Author Topic: The invention of windsurfing  (Read 14364 times)

surf4food

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The invention of windsurfing
« on: October 30, 2016, 07:42:48 AM »
This may have been posted before, but anyway here it is:



surfcowboy

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Re: The invention of windsurfing
« Reply #1 on: October 30, 2016, 09:28:30 AM »
Great piece. I missed all that history so it was good to catch up a bit. I still need to learn to sail. Maybe I need to mount a mast and go flail a bit.

Subber

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Re: The invention of windsurfing
« Reply #2 on: October 30, 2016, 09:30:02 AM »
Thanks for posting.
Really enjoyed watching it!
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yugi

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Re: The invention of windsurfing
« Reply #3 on: October 30, 2016, 09:59:04 AM »
I remember those first footstraped boards with giant square tails. And twin fins.

After all extremes things came back to pretty sleek and simple.

I'm watching these Starby concaves with interest ... been there done that windsurfing

yugi

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Re: The invention of windsurfing
« Reply #4 on: October 30, 2016, 10:00:27 AM »
sorry, I forgot to add... Mmmmmm... Jenna

Turns out she's the friend of a friend. Small world. Getting smaller.

DavidJohn

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Re: The invention of windsurfing
« Reply #5 on: October 30, 2016, 11:19:45 AM »
Excellent vid..  8)

Area 10

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Re: The invention of windsurfing
« Reply #6 on: October 30, 2016, 11:22:06 AM »
This may have been posted before, but anyway here it is:


This might be the history of windsurfing in Hawaii, but it is not the story of the invention of windsurfing. Windsurfing was first invented at my (then) home town of Hayling Island, UK, by Peter Chilvers in the 1950s, and this fact has been upheld several times in court.

Here is Peter himself talking about the occasionally comical attempts to erase him from history (as the video above seems to attempt to do):

https://youtu.be/CQZLKGZ6vgk

SUPcheat

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Re: The invention of windsurfing
« Reply #7 on: October 30, 2016, 11:46:13 AM »
Nice slice of history.

When I finished my oral surgery residency in New Orleans, and came back to California, my first job was in Long Beach.

My employer had a home in Naples harbor, and he had a windsurfer.  I was 30, it was around 1980. 

I was in poor physical condition after the bone grinding residency, but was kind of intrigued by the windsurfer.  He told me I could use it any time I wanted.

I think he sadistically let me try to take it out once, but it was a disaster, I couldn't balance and didn't know ass from elbow, as expected.  I think my boss enjoyed my dishabille.  It wasn't too different from my neighbor shaming me the first time I floundered on SUP in the Santa Cruz Harbor.

The job was 60 to 70 hours a week for the year I worked there, so I never tried it again, just too tired and used my time off to lounge.  My only exercise was swimming for 40 minutes at lunch at the public pool by the offfice.
« Last Edit: October 30, 2016, 11:47:48 AM by SUPcheat »
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Subber

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Re: The invention of windsurfing
« Reply #8 on: October 30, 2016, 02:26:08 PM »
This may have been posted before, but anyway here it is:


This might be the history of windsurfing in Hawaii, but it is not the story of the invention of windsurfing. Windsurfing was first invented at my (then) home town of Hayling Island, UK, by Peter Chilvers in the 1950s, and this fact has been upheld several times in court.

Here is Peter himself talking about the occasionally comical attempts to erase him from history (as the video above seems to attempt to do):

https://youtu.be/CQZLKGZ6vgk

Oh, "the rest of the story"....rather the beginning of the story.
Thanks for posting - very interesting.

I'm not one for patent protection.

I'm remembering that windsurfing had been around a while before it took off.
Jimmy Lewis Black & Blue Noserider 10'1"x31"x4.25," 164 liters, 24 lbs, 1 box
Pearson Laird Surftech Longboard 10'6"x23"x29.75"x18"x4.375," 154 liters, 24 lbs, 3 boxes
Takayama Ali'i II Surftech 11'x21.375”x28.5”x17.25”x 4.25,” 162 liters, 26 lbs, 3 boxes

PonoBill

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Re: The invention of windsurfing
« Reply #9 on: October 30, 2016, 07:42:10 PM »
Very cool. I lived all of that, from the wobbly days (for me at the bay of Pigs, Naples and Belmont Shores, CA.) to the early Gorge days when there were usually five people out. When I moved to Hood River a few years ago there were so many people I knew the faces of, but never knew the names, because I was here after work in portland until dark or until the wind totally died. I bought my place in Manzanita to wavesail and beach sail. Good days, good times.
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Beasho

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Re: The invention of windsurfing
« Reply #10 on: October 30, 2016, 09:00:09 PM »
I experienced my first glide at Tony Gilchrist's house on Cayuga lake in upstate NY.  I was 15 years old on a windsurfer one.  No lessons, 8 mph of wind, he said go and do this.  I am not sure how I made it back but I remember when I began moving at an unnaturally fast speed and I was hooked.

I went to Cornell and one day 'Dave' the owner of the local windsurf shop said "It's blowing Five Oh and Maui is doing barrel rolls."

I said "Maui, Maui who????"

It was Maui Meyer.  He eventually became the coach of the Cornell windsurfing team.  There were 3 of us on the team.  The only other team was the Naval Academy.  But we never had a meet.

Fast forward 10 years and I get an internship during business school from Booze Allen in San Francisco.  My roommate and I would windsurf every weekend, on Saturday and Sunday.  Twice a day if we could. 

After business school it was my objective to move to the wind and the bay area.  17 years later I have hung up my booms for a paddle. 

I owe everything I have to the wind.  Then again my balance sheet would be larger, my water-man status smaller, if I never knew what a camber inducer, phazer, bonzer, Mistral Hookipa, Gaastra, Logosz, planing tack, forward loop, or tendon uni-joint ever was  ::)

The following are a few shots and video from the era.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbdQWy9ZShA


« Last Edit: October 30, 2016, 09:06:49 PM by Beasho »

PonoBill

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Re: The invention of windsurfing
« Reply #11 on: October 30, 2016, 09:47:33 PM »
Cool. Maui lives here in Hood River. He's a good friend and advisor, We bought our house through him (he's a realtor as well as a restauranteur, developer, etc..) and my shop and the property around it, and I've financed part of one of his low income housing projects. Good man as well as a talented athlete. Mostly kitesurfs these days, when he manages time off to get on the water.  I go to him for advice frequently.

Tony Logosz is here too of course. these days he's making foils for windsurfers and a lot of interesting downwind boards.
« Last Edit: October 30, 2016, 09:50:35 PM by PonoBill »
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

DavidJohn

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Re: The invention of windsurfing
« Reply #12 on: October 30, 2016, 09:51:53 PM »
I also knew Maui Meyer and bought a few boards off him.. Anyone know what happened to Richard White..

Off-Shore

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Re: The invention of windsurfing
« Reply #13 on: October 31, 2016, 06:14:19 AM »
Great vid. I also lived through the 80s and 90s of this in the UK. This was the first windsurfer I tried in a lake in Wales of all places in '82. It's funny looking back and remembering those triangular baggy sails. My buddy and I both shaped and built our own short boards in '83, but there were no short board specific sails or booms available in the UK at the time so we just used our triangular sails with booms almost as long as the masts on them. Made for interesting water starting and crazy out of control catapult falls.. And then suddenly everything changed in '84 and we were able to buy proper rigs with battened and shaped sails.
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Off-Shore

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Re: The invention of windsurfing
« Reply #14 on: October 31, 2016, 06:17:43 AM »
A closer shot of the guy behind.. Notice the streamer thing on the top of the mast.. WTF was that for?
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