"Hooked - Windsurfing's untold stories": New book on the history of the cult brand Mistral
British water sports author and journalist Steve West spent three years researching and writing this truly impressive work. The result is a tribute to windsurfing in general and to the Mistral brand in particular.
There is no doubt that Mistral has been one of the defining brands in the history of windsurfing since it was founded in 1976 - above all, the brand is forever associated with the name Robby Naish. Naish spent the most successful period of his racing career on Mistral boards. The glory days of windsurfing were also Mistral's most successful.
But Robby Naish is not the only one of Mistral's defining personalities. Pete Cabrinha, Charly Messmer and the designers Ernstfried Prade and Peter Brockhaus made the brand great - and photographer Ulli Seer perfectly showcased the professionals and products with his stylish photos and designs. Together with Steve West, Seer has made the history of the Mistral company - and the history of windsurfing in general - shine once again in all its glory in a magnificent book.
Colourful and wild - the history of windsurfing and the Mistral brand
Lovingly and elaborately designed, the layouts convey the attitude to life of windsurfers across different eras of windsurfing. The author gives the necessary space to the protagonists, who come not only from the elite Hawaiian scene, but much more from Europe, where windsurfing became a popular sport. Steve West takes the reader on a journey through five decades of windsurfing history. He describes the boom years, when an addictive windsurfing culture developed in line with evolving lifestyles, fashion and music, influencing an entire generation. He sheds light on the competitive drive and egos of the sport's protagonists and how early brands developed in an ever-changing market.
Ulli Seer created a completely new style of photography with Mistral
Hooked" is characterised by the iconic images of Ulli Seer, the long-time photographer and graphic designer of the Mistral brand. The book shows the development of voluminous boards, simple sails and rudimentary wooden booms through to modern equipment. Other world-class photographers, including Steve Wilkings and Darell Wong, enrich this book with their images and thus explain the appeal of the sport to the generation of the 80s.
Using the example of the legendary Mistral brand, which changed hands six times between its foundation in 1976 and 2022, all of which left their mark, the reader learns about the highs and lows of a young sport that really exploded in the 1970s and 80s. The reader learns about the tensions, egos and intrigues that played out in the background, far from the public eye, and the question arises as to how a brand was able to survive such highs and lows. Those interested in marketing and brand development will enjoy these stories in the book. Like a captivating documentary film, numerous important protagonists such as Robby Naish, Peter Brockhaus and Larry Stanley reveal anecdotes, confessions and background stories from the incredible growth phase of windsurfing in individual interviews.
The book was made possible by Dutchman Ado Huisman, who was CEO of Mistral until 2022. He presented the book, which is currently only available in English, on 14 April with Ulli Seer and Steve West in Amsterdam. Many companions of the Mistral brand attended the premiere.
The contents are divided into five main topics
- From the invention in the USA to the beginnings of sport in Europe
- 1975 to 1989 - the golden years
- The essence and soul of windsurfing
- The emergence and development of trend-setting brands: Windsurfer®, Windsurfing Hawaii, Mistral, F2, and Naish
- Evolutionary challenges, opportunities and developments since 1990
You can order the book via the Website for 69 euros. On the website there is also a Podcast with the makers
