Stand Up world Tour Big Island

Kai Lenny wins the last event on the big island and the overall world title in the wave Stand up World tour.
I just came back from the Big Island where I joined the party for Kai with his first world title. His dream was always to win the world title in windsurfing , which took a quick turn when he won the first world tour event in Sunset, Oahu.

Kai

Luau prize giving ceremony


Top 3 World Tour
Kai Lenny, Peyo Lizarazu, Antoine Delpero

Watch the video of the final day.

Medium Swell hits Maui

The last couple of day we had a good North swell hitting Maui's North Shore. Dagmar made some nice shots. I was on my 9'1*29 Still a littyle wide for waves like this. So I am excited about next week when the new 2011 Starboards come in. Specially the new Gun 10'3 *28 a big wave gun born for the Maui winters. Aloha from maui, Bart

Kuau

Lanes

Lanes

Scott Trudon , Hookipa

Just one surf and me in Lanes

Whale encounter in South Africa

The last few days the wind was gone. So we tried our luck in Elands Bay,where a thermal wind sometimes comes up in the afternoon. While waiting for the wind I went for a Stand up paddle session when I encounter a whale who was at least as interested in us as we were in him. here is a short video.

Stand Up Paddle Whale encounter in South Africa from Bart de Zwart on Vimeo.

Aloha from South Africa

First week in South Africa

The first 10 days we had wind non stop. The first couple of days we spend in Langebaan testing 5.3 and 6.0 sails and 95 liter board on flat water.


The water here is very cold mostly between 10-14 degrees. But on the other hand the sun is mostly shining which makes it all bearable again. Unfortunately I won't be able to tell about the results of the test. This you have to read in the magazine. But I can tell you we have 4.7 sails weighing only 2.8 kilos and wave boards with one, two, three and four fins.

Langebaan Photo shoot Flat water

Platboom, Cape of Good Hope board test and 4.7

Platboom, mast high

We were lucky in Platboom where we had perfect conditions for 4.7 and solid waves for 2 days. But heh, it is not Maui, it is rougher, colder and less clean.

The wind is gone now since 2 days, so we do measurements, board shape discussions and photos and off course we have some spare time to go stand up in Elands bay and Swart riet

So far from South Africa,

Aloha, Bart

Off to SURF test South Africa

Since 16 years now I have been testing for the German SURF magazine. A 5 week stay in South Africa where we test dozens and dozens of new 2011 boards and sails.

This year I had 54 hrs flight with layover in Dubai, which is an very interesting place.

Clean, any littering is a $150 fine

Hot, between 25 in the winter and 50 degrees summer

The latest and the greatest, one building is bigger and taller than the other.

Modern, even the bus stops are air conditioned

Here are a few sights of Dubai.

Burj Khalifa With 818 The tallest building in the world

Cheapest room here only $4000 a night...

Huge Hotels, this one with an oversize aquarium.

A couple of hours later, I was sitting in the next plane again to Cape town.

Aloha, this time from Langebaan. South Africa

New Boards and New Waves on Maui

Yesterday we got the NEW 2011 Quads in. They not only look amazing but they are also sophisticated. That's why they are called Quad IQ. They have a clever new box system so you can switch out the front and back fins (onshore bigger fins in the front, side shore smaller fins in the front) and even use the board as a twin fin (skatey feel). All the quads come with 6 fins, 4 for a quad set up or 2 for a twin set up.

2011 QUADs fresh, fast and so turny

Yesterday we had another great swell again. Stand up in the morning and windsurf in the afternoon. Pictures below are made by Simone Reddingius find here on facebook if you need a Maui Photographer.

Bart, Hookipa/Lanes, on a Starboard 9'1 Pro

Kai Lenny, Hookipa

Andy not so Happy, Hookipa

Robby Naish Hookipa/Lanes

I am off to South Africa for the german SURF windsurfing test for the next 4 weeks. I will keep you posted.

Last day in the battle of the paddle

The Starboard team descended on Dana Point for the Third Annual Battle of The Paddle in San Clemente California. October 2nd and 3rd saw 863 paddlers and over 10,000 spectators which made for BOP the largest Stand Up Paddleboard event in the world. This year brought out top athletes from every corner of the world to compete. Starboard's team definitely had the US presence; bringing in our top riders from around the world. The riders brought their best physically and mentally and Declan Sacre brought the best boards for them.

Some of the highlights to catch up on; Starboard SUP Team honors go to Bart De Zwart (52:52) in the open race, riding a 14-foot board out paddled and out maneuvered every size of paddleboard out there to get fastest time. "Because there were so many racers (350) they had staggered starts for the unlimited, 14 foot and 12'6. Connor and Zane went on the 12'6 and me on the 14ft." Said Bart. "The start went well with just about 10 racers ahead of me I slowly started to work my way to the front. With so many racers getting around the buoys was a challenge again. Near the finish I only had 2 unlimited racers seconds in front of me but since they started one minute ahead of me I only had to stay close to get the overall. After the last wave ride I finished right behind the 2 unlimited."

15 year old Connor Baxter did Starboard proud coming in 6th overall in the men's elite is definitely amazing. The testing grounds for athletes to push themselves and their equipment to the limit is the Elite Class. This year it was broadcast live to 60 countries and showed the best paddlers worldwide giving their all to go down in history as the Battle of The Paddle Champion. 160 people in this class, 5 miles, 4 laps, and 100 yard beach sprints, make this battle what it is.

5 laps with a little run every lap. Bart with Jacco just behind