Spot Guides South Africa and Saint Tropez
Two spot guides with quite exclusive destinations in one magazine: South Africa has long been a well-known wave destination and an alternative to Hawaii, with more and more surfers coming to the Cape of Good Hope since the end of apartheid. In the big spot guide surf shows all the spots from Langebaan to False Bay. Anyone familiar with modern Cape Town will be surprised at how much has changed there in the last 30 years. By the way: a brand new Spot Guide South Africa will be published in surf 8/2025!
In contrast to Cape Town, most people tend to think of Saint Tropez more in terms of boozed-up champagne drinkers than surfing. However, the fact that the town in the south of France also has first-class spots to offer might come to mind when looking at the map: The peninsula stretches out into the Mediterranean, so one side works in almost any wind direction. "I don't really care which way the wind is blowing," says almost-local Paul Margaux. But when the conversation turns to a possible secret spot, "Paul's previously excellent English suddenly becomes miserable". Nevertheless, we head to Gigaro for a session, otherwise Beauvallon and Pampelonne, Saint Tropez's local beach, are on the agenda. With a strong easterly wind, you see more surfers there than starlets!
- You can find up-to-date information on these and many more spots here: 25 windsurfing spots around Cannes, Nice & St. Tropez
Interview with Ian Boyd
Ian Boyd made a name for himself as a child prodigy: On a cover at eleven, a win off Hookipa at 16 and Junior World Champion. His style earned him the nickname "The Cat" and he was said to be unable to ride 100 metres in a straight line. In 1996, in the autumn of his career, Ian Boyd set up his own business, making riding technique videos for surf, among other things. At the age of 14, he flew from his home in California to Maui for the first time and stayed there for nine months - without his parents, who agreed to his exile in Hawaii with a host family on the condition that he achieved a certain average grade, he explains in the interview. Together with their son and a friend, Ian Boyd became known as the "Kihei Kid", "teasing seasoned surfers with new moves". With the victory at the O'Neill Invitational came the sponsors and the money: "You had to do relatively little to earn a bit of money with windsurfing," Boyd recalls from the roaring eighties. But after three years as a pro, Ian went back to California to study, giving riding technique seminars and writing articles on the side. In the surf interview, he denounces the increasing specialisation and hopes that new entry-level packages will bring more people back into the sport. However, the development away from pure speed towards all-round suitable equipment gives him hope, as does the freestyle trend that has just been born: "If ten surfers go straight on the lake, most of the others will follow suit," he says. "If ten surfers are practising tacking, jibes and jumps, some will try to emulate them!"
You can click through the entire magazine in the gallery above!
And what else?
- Almost 30 years ago, it was just as much an issue as it is today: campers and parking fees. More and more local authorities are increasing the costs, partly to scare away the "motorised backpackers" and "unloved buggies".
- A mini-message in the "News-Fax" (!): surf now also has an Internet presence, at that time still on a collection page of the Delius Klasing publishing house. What has become of the beginnings as a sub-section can be seen here!
- A summer of the century - at least for surfers! In 1996, there was an unusually high level of cachet on the coast and inland, even in the warm season. surf showed the best pictures!
- Learning from the best: Josh Stone and Dave Kalama show how to ride waves in style - whether from the left or the right
- Advertising gems: F2 proclaims the "Year of the Dragon" on four pages - the legendary black and yellow design with the hissing dragon on the wave and freemove boards (then "convertibles") is still one of the most outstanding logos in windsurfing history
- The birth of freeriding: In the test, the old term "slalom boards" is buried and the term "freeride" is adopted from snowboarding.
- With the new products for 1997, many manufacturers are focussing on more volume for more fun at the lower wind limit. Many wave sails can now also be ordered with a 6 at the front.
- Educational work in terms of trim: "You're beautiful even with wrinkles!" emphasises surf and explains the loose leech trim - including trim guides for the most important sail models
More surf reviews:
- surf 4/1977
- surf 6/1977
- surf 6/1978
- surf 4/1979
- surf 9/1980
- surf 11/1980
- surf 4/1981
- surf 5/1982
- surf 6/1982
- surf 4/1983
- surf 10/1983
- surf 9/1984
- surf 12/1984
- surf 8/1985
- surf 8/1986
- surf 9/1986
- surf 2/1987
- surf 5/1987
- surf 8/1988
- surf 5/1989
- surf 7/1989
- surf 4/1990
- surf 3/1991
- surf 6/1991
- surf 3/1992
- surf 10/1992
- surf 9/1993
- surf 10/1993
- surf 4/1994
- surf 7/1995
- surf 6/1996
- surf 11-12/1996
- surf 7/1997
- surf 8/1998
- surf 9/1998
- surf 4/1999
- surf 7/2001
- surf 5/2005
- surf 3/2006
