Windsurfing and kitesurfing on the Columbia River at Hood River, Oregon. |
"Windsurfing is a surface water sport using a windsurf board, also commonly called a sailboard,
usually two to five meters long and powered by a single sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating flexible joint called
the Universal Joint (U-Joint). Unlike a rudder-steered sailboat, a windsurfer is steered by the tilting and rotating of the mast and sail
as well as tilting and carving the board. This method of controlling the board's direction is called the free-sail system.
The sport combines aspects of both sailing and surfing, along with certain |
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athletic aspects shared with other board sports like skateboarding, snowboarding, waterskiing,
wakeboarding and kitesurfing. Although it might be considered a minimalistic version
of a sailboat, a windsurfer offers experiences that are outside the scope of most other sailing craft design. A windsurfer holds the
world speed record for sailing craft (see below); and, windsurfers can perform jumps, inverted loops, spinning maneuvers, and
other "freestyle" moves that cannot be matched by any sailboat. Windsurfers were the first to ride the world's largest waves,
such as Jaws on the island of Maui, and, with very few exceptions, it was not until the advent of tow-in surfing that waves of that
size became accessible to surfers.
Windsurfing includes speed sailing, slalom, course racing, wave sailing, superX, and freestyle as distinct disciplines. |
Though windsurfing is possible in winds from near 0 to 50 knots, the ideal planing conditions for most recreational sailors is 15-25 knots, with lighter winds resulting in displacement mode sailing.Lessons can be taken with a school. With coaching and favorable conditions, the basic skills of sailing, steering, and turning can be learned within a few hours. Competence in the sport and mastery of more advanced maneuvers such as planing, carve gybing (turning downwind at speed), water starting, jumping, and more advanced moves can require lengthy practice. Training DVDs exist which are useful in a sport where it is difficult for a coach to be close to a pupil particularly when learning the more advanced manoeuvres.
Modern windsurfing boards can be classified into these categories:
Freeride: Boards meant for comfortable recreational cruising (mostly straight-line sailing and occasional turning) at planing speed (aka blasting), mainly in flat waters or in light to moderate swell.
Wave boards: Smaller, lighter, more maneuverable boards for use in breaking waves. Characteristically, sailors on wave boards perform high jumps while sailing against waves, and they ride the face of a wave performing narrow linked turns (bottom turns, cutbacks, and top-turns) in a similar way to surfing.
Freestyle boards: Related to wave boards in terms of maneuverability, these are wider, higher volume boards geared specifically at performing acrobatic tricks (jumps, rotations, slides, flips and loops) on flat water.
Slalom boards: Shortboards aimed at top speed, rather than maneuverability or ease of use.
Beginner boards: (sometimes called funboards) these often have a daggerboard, are almost as wide as Formula boards, and have plenty of volume, hence stability.
Racing longboards: Mistral One Design, or the Olympic RS:X class race boards"
This information found: Wikipedia Encylopedia
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Susan Dietel
Windsurfing Boards and Sails for Sale. Windsurf Information, Instruction, Sails and more. Used Windsurfing Sail Boards and Equipment.
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