Check out the introduction to the pro quivers and profile one from fifth placed rider Adam Lewis here. 

Second up in the series was Ben Proffitt, find out what he has in his van here. 

Jamie Hancock with his Gaastra, Tabou and Body Glove quiver. Image credit Duncan Dumbreck.

Name: Jamie Hancock

Current BWA Ranking: 3rd

2011 PWA Ranking: 16th

Sail Number: K218

Height: 5’6

Weight: 68kg

Sponsors: Gaastra, Tabou, Body Glove, Finisterre, Sutsu.

Favourite conditions: I like to jump but I think riding down the line is my number one.

When your equipment works best: Works well in most conditions, travelling light is always the best!

Describe your sailing style: Consistent and all round I would say. After years of travelling round the UK and learning port tack I can happily turn up at any beach and feel pretty comfortable. I’m pretty tough on myself usually and always feel I should be better.

Jamie Hancock in Wales. Image courtesy BWA/Dave White

Sails:

IQ current production 4.0 4.5

IQ prototype 3.6 4.2

Pure 4.0 4.4

I have three different types of sails all of which I have spent time over the winter testing. Usually, I would just come with the IQ, but at the moment I also have some of the freestyle sails, the Pure, and I have a couple of prototypes for next year too.

The 2013 sails will build on the success of the 2012 ranges, but with a few key changes. There will be a new lighter weight material, which also gives a bit more power. The prototypes I am using now are great, these will see even more improvements before they they go into production.

I really like the freestyle sails for some wavesailing conditions as they have a bit more power, for example when you let the clew out in onshore sailing they will give you more power through the turn. Therefore I would pick the Pure 4.0 or 4.4 when the conditions are a bit more onshore and I need the extra power. They are also quite twitchy and on/off, which as a lighter sailor I sometimes like.

The freestyle sail only goes down to 4.0 so below this I have only the IQ. The IQ is also a lot stronger and made a lot more for the hardcore wave conditions, which means I am a lot less likely to break them when it’s really going off! Also, the fact that the Pure is really light is why I love it but this also means it is a little unstable which is why it is not recommended for wave use.

I would in the future like to have one sail range through my whole quiver, but at the moment it is really nice to swap, change and work out how the different sails are working.

My biggest sail is 4.5 and I don’t honestly think I need anything bigger! I jump from a 4.0 to a 4.4, which is quite a big jump for me, whereas for a bigger person this wouldn’t be as noticeable a change. With a bigger sail you get more power, but you also get added weight and I don’t think I gain anything more from a 5.0 in terms of early planing.

Masts:

I have my old Vandal masts, plus some newer softer Gaastra masts.

Booms:

I just have one! I am waiting for the new booms to come out in production because they look amazing.

Jamie Hancock in Ireland. Courtesy BWA/Dave White

Boards:

72  80 (both custom)

They’re the biggest I’ve ever had! I used to always have something around 65litres and then mid 70s, but now through the use of multi fins it is not an advantage to have a smaller board. The bigger boards are turning as well as the smaller boards, so it makes sense to go a little bigger as you get a lot from the added volume. I used to find I was at a disadvantage in lighter winds. In order to get great waverides I had to take a smaller board, as I found the bigger ones didn’t turn well for me, then of course I lost out with early planing. Now with the new shape and fin set ups, I can take bigger boards, turn them as well and have the extra volume that I need.

Tabou ask the riders individually what they want from their board and then produce prototypes/customs for us. Fabian then takes what we suggest and like, along with what he knows will work in production to then shape next years boards. This year, I asked Fabian for 5-6cms extra length on the boards I had last year, this automatically increased the volume to approx 72 and 80litres, but I kept the same tail shape. The boards are quite wide, a little longer but the tail is still relatively thin.

I have these over a production board, mainly I needed the tail shape to be a bit thinner. For me turning an 80litre production board is quite hard, it takes a bit more to push it through the turn because I haven’t got the weight.

Set Up:

I generally you my big board with sails of 4.0m and up and the smaller 72 litre with 4.0m and below.

Jamie Hancock in Wales. Image courtesy BWA/Dave White.

Fins:

I’ve been using K4 fins for the quads, I’m asking for some more a little stiffer as I think for the tri fins options the Tabou fins are working better as they’re stiffer. Thorpy is brilliant at developing exactly what works for which boards and which sailors, so it’s still trial and error figuring out exactly what works best.

The boards have five fin boxes so I can vary the set up. I have been using quads most of the winter, but I am now using a tri fin set up, I feel this works better for onshore sailing. If it was side off I would be using quads. In the white water the tri fins still give a bit more release, where as quads give a bit more grip.

Accessories:

Gasstra waist harness and body glove wetsuits, winter suits for here!

We are pleased to present the K4 ‘Bubble’ Freestyle Fin and the K4 ‘Stubbies’. Both new models have been in the RandD stage for the past 6 months with Bubble playing an integral part in the freestyle fin.

K4 Stubbies: We designed these with heavy weight riders in mind. They have a more stubby surf style template, giving more area for each length of fin. They are stiffer to give more early planing and we reduced the rake to keep the fin loose.

K4 Freestyle : A unique combination between sweep and upright. Tested in all conditions the fin is light and slidey but still has enough grip to enter into moves.

More at k4fins.com

Graham Ezzy flying the plastic fantastic over Ho'okipa

K4 fins are stoked to announce that Graham Ezzy has joined their growing team of top riders. Graham has been using the fins for the past month and loves them. Here are some words from the man himself: “With K4 fins on my board I can hit lips later because the extra flex in the fin allows me to project my board on top of the wave’s curl instead of inside it. That combined with the ability to turn tighter is why I love these fins right now. Overall, they really free up my sailing because I can fit my bottom turn into smaller sections and go more radical in my top turns.”

BOARDS Mag managed to get hold of a set of these fins to see what all the fuss is about. Adrian Jones discusses the finer details of what this new technology brings to windsurfing in the March 2011 issue – in a nutshell, they’ve got the BOARDS / Boardseeker thumbs-up!

Pix, videos and info can now be found on K4′s new website alongside information on stockists, tips from pro riders, blog and Twitter feeds with the latest goings on as well as heaps of fin info. Be sure to sign up to the newsletter as well to get sneak pics on new fins, and latest news. More at k4.com

BOARDS 271

contents 271 / MARCH 2011 / Covershot: Robby Swift at Jaws by Darryl Wong

features

MINI TEST 1

Word on the beach is that Steve Thorp has been working the plastic fantastic and quietly taking the world by storm with his cost effective answer to G10 wave fins. Time to send in our super sleuth, Adrian Jones, to track him down and find out more…

GUYS ON TOUR – VICTOR FERNANDEZ

Acting on reports that the recently crowned World Wave Champ had been spotted among the large flock of migratory pros overwintering on Cape Town’s prime feeding grounds, Phil Horrocks winged his way down for a chat…

100L FREESTYLE BOARDS

Still convinced that freestyle boards are designed purely for hyperactive rubber-limbed kids with gyroscopic balancing skills? Then read on as Adrian Jones, ably assisted as ever by the Clones, brings us up to date…

ROAMIN’ RHODES

Taking a short break from his ELK shooting tour of the UK, Dave White heads out to the Dodecanese archipelago’s biggest island to explore the windsurfing potential…

INTERNED IN THE LOFT

Windsurfing internships are tough to come by… Or are they? Harmen Bakker reveals how a simple but effective four-step plan resulted in him spending a fruitful five months at a well-known sail loft… 

MINI TEST 2

Our esteemed editor discovers that working for a windsurfing mag isn’t all sweetness and light; occasionally you have to confront your fears, face the elephant in the room, and let the cat out of the bag…

BETWEEN CANCER AND SECOND LIFE

Axel Reese catches up with freestyle sensation and film producer Andre Paskowski to find out how his post operative rehab’s going, and talk about his plans for the future…

MR & MRS WINDSURFING

If there was a competition to find the perfect windsurfing couple, then we’d say that this month’s ‘Have Your Say’ participants, Mark and Jackie Lambert, would probably walk away with it… 

HANGING A LEFT AT JAWS

Not another Jaws picture spread? Pleeeaase… But listen up – it’s our Swifty, and the boy has a different angle on the place…

regulars

DROPPING IN

PICTURE DESK

NEWS

Sims o’Clock

Fuller’s Way

SB WINDWISE

WANNABE A WAVESAILOR

BAKER ACADEMY

READERS’ PIX

NEXT ISSUE

CLOSE OUT

+++ ADDENDUM +++

Unfortunately a printing error has led to a glitch on p126 of this issue and the omission of a few lines of text. Dave White: “Jaw dropping mistaken celebration. It’s not so much I want to celebrate a mistake but having been told at school I’m likely to bring a long list of them, I feel quite honoured to be highlighting the second in my time at BOARDS. File corruption or printer error for me isn’t the issue, it’s the content that went missing I’d rather draw your attention to. Sure, you’ll still find Robby Swift sailing Jaws within the pages of BOARDS when it drops through your door, but in a rather left field approach to the sneak peek, here’s p126 in its full and unadulterated glory.”

BOARDS 271, p126

Talking of K4 Fins, the boys over in the K4 design department are busy working on their new fins and want to know what colour you would like them to be in. You have a choice and can place your vote on the K4 blog polling station. Vote here to make your voice heard.