Let’s see if windsurfing will see a comeback in light wind conditions with this redesigned “Windsurfer”. Playing around in lighter winds is a lot of fun and it’s a great practice for the highwind tricks, too. You just have to grab your board and go out. It doesn’t matter if you take a big board or a modern freestyler, which works in a few knots, too or a bigger waveboard.
“The Original windsurfer class was where it all started back in 1967. There is an unparalleled amount of global engagement and connection with this class, created by Diane and Hoyle Schweitzer with a board concept developed by Jim Drake. Bruce Wylie, who entered the Windsurfing event in Santa Barbara while I sailed in the Olympics on the more “sophisticated“ Windglider, has redesigned the Windsurfer and it’s now a wonderful allround board suited also for heavier people.
The board is stable, glides particularly nice in light winds and shoots into planing mode with ease. With its daggerboard it goes upwind really well. Tilt it a bit backwards and it can be handled in high-wind upwind. It freestyles with excellence and rail-rides are hereby back in trend. I really enjoy sailing this board and see it as a way to get clubs around the world introducing a board which works for entry level sailing, with the plastic daggerboard, and club racing with the composite daggerboard. Back in the days, the main campaign for the windsurfer was “DO IT STANDING UP” and this board even is good at stand up paddling.” Svein Rasmussen, Starboard’s chief
Svein Rasmussen windsurfs on the re-designed Windsurfer in Pattaya, Thailand
“The new Windsurfer LT planes out much faster & easier than the old stock windsurfer. With the lighter design & increased volume, this is a very user-friendly board for the masses. With this type of board, this could be the key that is needed to give windsurfing its much-deserved comeback in light wind conditions!”
Matt Schweitzer – the living legend whose father invented windsurfing tried this board, too. Matt won his first World Championship Windsurfing title at the young age of 16 and is considered being one of the most historical and influential windsurfers all time.
Matt Schweitzer talks about freestyle windsurfing and tests the Windsurfer LT on the water
Produced by Island Eye Production
The longboard stoke is real! Last summer on an almost windless day, on an inland lake in Northwestern Ontario myself with a formula board/9.5 combo, and my friend with a Fanatic shark and an 8.5 , plowed out into the lake..on the horizon comes some dude, on a MINT windglider he bought for 150 CDN dollars, a board pure white no stains and triangle sail crisp! We ended up tying his boom on better and he tried our gear but he bought this great board went out with no lessons , the …stoke… is.. real. We never got planning that… Read more »
Apart from nostalgia why would anyone want to use such equipment? Could someone explain it, please?
Hi Szymon, yes it has the classic look, but is lighter. I thought it’s a good tool for real light wind conditions around 1 to 10 knots. These longer boards help to learn a correct stance and allows everyone, even a bloody beginner to practice the basic freestyle moves. And the older generation isn’t too happy with short boards, which are unstable and slow in light wind. In 10 knots + you easily can plane on a classic hard board and do jibes.. Nostalgia and simplicity can be a successful mix in our modern times.
Chris
Longboards have this amazing quality: glide. Even though you may not plane, you slice through the water. And another thing: if you know how to sail them you no longer care about the wind strength or direction. You can take it on a cruise on a light wind sunny summer day and go explore armed with a backpack. Not to mention the potential for light wind freestyle or teaching the family or using it as an SUP. The older I grow the more I appreciate the solitary tranquility this sport offers me. In any conditions