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Rear-view mirrorThese were the highlights in surf 9/2004

Tobias Frauen

 · 18.01.2025

Brian Talma enjoying a relaxed cruise on the surf track in September 2004
Photo: Alex Williams
How do old boards perform in the test? How do the pros set up their equipment? And which bosom do East Frisian surfers like best? An exciting journey back in time to the September 2004 issue!
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The best spots in the British Isles

Locals are usually rather tight-lipped when it comes to their little-known home spots. But a gang of British windsurfers led by John Carter, John Skye and Timo Mullen want to show what outstanding spots the UK has to offer and "expose them to mass tourism". The troupe - soon to be christened the "Motley Crew" - wants to surf the best spots in the best conditions. Over the course of several years, they travelled long distances and made many phone calls, and the gang grew to include nine illustrious members such as Robby Swift, Ross Williams and Tristan Boxford. The reward: spectacular images from Cornwall, Ireland, Scotland and the south coast. Only some of the top spots in Wales have not yet been documented photographically. "So if you're ever in Wales (or any other spot in the UK) and you see a lone photographer on the beach and a couple of crazy guys with sailing numbers on the water - you can be sure you're in the right place at the right time!" promises John Carter. "You'll just have to find out which pub the Motley Crew are going to in the evening!"

How the pros trim their equipment

Surf editor Steve Chismar was allowed to surf the pros' equipment. After once marvelling at Jason Polakow's equipment ("stunned at how you can slice the waves so gracefully with such a sail trim"), he now grabbed the equipment of some freestyle pros at the World Cup on Fuerte and analysed their set-up in detail - without adjusting anything. It was noticeable that some of the straps were very wide for more freedom of movement (Chismar: "I could just as easily have ridden without them"), while others were buckled for better contact with the board. The long harness lines of many pros were still unusual at the time. Thomas Traversa, a 17-year-old newcomer at the time, was already riding a Vollenweider custom, but with a lead-heavy Nautix rig. The "almost normal" material from Iballa Moreno suits Steve best.

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Old versus new: F2 Xantos and Mistral Screamer in a generational duel

The plural of Xantos is "Xantosse", at least if you go by surf tester Stephan Gölnitz. He compared two F2 freeriders from different eras with a modern descendant. Those born early remember: with the slogan "Power is nothing without control", the Xantos arrived in 1994 as a popular alternative to the bitchy no-nose racers and really hit the spot. An early 295 was now tested against a Xantos 290 from 1999 and a then current X-Cite Ride 135 - very comparable with the VW Bulli generations T3, T4 and T5 in the lead picture. The short and wide JP beats its ancestors in all disciplines: it is faster, glides better, is easier to jibe and is pleasant to ride. Only the 99 can keep up to some extent in terms of speed, but only at the expense of comfort. The once highly praised original Xantos turns out to be a wild ride: "Its long, pointed nose rises steeply into the sky, as if it wants to leave orbit at any moment," say the testers in shock. "You instinctively keep a double distance from oncoming traffic - you never know where the pointy nose will poke next." The differences between two Mistral Screamers from 1992 and 2004 are even more striking: the new one is superior all round thanks to its wide tail, while the old Screamer is "just a pathetic whiner".

Spot Guide Jade Bay

"Höhöhö, it's called Busen!" The author of the Spot Guide around Wilhelmshaven was probably giggling to himself as he wrote it, carefully avoiding any puns. A taster? "Fed with mother's milk from the North Sea, the Jade Bay nestles to the left of the Weser in the flat expanse of East Frisia. When the tide comes in and it is full to bursting, [...] surf-hungry windsurfers suck on it." The tips for great freeride and freestyle spots in the region, to which even a worldcupper like Rik Fiddike likes to return time and again - despite the flood of curious campers and kiters, are largely devoid of adolescent puns. Incidentally, Dangast wanted to distance itself from the "bosom" hype and has chosen a phallus as the symbol for the artists' village, including an impressive sculpture. So there is still plenty of untapped wordplay potential on the Jade Bay!

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And what else?

  • Windsurfing Kiel wants to choose the "Miss Windsurfing", prizes include a trip or surf lessons in Brazil (the one on the Baltic Sea)
  • "I wish I'd become a surfer" moaned professional cyclist Erik Zabel in the documentary "Höllentour" at the sight of a mountain stage - and he was right
  • The NDR wanted to accompany the Charchulla twins for a TV film, but Manfred and Jürgen preferred to go for a coffee in Orth during a tandem shoot and left the TV team behind in Strukkamp.
  • After a four-year break, Pietro Porchella wants to revive the Aloha Classic. To do so, he bought the naming rights from initiator Paul Ehman
  • "Even shorter, even wider" is the trend for waveboards, even if the single fins still look quite stretched from today's perspective. In terms of decor, the manufacturers are letting it rip: From tiger prints and psychedelic patterns to flames and women, the look of the 2005 boards is hardly restrained
  • Travelling near and far: While Chris Pressler explored the south of Sardinia, reader Wolfgang Nelles shows his home spot Laacher See in the Eifel.
  • At the World Cup on Fuerte, Björn Dunkerbeck experiments with a new measuring system for speed surfing: GPS!
  • Kevin Mevissen was on his way to the top of the freestyle world in 2004, Steve Chismar presented him in surf. "A dunki, but the laid-back way", he said, "the opposite of Campello", the measure of all things at the time. The goal of the "planing miracle": world champion!

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