May 2012

arrogantj's picture

Windsurfing Needs a Better Soundtrack

Look at MeIs this what windsurfing music sounds like?

For many, if not about all, of us, music is an essential part of our lives. It forms part of our identity (are you rock, soul, CW, jazz, etc?). It defines stages in our lives, from Barney to Bieber to Beck to Bach. It forms a filter in which we see the world - that's the very notion of a film or TV soundtrack - to musically define what's onscreen. Many of our favorite movies and TV shows are memorable as much by their music as their action or dialogue.

It seems that we all have our own soundtrack, too. In the ancient days, you would have to whistle or sing your own but, now, our soundtrack is in our ear buds or car stereo as we play our favorite playlist, Pandora channel or satellite station.

Part of my personal soundtrack: The Soundtrack Of Our Lives - Sister Surround

Surfers have it good. The Beach Boys, almost fifty years ago, penned some of the defining surf songs that are still so recognizable that young kids know them today. This is something that baby boomers, like myself, take for granted. When I was young, I could never have as easily recognized and identified with a song by Benny Goodman or Artie Shaw, in their own day the equal of Brian Wilson. Of course, young groms have their own surf music but the Beach Boys' songs still do the sport justice.

The Beach Boys - Surfin' USA


Ev'rybody has fun
fun
fun
winsurfin' fun.

Back in the formative days of windsurfing, a Dutch group, the Surfers, came out with a hit, "Windsurfing." It's easy to sit here, thirty-five years later and to judge, but remember, this was a time of ABBA, Saturday Night Fever and the waning days of disco. Among the top songs of the year were ones by Andy Gibb, Debbie Boone and Exile. (There was good music, too, just not always at the top of the charts.) But, if we must judge, here it is:

The Surfers - Windsurfing

Well, that probably inspired you to grab your shortboard, huh? No? Of course, not. Shortboarding would definitely mess up that finely coifed hair. It does prompt one thought: Remember kids, what you think is cool today, may look a bit strange in 35 years. Trust us on that one.

To show you the time warp from that song to today, here is an extended video of the same song, this time sung live with windsurfers in the background pushing the freestyle envelope of the day.

Did you see the extreme freestyle move in the background at a blazing 0.2 mph?

We'll pause for a moment while you collect your breath.

This is Why Only the Lonely Windsurf

In 1987, Bruce Springsteen said of Roy Orbison, who was being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: "but, most of all, I wanted to sing like Roy Orbison." Orbison was so cool, that the other Traveling Wilburys, including Bob Dylan, George Harrison and Tom Petty, were in awe of him. In case we're being too subtle, he was beyond cool even for those who were beyond cool. In 1989, his last recorded album was released after his death the previous year. It went platinum. One of the songs was "Windsurfer":

Roy Orbison - Windsurfer

I should have mentioned that Springsteen also said of Orbison:
"With his Coke-bottle black glasses, his 3-octave range, he seemed to take joy sticking his knife deep into the hot belly of your teenage insecurities."

Windsurfer
Windsurfer
All he wanted was
To ride out on the wind

Windsurfer
To be one of the guys
And to look good in her eyes

He practiced in his dreams
Trying to catch the waves
Most of the time he sailed alone

Endless summer days
Flying in the sun
He'd ride and wait for the wind
To take him home

Windsurfer, Windsurfer, Windsurfer, Windsurfer

He said, "Let's sail away together"
She told him, "No, no, never, no"
Wind, windsurfer

It was early one morning
On a lovely beach
He left a message
And he wrote it in the sand

Why do we always go for
Something out of reach?
Nobody ever really understands

Windsurfer
All he wanted to do
Was outrun the sun

Windsurfer
To take her in his arm
When the lonely day was done

Windsurfer, Windsurfer

Great message, Roy. "No, no, never, no" at the end of a lonely day.

Well, if the lyrics don't kill you, maybe the music itself will. Warren Miller was a noted ski film maker who began to film that new sport, windsurfing. His films would always have great footage, thoughtful narration and, cliched 1980's hair metal guitar solos. I'm not sure which is more painful, the music or watching the top pros at the time struggle with moves the best teenagers all over the world can do easily.

Warren Miller- Big Air Windsurfing

Moving to modern times, the Japanese web site, Kuma Movie, throws up some pretty neat videos. I've really enjoyed some that they've done with the freestyling greats of Bonaire. Here's one of some very impressive women in Bonaire:

Kuma Movie: Girls in Bonaire

It about killed you didn't it- everything that's wrong with breathless, Japanese teenage pop star music. No matter who interesting or attractive the windsurfing/windsurfers are, by about three minutes into the video, you are ready to murder Hello Kitty and dispose of the body in an old windsurf board bag on the shores of Lake Lanier.

Sure, a lot of windsurfing videos have really nice soundtracks. If it weren't for a Hot Sails Maui vid featuring Porcupine Tree, I would have never gotten into their music so much. But, it's going to take a lot of good vids to get the now congealed mess of a teenage Japanese pop star singing with a Dutch accent:

And when the evening comes and the sun goes down
Surferboys and girls coming from miles around
'Cause we're gonna have a real party tonight

Talkin' bout surfin'
surfin'
windsurfin'... giggle, giggle


Edit: Original source flash file: http://www.dropshots.com/photos/180568/20070613/155453.flv

Porcupine Tree begins about 1:05 into the video but start from the beginning - the on screen comments are amusing. Original on Maui Surf Report

Got to go now, I just clicked on my Porcupine Tree play list and wondering if the NWS will get Saturday's forecast right.

More stuff:

--- The Arrogant Jerk: Crabby and irritable since 1998.

The Club is Dead, Long Live the Club

Yul

This king has been dead for a while (actor, too.)
Has left the house

This king died on his throne.
King between two whoppers

This king is living large.

Many of the Southeast's windsurfing clubs that were around fifteen years ago are gone. Here is a list of clubs from our web site circa 1998-99. The clubs no longer around are crossed out. Interestingly, many of them were in spots very hospitable to windsurfing.

The reasons for their demise were many:

Le Défi Wind 2012

I just dropped a forum post about a pic from Défi Wind 2011 without realizing that 2012 just happened this past weekend. Le Défi is the world's largest windsurfing race, our New York Marathon.

Here are a couple of vids from the Défi Wind vimeo page. Day 2 features a beach start using a 4-wheeler as the rabbit.

Wally Part 2: The New "It"

Late again?That's the last time this sailor misses a deadline because of watching cat videos on youtube.

More fun than a floggingWhat he should have been writing about (Photo: Keith McCulloch)

Wally Part 1

Janitor's Note: The slacker who's supposed to pen this article has been working on it for two months. We apologise that it's taken so long and promise to brutally punish the author.

When writing Wally Part 1, we really did have a purpose in mind, unlikely as it seemed at the time, beyond waxing nostalgic over the Windsurfer One Design, the Wally. Looking around the internet, we began to sense some changes afoot, good changes. While ten years ago, some were thinking that windsurfing was a been there, done that sport, we've seen that some of the best surprises were still to come.

One of the parallel developments that's happened has been the blossoming of stand up paddling (SUP). Like many of man's best inventions which grow from our frustrations, surfers tired of waiting for ideal surf decided that a paddle could expand what and when they could surf. Additionally, the new boards also meant that one could journey in flat water like a kayak but with a better view being further above the water. Some windsurfers, not quite grasping the big picture, thought that SUPs would dilute the market for board sports at the expense of windsurfing. Those of us who took the longer view weren't worried.

Dear Windsurfatlanta.org Part 30

I need a weed finIs it just me or are the weeds really bad this year?

Another kind missive in our mailbag:

Dear wsatl.org,
With all the tempest in a teacup of windsurfing being dropped from the Olympics to make way for more synchronized divers, there's been an undercurrent of hostility expressed towards the kiting community.
Maybe the last three windsurfers in the world should lighten up before Medicare no longer covers your meds.
Peace on, bro.

Dear Sir Lipton,

Meanwhile, in Skåne

Even as most of us have even put the shorties away for the season, in other places, neoprene is still de rigeuer. Via Hot Sails Maui blog, we found this post about the crew in Skåne (Scania) in Sweden. Happily, google will provide you with the English translation.

The Master Plan Give it a moment and google should autotranslate.

neoprene views

I imagine the water is quite, shall we say, brisk but that doesn't seem to dissuade anyone.

carving cold foam
chilly

Be Famous. Pics wanted.

Not what they are looking for
No. You are unlikely ever to be this famous.

Local guy Ryan Roberts and iWindsurf.com are looking for hi-rez pics for a print ad. Ryan thought this might be a good opportunity for Atlanta to show off its better side. See this forum post for details.

Sign This Petition. Seriously.

nations of the world windsurf
What an Olympic event should look like - athletes from all nations.

Update: Windsurfing is back in. Sailword article

Forum Discussion (Thanks to Chris Voith for update)

Petitionto Keep Windsurfing in the Olympics

For those of you who missed Chris Voith's forum post last week, the ISAF has voted to eliminate windsurfing as an Olympic sport in 2016. While kiting has been added, this should not be seen as an us vs. them issue as both board sports are among the most (if not THE most) technically advanced, athletic, popular and economically accessible sailing sports in the world. Ideally, both sports should represent sailing as an Olympic event as they both embody the ideal characteristics of Olympic competition.