Super Sale Saturday

If you don't know exactly what new board you want to see under the Christmas tree, the 3S range would cover you for just about anything. There is still time...... get one right here: Buy Tabou 3S Now! Any size, any construction is ready for you in either 2015 or some deals on 2014 models!

buy_tabou_3S_pritchardwindsurfing

Arguably one of the best all-round boards on the market, the 3S just gets better and better.The key word to describe these boards is “EASY”. The boards just do what you want them to do; you don’t have to work hard to make them turn, they know how to do it. They jump onto the plane with ease and rocket to the moon on the jumps. One board … do what you want!

buy_tabou_3S_pritchardwindsurfing

Which construction to buy? If you can afford the LTD version, don’t question it. You get a lighter stiffer more responsive board. It will accelerate onto a plane more quickly, drive through lulls and give you that extra bit of boost to your jumps! The “standard” or “CED” construction is a perfect blend of performance oriented materials that give you a great product, just a bit heavier than it’s more expensive sibling!

The S3 is what I like to call the NO BRAINER Board! You step on it, it starts going. You think about turning and it is ready to do as you say. It planes early and easily, it jumps, it turns, it goes fast it can ride waves. It is your best friend when the conditions get funky. For anyone looking to have FUN on any water condition, this range of boards is hard to beat.

Published by Matt Pritchard in Blog

December 13, 2014

Lesson Notes

Can you believe December is already halfway down.... YES, I love this time of year. Christmas time is my favorite.... Maybe because the kid in me still loves getting PRESENTS!!! And giving them of course... but I LOVE surprises! The windsurfing on Maui has been few and far between, if you are really on it, you can find it. I have been doing a few lessons all with great success stories and lots of things to share! Had a good session with Alex here and he had some notes he asked me to go over with him and I thought you Bloggers might be interested to get in on it! My comments are IN CAPS! In case you are wondering if I'm shouting, YES I am.... ha ha

From Alex: It was great to have the lessons with you last week. I appreciate the insights you shared with me. I hope for more in the future. YES, LET’S KEEP IT UP!! MAUI IS VERY CLOSE TO YOU…. AN EASY FLIGHT!!!

I'm following your advice to take notes for future reference. It looks like it will be a while before I get back on water and those notes will come handy indeed. It is windy in Oregon, but oh-so-cold. COLD IS DIFFICULT!!! YOU GOTTA BE TOUGH AND GET OUT THERE…..

Setup:
- Center of gravity on the boom and two fingers front/back for harness line positioning FIND CENTER, THEN 2 FINGERS EITHER SIDE OR A FIST IN BETWEEN THE LINES!
- Alternatively, back of the harness line 1/3 of the way from the front edge of the sail YES
- 30 cm lines YES
- Do not drop the boom. There is enough control in long lines already. Drop the butt. Boom at shoulder height YES!

Stance:
- Wider. Back foot closer to rear straps. Control tail sinking by putting weight on harness lines and driving through front foot, near mast foot YES!
- Relax, weight on the harness, no weight on arms YES
- Do not look at the board/feet/turtles. Look where you go YES YES YES!!!!

Jibe:
- Do not look back at the clue when initiating the turn, it's too early. Look at the apex of the turn YES, LOOK WHERE YOU ARE GOING…. ALWAYS- SEE THE BUMPS, BE READY
- Look through the triangle formed by the mast and the nose of the board - this ensures weight forward and carving off the front foot YES
- Practice foot work on dry land YES, GET IT IN YOUR HEAD, VISUALIZE YOURSELF DOING IT!!
- Practice balancing on my toes, not heels. Practice standing in balance in the tack position: sail back AND AWAY, body forward, counterbalancing. Toes on the center line. Get stable in this position
- Scissor the board into the wind. Beginner tack: get board as far as possible onto the new tack before switching sides. This way, when I switch side, I can power the sail and it will help balance JUST FOCUS ON KEEPING YOUR BODY WEIGHT OVER THE CENTER OF THE BOARD AT ALL TIMES…. MOVE THE SAIL OUT OF YOUR WAY RATHER THAN MOVING AROUND THE SAIL.
- Really wrap front foot around mast, get toes and foot further to the other side YES
- On transition, slide the new front foot VERY close to the mast foot and step far enough back YES, STEP WAY BACK AND DROP INTO THE SUMO STANCE, NICE AND LOW READY FOR ANYTHING…
- With front hand REALLY through THROW the sail across my back shoulder - this will create space for me to move and will make it easier to balance YES KEEPING YOUR BODY CENTERED OVER THE BOARD AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. FAST FEET AND FAST HANDS MAKE IT HAPPEN. KEEP THE HEAD LOOKING UPWIND, NEVER NEVER EVER AT YOUR FEET!!! LOOK DOWN= GO DOWN!

Published by Matt Pritchard in Blog, Clinics

December 11, 2014

Video of the year……check this out!

https://vimeo.com/112698235

We had the privilege to watch an early release of this incredible Movie at the Aloha Classic Awards presentation..... When Red Bull does something, they do it right! Flying all the athletes around the world chasing the most radical windsurfing conditions is no easy task, filming and documenting all this makes it all worth while. If you are a windsurfer, check this movie out and you will be amazed at what these guys are doing!

3 STORMS, 10 SAILORS, 1 CHAMPION.

THE ENTIRE PLANET AS A STAGE.

These were the breathtaking ingredients for the most challenging windsurfing contest the world has ever seen.

What started as a four month global hunt ended in a two year long journey with Ireland, Tasmania and Cornwall as the final destinations. The criteria were simple: winds greater than force ten and ten world class windsurfers (including four world champions) from eight different countries, in a frenzied and passionate fight against giant waves and storm force gusts.

Red Bull Storm Chase has delivered a new era of windsurfing performance. Previously, nobody thought it was possible to even sail in the strength of storm-force winds that each one of the three missions delivered. So Red Bull Storm Chase proved to be the most challenging windsurfing contest in the history of the sport.

"We had to turn our fear into respect to face such extreme forces of nature. The movie sums up everything about Red Bull Storm Chase: the amazing locations, incredible conditions, all of us pushing our limits and just how dramatic this competition was!"

THOMAS TRAVERSA, Red Bull Storm Chase Winner & World Champion 2014

The result was footage of some of the most extreme windsurfing to ever take place and images never seen before in any windsurfing movie! Get the inside line on how the storms were chased with exclusive behind the scenes footage. Look deep into the souls of the riders, as they face their fears and push the limits of wavesailing time after time.

Get ready to feel the full force of the ultimate windsurf movie.

Red Bull Storm Chase pits the world's best sailors against ocean conditions anyone else would be running away from as quickly as possible. An epic competition like no other, filmed and edited to the highest standard and showcasing our amazing sport like never before. An absolute must see!

ROBBY NAISH, Windsurfing Legend

Published by Matt Pritchard in Blog

December 3, 2014

5 Things I always take to the beach

Lately I have been putting a BEACH CHAIR in the van- the wind has been playing games with us over here on Maui. If no wind, I want to be resting!!!! I have a 5 year old boy that runs me into the ground....

I always take my Tabou 3S 96 along for the ride. A big board can turn a lame day into a great day. For all of you out there saying a 96 liter board is not that big, I'm sorry to rub it in but for Maui, this is all I need! Yes, we are spoiled. This is not a board I would ride at Hookipa. It is a perfect machine to get me planing early, cruise through the chop and boost some big airs if the opportunity arises! I love it when that happens.....

One thing I never forget is my 5.0 Manic- this sail gets used almost everyday I'm in the water. Light wind, high wind.... it doesn't matter. I tune it for 28 knots down to 11 knots and make it work. This makes my life EASY! I get to the beach and just rig up. I don't go down look at the water, I can feel it. My 5.0 and me are like peas and carrots-

Duct Tape- Would you ever leave home without it? Like they say if you can't fix it with duct tape or a hammer, buy a new one! One Disclaimer: Don't think that duct tape will fix the ding on the nose of your board either- you are better off taking a hammer to it and forcing yourself to fix it correctly.

My GO PRO HERO 3 likes to come with me everyday. Charged and ready for some work and play- I use this as one of the greatest teaching tools out there. When you see what you are doing right and wrong, it is easy to get your attention! You think you might be bending those knees but look right here, those knees are straight! And why are you looking down at your feet all the time? Look where you want to go..... always! Sounds so simple right? And if anyone at GO PRO is reading this, I'm ready for that new HERO 4 Black Edition.....

How about you guys? Post away in the comments section..... let's see what we can add to our list!

Published by Matt Pritchard in Blog

November 27, 2014

Video of the Week: Take 1

*Winner of the 2013 Defi-Wind Film Competition*

Kevin Pritchard's latest sport short features Graham Ezzy windsurfing on Maui, Hawaii. Here's Graham's take on working with Kevin:

"Kevin Pritchard has 8 windsurfing world titles and also makes films about windsurfing. Being the subject of his latest sport short, “Take 1”, makes me one of the happiest pro windsurfers on and off the water.
When Kevin showed me the first edit, I got goosebumps (or as they say in Hawaii: chicken-skin). It was surreal to see one of windsurfing’s heroes making a short about me. Some of my earliest memories of watching windsurfing events involve seeing Kevin boost 50 feet in the air before rotating into a delayed forward rotation. Or, when I was 16 and competing as the youngest pro on my second year of the professional windsurfing tour, KP added yet another world title to his collection.

Being filmed by a legend has benefits beyond the cool factor. Windsurfing is one of the hardest sports to film, according to every filmmaker I have ever worked with. The first take is the only take. Each wave breaks differently than every other wave. Framing can't be planned but must be improvised. The strong winds vibrate the camera and the long lens required to keep a tight frame on the windsurfer half a mile out to sea.

There is only one take for every shot. If that take is blown, the whole shot is gone.
When nothing is planned, having an 8x world champion behind the lens makes a difference. He can read me as I read the waves, anticipating my maneuvers. It’s like a dance to an unfamiliar song with a familiar partner.

KP doesn't have to imagine what its like to jump 50 feet into the air or drop into a 50 foot wave at jaws. He has done all that and more. When I take a foot off my board during a back rotation, I know that he was the first one to do it, winning a world title off that jump in 2002.

And even with Kevin's skill, shots still get missed. By some version of murphy's law it seems that the best moves escape capture and must live forever as a memory. Making a short like this, even just 4 minutes in length, takes a few months of filming.

My favorite part of Kevin’s edit is that it feels really honest: the feeling it gives reminds me of what it is like to be on the water."

Published by Matt Pritchard in Blog, Clinics

November 16, 2014

Wave Riding Lesson with Matt

Had a great day with Nick from San Fran the other day- he called me up and said, "I want to learn to hit the lip! Never done it before but I have always wanted to"..... well on Day 3 the mission was accomplished. A skilled surgeon by trade, you could see this guy pays attention and knows how to LISTEN! Not just to listen, to transform the listening into ACTION! That is what it is all about! The most difficult thing about teaching is connecting with how each individual learns things. It is an art to figure this out, a challenge and sometimes you can get it right off the bat and sometimes it takes a couple session- Nick and I connected right away! Some of his take homes were to REACH way back (approx 10- 12" further than normal grip) on the boom before he dropped into the wave, allow the RIG to go more forward over the NOSE of the board to drive the front rail into the bottom turn, Roll back onto heels, CARVE off the lip with HEAD, HIPS and HEELS (Look with your head, Twist your hips back to the beach and weight your heels to push some SPRAY). Always remember your body follows your head and I say this a lot..... LOOK where you want to GO in all you do! Here are his results in the video! Nice job-

Filmed with GoPro Hero3 at 1080 60FPS

Published by Matt Pritchard in Blog, Clinics, Video Technique

November 7, 2014

Thomas Traversa makes PWA history at Hookipa

Congrats to Thomas Traversa..... This interview says it all- I know that feeling, you can't describe it! Then you just want more of it......

"PWA: World champion for the first time ever - how does that feel?

TT: For the time being I’m just happy, and also at the same time relieved that it is over. I’m sooo happy that I was able to keep showing my best sailing at every event this year. Pozo wasn’t so good for me, but every other event I performed well - always reaching the final. I think the difference this year was that I never gave up. I believed that I could go one heat further, rather than just being happy with making the top five. Finishing second here at the Aloha Classic is like a dream for me. Right now, I think that feels even better than the title, but for sure once I’ve had some time to let it settle in I will be even happier about winning.”

PWA: How were the conditions in the final for you? And what kit setup were on?

TT: “The conditions were really good. It was a bit tricky, with the wave sometimes closing out, but at the same time with the really offshore wind it meant sometimes it would just wall up into a really long wall - over head to logo in the biggest sets. I think this is the perfect size because this is the size where you can perform all the tricks, big aerials and big turns. I think it was basically the perfect conditions for a final. There was no luck involved because it wasn’t either massive or tiny.”

“Kit wise I was on my 4.2m GA Sails IQ, together with my 68l wave board, which is actually the same that I use everywhere else. “

PWA: How will you be celebrating?

TT: “I will celebrate this week with all my friends that are here - I have to and I want to - and then in a weeks time I’ll fly back home to France to celebrate with my girlfriend, friends and family. Then I’m just going to enjoy the winter at home, we’re expecting a baby in February, so it’s an exciting time and life is pretty good right now. I’m loving life.”

Over the top Air

Hitting IT hard

Clear for Take OFF

Published by Matt Pritchard in Blog, Life Style, News Article

November 1, 2014

2014 AWT Champion, Kevin Pritchard

What an impressive performance for the veteran 38 year old to step up to the plate and claim the AWT crown. Kevin Pritchard had a one track mind all year long, "I want to beat these kids while I can- they really motivate me to keep charging and pushing myself. I have won a lot of titles in my day and this was definitely a fun one for me! I don't really have any pressure to win, I just love it. I love the sport, I love going to the beach everyday to "train" and being around the buzz all the time pushing my limits!"

Being his brother and watching him grow up and compete, I could see the fire in his eyes. I know that look he gets. He was cool, calm and collected- knew what he had to do and simply went out and did it in style! The only thing he lacked was a watch..... really? Ha ha.... Yeah, so I gave him my lucky Casio and it seemed to work some magic for him!

Congrats to you bro- a true inspiration to chasing the dream and ripping harder with age! Keep going.....

Thanks Fish Bowl Diaries for the incredible daily pics!

Big Points

Throwing some tail

One Handed- thank you very much

Published by Matt Pritchard in Blog, News Article

October 30, 2014

Aloha Classic Up and Running- watch Live

The 2014 Aloha Classic is live and kicking! Day one got off to an amazing start seeing some of the best blast through the first round of the AWT Pro Division- Who was ripping? As a spectator for this year, I was impressed with the "Regulars" but my head spun a couple times watching Marcilio Brown, Levi Siver, Morgan Noireaux, Keith Teboul and of course my brother Kevin- These guys showed they mean business, things are really gonna heat up today. If I was a betting man I would see the semi final setting up like this- Levi, Marcillio, Pritchard, Polakow. If you aren't able to sit on the beach to witness history being made, WATCH IT LIVE

Here are some of my favorite shots of Day 1 brought to you from the good people at FISH BOWL DIARIES! For more, check their Facebook page and be sure to comment on your favorites!

He knows how to score points

Goiters are getting to be just another move.... what's next?

Connecting the dots- Go Joey!

Timing is everything

Nice gouge.... Style check, looking good

Marcillio Brown knows how to RIP

Never underestimate this guy.... the bigger the wave the better he gets!

Levi knows how to turn, this is textbook!

Now this is a tweaked aerial

Published by Matt Pritchard in Blog, Photo Gallery

October 27, 2014

Aloha Windsurfing Clinic October 2014

What a week! We had it all….. some light wind, some high wind, some big waves, some small waves, rain, rain and even a HURRICANE!!! The best part about these clinics are the people Shawna and I get to meet and the stoke that we all share for having fun and striving for perfection!

The theme of the week was to “focus on form” and engrain the correct form and techniques into the brain. Finding flow all happens before you hit the water. Take some breaths and do some mental stretches of what you are going to do, how you are going to do it. Practice perfection at all times and it will translate onto the water. Always remembering it is OK to fail, and it is GOOD to get frustrated because you know you are not doing something correctly- Like a quarterback in the Super Bowl throwing an interception on his first pass, in order for him to FLOW he has to let go of that and get back in the GAME!

For me it was definitely a GET BACK in the GAME opportunity- I have been out with a dislocated and broken shoulder for the last 2 months after a mtn bike crash- It was good for me to be able to quietly empathize for what most of our students are going through with soft hands and muscles not ready to take 4 and 5 hour days on the water! Like they say, its just like riding a bike…. in my case i probably shouldn’t think like that, HA HA!

A few screen-grabs to share from the GO PRO Hero 3 taken off my helmet cam. I love my office…….

Aloha-Windsurfing-Clinic_07

Aloha-Windsurfing-Clinic_06 Aloha-Windsurfing-Clinic_05 Aloha-Windsurfing-Clinic_04 Aloha-Windsurfing-Clinic_03 Aloha-Windsurfing-Clinic_02 Aloha Windsurfing Clinic

Published by Matt Pritchard in Blog

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