Lanzarote, the PWA event and cracking that Flaka

19th Jul 2009 @ 10:31:08 AM

sSs Team Rider, Carl Tomlinson takes every opportunity to travel to warmer climes to practice his windsurfing. Finding the right balance of windsurfing and holidaymaking is critical in the Tomlinson household, so Lanzarote provided the perfect venue, Carl tells all:

After an enjoyable trip last year I decided to book Lanzarote again for this year. There’s a number of things that I really like about Costa Teguise in Lanzo, its warm & sunny, it’s windy just about every day, I don’t have to drive a car….. I drive at least 500miles per week at home so not having a car for 2 weeks is heaven, nice apartment with a big pool and my wife likes it so I can go sailing all day long without too much grief. Downside, well one of them is the waves are soft and onshore and the other is that the conditions aren’t really hardcore wave or consistently flat for freestyle. I’d say it’s a location for consolidating your learning rather than learning new moves. However having said that, for intermediates as a first time go at waves and jumps its perfect.

This year I chose the first week to coincide with the PWA, which worried me a little; as I thought that it’d compromise the sailing. Actually it did, as you can’t sail in the competition area, well you can, but that would be really selfish as you’d potentially compromise the pros ability to earn their living. Anyway the PWA competitor list was like a whos who of freestyle….the Frans brothers, Gollito Estredo, Kiri Thode, Andy Chambers, Remko de Weerd, etc etc. The top sailors were pulling off “burners” on both tacks, and in 25-30 kts of wind on 3.5m sails, everyone was doing planing switch stance front to sail orientated moves whatever the wind with the occasional double forward, thrown in. You see the guys doing it on video but when you see it for yourself happening 50-100m away whilst you’re merrily sailing along it is a truly inspiring even if it is completely out of reach for us mere mortals!! One of the really memorable things is just how much the pros go for it……every single opportunity is taken to pull off moves.

After the event, which Estredo won, it was business as normal by practicing a few of the moves I’m aiming for. It makes you realise that even some of the basic freestyle moves are incredibly difficult and take a lot of practice. However not to be put off, flaka practice continued and on the last day a breakthrough 180 degree spin with a backward slide was achieved, just a tiny little bit more forward extension & I’d have rotated the full 360 completely (well that’s what I reckon anyway!). Will I get a flaka before I’m fifty? Too right even if it kills me!! Roll on the next trip.

Thinking of going?......I took my Twintip100, Wave Cult 85, 5.5/5.0/4.5 Ezzy Wave Panthers all perfect for Lanzo. I flew with Monarch who charge just £30 for taking the gear there & back. There’s plenty of nice apartments at the back of the beach, check out the internet for details.

Carl is a Team Rider for Aloha sailboards in Cheshire

PWA action