Mine was a Sailboard Australia Fun Freestyle. It sounds quite horrid but it was a good board. Nice pink colour. Based on the One Design with a retractable centreboard and some footstraps. It came with two colourful mylar sails. One about 6m and a storm 4.5m. My parents bought it for me when on a holiday to Port Stephens back in about 1984. Very generous of them.

Its just like this one on eBay. Brings back the memories, that is why I'm posting this.


http://cgi.ebay.com.au/FREESTYE-SAILBOARD-WINDSURFER-AUSTRALIAN-MADE-/160511183763?pt=AU_Sport_Surfing&hash=item255f364b93

Mine was a white Hi-fly beginner's board circa 1985 around 3.5 metres long and I remember it used to wobble when going over the waves and when planing a jet of water would shoot up through the centre board track. I tried googling it but no luck although found this great video from 1985 with a very young R. Naish and also some info on early windsurefr fin designs which brought back alot of memories.

http://www.stableroad.com/videos/bsy1boards.htm
www.surfresearch.com.au/fs.html

I upgraded from the Hi-Fly to a Bombora South Pacific which I out grew very quickly and by early 1986 (my last year of school) I bought a custom slalom board made by a local sailor for $400 (which was a lot of money for a 17 y.o. kid with no job). I sailed all of 1986 but stopped once I went to uni and only really got back into it around 4 years ago. Only threw out my old boards recently too as per the below photo.

Bic dufor Sun.not the good wing verson, this was hollow and when the seam cracked (After too much jumping) it sank to about 1/2m below the water. About one design size

Vinta Kestral. man it was big.
My first short board was Windaction 9ft Army camo colours with a Niel Pryde 5.4 garda

F2 Lightning 3.8m 200L

Ten Cate piece of polyethylene rubbish. The shop I bought it from told me it would be ideal to learn and progress on. It was Rubbish. Sold it and bought a HiFly race. That was immensely better (all circa 1985)

Tiga Bump and Jump 263.
Indestructible!

A windrush Clubman. 12foot of log heavy flexible plastic

Precision equip 8'0" Glass epoxy wave board circa late 80's early 90's (guessing)


Check out the mast track and foot straps positions



was an interesting board to learn on 9 years ago

Tyronsea 350. It was big and cheap and ugly and pre damaged so I didn't have to worry about it. I could drop it on the road or ride it onto rocks with impunity both physical and moral. It was pretty much indestructible and I didn't care if it wasn't - an ideal beginners board.

Windrush Storm 10 - great board, designed specifically for spinning out!

Deck grip would take your leg off.

Mine was/is a Bic Nova. I think it is a 2003 or 2004 model - just like the one in this photo except without the carry handle on the nose.

http://www.boardwise.co.uk/2003-nova-p-1931.html

It was great for me to learn on and when I got better I put a 50cm fin in it for early planing. It was good fun.

Similar to a formula board but with a nice soft eva foam deck.

Its a shame I don't use it now, but the formula board is lighter and will plane just that little bit earlier.

Bombora Antarctica and a Windsurfer Transformer, bought them both at cash converters for $100 included a 5.3 sailworks sail and a 6.7 no name sail, gave the boards to a mate when I upgraded and he still has them

first short board was a bombora dromoderry , brought it for $50 from the local sailboard shop it was there advertiseing sign

Dufour Wing 1984..great up to about 10kts..I was looking at photos and the boom was about 6" above my head..so was the boom cutout..they didnt cater for short women in those days.. actually do they these days?.[}:)] No wonder i got some bad habits..
The next was a Mistral Maui & the 6m rig was too heavy for me to uphaul as soon as we got any wind so I learnt to waterstart really early in my windsurfing ' career'..

Mine was a Sea Skip (kids board), it came with a little 2m sail. It was a great board to learn on and I remember spending my summer school holidays at Port Macqarie and South West Rocks learning to windsurf. Back then my Dad and two older brothers were all into windsurfing, the whole family was hooked, it was great.

Once I outgrew the Sea Skip, I got a hand me down board. It was a fibre glass Rising Star speed slalom. I got a new sail to go with it which was a Gaastra Slalom foil 3.2. It was fully battened and cambered. I remember sitting at my school desk (in country NSW) and dreaming about my new sail. I still have the sail, it's in very poor condition now, but I can't bring myself to chuck it out.

first board was a one design.

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laff77 said...
... I still have the sail, it's in very poor condition now, but I can't bring myself to chuck it out.

I still have the board too hanging on wall in garage & can't bring myself to chuck it out.

Plastic fantastic - the TC Spacer Nova which came with a fully battened mylar racing sail circa 86

John Player Special F2

Bic Hardrock & a pink/purple 6m tyronsea raf sail which was actually pretty good.

well i dont go back that far but my first proper board was a Star board Hypersonic 105 in 2003....since then nothing has bet it's ability to be able to go so far up wind for me at that literage..

Ten cate runner and f2 comet. Sea skip 2.7 m sail as a little gromet. Wish had sail mow for the kids but don't miss the boards.

Windrush storm 10

Windrush storm 10 and a Tyronsea 295.

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col5555 said...

Windrush storm 10 and a Tyronsea 295.

Boy the Tyronsea 295 was my 3rd board..!

Windrush storm 8. Good fun learning

Dufour Wing then straight onto Tyronsea 295 - equally rubbish but by that time I was hooked

F2 Lightning, still have it to teach my wife and kids on!

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Ben 555 said...

Dufour Wing then straight onto Tyronsea 295 - equally rubbish but by that time I was hooked

Oh , I'm devastated..I thought the tyronsea was great!

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elmo said...

Precision equip 8'0" Glass epoxy wave board circa late 80's early 90's (guessing)


Check out the mast track and foot straps positions



was an interesting board to learn on 9 years ago

As you say thats certainly an adventurous one to learn on!

Standard Windsurfer One Design in 1984, followed by Bombora Tri-fin and then Bombora New Toy (my first quiver of gear). Probably went through at least three of each before getting custom wave/slalom gear and F2 lightning race boards, etc. One of my favourite boards from way back was the Wiatata (sp?) Speed, first epoxy slalom board. Coupled with a 7.0m NP Slalomlite sail and it for me was the transition into high-tech gear!!