Patrik has three models for children and teenagers in his programme, and even the beginner model has foot straps. What is the idea behind it?
Patrik's training concept is a little different than usual. We tried it out over a longer period of time at the surf school "surfing California" and it has proved its worth. The idea is that we start loop surfing from lesson one, so to speak. So instead of spending a lot of time with very small sails, the courses and manoeuvres, the aim is to get the children planing as quickly as possible. That lights the fire!
Loop surfing is not an easy thing and usually requires certain basics ...
Of course, this is only possible if you use material that is designed precisely for this purpose. A good example is our E-Ride, a model for families and children. It has a soft deck with a colour concept: when pulling up, you're on red, when starting off you're on orange, and then it's off to yellow and green and into the straps. That's why the board has a lot of volume in the tail - you can stand in the straps without sliding because they are very far forwards and inwards. Straps are therefore not a hindrance, but an orientation aid and ensure safe standing. The smaller children's models also focus on early gliding and child-friendly features.
What do these look like in concrete terms?
This applies above all to the strap positions. Our children's boards have significantly narrower crotch widths and narrower plug spacing so that even small feet have good lateral support. The Micro Ride 115 is for all kids who are already thinking about glide surfing. It has a soft deck and an optional centre fin for light winds, otherwise the shape is optimised for early planing. The shapes known from freestyle boards in particular have proven to be perfect for children and have therefore served as the basis: they have a lot of volume in the back and a rocker line designed for early planing and very good acceleration. If the board accelerates well, you surf with less sail pull, which suits kids very well. Of course, the original freestyle shapes have been adapted with corresponding loop positions, thinner edges and the mast track has also been moved further back so that the distances are suitable for smaller people.
There is now also the Micro-X 85 model, a board for advanced children and teenagers without a centre fin, also based on a freestyle shape. At 204 centimetres, it is nice and short and the construction has been adapted, with more glass instead of carbon. This makes it cheaper and a little more comfortable in the chop. 85 litres sounds small, but if you only weigh 40 or 50 kilos and can already glide, then 85 litres can be pretty big. To keep children interested, it's better not to spend too long with huge boards, but to light the fire with early gliding experiences. The only prerequisite for this is that you choose suitable standing areas for practising.
What is more important in your eyes: a perfect children's rig or a perfect children's board?
I would always invest in a good rig first, then in the board.
What is important when it comes to rigging?
Especially the tuning of the masts to lighter rider weights! Actually, it would also make sense to pay more attention to mast stiffness for adult sails. When a 400 mast is recommended, this refers to average rider weights of perhaps 75 to 85 kilos. If you are small and light, you would benefit greatly from a shorter and therefore softer mast, because only then can the sail twist as planned. This is even more extreme with children because they are much lighter. If you fit a small sail with a conventional RDM mast, the sail top cannot work as calculated and the kids have control problems.
What is the reason for this?
Simply because much less force is applied to the sail. The opposing force is not enough for the sail to do what it was actually made for. That's why masts have to be much softer when light adults or kids are hanging from the sail. This is exactly what we have taken into account. Our Patrik masts are not only short, but also beautifully soft and extremely light. This gives the sails a really wide wind range, they work in light winds, but also in strong winds for planing.
What do your masts weigh?
Our masts for the kids' sails are 60 per cent carbon, weigh 750 to 1050 grams depending on their length and have an IMCS hardness of just seven to ten. I can't understand how you can fit children's sails with masts that stick out 30 centimetres at the top and weigh 1.5 kilos. That may sound nerdy to us adults, but we underestimate how much the children's strength is pushed to the limit in some situations. But it's often these "little things" that make the difference between fun and frustration. Every gram counts!
Let's be honest: there are complete children's rigs for 300 euros. Why worry about a children's rig that the kids will have outgrown two years later?
For their first experiences on the water, a simple children's rig is of course sufficient - the main thing is that it is light and the right size. But if you want them to stick with it and above all have fun, the material needs to work and be adapted to them, especially if you want them to start planing and trapeze surfing. And don't forget that a good quality used children's rig can easily be sold on. Or you can use it as a strong wind sail and just buy a larger one.
