Why I'm into longboards

[Guest]

A bit to catch up with there *people;
http://www.kona-windsurfing.com/files/kona-dealerbook-EN-low.pdf

[James]

Whoa! My original post has appeared as an article in the Exocet Newspaper. http://www.exocet-original.com/ If I had known it would end up there maybe I would have written it better. Ha ha. I hope this doesn't tick-off the starboard folks.

[crazychemical]

wicked! None of us quoted :d:d ? (we're all so vain)

Cheers James

[pierrec45]

Look at some of the clips under

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=pierrec45

or if you prefer quality (youtube sucks) :
http://www.zapiks.com/profil/pierrec45/

I'm an Aussie wave sailor, who's temporarily living in some Godforsaken, land-locked place in North America. I consider 95% of boardsailors don't live within cohees of the warm waves of Hawaii, Bali and Sydney (home). In them's lakes and rivers and coastal waterways, wind is flaky and seasonal, wind chop is not jumpable.

I sail and freestyle longboards 'coz it keeps me fit. I don't use a harness so endurance. As you can see on videos, I push as much as I pull, so biceps and triceps. Dorsal and abdomen. Probably trapeze and deltoids, if I knew which is which.

It's cheap - the board in those clips cost me $25 - not a joke - in a garage sale. I sail that old gear from about 15 km/h to about 30 km/h. Yes, low wind is less eventful, but with freestyle I find things to do and shins to crack. I can prepare higher wind moves. Lotsa sailors just sit on the side, wait that the wind picks up all day, and trade incredible (really) war stories - I sail. I don't need a windmeter device to know which sail I'm gonna use, as I have only this one.

That kind of freestyle can be done on so many boards, Starboards, Konas, many non-rail moves are on shorties (110L), and so on. And once on a closet door.

When I do return in Australia, I'll be in the waves and then will carry more, fancier, more expensive equipment. I'll still have a longy to fart around for the rare low-wind days.

Cheers all,
PC.

been in this sport since 1982 since my 1st board the original twin finned "windsurfer rocket 99" .
all this talk about longboards is great but there been many out there stating its a "kona windsurfing revolution".
I laught at this statement , for the most part the kona is no different then the original equipes MK I , and fanatic mega cats of old.
but hey if the hype gets more into the sport , the more power to it.

There always has been long boards always will be, lets call it a "re-revolution".

look for these oldy goldies as these old longboards live on in the sporting good for sale section of the newspapers under old cottage decks or in damp basements.

the real windsurfing revolution has been the WIDE BOARD.

there is NO substitute , the WIDE BOARD IMHO has absolutley revolutionized the sport. If this wide board concept had been around when windsurfing was running full tilt i would think that the state of inudustry and the numbers of sailors out there would NOT have dropped off so dramatically .


shredulato

[pierrec45]

> the real windsurfing revolution has been the WIDE BOARD.
> there is NO substitute , the WIDE BOARD IMHO has absolutley
> revolutionized the sport.

Surely you must mean technically, and nothing else. I don't see more influx because of it, and this, in spite of many people learning on those boards. Newbies still come and go.

Anyways, those end up taking up the sport, wide boards or not, end up with the quiver within very few years, and the Tupperware sailing, then drop the sport 'coz either it's too expensive or they see no return for it - sail port then starboard and so on.

In terms of promoting the sport and keeping people happy, I don't see it.

Those who stick to the sport, then as in now, are those who sail for fun, regardless of equipment. The pleasure we get out of it is a personal choice, not a function of the board of the day or the conditions of the moment.

I read somewhere that a new website dedicated to longboards is about to be launched.
www.lbwindsurfing.com.

I think longboards are coming back to seek revenge on Formula.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

been in this sport since 1982 since my 1st board the original twin finned "windsurfer rocket 99" .
all this talk about longboards is great but there been many out there stating its a "kona windsurfing revolution".
I laught at this statement , for the most part the kona is no different then the original equipes MK I , and fanatic mega cats of old.
but hey if the hype gets more into the sport , the more power to it.

There always has been long boards always will be, lets call it a "re-revolution".

look for these oldy goldies as these old longboards live on in the sporting good for sale section of the newspapers under old cottage decks or in damp basements.

the real windsurfing revolution has been the WIDE BOARD.

there is NO substitute , the WIDE BOARD IMHO has absolutley revolutionized the sport. If this wide board concept had been around when windsurfing was running full tilt i would think that the state of inudustry and the numbers of sailors out there would NOT have dropped off so dramatically .


shredulato

I've not heard of the "Kona revolution". It IS a distinctly different type of board from an Equipe or another Raceboard; it's simpler (but still very challenging) to sail in some ways but more versatile in others.

You're right, the Wideboard is very important and kicks @ss a lot of the time. But for the sort of sailing many people do, a longboard is as good or better in a lot of ways. I normally sail somewhere that's probably pretty typical of many places around the world. A wideboard like a FW in the top 10% or world-class RSX sailors just aren't as fast or versatile as a longboard most of the time in such conditions.

They're all good - the only bad thing is abusing other sailors and their gear.

[pierrec45]

> Longboard site

Wow, that must be Australian, as it's the only place that still makes those.

I would contribute to such a site for the good of the sport, just as I would contribute to shorties sites and wave jumping video site if I had anything to contribute. It's the sport that matters, not the equipment you're on.

> they're all good

You're right: it's what the person makes of it. Frankly, nowadays I see people sailing with old gear and average skills having more fun than those with modern and numerous gear, sitting on the beach bitching that they're too good for the wind at hand.

Let people be and have their fun.

[crazychemical]

Well, just to show you how lonhgboards are coming back: Motion magazine of August 2007:'
return of the super 8'
short summary of the article: The usual super 8 was cancelled because the wind was blowing 6-11 knts and it was decided to organise a downwind slalom with a free sailchoice. The winner surfed a formula board with an 11m² sail but 3rd place went to a longboard surfer. longboards rarely carry sails over 9 m², usually the don't ever work with 7.5. So taking that into consideration: cudos for longboards.