Right, have narrowed my GPS data down to pretty close to start finish times..

Blue ChipTiming Race Pace 45Kph, distance unknown

GPS data Race Pace 40.7Kph, actual distance sailed water entry/exit 23.34Km

I sailed at least a 50 to 100m or more past each mark and stopped/fluffed all but one gybe to rest, Mateo n Patrik would of sailed a shorter course and would likely have had more realistically a Race Pace of around 55Kph with flawless gybes. This includes time taken hitting the water and running up the beach.

So, effectively we still can conclude we don't know anything but the end result in a speed and course driven sport that isn't covered by the mainstream media and we expect the sport to grow by sending a few lucky ones to deserted places like the silly one in Portugal on a deserted and windy beach or an event where windsurfers are nothing more than wallpaper like the one in Sylt.

Look at Lancelin, Defi, send the top riders and make sure World Cup points are to be earned at those events. Make sure there is drone footage, fixed cameras, head cameras and GPS data to be ideally implemented or second best edited in the footage later by one talented and committed producer with a heart for our sports. Base all on community sense and family life by showcasing the youth that is left. Pamper and embrace them. Show a short clip of a tutorial which is being held during the event to showcase just how easy it is to learn our great sports. Go for windsurfing, kiting, supping, all foil and board based. Go as wide as humanly possible but base it on a fixed format and make sure to keep the format in the hands of the organization, not the sponsors at a given venue unless we're talking about sport driven events with a history. Make a professional clip with professional comments on the race, music, put it on a youtube channel and send it to a few Multinationals. Look for international travel agencies and let them compete for our support, ICT Giants...same, wind energy suppliers etcetera. The very top riders will be sent to remote places that are in need of a vibrant vibe. Do not stick to a short distance only but also sail between islands showing nature. Look for venues with support of a travel agency. Imagine supping through wetlands or rivers, windsurfing or kitesurfing against the scenery of green mountains. There are plenty of venues like that and with professional marketing support it should be super easy to set up something like this once you have got super clips showing the true nature of the Defi and Lancelin. Spots can vary per year depending on the needs of the travel agency or agencies of our choice and dedicated sports driven historic events will form the backbone. It's the combination of lifestyle, sport and community/family sense that will make our sports thrive. Use the money that is left in the sport for this and forget about sending our top riders to these silly places. It's money thrown away.

Then go for grass roots GPS events and make sure wild cards can be earned for a World cup event in a given country at a much frequented and legendary spot per country. The fun thing about GPS is that it can and will be done year round when windy without having the need of an organization. This GPS base will ensure commitment and growth as effectively the races are also training days for the event(s) to come. Set up the pro races on call when there is wind predicted. Let the wind be our guide as is common already in the quickly growing world wide GPS community whether people post their speeds or not. One race leader, one format and before you know it the things written above will come true and more.

The world is at our feet and in our case our world is water. There is plenty of it and much of it can be used for our sport. I am one hundred percent sure if we advertise our sport the right way it will quadruple within a few years. If we continue like this at the most it will stay in the shimmering state it's drawn into as we speak.

VIewers need a story to understand a sport.

Personalities to get to know.

A lifestyle to dream about.

Creative footage of wind and waves to feel nature.

Slow motion shots at the gybing buoys to feel the rider tension.

Know, feel and thus understand the speed with which riders are entering a gybe and get the feeling to lean into the gybe with the racers.

See the dream places surrounded by wind and waves. Watch riders sitting at a table enjoying sunset and having dinner together where a family would want to enjoy their trip.

We need kids that understand what they would train for. Which life they would dream about and put posters on their wall for.

We need our heroes to paddle through the bushes of an enchanted place to get to a pointbreak where Ricardo is pulling off a tripple loop while Kevin is doing a kiteloop in the background, Kai is foiling on a wave, pumping himself back to the next one after a ride and a family is standing on a rock and watching blue water explode on the shoreline.

We need heroes. We need a script.

And all starts with the thrill of balancing on a board, paddling, put a sail on the board, getting planing, going from a standstill to 5 knots, then 10, then the planing treshold, our soundbarrier, our drug that gets all of us hooked to these wonderful experiences we know so well.

Now, would it be so hard to set up a better format with legends like Robby in our midst? I think not. Robby once gave me a call after hitting 50 on his board and showed me who he really was by asking some very clever questions on his brand. Can anyone get me in contact with him again? Can other industry bosses contact me? We need people in the background with experience.

We need a vision based on unity and openness. Our sports are the future, not the past. Our sports are with the most beautiful experiences on Earth.

All starts with showing speeds, heights, airtime, floating in mid air over a lake high up in the mountains, filled with translucent glacier water reflected in the sunglasses of a rider being in the now.

All starts with the stuff that dreams are made off.

THE reason why professional surfing thrives and other waterbased funsports are left behind is that a few brands, scared for losing marketshare are in charge. In surfing there is a lucky factor. Local shapers know the waves. The hardware part isn't controlled by a few. Many run the show and stand a chance.Think locally industry leaders, in order to be able to act globally and make our sports grow again. Unite, listen to this old fart that still can beat young giants and even World Champions in his narrow field of expertise that happens to be one of the most explosive and thrilling aspects of our sport: speed or better GPS speed.

Did you ever see one single other explosive , physical and mental (litterally and physically) sport that could let that happen? There is a huge market from 4 to 74 at least....waiting and I can prove it with numbers.

Focus on the soul and forget the fight. Unite and fight the battle for honours on the water.

Professional windsurfing shouldn't be about prize money to start out with. It should be about offering experiences to the most talented and then prize money will follow in the shape and form of sponsor money of the brands with vested interest to let a rider win on their gear, not the other way around. The largest brands will stay to be the largest brands and new ones will rise as they offer quicker products and push the other brands to higher levels again, helping out riders to enjoy the sport more and invest as they want a better experience, not because marketing tells them the latest and greatest is the best.

And those riders with the most gifted talent, or perseverance, telling the most compelling story and having an open minded character will be sponsord by the same clothing brands that sponsor surfing. Why? Because it will increase their platform and improve their image.

Why did surf clothing drop in sales? Because we lost the image of our sport that initially took surfing, the mother of windsurfing to another level. Then we grew up to become grumpy old and fat farts.

With the current gear we can grow from fat surfers to fit surfers again, put our atletes in the limelight and send our funsports to the place they deserve to be: at the pinnacle of all sports. No sports apart from our sports are based on the shaping of mother Earth.

We are total fools to have let the vibe go that got millions of people on their feet and put a board on their rooftops to drive to the water.

Family life industry leaders. Family life. Call me or I keep on calling out to you in the open until you listen and understand. I am loyal, but to our sport. Not to one single brand. I want us to unite and share, so ALL can benefit.

After all, we're made out of water and can exist only because of water and air. The two base ingredients of the most beautiful sports on earth. Water is one. The air is filled with water. We are one. We are slowly letting go of the conceptual Descartian thought of man as machine and we should better hurry as this thought has nearly killed mother earth. Even if we are cutting open bellies of whales washed upon our shores filled with plastic we don't get the picture. We don't understand. We can send a fun image, act responsive and show the world we can have fun as long as we base ourselves on a circular economy in all given senses of that statement. Circular as in giving every child on earth the right to be happy and not stand the chance of being shot to pieces as we focus on fighting eachother and think we are better and subsequently deserve more than others.

We are windsurfers, kitesurfers, suppers, surfers. We all know the feeling of water moving and the shaping of the earth. We all are conneted in a physical way and I know many of you understand. Lets turn this earth around and point it in another direction. Let that be our biggest mission and go for it!

Best regards,
Kwibai

Select to expand quote

Spotty said..
Right, have narrowed my GPS data down to pretty close to start finish times..

Blue ChipTiming Race Pace 45Kph, distance unknown

GPS data Race Pace 40.7Kph, actual distance sailed water entry/exit 23.34Km

I sailed at least a 50 to 100m or more past each mark and stopped/fluffed all but one gybe to rest, Mateo n Patrik would of sailed a shorter course and would likely have had more realistically a Race Pace of around 55Kph with flawless gybes. This includes time taken hitting the water and running up the beach.

Thanks for that Craig

^+1 KWIBAI, thats an extremely well written article n educated point of view. Full of passion n drive for this AWESOME sport. If we ALL band together n action even part of your ideas to promote this sport, im sure itll prosper n give so many more people the ability to experience that RUSH of skimming across the water, propelled by the wind. GREAT ARTICLE illustrating how to n why we should all promote windsurfing/sailboarding. Man you are hooked n have a great knowledge of this sport.
CMON CREW LETS MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!!

Select to expand quote

Kwibai said..
VIewers need a story to understand a sport.

Personalities to get to know.

A lifestyle to dream about.

Creative footage of wind and waves to feel nature.

Slow motion shots at the gybing buoys to feel the rider tension.

Know, feel and thus understand the speed with which riders are entering a gybe and get the feeling to lean into the gybe with the racers.

See the dream places surrounded by wind and waves. Watch riders sitting at a table enjoying sunset and having dinner together where a family would want to enjoy their trip.

We need kids that understand what they would train for. Which life they would dream about and put posters on their wall for.

We need our heroes to paddle through the bushes of an enchanted place to get to a pointbreak where Ricardo is pulling off a tripple loop while Kevin is doing a kiteloop in the background, Kai is foiling on a wave, pumping himself back to the next one after a ride and a family is standing on a rock and watching blue water explode on the shoreline.

We need heroes. We need a script.

And all starts with the thrill of balancing on a board, paddling, put a sail on the board, getting planing, going from a standstill to 5 knots, then 10, then the planing treshold, our soundbarrier, our drug that gets all of us hooked to these wonderful experiences we know so well.

Now, would it be so hard to set up a better format with legends like Robby in our midst? I think not. Robby once gave me a call after hitting 50 on his board and showed me who he really was by asking some very clever questions on his brand. Can anyone get me in contact with him again? Can other industry bosses contact me? We need people in the background with experience.

We need a vision based on unity and openness. Our sports are the future, not the past. Our sports are with the most beautiful experiences on Earth.

All starts with showing speeds, heights, airtime, floating in mid air over a lake high up in the mountains, filled with translucent glacier water reflected in the sunglasses of a rider being in the now.

All starts with the stuff that dreams are made off.

THE reason why professional surfing thrives and other waterbased funsports are left behind is that a few brands, scared for losing marketshare are in charge. In surfing there is a lucky factor. Local shapers know the waves. The hardware part isn't controlled by a few. Many run the show and stand a chance.Think locally industry leaders, in order to be able to act globally and make our sports grow again. Unite, listen to this old fart that still can beat young giants and even World Champions in his narrow field of expertise that happens to be one of the most explosive and thrilling aspects of our sport: speed or better GPS speed.

Did you ever see one single other explosive , physical and mental (litterally and physically) sport that could let that happen? There is a huge market from 4 to 74 at least....waiting and I can prove it with numbers.

Focus on the soul and forget the fight. Unite and fight the battle for honours on the water.

Professional windsurfing shouldn't be about prize money to start out with. It should be about offering experiences to the most talented and then prize money will follow in the shape and form of sponsor money of the brands with vested interest to let a rider win on their gear, not the other way around. The largest brands will stay to be the largest brands and new ones will rise as they offer quicker products and push the other brands to higher levels again, helping out riders to enjoy the sport more and invest as they want a better experience, not because marketing tells them the latest and greatest is the best.

And those riders with the most gifted talent, or perseverance, telling the most compelling story and having an open minded character will be sponsord by the same clothing brands that sponsor surfing. Why? Because it will increase their platform and improve their image.

Why did surf clothing drop in sales? Because we lost the image of our sport that initially took surfing, the mother of windsurfing to another level. Then we grew up to become grumpy old and fat farts.

With the current gear we can grow from fat surfers to fit surfers again, put our atletes in the limelight and send our funsports to the place they deserve to be: at the pinnacle of all sports. No sports apart from our sports are based on the shaping of mother Earth.

We are total fools to have let the vibe go that got millions of people on their feet and put a board on their rooftops to drive to the water.

Family life industry leaders. Family life. Call me or I keep on calling out to you in the open until you listen and understand. I am loyal, but to our sport. Not to one single brand. I want us to unite and share, so ALL can benefit.

After all, we're made out of water and can exist only because of water and air. The two base ingredients of the most beautiful sports on earth. Water is one. The air is filled with water. We are one. We are slowly letting go of the conceptual Descartian thought of man as machine and we should better hurry as this thought has nearly killed mother earth. Even if we are cutting open bellies of whales washed upon our shores filled with plastic we don't get the picture. We don't understand. We can send a fun image, act responsive and show the world we can have fun as long as we base ourselves on a circular economy in all given senses of that statement. Circular as in giving every child on earth the right to be happy and not stand the chance of being shot to pieces as we focus on fighting eachother and think we are better and subsequently deserve more than others.

We are windsurfers, kitesurfers, suppers, surfers. We all know the feeling of water moving and the shaping of the earth. We all are conneted in a physical way and I know many of you understand. Lets turn this earth around and point it in another direction. Let that be our biggest mission and go for it!

Best regards,
Kwibai

I'm sure you are right Kwibai, but if your points of view are going to be much more than post on an Australian gps-forum we really have to create an all new International Board Sailor Organization!

This organization could, as you mention, be for all windsurfers, kitesurfers, suppers and surfers..
IMHO it should be rather flat in structure, with a really clear "Mission" and "Vision" and an "open source" mindset.

Around the Globe there are a lot of people "working" independently and passionately about the promotion our water-sports, on the World plastic problems etc., but are each of them big and loud enough to be seen or heard in today's (and future) flooding of information and noise?

We have to have a "critical mass" to be heard and seen, that is why we need some kind of organization IMHO..

Best regards,
ClausF

Select to expand quote

ClausF said..

Kwibai said..
VIewers need a story to understand a sport.

Personalities to get to know.

A lifestyle to dream about.

Creative footage of wind and waves to feel nature.

Slow motion shots at the gybing buoys to feel the rider tension.

Know, feel and thus understand the speed with which riders are entering a gybe and get the feeling to lean into the gybe with the racers.

See the dream places surrounded by wind and waves. Watch riders sitting at a table enjoying sunset and having dinner together where a family would want to enjoy their trip.

We need kids that understand what they would train for. Which life they would dream about and put posters on their wall for.

We need our heroes to paddle through the bushes of an enchanted place to get to a pointbreak where Ricardo is pulling off a tripple loop while Kevin is doing a kiteloop in the background, Kai is foiling on a wave, pumping himself back to the next one after a ride and a family is standing on a rock and watching blue water explode on the shoreline.

We need heroes. We need a script.

And all starts with the thrill of balancing on a board, paddling, put a sail on the board, getting planing, going from a standstill to 5 knots, then 10, then the planing treshold, our soundbarrier, our drug that gets all of us hooked to these wonderful experiences we know so well.

Now, would it be so hard to set up a better format with legends like Robby in our midst? I think not. Robby once gave me a call after hitting 50 on his board and showed me who he really was by asking some very clever questions on his brand. Can anyone get me in contact with him again? Can other industry bosses contact me? We need people in the background with experience.

We need a vision based on unity and openness. Our sports are the future, not the past. Our sports are with the most beautiful experiences on Earth.

All starts with showing speeds, heights, airtime, floating in mid air over a lake high up in the mountains, filled with translucent glacier water reflected in the sunglasses of a rider being in the now.

All starts with the stuff that dreams are made off.

THE reason why professional surfing thrives and other waterbased funsports are left behind is that a few brands, scared for losing marketshare are in charge. In surfing there is a lucky factor. Local shapers know the waves. The hardware part isn't controlled by a few. Many run the show and stand a chance.Think locally industry leaders, in order to be able to act globally and make our sports grow again. Unite, listen to this old fart that still can beat young giants and even World Champions in his narrow field of expertise that happens to be one of the most explosive and thrilling aspects of our sport: speed or better GPS speed.

Did you ever see one single other explosive , physical and mental (litterally and physically) sport that could let that happen? There is a huge market from 4 to 74 at least....waiting and I can prove it with numbers.

Focus on the soul and forget the fight. Unite and fight the battle for honours on the water.

Professional windsurfing shouldn't be about prize money to start out with. It should be about offering experiences to the most talented and then prize money will follow in the shape and form of sponsor money of the brands with vested interest to let a rider win on their gear, not the other way around. The largest brands will stay to be the largest brands and new ones will rise as they offer quicker products and push the other brands to higher levels again, helping out riders to enjoy the sport more and invest as they want a better experience, not because marketing tells them the latest and greatest is the best.

And those riders with the most gifted talent, or perseverance, telling the most compelling story and having an open minded character will be sponsord by the same clothing brands that sponsor surfing. Why? Because it will increase their platform and improve their image.

Why did surf clothing drop in sales? Because we lost the image of our sport that initially took surfing, the mother of windsurfing to another level. Then we grew up to become grumpy old and fat farts.

With the current gear we can grow from fat surfers to fit surfers again, put our atletes in the limelight and send our funsports to the place they deserve to be: at the pinnacle of all sports. No sports apart from our sports are based on the shaping of mother Earth.

We are total fools to have let the vibe go that got millions of people on their feet and put a board on their rooftops to drive to the water.

Family life industry leaders. Family life. Call me or I keep on calling out to you in the open until you listen and understand. I am loyal, but to our sport. Not to one single brand. I want us to unite and share, so ALL can benefit.

After all, we're made out of water and can exist only because of water and air. The two base ingredients of the most beautiful sports on earth. Water is one. The air is filled with water. We are one. We are slowly letting go of the conceptual Descartian thought of man as machine and we should better hurry as this thought has nearly killed mother earth. Even if we are cutting open bellies of whales washed upon our shores filled with plastic we don't get the picture. We don't understand. We can send a fun image, act responsive and show the world we can have fun as long as we base ourselves on a circular economy in all given senses of that statement. Circular as in giving every child on earth the right to be happy and not stand the chance of being shot to pieces as we focus on fighting eachother and think we are better and subsequently deserve more than others.

We are windsurfers, kitesurfers, suppers, surfers. We all know the feeling of water moving and the shaping of the earth. We all are conneted in a physical way and I know many of you understand. Lets turn this earth around and point it in another direction. Let that be our biggest mission and go for it!

Best regards,
Kwibai

I'm sure you are right Kwibai, but if your points of view are going to more than post on an Australian gps-forum we really have to create an all new International Board Sailor Organization!

IMHO it should be rather flat in structure, with a really clear a "Mission" and "Vision".
This organization could, as you mention, be for windsurfers, kitesurfers, suppers and surfers..

Around the Globe there are a lot of people "working" independently and passionately about the promotion our water-sports, on the World plastic problems etc., but are each of them big enough to be seen or heard in today's (and future) flooding of information and noise?

We have to have a "critical mass" to be heard and seen, that is why we need some kind of organization..

Best regards,
ClausF

Fully in agreement Claus, that's why I try and hook up to Robby first. I made a first move through a person who can call him on a daily base. If no response comes in I will look in another direction. The reason why I am thinking Robby is that he focusses on freeride and wave mostly for windsurfing now and doesn't have an involvement in the PWA route anymore. He could create the connection between the industry leaders and some kind of informal chat could be set up relatively easy with only a very limited amount of people to Ensure talks are constructive and swift.

My plans will be benificial for all.

And for the cleaning of the earth project...we're working on that through a multinational for over a year now. International propositions are being presented as we speak, are already at the highest level of the organisation and one of the near future propositions will be a very simple but adequate way to clean the ocean through a pirate like operation of stand alone ships using a given technique that can transfer plastic to energy on the ships themselves.

My dream would be to focus on fun and future through the happy people that we really are. Anyone sending me a PB will get an answer.

Select to expand quote

olskool said..
^+1 KWIBAI, thats an extremely well written article n educated point of view. Full of passion n drive for this AWESOME sport. If we ALL band together n action even part of your ideas to promote this sport, im sure itll prosper n give so many more people the ability to experience that RUSH of skimming across the water, propelled by the wind. GREAT ARTICLE illustrating how to n why we should all promote windsurfing/sailboarding. Man you are hooked n have a great knowledge of this sport.
CMON CREW LETS MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!!

Thanks for the kind words and support olskool.

The idea for the ships is created by Barry Spanier one of our other sports heroes. Not long ago he brought it to our attention. Our tech contacts that presented two other propositions around a year ago to the waste treatment company loved it. Barry just sent me the link. I realize I am going off topic but I hope people understand where I am coming from and what we could do as community if we think wider and join forces. This is a very good example of showing commitment:

https://barryspanier.com/baleen

I like your thoughts and enthusiasm.

I think history has shown us that the various branches of water sports would not be able to cooperate for the common good. They would inevitably focus on what benefited their particular branch and it would deteriorate into a game of power politics again.

Sad, but I think true.

But it is very true that the current world scale windsurfing orgaisations are fractures and becoming rather irrelevant.

Select to expand quote

sailquik said..
I like your thoughts and enthusiasm.

I think history has shown us that the various branches of water sports would not be able to cooperate for the common good. They would inevitably focus on what benefited their particular branch and it would deteriorate into a game of power politics again.

Sad, but I think true.

But it is very true that the current world scale windsurfing orgaisations are fractures and becoming rather irrelevant.

Sailquik, Naish=kite, windsurf and Sup. If Robby hooks on, everyone will follow the king. Work in progress...

Select to expand quote

Kwibai said..
Naish=kite, windsurf and Sup. If Robby hooks on, everyone will follow the king. Work in progress...

Does Naish sponsor anyone for windsurfing ? .... I haven't seen/read about any sailors using Naish, for quite some years.

I

Select to expand quote

mathew said..

Kwibai said..
Naish=kite, windsurf and Sup. If Robby hooks on, everyone will follow the king. Work in progress...

Does Naish sponsor anyone for windsurfing ? .... I haven't seen/read about any sailors using Naish, for quite some years.

Is sponsoring the answer to all of our problems or does sponsoring create the problems? We need outside sponsors to pay for the professionals that we can send all over the world to showcase our sport by giving outsiders a deeper inside into the beauty of it. Much from that beauty comes from the earth itself, hence my ealier remarks.

We need to give the ones that make all happen the chance to earn a decent buck. If not there will no more investment into gear development and no one can sell a second hand sail anymore, just a simple example. It's clear the whole sales model needs to be cleaned because of internet, but it's also clear that what happens now is killing all brands. They've basically shot themselves into their own foot and part of that is related to the way the PWA is currently set up. The "pro model" isn't working. We need to build on a grassroots model first in order to let the sports heal themselves and then the "pro" department can grow again.

It's possible to work two ways and I'd like to refer to Klaus' comment again:

I'm sure you are right Kwibai, but if your points of view are going to be much more than post on an Australian gps-forum we really have to create an all new International Board Sailor Organization!

This organization could, as you mention, be for all windsurfers, kitesurfers, suppers and surfers..
IMHO it should be rather flat in structure, with a really clear "Mission" and "Vision" and an "open source" mindset.

We will be working exactly on a structure like this and for achieving that goal we need an undisputable leader. We all know him. And I know he's got vested interests, but all industry leaders will have them. I need only a veeeeeery limited amount of of those leaders to understand and we change the face of all sports I mentioned earlier. It will happen, with or without my help but I do have a vision and worked on it for years. I've got high hopes in the end the right people will listen.

Robby!

Select to expand quote

Kwibai said..
VIewers need a story to understand a sport.

Personalities to get to know.

A lifestyle to dream about.

Creative footage of wind and waves to feel nature.

Slow motion shots at the gybing buoys to feel the rider tension.

Know, feel and thus understand the speed with which riders are entering a gybe and get the feeling to lean into the gybe with the racers.

See the dream places surrounded by wind and waves. Watch riders sitting at a table enjoying sunset and having dinner together where a family would want to enjoy their trip.

We need kids that understand what they would train for. Which life they would dream about and put posters on their wall for.

We need our heroes to paddle through the bushes of an enchanted place to get to a pointbreak where Ricardo is pulling off a tripple loop while Kevin is doing a kiteloop in the background, Kai is foiling on a wave, pumping himself back to the next one after a ride and a family is standing on a rock and watching blue water explode on the shoreline.

We need heroes. We need a script.

And all starts with the thrill of balancing on a board, paddling, put a sail on the board, getting planing, going from a standstill to 5 knots, then 10, then the planing treshold, our soundbarrier, our drug that gets all of us hooked to these wonderful experiences we know so well.

Now, would it be so hard to set up a better format with legends like Robby in our midst? I think not. Robby once gave me a call after hitting 50 on his board and showed me who he really was by asking some very clever questions on his brand. Can anyone get me in contact with him again? Can other industry bosses contact me? We need people in the background with experience.

We need a vision based on unity and openness. Our sports are the future, not the past. Our sports are with the most beautiful experiences on Earth.

All starts with showing speeds, heights, airtime, floating in mid air over a lake high up in the mountains, filled with translucent glacier water reflected in the sunglasses of a rider being in the now.

All starts with the stuff that dreams are made off.

THE reason why professional surfing thrives and other waterbased funsports are left behind is that a few brands, scared for losing marketshare are in charge. In surfing there is a lucky factor. Local shapers know the waves. The hardware part isn't controlled by a few. Many run the show and stand a chance.Think locally industry leaders, in order to be able to act globally and make our sports grow again. Unite, listen to this old fart that still can beat young giants and even World Champions in his narrow field of expertise that happens to be one of the most explosive and thrilling aspects of our sport: speed or better GPS speed.

Did you ever see one single other explosive , physical and mental (litterally and physically) sport that could let that happen? There is a huge market from 4 to 74 at least....waiting and I can prove it with numbers.

Focus on the soul and forget the fight. Unite and fight the battle for honours on the water.

Professional windsurfing shouldn't be about prize money to start out with. It should be about offering experiences to the most talented and then prize money will follow in the shape and form of sponsor money of the brands with vested interest to let a rider win on their gear, not the other way around. The largest brands will stay to be the largest brands and new ones will rise as they offer quicker products and push the other brands to higher levels again, helping out riders to enjoy the sport more and invest as they want a better experience, not because marketing tells them the latest and greatest is the best.

And those riders with the most gifted talent, or perseverance, telling the most compelling story and having an open minded character will be sponsord by the same clothing brands that sponsor surfing. Why? Because it will increase their platform and improve their image.

Why did surf clothing drop in sales? Because we lost the image of our sport that initially took surfing, the mother of windsurfing to another level. Then we grew up to become grumpy old and fat farts.

With the current gear we can grow from fat surfers to fit surfers again, put our atletes in the limelight and send our funsports to the place they deserve to be: at the pinnacle of all sports. No sports apart from our sports are based on the shaping of mother Earth.

We are total fools to have let the vibe go that got millions of people on their feet and put a board on their rooftops to drive to the water.

Family life industry leaders. Family life. Call me or I keep on calling out to you in the open until you listen and understand. I am loyal, but to our sport. Not to one single brand. I want us to unite and share, so ALL can benefit.

After all, we're made out of water and can exist only because of water and air. The two base ingredients of the most beautiful sports on earth. Water is one. The air is filled with water. We are one. We are slowly letting go of the conceptual Descartian thought of man as machine and we should better hurry as this thought has nearly killed mother earth. Even if we are cutting open bellies of whales washed upon our shores filled with plastic we don't get the picture. We don't understand. We can send a fun image, act responsive and show the world we can have fun as long as we base ourselves on a circular economy in all given senses of that statement. Circular as in giving every child on earth the right to be happy and not stand the chance of being shot to pieces as we focus on fighting eachother and think we are better and subsequently deserve more than others.

We are windsurfers, kitesurfers, suppers, surfers. We all know the feeling of water moving and the shaping of the earth. We all are conneted in a physical way and I know many of you understand. Lets turn this earth around and point it in another direction. Let that be our biggest mission and go for it!

Best regards,
Kwibai

Quite a good speech, you probably need to repost it on the 'general forum' to ignite some discussion .. maybe on the 'is windsurfing still
in decline thread' ...
its sure to stir up some passionate discussion there. :)

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Kwibai said..
I

mathew said..

Kwibai said..
Naish=kite, windsurf and Sup. If Robby hooks on, everyone will follow the king. Work in progress...

Does Naish sponsor anyone for windsurfing ? .... I haven't seen/read about any sailors using Naish, for quite some years.

Is sponsoring the answer to all of our problems or does sponsoring create the problems? We need outside sponsors to pay for the professionals that we can send all over the world to showcase our sport by giving outsiders a deeper inside into the beauty of it. Much from that beauty comes from the earth itself, hence my ealier remarks.

We need to give the ones that make all happen the chance to earn a decent buck. If not there will no more investment into gear development and no one can sell a second hand sail anymore, just a simple example. It's clear the whole sales model needs to be cleaned because of internet, but it's also clear that what happens now is killing all brands. They've basically shot themselves into their own foot and part of that is related to the way the PWA is currently set up. The "pro model" isn't working. We need to build on a grassroots model first in order to let the sports heal themselves and then the "pro" department can grow again.

It's possible to work two ways and I'd like to refer to Klaus' comment again:

I'm sure you are right Kwibai, but if your points of view are going to be much more than post on an Australian gps-forum we really have to create an all new International Board Sailor Organization!

This organization could, as you mention, be for all windsurfers, kitesurfers, suppers and surfers..
IMHO it should be rather flat in structure, with a really clear "Mission" and "Vision" and an "open source" mindset.

We will be working exactly on a structure like this and for achieving that goal we need an undisputable leader. We all know him. And I know he's got vested interests, but all industry leaders will have them. I need only a veeeeeery limited amount of of those leaders to understand and we change the face of all sports I mentioned earlier. It will happen, with or without my help but I do have a vision and worked on it for years. I've got high hopes in the end the right people will listen.

Robby!

Yes, Robby Naish is without any doubt the definition of a real waterman- and first mower! The history of windsurfing (and probably also kitesurfing) would have been different today without him, I think we all can agree that..

While Mr. Naish is on the top lets have a closer look at the bottom, because we have to plant seed..

Some of the main problems for young people to start doing water sports, like wind- and kitesurfing, are:

# They are considered potentially dangerous extreme-sports by most people.

# There is often no structure for learning (schools) nearby. Often you have to know someone who does the sport already (and how many are they?) that can give you some lessons ..

# If you don't know for sure if the sport is for you, and you don't have some guidance, you won't buy equipment - or, perhaps, you will buy equipment that is too technical and difficult for you.. Then you will eventually give up - or worse, put your life at risk!

There are of course a lot of other problems that have to be addressed in order to make the right strategy to obtain a "bottom-up" effect, - you (Kwibai) have already listed many of them..

One of the solutions could be the surfclubs as we know them in Denmark for example.. They are not surf-rentals, but clubs where you can talk with people, pay for some lessons (cheap) so you can see if the sport is for you, meet friends, drink coffee, have a social life, store your private equipment, do some fun regattas ect..
Some times in the summer the clubs arrange a weekend called "Open day" where families with children and other people can try the sport for free with an instructor..

Regards.



(remember to activate the subtitles/closed captions)

Im with Jonesy. Sling it in the General forum n watch the firestorm ignite. Can only be positive for the sport n the oceans. This guy KWIBAI is on to something. SOMETHING REAL....

Thanks for your mental support olskool and advice JoenseySail. You're fully right in what you say. I said all I wanted to say and did so from the heart. Probably Sailquik is right though. Time will tell. If this topic lifts off again purely based on the question how fast riders went I will read into it and follow the comments with interest.

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Kwibai said..

mathew said..

Kwibai said..
Naish=kite, windsurf and Sup. If Robby hooks on, everyone will follow the king. Work in progress...

Does Naish sponsor anyone for windsurfing ? .... I haven't seen/read about any sailors using Naish, for quite some years.

Is sponsoring the answer to all of our problems or does sponsoring create the problems? We need outside sponsors to pay for the professionals that we can send all over the world to showcase our sport by giving outsiders a deeper inside into the beauty of it.

I am perplexed by this statement... You dont want Naish to sponsor windsurfing, as you want outside sponsorship - but do want Robby to be the head of the movement for change. Is this correct ?

Mathew, youre quite an objectionable fellow. Arent you... Who cares whether its Naish , North, Gaastra or some outside party. Someone has to step up n take the lead for this sport to become mainstream again n prosper into the future. Think thats the point Kwibai is making.

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olskool said..
Mathew, youre quite an objectionable fellow. Arent you... Who cares whether its Naish , North, Gaastra or some outside party. Someone has to step up n take the lead for this sport to become mainstream again n prosper into the future. Think thats the point Kwibai is making.

Kwibai statements so far, are mostly conflicting - I am simply trying to understand what is being written here.

[ But do feel free to use old-English slang to ridicule. ]

Matt, no RIDICULE intended. Was just puzzled at your angle. So i thought id illustrate Kwibais perspective in plain english. Heres another try. Manufacturers shouldnt be dictating the way the sport is conducted or managed. A governing body/ organisation should be driving the bus to windsurf mecca.

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mathew said..

olskool said..
Mathew, youre quite an objectionable fellow. Arent you... Who cares whether its Naish , North, Gaastra or some outside party. Someone has to step up n take the lead for this sport to become mainstream again n prosper into the future. Think thats the point Kwibai is making.

Kwibai statements so far, are mostly conflicting - I am simply trying to understand what is being written here.

[ But do feel free to use old-English slang to ridicule. ]

As I thought and think what Joenesey was mentioning was right, I first didn't want to answer anymore but your question deserves an explanation indeed.

A part of it is related to what Olskool is mentiong in his last reply to you, but I can see the need for manufacturer involvement. This involvement in my humble opinion should hower be managed differently and could be managed differently. I am no fan of the route currently taken by the PWA (to put it mildly) and put some examples in this thread, starting out with the simple fact we don't know anymore than the final numbers: 1,2,3 in a speed and course driven sport and secondly, apart from races like the Lancelin or the Defi, I can't see or feel the vibe of our sport within the PWA races themselves. The PWA management is money, not sport driven and uses the poor riders going for a "professional" career. The first point was not only closely related to Roo's calculations, but completely related to it as we simply haven't got any data which we know the riders do have themselves.

The reason why I shared apparently conflicting messages, going deeper into this thread, is the fact that our sport is dying and no one finds the strength to turn things around as a rails has been laid out and a train is rolling. The end effect: the carriages are getting more and more scattered and the train is standing on the verge of exploding under pressure. I will send you a personal message to explain more indeep otherwise the discussion will go on in the open over here. Anyone interested in my opinion and wanting to discuss/share thoughts more indeep can send me a personal message as well.

We hardly know who is putting the coals on the fire in the locomotive, let alone who steers it or could steer it onto a (in my opinion) much needed, other track. I truly feel there is just one person in our sport who would have the strength to do so and that's Robby. It seems I am getting closer to him through kind help being offered. As soon as I've spoken to him and he understands we need only one or two more influencial people and the train will be on track within no time again, so I am sure. The risk? One indeep one on one talk which could be rewarding to all involved.

As for the riders and sponsoring: in our sport there are very few true professionals and a few who are lucky enough to have enough money to race, mostly at a loss at the end of the year. They call themselves professionals, the P in the PWA. What do they give us, the spectators back in retun? Nothing. Not even data they all have. Obviously they want to keep the edge over their competitors, so in person I can't blame them for doing so, but the end result is we're left in the dark, mostly litterally as races are hardly covered. And the silly thing is that the riders themselves don't see they are lemmings running of a cliff.

Hence my rethoric question, is sponsoring helping the sport or holding it back? A deeper answer on your question will be sent to you in your personal post box.

The riders won't change this sport. All of the scattered brands together won't change this sport. I can see one, two, maximum three industry leaders within this sport who could turn the sport around and even within a blink of an eye. I will mention the names to Robby and I am sure the names I mention to him will agree, he should be the driver if I informed them on the conceptual plan. I agree with sailquik chances are low this change will effectively manifest itself, but I do believe it could and all changes start with conviction or a vision. The only thing holding us back right now to grow this sport is the fear currently holding it by it's throat.

I stick to my comment our sports could be as large as running and biking, but in order to reach that goal we need to rethink. The current discussion being held within the PWA right now will lead us nowhere as too many have a say and no leader is stepping up.

Robby!

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olskool said..
Matt, no RIDICULE intended. Was just puzzled at your angle. So i thought id illustrate Kwibais perspective in plain english. Heres another try. Manufacturers shouldnt be dictating the way the sport is conducted or managed. A governing body/ organisation should be driving the bus to windsurf mecca.

I am going to have to refute both yourself and Kwiabi - this post isn't to criticise the passion - it is to clarify the history of windsurfing, as it appears that the history has been ignored.

Manufacturers dont control the direction of the sport - other than they have heavy influence simply because they are attempting to make money from it. For example they dont build large-volume or small-volume waveboards for those extreme-sized sailors. eg: if you are 120 kg bloke, then you probably wont find a board big enough; if you are a 50kg female, you wont find a board small enough -> there is no profit/margin to be had in those sizes. Simply put, manufacturers will build whatever people will purchase in enough volume.

That said, most brands have passionate people working for them - people want to influence the direction of the sport, so they try to jobs at those companies; and the manufacturers know this, so usually chose employ people whom are passionate because it is in this sports' interest to do so.

But to say those companies/staff control the direction of the sport, is simply wrong. Let use some examples:
- One talented sailor and engineer from Perth, wanted to make the fastest speed-board (Lockwood/Mistral)
- Another talented board shaper from Perth, builds some waveboard shapes which are somewhat unorthodox (Hoop/Severne)
- An older fellow from Sandy Point has significant influence on the shape/profile of speed sails (Daff/KA)
- A fellow from sunny England wasn't content with the media coverage of Windsurfing, has started his own media/TV channel (Proffitt/Windsurfing.TV)
- Local clubs and competitions... if it wasn't for people donating the time, there wouldn't even be any way to get into a professional comp.

All of these - and many other changes of direction - occurred because the people took it upon themselves (usually using their own funds) to do something different. Thus we can look though the history of windsurfing and see that most evolution occurs because those individual people drove that change - the manufacturers simply reacted to what was already happening - the change would have occurred with/without them (albeit probably at a slower pace - ref: foils).


Also.... getting outside sponsorship is a great idea - but it isn't a new idea -> there used to be the PAN-AM cup, and so on. If someone can figure out a formula for the business model of the sport, then great.... we can all jump on board. Simply saying that it hasn't been attempted, is just insulting to everyone who has ever tried to do anything for the sport.


Lastly - just my opinion - this statement: "keep the format in the hands of the organization, not the sponsors" .... wanting sponsorship (either from inside or outside of the sport), but not allowing those sponsors to have any say in how that money is used, isn't likely to win any type of sponsorship deal.

Sorry Mathew, but i see that naughty 'F' word many times in your latest prose...
Im guessin FELLOW is a mainstream word after all ???
Heck, now im all confused.... but i guess the english language is like that..
If the manufacturers dont make boards n gear to suit ALL shapes n sizes then they are DEFINATELY tailoring n steering the sport to ONLY line their own pockets. To the detriment of all us big sailors n all the small sailors. Not a positive way to GROW the sport. Hmmmmm....
Competition wise they (the big brands) should be encouraged to have mainstream events where amatuer sailors normally sail n they could then mix with the top shelf gurus.
Everyone will benefit from all the publicity n top knowledge being accessible to the everyday sailor.
Olskool - Over n Out.

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olskool said..
Sorry Mathew, but i see that naughty 'F' word many times in your latest prose...
Im guessin FELLOW is a mainstream word after all ???

Not fellow - "objectionable fellow" has essentially two meanings, either body-odour or this... books.google.com.au/books?id=YcWHAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA183&lpg=PA183&dq=%22objectionable+fellow%22&source=bl&ots=buXeMDXcfP&sig=ACfU3U18XBMa5KUYTbo74UQp7HyJ_L7ztA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj9xJv0sv3fAhVTWysKHS_6BO0Q6AEwAXoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=%22objectionable%20fellow%22&f=false

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Competition wise they (the big brands) should be encouraged to have mainstream events where amatuer sailors normally sail n they could then mix with the top shelf gurus.

They do - who do you think won the Ledge to Lancelin ?

Kwibai - given what you have written here, I gather you already know about the IWT ? ... they do say they focus on amateur events.

internationalwindsurfingtour.com/
www.facebook.com/InternationalWindsurfingTour/