“Stay Salty” was created by the team behind “The Windsurf Project”, best known until now for their high-quality produced windsurfing films with a focus on wave riding. But Jamie Hancock and Thomas Traversa no longer want simply to document their experiences – they want to share them with other windsurfers, turning viewers into fellow travellers. Plans include short-notice “Strike Missions”, organised “Experience Trips” and a platform for forecasts, spot information, films and direct interaction. We asked Jamie what exactly lies behind the new project.
Who and what exactly is behind the community, and why did you decide to set it up at this particular time?
“Stay Salty” was started by Thomas Traversa and myself (Jamie Hancock, editor’s note), with friends Luke Raistrick and Scotty Stallman also involved behind the scenes. It really feels like a natural evolution of The Windsurf Project. For years we travelled, chased forecasts and worked with brands to create high quality windsurfing films and stories. Along the way we realised that some of the best parts weren't necessarily just the sessions themselves, but the trips, the people, the places and everything that happens around them. We started thinking, rather than just documenting these experiences, why not bring other windsurfers with us?
That led to the idea of Experience Trips and Strike Missions. The Strike Missions are almost like a more accessible version of the Storm Chase mentality: watching a forecast, making the call and going somewhere special when the conditions line up, but aimed at normal windsurfers rather than extreme conditions. Thomas tested the Experience Trip idea first and the response was really positive. People loved the sailing, but also the whole experience of travelling together, sharing sessions and coming home with photographs and memories from the trip. That was really the point where Stay Salty started to become something much bigger than another media project.
We want it to feel like a genuine windsurfing community rather than another social media feed.
What can windsurfers expect from the community?
At its simplest, Stay Salty is a community and media hub designed to help people windsurf more. Inside the community Thomas gives a weekly forecast overview, looking at weather patterns around the world and where things might be lining up. When something interesting develops, we'll start putting out amber and green lights for Strike Missions and make the call on where we're going.
There's also Share Your Session, where members can show where they've been sailing that day. We want to see epic local photos and to see where it was good 'today' or an 'all time' pic of a spot from years gone by. Members have a map where they can find other people in different locations, which is useful whether you're planning a trip, looking for someone to sail with or you're relatively new to the sport and want to connect with people locally.
There's also Salty Cinema for films, extra footage and behind the scenes content, plus gear discussions, tests and conversations with people from within the industry. We'd like to bring shapers, sail designers, riders, photographers and other knowledgeable people into those conversations so members can hear directly from the people who really know the equipment and the sport.
The Experience Trips will also go well beyond wave sailing. We'll have freeride trips, equipment focused experiences and trips for different abilities and different types of windsurfing.
Ultimately, there's a lot we can build around it, but the objective is quite simple: use the knowledge that exists within windsurfing to help more people find good conditions, meet the right people, travel more easily and spend more time on the water.
Inside the community Thomas gives a weekly forecast overview, looking at weather patterns around the world and where things might be lining up.
What is the philosophy behind Stay Salty, and how can windsurfers get involved?
We want it to feel like a genuine windsurfing community rather than another social media feed. There are no algorithms deciding what you see and we're not trying to create noise for the sake of engagement. The idea is to have real people sharing useful information, experiences, photographs, stories and knowledge with each other. There's an incredible amount of knowledge within windsurfing. People who have travelled for decades know the forecasts, tides, spots, logistics and little details that can completely change a trip. Industry people understand the equipment inside out. Photographers know incredible locations. Local sailors know when and where their home spot works. We want to create somewhere that brings all of that together. We'll also have dedicated areas for things such as women in windsurfing and youth development, alongside events, trips, media and opportunities to connect directly with riders and people from within the industry.
The main community will be paid, but we're deliberately keeping the price relatively low. It works out at around the cost of a couple of coffees a month or roughly a mast extension over the year. The idea isn't exclusivity for the sake of it, but having a community of real windsurfers who genuinely want to be there and contribute.
We're only just getting started. Thomas is already doing the weekly forecasts, the first Experience Trips have gone really well, the upcoming Cape Verde weeks are fully booked, and we're beginning to run Strike Missions with other riders too, including Timo Mullen in Ireland. Actually, Timo has an ‘Experience’ event next week (9th of October) and the forecast is looking amazing!
We want Stay Salty to grow through the people inside it. Whether you're a beginner, a lifelong windsurfer, a photographer, a pro rider or someone working within the industry, the invitation is the same: come in, share what you know, meet people and hopefully go windsurfing more.
If anyone wants to join: We're giving a 40% discount to the first 40 members. You can join here: www.staysalty.community/homepage
Julian Wiemar
Editor surf