It's easy to get carried away with the whole speed thing, it can be very exhilirating and addictive, but windsurfing is not just about speed it's about being out there and doing it in any form.
When I'm windsurfing, I'm happy.
The GTC motivates me to windsurf more, so I'm even happier.
I get a lot of enjoyment out of just cruising, lowering the planing threshold in light winds, gybing well, coming out of gybes fully planing, sailing non-stop for an hour without falling in, staying in control and gybing well in chop, sailing on long distant reaches, wave riding, wave jumping, gybing on huge ocean swells, chatting with my mates while rigging and de-rigging, chatting with mates on the water, searching for and finding new windsurfing spots, going on windsurfing holidays, helping people out with windsurfing, experimenting with and designing gear, thinking of new ideas about gear, buying windsurfing gear, making new friendships, being part of a community that has a similar passion to me, and socialising with windsurfing friends outside of windsurfing.
It's not just about speed 
[}:)]
)
Yeh reads like I'm bragging, how embarrassment
The reason for the post is that if the focus becomes only on speed then there is a fear of losing people to windsurfing again, so I wanted to highlight all the other bits, but really I'm just using it as an opputunity to brag How embarrassment, I've been caught out, didn't think anyone would notice
its not all about speed - its also about getting huge air cause you hit the lip with loads of speed- so its about air dude
all about the air
- so its about air dude all about the air
but my big entry splashes have improved
It's not all about speed _ it's also about pestering kite surfers so they move on
I agree with the original poster, though I would replace "good at this-that" by "trying to this-that" in my case.
Having said that, he/she/it is right. The so-called speed guys - going left for 5 miles and then right for 5 miles - are the ones that buy the most gear and then just get bored and switch to kite or just drop. I'd get bored too.
They're also the ones to always recommend - read discourage - newbies with buying more and more rigs and equipment. Makes entry-level too expensive for newbies that way.
Therefore I would remove the "discuss new gear" from the list. Add "looking for good-looking windsurfing sheilas" too.
not to worry about speed, speed and speed hardie..i had the same sailing motives whether it be any condition to get a fix..however, since joining these forum a year ago i got a gps by chance and by reading at the gps and speed sailing it was just one more feature i wanted to see if with the not so right gear i can get there fast and in retrospect has increased my skills a bit higher just to raise my own pbif the winds are not cooperating i go back to basic sailing modes and still is fun...but when you factor in speed which is a great tool for attracting would be beginners and it's a plus too
...not much up here in the tropics windwise and gps users i can count only 6-7max for the whole Phil. islands..so it wouldn't spread like wildfire for the moment..for now it's mostly gybe, carve and jump so we're still within your parameters of 'it's not just about speed' cheers
Quite right Hardie. I like to cruise on my Go or Formula and love cruising with the kids on the Tandem Gemini. Love a bit of bump and jump and especially on those manic summer Easterlies on the Acid 74. I really enjoy a bit of 15 knot slalom on the iSonic 111.....
But................ when the isobars tighten up and Windguru goes all Red and Purple I definitely get a the biggest buzz out of pushing the envelope on the speed kit!! Yeeeharrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!
I just love going windsurfing FULLSTOP.
No matter how fast you go its ALL GOOD
yyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhhh
i think slowie should give lessons on chop hopping. sometimes he just can't help himself... usually you can see his grin on landing from the shore.
Actually, windsurfing is all about windsurfing, which in turn is all about windsurfing.
It's a vicious cycle. You can never escape...
Who gives a rat's how you enjoy it!!!!
As long as you are out there and doing whatever discipline you love or are best at, thats the main thing. I dont think if someones thing is speed sailing, back and forth, wave sailing, formula or slalom its the fact that you are out doing something healthy and just plain bloody fun is the big kahuna
Windsurfing is a sport that just lends itself to happy times.
Just dont get caught up in the "Im superior to you as Im more hardcore" attitude that slowly seems to be creeping back into our sport.
Get out there, get your kids into it or your missus and enjoy being outdoors.
Strewth, Ill shut up now
As a northern-hemisphere sailor who's just arrived down here, I am totally amazed at the prevalence of speed sailing here in Australia. Don't get me wrong, I am in awe of the likes of Lockwood, Sailquik and all the other loons who live to go fast (it scares the crap out of me just watching them), but I am also totally amazed at the lack of freestyling that happens down here. There's a new genre out there in the big wide world that's going strong and pushing the windsurfing envelope, and doesn't seem to have taken off down here at all - in fact it hasn't even merited a mention on this thread so far!
So to all you guys who want to try something different, get yourself a secondhand crossover board (JP Freestyle Wave, for example) and a crap stubby fin, watch a bunch of youtube videos, find a bit of flat water and go try a Vulcan - they look scary as hell, but I must have crashed hundreds of them, and I've never hurt myself (and I don't even wear a helmet!)... Go play guys - sliding backwards at 20+ knots is an awesome feeling...
I know there's a couple of guys who can freestyle here in Oz, but it's nothing like being on the beach in europe / US / Egypt where everyone aspires to going backwards... mind you, perhaps it's that lack of focus on freestyle and the focus on speed that's breeding some of the fastest sailors in the world out here.
Remember, if you're not crashing, you're not trying hard enough...
Flickyspinny (cool name by the way)
I think you will find that wave sailing takes prevalence over freestyling over here because generally we have surf to play in.
The teams challenge has introduced a lot of people to the "Dark" side of going faster.
I don't think it's so much the "going faster" but more the social aspect of what been set up by Hardie and Ben which has really dragged a lot of people into speed.
It's been a bloody good excuse for going sailing I don't know how may wives have heard the claim "I need to sail to help the teams just dropped a place on the ladder"
Myself, although I'm constantly amazed watching the "Flickyspinny" freestyle people, unfortunately I will have to pass on it, as I'm currently paying for the cheques I wrote in my youth freestyle skating with shot knees and ankles.
Try posting a separate thread to start up Freestyle Fun Day's, no pressure,Lots of fun, a barbecue and help for newbies etc and you might end up with a winner on your hands and a lot of new friends.
Remember,
Any day sailing is a good day
Hey Flicky, where were you in N.A.?
I'm the opposite of you: Aussie ex-pat living in N.A. I see precious little freestyle here too, as I get about for work a bit Florida, inland, Great Lakes, Hatteras 3 times, etc. I see a hell of a lot more flat sailing (if they think they do speed, good for them) than freestyle and even trying things. I'm sure I've missed some location where half the guys do flakas all the time, but there wouldn't be that many.
Sure there are a lot of Tubes as you say, but they're mostly the same 15-20 guys always and same locations: Aruba, Bonaire, Hawaii, same ol' same ol', seldom Hatteras.
Anyways, couldn't agree more with you about freestyle: I never sail 200 meters without trying something. Would much rather jump off Sydney though...
It's not just about speed......it's about breaking stuff, getting injuries and spending money.
When you live 40 min from one of the fastests speed spots in the world its a bit hard not to do speedsailing,but then i still enjoy a good jump/bump session on old speed gear.Its ALL better than work
G'day FlickySpinny. Speed has always been part of the scene here but it has become MUCH more popular over the past three years or so simply because of the availability of suitable gps gear. Now we KNOW how fast we are going and how fast everyone else goes. When you have that sort of data of course you are going to start competing. Its just natural. When you compete you tend to become a little obsessive.
However I agree with you. We should do more freestyle. We really should. It makes sailing much more interesting.
