Why the "walk of shame" should not be embarrassing at all

Thu, 26 Apr 2018 10:37:28 +0000

The so-called "walk of shame" is one of the oldest taboos in kiteboarding. However, it will always be an inevitable action for those who are learning the tricks of the trade.

So, what is the walk of shame? When first-timers start riding a kite, they learn the basic downwind technique, which means they can only sail with the wind behind their back.

But, because they still don't master the upwind riding skill, they need to stop sailing and walk back to where they started, normally along the beach.

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Are kite tow-ups an alternative to windless contest days?

Wed, 25 Apr 2018 11:42:15 +0000

The inaugural GKA Kiteboarding World Tour didn't start well. But sometimes, bad things lead to positive outcomes. And that's when tow-up kiteboarding becomes a spectacular experience.

For the first time in 20 years, Leucate's Mondial du Vent suffered an utterly windless spell. As a result, the world's best big air kiteboarding specialists were not able to compete and get results.

With the Air Games stalled and postponed, organizers ran a series of tow-up training sessions in which height and hangtime provided a fantastic experience. At least, from a spectator's perspective.

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Gisela Pulido rides her kite at Jaws

Tue, 17 Apr 2018 10:00:03 +0000

Spanish kitesurfer Gisela Pulido had her first kitesurfing session at Peahi, on the North Shore of Maui, Hawaii.

The 24-year-old rider kicked off her new adventure - the Big Wave Challenge - in the iconic Hawaiian surf break. In 2018, Pulido aims to surf the world's biggest waves.

"What a day! I have no words to describe how I feel right now! Jaws is one of the most amazing waves on Earth. I was dreaming of this moment so much, and I can't believe it finally happened," expressed Pulido.

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Top-ranked kite stars join the GKA Kiteboarding World Tour

Wed, 11 Apr 2018 16:07:40 +0000

The Global Kitesports Association (GKA) announced that a growing number of athletes is joining the newly-formed GKA Kiteboarding World Tour.

The World Kiteboarding League (WKL) era seems to be over. The stars of contemporary big air and freestyle kiteboarding are moving towards the new competitive discipline: the air games.

In March 2018, World Sailing (WS) dropped its support to the WKL, and GKA became the sole entity responsible for running the freestyle, wave and air games world tours.

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It was tough, but Florian Gruber clinched the 2018 Red Bull Ragnarok

Sun, 08 Apr 2018 17:24:21 +0000

Florian Gruber has taken out the 2018 Red Bull Ragnarok, Hardangervidda, Norway.

This year's event gathered more than 350 snow kiteboarders from 30 different countries. The challenge was cut by 25 kilometers because, last year, only eight athletes finished the 130-kilometer course.

This time, however, and due to the light winds, only three athletes managed to cross the finish line.

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99.62 km/h: Thierry Collado sets a new world speed land kiting record

Wed, 28 Mar 2018 20:52:38 +0000

Land kiting, also known as kite landboarding or land kiteboarding, is one of the most underrated disciplines in kiteboarding.

Nevertheless, and despite the fact that it is performed on terra firma, riders can reach high speeds. Surprisingly, or maybe not, land kiteboarders are nearly as fast as their fellow water performers.

Recently, Thierry Collado set a new world speed land kiting record. The rider living in Ventura, California, drove his equipment at 61.9 miles per hour (99.62 kilometers per hour, or 53.78 knots) at La Franqui, in France.

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World Kiteboarding League is no longer sanctioned by World Sailing

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 12:49:19 +0000

The Kiteboarding Riders United (KRU) and the Global Kitesports Association (GKA) released a joint statement clarifying the current situation in professional freestyle kiteboarding.

According to the note issued by both organizations the World Kiteboarding League is no longer the "official" freestyle tour.

The new Freestyle World Tour will be called World Kiteboarding Championships (WKC) from now on until any further notice issued by KRU, the official rights holders.

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Air Games: GKA plans to blend big air and freestyle kiteboarding

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 10:56:46 +0000

The Global Kitesports Association (GKA) announced the launch of the Air Games, a new World Tour that combines all kiteboarding styles.

While the World Kiteboarding League (WKL) struggles to keep the freestyle discipline up and running, the GKA decided to develop a big air-inspired circuit focused on high jumps and maneuvers.

The GKA Kiteboarding Air Games World Tour will kick off in 2018 with three events held in Leucate, Tarifa, and Cabarete. The goal is to get the wow factor and spectators' enjoyment at the heart of all the action.

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How to launch a kite with an assistant

Wed, 14 Mar 2018 13:10:00 +0000

Launching a kite is one of the most important moments in kiteboarding. Here's how an assistant can help a rider get his kite up in the sky.

As a kiteboarder, you need to make sure your kite starts flying as it should and, simultaneously ensure you do it in a safe zone, away from objects, landmarks, and other people.

Kites not only become extremely heavy after inflated, but they can also reach high speeds on particularly windy days. And then, let's not forget the kite lines, an always dangerous weapon that will severely injure passersby.

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Tyson Poor and Youp Schmit conquer the 2018 OBX Wind

Mon, 23 Apr 2018 15:45:11 +0000

The 2018 OBX Wind was a huge success. The event attracted over 200 racers and had wind nearly every day.

On the final day of competition, cold, 25-30 knot northeast winds invaded the Hatteras Island regatta field, and slalom fleet completed their last races.

Despite the cold air and water temperatures Tyson Poor imposed his experience and stole the show in the slalom category.

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How freestyle windsurfing looked back in the day

Thu, 19 Apr 2018 15:22:05 +0000

Windsurfing is a relatively new sport. When it evolved from a cruising pastime to a high-performance outdoor activity, new doors opened, and freestyle windsurfing quickly became a hit.

The idea of performing exquisite, and sometimes slightly uncomfortable and unnatural tricks, started to take shape in the late 1970s, early 1980s.

Windsurfing pioneers understood that the sail pivots around the mast and that their boards could actually spin, turn, revolve and rotate. The discovery changed everything, and the water sport conquered new participants.

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PWA World Tour introduces the Freestyle Qualifying Series

Mon, 16 Apr 2018 13:54:40 +0000

The professional windsurfing circuit is about to revolutionize the freestyle competition.

The Professional Windsurfers Association (PWA) announced the introduction of the Freestyle Qualifying Series (FQS), in association with the European Freestyle Pro Tour (EFPT)

The new system will allow any windsurfer to make it to the 2019 PWA Freestyle World Tour, where only the top 20 sailors compete.

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Cobra International launches the Windsurfer LT

Fri, 13 Apr 2018 10:22:31 +0000

The world's largest OEM manufacturers of composite equipment for the water sports industry announced the launch of the Windsurfer LT.

Cobra International, a Thailand-based company that produces gear for windsurfing, kitesurfing, surfing, and stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), developed a new windsurf board that hopes to take the sport back to its roots.

The creation of the Windsurfer LT has been supervised by former Olympic windsurfer Bruce Wylie, and by the Windsurfer Class Association, who is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

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Morocco celebrates windsurfing with epic wave sailing days

Mon, 09 Apr 2018 15:38:39 +0000

Antoine Martin and Iballa Moreno have taken out the 2018 Morocco Spot X, at Moulay.

The first PWA event held in Morocco simultaneously kicked off the Women's Wave World Tour, and the 2018 International Windsurfing Tour season.

Moulay delivered one of the most memorable competitive wave sailing sessions in the history of windsurfing, providing massive waves and powerful winds to all competitors.

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Tokyo 2020 will feature 52 RS:X windsurfers

Sun, 08 Apr 2018 10:41:29 +0000

The qualification system for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic sailing competition has been announced.

The 2020 Summer Olympics will feature a total of 350 sailors competing in 250 boats and ten different Olympic sailing classes. They will all compete for gold, silver, and bronze medals.

The RS:X class will be represented by 52 athletes - 25 male windsurfers, and 27 female sailboarders. It is the second Olympic sailing class with the most number of participants in the competition.

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Karo van Tonder: the first female windsurfer to complete an 80-kilometer race

Fri, 30 Mar 2018 14:53:55 +0000

She is not just a pretty face. South African pro windsurfer Karo van Tonder is comfortable in all types of conditions.

Whether she's competing on a downwinder, a speed sailing event, or slalom race, Tonder always pushes herself to the limit.

In September 2017, the athlete from Langebaan became the first woman on the planet to complete an 80-kilometer race - the Défi Wind Mauritius.

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The curious connection between Dire Straits and windsurfing

Thu, 29 Mar 2018 18:13:02 +0000

Dire Straits were one of the most successful British bands of the 1980s. Between 1977 and 1995, they sold over 100 million records worldwide.

But what many didn't know was that two of their members - Alan Clark and Guy Fletcher - were avid windsurfing enthusiasts.

According to a 1990 TV news story by ITV, the duo started sailing when recording in the Caribbean. Whenever on tour, they always managed to find time to get out on the water.

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Circolo Surf Torbole hosts pro slalom training session

Sun, 25 Mar 2018 19:02:34 +0000

The Circolo Surf Torbole will once again organize a professional slalom windsurf training during April.

All athletes will have the opportunity to train and fine-tune their gear before the first PWA World Tour event scheduled for May 2018.

All windsurfing enthusiasts are welcome to join the training sessions, and the club will provide storage for the equipment.

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The musical side of Tom Morey

Thu, 26 Apr 2018 12:02:26 +0000

Tom Morey is often called a contemporary Renaissance man, and it is easy to understand why. The creator of the boogie board is continuously deepening his interest in all aspects of life.

Morey not only invented the bodyboard and a whole new sport, but he is also a prolific drummer, a competent ukulele player, and a modern-day philosopher.

The aeronautical engineer from Detroit is the founding member of the Four Eyed Five (1952), the Tom Morey Quartet (1954), and The Original Laguna Jazz Quartet.

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Fred Compagnon makes snow bodyboarding a reality

Tue, 24 Apr 2018 10:27:54 +0000

French surfer and creative spirit Fred Compagnon went bodyboarding on the snowy slopes of Piau Engaly, in the Pyrenees. And he didn't forget the wetsuit.

Compagnon, who is known for riding all sorts of boards in all types of environments, created a unique bodyboard capable of sliding down powder snow and crud.

The weather conditions were picture perfect, and Compagnon was able to test, for the first time, the unconventional bodyboard that took 15 years to develop.

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APB resurrects competitive bodyboarding in North America

Mon, 23 Apr 2018 14:47:52 +0000

The Association of Professional Bodyboarders (APB) announced the creation of APB North America.

According to the sports organization led by Alex Leon, the newly-founded entity will regenerate and evolve the sport of bodyboarding in Mainland United States, Puerto Rico and Mexico.

The president of APB North America will be Steve Jackson, a former APB World Tour commentator, event coordinator of the iconic Jenks Pro, and many USBA Tour contest between 2006 and 2012.

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The outstanding bodyboarding life of Patti Serrano

Mon, 23 Apr 2018 11:17:12 +0000

Patti Serrano is one of the most influential voices in bodyboarding.

Between the mid-1970s and the late 1990s, this hyperactive soul worked for Tom Morey, organized some of the first bodyboarding contests, ran magazines, and founded sports organizations.

Serrano's life is a movie script. In an exclusive interview with SurferToday, the creator of the "History of Bodyboarding" Facebook group reveals how bodyboarding sculpted her days.

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The most unusual bodyboard shapes and designs

Tue, 17 Apr 2018 13:53:49 +0000

Technology changes everything, but there's nothing like a creative mind at work. Here's how it applies to bodyboards.

The watersports industry is always trying to come up with the lastest, groundbreaking innovation, making it sometimes difficult for the consumer to separate the right from wrong.

Some bodyboards are better than others, and there are always a few things that you should never change. However, you can't rule the market, so there will always be room for unusual experimentations and odd results.

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APB World Tour splits Grand Slam and Qualifying Series rankings

Wed, 11 Apr 2018 15:16:59 +0000

The Association of Professional Bodyboarding (APB) announced a revolution in the competitive format of professional bodyboarding.

The 2018 APB World Tour prepares to debut a new structure that will embrace the Men's, Pro Junior, and Drop Knee competitions.

As for the Men's World Tour, the APB is ready to implement a two-tier system that features a World Grand Slam Series (WGS), and a Qualifying Event Series Tour (QEST).

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What to expect from bodyboarding lessons

Tue, 10 Apr 2018 15:47:10 +0000

Learn to bodyboard in a professional environment, surrounded by fully qualified bodyboarding instructors. Here's what you need to know before paying for group or private lessons.

Bodyboarding is an exciting water sport, full of intricate secrets, techniques, and subtle requirements. If you plan to learn to ride the boogie by yourself, that's fine.

But, sometimes, it can be a smart move to book a few lessons and accelerate the learning process. Unlike in surfing, there are not many schools specialized in bodyboarding only.

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Tristan Roberts claims the 2018 West Beach Warfare

Sat, 07 Apr 2018 13:46:15 +0000

Tristan Roberts has taken out the 2018 West Beach Warfare, in Port Alfred, South Africa.

The contest officially kicked off the 2018 APB World Tour season and attracted some of the country's best bodyboarders, including the defending world champion Iain Campbell.

The West Beach Warfare is a 1-Star qualifying event with a $5,000 prize purse and delivered contestable three-foot wedges. The highly competitive vibe raised the quality of the rides, and the semifinals set the tone for the ultimate clash.

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The most important dates in the history of bodyboarding

Tue, 03 Apr 2018 10:07:46 +0000

The history of bodyboarding is full of key moments, events and achievements. Discover the dates that helped change the sport.

The bodyboard was brought to us by Tom Morey, in 1971. Since then, the sport of bodyboarding conquered millions of fans and participants worldwide.

As one of the youngest water sports on the planet, boogie boarding still has a long way ahead on its path to becoming a mature recreation with a robust and sustainable industry, and a full-grown, professional competitive format.

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The 2018 European Skimboarding Cup schedule

Fri, 12 Jan 2018 11:39:55 +0000

The full schedule for the 2018 European Skimboarding Cup (ESC) has been released.

The best flatland skimboarders of the Old Continent will compete in six European stages and three different countries. The fifth edition of the ESC continues to develop inland skimming, and get more people into the sport.

There are two new additions to the 2018 calendar. Riders will be able to compete at the Battle of the Boot and Pangea Festival, both venues located in Germany, a country with a long tradition in flatland skimboarding.

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Brad Domke gives a board transfer lesson at Cylinders

Mon, 27 Nov 2017 12:30:12 +0000

Brad Domke calls Cylinders his home. He's been riding it for more than a decade. But you've never seen him in board transfers like these.

Domke is no stranger to tough challenges. The highly-skilled skimmer has been developing a unique taste for waves of consequences. And to raise the bar even higher, he rides finless skimboards.

This time, Brad and filmmaker Dylan Palmer witnessed a "legendary day of waves." When they arrived at The Wedge's lesser-known shore break, the fireworks were already loaded.

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How to get on a skimboard with the one-step drop

Mon, 20 Nov 2017 16:35:27 +0000

Whether you're a flatland skim rider or a wave skimboarder, you need to learn to throw the board before jumping on it.

Getting on your skimboard isn't easy. And if you can't master it, you won't make it to the waves or ramps. That is why the throwing technique is a fundamental skill in skimming.

One of the most common mistakes people do is running with the skimboard pointing up to the sky, or down at the sand. Avoid it - hold it firmly and parallel to the ground.

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Blair Conklin and Sophia Nguyen crowned 2017 United Skim Tour champions

Tue, 07 Nov 2017 10:41:01 +0000

Blair Conklin and Sophia Nguyen are the 2017 United Skim Tour (UST) champions.

The pro skimboarding season is over, and the sport has crowned its world champions.

Despite missing the OBX Skim Jam, the Florida Skimboarding Pro/Am, and the Sununga Skim Festival, the rider from Laguna Beach successfully defended his 2016 world title with four strong results in 2017.

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Sununga will crown the 2017 United Skim Tour champion

Mon, 16 Oct 2017 14:45:01 +0000

The 2017 United Skim Tour (UST) champion will be crowned at the Sununga Skim Festival, in Brazil.

Who will win the world title? Place your bets. Blair Conklin, John Akerman, and Perry Pruitt will battle it out for the ultimate accolade in skimboarding. One of them will raise the coveted trophy.

After winning the Florida Pro/Am, Akerman missed the TAC Skimblast, in Santa Cruz, an event won by Conklin. At the sixth event of the year - the Exile Oktoberfest - Conklin outperformed his rival and took the lead in the rankings.

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The skimboarder who rode a tidal bore wave

Tue, 12 Sep 2017 15:46:34 +0000

A skimboarder has ridden a tidal bore wave in the Dordogne River, in the south of France.

Laurent Lozes is probably the first ever skimboarder to ride "le mascaret," i.e., the tidal bore. The ride itself is never easy, but launching from the river side is next level.

It's all about timing and board control, and Lozes timed everything beautifully. He watched the wave travel up the river, took a few steps back, and then threw his skimboard down and across the water, and hopped on it effortlessly.

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Michal Ambruszkiewicz conquers the 2017 Red Bull Skim It

Wed, 30 Aug 2017 10:15:21 +0000

The 6th edition of the Red Bull Skim It is done and dusted.

On Saturday, August 26, Lodz once again turned into a skimboarding paradise. This year's edition of Europe's biggest competition on an artificial track welcomed participants from across Europe.

The winner of the legendary event taking place on the beach of Manufaktura turned out to be a resident of Lodz, Michal Ambruszkiewicz.

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Lodz gets ready for the 2017 Red Bull Skim It

Fri, 18 Aug 2017 11:11:13 +0000

The 6th edition of the Red Bull Skim It will ignite the city of Lodz, in Poland, on August 26, 2017.

The event is Europe's largest skimboarding competition held on an artificial track and the final stop on the 2017 European Skimboarding Cup.

The 2017 Red Bull Skim It will also determine Poland's best skimboarder. But the organizers have also planned additional attractions for those who haven’t tried the sport yet.

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Lightning storm lights up final Texas Skim Jam

Thu, 10 Aug 2017 09:02:47 +0000

It was not easy, but the Texas Skim Jam eventually celebrated its 10th anniversary. And apparently, it was the last one.

The event hosted by Skim2Live went underway at Cypress Creek, a well-known stream that flows from Snake Creek and Mound Creek to its mouth at Spring Creek, in the heart of Texas.

However, the flatland skimboard contest had its setbacks. According to the organization, Mother Nature decided to send out a lightning storm which halted the pro competition. The amateur division was taken out by Ben Hayman.

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The 2018 Georgia Wake Series calendar

Thu, 01 Mar 2018 17:51:38 +0000

The full schedule for the 2018 Georgia Wake Series has been released.

Following a sophomore year that saw the Georgia Wake Series expand the schedule with an additional cable stop, resulting in nail-biting finishes where State champions were not determined until the final pass, the season was a tremendous success.

For 2018, the Georgia Wake Series grows to eight total events including four cable and four boat stops, making it the most balanced grassroots series in the country.

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Steel Lafferty jumps off seven waterfalls in Chile

Fri, 23 Feb 2018 12:27:28 +0000

Steel Lafferty is well known for breaking new ground in the wakeboarding world, and his new project tackling the stunning Siete Tazas (Seven Cups) rock formation, in Chile, is no different.

The American and his trusted team set up a daunting run comprising seven waterfalls and seven jumps including breathtaking drops of seven and eight meters.

"It was a very crazy idea and very difficult to make. I think it was the most complicated place I had ever been," said Steel Lafferty.

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Wakesurf Edge Pro Shaper creates the wake wave of your dreams

Thu, 25 Jan 2018 17:44:43 +0000

The Wakesurf Edge Pro Shaper promises the biggest and longest wake wave in the world.

Making such a bold statement could be risky, but the team behind this small piece of equipment made in the United States believes they're ready to deliver a unique product.

If you're a wakesurfing enthusiast seeking to blend surfing and wakeboarding on an endless ride, all you have to know is that this plug-and-play device will generate a huge water displacement.

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The 2018 Supra Boats Pro Wakeboard Tour schedule

Mon, 22 Jan 2018 10:21:18 +0000

The full schedule for the 2018 Supra Boats Pro Wakeboard Tour (PWT) has been announced.

The longest-running professional wakeboarding tour will return to best wake venues in the United States. The circuit will crown a new champion between April and August.

The 2018 PWT season will feature the country's best 16 wakeboarders in four state-of-the-art wake parks located in stunning locations, and towed behind the Supra Boats SA550.

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The first-ever wakeboarding session in a surf pool

Fri, 27 Oct 2017 11:05:30 +0000

Nico von Lerchenfeld has had the time of his life at Surf Snowdonia, in Wales. But he was not there to surf.

Surf Snowdonia is the world's first surf pool powered by the Wavegarden technology. After a tricky opening, the man-made wave pool opened its doors to thousands of surfers eager to experience the inland wave ride.

Now that the dust's been settled, professional wakeboarder Nico von Lerchenfeld and his team installed a simple System 2.0 wake park at the surfing structure and hit the water at full throttle.

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Why is Cory Teunissen feeling "Numb"?

Thu, 28 Sep 2017 10:16:50 +0000

Twenty-year-old Cory Teunissen dropped "Numb," an action-packed video edit with hardcore wakeboarding magic.

Lewy Watt says "filming Cory Teunissen was an experience I'll never forget. His level of riding is beyond anything I've ever seen before."

It's hard to doubt Watt's, especially if you pay special attention to "Numb" and its subtle details. The rider from Brisbane, Queensland, started on water skis but he was quick to storm the world of wakeboarding.

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"Shake The Lake": The world's first wakeboarding comic

Tue, 26 Sep 2017 10:18:37 +0000

How is it that the entertainment machines, filmmakers, creatives, authors, and artists, which have churned out thousands upon thousands of stories, in seemingly every genre, topic and medium imaginable hasn't yet given wakeboarding a story? No movie? No book? No graphic novel?

A few summers ago, at the Bullhead City River Regatta, vendors had come from far and wide to promote shoes, t-shirts, wakeboards, trinkets and watersports equipment to a huge gathering of fun-loving youth.

A realization dawned on two brothers that they and this crowd were hungry for content that showcased and reflected their culture, lifestyle, and hobbies.

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Dominik Hernler performs wakeboarding stunts in the heart of Paris

Tue, 05 Sep 2017 11:00:38 +0000

Austrian wakeboarder Dominik Hernler spent two weeks this summer on the River Seine in France.

The intrepid wakeboarder shot a series of breathtaking and audacious aerial stunts on the famous French river, including an Eiffel Tower stunt.

One of the greatest wakeboarders in history has had to wait three years for the project to come to fruition. However, it has definitely been worth the wait.

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Harley Clifford crowned 2017 Pro Wakeboard Tour champion

Mon, 14 Aug 2017 16:25:24 +0000

It's all over. Harley Clifford claimed the final event of the Pro Wakeboard Tour (PWT) season in West Chester and took out the overall title.

The longest-running wakeboarding circuit visited Voice of America MetroPark for the first time in its history knowing that the venue would decide the 2017 champion.

Only 10 points separated Harley Clifford and Mike Dowdy from the 2016 Rookie of the Year Nic Rapa, and everyone knew it was do-or-die. The crowd held their breath, and it all came down to the last run in the best-of-two finals round.

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