Discover Windsurfing

Recently Team Gaastra Windsurfing made the announcement that Finian Maynard would be moving away from his long term usage of Neil Pryde windsurf products and would be joining Team Gaastra for the upcoming 2010 Windsurfing Season.  Finian is well know for his great windsurf slalom skills and his above average suite of skills that consistently has him amongst the top tier of international windsurfing rankings.  In an effort to get a leg up on his PWA competition for 2010 Finian knew Gaastra superior professional windsurf products just might be the waterman’s best bet to not just place top 10 but win the championship.

To mark the occasion Finian chose to do an exclusive interview with Continent Seven that can be seen through the following link.  If you’re looking for a quick overview of Finian’s career check out his profile on Team Gaastra’s homepage.

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It is very easy to empathize with the widespread strife that has slowly gripped the world as the result of the outbreak of earthquakes, tsunamis, and natural disasters but it takes a different sort of person to be galvanized by these events into helping make a difference.  Whether it’s the large amount of missionaries and ordinary people making their way to Haiti or the thousands donating money to relief funds for other areas in the world, people have been moved to help those in need.  One such place that is in desperate need of a helping hand are the cities in and around the country of Chile.  Thankfully Team Fanatic’s Klaas Voget has taken up the call and is asking fellow windsurfers and anyone with a heart to find a way to help the many cities in Chile that have been effected by a recent Earthquake.

Late in February Chile was hit with one of the most intense earthquakes ever recorded in history but thankfully the water depth it occurred at shielded Chile from being fully affected by the 8-9 magnitude earthquake.  The truly devastating earthquake in Haiti was a level 7 but occurred in shallower waters making the earthquake all the more deadlier.  The lower intensity of Chile’s earthquake does not lessen the veracity of Klaas’ call to arms for this scenic windsurfing destination.  Klaas Voget was on the island during the earthquake and was quick to give a stirring account of his situation as soon as he could in hopes that the information would help spur people into action.  Hundreds have already died and millions have been reported to have been affected by this great tragedy.

Joining with his friends and fellow windsurfers from around the world Klaas is championing a Chile Earthquake Response fund.  Thankfully through his urging and those of his wind surfing brethren a lot of money has been raised but there is still more to be done to take Chile down the road to reconstructing what was lost during the earthquake and to help those that have loss much more than houses during the natural disaster.  Please join in giving whatever you can to and spread this link to anyone you think would be willing to follow y our lead http://www.justgiving.com/ChileEarthquakeResponse or join the EightPointEight Earthquake Earthquake Relief Effort on Facebook.

Tabou is well known for its superior quality windsurfing race and high performance boards. the mad scientists at Tabou have looked to redesign the New 2010 Manta. Designed to use a wider range of sails and fins to support high wind speed runs and all the way down to light air slalom racing and everything in between .  By taking some cues from the Rocket line of boards and combined them with the Manta series to revamp the 2010 line of windsurf racing boards.

The super-trick Manta Pro Team Race windsurfing boards are set to take on the windsurfing world! By providing an unparalleled experience any veteran is bound to see as soon as they hit the water.  The boards are now available in an ultra thick 3k Carbon set up which is lightweight but durable enough to take any beating you will throw at the boards.  Tabou Boards tapped non other than legendary shaper Fabien Vollenweider to help create this state of the art board that allows you to trim harder and hit top speeds in record time.

Windsurfing Direct is the name that windsurfers trust by providing the top windsurf racing sails, windsurfing accessories, and boards.  Please head over to our site or call our Wind Surfing Pros at 800-617-9463 and let us help you choose the right windsurfing rig, board, or accessories for your needs.

News about the possibility of a tsunami in Hawaii has been in the headlines for  a couple weeks now but it’s no surprise that the hardcore windsurfers from the island were not scared off by the reported Hawaiian tsunami.  Many of the islands’ windsurfers were more than happy to take advantage of the bigger waves while it was still safe to do so.  While this extreme sport undertaking is not suggested for every wind surfer out there, the folks in this gallery of photos looked like they were having a blast.  Rather than immediately seeking shelter during the Hawaii tsunami warning these thrill seekers got on their boards and chose to windsurf off the coast of Maui and took advantage of this once in a lifetime experience.

Climbing the world rankings within the PWA can be quite the task and climbing to the top of that list can be a lofty goal for any windsurfer to aspire to.  Which makes Sarah-Quinta Offringa’s achievement of becoming the champion of the PWA two years in a row all the more amazing.  Add onto this that Sara-Quinta is not only a highly skilled windsurfer but also only 18 years old and you have recipe for a very long career in the PWA that is already off to an amazing start.

All of the above is what makes Team Gaastra’s recent announcement of adding Sarah-Quinta Offringa to their windsurfing team all the more important.  Gaastra courted Sara-Quinta because of her competive drive and her tendency to think outside of the box when it comes to the tricks she does during competitive heats.  Sarah-Quinta has a future ahead of her that remains to be seen but Team Gaastra doesn’t doubt that it will only get better as she becomes a veteran of the sport.  The rest of Ms. Offringa’s Team Gaastra profile can be found at this link.

The 2010 FBC Wave Show Preview is looking to showcase the best of the best in windsurfing and is set to hit the waves off the coast of St. Martin in March 2010. The event looks to hold demos, partying, and races that will feature professionals and amateurs all competing against each other for top honors in all windsurfing disciplines. The Wave Show preview will be the place to be later this year and will be your best chance to party and compete against the world’s best wind sailors all in the scenic location of St. Martin.  For more details on the event please check out this link.

The United Kingdom’s National Windsurfing Week is looking to be bigger than ever in 2010. The event is set to begin some 11 months away but the organizing committee is already in full swing sorting out the event’s details well in advance. Events are planned to be spread out throughout the later part of 2010 and will include proceeds that will benefit cancer worship and will also encompass lessons for amateur windsailors as well as races for seasoned windsurfing veterans. Along with being a great effort for charity the string of Windsurfing events will also focus on bringing our great water sport to the masses with a focus on media exposure and mainstream appeal.

This Irish Slalom Series has set it’s eyes on the final event dates for it’s Windsurfing series that are spread throughout the upcoming 2010 Windsurfing season. The events will be focused on professional races as well as events focused on the pure enjoyment that windsurfing can provide. Whether looking for fierce competition or sports clinic the events look to satisfy the needs of amateurs and windsurf veterans alike. Please click this link for a full outline of the dates and the details of the events.

Winter windsurfing events are far and between but thankfully you have the writers at Discover Windsurfing to track down the bvest of the best windsurfing from around the world. One event that’s showing some promise is the Winter Windsurfing European Open set to be held in mid March. The event will be held n Kalajoki Finland which is a bit out of the way but provides unique scenic views that can be found in water sports. Please check out this link for more information on the event and details about the Winter Windsurfing European 2010 Championships.

The Cancun Midwinters Windsurfing Event was just held on January 20th and crowned a few new champions. The few dozen South American expert windsailors competed in 5 events that featured a wide array of specific board focused events which included Bic Techno races. The events were further split into Male, Youth, and  Women heats. The winners of the event were also competing for eligibility in the Caribbean and South American Regional games that will be held later this year. Please check out this link for a full outline of the event and all the winners.