Gallery: Living for the moment - photographers on very special windsurfing moments
Robert Almquist on an epic day on Gran Canaria
Jonas from Pozo Pozowinds called us early in the morning: "Guys, get ready for an afternoon session; this day could be really spectacular. The place where we're going to surf needs very special conditions to deliver the waves we want. If everything goes right today, it could be truly epic!"
According to pozo local Josep Pons, the last real surf day with conditions similar to today was in 2011! It takes a special combination of swell and wind direction - strong swell combined with winds over 50 knots. When we finally arrived, the waves were actually coming in really long sets, just wow! The spot produced some absolutely magical, clean, emerald green waves - pure magic! The sun was already setting far to the east.
I planned to take pictures showing the strong sidelight coming in from a low angle and casting a long shadow of the surfer at the end of the wave. We had a great session until late in the evening, surfing and sharing the waves for a few magical hours.
Valentin Böckler about a day on the playground
At the end of February, I photographed Felix Volkhardt on his playground at Sandvlei in South Africa. The cool thing about this spot is that it's really right next to a playground, which is great for using as a foreground to capture the playful tricks. But the trees bent by the wind also invite you to use them as a photo frame. Even if it wasn't the best season in Cape Town, there was enough wind for a 4.0 sail on this day, but unfortunately no sun. Felix tricked out a few classic new school moves with his new equipment in front of the lens.
Pierre Bouras on a day with Thomas Traversa
Thomas Traversa is known for not making a big fuss about his big wave adventures. In Europe in particular, he catches the biggest waves from Ireland to the Canary Islands during the winter months. If we, the marvelling onlookers, are lucky, a photographer documents the adventures and we get to enjoy some radical windsurfing pictures. This time, French photographer Pierre Bouras from Thomas, Adrian Bosson and Antony Ruenes has not only taken fantastic pictures of the north coast of Fuerteventura, but has also shot an atmospheric and aesthetic film. You can find "Wave Whisperers" on YouTube on Pierre Bouras' channel.
Roger Gruetter about a foehn storm on Lake Uri
In March, the Lake of Uri, the south-eastern part of Lake Lucerne in Switzerland, was repeatedly set in motion by violent foehn storms. Due to its north-south orientation, it is an ideal gateway for the extremely strong and gusty south wind. Wind speeds of up to 128 kilometres per hour were measured at the end of March. And when it's blowing like that, one surfer isn't far away: Balz "Radiculo" Müller. He provides breathtaking action even in the most radical conditions. But this time, even Balz got a little pensive. "Booooooaaaa, the past few days have been crazy. We've had our second daughter and I've been enjoying one storm after another - without risking anything." Congratulations!
Ernesto Brendel on a memorable day on Tenerife
In terms of wind statistics, the El Niño winter of 23/24 was the worst in a long time on the Canary Islands - especially for all water sports enthusiasts who need at least six Beaufort and decent waves. When the trade wind did show up on Tenerife, it did so from its best side. The sails under four square metres were used more often than almost ever before at this time of year. With wind speeds of over 40 knots and crisp waves crashing onto the sharp lava reef at the El Cabezo World Cup spot, the airspace became a little emptier. Here are the Tenerife locals Jochen Stolz doing a backloop and Nikodem Merlak, for whom even his 3.4 sail with a body weight of 90 kilos provided enough propulsion.
