Today, Egypt is one of the most popular surfing destinations, but back in 1990, large parts of the Red Sea coast were still unknown. A team from the Surf Academy, comprising Wolfhard Smit, Dirk Muschenisch, Andrea Hoeppner and a few surf instructors, set off to discover new spots south of Safaga; surf was allowed to tag along. Parts of the coast are still a military restricted area; you won’t get very far without a permit. It was well worth the effort: “Almost round every bend, we marvelled at a new dream cove”, some with waves, others vast flat-water areas. The locals in the town of Qusier marvel at the group’s “trendy surf gear”, and a little later, some shy Bedouins even marvel at the car.
boot 1990
March was traditionally the time for the big ‘boot’ wrap-up. In ‘Hell 12’, the surf retailers’ bazaar, the crowds jostled for ‘second-rate trade fair junk’. Things were a little more civilised among the manufacturers: Jimmy Lewis shaped a board live every day in a glass box and was even a guest on ZDF’s *Sportstudio*, Walter Eichler and Axel Ohm presented the new “On” brand with computer-generated shapes, Fanatic is polarising opinion with its predominantly black designs, and North is buying 100 “junk sails” from a retailer to clear the market.
Sail battens put to the test
For most amateur surfers, they’re simply there, but as early as 1990 the pros had long since discovered the tuning potential offered by different sail battens. *surf* tests an F2 slalom sail as an example, which is tuned using high-quality battens made from GRP and carbon. First impression: In light winds, the standard battens have the edge, whilst in choppy conditions the extremely stiff carbon battens come into their own – though manoeuvrability does suffer. Conclusion: good sail battens don’t necessarily have to be expensive; even budget ‘off-the-shelf’ options can hold their own if they’re properly profiled.
The first spring of surfing after the fall of the Berlin Wall
“Bloody hell,” thought Heinz Schäfer, the 1983 GDR champion in “board sailing”. “Just when I’m finally allowed onto the Baltic Sea, the West German windsurfers are turning up too.” Indeed, in the first spring after the fall of the Wall, there was an atmosphere of great optimism, even amongst windsurfers. From today’s perspective, the period between November 1989 and reunification on 3 October 1990 seems like a bizarre parallel world: the borders are open, yet the GDR still exists as a separate state. East German surfers, who had previously had to rely on improvisation, can finally buy off-the-shelf equipment, travel and discover their own spots without restrictions. West German windsurfers sensed empty, undiscovered spots in the East, whilst the locals feared that the few places available in hotels and on campsites would be snatched away from them. Long-distance travel was virtually out of the question due to the weak East German mark. This makes them all the more eager to upgrade their equipment and train hard so they can hold their own in the first all-German regattas, planned from 1991 onwards. Reunification on the regatta course? “Those in the West had better brace themselves!”
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So, what else is going on?
- 110 km/h is possible – that’s what ice surfer Markus Steinlein believes. “You can go six times faster than the wind,” says Steinlein.
- It’s only been a few months since the fall of the Berlin Wall, and there are plenty of new spots waiting to be discovered along the East German Baltic coast (see above). “We will impose as few restrictions as possible on windsurfers,” Rear Admiral Herbert Städtke, head of the GDR Coastal Border Brigade, told surf magazine. “However, whilst we are open-minded, we cannot tolerate surfers loitering near restricted areas or seaports.”
- At the same time, “around 10,000 to 20,000” surfers in the east are waiting for new gear, and *surf* is calling on its readers to clear out their garages and make donations.
- “Wave Speedsters” is the headline for the test of the production Sinkers, and the test crew have to strip off for the lead photo.
- 4,000 surf readers took part in the survey on their satisfaction with their boards. Torn edges, in particular, are a major issue with some brands
- When it comes to driving technique, there was, of course, a turning point between the fall of the Berlin Wall and German reunification – the Wende
- “Easy Surfing is the catchphrase for the nineties,” announces *surf*, offering up to 30 “Westmark” points for tips designed to make surfing easier. To start with: don’t leave your monofilm out in the sun, and use foam sponges as footpads.
- Advertising gems: “1,200 square centimetres that are set to change the world of surfing” – that’s how HiFly promotes its “Facet Bottom” – a flat surface on the underside of the board designed to glide quickly and disappear just as quickly.
- How much are vintage surfboards from the early eighties still worth? *surf* sets out to find out and discovers prices ranging from 1,000 marks to “priceless”.
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Tobias Frauen
Editor