put to bed. We got one nice snap off the Trestles victory, now it’s time to rebound and pump like hell to keep this wave going.
Relevant links:
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/news/2008/08-004iv.html
http://www.10news.com/news/15047670/detail.html
NIXON HIGH TIDE HOLD 'EM: Adventure Begins On Day One
So, Day 1 of the Nixon High Tide Hold ‘Em is in the books. Just assembling the crew and getting to the island seems to have been the biggest mission thus far, but then again, once you set foot on Tavarua there’s not much else to worry about. An interesting amalgamation pro surfers, snowboarders, BMXers, industry moguls, movie stars, ultimate fighters, and a few others that I’m probably forgetting are all bringing something unique to this unique event.
As things look right now, it sounds like there’s a bit of swell on tap for the weekend, so that should help feed the froth. Already the crew’s gotten into some fun, head-high surf, and after a solid 16 hours of travel, that’s a good thing. Unfortunately Dusty Payne and Casey Brown’s boards have yet to arrive, but otherwise Cheyne Magnusson, Lelani Hurst, Ricky Whitlock, and Dylan Graves had a field day in the empty Cloudbreak lineup. CJ Kanuha, as expected, has proved to be a constant source of entertainment, dazzling the island workers and guests alike with his enthusiastic story telling.
Also on tap has been a fair bit of fishing. Tito Ortiz, yes, the Tito Ortiz that you’ve seen on The Apprentice and doing battle in the octagon, is leading the charge, reeling in a fair sized trevally. Kanuha and photographer/Tavarua aficionado Tom Servais had some nibbles yesterday, but ended up empty handed. It’s only Day One, and considering how much life is in this ocean, it’s only a matter of time before we’re eating sashimi.
Then there are the other events that the good people at Nixon have planned, most notably a poker tournament, a round-robin ping pong championship, and most importantly a full-on, no holds barred Guitar Hero contest. Stay tuned, as things are certainly going to get interesting.
NIXON HIGH TIDE HOLD 'EM: Getting Acquainted On Day Two
It's pretty damn easy to be cynical about a trip like this. I know I'm just as guilty as anybody. I mean, really, who wants to hear about a bunch of pro surfers and celebrity types hanging out at a plush island resort, living the easy life, surfing perfect waves by day, clinking glasses by night. I know it's the kind of story that never would have sucked me in. But now, after being on Tavarua for the past couple of days with this eclectic crew, I guess it's safe to say that my attitude's changed for the better. It doesn't matter where you are, or what the waves are like, or who's funding the adventure, at the end of the day it's like any surf trip. You have some good laughs, learn a bit about yourself, and learn a lot about the folks you're traveling with.
Take Aamion Goodwin for example, I'm sure you've seen countless pictures of him pulling into pits at Pipe or styling through another Cloudbreak section, but what most people don't realize is the guy's more of a waterman than just about any of us could ever hope to be. This morning I found him out on the deck overlooking Restaurant's building a Fijian sling with an old bike tire, some wire, and a rusted old steel rod. He then proceeded to explain how diving with sharks "isn't that big of a deal, unless their in the middle of a feeding frenzy."
Or Tito Ortiz, he may not be the most avid surfer, but he's a world champion ultimate fighter who overcame more than his fair share of adversity, and I never would have known a thing about him unless we got to hang out on the island. Growing up in Huntington Beach in a fairly dysfunctional household, in high school one teacher had the audacity to tell him he was "never going to amount to shit." His autobiography hits bookstores in June, so I won't spoil the surprise too much, but it is safe to say he very easily could have been a statistic rather than a success story.
Then there's a guy like Bob Hurley. At the tip of the surf industry spear, it would be amazingly easy for him to spend his time on Tavarua engrossed in business decisions or constantly glued to his Blackberry, but watching him around the Fijians and the cast of characters on the island he shows a genuine, heartfelt interest in the lives and pursuits of everybody. Whether talking with Joy Bryant about her latest Hollywood roll in which she plays Martin Laurence's wife, or asking Tito about is training regiment, or telling a joke to a writer from New York who just showed up, he's just one of the boys, nothing more, nothing less, just a surfer stoked to be tripping in the South Pacific.
The point of all this rambling is that surfaries, whether with friends or complete strangers, afford you the opportunity to learn and gain insight into the lives of others. During that down time when the wind is blowing or the tide is too low you get to delve below the surface, find out more than just where somebody's from or what their favorite cocktail is. Throw away all the trappings of the surf industry, the media's portrayal of certain characters, or all the other bullshit that surrounds everyday life, and it becomes so obvious that when you get right down to it, there's really nothing better than a good surf trip.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Tail grab
Tail grab is a semi-advanced kitesurfing technique, which is more complex then the basic techniques but not as complex as, let say, a single back roll or a flat spin one hand back roll. The tail grab technique is good to learn before proceeding to the more advanced tricks since the tail grab element is present in many advanced techniques. Tail grab trick helps the kitesurfer to become more comfortable with handling the kite board stably in the air.
To perform the tail grab technique successfully, the kitesurfer will need to follow the following steps. First of all, the kitesurfer will need to speed up until the necessary speed and power is achieved. Next, the kitesurfer jumps in the air (starts flying). You will need to maintain the stable upright position going forward while you are in the air for the tail grab trick. Small movements are acceptable, but try to be as stable and as upright as you can. Maintaining upright position during the tail grab trick means that your body needs to be positioned almost perpendicular to the water line.
While flying forward when performing the tail grab trick, you will need to grab the back of your kiteboard with the hand that is positioned the backward direction. A right-side tail grab trick and a left-side tail grab trick. A right side tail grab happens when you are going forward with your right hand positioned in the forward direction and your left hand grabbing the back of the kiteboard. A left side tail grab happens when you are going forward with your left hand positioned in the forward direction and your right hand grabbing the back of the kiteboard. A right-side tail grab trick would be easier to perform if you are a right-handed person.
Buying a kite: secondhand or new
Buying a kite is typically a very confusing process, especially if you are a beginner and it is your first kite. There are many possible questions, like size and number of lines. However, the question “buying a kite: secondhand or new?” is one of the most important ones. Answer to this question - “buying a kite: secondhand or new?” - is usually your personal preference. Both secondhand and new kites have their advantages and disadvantages.
There are several advices that may be useful to you deciding on what to choose when buying a kite: secondhand or new. The new kites offer you the latest and the best kite designs and features, and offer you all the typical advantages of buying the new merchandise. Experienced kitesurfers, when deciding on what to choose when buying a kite, are usually buying new kites, since the improvements and development offered with the new and later model kites offer more rapid turning, superior and higher jumping, extra hang time, added wind range and improved stability. However, there is one big disadvantage in buying a new kite. This disadvantage is the high price that is being asked for the new kites.
Beginner kitesurfers, when deciding on what to choose when buying a kite: secondhand or new, are advised to purchase a secondhand kite. There are several advantages in buying a secondhand kite. As a beginner, during your practice, you will be crashing your kite many times. That will result in many damages to your kite. That is the reason why you shouldn’t pay the expensive price of the new kite, since you might damage it anyway.
If you are deciding on what to choose when buying a kite: secondhand or new, and you go with the secondhand kite, you will be able to save a lot of money. If the secondhand kite model is currently still in production, you can save up to the third of the new kite price. If the secondhand kite model is no longer in production, you can save up to 50 percent of the new kite price. However, before purchasing a secondhand kite, you should check the kite for any leaks or worn out material.
Light air kitesurfing
Kitesurfing is a very popular sport but sometimes the weather conditions for the kitesurfing are not perfect. The distances to the best kitesurfing locations may also be large. In many cases you, as a kitesurfer may be searching for the alternative location with not perfect weather conditions. For example, if you find a location where the winds are not that strong, you can still kitesurf. The only thing that you will have to do is to use the light air kitesurfing techniques. Light air kitesurfing is not hard and can be as enjoyable as the regular or heavy air kitesurfing. Below we will provide some information about light air kitesurfing.
Light air kitesurfing means kitesurfing in very slight wind, with speed as low as five knots. You can be kitesurfing at any speed, as long as you can take off and fly your kite. This is possible because the heaviness of the kite is minimal when it is flying. It is advised that you just use a bigger kite and a bigger board. The bigger is your kite and the larger is the surface of the board, the lower is the wind necessary for kitesurfing. You should try to use a lighter kite for smaller wind when you are participating in a light air kitesurfing. Also try to use long lines, use a more rapidly turning and flying kite and try to stay in the air while light air kitesurfing. Also, light air kitesurfing is much easier in flat water.
The following techniques can also be very helpful for you if you are interested in light air kitesurfing. For example, when you are trying to turn your kite while light air kitesurfing, turn it powerfully. Also try to use the whole wind window to produce power, especially if you are underpowered. It is very useful for light air kitesurfing to keep the board and the kite as steady and stable as it is possible. With light air kitesurfing a kitesurfer can also jump: it is necessary to use the onward speed momentum of the board and go as rapid as you can prior to the jump.
Kitesurfing lifeguard training
Everyone knows that kitesurfing is a dangerous sport and it is necessary to have someone who can help a kitesurfer when he or she is in trouble. The people who can really help usually went through so type of kitesurfing lifeguard training. Kitesurfing lifeguard training is very helpful not only to lifeguard but to regular kitesurfers to. The reason for that is the fact that a lifeguard may not be around when someone is in trouble and someone else may need to provide assistance. Kitesurfing lifeguard training consists of learning many different techniques related both to kitesurfing and first care providing.
First of all, kitesurfing lifeguard training should teach a prospective lifeguard the basics and even advanced techniques of kitesurfing. The lifeguard should be a kitesurfer himself or herself. Kitesurfing lifeguard training should include the study of such techniques as kite control, feeling the power of the kite, on land training, flying the traction kite and many others. A lot of practice will be necessary because the lifeguard my need to perform very advanced techniques in very dangerous conditions. Another important aspect that will be taught through the kitesurfing lifeguard training is the knowledge of international kitesurfing hand signals, including the distress signals. A lifeguard should be able to see if someone is in trouble and tries to communicate will others.
Kitesurfing lifeguard training also includes the study of the correct methods for assisting a downed kitesurfer who requires help or assistance. This kitesurfing lifeguard training part includes such techniques as rescue procedure. It is usually common that people that already have the standard lifeguard license participate at the kitesurfing lifeguard training. However, if you are not yet a lifeguard, you will be taught the standard lifeguard rescue techniques. Proper rescue techniques are a part of the kitesurfing lifeguard training because a lifeguard should be able to assist a kitesurfer with possible medical problems when a kitesurfer is brought on shore.
The more kitesurfers participate in kitesurfing lifeguard training, the safer the kitesurfing sport will be. One of the reasons for that is the fact that people who went through the kitesurfing lifeguard training will be more careful while kitesurfing, in addition to being able to assist others.
Where can I find a good kitesurfing board
As you can imagine, your kitesurfing board is just as important as any other piece of equipment. If you do not have the right board, you'll find it more difficult to do maneuver the way you'd like to - and if you're just starting out, you might find yourself having trouble learning all the right kitesurfing techniques.
Of course, the easiest way to find a kitesurfing board would be to look for one of the many kitesurfing shops that have started up. These stores should help you find a board as well as some of the other equipment that you're going to need in order to go kitesurfing. One problem, however, is that since this is a relatively new sport, it's possible that you won't be able to find a kitesurfing store near you. As a result, you may have to order from one of these stores online.
Another way to find a good board would be to go to any nearby water sport stores. These should have a lot of different equipment that you can use for several different water sports, including kitesurfing, wakeboarding, and windsurfing. Usually, you will also be able to find somebody who works in the store who is also willing to help you find exactly what you're looking for.
This is not the only way that you can get good advice, however. If you live near a popular kitesurfing location, then you should go down there some time. By talking to the people who are already involved in the sport, you should be able to find out which brands and types of board are the best for kitesurfing. You can also ask a kitesurfing instructor - they should have a good idea as to which boards are best for beginners.
You may be able to use a wakeboard to go kitesurfing if you are just starting out. However, if you want to find the best board for kitesurfing, you should get one that has been specifically designed for this sport. That way, the design and size of your board will be perfectly suited to the sport that you're going to be participating in.
Where can I go kitesurfing
Kitesurfing started on the east coast of the United States during the very end of the 1990's. However, this is not the only place where you can do kitesurfing today. In fact, kitesurfing has spread to a large number of different places all around the world. There are even organizations devoted to the sports in places like Australia and the United Kingdom.
If you're looking for somewhere to participate in kitesurfing, then you should probably look for a body of water where windsurfing is particularly popular. This should allow you to find some other kitesurfers. A good location for this would be somewhere where you can count on there being enough wind to keep the kite aloft - though you do not need nearly as much wind as you would if you were going to go windsurfing.
There are also websites where you can find a list of beaches that are particularly good for kitesurfing. If you're not sure whether or not your chosen location will be safe, then you should check with one of the several kitesurfing organizations that have started around the world. The most important thing to keep in mind when choosing a location is whether or not it will be safe - then you should worry about the wind conditions.
If you have never been kitesurfing before, then it is recommended that you do not try to teach yourself how to do it. While a few highly skilled windsurfers may be able to learn it on their own, it can be dangerous to try any extreme sport that you are unfamiliar with unless you get proper training.
There are several locations where you can learn how to kitesurf. One of the best ways to find somebody near where you live is to go to the nearest kitesurfing location and ask there.
You can also check in the phone book, or look online to see if there are any windsurfing schools that teach kitesurfing as well. If you do not have any windsurfing experience, then you should think about learning that sport first - that way you'll find it much easier to learn kitesurfing.
Where can I go on kitesurfing vacation
If you've been kitesurfing for a while, you might find yourself getting tired of kitesurfing in the same place over and over. After all, different locations will have different conditions - which could mean a nice challenge, or at least a break from the ordinary. Therefore, if you've been kitesurfing for a while, and you're starting to find your favorite beach a little bit boring, you might want to think about traveling to another location in order to go kitesurfing.
There are several different places around the world where kitesurfing is particularly popular. By finding a local kitesurfing club in that area, you should be able to get all the information you need in order to find out where the best places to kitesurf are. One thing to remember if you're kitesurfing in another country, however, is that you should always ask about the conditions at your new beach before you go in.
For instance, you can definitely go kitesurfing in Australia. If you're thinking of doing that, then you should look up the AKSA - or the Australian KiteSurfing Association. This group will be able to give you all the information you need about kitesurfing in Australia. Something to consider when doing any water activity in Australia, however, is that the waters surrounding this country can be very dangerous. Always make sure that you pay attention to jellyfish or shark warnings.
Hawaii is also a popular kitesurfing location. If you're looking for a good place to kitesurf while on vacation, you should think about going to this state. One thing to keep in mind is that while Oahu is where most tourists go, there are several other islands. Some of the less populated islands, like Maui or Kawaii will probably have more room for you to go kitesurfing.
These are not the only places where you can go kitesurfing around the world. Pretty much every country that has a lot of coastline and great beaches has a kitesurfing organization - and you can even go kitesurfing on some large lakes. Just make sure that you look up as much information as you can before you go there, and have fun!
Kitesurfing dangers
As you can imagine, even though kitesurfing is a very fun sport and a lot of work has been done to make it as safe as possible, there are still some dangers associated with it. As a result, before you start kitesurfing, you should do what you can in order to make sure that you know what the dangers are before you start kitesurfing.
Also, you should always keep in mind that kitesurfing is considered to be an extreme sport for a reason. Therefore, if you're going to try it out, you should always be careful, and make sure that you get the proper training and have the right equipment. By staying careful, you should be ready for any dangerous situations that might come up.
First of all, since kitesurfing is a water sport, you should make sure that you're ready in case there are any water-related emergencies. You should always know ahead of time which animals in the area are dangerous to swimmers and surfers - for instance, kitesurfing in Australia should mean that you pay attention to jellyfish warnings.
You need to make sure that you pay attention to changing water conditions, as well. Depending on where you are kitesurfing, there will be different tides, which can be dangerous if you're not prepared.
While you can always check weather advisories, you should always pay attention to the weather while you are on the beach. Wind conditions have a tendency to change fairly regularly, so you always need to be aware of what is going on around you - this is far more important for kitesurfing than other water sports, since what happens to your kite can have a major effect on whether or not you'll be able to maneuver properly.
A good way to make sure that you are as safe as possible is to practice your kitesurfing techniques regularly. The more experienced you are, then the easier it will be for you to deal with any emergency situations that might pop up.
While kitesurfing does have some dangers associated with it, however, people who practice the sport carefully, and who pay attention to the conditions where they are kitesurfing should be safe.
WakeLife Episode 63
This week on WakeLife we have an exclusive interview with Liquid Malisha front man Ben Tolsen as we chat to him about the rise of the popular clothing brand, his railjams, dvd's and pro riding history.
We head to Paynesville in Victoria for some boating tips and hook up with some young grommies riding the local waterways.
Travis Osborne joins us once again with somevaluable tips on hitting rails.
And finally some great exercise techniques to use before you get out on the water to help you avoid injury.
Channel 31 Airing times:
Sydney: Saturday 7pm, Wednesday 5pm
Melbourne: Thursday 8.30pm, Wednesday 4.00pm,
Brisbane: 8pm Thursday 7pm Saturdays
Perth: Tuesday 6pm and 10.30am
Adelaide: Tuesday 7pm and Friday 3.30pm
Catch WakeLife daily on the net at www.bigpondsport.com broadcasting at the following timeslots......
Monday’s – 8pm
Tues’ – 9pm
Wed’s – 2pm
Thurs – 8pm
Fri – 10am
Sat – 11am
Sun – 2pm
Win an ALL EXPENSES PAID weekend away for you and your Best Mate with Liquid Malisha
Want to come and hang out with the team from Liquid Malisha for the weekend?
Well its going to be pretty easy.
All you have to do is spend $80 on selected Liquid Malisha products
to go into the draw, for you and your best mate to win an all expenses paid weekend away with Liquid Malisha.
See poster for more details or go to www.liquidmalisha.com
Supra to Tow Australian Wakeboard Nationals for the next 5 Years
With the best riders in the country invited NSW is gearing up to host of the 2008 Nationals from the 2nd to 5th of April at Windsor, Powerboat Club for the largest Wakeboard event in Australia. In a sponsorship agreement between wakeboard Australia, Supra Boats Teams up with Sponsorship Partners Ocean and Earth, Redbull and ewake.com.au in a 5 year commitment to boost the event to largest wakeboarding contest in the country.
Read More >>>Dean Smith takes the win at the 2nd stop of the King Of Winc
Dean Smith takes the win at the 2nd stop of the King Of Winch tour held at the Melbourne International Boat & Lifestyle show on the weekend.
Dean was firing all day with huge tricks over the Urban Rider fun box. Tranferring three’s, five’s, and almost riding away from a seven. Ike was the most consistant rider all day, pushing everyone to the limits and coming in a close 2nd and in 3rd position Daniel Watkins who admits he was a bit off his game on the day.
With one of the biggest media turnouts for a wakeboard rail jam this country has ever seen, the pro wakeboarders certainly had a fun day on Friday. Ike, Daniel, Smeele, Roker turned it on for ch 10 with sports tonight, the news and even Totally Wild kids TV show covering all the action.
Saturday morning saw the Priestly brothers picking up a 3rd place in the first two finals behind ike and inform Dean Smith. In the 3rd final it was ike, dw and roker bringing in third with some gutsy moves.
Stop 3 is to be held at the Daniel Watkins déjà vu store on the Gold Coast next month. With Dean just holding out DW and Ike for the King Of Winch Title, it is set to be a huge weekend.
Special thanks to our sponsors; Reef, Daniel Watkins déjà vu, Hot Tuna, Boarder Magazine, WakeLife TV, Foxico, Obrien, The LiquidCircus, WWAA and Urban Rider.
Final results for the King Of Winch Stop 2;
1st – Dean Smith
2nd – Ike
3rd – Daniel Watkins
King Of Winch Tour Standings;
1st – Dean
2nd – DW
3rd – Ike
4th – Roker
Ladies come and ride with Amber Wing and Hayley Smith
Come be apart of a totally free women’s wakeboard demo day on February, Saturday 23rd just south of Sydney City.
Try out some of the latest in wakeboards and bindings from Liquid Force and Ronix with guidance from Amber Wing and Hayley Smith.
Sessions will run every hour with four spots available for each session.
Come with your friends or meet some new girls to ride with, guys are welcome to ride, though the ladies will be given first preference.
It doesn’t matter what level of rider or what age you are, this is a day for everybody.
We will be running from St George Rowing club (next to Sydney international airport) where we will have a table reserved if you want to have lunch or just hang out.
Spots are limited so please book your preferred session time with us, or for more information Call (02) 9540 1811 or email info@wing.com.au
WakeLife Episode 64
This week on WakeLife we head to the Hawksbury River once again to catch up with brother and sister dynamic duo Dean and Hayley Smith. We take Dean out of the water and onto the go cart track for some racing against the Liquid Malisha crew and Hayley gets served some interesting personal Q&A's about her brother Dean.
Mick Watkins and Travis Osborne visit the Mulwala Freestyle Sports Expo to check out a world first from the Aussie wakeboarders, featuring riders such as Daniel Watkins, Brett Eisenhauer, Chris O'Shea, Matt Wilkings and Chris Kallas.
Channel 31 Airing times:
Sydney: Saturday 7pm, Wednesday 5pm
Melbourne: Thursday 8.30pm, Wednesday 4.00pm,
Brisbane: 8pm Thursday 7pm Saturdays
Perth: Tuesday 6pm and 10.30am
Adelaide: Tuesday 7pm and Friday 3.30pm
West Oz Wakeboarding – Come & Ride Practice Day
This Saturday 16th February at Burswood Water Sport Centre (in front of the Casino) from 8:30 am onwards, please be early as the wind may be in by lunchtime.
In preparation for Round 5 of this seasons competition all riders are welcome to come and have a practice ride behind the Nautique 210 that will be towing the round of the comp at Bonney’s on Sunday 9th March.
Membership and Registration forms will be available on the day.
New members welcome.
Any potential boat purchasers are more than welcome to come down and view the boat in action, or give Greg Thompson at Unleashed a call on 0404 834 094.
New - West Oz Wakeboarding website up and running www.westozwakeboarding.com
Please feel free to contact
Slim 0413 755 697
for more information.
New boat: e33
With all the new, classically inspired daysailers and weekend cruisers in the 30-foot and above category now available, sailors shopping for such a design have a number of choices to choose from, including the simple but elegant Alerion 33 reviewed in this month’s Boat Test (page 48). The e33, however, has several smart design features that make it well worth a closer look. With its overhangs, gentle sheer and unimposing square cabintrunk, the e33 may, at first glance, look like any other imitation classic, but this boat was built to perform, and perform without taxing the skipper or crew.
A large-roach main on a fractional rig will provide plenty of horsepower to this narrow and light, 5,900-pound displacement hull. Yet, a peek inside the expansive cockpit reveals a boat centered around ergonomics and ease of use. Lines are led to a centerline pod in the cockpit in reach of the helmsman. This pod also makes an ideal foot brace when heeled. Other clever design features include a dogleg-shaped tiller that allows the traveler to be positioned aft of the helm, directly over the rudderpost. Sails, meanwhile, are controlled by Etchells-inspired macro and micro tuning arrangements that eliminate the need for winches.
Living certainly will be easy in this cockpit. With 16-foot seats, there’s plenty of space to stretch out on, and there’s even a spacious aft deck for those wanting to escape the action. Should you not wish to return to port at the end of the day, belowdecks is a small forward V-berth, enclosed head and opposing settees.
The e33 is the combined effort of veteran racer and sailmaker Robbie Doyle and designer Jeremy Wurmfeld. Included in the base price is the Doyle mainsail and headsail, as well as a 14-horsepower inboard Yanmar with saildrive.
New boat: O’pen Bic
There are lots of training dinghies that are said to be for kids–that holy grail of trainers that fall in the elusive area between an Optimist and a Laser or 420–that are really for their parents. Sure, parents tell themselves they’re buying it for the kids (or the whole family), but when it comes down to it, they really picture themselves planing along. Then they get the dinghy home, climb in with their son or daughter (or, god forbid, both), and somehow it’s just not as exciting as it looked in the pictures.
There won’t be that temptation with the O’pen Bic. Sure it looks like a blast in the photos, but once you see it in person, any normal-sized adult will realize this boat is not one to fight the kids for. At 9 feet long, the high-tech plastic (technically thermoformed polyethylene) hull is nearly flat—great for planing but not great for cramming in with the family. The cockpit is entirely self-draining and convenient built-in handholds make the 42-pound hull a cinch to carry. Shaped foils add to the performance of this little speedster.
Perhaps the best thing about the O’pen Bic is the fact that it steps up with a growing sailor. The hull works with an Optimist rig, allowing young sailors to slowly transition to the boat so they get comfortable with it before they move onto the next stage in the boat’s progression. Once sailors have mastered the Opti-rig set-up, the O’pen fiberglass and epoxy mast and aluminum boom with a windsurferlike sail steps up the fun another notch. In fact, the only “problem” kids might find with this set-up is that they find themselves having so much fun they won’t want to move onto Lasers and 420s.
With a class association in the works, the O’pen Bic could be around for awhile. But parents, please, let the kids have the fun.
A Terrible Mistake
3 sailors die when J/35 crashes into Chicago breakwall during man overboard rescue
Three sailors died and a fourth crewmember was treated for hypothermia when the J/35 they were on smashed into a breakwall during a man overboard rescue in Chicago, Illinois, October 24.
The accident happened at about 8:15 p.m. near the end of a short trip to a local boatyard for the winter.
Killed were the boat’s owner John Finn, 45, Alexander Childers, 38, and Adam Kronen, 33. Another crewmember, Joseph Sunshine, 34, was treated at an area hospital. Three were wearing Type I vest-style life jackets and another wore a properly functioning self-inflating jacket. They were not wearing harnesses.
The foursome left aboard the 35-foot Jason earlier in the evening from Columbia Yacht Club in downtown Chicago in rough conditions to take the boat south to Crowley’s Yacht Yard up the Calumet River about 12 nautical miles away. A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration buoy in the middle of southern Lake Michigan reported north winds from 21 to 30 knots and waves seven to nine feet high at the time of the ill-fated delivery.
A couple hours later, Finn and his crew attempted to take down the only sail they had set—a No. 3 jib—outside of Calumet Harbor near the southern end of the breakwall, instead of entering a gap at the northern end of the harbor or tucking in around the south end of the wall to douse the sail. Childers was on deck pulling the jib down when he fell overboard, said Petty Officer Michael Arnold of U.S. Coast Guard Station Calumet Harbor, who coordinated the rescue. Finn immediately turned the boat to rescue Childers, and the crew called the Coast Guard.
The crew was able to reach Childers, but did not get him back on board, Arnold said, based on an interview with survivor Sunshine.
“They were able to recover the guy enough to latch back onto him, but then they started having problems with the sea state,” Arnold said. “The winds were pushing them into the breakwater and they had the engine on full power but it was not enough.” He estimated the waves at 10 to 12 feet high as they rebounded from the breakwall.
The Coast Guard arrived at the breakwall within five minutes of receiving the call, Arnold said.
“However, they gave us a wrong location at first that put us at the other end of the breakwall from where they were. It probably took us another five to eight minutes to get to the other end,” he said.
A nearby tug helped the Coast Guard locate where Jason and her crew had been.
When the Coast Guard arrived there was no wreckage in the area. “They had a hard time finding the guys,” Arnold said. “Eventually they just happened to get them in the spotlight up on the wall.”
It was about 45 minutes from the time of the man overboard radio call to when the Coast Guard spotted the men on the wall, he said. The water temperature was 54 degrees, according to Arnold.
All four sailors were close to each other on the riprap, and the Coast Guard was able to retrieve the men by dropping rescuers off on the wave-washed breakwall from the harbor side. They were taken to nearby hospitals where Finn, Childers and Kronen were pronounced dead. The medical examiner has ruled the deaths accidental drownings, but autopsies were not to be completed for several weeks, said Detective Sgt. Guy Wendorf of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, which is investigating the accident. A routine toxicology report will included in the autopsy.
Mitchell Weisman left Columbia Y.C. aboard his Peterson 34 Snafu about the same time Finn did on the 24th. He was also taking his boat to Crowley’s Yard Yacht, where he works, for winter storage.
“I didn’t feel it was dangerous out there,” Weisman said. “It was a pleasure sail for us; a beautiful fall sail with the full moon. The boats were not overpowered.”
Weisman said his crew were wearing life jackets and harnesses tethered to jacklines.
Weisman said he had Jason in sight for most of the trip, but passed him when Finn left a wider berth around a shoal. He said he believed there was no GPS or chartplotter on board Jason.
“There’s only one spot on that trip that was dangerous—going through the breakwall into the harbor where the seas are very confused,” Weisman said. “When I went through there I wanted the crew sitting low in the cockpit because I knew that if you lose someone overboard there you might not be able to get them back.”
Snafu was already up the river when her crew heard the Jason crew’s panicked man overboard call and heard the Coast Guard responding, he said. “Minutes later we heard them say, ‘We’ve hit the rocks.’”
Finn co-owned a J/30 for several years prior to buying Jason about five years ago. In past years he sailed in the Chicago to Mackinac Race, Chicago NOOD Regatta and other highly competitive races. This year the boat primarily sailed in Columbia Y.C.’s Wednesday night series, in which Finn often offered to take out beginner sailors to get them interested in the sport, Columbia Y.C. Commodore Gary Hooper said.
Hooper was eating dinner at the yacht club where Finn had been a member since 2002 and saw Jason head out, then come back a short time later. Hooper said he didn’t see when Finn left again.
Grant Crowley, owner of the boatyard where Jason was headed, said Finn had called earlier in the day to say he was bringing his boat down. The majority of his winter storage clients bring their boats during the first three weeks of October, although boats are allowed to remain in Chicago harbors until October 31 before owners must pay a late fee, he said.
The DNR’s Wendorf said wreckage from the boat, some of which washed up on a nearby beach in days following the accident, will be examined and the wreck area would be searched by divers as part of the investigation. A complete report was not expected for weeks, he said.
Sailors and the Coast Guard said there are lessons to be learned from the tragedy. Weisman said the combination of Finn’s decision not to take the sail down inside the harbor, coupled with Childers’ lack of a harness were disastrous.
“When you’re on a sailboat, the worst thing you can do is take your sails down,” he said. “People panic and rather than shorten sail they take them down. You need your sails for steerage and to make the ride more comfortable.
“I’m really upset about this. Three people died because first, someone went forward without a harness, and second, why would you take your sails down there in the first place?
“Someone made a terrible mistake.”
Arnold, of the Coast Guard, said the importance of wearing life jackets is demonstrated even in tragedies such as this.
“All four of them had life jackets on, and that’s what allowed us to pull them out of the water,” he said. “If they hadn’t had them on we wouldn’t have recovered anyone. At least we were able to recover their bodies for the families.”
SAILING Magazine
SAILING Magazine---it’s “the Big one,” people say. It’s full of beautiful pictures and instructive material on all aspects of sailing. SAILING, founded in 1966 by an avid Great Lakes sailor, is the sailor’s magazine.
SAILING is a national magazine that is set apart from its competition by its oversize pages and fresh, honest reporting. The magazine is meant for sailors who, above all else, are interested in sailing, reading about it, and enjoying it through the many pictures and incisive text.
While SAILING has a reputation as the big, beautiful one, once again it is set apart from its peers, by its many columns on design (from yacht designer Bob Perry), boat tests (largest boat tests done by U.S. magazines), elaborate monthly departments on gear and its fast-growing technology, on sailing technique, and on sailing news, as well as hard-hitting expressions of opinion by publisher-editor Bill Schanen and columnists Red Marston and Chris Caswell.
This is the sailor’s magazine.
Each issue brings you a wealth of information from every corner of the sport.
Subscribe to SAILING.
Source
No Joke
Stories beginning with "an Irish lawyer and two doctors" often have a funny punch line a few seconds later. This one doesn't.
The BBC is reporting that John Thompson, a lawyer from Northern Ireland, was critically injured aboard his Oyster 41 Avocet during the ARC Rally after the boom hit him in the head. Mr. Thompson was transferred from the sailboat to a cruise ship with two doctors aboard. He was then taken ashore at Barbados.
"He suffered a serious head injury to the left hand side of his face after being hit by the boom when a storm blew up as they neared St Lucia on Friday," the BBC reports here. Latest news says that Thompson has been moved out of intensive care and is now stable.
Remember, folks: It's called a boom for a reason. And getting hit by it is no joke.
It is Green, but is it a Sailboat
The first new cargo ship to harness wind power in over a century was launched last week in Germany. The 132-meter Beluga SkySails is in part propelled by a huge kite designed to catch winds up to 1,000 feet above the ocean's surface.
The kites, made by SkySails, have a surface area of up to 320 square meters and are computer-controlled and attached to a mast near the ship's bow. (For reference, back in my windurfing days when I lived in a place with fairly consistent 15 to 20 knot winds, the largest sail I owned had six square meters of surface area.) Wind above the ocean is also considerably stronger.
SkySails computes that a ship‘s fuel costs can be reduced by 10 to 35 percent on annual average, depending on wind conditions.
"Under optimal wind conditions, fuel consumption can temporarily be reduced by up to 50 (percent)," the company claims. "Even on a small, 87 metre cargo ship, savings of up to 280,000 euros can be made annually." Calculating a conservative 20 percent cut, that is a fuel savings of $1,600 per day.
That fuel savings will also reduce carbon dioxide emissions by a similar amount, according to the designers. One of the ship's developers says that the shipping industry emits 800 million tons of carbon dioxide per year, and that number will rise to over 1 billion tons in five years. Carbon dioxide has been blamed for climate change.
The maiden voyage of the cargo ship Beluga SkySails is scheduled for early January, 2008 across the Atlantic to Venezuela. In addition to cargo vessels, SkySails also plans to make kite systems for superyachts and fish trawlers.
There has been a lot of hype in the sailing press saying that SkySails is ushering in a new "Age of Sail" in shipping and boating. So now, a question for all you sailors out there: Is Beluga SkySails a sailboat? Please leave your comments below.
