Put simply it's slalom, but with added features to make it more fun, while being less about speed and equipment and more about normal "beach skills." On the PWA World Tour, the Slalom X events can consist of a maximum of 25% standard slalom races, while the rest of the races must have at least one of the 'special features' per heat, so let's have a look at what these features are...
BEACH START / BEACH FINISH
• Pretty self-explanatory really, you grab your gear, beach start and go! And it’s the reverse for coming in - rather than a traditional finish line on the water, sailors have to run up the beach to cross the line.
FULL OR HALF-FLEET RACES
• Usually slalom consists of 8-man heats, but with this format we could possibly see 32 or 64 sailors all hitting the start line at the same time, which is a whole different kettle of fish. Positioning, space and securing clean air will be crucial to succeed, while possibly requiring different tactics to what has become normal convention.
LONG-DISTANCE
• Again, this one is quite self-explanatory. Whereas normal slalom heats usually last about 3-4 minutes on average and consist of 4 gybes, this would see extended races with extra legs, or extra-long legs. (Think Défi Wind, which has 10km long legs.)
This story is from the Issue 435 - July 2024 edition of Windsurf.
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This story is from the Issue 435 - July 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
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