Tired of Freestyle

windsurfer7 · Joined: 27 Jun 2000 Posts: 40

Amen Spennie...These freestyle tricks all look the same. Its almost as boring to watch as kiting. I think if these freestyle kids grew some wedding tackle and got on a fast slalom board and a man-sized fin they would forget about their stupid spinny moves. I bet they cant even imagine the pure joy that comes from the freedom of jibing. So keep up the good work Spennie. Id write more but its 30 knots down here in Jeri and my brazilian girlfriend is carrying my 4.0 down to the beach for me in a bikini so I can go work on my burners (that is a freestyle move by the way).

LeeD · Joined: 12 Jun 2008 Posts: 1175

Tend to agree and reinterate the "it's all good" concept....
But everyone knows Jeri and SanCarlos are easy, beginner oriented waves, with mellow winds steady and smooth, and not much penalty for mistakes.
And for attracting the next generation, for sure freestyle, like trick flatland snowboarding, is what gets the kids motivated.
Having said that, if any of us have ridden Backyards just overhead, Revelations when the channel almost closes, any of the outer Oahu reefs, or the banned Sunset, MaryJ's, Chuns, and Laniakea combos, Maui's J, Lanes, and Hookipa, NorCals Davenport, Palo, Duxbury, and BodegaHeads, MidCals TarantulaRights, Cayucos, and just N of USCB points, we'd tend not to think to highly of the first two.
Remember the old early '80's windsurf mags featuring MikeWaltze and MattSwietzer flying into the famous OPEN EYES ? They flew right over and sometimes onto SC for a quick check, deciding it's slower, mushier wave was maybe NOT the thing for waveriding in Baja.
Or maybe they liked the idea of a FedMarineBase, couple of panadarias, and grocery store, and at least 7 proven wave riding spots an acceptable alternative........

gerritt · Joined: 06 May 1998 Posts: 632 Location: Redwood City, CA

Face it. You guys are envious of the younger guys with rubber knees and ankles that can pull those moves! The moves rock, but I can't do 'em. My ankles protest protest too much. However, these younger (and some of the older guys at my local spots) guys inspire me to push my own limits, which is good for everyone. Thanks to them, I now have a short board tack, I have made (not consistently) helicopter tacks, backwinding skills, one handed transitions, duck jibes (I had those before freestyle), lay downs, and planing 360's. Any move that won't break an ankle or knee, I'll give it a go. So, get out there and get wet. If you are just a BnF sailor with dry hair - YOU ARE BORING!

The only thing I think might get lost by the new style is speed and a good old fashioned high speed carving jibe with full planing exit. I know there are some freestylers who just can't do 'em!

LeeD · Joined: 12 Jun 2008 Posts: 1175

New school vs old school, seems the two divergent paths.....
Some like the slidy, spinny, flippy tricks to get off.
Other's like the ageold speed, carve, and safer tricks....
You do what you like, can, wanna, or luck intos, but hopefully keep windsurfing.

gerritt · Joined: 06 May 1998 Posts: 632 Location: Redwood City, CA

Can't speak for Jerri, but to diss San Carlos!? LeeD, you've got to be high, or caught it when it was small. I've done Hookipa, other less known spots in Maui, and most of the places you cite in CA. When its firing, the Chili Bowl in SC has plenty of punch and is no beginner spot. Depending on conditions, any place can be a beginner spot, or a totally insane, stay on the beach and respect the ocean kind of a place.

kevinkan · Joined: 07 Jun 2001 Posts: 1661 Location: San Francisco

It's true, a lot of the freestyle stuff looks the same... especially to somebody who isn't immersed in it, so at first it's pretty fun to watch, but it probably gets repetitive after awhile. Of course, the same thing can be said of anything... watching five minutes of speed sailing would probably get repetitive for some people... unless there were lots of crashes! I think there is a long way to go wrto how windsurfing is presented on film/video... too many short clips of tricks out of context... I would like to see more "runs" of linked tricks or turns... either on waves or in flat water... Even watching wave sailing highlights these days, it's like a setup for one move to get captured on video. I'd prefer to see a whole wave being ripped to shreds from beginning to end (like the footage from Cabo Verde 2007) or somebody doing a nice run of four to five linked freestyle tricks (starting to see this kind of thing w/ some freestyle vids made by Paskowski). I liked the Berkeley section of the original SF Chronicles video where they just filmed Kenny freesailing at Berkeley... they kept the camera on him for awhile he just played in the swell, mixing in freestyle, jumps, swell riding, crashing... it was just a stream of consciousness kind of thing that was more fun to watch than a bunch of rapid-fire clips stitched together. Or, remember the slalom sailing section of RIP, where Robby is flying at mach 5 and then hits a huge wave and blasts off? That was rad!

All the freestyle and wave stuff looks much better close-up and in person. One of my favorite things to watch is to on the way in on a wave and see somebody throw a huge back loop on the way out... so sweet!

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

koogzah · Joined: 06 Jul 2005 Posts: 530 Location: right here

I think slalom is probably the most TV-genic of the current disciplines. Put some POV cameras on board with sailors, aerial chopper views, steadycams on motorboats, cameras in the water at the marks. You could create a pretty intense viewing experience with a lot of "who will win? who will crash?" dramatic tension.

Too bad it is a dying sport with an old demographic...

swchandler · Joined: 08 Nov 1993 Posts: 10588

I have to admit that doing tricks isn't something I would find an interest in. For me windsurfing isn't about tricks. I find just sailing around is interesting enough for an older guy like myself.

However, despite my specific preferences, I do respect the work and talent it takes to do freestyle. I've watched young folks trying to perfect a move, and the tenacity and determination needed to regularly pull it off is notable. Still though, going through the repetition over and over learning would bore me after a while. I guess once you get it down there's a sense of satisfaction that feeds one's drive.

LeeD · Joined: 12 Jun 2008 Posts: 1175

Don't think I DISSED SanCarlos or Jerri.....
Maybe I stressed it was a great beginner's waveriding spot more than a destination surfsailing spot.....OK, I'll agree there.
You say you've ridden most of my aforementioned spots.
Can you even compare the two above with inside OopsSt., heading past Boneyards and into the quasi channel between Sunset and Backyards? Can you even imagine beginner wavesailors sailing there?
Or sailing the N Reef Davenport? You know the winds have to be well over 24 at Wads to get there, the swell at least overhead, the balancing act on the beachstart and kickout, and the upwind long reach to get into position and long upwind swell ride to get deep and close to the cliffs. Is that even comparable to SC or Jerri?
Or ElCap on a NW, with W component, big spring swell, firing down the line competing with surfers for 200 yard tube rides, not mush that breaks 1/3 down the face, leaving greenwater at the bottom.
True, I'm an old deteriorating skills has been, but almost any decent, not good day at my beloved spots is preferable to a great day (and crowded with not a clue wannabee surfsailors) at the mag favored pop spots listed first two.
You surf sail, why would you NOT wish for a sideshore day at DOH OCEAN BEACH, SF? ....18 second periods, medium tides, WSW swell.....
That happens maybe once every 4 years, but the pinnacle of surfsailing is never an everyday occurence.
For the uninitiated, OBSF has the fastest moving swells of ANY of the spots I mentioned, except for the famed outer reefs of the Islands.