Happy NEW YEAR

Happy New Year.
New years resolution, paddle harder, windsurf stronger and take care of the people around you.
We had many swells and light winds in December. So lots of Stand up surfing in Kaua, Outer Sprecks and Lanes.
But now the wind is back and we had an amazing day in Hookipa.
Here is a litte video of the new Starboard GUN 10'3 x 28.5" I just got in.
Yes our shop is full of the 2011 new Starboards.

Bart 1st Place in the SUP race event, Big Island

The Stand up World Tour also organized a flat water racing event in Hilo Bay.
a 3 mile course around 3 buoys. Connor and I did well. A great event in combination with the wave event. A beautiful island with beautiful people.

12’6 class 1st Connor ( 3rd overall) Starboard RACE 12'6
14’ class 1st Bart (1st overall) Starboard ACE 14'

Full ranking
12’6 1st Connor Baxter, 2nd Zane Schweitzer, 3rd Matt Becker

14’ 1St Bart de Zwart, 2nd Aaron Napoleon, 3rd John ?

Top 3 14'class

Top 3 12'6 class

The master of the Papahe’enalu (wooden surfboard)

After the race Connor and I visited the Akaka falls

Thanks to

Starboard for a fast board

Black Project Fins for a fast fin

And DaKine for cool wear

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