"Now let's show the men!" - under this headline, surf presents the most radical and influential female surfers of the time. First and foremost Natalie Siebel, 19 years old at the time and reigning wave world champion. "Women's skills have increased dramatically in recent years," she reports from Maui. Unfortunately, the article by author Susanne Schuler is less about the female surfers and more about the sensitivities of men's minds. While Vance Killan still thinks that men should be given a bit of a head start so as not to upset them, a short time later macho-in-chief Mike Eskimo is allowed to let his hair down. He says about Lena Kerr or Angela Cochran "with a contemptuous undertone that can't be ignored": "They're real macho girls. Sure, they're brave, but they have [...] broader shoulders than me and are just on the emancipation trip." After all, Mike has also successfully taught his own wife to windsurf, starting with the water start to save her the hassle of catching up with the sails. Unimpressed by Eskimo's macho airs, Angela Cochran summarises: "I don't go out in brutal conditions because I want to impress the men. I want to cheer up all the other girls and show them that they can surf in such extreme conditions."
Board torture
Together with the TÜV, surf tests nine boards for their durability: are standard boards for "freaks" in the surf just as robust as custom mades? The only board that was not affected by all the torture methods was the HiFly 275 Extreme. It was "impossible" to break the outer skin, the board could simply be surfed on afterwards, while all the other test candidates were just hazardous waste. In addition to the buttery thermoplastic construction of the HiFly, the stringers on the Mistral and F2 proved to be particularly durable. The weakest model proved to be the Fanatic Ultra Bee, the brand's high-tech model of all things. Fanatic's marketing man Adolf Hetzer remains calm: "We assume that this is an outlier that occurs once in 1000 boards."
The addictive factor in windsurfing
"How bad is addictive surfing?" asks author Annegret Becker and gets to the bottom of the addictive factor of windsurfing. The symptoms: The addict has "too little free time for work". One of the addicts in the article: A-level student and "scene insider from St. Peter-Ording" Ingo Meyer (19): "When it's whistling outside, I'm restlessly pacing back and forth on the seat of my trousers. My concentration is gone, I wait for the school bell to ring." According to medical information, this is due to the endorphins that are released when surfing. But sports psychologist Günther Bäumler sympathises with addicted windsurfers: "Surfing is a great fascination, it holds so many surprises, experiences and improvements to your own skills that it never becomes monotonous. This approach alone is enough for a healthy person to become addicted." In contrast to "real" drugs, however, surfing has a lasting effect on self-confidence and body awareness, or as Professor Bäumler puts it: "The psycho-hygienic benefits of surfing far outweigh the disadvantages." The law is also on the side of windsurfing addicts: Paragraph 20 of the German Criminal Code (StGB) allows unauthorised absence from work for anyone who is "incapable of seeing the wrong of the act due to a profound disturbance of consciousness."
Then as now: amateur regattas are booming
What the Racer of the Sea or the German Wave Tour are today, the Wave Slalom Cup was in 1989. The basic ideas are the same: uncomplicated regattas for newcomers, without club pressure or professional airs and graces. "Protests and bureaucracy are frowned upon", it's all about fun and fair duels. Three contests are planned in St. Peter-Ording, Sylt and Klitmöller; those without their own equipment will be provided with F2 boards and rigs. Although real pros are allowed to take part, they will not be included in the ranking except for one super session. Instead, Björn Schrader and Axel Ohm will act as referees: "The show was better than some World Cup waveriding," was their verdict after the opening event.
And what else?
- A new DIN regulation states that surf masts must float. This is intended to prevent accidents caused by flooded rigs.
- A new twist on mandatory life jackets on Lake Garda: supposedly, the waistcoats can also be used as a mast protector while surfing and only need to be worn in distress or during inspections. Whether the local carabinieri will see it the same way, however, is more than questionable.
- surf launches the "Clean to the lake" campaign with the aim of making travelling to the spot more environmentally friendly. In Holland, bicycle trailers for equipment are already widespread, and surf school operator Florian Brunner has set up a shuttle bus at Walchensee
- Advertising gems: The F2 ad on page 21 leaves us with questions: Why is the guy putting a fish in his mate's shorts? Why is there a woman with a pineapple behind it? What does this have to do with windsurfing equipment?
- While today the mast track is always unanimous, until the mid-nineties almost every manufacturer had its own variant. surf showed the different models with advantages and disadvantages in 1989
- What does the ideal surf shop look like? A good selection of all brands and price ranges, trained and smart sales staff, a nice atmosphere, parking spaces and good service - that's how surf.
- Power jibes on large step-up boards and small slalom boards - a perennial favourite even in 1989. There are also tips for surfing with overpower
- Fanatic offers a beachwear collection with the design of the Mamba and Boa models. Also available again in 2020 for the40th anniversary.
- Worldcuppers reveal their in and out spots. Among the tops are Maui, Margaret River, Heiligenhafen and Barbados, while the outs include Lake Garda, Florida, Holland - and Maui
You can click through the entire magazine in the gallery above!
More surf reviews:
- These were the highlights in surf 6/1978
- These were the highlights in surf 4/1979
- These were the highlights in surf 11/1980
- These were the highlights in surf 4/1981
- These were the highlights in surf 5/1982
- These were the highlights in surf 9/1984
- These were the highlights in surf 8/1985
- These were the highlights in surf 8/1986
- These were the highlights in surf 5/1987
- These were the highlights in surf 8/1988
- These were the highlights in surf 4/1990
- These were the highlights in surf 6/1991
- These were the highlights in surf 3/1992
- These were the highlights in surf 9/1993
- These were the highlights in surf 4/1994
- These were the highlights in surf 7/1995
- These were the highlights in surf 11-12/1996
- These were the highlights in surf 7/1997
- These were the highlights in surf 4/1999
