Written by GCM
USA-6
After the initial intuition of connecting a sail to a board by Sidney Newman Darby Jr. in 1964, windsurfing became popular with the Windsurfer by Jim Drake and Hoyle Schweitzer in the late 60's. The Windsurfer can be defined as the first longboard, which is still available for purchase. Due to technical changes over the years, it is not easy to define a longboard. Still , all longboards are usually longer than 10 feet (~300 cm) and have a centerboard.
Several longboards are currently available and can be categorized in four groups:
USA-6
After the initial intuition of connecting a sail to a board by Sidney Newman Darby Jr. in 1964, windsurfing became popular with the Windsurfer by Jim Drake and Hoyle Schweitzer in the late 60's. The Windsurfer can be defined as the first longboard, which is still available for purchase. Due to technical changes over the years, it is not easy to define a longboard. Still , all longboards are usually longer than 10 feet (~300 cm) and have a centerboard.
Several longboards are currently available and can be categorized in four groups:
- Raceboards: These boards are designed by multiple brands and designed for competing in the international Raceboard Class. They are usually 12'6" (~380 cm) long, have an on-the-fly adjustable mast track, and a retractable center board. The Raceboard class is particularly popular in Europe and Australia where national and international events are organized. The Raceboard Worlds usually attract 80-120 participants depending on the location. In my opinion, the major limitation to growing the size of these events is limited availability of charter gear and difficulty to air transport a board that is longer than 10 feet. In fact, only few airlines are willing to carry an item of this length: Condor Airlines, Vueling, Aerolinas Argentinas among others.
- Windsurfer: The original windsurfer is still manufactured up to the specifications for competing in the international Windsurfer Class, which is still popular in some countries, such as Italy and Australia. The board has the same original shape, but has incorporated some technical improvements, such as an on-the-fly adjustable mast track, and a retractable center board.
- Kona One: Replicating the one design concept of the Windsurfer, this board is manufactured up the specifications for competing in the one design Kona Class. This class is particularly popular in North Europe and North America where national and international events are organized. The Kona Worlds consistently attract around 100 participants thanks to the generous charter programs that allow racers to rent a full set at the event. Kona also makes other longboards, including the CarbOne Kona, a competitive version of the Kona One with on-the-fly adjustable mast track, the Kona Club, a teaching version of the Kona One and a windsup. This board is about 11'6" (350 cm) long, and is equipped with an adjustable center board and a mast track that can be adjusted on shore, but not on the fly.
- Learning boards and windsups: Several manufacturers make wide longboards that are designed for providing a stable platform for learning the basics of windsurfing. These boards can be straight windsurfing boards or windsup boards that can be used for either windsurfing or paddleboarding. Whereas some of these boards are longer than 10 feet, they usually replace the adjustable centerboard with a 2nd fixed fin. These beginner boards should not be confused with raceboards that are highly technical. While they are easier to use than raceboards, Windsurfer and Kona One boards are still more technical than these learning boards.
|
|
|
