Action!

Now that's what I call logo high!

Yann schools everyone at Silver Sands on how to do a push loop.

Mike can't wait to get back to Barbados next Saturday. Glenn's back in the great white north today - look for lots of pics and stories uploaded to the blog and gallery next week.

Barbado-thon Phase 2 is winding down

Last full day for Glenn. He gets to sail tomorrow morning before heading home tomorrow night. Glenn reports that he has been sailing every day of his trip on 5.3 and 5.7. Catching some great front side riding - and even learning to loop on port tack. (Glenn is a strong starboard tack looper).

Glenn reports the 2006 Fanatic FreeWave and NewWave boards "are awesome", while enjoying the '06 Gaastra Manic's great handling and power.

Mike has postponed Barbado-thon Phase 3 from this Saturday to next Saturday, so our string of consecutive sailing days in Barbados (since Jan. 9) will be broken this weekend.

Chillin'

After a morning of awesome sailing, it's great to chill out under a palm tree in front of the deluxe studios at Silver Sands Resort. Here Surfer Sal spoons Dave the Wave with Baz wondering who's wearing the pants. We all know the answer to that one, don't we Dave?


Andy (with wife Becky in the background) caught catching flies!

The sailing is great, but the friendships you make are even better

As much as I enjoyed sailing every day, the best part of visiting Silver Sands in Barbados is seeing friends from previous years return. Then of course, the dinners, drinks, laughs and stories. Here's the Poole Crew - Colin, Sal, Padders and Dave on my patio. Colin and Dave were very entertaining to watch in action in the bars - the party boys!


Arnie, Annetta, Caroline, Sally, Tracy, Barry, Padders and Buckey are all smiles after another great day of sailing at Silver Sands. The great thing about Silver Sands is that is likely the most social windsurfing destination I have been to. The local sailors and regular visitors hang out together, so it's much more than just about the awesome windsurfing and great weather.

Barbado-thon Phase 2

Glenn leaves for his stint in Barbados this evening, but has big shoes to fill in terms of Mike's impressive 16/16 sailing record. The forecast looks like a couple of warm up days late this week/early weekend, and the building into next week.

Max is our temporary replacement for whoever is in Barbados. He was in Mikes office for the past two weeks, and will make his way downstairs to Glenns starting tomorrow morning.

I am sure Mike has plenty of pictures for the gallery that he will be posting, and I will have the same when I get back.

Silver Sands Shot of the Day

Great picture of a classic push loop at the reef by Yann Sune. Taken by Mike on the boardwalk at Silver Sands Hotel.

If you figure the wave he takes off from is about 10 feet (and hasn't fully jacked yet!), and his mast is in the 13 foot range......I am guessing he is up there about 25 - 30 feet.

Silver Sands was firing this morning and yesterday with 4.2 - 5.4 conditions and logo to mast high waves. The trade winds are back and conditions this winter are like those seen in Barbados 10 - 20 years ago.

Not many on the water this morning due to a lot of sore hands and heads after the gang sailed all day, then rocked it up into the wee hours at McBrides last night!

Perfect 4.2 day in Barbados....too bad Mike only had a 4.7

Barbados Battle Wound

Now that is what I call a bicep bruise.

Mike's arm after it met his boom in the rinse cycle during Barbado-thon 2006. A logo high macker closed out on Mike while water starting in the impact zone at the reef.

Latest report from Mike is 5.7 Gaastra Manic on the Fanatic NewWave 81 in sweet side off conditions this morning, with head to logo high waves. Mike has extended his stay until Wednesday due to the www.windguru.com Barbados forecast. Saturday through Wednesday calls for side off 20 - 27 knots and waves up to 4.5m (15'). The reef is going to be huge!

9 for 9 at Silver Sands

Barbado-thon 2006 is off to a great start!

Mike reports scoring 9 straight days of wave riding and jumping. The first seven were on 4.7 or 5.3 2006 Gaastra Manic and Fanatic NewWave 81! Yesterday and today he was flying on the new 6.2 Gaastra Poison or 5.7 Manic and the awesome Fanatic FreeWave 98. He took delight in planing before most kiters!

Things are looking epic for later this week and early next week with 25 knots and a big swell on the way to Barbados. Mike is talking about extending a few days until Glenn arrives to take advantage of the forecast 4m+ waves with 11 second intervals (mast high at the Silver Sands reef). Glenn's countdown is now at 11 days!

That is our mate, U.K. Dave "the Wave" (aka Padders) in action a couple days ago.

Strong Start

Tabou/Gaastra team rider Thomas Traversa gets the year off to a strong start at the 2006 London Indoor event with a second place finish.

A Tabou 3S and an 2006 Gaastra Manic......a very sweet combination for waves, freestyle, flatwater, freeride, and pretty much anything between.

Should I remove the vent plug?

Your board has a vent plug to allow trapped air out in cases where it will experience drastic changes in pressure. Air travel, driving over mountains, or sitting in a hot car are three cases when you should remove the plug. But I have seen more boards ruined because the vent was left out while sailing, than I have seen blown up and delamed because the plug left in. Most boards have the vent right in front of the mast track. A handy place to put your vent when you remove it is in your Chinook Two Bolt Mast Plate. You can lock it in there, you won't lose it and it will be impossible to go sailing with out noticing that it is missing.

Barbado-thon 2006

GAME ON!

Guess the time?

No sun in the sky (which turns an erie blue), full moon behind, it must be at least......1:30? Yep, went on a couple of long cross country skiis, and snapped this shot of the scenery just before it got dark, at 1:30. This is just on the arctic circle, about 50 kms from the Finland/Russia border.

A little closer the equator, Mike reports 4.7 and head high waves from Barbados today. My countdown is at 16 days until I head down!

Up, up, and away in 2006

Happy New Year to everyone, lets all hope for a windy and warm 2006.

Glenn is just back from Finland, and Mike just kicked Barbado-thon 2006 this morning, and from the sounds of it, getting some wind on the very first day. Warm and windy for him today, however Glenn is glad to just be seeing daylight after nearly 3 weeks of darkness! I will post a Finland picture or two, but it was a great trip. Did a lot of snowboarding, cross country skiing, and traveling around the country in a 1982 Saab meeting my better half's family.

Does anyone have some pictures from a Christmas sailing trip? If so, send them to me at glenn@windsurfing-direct.com and I will get them up in the gallery ASAP.

Seasons greetings from Mike

A big thank you to everyone that has made 2005 our best year yet.

Thanks to Glenn, Evan and Bill - the best staff in the business. We couldn't be the best were it not for their dedication, care, integrity and tireless efforts.

Many thanks to our valued customers and fellow windsurfers that make it all possible. We value your continued support more than you could ever imagine.

Thank you to our distribution partners that supply us with great product lines and customer service.

Finally, a big thank you to our families for their unwavering support over the years.

Best wishes for a safe and happy holiday season.

Mike McGinnis
President and founder
Windsurfing Direct

Lost Your Old Universal Joint?

Have you stopped using your old board just because you have lost or broken one little piece? Most old universal pins can still be found today. You can also update them with the modern mast extension system that is the standard in America.

Early Greetings

Glenn leaves for the first batch of holidays this afternoon, but likely not going to get in any windsurfing given that I am going to the Arctic circle. I'll be in northern Finland for the next two weeks, and while no windsurfing, I do have lots of snowboarding and kitesnowboarding on the agenda.

Mike, Evan, or Bill will be more than happy to help you with anything you need over the holiday period. I will be back on the 7th of Januarty, with Mike then heading to Barbados to start the Barbado-thon 2006!

I just want to thank all of our customers for a great 2005, and look forward to an even better 2006. Thanks also to all my co-workers, namely Mike and Evan for making 2005 my most enjoyable year yet with Windsurfing Direct. The best to everyone over the holiday season, and lets hope for a warm and windy 2006.

Eh, Howzit?

Evan fires down the endless line at West Point on a classic fall day.

This place is a gem, and when it is side to side-off, one of the best places to sail. Launching at the spot known as Macs you will generally get a few front side hits per wave if you are sailing around in front of the launch. But, spend a few minutes sailing up wind and you have endless front side riding coming back down the point as the wave keeps breaking, leaving you with no choice but to do bottom turn after bottom turn after bottom turn.....

Did I forget to mention the perfect starboard jumping on the way out with the waves giving perfect quarter pipe ramps?

Santa surfs into trouble

Toronto — A wind-surfing Santa took an unintended ride Sunday when strong winds took him across the Niagara River — and the Canadian border.

The Canadian man was promptly arrested in Buffalo by the United States Border Patrol.
For 18 years, fitness instructor John Fulton has donned a Santa suit to sail across the river at Christmas. He said he performs the annual stunt in support of the homeless.

Mr. Fulton usually departs from his home town of Fort Erie, Ont., and arrives back at shore on the Canadian side.

But stiff winds and currents pushed him to the American side of the river and into the arms of U.S. border guards.

Mr. Fulton was taken into custody, then shipped back to Canada after he agreed to sign a form stating he had illegally entered the United States.

(Source: Canadian Press - December 22, 2004)

Update Your Old Boards

Old boards can be lots of fun using your new rigs with them. But it can be hard to rig newer high tension sails with the old mast bases. Put a Chinook Base Cup Kit on top the old universal and then you can use your modern mast extensions. I like using midsize ( 5-7 m) wave and freestyle sails with my Windsurfer One-Design. In 4 or 5 knots of wind you won't plane, so you might as well glide around with your light modern rig on a board that was built for those conditions.














Here Glenn is sailing a modern Exocet Cruiser while I am on the old One-Design. If the wind picks up we are ready, these rigs will go straight onto our freestyle boards.

For anyone who lives pretty much any where east of Texas and north of Atlanta. After receinving your share of snow and or freezing rain over the past couple of days, this shot will warm your spirits .

Blast from the past

Evan has a huge collection of vintage Windsurf magazines that date back as far as 1983. The pictures and stories in these are great to read since they are true history lesson of the sport. However, Glenn seems to be most fascinated with the ads in the back of the magazines for some of the inventions of the time.

I need to order a new fin, however I have no idea what fin box I need?

Odds are that unless you have a very old board, you need one of the following five fin box styles to replace your fin with.















Tuttle box and Deep Tuttle box, are very similar. Tuttle box (also refered to as standard Tuttle) is used in small to mid sized free ride boards. Deep Tuttle is used on wide boards that require large fins. The base is about 3/4" deeper than a standard Tuttle box. You can use a standard Tuttle fin in a deep Tuttle box, but not vice versa. Both attach with two screws down from the deck.













Power box attaches with one screw right though the middle of the fin base. By far the most convenient of the fix boxes, it is used with beginner, freeride, freestyle and wave boards.














Trim box fins have a tab at the front that hooks into the board, the fin pivots back and is attached by one screw from above. The Trim Box can be adjusted for and aft by moving sliding spacers in the box.













US Box, A Box or E Box pivot forward from a pin in the back. They are held at the front by a machine screw and large thin nut. Used mainly on wave and freestyle boards, it was formerly the most popular style of box. They are based on a surfboard finbox design.

What are these?

Ever wondered exactly what these parts that come with boards are for?

They are part of the footstrap anti-twist system, and these parts to between the board and the strap. The knob that sticks up from one end goes into one of the footstrap inserts you aren't using, the hole centers over the insert you are using, and the teeth on the opposite side bite into the footstrap.

Need a little more explanation of how to properly put on your footstraps? For a complete guide visit our Ask Evan section at:

http://windsurfingdirectaskevan.blogspot.com/2005/12/how-do-i-put-foostraps-on-my-new-board.html

Fin Flex

Think the plastic fin you have on your board works just fine? Looking at this picture might make you re-think that.

Granted, this is a formula board with huge sail, but look at how much that fin is flexing, at the tip it is nearly 90 degrees to the base.

Pretty surpising to see a shot like this, but just goes to show you that what is under the water is just as important as what is above!

Monkey see, monkey do

Glenn and Evan decide to do a little syncronized sailing this past fall on a perfect day at Patterson Park. Both caught mid-forward on the way to the outside.

Soon the winter travels begin, so look for lots of action shots from Mike, Evan and Glenn throughout the winter.

How do I put the foostraps on my new board?

If you have just received your board, odds are you are going to want to put the foostraps on now, or at some point soon. If you are a novice, do not mount the straps immediately as they only clutter up the board if they are not being used.

This guide below should help you mount your footstraps properly, however if you still have questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at evan@windsurfing-direct.com or 1-800-617-9463


Step 1
Generally your board will have a few options in terms of where to put your straps. If you already know where you like them from previous boards, feel free to mount them anywhere. However, if you are less than sure, the closer the straps are the front of the board and the closer to the middle, the easier they are to get into.

Be sure to only screw footstraps into the insert holes!!



Step 2
You should have the following pieces with your footstrap kit, which include the 4 straps, 8 screws, 8 round washers, and 8 triangluar anti-twist pieces




Step #3:
Put the anti twist part on the board so that the knob is inserted into one of the foot strap holes you are not going to screw into, and the screw opening around the one you do plan to use.



Step 4
Put the round wash on the screw so that the teeth are facing down and into the strap.




Step 5
Put the screw in the the middle hole of the strap (you only need one screw per side). The strap still isn't on the board yet, so with your screw driver screw through the strap so that the threads are sticking out the bottom.




Step 6
Screw the strap onto the board with the screw going into the insert with the anti-twist washer




Step 7
Screw down both sides of the strap as tight as you can by hand, adjust the size, and hit the water.

Don't forget to check the tension of the screws after several uses as the strap material does compress and the screws needed tightening.

Your strap should look just like the final picture.

Living the life

Cape Breton transplant now Barbados local Barry Skinner unloads on this late summer hurricane swell at Surfers Point.

Something tells me he is glad he made the move.

How R is the D of your M?

For those that haven't seen an RDM (Reduced Diameter Mast) and wonder about the differences between standard and RDM, here is an up close look.

As you can see, the Fiberspar Radius RDM (on the right), is about 2/3 the diameter of the Fiberspar Tidal Wave, and the wall thickness nearly double.

Cold and Classic

Dan Michaluk heads down the line during a classic fall day at West Point. When West Point is cracking, it will be in the head high range, and side to side off winds can lead to endless front side hits and great starboard ramps. October and November are best, but bring your wetsuit!

Boom Bend Blog

Chinook makes one of the best carbon booms you can buy in terms of adjustment range and the Triple Clamp Head. However, on their Big Wave model, what does "Narrow Bend" mean?

All Chinook carbon booms are narrow grip (1 1/8" diameter), however the Big Wave has a narrow body when compared to other booms in the same size range. As it is intended for wave sails or non-cambered freeride sails that generally don't have huge pockets, there really isn't a need for such a wide boom body.

The narrow bend mystery is solved, and as you can see in the picture, the difference is pretty significant.

Introducing....Evan

Think you know a lot about windsurfing? Highly unlikely compared to Evan.

Windsurfing since the late 70's, Evan has built the largest collection of windsurfing knowledge that can fit into one waterlogged brain.

If you have a question for Evan, please send it to evan@windsurfing-direct.com. Evan will be happy to post your questions and reply as quickly as possible.

30 days and counting......

Mike kicks off the first leg of the Windsurfing Direct Barbados marathon 30 days from now. Barry, Paulo and the boys had 20 - 25 knot winds today and Sunday, so the trades are pumping already!

Hopefully the wind and waves continue to dish up some great sessions like this. We'll keep the action shots coming throughout the winter. Mike and Glenn will be snapping pics and writing about their adventures with Padders, Bodie, Junior and rest of the crew in Barbados. Evan will keep us posted while visiting his brother in Chile from mid January to end of February.

Don't forget, if you are travelling this winter, or have some shots from your home spots, send them to glenn@windsurfing-direct.com so that we can give you fame (but no fortune) and stardom in our gallery.

Easy, Easier, and Easiest

If you need a little help getting the proper amount of downhaul on your sail, these little gems will make your life a lot easier.

The standard tug cleat on top is the least expensive, but the middle two handed tug cleat really lets you get both hands into the action and its design miminizes slipping.

The mack daddy of tools is the Chinook Rig Winch which is just that, a down haul winch. There is no downhaul setting that isn't possible with the Rig Winch!

New photos added December 1st! Where are yours?

Ready for your 15 minutes of fame?

Please send us pictures of you and your buddies using your gear from Windsurfing Direct. E-Mail images to glenn@windsurfing-direct.com in .jpg format with a caption or story about your local sailing spot or travel destination. We'll gladly add them to our gallery.

At the start of each month the best picture will be featured on the Blog in the "Picture of the Month" post!

Backlit Blur

The New Gaastra Poison in the white/blue looks sharp on the water, and even sharper as Evan whips into a late day forward in the early fall.

Thanks to Greg for the picture, taken off Wolfe Island, and to quote Robby Naish in RIP "at a secret spot that you will never find, even if you look for it"