How do we get longboarding back ??

wynsurfer · Joined: 24 Aug 2007 Posts: 940

Longboarding is very much alive and well, and I think we are beginning to see a resurgence. I just got back from the East Coast Windsurfing Festival at Kalmus Beach in Hyannis Ma. and I was surprised to see so many longboards, at least a few dozen, mostly older Mistral Equipes, Fanatic Ultra Cats, F2 Lightning Race, a few windsups, and one Starboard Phantom 377. Conditions were quite good for a wide variety of boards, 13 - 19 mph most of the time.

One guy, who was a very good sailor used the Phantom Race with a 9.5 the whole time and really rocked, doing light wind freestyle, speed sailing and course racing and no one could touch him in course racing.

Life is so much simpler when you only have a few boards to choose from. A longboard for 5- 20+ and a sinker for when it's windy is what I used 25 years ago. What more does the average person need?

It would be nice if there were more open class races for longboards, so that people could just get together and have fun. Not everyone can afford a Kona one, or a Phantom Race, but there are lots of old Ultra Cats, Equipes, Alpha Race, F2 Lightnings out there in good condition for little coin that are competitive with the Kona One.

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

scottybda · Joined: 04 Sep 2012 Posts: 67

I took part in the Bart's Bash on Sunday on my Phantom 377.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j9Q9h7Foac

Was great to see how much quicker the moths and kites would be on the up and downwind course, almost half my time on the Phantom 377. I was thinking to use the slalom kit, but the sheltered course layout with many islands and almost exactly up and downwind wind angle put me off doing so.

They staggered the start with the keel boats, we got lighter wind for the first part so I imagine the windsurfers times would have shaved 5 mins off what we got if it was as it was a bit later.

scottybda · Joined: 04 Sep 2012 Posts: 67

For me to make longboarding return as such would to do long distance events that are not buoy to buoy sort of run. Can't do everywhere but an event that runs between islands and zig zags here or there would be fun.

Could stagger the start based on a handicap system so slower boards / riders start first.

konajoe · Joined: 28 Feb 2010 Posts: 517

This is what I see. Take a guy who's biggest setup is a 5.5 and 100ltr board. And let's say he's got 9 buddies with the same setup, and they all go to the beach, and there's not enough wind for any of them. Now, let's say I guy shows up with a Kona and a big sail, and goes blasting. All of those guys look at each other, and nod "we cool", and that guy is some kind of geek. As long as they're in that group, they would never consider a longboard.

Now switch it around, where there are 10 Konas blasting, and that same 1 guy is sitting on the beach with his 5.5. NOW, he's thinking about a longboard.

It's so hard to break out of the mold, and do something others consider uncool.

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

Cool, schmool. Some of you guys are overlooking the very real, substantive, visceral reason countless thousands of WSers are not interested in longboarding or big gear in general. Once again and altogether now:
the water's (normally) flat. i.e., it's not about the sail and board size, but the terrain that goes with it.

I'd be trying what Ingerbritsen's doing with a Kona in a heartbeat if I had easier access to it, but I -- and another few hundred thousand other WSers -- don't.

brynkaufman2 · Joined: 10 Sep 2002 Posts: 383 Location: Kailua Oahu

I am hooked on a long board. I have a Kona CarbOne and the Ezzy 7.5 Zephyr.

It is a great combination that handles 95% of the wind I encounter. On a really windy day I use a smaller sail, but the CarbOne handles great in all conditions.

This setup offers really early planing with a 50cm racing fin, excellent speed in choppy conditions, it is easy to catch swells, and really lets me go all over the bay with confidence that I can always get back.

I have to admit it is a lot more fun than all other boards and sails I have used.

I am going faster than most kiters and windsurfers and kept up with a fast iSonic 90L board too, which surprised me.

There are two reasons it is very fast. My location is choppy, and this board cuts through the chop easily and gives one a lot of confidence to keep pushing faster.

The other reason is the Ezzy 7.5 has a lot of pull, even in light winds, and it has a wide range, so you do not have to change to a smaller sail when the wind picks up, and you can put everything it puts out into this board with confidence.

cgoudie1 · Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2016 7:02 pm Post subject:

So it's a numbers thing. You need to grab 19 or your buddies with
long boards, and hit the water in front of those guys.

One of the last times I was rigging my 9.5 Retro and Angulo Sumo (in
12MPH winds) a lady came over to me and asked what I was rigging.
When I told her, her somewhat disdainful response was " I only have a 5.5.
My response as I beach started right off to a plane was " then you won't be
sailing today" ;*)

-Craig

p.s. cool is what I do.