On the threshold of the new millennium: surf is fully in the tech look in 1999, the logo looks like a Windows button and the still young Internet is just taking off. surf offers a wind service for 36 spots in nine countries, exclusively calculated by meteorologist Dr Michael Sachweh (who explained the most important wind systems in the world in last year's big wind special). At Lake Garda, local wind checkers feed the conditions at the spots into a database, and material is provided in return.
Boards: volume instead of length
A new trend can also be seen in the shapes: the first boards come as "wide body" concepts, a few years later the majority of boards are much shorter but wider than in the no-nose nineties. This is also emphasised by the test of freeriders in S and XS: "The length of the boards [plays] an increasingly minor role as a selection criterion. [...]. Especially with the new wide-body shape concepts, length specifications lead straight into the wrong direction." The boards tested - today we would call this group freemove - should combine basic wave characteristics and strong wind heating. To do justice to this, there are some boards with two fin options. Fanatic has even used the shape of an older wave board to build the XS Freerider Bee. However, many of the boards tested require a high level of riding ability.
The freeride wave sails tested also show a recognisable step towards modernity: the masts are getting shorter, the booms are still relatively long. However, the NeilPryde MPR even comes with a camber - "antiquated", says surf and gives the "illegal" tip: simply remove the camber and the otherwise mediocre sail becomes a convincing all-rounder.
Mistral buys Fanatic
The deal of the year: Mistral owner Klaus Jacobs buys Fanatic/ART, uniting two former competitors. "Will Fanatic become a low-cost brand?" asks surf, and Mistral boss Flo Brunner (today with APM Starboard/Severne importer) outlines that Fanatic is to compete against Bic in the lower price segment, while Mistral will be positioned in the upper price range as a rival to F2 and luxury brands such as RRD. However, Fanatic will continue to build boards at the Schütz factory in the Westerwald instead of in the Far East. Mistral is also hoping for more flexibility through production in Europe. The most noticeable change for customers: Powerbox instead of trimbox in the tail. Today, Mistral is only a marginal player in the windsurfing sector, while Fanatic is one of the biggest brands in the world.
The bad word with K...
"Kitesurfing is windsurfing with an all-round view, it's spectacular, radical and yet easy to learn," enthuses surf author Steve Chismar about the then new trend. He introduces the still young sport, explains how it works, board and kite types and reports on a certain Robby Naish, who came fourth at the Kite World Championships after just nine days of training. As with so many water sports trends, it was the Maui gang around Laird Hamilton, Rush Randle, Pete Cabrinha and co. who intensively pursued the idea of being pulled by a kite and drove the development forward. The main advantage: there is usually more and more constant wind in the higher layers of air where the kite is travelling. Important: "The best and safest way to become a kitesurfing pilot is through professional training".
Surf destination Madeira
...more precisely: Porto Santo, Madeira's neighbouring island. surf author Josh Welz persuaded some globetrotters to take a trip to the archipelago belonging to Portugal, because they say it has fabulous waves and reliable wind. After a gruelling journey with a propeller plane and an unruly hire car provider, the wind is there, but initially there is no beach: the north coast is rocky and steep, so windsurfing is out of the question. In the south, however, a long bay with a sandy beach, there should always be a sideshore spot - but now the wind takes a break. Only shortly before the end of the trip does the trade wind kick in and at least give a glimpse of what the island is capable of. Fishermen talk about whipping winds and monstrous waves - it makes you want to know more.
Dropouts in Tarifa
"If you can't make it to Hawaii, you should at least have seen Tarifa" - writes author Steffen Dittrich, taking a closer look at the Tarifa locals who live permanently in the surf capital of Europe. There is lawyer Clemens, the only German-speaking legal adviser in the area, who saves small-time drug dealers from the hard prison sentence in Algeciras and at the same time supports solvent property buyers. There is also shaper Wolle Weber, who repairs windmill rotors torn apart by the wind on the side. There are Beat Steffan and Max Ziegler, who build high-wind sails in Tarifa under the name Bull Sails. There is "Tramontana-Franz", who simply got stuck in Tarifa on his way to Morocco after graduating from high school and appreciates the relaxed life. With Monty Spindler, Stephane Etienne, Nicole Boronat and others, many well-known names from the industry also live and develop in Tarifa and appreciate the spots and wind - nothing has changed in this respect, even more than 20 years later.
You can click through the entire magazine in the gallery above!
And what else?
- 77 instead of 67 litres: The Mistral Naish 8'4 turns out to be significantly thicker in the surf test than stated in the brochure. Background: While surf still meticulously took its own measurements back then (no longer necessary today thanks to CAD shapes), Mistral stated the volume based on the test riders' estimates
- The patent times are actually over, but North wants to pay for the invention of the trim points in the upper sail area. Other manufacturers who print such dots on the sail are to pay ten marks in licence fees. Today, almost every brand has similar markings
- Sturm und Drang: A photo story shows how Anders Bringdal, Robby Seeger and Co. cling to mini-sails on a stormy day on Maui, plus a reportage about storm surfers in northern Germany.
- Klitmøller locals now call Volcans and Air Jibes Hymer - "because only German surfers with fat Hymer camper vans turn up and try the manoeuvre".
- "Who is Daniel Bruch?" asks surf and introduces the Tenerife local. Having just become youth world champion in the waves, Dany wants to attack the World Cup in 1999. It worked - after many years at the top of the world, he is now pushing his own Bruch Boards brand.
- Advanced riding technique: Robby Naish jumps backloop and one-handed backloop, Kevin Ponichtera the ponch named after him
- "It's great that you've revealed the location of the Gatter spot near Renesse, so that even more Heiopeis will turn up there and the locals will start to boil," grumbles one reader. surf asks: Should spots and access routes continue to be published in the magazine?
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 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 11-12/1996
- These were the highlights in surf 7/1997
