http://www.continentseven.com/movec7.php?moveid=167
Jonas Ceballos riding a PROOF sailboard in Canary Islands.
Funny world, ja? I didn’t even see a traditional sailboard on the beach or on a vehicle this entire summer. Kite surfers, yes…sailboards no. This is the part of California between Malibu and Santa Barbara. Of course I wasn’t everywhere or out 24/7, but here it isn’t like it used to be.
One of the prettiest sights I have ever seen with a human being in it: the lake at St. Wolfgang, one lone sailboarder with a large sail in bright autumnal hues, trees in full fall colors, sun shining like a santa ana day half way back across the world. 1979. The world of 2005 would probably laugh at the primitive equipment of the time but had they the opportunity Da Vinci, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Renoir, and Matisse would have said “Cool!”
Notice he landed tail first, so the tail penetrates and absorbs the shock about 4’ worth of tail sinking.
Had he landed flat, he’da broken his board and his neck at the same time.
Lotsa sailors break boards (I’ve broken well over 10), on big landings off jumps, so most pros prolly triple my numbers.
Classic RobbieNaish in RIP, the definitive swell jumping vid, he lands tail first every time!
Most wave boards are around 15lbs. Most freeride/slalom boards made for jumping about the same.
They can be made as light as 9lbs.
Basically, between Secos and SantaBarbara is the no wind zone, as coast faces almost due S, and best NW winds get offshore with huge wind shadows.
Most of the sailors around there know this already, and travel N of SB, at least to N of campus, to SanSimeon, to get their wind fix.
Spots like ElCap, Devros, CampusPoint, are now sailed regularly, whereas 15 years ago, NO one even checked them out.
Jalama still gets 20 sailors on NW windy weekends, and it’s known as an equipment breaking beach.
But yeah, most of you surfers can never get good enough to surfsail successfully, as it takes minimum of around 3 years at 100 days a year to get decent.
Better you take up kitesurfing, where you can be a star in 20 days…