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.

Winter essentials

This is our final Christmas wish list, which brings together a final few items essential to a warm winter for any windsurfer. These along with all our previous wish lists provides the ultimate shopping list for the festive season, so anyone looking to buy for a windsurfer take a look!

Northcore belt

Our first winter essential, this one for on the water, is a heat belt. Northcore produce this one for £15.99, where you add heat packs into the pockets and then wear under your suit for added warmth. Looks like a good idea to us!

The next winter essential is a rigging jacket. Anyone that already has one will know these are an absolute necessity for standing around on the beach, especially in the winter. The pre and post windsurfing chat on the beach, is almost as much fun as the time on the water, so don’t miss out on this just because it’s colder. Our top recommendations for rigging jackets are the reversible jacket from Spartan (£89.00) and the NEO shelter jacket from ION.

NEO shelter jacket from ION

Spartan rigging jacket

Once you have decided to change out of your suit and taken off the rigging jacket, it’s essential to continue to keep warm. The best and easiest way to change at the beach or lake is with a poncho / changing towel. These keep you warm and hide your modesty, it’s a win win! Our top picks for these are again from Spartan and ION; ION offer this bright blue poncho (also available in black), whilst Spartan have this changing towel available for £29.50. 

Spartan changing towel

ION poncho

Bulldog changing mat and bag

ION Beanie

ION towel cover

Another handing changing accessory is a changing mat. Many of these, like the Bulldog version (£19.95) are both a comfy changing mat that keeps your suit off the sand and dirt, and a bag to take your wetsuit home in!

Once changed it’s time to head home, if you’ve got a long journey make sure you keep your head warm with this ION beanie. Or if you have a short journey and are heading home in your suit why not try these towel seat covers that will keep your seats nice and dry and can be used as towel for yourself too?

Our final winter essentials are a car/van dehumidifier to take away the unwanted moisture from your windsurfing gear, some anti freeze and a good windscreen scraper! There’s a lot of options on the market, suited to different vehicles, so choose the one’s recommended for your mode of transport. Check out more travel essentials here. 

Boards recommends the following retailers for all your shopping needs. 

These retailers stock listed products along with a lot more christmas gift options.

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Boardwise

Quayside Windsurfers

Robin Hood Watersports

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Juice Boardsports

Tech Trial

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Andy Biggs 

Bray Lake

L.A.R. Watersports 

Puravida Boardriders

Wet n Dry Boardsports

4Boards 

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 Check out the rest of our Christmas Wish Lists:

Juice Boardsports sample voucher

Juice Boardsports are also offering gift vouchers for those undecided christmas shoppers, where you will receive an extra 10% of the value of your voucher free!

Buy a voucher for £10 we will give you a voucher for £11

£50 we will give you a voucher for £55, and so on…

We have vouchers from £5.00 to whatever value you require.

Just select the amount you require by adding vouchers together, for example if you require £60 worth of vouchers just select the £20 voucher and put 3 in the Quantity box (3 x £20 = £60).

Any problems or you would like us to personalise your voucher just call us with your requirements.

Click here to order today

What to find out more about Juice Boardsports? They have some brilliant deals on offer over the christmas period; check out Juice on Boards here, or head on over to their website here.

Juice Boardsports have got just the deal in mind and are offering a Winter Warmer Christmas Special – check it out here and get toasty!

Van full of goodies!

Also don’t forget the Boards Winter Warmer feature that you will find here

Christmas Wish List - Optical and Photographic

But what does make the ultimate gift for a windsurfer? Over the coming weeks we will talk through a variety of gift ideas; this week we are getting techy and looking through our favourite cameras and accessories.

Over the last few years personal photography has developed beyond belief; there’s no more waiting to bribe someone to take photos or video of you windsurfing from the shore, now you can record yourself.

Taken with a GoPro Hero HD 2 Surf Edition

The GoPro is one of the most well known products that allows you to do this. The GoPro Hero HD 2 Surf Edition (£299.00) offers an unbelievable way of filming from a wide variety of angles, using various mounts and of course it’s waterproof too. For the full product specification on this camera click here.  The GoPro Hero HD 2 Surf Edition was one of the lightest, most compact ways of on water filming; that was until version 3 arrived! The Go Pro Hero 3 Surf Edition (£359.99) is fresh on the market; a step up from the GoPro 2 there is of course an increase in price too, so which one will you choose?

GoPro Hero HD 2 Surf Edition

GoPro Hero HD 2 Surf Edition and all it's accessories

Go Pro Hero 3 Surf Edition

There are of course many more camera options aside from the GoPro; another camera making a big splash is the Drift (WAS £339.99 NOW £239.95!). The ultimate helmet cam, the Drift offers some impressive statistics:

• 

  Drift

  1080p High Definition Video

• up to 32GB Micro SD Memory Capacity
• 25 / 30 / 50 / 60 FPS in 720p
• 25 / 30 FPS in 1080p
• 9 Megapixel Still Photography
• ×4 Digital Zoom
• 170° Wide Angle Lens (130° at 60fps)

For full details on the Drift click here. 

Another option is the ContourROAM2; one of the easiest – and most stylish – ways to shoot action video. Packed with useful features like 4 HD video modes – including 60FPS, an Instant-On Record switch, a 270° rotating lens, and Contour’s signature laser alignment, you’ll have everything you need in a compact, easy-to-use camera. Waterproof and available in 4 beautiful colors, the ContourROAM2 makes action video dead simple. Want to find out more?

Contour Roam2

Contour Roam2

Once you have your camera, you of course want to make sure you have the best possible mount for it too. And nobody makes mounts for windsurfing (and other sports too!) as good as Flymount(£59.00).

Shot taken with a Flymount

Ultra compact, super lightweight, built to last, and now used by some of the world’s most respected photographers and athletes the Flymount also works with virtually any camera, including the GoPro and Drift. It really is a must have for any windsurfer, check out the full specs here.

Flymount

Flymount

If you already have a camera, but it’s not waterproof there are lots of options available from Aquapac to keep your camera safe underwater. From extra small to SLR, with hard lens covers and without, and everything in between there will be an option for whatever camera you have and would like to keep safe, just take a look here. 

Many more products on offer at www.techtrial.co.uk

Our last piece of camera advice is try before you buy! With all the options on the market it is incredibly hard to decide which camera to buy, but thankfully Tech Trial have the answer! Search their website to find the product you like, trial it and then decide whether you would like to buy or not. No more tough decisions or regretting your purchases; plus it’s not just cameras that Tech Trial trial and sell, choose from the latest tablets, phones, audio, gaming and accessories.

Boards recommends the following retailers for all your shopping needs. These retailers stock listed products along with additional accessories and many different types of camera. For professional advice and trials please contact them directly.

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Boardwise

Quayside Windsurfers

Robin Hood Watersports

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Juice Boardsports

Tech Trial

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Andy Biggs 

Bray Lake

L.A.R. Watersports 

Puravida Boardriders

Wet n Dry Boardsports

4Boards 

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Boards catches up with Boardwise to find out more about how the demos are run and what’s involved:

Just some of the Boardwise demo equipment set up and ready to go! Image credit Dave White.

“We run a summer demo at Aberdovey which coincides with the BSA slalom event. This is the biggest of the year with support from the town, the Yacht club and all the importers.

When someone comes along to a demo they can try all the latest kit, get advice from the people who really know about the products, but most of all just come to an event which gives them a great feel about the sport of windsurfing!

The main summer and winter demos are supported by brands including: Fanatic and North, RRD and Ezzy, Tabou and Gaastra, and Starboard and Tushingham. Not only do the brands supply top notch NEW equipment, they also bring along some top sailors too.

Demo regulars now include (to name but a few):  former PWA superstar Nik Baker, current Formula World Champion Ross Williams, master of speed Dave White, plus awesome coaches Jem Hall, Sam Ross, etc. They are all more than happy to help not only with rigging, tuning and choosing equipment but also can offer top technique tips too.

Lots of people turn up and sail on Saturday. Then Saturday evening usually involves a few drinks, before getting on the water again to blow away the cobwebs on Sunday morning.

All images from the Boardwise Bonfire Bash 2013 and credit Dave White.

We are usually fairly lucky with the weather, and the huge range of equipment on offer means people can almost always get on the water. But even if the wind doesn’t blow we all have a great weekend; there’s normally a good night out on the Saturday at least!

We also go to all of the student events through out the year; the SWA run a great series of events through the autumn, winter and into spring. They really focus on getting as many people onto the water at all levels; there is a great contingent of beginners and improvers at the student event and we are proud to support them by taking all our gear for them to use! Plus our van goes up to the local club once a week in the summer.

On Guy Fawkes weekend each year we run a Bonfire Bash, it’s a bit late in the year so it can be a little cold, but again we have a great weekend none the less with fires on the beach and an amazing firework display! Check out the full report from Boardwise on the here. 

Whilst most of our demos take place at Aberdovey, we do offer some more local ones and we are looking to do a few more at different venues next year.”

There are lots of clubs, schools, brands and shops that run demos. At Boards we always try to have the latest info on up coming demos online, but if one is happening at your local spot that we haven’t promoted then please do contact amy@boards.co.uk and let us know!

Find all the windsurfing demo news on Boards through this link.

Boards Recommended Demos

Boardwise  - based in Cannock, demos at various locations but regularly run at Aberdovey. Follow all the Boardwise news on Boards here.

Robin Hood Watersports  - based in Yorkshire, frequently run demos at West Kirby.  Follow all the Robin Hood Watersports news on Boards here.

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Juice Boardsports – based in Huddersfiled, regular demos on forecast run at Fraisthorpe announced both here on Boards and through their forum. 

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Bray Lake - based in Berkshire, run occasional demo days. Follow all the Bray Lake news on Boards here. 

Lagoon Watersports -   based in Hove, run occasional demo days (usually with Fanatic/North). Follow all the Lagoon Watersports news on Boards here.

L.A.R. Watersports - based in Pagham, run occasional demo days. Follow all the LAR Watersports news on Boards here.

Puravida Boardriders - based in South Glamorgan, run occasional demo days. Follow all the Puravida Boardriders news on Boards here.

Quayside Windsurfers - based in Norfolk, run occasional demo days. Follow all the Quayside Windsurfers news on Boards here.

Wet n Dry Boardsports - based in Basildon, run occasional demo days. Follow all the Wet n Dry Boardsports news on Boards here.

4Boards  - based in Southampton, run occasional demo days. Follow at the 4Boards news on Boards here.

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Many more demo days and information about similar events can be found on the RYA’s Project Windsurf – UK website. They even have a specific demo events page right here where many chose to share event info. Project Windsurf UK also gives you the opportunity to share what is happening at your local windsurfing spot, so head on over and get involved!

You might also like to read:

Juice Boardsports Demo van ready to go!

“Looking good forecast for Thursday, tides look good wind looking good so if it holds we will be taking demo van over again.

If we get there and the sea state is really confused and big, then we could try Filey.

Anyone around?

Cheers

Gumpy”

Reply and send your interest in the Juice forum.  Please note thread says Thursday 15th Nov, but due to the published date, we’re fairly sure they mean this Thursday the 22nd!

After a successful King and Queen of the wind events the EFPT went behind the scenes to find out more from competitor and event organiser Adam Sims. Another event we have heard a lot about this week in the SWA Wet Dream Four….Play; with this event passed and the Northern Monkey event this weekend there is a lot going on in SWA land. Check out all the latest student windsurfing news and features here.

The other big news this week of course cam from Ludertiz, where all sailors have been increasing their top speeds day on day. Zara Davis and Farrell O’Shea have both broken records, but the top news is that Antoine Albeau and Anders Bringdal both broke the 50knot barrier. Find out more about Antoine, including some words on the record from the man himself here.  With more promising forecasts around the corner, we will continue to follow all the action in Luderitz, fingers crossed more records will be broken in the near future.

We finish up the news this week with a video from Juice Boardsports and their recent demo at Fraisthorpe beach.

But what does make the ultimate gift for a windsurfer? Over the coming weeks we will talk through a variety of gift ideas; next up are our favourite Travel and Storage items– every image is clickable, so click the pic for more information on the item.

ION Single Board Bag

Travelling for a windsurfer can mean anything from popping down the road to the local lake, to jetting across to the other side of the world and there are a few essentials for any journey.

Board bags are an absolute must to protect your beloved boards, and they come in various size options. If you want to take just one board with you, wherever you are heading to, the ION single board bag for £69.95 is a  great lightweight bag that still provides a great amount of padding.

Or if you want to be able to take a fair few more boards with you, you may want to look at the Flying Objects triple wave board bag (£154.99). This offers fantastic protection and is the perfect way to carry your whole quiver of boards.

Triple boardbag

drag patches

Triple tie down

triple straps

Pat Love One Shot

If you want to get everything in one bag on your travels there are also a few options to look at. The Pat Love One Shot (£139.00) can carry a quiver of one board, three sails, two masts and one boom, making it the perfect travel companion.

If however you’ve got a little more in your quiver that you would like to take away with you the Flying Objects Windsurf roller (£142.99) maybe the answer.

The Flying Objects Roller Bag

internal pockets

internal tie down

roller wheels

Pat Love Roof Straps

If you’re travelling a little closer to home and strapping gear onto your car is the priority then these straps from Pat Love are a must have. Available in 25mm and 50mm for £9.95 and £19.95 respectively, it is definitely worth checking your straps are in full working order to avoid and mid journey snapping!

Another, more secure way of tying down your boards is with Kanulock.

ION roof rack pads

An essential under the straps, to keep your equipment safe are roof rack pads. We recommend these ones from ION, available for £15.99.

Or you could look at another option for a roof rack; HandiRack (£59.99) is a totally inflatable roof rack which is light, durable and easy to use.

Action Van double seat cover

Oshea single seat cover

It is of course important to travel in style too, and seat covers offer both a great look plus keep your seats dry and sand free! Action Vans and O’Shea both offer great single and double covers – O’Shea single £29.99 and O’Shea double £39.99. Action Van T5 single £37.50 and Action Van T5 double £42.00.

Where to buy?

Boards recommends the following retailers that stock items in this week’s Christmas wish list.

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Boardwise - ION, Flying Objects, O’Shea, Handirack, Kanulock.

Robin Hood Watersports - ION, Handirack, Pat Love, Kanulock.

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Juice Boardsports - Flying Objects, O’Shea, Handirack, Kanulock

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Action Van -  Action Van, Kanulock.

Andy Biggs  - ION, Flying Objects, Handirack, Kanulock.

Bray Lake - ION, Flying Objects, Handirack.

L.A.R. Watersports - ION, O’Shea, Handirack, Pat Love, Kanulock.

Puravida Boardriders - ION, Flying Objects, O’Shea, Handirack, Pat Love.

Quayside Windsurfers - ION, Flying Objects.

Wet n Dry Boardsports - ION, Flying Objects, Kanulock.

4Boards  - ION, O’Shea

Check out the previous Christmas Wishlists: 

Winter Warmers

winter warmers

But what does make the ultimate gift for a windsurfer? Over the coming weeks we will talk through a variety of gift ideas; first up are our favourite Winter Warmers – every image is clickable, so click the pic for more information on the item.

Our top pick of winter warmers

Keeping warm on the water is pretty tricky as temperatures plummet, but there are a few items which will really make a difference and mean you can stay on the water even longer. Gloves are definitely one of these items, but which style of glove would suit you?

There are two main types to look at: closed and open palm.

Closed palm, traditional gloves no doubt give the best protection from the elements. ION produce a pre curved version called the Claw (£23.95) which gives optimum warmth with comfort, and O’Neill also make a version called the FLX (£18.00) with a slightly tacky grip to help keep hold of the boom!

Which closed palm glove? The O'Neill FLX?

Or the ION Claw?

Click for more info!

Whilst traditional gloves offer the most warmth and protection, some windsurfers prefer the feel of an open palm glove.

With the palm part of the glove cut away it means that there is a little more flexibility and movement for the hand. This also enables you to get a better feel for the boom, whilst still protecting the outer part of the hand from the elements.

Again there are various options of open palmed gloves on the market; our top picks are from ION (£19.99) and Spartan (£17.50). Both provide warmth, flexibility and a great all round fit.

Find out more about Spartan Mittens

Or do you prefer the ION version?

Moving from hands to feet, there are again various options for keeping your toes warm over the cold spell.

O’Neill offer a traditional style boot, called Heat (£34.95) which more than lives up to it’s name and offers optimal warmth with 5mm fluid foam neoprene. Another fantastic boot comes from Atan, who offer two versions: the Mistral 3mm (£39.95) and the Hot Mistral 6mm! (£42.95). Designed by windsurfers, for windsurfers the Atan boots again offer warmth and a comfortable feeling in the straps.

Click here for more on the O'Neill Heat

And here for the Atan Mistral....or Mistral Hot?

The ION Ballistic socks

Billabong Revolution, also with split toes...

A different option for boots is to go split toes; some prefer this feel as it offers a little more movement  for the feet. If you are looking at this type of boot our top pick is the Billabong 3mm Revolution boot (£29.95).

The ION Ballistic Socks 6/5mm (£64.95) are also adding to the variety of footwear on the market. With no seams these socks offer an internal split toe plus an even more flexibility for the foot.

We all know keeping our heads warm, both on and off the water, makes a massive difference. Again with headwear, there are a few options to look at. O’Neill offer the fantastic Gooru Hood (£19.95) which gives complete coverage for head, neck and ears.

Relatively new onto the market are a new way of keeping your head warm; the neoprene beanie. Offering almost the same warmth as a full hood, the beanie will keep your head warm but with your ears free you can hear at full capacity! Spartan (£15) offer the beanie shown below and  ION offer an incredible 10 different designs from £19.99. Beanies also come with straps/strings so don’t worry, they won’t be lost at sea!

O'Neill Gooru Hood

Spartan Beanie, classic is great

ION Beanie: one of many to chose from!

Our final must have winter warmer is a thermal rash vest. These offer another extra warm barrier against the cold; O’Neill’s Thermo X is  fleece 8oz lined providing great insulation and comes in long (£34.95) or short sleeved (£39.95) . ION’s Hooded Neo vest (£64.95) is fully made of neoprene and can be worn under or over a wetsuit, where of course the  attached hood gives you the best of both worlds!

ION Neo Vest

O'Neill Thermo rash vest

Where to buy?

The following retailers stock items in this week’s Christmas wish list.

Andy Biggs - ION, Spartan, O’Neill and Atan.

Boardwise – ION Beanies, Spartan, O’Neill, Billabong boots and Atan.

Robin Hood Watersports - ION open palm mitts and O’Neill.

Quayside Windsurfers – ION and Atan.

Juice Boardsports – Spartan and Atan.

4Boards - ION and Billabong.

Bray Lake – ION and O’Neill.

L.A.R. Watersports – all ION Products

Puravida Boardriders - ION, O’Neill and Atan.

Wet n Dry Boardsports – ION and O’Neill.

The Revolutionaries project involves shops such as Bray Lake Watersports, Boardwise, Juice Boardsports, Quayside Windsurfers and Puravida Boardriders, who are all selling the brand new Severne equipment which has just landed in the UK. Each shop will be looking for riders with a good local presence to act as an ambassador and be a extra contact for customers on the beach.  You don’t have to be a top pro, being active in your windsurfing community is a lot more important.

Want to join Bjorn Dunkerbeck?

Logistics 

Each shop stocking Severne will have up to three Revolutionaries who will be featured on the shop website, the national distributor’s website and the Severne International website. Each Revolutionary must be highly active in the local windsurf scene (especially with a strong presence on the beach) and be able to produce content which can be promoted online through various social media channels. Through these activities they will be able to build the reputation of the brand in the local area as well as be a point of expertise outside of the shop environment.

You do not need to be the next big thing! You could be a member of staff, a local hot shot or an instructor at your local school. You will have access to a 20% discount on the UK trade price on all Severne products which will need to be ordered through one of the 12 UK Severne Dealers. There will be a full quiver of Blades, Overdrives, NCX’s and Gators available for each rider to use for demos to help promote the equipment in the local area which will be delivered free of charge to your affiliated shop for the event. Severne will also provide you with other promotional materials to help brand the event and use to maintain a constant presence on the beach.

Terms and Conditions

In order to become a Revolutionary you will have to complete an application form which will be sent to Severne HQ in Western Australia for approval before being granted permission to join the Revolutionaries project, if you are successful in your application you will be agreeing to the following terms and conditions:

1. You will effectively be acting as a brand ambassador for Severne in the UK and as such your actions will reflect on the brand, therefore you must ensure that you are approachable on the beach and seen as a valuable source of information,

2. As an ambassador it will be your responsibility to develop and maintain a good knowledge of the Severne product range to include all sails, masts, booms and extensions.

3. Any content posted on your own websites/social media sites can be associated to the brand so you should conduct yourself in a way which reflects the brand in a good light.

4. Provide technical help and feedback on a national level and be a point of contact for enquiries.

5. Organise and run at least one local demo event each year in association with your affiliated shop.

6. Attend (not necessarily compete) at least two National and local windsurfing events each year.

7. Create regular content to be featured on the Severne UK Facebook page be that videos, blog pieces or photos (at least two posts per month).

8. Assist in gaining customers for your affiliated shop from the beach and directing them to the store.

If you are interested in joining the Revolution, then fill out the application form and send this to your local Severne dealer which you can select from the list below:

Boards recommended retailers involved in the Revolution:

Boardwise – cannock@boardwise.com

Bray Lake Watersports – info@braylake.com

Juice Boardsports – team@juiceboardsports.co.uk

Puravida Boardriders – jim@puravidaboardriders.co.uk

Quayside Windsurfers – nikki@quayside-windsurfers.com

Other retailers who are part of the Revolution: 

Rat Rigs – ratrigs@aol.com

Surfstore – sales@surfstore.co.uk

Wet n Dry Boardsports – info@wetndryboardsports.com

Williams Windsurfing – aaran@earthwindwater.co.uk

Andy Biggs – info@andybiggs.co.uk

Boardworx – info@board-worx.com

Liquid Motion – steve@liquidmotion.co.uk

Once you have sent them your application they will select the riders they wish to have representing them to Severne International for approval. If your application is approved you will then receive a welcome pack and will be contacted regarding kit ordering through the shop.

So, will you join the Revolution? Download an application form - Severne Revolutionary Application Form

Boards caught up with Gump, the man in charge of Juice Boardsports, to find out more about the weekend. 

These and many more event are always displayed on the Project Windsurf UK events page, so head here http://www.projectwindsurfuk.org.uk/events to check out everything that is going on in the UK windsurfing scene.

Windsurf Plymouth, an active group on Project Windsurf - UK. Image courtesy John Warren www.h2ophoto.org

Juice Boardsports

It’s the big Juicy demo of the year with all the latest Windsurfing, SUP and kitesurfing equipment.

Fraisthorpe beach is a great location on the east coast just south of Bridlington. You can windsurf on all wind directions giving a variety of conditions.

Camping on the grass available next to the beach Friday and Saturday night. (£5 per night)

Bring along food and drinks for the beach party and BBQ on the Saturday evening.

We will also be joined by special guests:- Dave White and Farrel O’shea.

For More info head to www.juiceboardsports.co.uk or  feel free to call the shop on 01484422146.
Happy Sailing Gump and Ben.

In the meantime check out this video from Juice team rider, Mark Dowson.