I found this on Steve B's blog (Steve, you are now added to my blog list - don't know how I missed you before!)
The length that these guys are going to to have a windsurfing event is impressive for sure - but I'm not wholly convinced it's windsurfing.
Sure, they're using boards, and skills, and certainly all the guys skilled enough to do these tricks in this fashion are skilled enough to do them in actual wind (I think.) It's definitely great no-wind training for freestyle.
But, if it's windsurfing...
Where's the wind?!?!?
If a PWA contest is skunked, and they use boat-assisted planing to get results, should they be valid?
I would love to see a big-time freestyle event here in the states - even a small tour - but I don't think I'd go to those lengths to do it.
Of course, I couldn't really tell from the video - the boat assisted sailing may have been merely goof-off, fun, expression sessions.
Readers, what's your take?
Taking A Knife to a Neil Pryde Harness, Part Two
17 hours ago
8 comments:
I'm guessing it was a goof off, fun expression session. But definitely not valid.
looks like light/no wind fun.. doubt they got points for the tour..
Dude........can't say I've never been pulled behind a boat on a windsurfer. :).
Twas' a no-wind day far far away, in a land named Winter Haven, FL. Admit it, we'd all cross the line for a ride.
that was a FUN day, wasn't it, Kyle?!? Except we weren't doing flakas. But you and Jen were impressive coddling up on the double line!
Man I think it's rad! If you can chuck a flaka with no sail power, then you can probably plane up and do the same thing if it's blowing 15. I don't think a non-windsurfer or someone in the novice stage would be able to do that stuff.
mmmm. Yeah. You already said that, in your post...
I still think it's rad, and I don't see why it shouldn't count, for freestyle at least. i don't think it'd go over that well for races though : )
[JohnI]WOULDA BEEN WAY AWESOMER WITH A KONA! [/JohnI]
It looks like a lot of fun! They've committed no sin. It's surely derivative of windsurfing but it's not windsurfing (and it's certainly not valid as windsurfing competition).
If they wanted to windsurf in the conditions they had they could have...light wind freestyle exists (as does light wind racing). They chose to SIMULATE planing freestyle windsurfing using motorcraft to tow the riders (not sailors...riders.)
The single greatest bit of magic in any form of sailing, including windsurfing, is coaxing the invisible, unpredictable force that is wind to let us borrow a bit of its power to move. That's the great alchemy...everything else...from tacks to flakas...is just a refinement of that magic (incredibly challenging and artful as they may be.)
Post a Comment