Mike has been getting to grips with Ho’okipa too, a pretty daunting and tricky break to sail as many of you will know, but what’s helped Mike? A brand new custom Quatro, that’s what! You can check out a full blog post about Mike’s adventures here and check out the gallery below.

We caught up with Stef Hilder for a few words about Gwithian going off -

“The morning saw small but fun conditions with 40-50 windsurfers on the water, a clear sign that everybody had been dying to get out after such a cold winter! After sailing for 3-4 hours I was pretty worn out and hadn’t had the best session. We then noticed more and more sets coming through and knowing it would be good as the tide pushed in we snuck off to mexicos where it was side offshore and getting bigger by the minute.

I wobbled out on my 78l and 4.2 Icon which was perfect on the wave if a little light when negotiating big close out sets!
3 of us then had the perfect hours evening sessions with lots of sets and no-one else around! Quite a few guys stayed out at Gwithian so I am sure more pics will appear from their session where there must have been a few monster sets!”

Stef is supported by:
| Puravidaboardriders | Simmer Style | O’Shea Surf
| No Limitz Masts | K4 Fins | Crossfit Plymouth

The pictures are starting to hit the web and we’ve got just a handful for you now but check back later, on this news post, for further updates.

Phil Horrocks in Rhosneiger

Phil Horrocks tweaking it!

]]> http://boards.mpora.com/news/spring-is-in-town.html/feed 0 http://boards.mpora.com/news/zara-davies-to-attend-luderitz-once-again.html http://boards.mpora.com/news/zara-davies-to-attend-luderitz-once-again.html#comments Fri, 05 Apr 2013 19:01:10 +0000 editor http://boards.mpora.com/?p=49596 Zara Davis, the UK’s queen of speed, has signed up again for the Luderitz Speed Challenge. Zara was tempted after last years success at this event, where she set a new women’s world record of 45.83 knots to sit back on her laurels and give this event a miss. But that is not Zara’s way and she defiantly feels their is unfinished business out there.

On the day she set the record last year the next run down the course she cut her leg badly and had to go to hospital for 30 stitches.  When she left the site her close completion was about two and a half  knots slower, the day got better and better and they all improved by about two knots so potentially 48 knots was possible and with the advances with her equipment from Mistral, Simmer and Sonntag she believes that she could be the 1st women windsurfer to go over 50 knots. She is looking for sponsors to help her this year and share in the publicity. If you want to help or know someone who can, please get in touch  zara@speedsailing.com

She will be accompanied and supported at the event by her Mistral team mates, British record holder Farrel Oshea, Greek record holder Nick Vardalachos and Mistral CEO and the 1st windsurfer to break 50 knots Anders Bringdal. They are all hoping to exceed their success of last year.

To follow Zara and the teams progress follow her on Facebook “Zara Davis speed  windsurfer” or her website www.zaradavis.co.uk.

Ben Proffitt’s Corros Crash from Windsurf Australia on Vimeo.

Sit back and enjoy….

New Years Eve 2012 from michael Archer on Vimeo.

In this second part we cover:

Gybing – how to enter and exit

and

Top Speed – how to go as fast as possible

Simon Pettifer

Gybing

Simon Pettifer: Anyone can gybe down their local beach on their own when they choose to do it, it’s when there are eight or nine people around you it can get tricky. I find that if I take it easy I make a mess of it, so I have to try to go for it almost as if the other guys aren’t there, but you do have to make sure that contact is avoided and this can involve a bit of swerving around as people do fall off and if you pile into the back of them then you’re race is over. Try to come out of your gybe close to the buoy, so you’re upwind of any of the sailors around you, you don’t want to be down wind of a couple of sailors both pumping their sails to get on the plane, you will come off the plane and sit in their bad air.

Also, try to gybe on a wave or swell to help keep you on the plane, even try to come out of the gybe down chop, anything to help you get through the mess of wakes left by the sailors around you.

Simon Cofield: When gybing I’m always look for a bit of swell or a trough to go down while I’m flipping the rig and changing my feet; this allows you to keep momentum and exit the gybe with speed.

Kev Greeneslade: Really just focus on the exit speed and try not too leave too much space for others to sneak through; and don’t fall off!

Another top racer, Sam Latham, shows us the perfect slalom gybe below…

Sam Latham K15 – 3 fully planing gybes from Sam Latham K15 on Vimeo.

Ant Baker: It’s very important to make your exit a priority, meaning it doesn’t matter how it looks as long as you come out fanging!

James Dinsmore: If in doubt it is much better to go in wide and come out tight. If you come out upwind you will have clean air in which to launch an attack on any sailors ahead and you are also in the best position to defend your position.

If it is super windy and rough then it may help to head into the wind to shed speed and gain control just before you initiate your gybe.

Kev Greeneslade

Top Speed

Simon Pettifer: Sailing on your own is great for some things, but to improve your speed I think you need to sail with other people. We all know it sucks to be passed by other people so we try harder, if you get passed by your mate, go in pull on an inch of downhaul go back out and see if you can beat him, if doesn’t work try changing your fin – put a smaller one in – it’s all about finding out what makes a difference.

Simon Cofield: Sail – I like to sail fully powered, putting as much of my weight through the harness lines as possible, be fully sheeted in and keep the sail as still as I can. I find this the best way to go fast.

Board – You want to be riding right on the fin, with just the back section of your board touching the water. To achieve this you need your deck plate in the right position, to far forward and the board will stick to the water = slow, to far back and you will be tail walking in the big gusts = slow. Experiment with positions to get it right.

Kev Greeneslade: I am fortunate to be 6’4″ , 98kg and use the fastest sails in the world, eat pies, drink beer, sheet in, job done. Being maxed is key for speed, however I do like to get on to smaller than 9.5 and 140 as soon as posable my 8.6 /123 combo is just much more efficient for me.

Ant Baker: I get asked all the time how my kit feels and I answer with: “it feels horrible… but I’m fast.” Pro windsurfers can get their kit tuned to the limit, but for most it’s about getting round the course, not falling on gybes is the most important thing then you can start to crank things up a bit to get some top end. I like to use small fins and big sails, this means the power I generate from my rig goes forward not up in the air. I also use a Shox North mast base which allows me to stay sheeted in through bad chop, but don’t tell anyone

James Dinsmore: The first thing to say is that having overall good speed around a slalom course is very different to achieve a peak speed with a GPS when sailing on your own.

The time it takes to get to top speed is vital in slalom and may be more important than the top speed itself.  Having good acceleration is key at both the start and when exiting gybe marks and can win or loose you a race.  In the real world you may well not hit the start line at top speed but if you have good acceleration then you can get into clean air quickly and then have an advantage over your competitors.

For good acceleration you want to be able to sheet in with the backhand and immediately feel your sail drive you forwards. Taking a relatively big and full sail will tend to give you this ‘power on tap’ feeling. In order to achieve a better maximum speed with a GPS you may well choose to use a smaller sail and fin than you would on a slalom course. With a GPS you can time your runs with the gusts and then make the most of the efficiency and less drag of a smaller sail and fin. If you take a fin that is too small on the slalom course then you will struggle to point. Even on a ‘downwind’ slalom course it is vital to be able point upwind as this allows you to find clean wind and overtake. Finding the right fin for your board and sail is vital as you want just enough lift to allow you to point but not so much so that the boards threatens to take off.

Next time on Slalom Secrets we will cover: Tuning and Training. 

You may also like to read: 

In this first part we cover:

Starting – What process do the top guys use?

and

Covering your position – Is it worth it?

James Dinsmore

Starting

James Dinsmore: Try to have the discipline to practice starts on your different boards and in different conditions. How far you want to be from the line with twenty seconds to go is different in 12 knots to 25 knots of wind. You need to practice to be able to rely on judgement rather than luck.

The easiest practice can be done on your own and simply involves selecting a buoy or any fixed object in the water and running through complete start sequences until you are arriving at the buoy at zero seconds going full tilt.

Different approaches to the start suit different circumstances. For example coming late and at speed from behind the pack can sometimes work well, but in very light winds it can easily go horribly wrong as it is hard to maintain speed coming through the dirty air of the pack.

Simon Pettifer: You must have a start watch, one of the big yellow racing ones ideally, as you’ve got to be able to see it easily. Hang around the start boat once you’re heat flag has gone up, hit your 3 min start sequence when you hear the horn sound and the flag goes up, then sail away from the boat for 30 secs, gybe and come back to the boat ready to press the sync button on you’re watch when the 2 min flag comes down. This is to make sure you have  the count down bang on and you know you’ll have the best chance of hitting the line bang on the gun.

There are different ways of approaching the whole start thing, at the moment I’m having the best time with this one: after the two minute flag has gone up I gybe and once again sail away from the start boat, not at full speed just taking it easy. Then just before the 1 minute flag I’ll gybe again, all the while taking note of who’s around me.

Simon Pettifer

At this point there tends to be a few of you together starting to gather in a line ready to put the foot down. So you’re one min from the start if you sail real slow,  so you know you can cruise up toward the start picking you’re time when you sheet in, you’re in the straps hooked in and planing toward the start. From the warm ups sailing around the start line you’ll know when to sheet in and go for the line, it’s all about knowing how far you travel at full speed, only practice can tell you this.

There are a couple of things you can do to get over some mis-timing probs. If you’re too early for the start and you think you’re going to be over the line, bear away down wind so you’re no longer heading straight for the line, therefore you take longer to get to the line but you don’t have to slow down and you don’t lose the speed that you’ve just tried to get up. This can involve cutting people up a bit as you’re going to sail straight across the top of them, they will not be happy but remember you want to be hitting the line at full speed – hopefully somewhere near the front of the pack. If you’re at the back at the start then you’ll have a hard time catching up, your only hope is people making mistakes at the gybe but this doesn’t happen all that often.

Simon Cofield  I sail away from the start boat at 3 minutes and gybe at about 1.5 minutes. I try to leave some room downwind of me as I’m coming towards the start, this allows me to bear away and hit the start line at top speed.

Kev Greeneslade

Kev Greeneslade This is dependent on the conditions and sometimes the venue. First up sail the course, secondly check the bias on the start line and take a transit if possible.

My preferred method of starting is to wait by the boat for the 3 minute signal then sail towards the first gybe mark for 25-30 seconds, and then sail back towards the boat. In theory so long as I haven’t fallen off I should be able to check my watch at 2 minutes, now sheeting in to full speed sailing away from the boat. Next up is to gybe at 1 minute ish and make it a good one as falling off here is not an option! Then it’s flat out towards the preferred end of the line, normally the the pin; as I approach the line I try to leave space down wind of me to bear away into just incase I am early.

The start is probably 80% of the race so it’s crucial to get right as everyone is so bloody fast.

Ant Baker  Everyone goes around the starting process differently, personally as a fat bastard I like to only put in 1 gybe; so I sail from the start line on the 3min flag and gybe at 1.5 mins then fang towards the pin end and then aim to first to mark one

Ant Baker

Covering

James Dinsmore: It is certainly important to be aware of the sailors around you in order to defend your position. However, especially when you are inexperienced, it is easy to get put off and make unnecessary mistakes because of distractions. If I am leading I hardly ever look back and prefer to concentrate on looking forward and sailing my own race as I find I make less mistakes that way.

Simon Pettifer So you’re going down the first reach someone is right behind you gaining, what can you do? Make it hard for them, push them up wind, off the sailing line and don’t back off unless they’re going much, much quicker than you.This will slow them up and therefore distract them from the job in hand. That’s about the only covering I seem to do, apart from that I’m usually trying my best to go as fast as I can and not go over the front of the board!

Si Cofield

Simon Cofield I sail the shortest route to the next mark at top speed, I don’t get involved with altering course to much, it just slows you down.

Kev Greeneslade I normally race my own race and rely on board speed and good starts; once you’re in the lead it’s easier if you can hold your nerve. Covering doesn’t really come in until after a few rounds, then becomes evident who you are racing and for what position. Then you can start doing stuff like sailing over the top of your nearest rival off the start etc.

Ant Baker Sheet in!

Next time we will be covering gybing and getting to your top speed.

For more technique on Boards check out the all features here.

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.

Four British windsurfers, Boards editor Amy Carter and BWA competitors George Shillito, James Cox and Steve Thorp guide you through their beloved sport and how it is affected by the weather.

George Shillito in action

From those taking their first steps on a board through to windsurfing addicts who follow the forecasts daily, we are all eager to find the right conditions and enjoy them to the fullest. Luckily for us the UK provides a brilliant range of windsurfing weather and locations for everyone, but first things first, what is windsurfing?

A windsurfer basically consists of a board, mast, boom and sail. The principle of windsurfing is simple; you stand on the board, with your feet roughly shoulder width apart, and hold the sail up with your hands. The aim is to control the board and execute all the different manoeuvres with a variety of techniques. When you learn to windsurf it will be in a safe, calm environment where you can get to grips with the theory and techniques of the sport. After mastering these you can move onto sailing in more challenging conditions and continually improve your windsurfing ability.

Windsurfing – fun for all!

George Shillito, a regular on the BWA (British Wavesailing Association) Tour and manager of a successful watersports centre, knows all about introducing new people to the sport. George shares his knowledge on getting started in windsurfing, as well as how the weather will affect your first, and all future, sessions on the water.

“For windsurfers, checking a forecast is the blood line that links the first-time novices to the international-travelling, wind-battered professionals. For each and every windsurfer checking the forecast kick-starts a chain reaction of religious routines, preparations and difficult deliberation as to what kit to take, where to take it and why take it there.

Just a few days ago I found myself explaining to a group of keen beginners that their ideal forecast which they should be searching high and low for is a steady force three (on the Beaufort scale) and a Northerly wind making the water nice and flat down here at Polkerris Beach on the South coast of Cornwall. As I found myself uttering these words I was quickly confronted with the question “what’s the windiest you’ve ever been out in?” to which I had to answer “a good force nine to ten!!”

As you can imagine this opened the flood gates to a barrage of questions which got me thinking; what is it that windsurfers look for that make an identical forecast spell disaster for some, but offer perfect conditions for others?

For your first steps on a windsurf board, flat water with a constant light wind (Force 2-3) are more or less ideal to enhance your learning experience, as at this stage you are what is referred to as unconsciously incompetent. You know don’t know what you’re doing as you have never done it before, but then again you have nothing to compare yourself to and your brain is working over-time to ensure you stay upright and resemble something similar to what the instructor is saying nearby. In short, there is much too much to be thinking about to worry whether a small gust maybe just about to collide with your sail as everything you are doing requires thought. For this stage the safer the water the better, so learning at any RYA training centre will insure certain, high quality standards are met.

Once you’ve been bitten by the windsurfing bug you’ll quickly succumb to the excitement and intrigue of learning more and it will soon have you back out on the water. As your experience grows so to do your limits and the gentle winds no longer produce the new arousal levels you are now accustomed. This is due to the fact that as you do more, more of what you are doing becomes subconscious and you do things without thought. Whereas previously you worried about where your hands and feet were, now it comes naturally to you, so your brain has more space to start thinking about new quarrels that it has not encountered before, such as water state and wind inequalities.

As time goes by what once was you perfect forecast is now just seen as a light bit of fun on the water with friends or used to learn new skills for windier days when things happen much faster.

Once you reach planning level (when you overtake your bow wave ie go pretty fast!) you will naturally find yourself well on your way to becoming a fully-fledged windsurfer and will have no doubt chosen a discipline you want to focus on.

Windsurfing, like any other sport, has a few main disciplines one can focus their attention on and for each the dream forecast is always slightly different. Most windsurfers don’t necessarily chose which discipline they want to take part in, rather the local beach, lake or area of water set the parameters for what is possible. So below is a list of the main disciplines and for each one I have explained, in short what each require in terms of forecast and kit.

Freeride / Bump and jump: This is the main type of discipline recreational windsurfers take part in. Ideally they look for about eighteen to thirty knots and use non-specific, go anywhere, do anything boards allowing them to make the most of any wind-blown chop for jumping or sheltered flat water areas for carving manoeuvres.

Wave: The more extreme end of the windsurfing spectrum. Wave is when windsurfers use waves as stunt ramps for high jumps and tricks such as forward or backward loops. They then surf the wave on the way back in combining bottom and top turns. They have to be on the brink of planning as the boards they use are much smaller (70 – 95 litres) to allow for control on the wave and in the air, ideally twenty-three knots (plus) with wave size anywhere from waist to four metres high or bigger!

Top freestyler Gollito in action. Image courtesy Fanatic/Tom de Brendt.

Freestyle: The skateboarding of the windsurfing world. It relies on doing explosive, sliding and spinning manoeuvres on completely flat water, the flatter the water the better. Again this relies on the windsurfer planning but it uses slightly bigger boards (90 – 105 litres) than wave so they can get out in similar winds to freeride, about eighteen knots plus. Freestyle is normally best when a stretch of water, across the wind is sheltered by a low lying wall, sand bar or spit of land for constant wind but has no fetch (area for chop to form on the water).

Race: This discipline is in itself split into many different categories which incorporates almost all wind strengths from RS:X which is used in the Olympics (please sign the petition to keep it in at: http://www.change.org/petitions/isaf-keep-windsurfing-as-olympic-discipline# ) designed specifically for use all over the world at different venues, inland and costal. Formula which has kit that can get planning in about eight knots of wind and Slalom which can be done in some of the highest wind speeds nature can put out.

All of the aforesaid disciplines do at some stage interlink and defining them can sometimes be difficult. I have used wind strengths for a typical windsurfer but that is not to say that for all of the above there will be many exceptions. Lighter/more skilled sailors will be able to get going earlier, slightly different conditions will allow different opportunities and as kit progresses people are able to get out more and more.  So a forecast to a windsurfer is like opening a book with the same content, yet arriving at an infinite amount of different endings. Depending where you are on your windsurfing journey be sure to check the forecast so you can arrive at your own conclusions as you can be sure the person next to you at your local spot will have arrived at a slightly different one!”

As you progress with windsurfing and sway towards one or other of these disciplines, following the forecast becomes a little more exciting. While it maybe easy to get out on some flat water to go freeriding, you may crave a perfect wave to improve your wave riding or some ultra flat water to learn the new freestyle move.

For many following the forecast and searching for their own personal ideal condition becomes an addiction, James Cox an avid competitor well known for his meteorological knowledge explains why and what many look for in a forecast.

James Cox. Image credit Duncan Dumbreck.

“Windsurfers do not have the luxury of booking a court or scheduling a regular after work slot of leisure activity; we wait for the weather to decide when the games can begin. And as a keen windsurfer I know, and thoroughly enjoy, the process of being finely tuned in to the weather forecasts in anticipation of the next brewing storm and the next chance to hit the water. We wait for the latest forecast updates to plan our week ahead. Most often work and social engagements are planned around the windsurfing and the weather.

A chase makes life more exciting and following the weather is exactly that. As a windsurfer you will have your own ideal conditions that you will be looking for – your own idea of perfection! For Steve, George and Amy this will most likely be something such as raw big surf and strong winds; whereas for another individual it might be moderate winds on a secluded and sheltered lake. So we will all be concentrating on the weather forecast, but we might be hoping for different things.

This is just one of the reasons why Windsurfing is such an incredible sport. The weather constantly changes the playing field making every session unique. There is no good or bad weather in windsurfing – only good weather! But as suggested  above, it’s the extreme weather conditions that keep the most experienced windsurfers perpetually hooked.

James Cox in action. Image credit BWA/Dave White.

Finding the right weather for your ability is only a part of what we look for (and something that the Met Office website www.metoffice.gov.uk  does very well), it is also very important to know which locations handle those conditions the best and which are most suited to you ability level. This is something that Bigsalty Weather www.bigsalty.co.uk focuses on. So in unison these websites allow you to track the weather and locate your ideal location based on the conditions.

The most important weather indicator that you want to look for when windsurfing is of course wind speed and direction. A learner might look for a wind speed of 7-18kts (F3 Bft – F5Bft). This is windy enough to get a response from the sail but not too windy to be out of control. Wind direction or more specifically wind orientation is something else we look for.

As you gain experience of a local area, you may find that a particular wind direction suits one location over an alternative. Indeed you may also find that a specific wind direction may accentuate the wind speed due to a thermal enhancement (e.g. sea breeze) or acceleration due to topography. Beach orientation and sea bed topography also effect what wave action will be present at the beach. This is where the above weather forecasting sites above can help, but it’s also extremely beneficial to pay attention to these localised effects yourself.

Generally speaking, if you are getting in to windsurfing for the first time you don’t have to worry too much about too many detailed weather factors (I am assuming you are taking advice from an instructor) but by making an effort to understand them you can make more sense out of the forecasts available to you and perhaps read between the lines.

As well as wind speed and direction, I personally look at tides and the wave (also known as swell) characteristics: wave height, wave period and wave direction. Broadly speaking, wave height tells me how high the waves may be, wave period tells me how much energy and power the waves will have and the wave direction tells me what angle the waves will need to wrap through to reach my favourite beach. Tides will also affect the waves on their approach to the shore but this effect varies greatly from beach to beach.

Understanding the weather is part of the rich and exciting experience of being a windsurfer. You will never completely master either of these things, but this means there is always something new to keep you hooked.

Essential weather and information websites to take with you on this journey are:

• The Met Office (www.metoffice.gov.uk )
• Bigsalty Weather (www.bigsalty.co.uk)

Additional weather sites that are frequently used are:

• Windguru (www.windguru.cz)
• Magicseaweed (www.magicseaweed.com)”

The answer is that one of the substitutes will move into the spot.

Waiting patiently for his call is Simmer sponsored rider Ben Proffitt.

Here’s what he has to say on the Storm Chase website -

MY MOTIVATION FOR THE CHASE

Storm chasing is what most windsurfers in Europe live for! When that low pressure pops up on the weather map sicky’s get pulled, wives and girlfriends get stood up to make a date with a big fat mother of a storm that will take your breath away and give you the biggest blow you’ve ever had. This is what I live for and I want to go on a date with a big fat mother and get it on film…

Bring it on!

Keep in the loop by visiting the Red Bull Storm Chase site here

Proffitt boosting on a heavy wave

Proff running for cover

Saskia Sills takes gold

“I can’t quite believe it! It’s such a shock but such a great feeling, I’m over the moon,” enthused Sills. “My aim entering the regatta was to try and finish within the top 10 and to gain as much experience as possible as it’s my first Youth Worlds and only my third proper event on the RS:X board. I don’t think it’s hit me yet as to how big this event actually is and what it means to medal here, I’m sure it soon will though and I can’t wait for tonight!”

Sills, who won the U17 class RS:X European title earlier this month, went into today’s only race with a guaranteed silver medal in the bag and needed to finish within  the top 13 to secure the world title. Following a 15^th in her penultimate race yesterday (Thursday 19 July), the pressure could have easily mounted on the youngest member of RYA Volvo Team GBR.

“At the beginning of the week I started off really well but as the week went on it got very tough. Yesterday I had a bit of a shocker in the final race and made it a lot harder for myself –  I couldn’t sleep last night which I’m sure was down to nerves. Everyone was congratulating me this morning before the race had even started which was a bit strange as I still had a job to do.

“I was so pleased when I crossed the finished line, it was a very stressful race,” said Sills. “At one point I was going round the top mark in 13^th with the people behind right on my tail which was when I soon realised I needed to pull my finger out. When I returned to the shore it was a great feeling. I’m now looking forward to the closing ceremony and celebrating the Nations Trophy with the rest of RYA Volvo Team GBR,” said Sills.

Congratulations to Saskia and we cannot wait to hear more about the victory on Boards.

This week was of course dominated by PWA news, firstly all the highlights from PWA Gran Canaria  then the news that Iballa Moreno and Philip Koester took further victories in PWA Tenerife too. Check out the Boardseeker action with brilliant videos from each day thanks to Alfie Hart.

During the competition the final 10 sailors were announced for the Red Bull Storm Chase, with Robby Swift in the mix with some of the best in the world. Ben Proffitt didn’t quite make it, but is nicely placed in 11th to step in should there be any injuries or sailors unable to make it…we’re sure we WILL see Proffitt in action in a force 10, potentially along with 12th placed Kenneth Danielsen who is probably the sailor most physically suited to the ballistic winds!

New equipment has been launched this week with the freestyle/wave range from Fanatic and North Sails, as well as the new range of wave sails from Simmer. 

We finish of this week’s top news with a brilliant image from one of the main men at RRD, Dave White and his new transport to the beach….we asked for more details, but looks like this was a top secret mission!

Dave White makes a speedy getaway!

Hidden Talents is a series of interviews, by SWA media man and Boards columnist Will Jones, uncovering both UK born riders, and those talented youngsters that now reside here. Originally, this series was on our sister site www.boardseeker.com now on Boards, we will use the series to showcase the best of British.

Our June Hidden Talent is Tom Bennett-Lloyd, the 2011 BWA Youth champion, who is really stepping up his wave riding and busting out big jumps, proving he can really mix it with the best.

Check out the Hidden Talent from May – Nic Hibdige.

Tom Bennett-Lloyd. Image courtesy BWA/Dave White.

Name: Tom Bennett-Lloyd

Age: 19

From: Norwich

Years windsurfing? Maybe like 8 or 9 I think. I properly first started when I was about 10. I’d maybe had a few goes before then.

Favourite discipline? Waves.

Local spot?  East Runton, in Norfolk.

Occupation?  I finished school last year and next year I’m going to start Ocean Science at Bangor University. At the moment I am just travelling, seeing some more of the world.

Sponsors? I’ve joined the PuraVida team, which is cool! I’m going be in Wales where they are based and Jim is really positive about getting people windsurfing.

How did you get into windsurfing? My Dad was really into his surfing when he was younger, but then he was living in Wales. When he moved to Norfolk he learnt to windsurf, living in Norfolk there’s not much surf so he got more into windsurfing and then got me into it.

Tell us a bit about where you live and your local spots? Yeah it’s really good. There’s so many spots like Hunstanton which is really good for freestyle and slalom, then there’s Wells which is good for freestyle with a bit of a wave. Also Brancaster is quite good for waves but we don’t go there that often because if it’s good there, it’s probably better to go to East Runton. That’s probably my favourite spot nearby.

If you go even further east there’s Lowestoft and Southwold, which can both be good. There are quite a few good spots near me, all facing different directions, so whatever the wind there is normally somewhere pretty decent to sail.

Tom Bennett-Lloyd. Image courtesy BWA/Dave White.

When did you start getting into wavesailing?

Once I got planning really, it was the first thing I wanted to do. Dad took me down to East Runton. I remember it being about shoulder high, which I guess that would be about waist high now! I couldn’t waterstart then so was still on my 100litre board, but I loved it and it was all I wanted to do. It made me determined to learn to waterstart and get back out there on a smaller board, which I did pretty soon after. I went to one of those wave camps Trevor Funnell used to run, where I learnt a lot and soon after that went to my first UKWA event in Rhosneigr, which was awesome. I’m really looking forward to being at uni right next to Rhossy pretty soon!

Tom Bennett-Lloyd

Where have you been over the winter? Tell us about your travels…

More from Tom on page two…