Check out more technique from Boards here. 

Ant Baker. Image credit Oisin van Gelderen.

“Defi Wind long distance AWESOME clinic

RIP Mikey. 

Mikey Clancy, image credit PWA/JC.

In other news the PWA have announced their 2013 calendar, as have women’s watersports group the Butterfly Effect.

If you’re looking to improve your windsurfing skills in 2013, there are a number of clinics popping up! Ant Baker is taking an intro to wavesailing course in Maui, Laure Treboux is on hand for coaching in Perth, whilst Colin and Marco of Windsurf Coaching have announced their first clinic in Tarifa.

We have also been treated to a few amazing videos including this offering from Jersey, Mike Archer‘s last sail of 2012, Jamie Drummond in Malta and Thomas Traversa and friends in action here.

Ant Baker, coaching at a previous Maui clinic.

“Maui is more then just a windsurfing venue, it offers each person with the opportunity to live there dreams with Pro riders cruising around as well as watching photo shoots. We’ll sail at some of the best beaches in the world from Ho’okipa to Spreaklesville with everything captured on my new HD video and stills cameras.

Ant Baker in Dahab

Due to the massive success of my 2012 Dahab slalom clinic we are gong back!

Located at the Club Dahab centre in Dahab you will have the choice of their pre-rigged kit. We can sail on the perfectly flat water inside the bay or on the outside speed beach.

If racing is your pleasure then this trip is also for you as I will be running race training also and there is no better place to practice as I can locate myself out to sea where I will be shooting video and taking pictures for further analaysis in the evenings. We will run 4 or 5 full downwind slalom races daily which will get you in tune with your kit and get you ready for your 2013 season

If you’re looking to improve your gybes, waterstarts or even forward loops then you need look no further. This is the perfect clinic to boost your windsurfing progression throughout 2012.

Overseas package costs
Hotel Ganet Sinai (2*) £395 per person (2 persons sharing a room) or £475 for single person in room for sole occupancy
Hotel Swiss Inn (4*) Garden side room £515 per person (2 persons sharing a room) or £630 for single person in room for sole occupancy
Slalom Clinic Fee £280 applicable to anyone participating in the clinic
The overseas package prices and clinic fees are in STERLING. The overseas package price includes the return resort transfers between Sharm el Sheikh airport and Dahab, the hotel accommodation for 7 nights with half board meal plan (breakfast & dinner) and the free use of Club Dahab windsurfing kit. The prices DO NOT include flights to Egypt.

Flights
Club Dahab can arrange flights from UK airports to Sharm el Sheikh airport and will check availability and quote these at the time of booking. If you wish to book your own flights this is not a problem. We are unable to arrange flights to Sharm el Sheikh from outside the UK. Persons who make their own flight arrangements from inside or outside the UK will still be met at Sharm el Sheikh and transferred to Dahab as long as we are advised of the flight details in good time to make the necessary arrangements.

Payments
A non-refundable deposit of £200 is payable against the overseas package costs and clinic fees at the time of booking. The balance is payable 7 weeks prior to travel (06 Jan 2013).
Any flights booked via Club Dahab the full cost of the flight is payable at the time of booking.
Payments made by direct transfer into our bank account carry no extra charges – details of our account will be given on booking if opting to pay by this method.
Payments by credit card carry a 3.6% charge (3% plus VAT) as such payments have to be processed via a Travel Trust Agency who make this charge for their services.

• When: 24th – 03rd March 2013
• Where: Dahab, Egypt

• Minimum ability: waterstarting
• Availability: 5 places left
• Costs: TBC
• More Information and Bookings: mailto:info@baker-academy.com

Don't Let Go, hitting screens soon!

The next two videos that caught our eyes came out at the end of the week, firstly it’s amazing to see Zara Davis on the BBC here and if you fancy something totally different check out Brawzi and Levi shredding in Maui here. 

Coming up the Christmas there has of course been a lot of penny saving present ideas and competitions around too: Lagoon Watersports in Hove have some great voucher offers, Tech Trial are selling the Drift Camera at an insanely low price, the Baker Academy are running a competition to win 8 hours of coaching, Juice Boardsports have vouchers with 10% extra free, Tushingham are running a competition to win a Starboard fin bag,  Ocean Elements are running some early bookers deals for 2013, as are Club Vass (with holidays to both Vassilki and Dahab centres)! Now that’s a whole lot of offers!

Finally in this weeks news, our sister site Boardseeker are proud to announce that the shiny new site is now up and running, so if you haven’t checked it out already head on over there now for more of an international windsurfing fix.

Ant Baker at Shoreham

“Calling all windsurfers! I am running an impromptu  winter wave clinic at Sea Lane Cafe in Goring (Worthing). I will have SUP boards for you to use for wave riding, as well as heaps of coaching on offer for jumping, looping and much more:
Cost £45
Time: 10am-2pm
Location: Sea Lane Cafe, Goring, West sussex”

Message Ant Baker info@baker-academy.com  if you would like to attend!

If you would like to improve your windsurfing you can also check out the Boards technique section, with video, photo and written technique from Ant and many other top coaches.

Ant Baker at Shoreham

“Right guys and girls as it’s Christmas I want to see your best wipeout image/video posted on my Facebook page. I will pick the best one and on xmas eve I will give the winner a free 8 hour voucher worth £350 for either windsurfing or kitesurfing!”

So head on over to the Baker Academy Facebook page here to post you entry!

Well fear not as the Baker Academy has the perfect pressie in mind – a Baker Academy Christmas Voucher.

Whether the need is to stomp the perfect forward loop or simply get better at using your harness – Ant Baker will get there with his renowned method of coaching.

Give Ant a shout and reserve your BA Christmas Gift Voucher with 15% discount.

More info here or info@baker-academy.com

Baker Academy Christmas Gift Voucher

Nik Baker

With the weather man sending out warnings for strong south westerly winds, I sent out the texts for windsurf lessons at Sho’okipa beach park! I was overwhelmed with guys wanting to come and get involved with some forward and backloop action.

As the sun came out a steady 25-30 knots arrived, I started with Andy Heath who is a regular client and good friend of mine and also competes on the UK wave tour. Andy is a very good wavesailor looking to nail his backloops, so we worked on trying to get him more compact at the top of the jump, so he rotates quicker and steeper allowing him to land softer.

Andy Heath mid backloop

Also, I had Mat Thorn who is a new client that is looking to build his wave skills, which he will be doing over eight hours of coaching with me one of my programmes. The eight hours are split into four x two hour sessions and usually run over a couple of months. With Mat we worked on posture a little only as he is pretty well set up, then moved to his bottom turn which is where we spent most of the day, as pretty much everyone who comes to me wave rides from their back foot and we have to get them to move on to their front foot, allowing the rocker line to works as its designer intended.

Mat Thorn catching some air

After a while Nik came out on his new Fanatic Quad and 4.7 Hero and went crazy, on his first run he nailed a 40ft push loop! Followed by a seven turn wave which left the beach speechless, following waves were for my lens, as we will do some Baker Academy technique series with Nik very soon!

Nik Baker

Overall we are all very excited here at Baker Academy, so we hope we will see you on the water soon, we offer some great deals on some winter UK based coaching so come and say hi or just come for a windsurf

Weymouth Speed Week

“Weymouth speed week offers the perfect training ground for everyone wanting to get that little bit more out of their kit on the water. We will cover everything from equipment tuning to full speed laydown gybes. I will also be competing, so we can all ‘get the speed’ needed to take the title!

6 out of the 7 days will be coaching for the full clinic. There will also be a few 2 day clinics spaces as well, so contact me for more info. All levels of planing windsurfers are welcome so whether you’re a pro or just starting to go fast, this clinic is for you.

• When: 13th – 19th October 2012
• Where: Weymouth Sailing Academy, Weymouth Harbour

• Minimum ability: All Welcome
• Availability: 6 places left

• Costs: £175 for the 6 days / £80 for 2 days

• More Information and Bookings: mailto:info@baker-academy.com”

Old school freestyle coming at you with the heli-tack, great move in light winds or strong winds. Remember to keep yourself tall and looking good!

More Windsurfing Videos

Ant Baker clinics have been going from strength to strength over the last three years and 2012 makes no exception with the addition of two exciting new venues in Moulay and Gostoso.

Ant Baker

Here’s a quick rundown:

August 10th-17th

Moulay Bouzerktoun, Morocco – NEW!

The definitive looping clinic with perfect side-shore conditions with perfectly formed ramps, there are few places more suited tp mastering the forward loop. Set in peaceful rustic surroundings, Moulay Bouzerktoun offers little distraction whilst you focus on giving your windsurfing the boost it deserves!

 Full details are here on Ant’s Oceansoure page

From £845 pp

(includes coaching, rental, transfers and half-board accommodation)

——-

September 9th-16th

Habibi Beach, Egypt

Ant Baker returns to the Windhaven Hotel at Habibi Beach, Egypt, for a week of intensive wave technique coaching. If you’re looking to get into wave sailing, want to get into jumping or even looping then this is not to be missed.

Full details are here on Ant’s Oceansoure page

From £579 pp

(includes coaching, equipment storage, transfers and half-board accommodation)

——-

November 17th-24th

Gostoso, Brazil – NEW!

Sample one of the newest windsurfing spots on earth, Sao Miguel do Gostoso, this autumn with Ant Baker from the Baker Academy. Incredibly reliable winds grace these shores so if you’re looking to get the most from a windsurf coaching/holiday combination, then this freewave paradise is the venue for you!

Full details are here on Ant’s Oceansoure page

From £857 pp

(includes coaching, rental, transfers and half-board accommodation)

——-

BONUS – All bookings receive a complimentary two hour 1:1 session (UK only)

Contact bookings@oceansource.net or call +44 (0)1243 374615

Find out more from Ant Baker, including his successful technique series, here on Boards.