If you didn't gather from my lack of blogging that I have been having the time of my life, too busy to blog, here is a small segment on what I have been up to the last year. I have been having tons of fun and enjoying it all as my mom would tell me to do. We have covered the west coast up and down and now we need to find a new adventure. Maybe the east coast, maybe somewhere else. You just never know.
Coming Home from Johannes Neumann on Vimeo.
Someone just asked me via email on some jumping tips so I decided to share them with everyone listening.....
The biggest key to getting air is to load hard on the takeoff, meaning you gotta push down with your legs and explode upwards with them while hitting the piece of chop at just the right moment. Grip with your toes to roll the windward edge of the board up so the wind can get under you, suck your back leg up and under your butt and keep the power of the sail sheeted in so that you can keep power to the jump with your sail. If you sheet out, you just drop like a stone and don't get as high or as lofty of an air! The landing is usually the hard part, keep the tail of the board under you so that when you touchdown you don't spin out. A lot of people tend to straighten their legs out in mid-air and when they land like that they fall onto their back pushing the tail of the board away from them. So keep the board close to you, the more you bend your legs and arms the higher you are gonna fly! Always remember to look where you want to go….. Here a little sample of the possibilities for a big chop hop!
Sometimes it takes a little something to push you over the edge to do something you have always wanted to do..... For a lot of people it is the new year coming- Resolutions as they are called, designed to get you motivated and COMITT to doing something you have always wanted to do. I hear a lot of people talking about making the trip to Punta San Carlos, and now more than ever is the time to make it happen! This post is to officially encourage you to COMITT to doing something new, doing something fun and making 2013 your best year ever!
So the time is now- let's make some plans to go WINDSURFING and have some fun and maybe even learn some new tricks. The boys from Baja are giving a way FREE MONEY!!! Yes, you got it right, $300 smackers with your name on it...... So go get some and see you on the water!
http://www.pritchardwindsurfing.com/clinics/
Looking back is sometimes a good thing- you can learn from your past in order to move forward in the future! Today’s post on 12-12-12 is looking back and time for YOU to think back to what you were doing 10 years ago. Did you think back then you would be doing what you are now? Please comment- a little bit like homework only way more FUN. Here’s my take.....
I was 29 in 2002- happened to be my “Golden Year” which means the day you were born and the age you are is the same. July 29th is my day-
I had some pressure to win the PWA Freestyle title- Kev had won both the racing and wave discipline on the tour and if I took home the freestyle win, it would be a Pritchard Sweep...... So needless to say it was game time. I trained with all my might and took home my first world title.
I also got engaged to my lovely wife in December 2002. Wow, what a year......
Fast forward to 12-12-12 and I would have to say that I would not have changed a lot. There have definitely been some hardships along the way, but that is part of life..... I’m still living the dream, getting in the water whenever I want and thoroughly enjoying and loving the sport of windsurfing. It is in my blood and provides me with a great lifestyle to hang with my family ( We have a 3 year old boy who knows how to talk a great story) and do things that matter most. What will come in 12-12-22????? Time to start thinking about that and visualizing where we all want to go.... Look forward to Comments from all- big or small!!!
Focus Forward
Here you can see some action from our 2012 Aloha Windsurfing Clinic in October! If you are thinking to come to Maui and want to learn some great stuff, we have an awesome program that will take you to your next level! Don't be shy, any questions feel free to ask away! See you on the water.
Aloha Windsurfing Clinics from Pritchard Windsurfing on Vimeo.
1. Look behind you just as much as you look in front of you!!! Yes, that is right, the wave is coming from behind you- if you can’t see it, you are gonna be in trouble. Be patient, just because you are coming in doesn’t mean there is a wave right behind you- Look for it, wait for it!
2. Position on the wave is key- Spend 20 minutes on the beach watching the best guys and study what they are doing before you go out!
3. Use the wave as a downhill ramp! Once you catch it, don’t run away from it. Let the wave be more of your source for power and speed. Think about how a surfer rides the wave, he goes down the face on an angle to keep on the wave and uses the downhill ramp as much as possible!
4. Once on the wave and riding, keep your weight low and forward. Anytime you get your weight too far back you tell the board to STOP! Once you slow down, you are at the mercy of the wave and it will do with you what it wants!
5. LOOK where you want to go- always be looking down the wave and picking your turning points. Try your best to always stay as close to the breaking part of the wave as possible so your downhill run is steeper and easier to keep your speed. Always remember your body follows your head.....
Hope this helps any of you working on your wave riding skills! Looking to be a great season here on Maui...... Come for a visit! See you on the water-
Here a little video blast to see where I am looking-
Down the Line from Pritchard Windsurfing on Vimeo.
Another one of Kev's boards just sitting around in the original box looking for a new home..... While he is on the road, he likes to give me things to do to keep me busy! I guess after selling most all of his PILE OF EZZY sails (still some sizes left so drop an email of your wish list) he wanted to move some boards-
Here we have a Brand New Kode 94- Wood Carbon top of the line construction going for $1,599! These guys retail for $2,349
There are also a lot of other sizes available in new and used so if you don't need a 94, let us know what you want and we can see what we can do for you!
Starboards Blah Blah about the board:
| The three smallest sizes are most wave orientated. They fit the classic description of 'down-the-line sideshore wave boards'. Their speed and maneuverability make them good freestylers as well, although windsurfers nowadays may find them too small for anything other than the occasional high-wind move.The three middle sizes are a balanced blend between wave, freestyle and freeride. 86 litres remains a popular size for wave riding, so the 86 maintains a strong wave emphasis. The 94 and 103 are the best freestylers and high-wind freeriders.
The two largest sizes are mostly freeride-oriented, since their size does not fit with the generally-accepted wave or freestyle volumes. They can best be seen as engaging, maneuverable alternatives in the freeride segment.
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I saw this ramp the other day as I was teaching some jibing and couldn't resist it.... I clicked the helmet camera and got a pretty good view of Kanaha from above! Figured I would share the feeling as if you were sitting on my shoulders for a pretty decent back loop! A lot of people tell me they can do back loops and not forward loops.... I always tell them I have broken my ankles 3 times from backloops and not once from a Forward. If you think about it, as soon as you reach the apex of your backloop you turn around and suddenly all your weight and all that power are going down FAST!!! Gravity can hurt and suddenly you find yourself landing on top of your gear with full power!! It can really hurt. The forward loop on the other hand is quite safe, if you commit with at least 90% intensity, you get even a 1/4 of the way around and all you land in is water and not right on top of your gear......How many times have you been catapulted locked in to your harness and smashed into your boom/mast or sail?? The forward loop is way more fun than that and with some good instruction and some guts, you can be doing them in no time! See you out there.
Back Loop View from Pritchard Windsurfing on Vimeo.
For those of you that missed out on seeing or watching the 2012 Maui Makani better start googling and check out the intense action and amazing sailing. The awards party was a rager and very well done. Tour organizer Sam Bittner put on and incredible show to end an awesome season. There were 126 competitors from 24 countries and 5 different divisions that all had unbelievable Hookipa conditions! It was almost painful to be watching from the beach..... But in the end all worth it!
Picking up where I left off on Kev winning the single elimination, the double bracket was equally impressive! On the last day, we had a lot of heats to run and all the pro's (except Kev- Ha ha sorry Kev) came up to me saying let's go, let's GO! The conditions were there and seeing the burning desire for these guys to get out there and compete fired me up..... so we worked them in to the Amateur heats and ended up getting done with everyone by 5:30!
The man of the day was definitely Bernd Roediger! He sailed like he owned the place and could barely do any wrong. He took down some big names and did it with authority!! The semi final against Brawzinho was probably the most difficult one for him and he didn't falter! It was awesome to see him shine like that. When he went up against Kev, the wind had dropped off quite a lot giving him a pretty big advantage but it was no easy picnic. Kev put up a great fight and in true champion form, he made it look good out there. Bernd kept up his momentum and went on to beat Kev twice and really earn the number one spot! It was a battle of David and Goliath out there and one that will go down in history!
Bernd Roediger is now on the "short list" as he put it in his very impressive speech on the podium and will forever be recognized as one to watch whenever he hits the water.
Congratulations Bernd, your hard work as paid off and you have graduated into a new era..... Keep it rolling!
Bernd Takes it!
Always on the edge!
Wow, what a day it was..... Some great action going on at Hookipa yesterday! Was pretty stoked to see my bro turn it up and do what he knows how to do. He had the toughest 2nd heat I have seen ever- kinda like a final in all reality. Jason Polakow decided to enter last minute and with no ranking he was just thrown in the mix and like what always has happened at Hookipa in the past, the local rippers end up going against the top seeds early on! There are too many great heats and great sailors to mention all of them so just keep your eye on the LIVE FEED coming from the AWT site.
For all of you guys that have ever taken a lesson or clinic with me and heard me tell you to get your weight more forward and front arm extended..... Here are couple pics that really stood out to me! One is of Kev and the other is of Levi. They are controlling the rail and utilizing SPEED to their advantage.
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