Looking back

As the year closes in, Simon Bornhoft looks back on his Windwise experiences from 2022 picking out some key tipping points of progression and also demonstrates how the Dyno is one board that you can take everywhere with you.

Gear: Severne Dyno, Gator, and Blade.
Locations: Tenerife / Bonaire / FeelViana / Alacati / Mauritius / Hayling Island / Cornwall.
Photography: Windwise / Kate Ocean / Lorenzo Mittiga / Marc van Swoll / Louis-arnaud Lavasier / Jerry Collyer.
Starring: Some fabulously enthusiast Windwise windsurfers! 

At the Windwise office we’re really lucky to visit some amazingly varied locations and pursue our constant mission is to maximize everyone’s progression and enjoyment on the water. To achieve this we really focus on loving some key skills, playing to everyone’s strengths and also make sure we have the best equipment working for us.

For this feature we’ll clearly illustrate what the Dyno can do and highlight the stand out skills that made a big difference to so many of our clients.

Are You….

• Looking to simplify your windsurfing?
• Wanting to improve your skill level?
• Sailing in a mix of flat water and waves? 
• New to Freewave kit?

Then this feature is for you.

Dyno Days “Versatility On Tour”

From Freeride blasting, bump ‘n’ jump to venturing into wave sailing, where we go, the Dyno goes!

He’s a mini selection of some of the action from 2022.

Tenerife: Freewave and waves
Bonaire: Stunning flat water gybertorium
Alacati: Fabulously easy Freeride
Prasonisi: Perfect maxed out planing
Mauritius: Stunning lagoon and wave options…
South Coast UK: Flat water, coastal, tidal, and harbours.
Cornwall UK: Estuary blasting, ocean swells, onshore and Down-The-Line riding. 

FREERIDE MODE

We use the Dyno in flat-water locations like Bonaire, Alacati, Prasonisi, Le Morne Lagoon and on many UK sessions.  Here’s the most popular tips that make such a difference to so many clients in Freeride mode.

Freeride Flat Water Set Up

Fins: Single Fin

Improver Straps: Inboard Front + Single Back Strap

Advanced Straps: Outboard front + Double Back Strap

Easy Early Planing & Quality Control

A core Windwise skill that has helped so many to get planing earlier is the ability to focus on a really strong ‘7’ stance. You can hear, try or believe all the ‘tips’ you want, but if your not putting your stance in the right gear for the conditions , you might find you’re not getting the results you expect or hope for. Trust your harness and ACCENTUATE everything like you really mean it!

StanceWise “Straight 7”

In marginal conditions truly Lift & Lock those hips, super accentuate a tight torso (like doing a plank) and push through the toes of forward placed feet.  Adopt a finger light touch on the boom. Extend away  in your ‘Straight 7’ to get UP and away!

Quality Control

Another key quality of the Dyno is it’s ability to cope with challenging water states. The combination of Vee, double concave and forgiving rails ensures the board cuts through deadly chop and lets you get on with focusing on your core skills – which should be accentuating ALL of the following.

ControlWise “Drop & Dig”

When maxed out, what you ‘feel’ is very important. So to gain maximum control, really accentuate ‘sinking’ the 7’ and focus on the absolute basics. Drop the hips out, back and down, actually ‘feel’ your lower back sink deeper into the harness more than you’ve done before. Less on the arms – more in the harness! Simultaneously, and crucially, curl the toes up on the front foot to ensure the heels dig that windward rail down. This combined action puts more force down through the boom, holds the rig still and if you then flex the rear leg as you extend the front leg, you and the Dyno will absorb the most aggressive chop!

Even if your set up’s disturbed and, “there’s too much to think about”, trust the system! Focus on accentuating these crucial core skills.

Look: Into and especially out of the turn!

Lean: Into an exaggerated ‘Warrior’, really lean over the flexed carving knee and soft ankle.

Lever: The mast arm away to oppose the leaning body, pulling IN and DOWN on the clew hand.

This trio of skills is the DNA of any gybe and makes the foot and rig change so much easier.

Focused Gybing

When I lend someone (Tom McClelland in this case) one of my Dynos they comment on how easy it is to just lean into the corners. The forgiving outline, rail shape and sufficiently curved rockerline, combined with ample Vee, enables the board to ‘bank’ and grip on a stable line throughout the turn. The rougher the conditions, the more the Dyno over-achieves. Check out Tom’s Look-Lean-Lever into Warrior.

Upwind Survival Gybe

If it’s just going nuts and the thought of gybing is turning you inside out, choosing the right set up line and the Dyno’s forgiving nature will go a long way to making everything possible. Normally if the conditions are on your side, you’d bear away fast and then run through your Look-Lean-Lever. However, so many clients discover that when you’re at your limit, heading really far UPWIND for the unhooking and setting up stage makes such a difference. Why head upwind I hear you say? Well, this reduces speed, crucially helps you sheet in and makes it so much easier to unhook and remove the back foot from the rear strap. Plus this upwind line enables you to then carve harder, tighter and avoid that horrendous bouncing, sheeted out rag-doll feeling.

Carve Hard Upwind: Initially use Warrior to look and lean over a flexed front knee to head upwind.

Clew Hand In & Down: To carve, breath deep, come over aggressively accentuating the Look-lean-Lever.

Keep Low: Sinking and staying incredibly low, clew hand down and in tight, assists  the foot change and release the rig.

FREEWAVE & WAVE

When we visit locations like Tenerife, FeelViana, Cornwall and Mauritius with a Dyno, we actually get two boards! Like a transformer, you can switch modes, disciplines and styles in an instant. A few turns of the SV Hex key gives the board a make over by switching to inboard straps and Tri fin thruster set up and you have a totally different sailing partner.

Dyno Freewave / Wave Set Up

Fins: Tri Fin / Thruster set up for maximum manoeuvrability and grip.

Mast base: Middle to back of track.

Straps: Inboard, forward and loose enough to roll your foot over!

Boom: Dropped slightly compared to freeriding.

Harness Lines: Marginally longer than  Freeride – elbow to blister pads.

How many days are less than perfect? How often do you want a board that has that extra stability, punches through surf and gives you more confidence getting out through waves?

Easy Air

If there’s one area in which the Dyno totally excels, it’s controlling and getting first class air-time! Whether it’s flat water Freeride chop hops or seeking Philip Kosteresque altitude, the Dyno’s compact volume and forgiving rocker line gives directional take off and reduces those vulnerable out of control moments to aid smooth landings.

Remember to tuck up super tight if ever you get air. Extend the front leg and push the board up and forwards as you tuck the rear leg in.

WiseWords: Practicing waterstarts in both straps, really helped a lot of clients to develop the skill of tucking the rear leg in.

Waves

If you lived in a perfect wave environment then you’d be reaching for your SV Pyro, Nano or Stone asymmetric. But for so many of us, windsurfing just isn’t like that. One day you might score great conditions and then the next you’re encountering onshore mush. The combo of the Dyno in wave mode set up and accentuating the wave skills [link to wave features] we’ve highlighted this year means you can take on anything.

One of the most popular and effective Windwise skills this year has proved itself over and over again. Take Warrior as far as you dare into your ‘out of harness’ wave and carving situations and rack up how often the body is looking and leaning over a super flexed knee.

Due to the extra tail width and faster rocker line on a Freewave board like a Dyno, it’s not going to carve ‘rail to rail’ with just light heel or toe pressure. So to get more turn and range on a Freewave board, try to do more with the rig to ‘Oppose’ the body and help the board carve and turn. Whichever way you want to carve, lean the body into the turn and angle the rig, sometimes this is in a really exaggerated fashion the opposite way; be that a carving bottom turn, laydown or tight top turn.

One Year One Board

For just about every coaching session in 2022, a Dyno was being enjoyed by someone at a windsurf centre or stealing my kit. It’s been a super dependable and rewarding board that has been with us on every single Windwise session, handling every wind and water state imaginable and has assisted hundreds of Windwise clients to massively enhance their windsurfing experience.

“I want to thank everyone who has joined a Windwise session this year and also SV for assisting with the stunning gear. We really look forward to another fabulous year ahead!” Happy New Year to you ALL, Simon

2023 Windwise Winds Of The World Tour Dates Many Filling Up!

Tenerife / Bonaire / Alacati / FeelViana / Prasonisi  & More!

Improve your windsurfing and try some Severne gear?

Freeride + Freewave + FoilWise

Your Improvement Starts Here www.windwise.net

Copyright: Simon Bornhoft Windwise