Wind Surfing

Commonly known as sailboarding, wind surfing is a very popular surface water sport that consists in the use of a board powered by just one sail. The device relies on a rotating joint, and the surfer will basically steer the board by the rotation of both the mast and the sail. Nevertheless, the design of the board, and here we refer to the carving style, is also important for the quality of the ride. Wind surfing appeared as a combination of surfing and sailing, but this sport definitely relies on lots of athletic skills. Moreover, wind surfing gives one the possibility to achieve some great accomplishments that are far out of the reach of other sailing sports.

Wind surfing allows the performance of very spectacular jumps such as complex spinning maneuvers, loops and all sorts of freestyle elements that have no match among the other nautical sports. Even if compared to traditional surfing styles, wind surfing still has the lead. This is the case with wind surfers riding the biggest waves in the world known as the Jaws on Maui island. With a few tricks and artifices, such massive waves became accessible to other surfers too, which is the case with tow-in surfing.

There are several different disciplines included in wind surfing categories: freestyle, course racing, slalom, speed and wave sailing. Not all winds are favorable for wind surfing; therefore, most sail surfers do check the wind conditions before planning a ride. A 15-25 knots wind is the ideal one for a great performance; yet, beginners could learn wind surfing on much lower intensities starting from just a few knots. Coaching lessons are available on most famous beaches and especially in resorts, and you can learn how to steer, sail and turn in just a few hours. In case you are looking for a more advanced performance level you'll need to practice for quite some time before seeing results.

The very appearance of wind surfing in the sports world led to a huge dispute about who had the inventing rights for the equipment and the performance as such. The scandal goes back to the 60s but several designers emerged in the end, splitting the market among them. Presently, the main wind surfing board design relies on a short board. Back in the 80s most wind surfers were classified as shortboards or longboards, but presently, things have evolved towards making it possible to turn wind surfing into a recreational activity first and foremost. This means that the maneuverability of the boards needs to be much higher, just as the usage extent matches several categories of surfers.