LATE CALL
I made a super last-minute call on this mission. Basically, at about midday the day before I kind of made my mind up that I was going. I was looking at the forecast and was suddenly tempted to pull the trigger on a flight. Denmark was not looking that great and I had been to Iceland two years ago and had an epic time, but now more importantly I had a decent idea of what forecast to keep an eye out for. A pretty big storm was heading towards Iceland and I knew it had plenty of potential. The spot I had in mind is a point break called Thorli, which wraps around and I was hoping that I was going to score it in the right wind direction. The last time I was there I checked it five times and it never worked. It is one of the most famous point breaks in the south of Iceland and Thomas Traversa has sailed there plenty of times before. Unfortunately, they have just extended the harbour wall, which has messed it up a bit, and now, particularly when it's big, it's sketchier to sail.
Luckily there was a direct flight from Billund Airport in Denmark and I know a cheap airline, so I quickly packed a few boardbags and flew out the next morning. I talked to a company about hiring a van and thankfully they gave me a great deal. Normally it is quite expensive to rent in Iceland - around €350 a day - so I was fortunate to strike a deal. I planned to go for five days... I wanted to stay longer, but my family were coming to visit me in Denmark, so I had to cut it short.
SKETCHY
This story is from the Issue 430 - January February 2024 edition of Windsurf.
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This story is from the Issue 430 - January February 2024 edition of Windsurf.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
New School
Slingshot’s windsurfing brand manager, Wyatt Miller, has noticed that kids are drawn to playing with wings and puts forward an interesting case as to why he thinks this could help entice them and others into windsurfing.
Changes
Wave sailor Flo Jung reflects on our changed world during his lockdown in Germany.
THE LAST WAVE
Lockdown stirred the creative juices of reader Björn Alfthan, who peers into the future to present a fictional story set in the wild waves of Norway, five years from now.
STILL IN THE GAME
After a horrific fracture in his leg from a crashed aerial in 2018, Alessio Stillrich is back! John Carter talks to the highflyer from Gran Canaria about his move to the Simmer team, recovering from injury and how he learned to windsurf in Gran Canaria!
MOVE ON UP - GET ON THE FRONT FOOT
This month we look at how our front foot weighting can affect and improve different aspects of our main windsurfing moves.
SOUTH' KIPA
Nik tweaking it over home waters.
A NEW NORMAL
On a trip to La Tranche-sur-Mer in France last year, Tris Best estimated over 80% of the windsurfers were foiling. This summer in Portland Harbour, foiling activity has increased dramatically too he reports. With the market offering plenty of choice to recreational windfoilers, our test team check out some of the latest foil offerings.
TACKING – THE SEQUEL
Having given you time to practice, Harty concludes his tacking series by critiquing various tacking options, including the carve tack, as well as offering solutions to common slip-ups.
‘NO VAPOUR TRAILS TO SCAR THE SKY' *
Realising we may be about to enter an extraordinary period in our lives, Harty decided to keep a windsurf-centric lockdown diary. Here are some of his choice excerpts.
REDEMPTION DAY!
Renowned for its windsurfing and variety of spots to sail at, Kimmerdige Bay is a wave sailing jewel on the south coast of England. Timo Mullen gives a guide to its shores while reflecting on why a recent session there was a reminder that there is no place like home!
