A NEW BEGINNING
Back in December when I lost my sponsorship with Duotone I was going through a pretty tough time. Emotionally I was a bit shocked because it was so unexpected. It came out of the blue. I thought I was cemented with the brand, but I guess they had to make a difficult decision. I just had my best result on the World Tour ever. I was fighting for the world title heading into the last event, so it was quite hard for me to understand. I took quite a big hit emotionally, but it all turned into something positive in the end, as I came back to Simmer and they made me feel right back at home as though I'd never left. We have a very good relationship, so in the end, maybe it was meant to be like that. I was not really expecting a reaction when I parted ways with Duotone, but I had a huge amount of support online from all of my followers. There was kind of an explosion of support, which was very reassuring.
I returned to Simmer in early to mid-January. We held some initial talks earlier in December when I found out I lost my sponsorship. I explained to them my situation and I hoped I would be sponsored by them, but I knew the whole industry was going through a tough moment. My plan was to get back in somehow, whichever way we could do. In the end they made huge sacrifices for me to rejoin them, which I'm super grateful for. I was able to start the season in full swing and I was able to do the whole tour and complete all my training. I experienced a huge dip, but then suddenly I was back on track. It was the start of a new beginning.
INJURY STRIKES
This story is from the Issue 438 - October 2024 edition of Windsurf.
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This story is from the Issue 438 - October 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!
