WINDSURFING magazine to suspend publication

[w8n4wind]

WindTracks was a cool magazine..
seemed more focused on the stoke than the gear..
but it disappeared too.

..anyway, longboards rule!

[cgoudie1]

I also loved Windtracks.

If you like, PM me when you get to the Gorge this summer.
The tribe is always looking for sombody to have a few beers with.

-Craig

[w8n4wind]

^^^^^^^^
hey Craig, sounds good..
thanks, see ya there..

Kevin

[GURGLETROUSERS]

I never envied windsurfing magazine editors. Windsurfing is an extremely difficult subject to write about. Finding new and interesting things to hold the interest of long term windsurfers who have reached the limit of their ability, was never an easy task.

I bought Boards magazine eagerly at first, but more out of a sense of duty to our sport towards the end, from first issue to last. Apart from board and gear tests (which reached a peak under the old regime in the 90's) there was little as the years rolled by to hold the interest.

The problem with windsurfing is that what any of us can actually TACKLE (radical conditions) is limited by our competence, and natural ability. The radical action articles and photo's therefore became irrelevant. (Seen one Jaws article and pics, seen the lot!) Most of the longer term windsurfers I know felt the same, and simply stopped buying the mag, because it did little for them.

Contrast this with M.T.B. mags, of which there are loads. (I buy two regularly.) When they showcase exciting new routes and rides to tackle the difference is that they apply to ANY M.T.B. rider, from expert to average Joe. The expert can 'blast' the route, while the less skillful can carefully pick their way at their own pace, but all can feel satisfied, and will continue buying the mag.

There will always be a niche market for radical windsurfing articles and photo's for the up and coming hot shots, but internet videos seem to have cornered that market. Sadly, it seems, we must say goodnight to our magazines.

[paulf.]

what's an M.T.B.?

[GURGLETROUSERS]

MounTainBikes!

You know paulf, those silly contraptions on wheels which you have to balance, and which float over rocks and cliffs and the like. (Gives a whole new meaning to 'going over the falls'. But they will never catch on! )

[isobars]

[GURGLETROUSERS]

I take your point Mike that us jaded oldies (you too ) are a lost cause to the hyped up windsurfing industry.

I know that the magazines have to walk a tightrope in trying to please both advertisers, and the buying public. It's understandable that they need to peddle the hype, but regrettable. Boards magazine, under the old regime, apparently crossed the line in favour of the truth, and lost their biggest advertiser. They never fully recovered, despite new keen staff, and have now folded.

Ians board tests were always preceeded by a lengthy overview and analysis of trends, and were a high point for some of us. You have sometimes quoted his masterly wave board analysis, and what the different types of wave boards would have been expected to do. Ian never claimed to be the worlds greatest windsurfer, but he had in depth knowledge, and spoke with authority for us ordinary punters. (I bought the original Evo 74 on his word, and it suited my sailing ability well.)

The testing is now done by 'hot shot' clones (sponsored sailors) and, of course, all the boards are just great .... for THEM! Can it be coincidence though, that us 'ordinary Joe' windsurfers are not rushing out in droves to buy them?

I don't think so!

[obxcarver]

A little saddened to learn of Windsurfing's demise, but not too surprised. Yes, it was surely a victim primarily of tough economic times, the shift toward online publishing and the decline in windsurfing equipment sales, along with the reduced marketing budgets of manufacturers that likely resulted. But in the 20 years or so that I was a subscriber, I was seldom impressed with the editorial content. The gear reviews were decent -- not on a par with Boards which I read while living in the UK -- but not bad. The instructional material in Windsurfing was, as others have said, not very useful to anyone who's been at this sport for a few years. The PWA coverage, back in the day when it existed, was entertaining. But for me the main problem was this -- as an ordinary working guy with a family and a career and other things in my life that outrank windsurfing on my priority list, I never read articles about the windsurfing that I know. About feeling lucky to clear a weekend for a quick trip to Delaware for a day. About the crazy crews I windsurfed with on the Hudson in New York, on the Potomac in Washington, and on Wolf Lake in Chicago. Or about the once- or twice-a-year luxury of a whole week (!) of windsurfing in OBX or Cape Cod, with the family and the dog and the gear all packed into the minivan. Most of the people I see when I go windsurfing look pretty much like me. Just regular folks enjoying an odd and addictive sport that we love, whether it's in the mid-Atlantic or New England or the Great Lakes. No one looks like Robbie Naish or Kai Lenny. Who are these unbelievable characters anyway? As much as I enjoyed reading now and then about them and their endorsement deals and their fantasy-land home breaks, and seeing their photos over and over and over and over again, I would have liked at least once to read an article about the windsurfing I know. There was a very short-lived magazine called American Windsurfer some years ago that attempted to do this with some success. I've seen WindSport and will give it another try, as well as NEWJ. So I guess the bottom line is that I will miss Windsurfing, but not that much.

[isobars]

What I'd most like to know is how anyone got refunds or other (useful) magazines out of them after their collapse. Maybe because they never even paid me for my article they solicited and published two years ago, neither Bonnier or Transwhatever has even responded to my requests for any compensation.