During the last weeks there were quite a few sponsor changes in the windsurfing scene and we would like to keep you updated about the latest ones.
Laure Treboux (SUI-4) has left NorthSails international and joined the team of the Australian sail brand Severnesails. As Laure spends a lot of time in Western Australia and her better half is the product manager of Severne Sails it was only a matter of time to see her making this step. Severne Sails was definitely missing a competitive freestyle lady and Laure is the only girl who can challenge Sarah-Quita. And…Laure is constantly improving her wave sailing skills and made it on the podium at the PWA event in Sylt.
Laure: “Changing over to different sails usually takes a bit of adaptation time – well not this time. These are so light, balanced and responsive, they allow you to totally forget about your sail and focus 100% on the wave, jump or whatever you do out there. There is never any pulling you around in the wrong direction. I am using the Freek for freestyle, and the S-1 for wave sailing.”
Read more about Laure on her blog. Link to Laure’s blog: www.lauretreboux.com
Laure has fun with her new Freek.
Justin Denel (F-541), who is only 17 years old is a very talented French Wave and Slalom sailor and got part of the international RRD team for 2013. He will be on RRD boards and sails. Justin already won an IFCA Youth Worldtitle in the wavesailing discipine and if he continues like this, he will have a bright future.
Justin with a nice Aerial at Ponta Preta, Sal, Cape Verde.
Yarden Meir (ISR-91) from Eilat, Israel left Simmersails and is now sailing on Loft Sails. At the moment he trains in Mui Ne, Vietnam together with Yegor Popretinskiy and Paul Boef and he is working on a new video. He seems to have recovered from his ankle injury and will be fit again to compete on the PWA tour with full “Yardenstyle” power.
Yarden is such a radical freestyler! – Pic: Pic: Michael Summereder
Dennis Müller (GER-89) has left Challengersails and will sail with Gun Sails in 2013. He just announced his change at the end of January at the German BOOT tradeshow. Dennis had an excellent season on the PWA tour in 2012, but will focus more on national events in 2013 as he returned to his job as a banker. Luckily he is working on the island of Norderney, the home of Bernd Flessner, who is one of the best German sailors.
Valentin Böckler (20), a German freestyle sailor, left Severne Sails and has also joined the team of Gun Sails in 2013.
Sean O’Brien (AUS-120) left the Italian sailbrand Point-7 and is now on the Australian sailbrand Severne. He will compete on the PWA Slalom tour and participate in several Formula events.
Sean on his new Reflex 4 (Pic: Rob Plim).
Katie McAnana (IR091) has changed from Simmer to Hot Sails Maui. Katie is a talented wave sailor and finished the 2012 AWT tour in 5th position. Katie: “I am so incredibly proud to now be a part of the Hot Sails Maui Team! As a company, they represent so much more than just a sail design brand. Having spent so much time on Maui and having gotten to know so many of the HSM team I am so impressed at their innovation, creativity, individuality and most importantly sense of pride in their product. Everyone involved from the design team of Tom, Jeff & Glenn to the crew at HSM Pro Center – Kanaha Kai, to the riders on the sails, always seem so happy and proud of what they are achieving with HSM. I am ecstatic to have been included in the Hot Sails Maui family and hope through my efforts both on and off the water, I can channel the essence of the brand and be an ambassador of their ethos. Thank you to everyone at Hot Sails Maui for giving me this amazing opportunity and I cannot wait to get out on the water now, more than ever, on my brand new Firelights. These sails are the lightest, most manoeuvrable sails I have ever used and I hope to take my sailing to the next level whist using them. MAHALO Hot Sails Maui! Or as we say in Irish, Go raibh míle maith agaibh!”
Katie McAnana is ready to to rip some waves at Cape Town.
The UK based speed sailor, wave sailor and fin designer Steve Thorp “Thorpedo” from K4 fins has signed for Hot Sails Maui. Steve, who is one of a handful of people to sail at over 50 knots will be working closely with designer Tom Hammerton and team mate Martyn Ogier as they all prepare for a speed mission to Luderitz in 2013.
Steve Thorp in the waves this time.
The Austrian racer Marco Lang (AUT-66) got upgraded in his teamrider status and made it into the international NorthSails team for 2013.
German Racer Basti Koerdel (22) and German Champion in 2012 switched from Neilpryde to the international team of Gaastra. “I’m super stoked for the 2013 season. It will be the first year in which I can put my focus on the PWA Tour. Excluding South Korea and Fuerteventura, because of the German championships on Sylt, I hope to compete in the remaining four Worldcups. On top of that Lorch has registered its Slalom boards, so I can start with the gear I am used to. Although the sails are new and I first have to find my trim and speed, I am absolutely confident that I have found the right partner to reach my goals in 2013 and push my limits with Gaastra!”
Ele with an onehanded Tabletop Pushloop at Pozo. That’s crazy.
Italian Roberto Hofmann (ITA-11), who works at many events as a moderator, joined the international team of Starboard. The Slalom “grand master” is not only a good racer, he is also organizing clinics for windsurfers.
Roberto and his new gear.
all the riders above, exept maybe Laure, dont get paid by their sponsors….(and buy their gear) so we should actually check who is `really´sponsored….
Not all of us 😉
toselli switched to tabou? dont know if it you had a newspost about it
Toselli… No we did not know, that’s new for us. Thanks for the info.
kauli, ben, mussimilliani and few more, i think you have missed few most important changes in the world of windsurfing.
good article though, it would be nice to see more of those
? We had press releases and interviews with Kauli and Ben. In this article we only mentioned those changes, which were no single articles.
Maybe you missed those two:
Kauli: https://www.continentseven.com/2013/01/23/kaulis-change-the-interview/
Ben: https://www.continentseven.com/2013/01/03/ben-van-der-steen-leaves-loft-news/
Moussilmani we missed, but who has changed the equipment? As far as we know, Benoit and Sylvain are still with Simmer and Tabou and Cyril is with Starboard and Severne.
If this is not true, please correct us.
Man, I just gave you a suggestion. I know that you have provided the info about Kauli and Ben earlier, saw it few times, but that is not the point of my comment. As you are doing an overview, all of the elements should be included, that is the definition of this word. I am stoked to see all of those information in one place, and that is really good that finally someone has done this, but you are not doing an overview as you are putting only few of them, not including some big players. Regarding Moussilmani, my bad,those… Read more »
Jules Denel joining pryde/jp as well 😉
Jules Denel interview: https://www.continentseven.com/2013/01/06/jules-denel-with-jp-np-interview/
We just don’t want to post news twice. That is the reason we did not write about all the other changes, which happened before.
Arnon Dagan: https://www.continentseven.com/2013/01/25/arnon-dagan-on-rrd-interview/
Peter Volwater on Angulo: We did not get info about that yet.
And.. I am totally chilled…and Thanks for your suggestions.
Peter Volvater on Angulo? Since When? You mean Peter Bijl……..
Funny most of the above so called ‘sponsored’ riders still buy their gear!
Ha ha what a joke!
Being sponsored and still buying your gear shows an admirable level of commitment to their sport. Lots of sports out there that require heart and soul with little in the way of remuneration. Anyone who’s been there, knows.
whaaaaat is this bullshit all the old bastards on international teams.
Only Roberto is above 30.
Would you say, everyone below 30 is an old bastard?