Beiträge von Erik Loots

Someone like Antoine Albeau or Dunkerbeck (in the past) or Peter Volwater use a trim that generate more drive/power. This is made possible by higher center of effort (more force from the middle to top of sail). Because they are strong enough they can. A normal windsurfer will feel catapult (is nearby), front foot flying and sail feeling quite stiff. I also used gear from pro windsurfers that where quite comfy, but they where not top 10.

Zitat von Basti_HH

wenn "performance-orientiertes" fahren mit dem race-kit so physisch, so belastend, so anstrengend, so permanent grenznah und dabei nur marginal effektiver als andere material- und fahrstil-spielarten sei, warum werden dann besonders ausdauer-, langzeit und distanzfahrten ganz überwiegend mit SL-material gefahren? wäre das freeride-kit da nicht viel besser geeignet? ist es wirklich so, dass diejenigen, die diese sessions auf dem race-kit performen, um ein vielfaches besser trainiert, stärker, ausdauernder und leidensfähiger als anders orientierte freizeitfahrer sind? oder schließt sich hier vielleicht doch der kreis zum eigentlichen thread-thema, zu den lehr- und lerntheoretischen konzepten, zu eventuellen lernplateaus und letztlich zur zentralen riggfigur? ist es nicht zumindest zu wesentlichen anteilen so, dass derjenige, der auf dem race-kit lang und weit und viel und erfolgreich fährt, viel eher gelernt hat, die körperliche belastung ganz wesentlich zu reduzieren und optimieren, als allein die kraft zu maximieren?

In my experience, if a good amateur tried using a pro windsurfer’s slalom setup (with the pro’s trim), things would play out differently, they probably wouldn't make it very far. I rode full race gear for a long time, but when my skill improved, I swapped equipment with some top-tier windsurfers (like Peter Volwater and others). That was an eye-opener: I quickly realized my gear wasn't truly race-tuned at all.

To use a Formula 1 analogy, my slalomequipment trim was like driving an F1 chassis with a normal engine and everyday tires. It felt great to ride for me because the frame was lightweight and stable, but it wasn't tuned for extreme performance.

Windsurf R&D evolves so heavily around slalom for some businesses. It’s possible in theory to build highly tunable, stable freeride or freerace sails. Without getting into negative specifics, I’ve used plenty of freeride/freerace sails that felt poorly balanced and unstable. Designing excellent freeride equipment is tough because most industry developers come from a pro racing background and there is limited development budget. But asking an F1 driver to test and decide what makes the most comfortable and practical road car in the world is a flawed approach in my opinion. Unfortunately, freeride/freerace development is often always tied directly to slalom development, with much less time invested. Freeride and freerace gear should offer superior handling (which is better stability) over a wider range (at the cost of top performance) ==>otherwise, what's the point of using it at all? I think Loft Sails, especially Oxygen, is quite a good example. The oxygen is nice, also on long distance. See the video of Mario Kumpel at defi this year with oxygen compared to racing blade. Also Pieter Bijl using the North freespeed at defi with great succes is a clear sign some brands do make great products beside the sl-range

Slalom windsurfers simply cannot afford to lose control in the strongest gusts. The moment control goes, you end up with a tailwalk, spin out, or nose dive, and it is game over for that heat. At high speeds, it is also genuinely dangerous. For freeride/freestyle/freewave it is a smaller problem to loose control.

Because of this, slalom racers trim their gear specifically to handle the absolute worst moments on the water. They constantly factor in how much they can physically compensate for when the rig gets wild, just to avoid a bad crash. While competition sailors do adjust their trim, I believe reading the water for better gusts and sea states, managing stamina and strength, and taking calculated physical risks play a much bigger role in their success (compared to ability to trim).

Maybe there is a fourth criteria: the willingness to train your body for stamina and strength. It is the drive to push through physical stress on your body, rather than sticking to a relaxed, hang loose windsurfing style.

Personally, I prefer the hang loose windsurf style most of the time. I realized somewhere in the past 15 yrs that this mindset does often not align with pushing for absolute top performance. I used to chase that holy grail where you could have high performance while keeping a completely relaxed vibe. Every now and then everything is nearly the hangloose topperformance holy grail, but in my experience, that rarely happens and only in lab (very controled) conditions.

Outside of steady wind and flat water, real-world windsurfing presents constantly changing conditions. Rig tuning ultimately depends on three criteria:

1. Logic (Standard Balance): Setting up gear to achieve balance trim;
2. Contextual Balance: Determining when gear is balanced based on location and conditions. If wind is steady and waterstate regular, then this is easy (aim for always best balance). If waterstate or wind is variable, then decisions have to be made. For example: Speed sailors trim for flat water and gusts, while a flat-water trim causes tailwalking in rougher water.; slalom sailors trim for gusts and rough chop. Freeride trimming for average wind, they use light and smaller sail, while shortly being overpowered in gusts;
3. Performance Demand: Maximizing performance narrows window of control, requiring more strength and physical effort to handle unbalanced behavior. Lowering your target from exteme performance to high or moderate performance makes it possible to experience far more versatile and easier windsurfing and enjoy across varying conditions a great balance with lighter gear and more balanced stance.

For pure enjoyment and all-day effortless gliding, good freeride gear is often ideal. While some advance to freerace, freewave, or specialized slalom and speed kit, freeride is rarely boring in unpredictable waters. In contrast, predictable "lab conditions" demand high-performance gear to keep things exciting. This variance is precisely why universal gear and trim recommendations are so hard to give.

That would be excellent for weedfin users too, even with a bit more drag from the box

Sometimes the wind and water conditions are just pure, uncut garbage. Depending on your gear, a session can range anywhere from "mildly disappointing" to "an absolute dumpster fire." My last session was a masterclass in the latter. We had 14 to 30 knots of wind, shifting directions every five seconds, sort of a wave machine making chaotic water that looked like it was personally offended by the concept of regular chop.

My power distribution was 60% underpowered, 20% overpowered, and 20% normal. Sure, on smooth water I can sail one size from 14 to 30 knots. But in deep-water chaos? Yeah, "excellent" wasn't even on the menu. Throw in a miserable upwind beat just to get away from the beach, and it was clear: there was no holy grail here, just suffering.

According to my Garmin, it was a "heavy, productive workout." According to myself, it was just a shitty session, I should have driven to another spot.

In my experience, a board that handles heavy, chaotic chop well shouldn’t be too wide. More width simply means you’re hitting more chop, while a narrower board cuts through it and feels naturally more damped. I understand freemove and freewave shapes don’t really fit the goal here, soo freeride seems interesting.

For a heavier rider, the board needs plenty of volume, quick and easy planing, and a shape that stays comfortable when the water gets messy. The Patrik F‑Ride stands out for me: it’s faster than a freemove board, has a wide wind range, and I haven’t found another board in this category that offers more volume per centimeter of width.

Another option could be the JP Super Ride, although it’s noticeably wider for the same volume.

My brother and I both really like the Tribal Libero in chop and windy conditions, it stays controlled and predictable when the water gets rough. Once planning a less wide board is just so much easier in chaotic water, but sometimes we need volume to float through lulls.. any board is a compromize anyway. Good luck in finding the best compromize for you.

When I’m windsurfing along a beach or shoreline and the wind angle makes me sail upwind in one direction and downwind on the way back, I shorten my harness lines for the upwind leg. Other than that, I don’t change much; the last structural adjustment I made was about a year ago. Back then I was stubborn and sailed with 1–2 cm less outhaul than Monty recommended on my Switchblade. When the sails were new, I tested different settings and preferred a slightly negative outhaul. Sometimes the sail felt great, other times less so, but I usually rig quickly and fine‑tune on the water.

During one session I had pulled a lot more outhaul because my boom was set 2 cm longer and someone was talking to me while I was rigging. So I ended up with the recommended outhaul, and the session was fantastic. I only noticed the difference at the end. After testing it deliberately, I changed my earlier conclusion from when the sails were new, and now I sail with 2 cm more outhaul.

In those sessions the wind was a bit gustier. The sail still had plenty of pressure, but the gusts were quite sharp, so I lengthened my harness lines by about two inches. It immediately felt better and more balanced. For me, more outhaul pairs well with slightly longer harness lines. So my setup still changes depending on trim, sail type, brand, and so on.

Twenty‑plus years ago I always sailed with 26‑inch lines. Later, when I started doing more speed sailing, I began varying a lot. Now the variation is smaller, but adjustable lines still have value for me. I could sail with fixed 26 or 28‑inch lines as well; I would just compensate more with boom height and mast‑foot position, but changing harnasslines lenght is just easier (can be done during sailing)

I’ve used harness lines from 22 to 34 inches, and I generally enjoy sailing with the shorter ones more. Longer lines do have clear advantages: they help you deal with gusts, make it easier to hook in early, allow you to handle bigger sails for earlier planing, and they work better when you use more downhaul. In the end, the ideal length is simply part of your trim and depends on how you want the sail to behave. When you look at slalom photos from about twenty years ago, many pro riders used seat harnesses with 24–26 inch lines, which made sense because sails were more powerful and had a more closed leech. Today, harness lines are generally longer, sails are bigger, and the leech is much looser. That’s also why I enjoy my freerace sail: it feels a bit like the race sails of the past, more powerful, slightly smaller size.

I use the older NeilPryde vario lines (the green and black ones). I wouldn’t say that I use longer lines on a narrower boom. In reality, the length of my harness lines and the height of my boom are things I fine‑tune every session. I have a set that goes from about 24–30 inches. I usually try to sail with relatively short lines (around 25–26 inches), but when the sail feels too powerful or I need more control, I lengthen them.

My main boom is the AL360 Carbon Freeride 170–230, which is one of my all‑time favourites. I also own the AL360 Carbon RTE 180–230. I like that wider boom in light wind on my 8.5 and 7.8, but with the 7.3 I don’t really need the extra width. For me, the Freeride boom simply feels easier to sail with. And honestly, the harness line length doesn’t change much between these two booms.

What matters far more to me is the vertical position of the harness lines (their height above the water), not the horizontal distance between the lines and the sail. By adjusting the boom height and harness line height, I can trim how the board’s nose behaves while planing. I believe this is because the rider’s weight makes up roughly 60–75% of the total windsurfer system. The whole momentum basically rotates around the rider’s arms and harness.

A low boom and low harness lines make the board feel sticky, because a lot of power sits above the boom and pushes the nose down. A high boom and high harness lines make the board feel loose, because there is much less power above the boom, so the nose gets pushed down far less. This vertical relationship (and the resulting board behaviour) is the main reason I adjust my harness line length (and boom height).

As for boom width: even on my 7.8 there is no real need for the wider carbon boom. I experimented with this. If I use less outhaul (and take advantage of the extra space for more belly), the sail actually becomes worse. The power increases too much, too quickly and variable and too high in gusts, which pushes the nose down, makes me feel every bump, and causes the board to hit larger chop. With enough outhaul, the sail fits perfectly fine in my AL360 Carbon Freeride boom. Sure, a few decimetres of the sail touch the narrower boom, but that’s no problem, the sail still performs great. Only the 8.5 in light wind has such a big belly (which works) that it doesn’t sit nicely in the smaller Freeride boom. Still harnasslines are pretty much the same rules, easy conditions is shorter lines and harder conditions is longer lines.

I use both Loft Sails masts and Nolimitz masts. The Nolimitz ones come from the same factory as Ezzy, so they’re a bit heavier, stronger, and slightly stiffer. I actually often prefer the Nolimitz.

The tricky part is that everything changes when you switch mast types. A stiffer mast or a mast with a different bend curve requires a bit different downhaul (and sometimes outhaul) settings. The recommended trim on the sail is often no longer correct.

I would only suggest trying or buying different masts if you’re experienced and know how to trim a sail properly, even when there are no numbers printed on the sail. You also need to accept that it will take a bit longer to get the trim dialed in perfectly.

Otherwise it can become very frustrating, and you may end up disliking both the sail and the mast.

The risk with using a different mast is that it simply might not fit the sail. For example, I once had a Reptile Reverse mast that never worked well. I could windsurf with it, but the sail felt noticeably less stable than normal, a clear sign the mast wasn’t a good match.

If you choose a non‑recommended mast, that becomes your own problem. The recommended mast isn’t always perfect either, but if you buy it new from a good brand, shop, or distributor, you’ll usually get some support. You do need to explain your situation carefully and provide all relevant details, otherwise they may think you’re just a “professional complainer” (someone who blames their gear for being slow instead of looking at their own skills).

On Thursday afternoon, 58-year-old Jelte Kruijer from Delfzijl passed away following a collision with a motorboat on Lake Schildmeer near Steendam. Kruijer was a highly experienced watersports enthusiast and a former professional windsurfer who competed internationally in World Cup events during the 1980s and 1990s.

The incident occurred around 3:50 PM near Damsterweg. Despite the rapid deployment of emergency services, including a trauma helicopter, Kruijer succumbed to his injuries at the scene.

The 19-year-old driver of the motorboat, a resident of the Eemsdelta municipality, was detained for questioning and later released, though he remains a suspect. Specialized marine police units are currently investigating the exact circumstances of the collision, including right-of-way and speed restrictions on the lake.

RIP Jelte.

Video Jelte at Aruba High winds

Source article: News article

Windsurfing is following a trajectory as cycling: a former mass-market phenomenon that retreated into a hyper-specialized niche due to an obsession with extreme performance, but is now perfectly primed for a broad-based revival.

In the 1980s, windsurfing was an accessible lifestyle hit enjoyed by millions. However, the industry gradually shifted its focus toward the high-performance end of the spectrum, favoring small boards, technical rigging, and gale-force conditions. Much like road cycling once alienated the public through an over-engineered, win-at-all-costs culture, windsurfing became too difficult, expensive, and exclusive for the average recreational sailor. Modern light-wind gear and the rise of windfoiling have brought the sport to a turning point. High winds are no longer required to glide effortlessly across the water, allowing the sport to return to calm lakes and everyday beaches.

To fully capitalize on this potential comeback, the windsurfing industry must shift its strategy. Manufacturers need to prioritize light-wind accessibility by developing stable, forgiving equipment that delivers instant fun on day one in gentle breezes. Marketing should transition away from extreme wave riding in heavy storms toward an inclusive outdoor lifestyle centered on wellness, freedom, and family adventure. Furthermore, the industry should adopt the community-driven model of modern cycling by supporting local beach clubs and casual social gatherings rather than purely competitive events.

My wife actually found this one and said it is a great windsurfing spot and there will be wind. Google confirmed, so we drove there. Once there I found out google autocorrected Bandholm info Bornholm (which is a totally different location). So there was no information. I checked at local sailing club and explored with SUP this spot. On the last day I tried windsurfing.

It is a wonderful "back-to-basics" spot with no reception, which adds to its peaceful, relaxed atmosphere. Everything you genuinely need is well taken care of: clean showers, proper dishwashing facilities, fresh water refill, and a wastewater disposal area.

The location offers great activities right on your doorstep. On Sunday, we took the vintage steam train to Maribo. A unique, charming experience that felt like stepping back in time and is highly recommended.

For windsurfers, Bandholm seems to be a good spot, even though information online about surfing here is almost nonexistent. Thanks to local insights from the nearby sailing club, here is what I learned:

You can rig up your gear on the grass directly next to your camper. Walk just 3 meters, and you are right in the water!

Rig and Conditions: The bottom is sandy with some seaweed scattered around. The entry near the shore has quite a few (and partly sharp) stones, so surf booties are a must. I used a 31cm weed fin. Walking out, the water gradually deepens until you reach a safe depth to get on your board. Further out, it deepens to well over 1.5 meters, keeping the water surface relatively flat. Good for freeride or freerace.

Wind Directions:

Northwest (NW) Wind: I had a brilliant session in NW wind (sideshore). The wind was quite consistent, giving smooth, fast flatwater conditions. Pushing it lightly on my GPS, I easily reached nearly 60 km/h with a 118L board and a 7.3m sail over a 25km session. If I would have had problems I would drift to shore or the nearby island in front of the port of Bandholm.

Southwest (SW) Wind: SW brings gusty off-shore/side-off conditions. Depth charts for the area west of the spot are somewhat vague about shallow spots too the west (or left) from campsite. I was the only windsurfer and did not dare windsurfing with SW, also because with problems I would have to swim against wind and chop or drift to a far away island. I chose distance from the coast to be safe. Or check the depth on a windless day with a SUP (rental or your own). If there are no big rocks under water somewhere windsurfing with SW will be great to (in knee deep water). Keep in mind with strong wind (especially SW) the waterlevel could drop. The tide and current is very minimal.

Session gps-speedsurfing: Session gps speedsurfing

Location google maps: Location google maps

All in all, Bandholm is a quiet paradise for motorhome travelers and a freeride/freerace spot for windsurfers looking for flat water.

It can be a very good windsurfspot, but I cannot say this for sure after only 1 hour test.

We stay at the Feddet strand resort. I have windsurfed today with 3 local windsurfers and 2 local kitesurfers. Started at Fed Havn, which was a 1200 m walk (place 786) with my trolley with windsurfgear. I could rig on gras. The wind was Westsouthwest. There is a big rock in front of a small peer across the Fed Havn according to one of the locals. For the rest not much dangerous, sandy bottom, werd. Further a tribal weedspeed worked good here, so you need a normal weedfin.

Session on gps.speedsurfing: Session gps speedsurfing

First was stay is great for my kid and wife. Feddet Strand Resort is a premier five star holiday park located on the scenic Feddet peninsula in South Zealand, Denmark. Situated right by pristine white beaches and peaceful coastal pine forests, it offers a luxury resort style camping experience for families, couples, and outdoor enthusiasts.

The resort caters to various comfort levels, offering spacious pitches for tents, caravans, and motorhomes, alongside fully furnished holiday cabins, mobile homes, and high end glamping tents.

Guests have access to an indoor pool and water park, a wellness spa with saunas and hot tubs, sports courts, an indoor game area, and multiple outdoor playgrounds. Onsite dining includes a restaurant, a cafe, and a well stocked supermarket.

Surrounded by a protected natural area, visitors can enjoy coastal hiking, electric mountain biking, horseback riding along the shore, and water sports like paddle boarding or kayaking. It also serves as a convenient base for exploring regional attractions such as the Faxe Limestone Quarry and Møns Klint.

I have not seen the video, partly because my interest in professional windsurfing and pushing absolute limits dissapeared somehow last decade. I only occasionally watch Nico’s content, simply because he is a true professional. My own preference leans more toward a non‑competitive mindset and the free spirit of windsurfing. I enjoy the feeling of being connected with nature on a windsurfer rather than fighting the water, the wind, or other sailors. I still like going fast, but in a balanced and relaxed way.

Naturally, anyone can accelerate more over the first hundred meters when running, but if your goal is to cover twenty kilometers in a day, it is unwise to exhaust your muscles right at the start. The same logic applies here. Nico Prien is giving professional advice, and his points are absolutely correct for advanced sailors. However, when amateurs try to “push the fin,” it often leads to oversheeting, which stalls both the sail and the fin. Which emptues the muscles and often lowers speed (and more spin-outs).

It is comparable to a rally driver telling people to go full throttle through every corner. A professional drifts and controls the slide, but an amateur who does not drift will simply shoot out of the corner by following that instruction literally. So Nico’s tip is excellent if you are a highly skilled and well‑trained windsurfer.

For most amateurs, I believe a different approach is more helpful. They should aim for a balanced setup where they can stand on the board in the harness and almost sail without holding the boom. From that neutral and stable position, they can then try to go as fast as possible and optimize in small steps. This approach is more enjoyable, allows them to sail for hours, and gives the sensation of moving with the flow rather than fighting against nature. If windsurfing would promote this, then it actually is the best sport in the world (I believe). Being one with nature, flying above the water like a bird.

This idea mainly applies when sailing on a fixed course, whether upwind, on a beam reach, or slightly downwind. On an open course, where you slingshot and rotate with the gust, you do not try to maximize pressure on the fin, because that would prevent the board from turning smoothly. Slingshot with the gust is the easiest and most effective way to reach top speed, provided the water conditions allow it.

For the style of sailing described by N Prien, stiff fins are needed to handle extreme pressure. I used to own a few of those ultra‑stiff Sonntag fins. My current fins are slightly less stiff, which means I can still push hard, but not endlessly. At some point the vertical lift becomes too strong (with my not ultra stiff fins) and the board rises too far out of the water.

Even so, fins with a bit more flex have clear advantages. They absorb shocks better and reduce leg fatigue, because you do not need to apply constant heavy pressure to fly above the chop. In practice, water conditions and control often determine top speed more than the fin itself.

I have always preferred a light and effortless sailing feel. As a former speed surfer, I gained my speed more from smartly slingshot with the gusts than from brute force. But in PWA or Defi the course is fixed and you need to look which pressure and fin you can handle, this is mainly dependend on weight, strenght and condition of the rider. Dunkerbeck was also a good example in the past of being able to ride with more pressure (more power then others).

In the end, windsurfing is not fun, it is hard work and tough sport to get the best performance. It is not what I look for in windsurfing, but for N Prien it is his living, his profession. He needs to find the edge of what humanly is possible if he wants to win.

I really enjoy the NeilPryde V8. It has that classic Robert Stroj design feel. That said, in higher winds, you definitely need to apply more outhaul tension to keep the profile from blowing up too much. The drawback to adding outhaul, however, is that it tends to close off the leech slightly above the boom. From what I have observed, the RS Racing sails seem to suffer from this issue far less. It is a similar story with my Loft Switchblade: once the wind picks up, it relies heavily on extra outhaul.

I have noticed that pro windsurfers often upgrade the battens in their dedicated race sails to squeeze out a few extra percent of top end stability. I strongly suspect, and hope to test one day, that freerace sails like the V8 or Switchblade would benefit even more from a batten upgrade than pure race sails do.

My theory is that if the cross batten and the one right above it are stiffer in key areas, you will not need as much outhaul in high winds. This would prevent the leech from choking above the boom, significantly boosting the sail's top end range and shifting its performance closer to a full race sail, without the extra hassle. I would likely look into full race sail battens, which tend to be stiffer through the mid section, to experiment with. My best performing sails in the past barely needed extra outhaul to maintain a stable draft. Honestly, modern freeride and freerace sails are already so good that they really only need minor fine tuning to fit personal preferences.

I have looked into the RS Racing lines and like them, but I feel they would be overkill (just as good) for 80 percent of my sessions. They might offer a real benefit 10 percent of the time, but for the remaining 10 percent, they would actually be worse for my style of riding. If NeilPryde released a new RS Slalom, I would probably buy it in a heartbeat. My brother ordered a Speedster EVO back in the spring, but somehow he is stuck waiting until autumn to get it. Once I get a chance to try it out, if it feels anything like the old RS Slalom, I am going to be very tempted.

That said, it is really disappointing on NeilPryde's and the shop's part that he has to wait over six months because of an order mix up. It makes me wonder what went wrong behind the scenes. Were they simply overwhelmed with demand this year, or is there a bigger supply chain issue at play?

I also don’t understand why surf shops believe or focus in a purely online shop strategy and stop there. Brands can easily manage that part themselves. And it’s true that people like Totti show how important it is to have someone who can translate what a customer actually needs and offer information and a platform.

If I owned a surf shop and it was my source of income, my approach would be similar to Mario Kumpel’s, but I would also include WeOne in the assortment. I would select genuinely good freeride and freerace boards for my customers, provide proper feedback, and work with partners who can support this. I would make sure to offer high‑quality fins for good price (test the combinations myself), both weed and standard, suitable for flat water and chop and matched carefully to the boards. I would choose strong and reliable sails. Once everything is in place, I would build up stock with the goal of reducing travel and production costs for customers as much as possible.

The reach should be as large as possible, and YouTube and other social media are ideal for that. I would rig and trim the equipment together with the customer, marking specific settings on the sail for them, and I would even do this over video call for clients abroad. This way they can head out with a solid basic setup that has been fully checked. All masts (each size) would be measured and ranked from soft to stiff. A perfect 75 percent mast is often better than an average 100 percent mast. Heavier surfers would get the stiffer ones, lighter surfers the softer ones.

I would try build a worldwide community and maintain fast, reliable stock. Margins would remain normal, and prices would be good thanks to volume because of the reputation. I would replace gear when something breaks, but if someone is just destroying all equipment, I would be honest and advise them to choose heavy‑duty gear or accept that there is no guarantee. So include a heavy duty option as well.

That said, I didn’t choose the windsurf industry and probably never will. But I do appreciate good developments, and I see positive things happening. I think it is important to acknowledge when things look good or move in the right direction.

My brother and I actually bought a FutureFly at the windlounge, the big white tiger. I also often look at WeOne, but with very good Tribal boards that are still like new and only ten to fifteen sessions per year, it will take a while before I need to buy anything. The Tribals seem to last extremely well.

The windsurfing products are here. The warehouses with limited stock are here. The marketing is all there: visuals, competition results, copy, promises. The only thing missing is the translation key. Does the marketing actually hold up? Does the product work well for you, a heavy or a lightweight rider? A tall or a short surfer? Weed fin or not? Strongly athletic or not? Strand Horst or Makkum? You just need that translation key, and manufacturers' websites are getting better and better at providing it. They have to, because just try finding passionate salespeople who don't bind themselves to a single brand (becoming a fanboy of X, Y, or Z) and are actually capable of seeing things from someone else's perspective. On top of that, the margins multiplied by volume are modest, which is why we aren't seeing much inspiring stuff happen in terms of physical shops. Nico Prien and Mario Kümpel are showing the way forward, though unfortunately still tied to a few brands. If you don't commit to a brand, you likely won't get enough support anyway; back in the day, I often felt that when push came to shove, many brands were scared and didn't truly believe in their own superiority. In other words, you had to pledge allegiance. Because independent testing followed by objective advice could easily backfire for them (leaving manufacturers stuck with inventory). A shrinking market tightens up, and fear certainly reigns to some extent.