With the onset of winter and with Christmas now just 2 weeks away it is time to have a look at the top things on a windsurfer’s letter to Santa this year. If you have a windsurfing crazed husband, wife, girlfriend, son, boyfriend, daughter or even granddad then look no further you’ll be sure to find something here that will fill them with Christmas cheer even as they gaze out the frosted window praying for Spring to arrive. If you are the crazed windsurfer yourself why not send your loved ones this link and keep your fingers crossed!
1) O'Neill Mutant Cold Water Booties
It is getting rather cold in many northern parts and layers of neoprene are always welcomed around Christmas and New Year even if like me you manage to escape the deepest an darkest days of winter by keeping near the equator. For those in the coldest regions these new booties from O’Neil are sure to keep your loved one a little warmer this winter time. With their 6/5/4mm thickness they offer a nice balance of warmth and flexibility for cold water use. The internal split-toe feature gives you better control over your board, while the sealed seams keep cold water out. The entire boot is lined with poly fleece which feels great and wicks moisture from your skin. Also features a top velcro closure to ratchet down a great fit. Sounds good to me! Available from
http://www.wetsuitwearhouse.com/ and priced at $64.95 these are a fantastic stocking filler.
2) The World Kite and Windsurf Guide
This the first comprehensive spot guide to the kite and windsurfing regions of the world! Introducing almost 100 regions in nine continental chapters and featuring over 1,200 of the world's best spots it will have the wind enthusiast reading for hours and they’ll probably come up with some interesting family travel plans for 2011 for all the family. Available from
http://www.stoked-publications.com/ and priced at 45 Euros.
3) Windsurfing The Movie II DVD
Christmas is traditionally a time to sit together as a family and watch festive movies, well what could be better than a Christmas movie from Poor Boys Productions? Their second instalment of their windsurfing journey is white hot right now and while it is not your traditional seasonal flick watching Levi and friends tear it up is sure to get the Christmas cheer flowing. Available from
http://www.thewindsurfingmovie.com/ and priced 29.95 USD this is an ideal stocking filler.
4) Quatro Quad LS 2011
There are wave boards and then there are Quatros. If you want your loved one to take their wave sailing to the next level next year they’ll need the right tools for the job. Levi Siver's signature Quad wave board the Quad LS is judged by many as today’s best wave board. The Quad LS apparently represents Levi dream of an ideal wave board for all conditions. If you have seen him sail recently you’ll probably agree that he is the King of Ho’okipa so despite the hefty price tag and the difficult wrapping job (easier if you leave it in the box) it is for sure money well spent. Priced from 1800 USD for more information check out the Quatro website at
http://www.quatrointernational.com/.
5) A New Fin or 4 from Black Project Fins
With the explosion of multi-fin’d boards there are endless opportunities to try out new set ups and 2011 is going to be a year of innovation, so why not get your wave starved loved one a set of fins so that they’ll be ahead of the game and be able to start dreaming about warmer spring time waves. Even for those lucky enough to be somewhere with warm big waves at this time of year they’ll appreciate that extra grip which might just save them that big swim. This little stocking filler comes with its a protective foam stocking of its own and is available from
http://www.blackprojectfins.com/ priced from 62USD.
6) A Plane Ticket to Cape Town, South Africa
It is true that the SAD disorder affects 8/10 windsurfers around this time of the year which is far higher than in the normal population. Seasonal Affective Disorder or winter depression sets in when the days get shorter and the potential for sailing falls. There is one way to prevent the onset of this and that is to get away from the cold and dark days so why not treat your special someone to a plane ticket to the Southern Hemisphere this winter and Cape Town could be the perfect opportunity, the water is still rather cool at this time of the year but the wind and waves are ripping right now and the seasonally depressed windsurfer in question will have a big smile on his or her face. Prices will depend on your current location, American Airlines or BA would be a good place to start.
7) PX Dominator Environmentally Friendly Board Shorts from Billabong
So these gifts ideas have had a rather cold water feel to them so far, but as much as many of us like to forget there will be those amongst us spending the holiday period on a sunny beach and with all those heavy water rinsing that they have been getting recently it is probably time for a new pair of boardies. These specific shorts from Billabong are leading the way with their environmentally friendly construction made from unwanted disposed textiles. Yep, your read right, that dirty old flannel that they were wearing to death last winter is now a pair of boardies and that has to be good for everyone. Available for various retailers and priced at around 80 USD.
8) F-Hot Go-Pro Carbon Mast Mount
It seems that every windsurfer out their worth his or her salt was experimenting with Go-Pro cameras in 2010 and I know that I am not the only one to have received one as a gift for my birthday! One problem I experienced was that the mounts from Go-Pro were not always up to the job. Step in F-Hot who in conjunctions with Dave White and a number of top windsurfers produced the Carbon Go-Pro Mast Mount which clips directly onto the mast without the need to cut the fabric and even turns to film on each tack, the end result is more action and less editing all at the perfect angle. This is a total must for all Go-Pro enthusiasts. For those looking for a cheaper option they have just also made a fibreglass version. Contact Steve at F-Hot on
steve@f-hot.com for more information.
9) Trickpack
The Trickpak combines both the Trickionay Book and the Trickionary DVD. Together these form the ultimate windsurfing bible, which I guess is fitting for this the most religious part of the year! I had the pleasure of reading the book last Christmas while visiting my brother in the UK, I did try to steal it but the sensors picked that up at the door upon leaving. Even if your windsurfer is a self proclaimed pro then there is still going to be something for them. The three double layer DVDs come packed with over 400 minutes of video which document over 150 moves while the accompanying book is stuffed full with step-by-step how to guides from the basics to advanced moves including 80 pages of wave technique written by John Skye and Victor Fernandez. Available from
http://www.tricktionary.net/ for a very reasonable 79.90 Euros.
10) The One Thing They Really Want
Wind and and warm waves! Soo keep your fingers crossed and hope that a warm front comes over, that the wind blows and that magically perfect waves arrive just on cue.
So there you have it, 10 gift ideas that will make the windsurfer in your life know just how loved he or she is at this special time of the year.
More to follow…
A Closeup of the Type S - mms do matter! 
