Here is a video session with my buddy Andre from Canada- We have been sailing together over the past 3 years and he is learning to RIP! Having video helps you SEE what you are doing so you can correct your mistakes and PROGRESS- this type of analysis is extremely helpful at all levels. Check it out, hope you can learn something from Andre!

Chasing Andre from Pritchard Windsurfing on Vimeo.

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Lots of hype on big winds blasting down the pacific so I jumped in the rig and headed down to Hookipa. It was on-shore with head to logo high waves and reminded me of a good day in Europe! I took out my brand new Manic 5.0 because she has been feeling pretty good and we had some fun.... Until I landed a backloop and the mast just snapped in my hands.... Oh great. Ripped the luff sleeve up nice and had a lovely swim back in narrowly avoiding a rock dance! Thanks Paul for the ride in!
At this stage it was pouring in rain and people were starting to come in. I did what any real man would do, rigged up my favorite trusty 5.0 Manic backup sail and got back on the horse. The wind kept blowing and I’m very glad I re-rigged. Nearing the end of the session, I had another crash that ended in disaster for my favorite 5.0! The sail completely tore in half, through the luff panel and right out the leech reinforcement. Given the sail probably had over 30,000 miles on her, I accepted defeat and will be doing a ceremony for her this afternoon. I will miss her but it is time to move on....
The forecast for today is 30 knots plus with massive surf. Sounds like fun.....

It is wave season here on Maui and life is good! As we approach a new year there are always new things that come about- and what is going to be new for 2013? Oh yeah, it isn’t even 2012 yet...... Well my call is a movement back to the single fin set up... I have been calling that for the past 3 years already so if you know me, that might be old news.
The quad fin boards have come a long way in the last 2 years and do offer a lot of OPTIONS. You can really crank out some fast turns and go from rail to rail quickly. A lot like a short board surfboard- you gotta be ON IT to utilize this in fast moving waves. I do notice that they seem to be slower to plane and not as fast as my favorite single fin boards. Not everyone wants to go fast but I live by the saying, “Speed is your Friend” and “when in doubt, GAS IT”!
From what I have learned after playing with countless fin set up combos (Makani’s, Black Project, Stock) and options is that my style likes a lot of fin back there in order to not slide out. Nothing worse than going into a bottom turn wondering if you are going to make it...... I put a 16cm and 9cm combo on the 2012 Tabou Da Curve 85 liter board (which as 5 slot box fin boxes- can be used as a thruster or quad) and that seems to work ok. The other day I cut up one of my favorite single fin 24’s to a slot box and tried that out..... The box was a bit too far back to be used as a single fin- I think it was better in Quad formation for the conditions. This experiment got me thinking about my old trusty favorite contest board from back in the days.......
Although 2005 doesn’t seem that long ago, we are looking at almost 7 years- WOW! I took out my old baby and boy did she feel funny looking at all the nose sticking out of the water. At 8’2” long it amazed me how different it looked compared to a 7’8” length. Once I set foot on her, it was just like old times- she got planing quickly, smoked up-wind and brought back some fond memories in the turns. It did feel a little “old school” but once I dropped in and pushed in the bottom turn, it just felt like I was on rails. The turn off the bottom may not have been as TIGHT as the new boards allow but it was nice to be able to push it. The off the top was also a little more STIFF but with the right wave, it still worked pretty good.
What did I learn? I would have to say that a combo of the old and the new is ready to be found. I rode one of Levi’s 7’5 Single Fin boards that he just made and it was really fun. It fit in the pocket of the wave, had PUSH to crank a good bottom turn and had most of the good features from the quad-like outline.
As 2013 design phases begin, I’m excited to see what all the brands will put on the table for the new “IT” shapes! Stay tuned.....

Wishing everybody out there a Happy Thanksgiving! Try not to eat too much Turkey..... and hope you find some WIND!

You may never really know how a sail should feel until you actually sail one. I don’t mean a “Sail” I mean a “RIG”. The Rig is what gives you that feeling of effortless performance-The way the mast works in the sail and how it lets the material flex are a HUGE key to getting it right. You can buy the best sail in the world and if you put it on a mast that isn’t specifically designed for your sail, you are compromising your performance.

No matter what kind of sail I am using, race, wave, or freeride, I look for similar characteristics in each. I like to be able to sail comfortable with that light feel in my hands. I don’t want a sail that is pulling me up and down and all over the place.

Here are some tips to getting it right.

The first is downhaul settings. I would suggest getting a tape measure and learning what those little numbers mean that are printed at the bottom of your sail. There is usually a number in centimeters that should tell you how far down you need to pull your sail from the bottom of the mast- hook your tape over the collar of your base and measure to the bottom of your pulley- that gets you in the ballpark. If you are a lighter sailor, you may want more downhaul to get rid of some of that pull- it will give you a little less power because less of the sail is working to produce power, rather giving you a more exhausting effect. For the bigger guy, he may prefer to have a little more pull to get going easier- do this by setting up the rig at it’s minimum recommendation. Then, I suggest playing around with settings. Try something different and get a feel for yourself.

Outhaul settings are pretty easy these days especially with adjustable outlhaul systems. You can learn a lot from an adjustable outhaul system. The bigger the sail you have, the more key being able to tune the outhaul on the fly becomes! I find that whenever I pull too much outhaul, I don’t have the drive out of the rig. What I mean by that is how the sail pulls me along. I don’t have enough constant power. When I get hit by a gust, the reaction time is slow to turn on. Imagine hitting the gas pedal on your car and there being a large delay- that can happen when you over outhaul your sail. Again, check your settings box on your sail and play around with the settings. Don’t be afraid to change things and learn about your gear.

If you are looking for the ultimate adjustable outhaul system, hit the contact button and we can further advise!!!

AWT Maui Makani Classic - Day Four from American Windsurfing Tour on Vimeo.

Check out the very nice edit from MNP

AWT Maui Makani Classic - Day Three from American Windsurfing Tour on Vimeo.

Man it gets busy when a contest comes around. Anyhow we are having fun trying to run the media from Maui Nerd Productions headquarters. It is pretty cool to have so many people working with us. Johannes is here, Ruben flew over to help out with the photos, Ben came over from Seattle, and myself running around sailing filming, swimming, just trying to get it all done. The County of Maui has been working with us trying to spread the good news from the event with the Mayor and some of the other sporting divisions helping out getting it in the media. The Maui News has been covering it as well so it has been pretty successful so far.

You can check out all the photos and happenings at the AWT Facebook page.

Anyhow, another sick edit by the Newms! Nice work!

AWT Maui Makani Classic – Day Two from American Windsurfing Tour on Vimeo.

Maui is finally having a wave event at Hookipa Beach Park. Come down and check out the action!! Here is a preview to the event! Hope you enjoy it!

AWT Maui Makani Classic - The Pre-Show from American Windsurfing Tour on Vimeo.

I read a great article this morning and wanted to share the closing paragraph- it sums up a lot of things.....

"Be grateful and cherish every moment. Get your ass out of bed and greet the sunrise with your fists clenched and your heart in the right place. Take more time to enjoy the little miracles that surround us every day. And if you attend or compete in a sporting event or race, bow your head and close your eyes during the prayer. Do it for appreciation and gratitude of the moment. Moreover, take the time to do it right with everything you do. Give more substance and respect to every moment we are allowed to compete in the race of life."