Famous for hosting the PWA Slalom in Costa Brava, the Bellena Allegre camping and bungalow park has become a venue for 2013 Starboard and Severne International Dealer Conference. Retailers and dealers from all over Europe had a chance to see, try and understand the complete collections from Starboard Windsurfing and SUP, Severne and Airush for the upcoming season. This was also a great opportunity to understand the ideology behind the brands along with in-depth information on individual products coming directly from their designers and shapers.

Starboard’s Brand Manager, Tiesda You explained in great detail why Starboard’s ideology of INNOVATION has resulted lead to the success of the brand. Their cutting edge designs became a bench mark in windsurfing and set the brand as a leader in PWA Constructors Championship second year running. The meeting was also a chance to see the first ever inflatable windsurfing board. The design featuring fully compatible and easy to fit windsurfing fin, dagger and mast base will revolutionise the windsurfing teaching and accessibility to the sport!

Highlight of the Severne presentation was the new Reflex 4, the fourth edition of the sail which you could read more about in BOARDS Summer Annual! Their approach in producing the highest quality product with no compromise and dedication is clearly visible when looking at the 2013 products.

Great amount of SUPs and kites allowed the participants of the conference to get on the water in the light wind conditions. Even hardcore wavesailors, like Chris “Muzza” Murray, were dipping their toes in some kite action.

Along with presentations from each brand there was a chance to catch up with the likes of Scott McKercher and talk about his experience and history of designing the wave line for Starboard. Boujmaa Guilloul came over straight from Tahiti where he “surfed the most radical wave in the world” Teahopu’o. For those whose potion is SUPing, current leader of the Tour Sean Poynter was on spot to answer all questions and tell the stories from the tour.

The highlight of the meeting was a visit from the London Olympic windsurfing Champion Marina Alabau. Everyone had a chance to have a word with her and have a closer look at the GOLD Medal – some even had a go trying it… Marina had shared here experience and feedback on getting to the games and winning the Olympic Gold.

Till the next year!

Tiesda You

All questions now answered by Tiesda…

Name: Tiesda You

Country: France

Residence: Thailand

Company: Starboard

Role: Brand Manager / Designer

Current favourite equipment set up: Starboard UltraSonic 147 Carbon with Severne Turbo 8.6

Current favourite windsurfing spot: Sprecks, Maui

Last windsurfing session: During the photoshoot in April 2012 on Maui

Windsurfing hero: Jim Drake

Perfect day on the water: This would be at Taco Lake, the conditions would be a steady 22 knots and glassy, peeling waves and I would be with friends and family.

 Three things you didn’t know about Tiesda:

1) Keen golfer

2) Shisha addict

3) Owns an electric bike

BOARDS 272

contents 272 – APRIL 2011

Covershot: Camille Juban at Boa Vista by Maxime Houyvet

features

THE MAKING OF MINDS WIDE OPEN – EPISODE 1

The irrepressible Andre Paskowski brings us what we hope is the first of many updates from the global set of his next blockbuster, ‘Minds Wide Open’…

TIESDA YOU – SHAPING THE FUTURE?

Tiesda’s hand may have shaped Starboard’s future, but Dave White needed to know how a Frenchman born in Cambodia and schooled in England found himself banged up in Bangkok…

PWA VIETNAM GRAND SLAM

Vietnam’s Mui Ne Bay explodes onto the global stage to deliver a back-to-back feast of world-class freestyle and slalom, streamed live from the South China Sea’s palm fringed shores…

DEVONSHIRE CREAM

Dave White and the Home Ground tour bus chug into the fabled land of the Deep Valley Dwellers to hunt down a few local ELKs and check out what’s going down in Bigbury, Paignton and surrounding areas…

ESSEXPRESSION

Adam Sims and Oscar Carmichael report on the first freestyle Xpression Session of the season…

TALES FROM THE ROAD

Cape Town has fast become a windsurfer’s heavenly winter haven, but as Rich potter discovered, like any big city it has a dark side…

TURFDOG WINTER SESSIONS

Let’s face it, after the winter we’ve just had we’re all a bit rusty, but Mike Archer reckons he may just have the solution to stop that crucial muscle memory from atrophying…

SWA KD3 WAVE X

Sam Burnett reports on the action from the Student Windsurfing Association’s recent assault on the unsuspecting waves of North Wales…

THE DETERMINATOR

When it comes to dedication and commitment, they don’t come any more determined than this month’s Have Your Say contributor, Inga Morton…

ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST COUNTRY

Russ ‘Crazy Horse’ Tetlow resurfaces after being AWOL for a few years to regale us with ribald tales of mysterious goings on down Mexico way…

BOA VISTA BY BOAT

Miles away from the hustle and bustle of Sal and Santa Maria, Camille Juban and Maxime Houyvet discover the quiet, stress-free side of Cabo Verde…

regulars

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