For surfing journalist, a life of thrills and spills

For a surfer, divining the behavior of waves can be like a lifetime lab project, one whose notes and observations are inscribed in the sinews.

In his vivid and propulsive memoir “Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life,” William Finnegan notes how that kind of hard-earned intuition about the ocean’s rhythms is based in part on “innumerable subcortical perceptions too subtle and fleeting to express.”

But it’s also based on less esoteric factors, and any surfer who’s been at it awhile will recognize Finnegan’s description of one of them:

“You watch someone paddle over the top of a swell and you try to assess, in the last instant before he disappears, what he sees outside.”

(And if his jaw drops and his muscles tense as if he’s just been tased, it’s probably time to start paddling like hell.)... [Read More]

How to sail downwind in windsurfing

If you're a windsurfing beginner and you've just managed to sail upwind, you will need to master the art of sailing with the wind. Initially, the problem is just that you feel too much power in the sail.

As a result, it's never easy to keep the right balance between you, the board and the sail. The first useful tip is that you should keep your body low, and use it to counterbalance the increased pull of the rig.

There are two basic ways of sailing downwind: on a broad reach or a run. The broad reach is the easiest and most stable point of sail when learning to sail with the wind coming from behind. You can zigzag from broad reach to broad reach by jibing.

If you need to control excess power in the rig when heading downwind, move your feet further back down the board and get your body position even lower. Ready to steer the board into a run, i.e., with the wind directly behind your back?

1. Get one foot on each side of the board, with heels touching centerline;
2. Bend your legs;
3. Lean the mast over one side;
4. Keep your hands at shoulder width;
5. Leave your arms slightly bent;
6. Look forward through the window of the sail;

If you feel that you need more control of the rig, retract the centerboard. Don't forget to relax and keep your body loose and flexible, so that you can adapt to the overall movement of the board. The time is now:

1. Start sailing on a beam reach;
2. Turn the sail away from the wind;
3. Bring your front foot half a step behind the back foot;
4. Quickly move your back foot opposite other foot;
5. Bring the rig back and across the board;
6. You're sailing on a run;

Remember that you will feel very little wind because you will be moving at a speed that is almost equal to the true wind. Running is the most unstable point of sailing, feeling wobbly is quite natural in the beginning.... [Read More]

2015 PWA World Cup heads to Tenerife

2015 PWA World Cup – From the August 3-9, the world's most radical sailors will return to action for their second meeting of the season in El Medano, Tenerife.

Philip Köster (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) and Daida Moreno (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) stole the early season advantage as both of them remained unbeaten in Pozo, Gran Canaria. Now they will both be looking to cement their place at the top of the rankings. Can you see anyone stopping the current world leaders?

El Médano is situated on the South East coast of Tenerife, just minutes away from the airport. Furthermore El Médano's beautiful golden sand beaches are blessed with glorious sunshine, regular trade winds and pumping waves year round, which make this amazing spot a windsurfers haven. The week ahead is guaranteed to be packed with unbelievable action, as the elite of the wave sailing world take full advantage of the world class conditions to wow the both the crowds and the judges... [Read More]

How a City property favorite is helping surfing become an Olympic sport

It's not often one of the world's largest real estate consultancies can legitimately say it's had a hand in creating an Olympic sport - but Colliers International could be about to, after it advised on the feasibility and sustainability of a "Wavegarden" surf lagoon, part of the International Surf Association's (ISA) attempt at becoming an official Olympic sport in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Surfing is one of eight sports shortlisted by Tokyo 2020 to be included in the games. But the difficulty for surfing competitions is guaranteeing the consistency of the wave.

The Wavegarden lagoon "creates high quality artificial waves on demand", generating two identical waves which break simultaneously for 30 seconds on either side of a central pier, said Sean Young, head of destination consultancy at Colliers.

And as those involved in planning for London 2012 will remember, "legacy" is the all-important word when it comes to Olympic planning. But Colliers suggested a surf lagoon could have lasting advantages in Tokyo.

"What [our] study showed, based on our experience and strong financial data, is that a surf park would not only be an investment for the Olympics but it would also have the longevity as a commercially successful leisure destination for residents and tourists for many years afterwards. A surf park in Tokyo has a strong basis for a long-term legacy.”

The company has form when it comes to scoping out the potential of Wavegardens: it advised on the UK's first lagoon, which is due to open in Snowdonia on 1 August, as well as nine other projects across the world... [Read More]