New Issue Boards: What Do You Want?
Boards has now successfully produced two editions of the new style magazine; 180 pages of high quality windsurf features. The first of our issues was the Spring Summer Flat Water edition and the second a wave only issue.
The next instalment will be released at the end of March and again will be a Spring Summer issue celebrating all that possible within flat water windsurfing: speed, slalom, freeride and freestyle, and we would love your feedback.
Boards Spring Summer 2012
Did you read the Spring Summer 2012 issue? Why or why not?
What did you like in this issue? What didn’t you like?
What have you always wanted to know about flat water windsurfing? Who would you like to read an in-depth interview with?
What would you like more and less of?
Do you feel there is enough relevant to you in the magazine? What was your favourite article?
This is your opportunity to help shape the future magazines and ensure you have exactly what you want from your windsurfing magazine. Please use the comments below to let us know…
I loved the bits from the girls in the Summer/Spring edition last year, but felt that the Autumn/Winter edition lacked the female input. Please can we have a bit more from the girls? and some stuff for juniors please – we have some of the best junior windsurfers in the world but they seem to go unnoticed!
Also perhaps for the summer issue a guide to winter destinations as these holidays will need to be booked in advance, perhaps not just the normal general here it’s warm and windy, here are some waves feature but a bit more focused for the intermediate so locations to suit and why and what the location is really like, where to sail, launch, hire kit, get there etc. but really quite in depth so once again the reader can go to the agent knowing what they are expecting and are maybe more likely to book a winter windsurfing break and keep in the sport.
I found the previous issue very good and suited to me more and probably the only one i have ever read cover to cover.
How about including an article about how to rig a sail, from the basics (this is a mast, this is a sail etc) to setup for the newcomers to the sport.
The quiver article i found interesting but very basic, a bit more depth so the reader can go armed with a bit of knowledge as to why those boards and sails would work for the conditions/ability.
I found the spring/summer edition of Boards magazine only good in parts.
I agree with everything already written below-especially that it should be aimed at beginners, blasters and freestylers.
I really liked the Bjorn Dunkerbeck piece it was interesting and relevant although it would have been interesting to know why he sets his kit up as he does.
The board quivers were just advertising and totally irrelevant. I am interested in what board would suit a 90kg sailor (not me!) but not just 2 boards from the same company. That just seemed like some sort of wish list for the well heeled. Where was the board testing??? Where was the tie-in to the average weekend sailor? We are the people buying the stuff?
I like gadgets but difficult to see photos with wrongly labelled gadgets did my head in.
Travel articles were good.
I really like technique articles and these were generally thin on the ground and except for Simon Bornhofts not in enough depth.
To sum up, to me it seemed like a magazine designed to be picture and advertising heavy, content lite and for people with short attention spans.
Way better than the old monthly editions, quarterlies are the way forward
Certain aspects of last years magazine were very good.
Interviews with the legends of windsurfing etc
As this is the poster advert for windsurfing, it should be aimed at beginners, blasters and freestylers in that order.
So thorough reviews and tests of gear, location descriptions, especially inland learning centres would be fantastic.
Some will query freestyle but I suggest that is the aspiration all element?
Please, no road trip or marketing advertorials. List of equipment can also just be put online rather than waste print pages.
Pk
Certain aspects of thew Boards Spring & Summer edition were good others disappointed, I normally buy magazines whether it be car, camera’s or boards to find out about the latest kit on the market, I think I preferred the boards magazine of old where the tests consisted of eight or so boards, sails etc from particular disciplines “slalom” then tested by a group of experts plus maybe one or two amateurs all giving their verdicts and then collating the information as to which were best up wind, down wind, fastest to plane best at carving etc, etc.
The summer edition with regards to the equipment testing I personally thought was very disappointing compared to tests in the past, basically it seemed to consist of a case of, if money were no object this i what we would buy? it then went onto suggest two boards a quiver in each discipline, when it came to my particular interest which is long boards racing, speed & slalom, Boards suggested equipment for the “heavy weight speed sailor”, I don’t think I or many others fall into a heavy weight category at 77kg, I also think that if money were no object there are a few more rather desirable “and faster” sails out there that I am sure sailors would rather have if given the choice? I don’t mind a British products getting a plug, and a very good product it is to, but if the best! would they not have more podium places? come on let us be honest.
I did enjoy the piece regarding your sailor pitting himself against Bjorn, that article alone told me more about Starboard boards and the Severn’s Reflex sails, with your rider quoting, “this was the most comfortable sail that he has used in overpowered conditions”.
Looking forward to the next summer edition to see all the latest 2013 slalom boards & sails on offer!
Hi;
I though the spring issue was good. The best article was the one with Taty Frans and slalom where you talked about how a lighter sailor can be competitive in slalom. I also liked the articles where several freestyle sailors shared their tips on freestyle. I tend to like the articles that goes in depth and gives us lots of information on things that we do not read in every magazine. One article I would like to read is the one where you could interview some of the best windsurfers, like Goya, Van Broekhoven, Dunkerbeck and others how they trained to get to their level, what they think is important to focus on, how they would train if they should do it again from the start and how they take on a new move to learn.
I would also like to see some in depth article about trim and set up, like how a pwa slalom sailor work of season to really get it right by the centimeter. I like this in depth and not just the normal information. I also like from behind the scene info like if it is true that the pwa slalom sailor changes his masts between event because a new mast is faster than a used one. All these kinds of things I love to read about. Go really technical and nerdy.
I did not liked the article where Jem put up quivers. It could have been good, but it had to much brand focus. I also dislike articles like the one on the web site these days about the omega boom. It is written like pure marketing and it does not explain why the omega boom is so good.
A good article would be one where you tested things like the omega boom and the shox mast extension to really figure out if it does something good.
It would also be fun to read a test where you had three or four different kinds of set ups for the same wind strength and tested them against each other. One set up could be an isonic 110 with a full on 8.6 race sail, a futura 125 with a 7.2 two cams, a FSW 100 with a 6.5 five battens sail and a pure freestyle 100 with a pure four batten 5.6 freestyle sail. I think most of us would think we know what you will find, but really I think you would find out something we do not know.
These are the things I could think of in a hurry. Good luck with the issue!
Cheers
Asle