The PWA pros give some top tips on travelling

The pros top tips on air travel with windsurfing gear

 

Some trips are epic from start to finish, and some dream missions to search out perfect surf kick-off badly from the minute the ground crew spot you lugging giant coffins into the terminal buildings.
The PWA World Tour riders have more experience than anyone at negotiating huge amounts of equipment onto airplanes.
But the recent news that British Airways are banning windsurfing and surfboards on their aircraft has certainly black-marked them amongst the watersports world.
Some airlines, such as Virgin Atlantic, have reacted positively to the massive online protests, via communities such as Facebook groups, and wisely launched counter-campaigns such 'welcome-on-boards' in a bid to get your business.
But the general picture for travellers with bulky board bags is still bleak in the light of modern weight restrictions, which are designed a mixture of eco-friendlier fuel saving, and heightened security.
Brian asked some seasoned PWA journeymen to hand over their advice on having a smooth journey, lower excess charges and avoiding that trip from hell…

 

BOOKING TIPS

 

Alex Mussolini (JP / NeilPryde): "Check the airfares and compare the totals of the fair and baggage prices. The cheapest fares and cheapest excess prices are rarely combined with the same airline."

 

Anne-Marie Reichmann (Naish / Naish): "I call up the airline and tell them I am bringing gear. And then I ask if they can confirm, on my ticket, that I'm bringing some extra stuff."

 

Chris Pressler (Starboard / Severne): "Check the rules in advance and get in contact with the airport/airline management in advance, if you feel it could get critical".

 

PACKING SUGGESTIONS

 

Chris: "Go compact, and don't rock-up with heavy triple-board monsters.

 

Sometimes it's better to check in the boards one by one. Surfboards were free, and sometimes angling gear goes free, so you could say the rigs are for fishing…" Alex: "Take as many masts as you can, and take just enough gear to sail during the whole trip, like 3 sails 1 boom and your best board."

 

Anne-Marie: "Pack more bags, but lighter ones... don't put everything in one bag and make it mega-heavy...they don't like that these days. You can pack it in 1 or 2 bags, but be prepared to divide it up in 3 bags. If they are really strict about the weight, for example, you can always put some sails, a boom and a mast in a single board bag you have around one of your boards. But some airlines like less in total still... so ... always call the airline you travel with beforehand".

 

CHECK-IN CHARM

 

Alex: "Smile! And if things get nasty, just take it! Ha Ha…"

 

Anne-Marie: "Arrive and check-in early, so you have more change of less waiting in line, and you have time to negotiate. Be nice, keep your patience, and also have some receipts from earlier trips handy. That way if you have to pay excess charges, you can compare it to an earlier trip, and the airline can see what is 'normal'."

 

Chris: "Yeah, be friendly, keep an eye on co-workers (ladies), who are new, and never be the first in line, as in moments of hurry they often make better deals. Also, show up with any papers you can get from the reservations departments".

 

BE PREPARED

 

Chris: "I always have some power lines in my bags to fix the bags onto vehicles at the destination, and in some countries I use cable clips or locks".

 

Anne-Marie: "Always bring long straps which are useful for stacking stuff in the car, on top of the car etc. If I rent a car I ask for roof racks...even though it costs more. That way I don't damage the car and end-up paying a lot of money in damages".

 

EXCESS VICTIMS?

 

Anne-Marie: "Everyone is lucky and unlucky at times I guess..."

 

Chris: "In the old days the charges were perhaps even higher, mainly because the gear was bigger, thicker, longer, and heavier. But nowadays I would think that the Maui boys will pay the most with so many stopovers to Europe".

 

Alex: "I think that Ricardo, and Kauli get burned a lot. I heard a lot of stories about them having to pay huge amounts or having to change flights because of the extra charges. Ricardo lost all his sails coming to Gran Canaria once too".

 

THE LUCKIEST PRO TRAVELLERS?

 

Anne-Marie: "Ha! I'd like to tell you who that is, but I don't want to 'jinx' him... he has a lucky charm and will want to keep it that way…"

 

Chris: "Antoine is one of the pros who always arrives on time with his gear, but that's probably just professional preparation for you. The sneakiest? There are many 'players', on tour, but it can be a lottery and it's often hard to get your gear in time before competition starts".

 

Alex: "Seriously I've never heard of anyone ever not losing their gear on tour...but I am quite lucky though :)".

 

THE BEST AIRLINES?

 

Anne-Marie: "TransAvia is the best! They have been great with gear to the Canary Islands every time. You have to call them up beforehand, and it's never free, but you'll rarely pay more than 60 Euros for your equipment. Super cool!"

 

Chris: "It's a always a gamble, but I guess, out of my experiences, there are some nice ones, like LTU, Air Berlin, sometimes Thai, Turkish, yeah, for sure, Egypt were also fine…it's just Cairo Airport that's crazy!"

 

Alex: "Ryanair, and the SkyTeam airlines, are pretty reasonable I think."

Source

Young kiting champ flying high

HE'S spent the past few weeks practising in Tauranga Harbour - now Papamoa's Marc Jacobs is anxious to take his latest kitesurfing moves back to the world.

 

The 18-year-old professional tour rookie has had an incredible year in the sport, winning the North kiteboarding World Young Blood title in July and launching himself on to the world circuit.

 

He arrived back a month ago somewhat dazed from his whirlwind tour, which took in seven countries in three months, but anxious to put all his hard off-season work into practice.

 

"This last week, there have been pretty steady winds and I've been learning some new moves, but the forecast isn't that flash for breeze in the next little while," Jacobs said.

 
"That's why I'm probably going to Perth to train next month, because the winds are much steadier over there."

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Windsurfers prepare for Phuket championship

PHUKET: The Eastern Windsurfing Club (EWC) is teaming up with Windsurfing Association of Thailand and Yacht Racing Association of Thailand to present Thailand's first international windsurfing rally championship from January 15 to 20.

 

Competitors will race along the west coast of Phuket.

 

The first day of racing, January 16, will take place from Nai Yang Beach to Surin Beach. On the second day, windsurfers will compete from Surin Beach to Patong. The third day will see competition move from Patong to Kata, and the final day will bring racers from Kata to Nai Harn Beach.

 

Winds of between eight and 25 knots are expected to propel the windsurfers along the coast in temperatures of up to 30ºC.

 

Windsurfers from around the world will join local surfers for the rally.

 

Organizers hope that the rally will help boost tourism in Phuket. Leading sports networks, including ESPN, Starsport, Fox Sports and Espanol, will broadcast the event.

 

Entry for the event has already closed.

 

An international jury will be appointed for the competition.

 

The rally is being held in honor of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who turned 80 years old on December 5.

 

EWC has previously organized windsurfing competitions in Pattaya.

Source

Windsurfing Santa Rescued from Niagara River

(Buffalo, N.Y.) AP -- A windsurfer dressed as Santa Claus was rescued from the choppy waters of the Niagara River and sent back home to Canada.

 

The man was identified as John Fulton, 47, of Fort Erie, Ontario. Authorities said he apparently began windsurfing Sunday morning on the Canadian side of the river but ended up on the American side near downtown Buffalo.

 

A woman spotted him in the treacherous waves and called the Coast Guard, who went out in search of Santa along with the Buffalo Fire Department and Erie County Sheriff's office. Winds were high and waves were cresting at seven to eight feet.

 

Authorities believe Fulton was in the 37-degree water for at least 60 minutes, but he didn't appear to be injured.

Source

An Olympic Dream, Claimed by 2 Women

Two of the top Americans in women's windsurfing are packing their wetsuits this week and traveling to New Zealand to compete in the RS:X world championships as part of 

their training for the Beijing Summer Olympic Games. 

 

This is not unusual for athletes preparing for the Games, but only one of the women, Nancy Rios, is slated to represent the United States next summer. The other woman, 

Farrah Hall, is disputing the results of the team-selection trials in October. She contends that the results of an arbitration hearing in the winter will have her, not Rios, walking 

in the opening ceremony. 

 

To complicate matters, the women's windsurfing class is the only Olympic slot in sailing that the United States has yet to qualify for. There are 15 countries vying for seven 

open slots in the Games. If Hall's case fails, she could be competing to earn Rios a spot in the Games. 

 

The disputed incident at the windsurfing trials involved a collision at the start of the hotly contested last race. Rios and Hall were close on points and had begun racing when 

another competitor, who did not have the right of way, crashed into them.

More

Man drowns while windsurfing on Sunshine Coast

A man has drowned in a wind surfing accident on Queensland's Sunshine Coast this afternoon.

 

It happened off Bulcock Beach at Caloundra, just after 3pm AEST.

 

A resident living near the beach saw the accident from his high-rise unit and alerted authorities.

 

Lifesavers rescued the unconscious man from the surf and tried to resuscitate him.

 

He was taken to Caloundra hospital where doctors pronounced him dead shortly after.

Miss Surf Natural & Organics finalists rock Costa Rica

Miss Surf Natural & Organics

Circuito Nacional de Surf attracts Costa Rica's best spectators

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 27 December, 2007 : - - At the end of the Circuito Nacional de Surf (CNS) , Copa Mango, Playa Jaco, Costa Rica, the first two finalists for the Miss Surf Natural & Organics were named. Alexandra Vasquez won 1st place out of 5 other beautiful representatives, with 2nd place going to Kimberly Bondurant.

These two young ladies will compete against the winners from the rest of those from the CNS dates in the Gran Final Terraza-Reef April 26-27 in Playa Hermosa for the grand title and $1,000. With $100, and wearing Wishes of Venus Designed bathing suits, Miss Surf Natural & Organic also were sponsored by Guajira Souvenirs and Salsiboy Surf Lessons.

The international sponsors of the CNS are Organics in America, Reef, Red Bull, Quiksilver, Roxy, Billabong, Op. National Sponsors include: 911 Groovy Radio, Witch’s Rock Surf Camp, Hotel & Resort Terraza del Pacifico, Bar & Restaurant El Tabacon, Hotel Playa Carmen, Quique Surf Shop, Coldwell Banker Peninsula Trading Co.,

Other sponsors include Banzaii Surfboards, Banana Wax, Remax Surfside, Cala Luna Hotel & Villas, The Backyard Hotel, Mango Surf & Skate, Jass Surf Shop, Roca Bruja Surf & Skate Shop, Carton Surfboards, Chiclets Canopy Tree Tour, Gimnasios Platinum Fitness Center, Chuck’s W.O.W. Surf Shop, Shifi Surf Shots, Surfos Magazine, ICT.

The next date of the 2007-08 Circuito Nacional de Surf will be the Trofeo Op, January 12 and 13 at Playa Hermosa. For more information on the CNS, Federacion de Surf de Costa Rica and its Costa Rican surfers, please go to surfingcr.net

www.surfingcr.net

French woman to attempt Indian Ocean solo windsurf

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 23 March, 2006 : - - French woman windsurfer Raphaela Le Gouvello tests her boat off Fremantle Perth. Le Gouvello will make a solo attempt to conquer the Indian Ocean on 05 April starting from Exmouth in northwest Australia and finishing at Reunion Island

Frenchwoman Raphaela Le Gouvello said Wednesday she will attempt to windsurf from Australia to the French island of Reunion, 3,400 kilometres (2,108 miles) across the Indian Ocean.

Le Gouvello has already successfully sailed her custom-built windsurfing craft across the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and from Peru to Tahiti.

The 45-year-old is planning to leave the town of Exmouth in northern Western Australia on April 5 with hopes of reaching Reunion, near Mauritius, within 75 days.

The Frenchwoman will windsurf across the ocean in two-hour stints in her purpose-built "wind boat" which is 7.8 metres (26 feet) long, 1.3 metres wide and has two cabins underneath.

Le Gouvello told reporters in Perth that she has spent 15 months training for the voyage and is prepared for any emergency. "If I have to do surgery on myself, I will do it," she said. Le Gouvello said the worst case scenario would be falling into the water."If I am disconnected from my sail boat, I am in trouble," she sai

Man Killed in Kite Surfing Accident

A 29-year-old Bulgarian man was killed in a kite surfing accident in a bay near Torri I-Abjad in Armier last November 18.

According to the police, the victim, who lives in Malta, was preparing to practice kite surfing at about 3 p.m. when the wind blasted off, catching his kite and slamming him into a nearby tree.

Barely having time to recover from the impact, another strong wind picked him up again and slammed him onto the metal of a nearby room.

Although an ambulance immediately rushed to the site, sources said that he had lost a lot of blood in the accident. He still underwent surgery, but died during the operation,

The man was described initially as a paraglider. However, Henry Rota, a paragliding instructor, said that this sport is not practiced at that spot but from higher ground.

Meanwhile, Magistrate Lawrence Quintano is heading an inquiry.

For more details on this story, please visit www.timesofmalta.com.

Record Atlantic crossing for kitesurfing father!

French kitesurfer and the founding father of the sport has led the way yet again for the kids to follow! Having paved the way for the sport, the forty-three-year-old Manu Bertin has also paved the way across the Atlantic ocean on a kiteboard.


Christopher Columbus set out to discover the new world from the island of La Gomera in the Canaries, and it is somewhat fitting that the Frenchman chose to hit the huge challenge from this same island on April 26th. After nearly three weeks of riding, Bertin completed the massive ocean crossing.

Bertin oscillated between three different means to get pulled along by a kite, one after the other: the surfboard-shaped kite-surfing board with which he has already crossed the English Channel, the Mediterranean and the Straits between Maui and the main island of Hawaii; a catamaran whose floats are large surf boards and an inflatable longboat named Cochise – for the periods of rest and eating.

Sidelined by a 50ft catamaran, "Baies du Monde" a four-man crew aided him with the logistics and supplies, but Bertin did not go on board during the entirety of the attempt.

Fulfilling his sporting goal of going as far as possible towards the Caribbean - some 3000 nautical miles to the west - the dude is hard.

With 11 years experience of kite-surfing behind him, the man claerly knows very little about giving up. Manu Bertin has also surfed through the giant waves of Jaws in Hawaii, surfed between the icebergs in Greenland, crossed the 95-mile Channel between France and England, and crossed the Mediterranean between Cape Camarat (Var) and Calvi (Corsica) in 2005. Congrats, guy!

New design

Czech firm Mushow has presented new design of boards for snowkiting TUTTI FRUTTI

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ISAF Conference 2007: Windsurfing auch 2012 olympisch

At the ISAF Conference 2007 in Estoril (Portugal), it was decided that windsurfing both for men and for women Olympic discipline at the Olympic Games in London (England) will remain. Victims of the ISAF decision, the Tornado sailors. These lost its Olympic status after it since 1976 to the programme of the Games belonged.

Currently, the RS-X Olympic class. The final decision on what material or what class at the start of 2012, but only in the coming year at the ISAF Conference like. Having been a kind of "fortress of peace" between the various windsurfing classes was because the preservation of Windsurfing Olympic discipline as a top priority, it will now be interesting whether, and what new concepts presented.

British Airways bans surfboards

The British Surfing Association have launched a petition to demonstrate the strength of feeling amongst surfers that British Airways recent decision should be reversed. BA have decided not to continue carrying surfboards as well as hang gliders, windsurfing boards and sails, kayaks or canoes, pole vaults or javelins on their flights from the 6th November onwards.

 

Karen Walton, National Director, BSA, says, "If everyone who surfs could take five minutes to go online and follow our recommended action steps then we will have a real representation of the swell of support for the reversal of this absurd decision."

 

The BSA asks that supporters do their bit in the following ways:
1) Sign our online petition here
2) If you have a Facebook account, join the Facebook 'British Airways Surfboard Ban' group
3) Click this link to register a complaint with BA
4) Encourage all other surfers to follow these steps