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It seems water windsurfing hit mainstream in California and then in the seventies it boomed in Germany. Not really sure where it is MOST popular now, although I have seen some clips with lots of activity in Japan. Also just read that windsurfing is still more popular in France and Germany than in the U.S. of A. In case you have NOT heard - Windsurfing Magazine is NOT publishing in 2012 !!!!
Ice windsurfing has some popularity in NE United States, but seems to be even bigger in the Scandinavian countries. There also does seem to be some snow windsurf activity, but not too much. Snow seems to be more kite and ski oriented - here in Montreal in any case...
What about windsurfing on land ?? Since the season between water and winter windsurfing seems longer than usual this year, I thought I would investigate ... In Holland and the UK the "whike" seems to have caught on {i am NOT sure how they pronounce it !!} The whike is like a specialized tricycle with a specialized sail {not a windsurf sail}. In the UK they seem to be allowed on bike paths AND roads !! Think they cost something like 3500 Euros in Holland $%^&*()
Also from the UK comes the turfdog, which simply looks like an altered "mountain skateboard". I tried to order one on-line just to check the price and it was around $700 !!
Locally Guy Trudeau Jr. shows you how to make a windskate using a skateboard. He uses one to practice his freestyling {not that this fellow needs any practice !!}.
You can check Guy out at www.windskate.ca and here is a clip of his tricks on land:
Since I am NOT a free-styler, I am guessing I would be better off with a "mountain skateboard" like a "turfdog". As I am always on a budget, it will be something I make from leftovers :-)
As long as I do NOT look like these clowns :-) {another video GONE} $%^&*(
Unca Freddy just informed me that the lake is frozen up north with a fine crust of snow on top and snowmobiles have passed by...
Forget the land thing - i'm goin' up north and ice windsurfing !!!
Update - was at 30noeuds today and they sell "land surfers" between $283 and $600 where the deluxe model actually has a brake. Employee/ownertold me he has been selling many to dog owners !! They use them to "train" the dogs ie the dog pulls them !!
Why not go all out like this ??
and then there are always more - these are from the Auzzie w/s forum
In fall 2015 I started investigating how to get more time out (not necessarily TOW/ on water) since cold weather is NOT always the easiest nor the most comfortable of conditions ... And so, chatted with GTJ of Montreal who sells different versions around $200. 30noeuds sells MBS Mountainboards , but it is around $350... Hardboot of Wasaga Beach uses a land skate. And I discovered there is a Hungarian company making 3 wheeled Deska boards ...
I have written about my "new" 1990 Fanatic Ultra CAT longboard in another post. I have always been a longboarder and only recently a shortboarder - last four(4) years.
In case you have not noticed SUPs are gaining popularity. Some of them accommodate windsurf sails.
The KONAs are gaining popularity too and seem to be going towards a one-board race class/division.
However, longboards are also coming back in the limelight. Even if it is getting difficult to purchase a brand new one. For me it was not just an availability issue, but also a cash issue. The CAT is a classique and i love it already.
No discussion on this subject would be complete without a mention of the infamous LBWS site and forum. They seemed to be out of commission for a bit , butt are now back in full force !! Check them out at : http://www.lbwindsurfing.com The LBWS site discusses some of the latest boards which donut even seem to be available yet:
Exocet RS D2 - where D2 seems to mean the DIV II nose Starboard Phantom 377 with batwings AHD Tactik supposed to be "good in 0 to 15 knots" and supposed to plane in 10 knots
An interesting thing about the Exocet is that Richard Reatti aka "yagon" of LBWS had sent plans to Exocet that never materialized and yet the RS D2 looks JUST like the plans !!! You can read all about this on the LBWS website.
Interesting board just the same !! Was showing video here, butt now they mark it as private ^&* Believe I have managed to download it and share it here...
Fanatic was supposed to come out with a newer version of the CAT in 2006, butt that never happened. On the Fanatic forum and the LBWS forum members are screaming for this board !!! Here's an article about the board that never was : http://www.boardseekermag.com/equipment_reviews/equipment/fanatic_megacat_2006.htm
So, why the renewed interest in the more traditional longboards ? A longer board glides better. Most of the new modern boards do NOT schlog well. In light winds a raceboard can plane up early and can be used in winds up to about 25 knots. Talk about your one board solution !! {I still have three boards just the same :-) }
People are saying these boards are more difficult to learn on. I still use an 80's BIC Dufour Wing to teach people who have never been on a board. First they play on a Mistral Windglider to get a feel for the wind and sail and then i pop the same sail on the BIC. AND OFF THEY GO !!!
One thing I always loved about the longboards was the cruising about on a beautiful sunny day. NOT something one does on a formula board or shortboard - not even a 160 liter !!
So, check out the LBWS link further up in this post - they do have some videos too. ENJOY :-)
When one speaks of RACE longboards - and even longboards, the question often comes up as to which sail(s) to use !! So far I have successfully used older sails that still rig on epoxy masts and also my more modern Maui Sails. There were a Pursuit , MS-2 and a TR-4. Usually i rig them with the leech tighter than usual. This seems to be ideal for this type of board. In Toronto it seems they are amour-ed with the Severne Racesails - 9.5. They do not seem to have them here in Montreal. On the StarBoard forum Remi mentions the use of the Severne Overdrive 8.5 - and they have a StarBoard Race sail too. I have asked on the Maui Sails forum if they were considering making specialized sails for winter windsurfing and longboards. Does NOT look like that is going to happen soon ... Cambered sails are nice because they retain their shape through lulls and help the board glide on through ... Just saw that Severne longboard sails are called "Dagger" now...
James Douglass "stole" my idea and wrote his own post/article on the subject called new-and-weird-gear-that-i-want-to-try {Great minds think alike, fools seldom differ ...} James took it a little further and included some of the boards for the up n coming lighter folks AND some interesting boards like SUPs that may go well with windsurfing AND the new trend in formula, where the board is a giant rectangle ie almost one meter all the way along. We won't discuss the fact that the post contains a new idea in kites :-) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In OCT 2013 this MegaCAT sold on e-bay for $325. Reserve was about $300 and asking $375. If it was NOT North Carolina and i had not just purchased my Mistral Equipe i would have been VERY tempted. At the same time they were discussing the longboard "craze" on iwindsurf: http://www.iwindsurf.com/forums
May 2014 - halo777 has purchased a "sport" version of the RSD2. It is not the carbon version and as such is a little heavier and probably more durable. There is actually a potential for me to try this board, as it is in Toronto !! I am drooling already ...
So, yes I purchased a Mistral Equipe I/one in 2013. Sold it at the beginning of 2016 and purchased a Mistral Equipe II/2. Actually purchased the 2 before I sold the one. Also sold my Fanatic Ultra CAT at the same time in order to reduce costs in the year 2016. The Equipe II/2 that I purchased has the standard issue with the gasket wearing out. My model is the carbon XR and is VERY light for its size. For light winds in the 20 kph range I cannot say that I have had anything better. Now we need to see how it does in the bigger winds - since it was a raceboard in it's time ... Will post a pic when I get a good one !!
Also, DIV II/2s are starting to show up on the marker !! People must be aware of the rekindling of interest cuz none of them are under $300. At $200 I would venture an attempt, but perhaps the price will drop ??
This one interests me the most, but is asking $300:
I originally wrote this post around November 11th, 2011, which also happens to be the last time i was out on the water. What is unusual about this year is also the warmth. It is now December 5th and I have tried to go out nearly every weekend in the last month. Yesterday I actually rigged up the TR-4 10-oh and the AHD with a 53 cm fin, butt the winds died... I am kicking myself cuz i coulda gone out with my CAT longboard. It is already up north stored away until next spring. Next year the CAT stays here until it's time to get the winter boards !!!!
Now back to the original post :
I am almost sure the year is over – had flurries already and snow announced this week....
My longboards have been brought to storage since about three(3) weeks now ...
So, Let’s have a look at the good, the bad and the ugly…
It cannot have been all that bad cuz I did have over 60 outings !!! Over 53 % of those were with a longboard. Started with the BIC Dufour Wing and ended with the Fanatic Ultra CAT. Yup, I purchased a beat up old CAT that will be my most used board next year !!! Over 85% of those 60 outings were with the MauiSails Pursuit 8.5 or the MS-2 8-oh. Yes, I also purchased a proto-type MS-2 8-oh sail which has 2 cams and works well with the CAT …
This obviously indicates that the winds were lite this year !!! Only about 15 “good” outings with the shortboards and only went out about 3 times with the Fanatic BEE LTD 124. The longboards allowed for more outings and the CAT planes earlier than anything I have ever tried !!
The light winds made learning more advanced skills somewhat of a “forget about it” {to be said with a Long Island accent } . Beach starts were definitely improved. Water starts were barely practiced and the foot strap phobia was not even touched !!!
Discovered that the TR-4 10-oh also goes well with the CAT. At one point was considering selling the TR-4 and the 520 mast.
Did not break much stuff this year, butt I did lose a $200 weed fin in the local river $%^&*( At that moment I also put a nice rip in the palm of my right hand. Bee propolis seemed to cure it quickly and nicely.
Having difficulties selling anything. Have the F2 Comet 330 board , MS Pursuit 8.5 sail and Autima 490/90% mast for sale on various websites. Had some nibbles, but the people seemed far away and not willing to meet half way. I usually am willing to meet, as a seller and as a buyer !!! In the end managed to sell the sail and mast on the 28th of December = yeah !!!
Helped one fellow at work purchase an 80’s kit with sail et al for $50 to play with at his cottage. He says his kid is loving it.
Purchased an inflatable Mistral WindGlider with a 3.5 meter sail. My 12 year old nephew used it successfully and was going about the lake within 1 hour !!! Took a collegue , Dolores, out on the water with the WindGlider and within one hour she was on the BIC Dufour with the 3.5 sail. Someone from the lake called my wife at home, who stayed back since she was not feeling well, to inform her I was on the water with a strange woman:-)
All in all sounds like it was a GOOD YEAR = lotsa TOW/ time on water !!!
{ light winds or naught !! }
Now I just need to put my stuff away and prepare for the next season
Some people like logos so much and are so dedicated to the product that they have windsurf logos tattooed on themselves !!!
If I was to get a windsurf tattoo, i would like to go with something more along these lines:
It is called "Mutate Now" from Artur Szpunar - of Maui Sails..
Windsurf Board Logos
An anonymous tipster informed me/us: "The Windsurfer logo is generic and not particular to the Rocket. Actually the Rocket was rather a particular board, not representative of the whole line. Same logo though, including the 2011 Windsurfer (made home in Australia, imported US)."
----------Windsurf Sail Logos ----------
Another anonymous tipster pointed out that Raceboard Sails include Aerolite, Demon and XO. These are specialized sails that one does not see often nor hear about - unless that is the type of windsurfing you are doing. There is a discussion right now on the LBWS forum regarding the Demon Sails. Apparently they are NOT cheap in $$$ nor quality. Made in the US of A and hand made !!! NICE !! Or is it UK ?? Still NICE !!!
It seems in Toronto the Raceboarders are using Severne Raceboard sails. Ironically I cannot seem to find em in Montreal. For now I am okay with my Ultra CAT , MS-2 8-oh and TR-4 10-oh :-)
Will look for those logos NOW !!
I also omitted Point-7 - those "black sails".
And WHY do i like logos?
I like to know what the locals are sailing. Pros can sail anything, but local talent is NOT all semi-pro. There definitely are some that are expert, but most seem to be average joes.
AND it shows me what is available in the area. We have three(3) local shops and i know what they carry. So, if i see anything out of the ordinary i ask about it. Even JP users are asked if it is worth the price. JP's seem a bit $$$. Once someone finds a product they like, they seem to stick with it. This especially makes sense in the sails.
What about logos for the accessories ?? Those products are less visible which means you can see them up close anyway.The fin which is the least visible piece is still the engine under the water !!! The boom is visible, but so thin, it is difficult to put a visible logo on it.
Lately on the forums {iwindsurf, SB and the auzzie one} there have been discussions about "nose protectors". They started to make me wonder whether they actually did anything to save one from a "nose job".
This is obviously what we are trying to avoid !! {foto from the board lady}
So, I wrote to a local rep, Bruno of 2-rad. He makes me smile because he is so matter of fact. He says if you take 170 liter board out in over 25 knots of wind and do a few catapaults, you are bound to bust a nose. Either yours or the boards. He says the protector will protect the rider, butt not the board. He used the analogy of protective bags in the car. In an accident all the cushions will protect the people, but not the vehicle.
Have seen other people and discussions about boom sleeves/bras, mast base pads and the such...There are those strange animals called deviators, but they just make me nervous. How much stress can a mast track endure ?
Somehow I get the feeling these issues are just a fact of life. You ride dangerously and risks or personal and equipment injury goes up.
One can start with the boards covered in foam like the AHD ZEN and i have seen polyethylene boards like the BIC Techno that seem to survive almost all minor incidents and still look almost new. Everyone seems to consider these boards "okay", but lacking in performance.
I have learned to live with chips in my fins and repair them during "downtime". My AHD FF 160 is very "sensitive" and looks beat up. It still rides really well and planes up quickly.
So, as i said earlier, i just learn to live with it and take the risks.
However, the "board lady" says to avoid the rigid nose -pads, but YES do get the padding and here is an example:
In the comments the Canadian guy, back from Provenance, swears by deviators and pads.
Bruno says the deviators pull on mast track and cause delamination.
Yvan of AuVentFou says deviators are "passés".
Always thought there was an obvious way to put the board on the roof rack.
Since the bottom is flat , the top rounded and sensitive, I always put the bottom down on the rack.
Once that is decided, I think it is logical to put the board facing the back in terms of aerodynamics. If it was facing front, there would be wind resistance and loss of fuel efficiency.
Then there is talk on the SB forum about leaving the fin on or taking it off. My fins cost me over $150 each. They will stay IN the van and in their protective sleeve !!
I also donut like to pile boards on top of each other since this stresses the footstraps - unless i put some tennis balls in the straps and keep board bags on.
The craziest thing i have found is this image. In other words - donut overload #$%^&* [:)]
It looks like they either set this up just for the picture or had an accident where the door was blown off and thus crinkled the roof. ODD ...
Yesterday, Sunday the 2nd of October 2011 was a cold FALL day with winds out of the NE. There were stories of super waves and super jumps at Quebec City. Locally there were guys out on their 4.x sails and 90 liter boards. They were all VERY excited - and i did NOT get to go out at all : ( Would have liked to go to Vaudreuils or at least do one hour on the local river - even WITH the rock danger !!!
Check out these pics !!!!! as usual - "item may no longer exist" in link below $%^&*()
There seems to be an interest lately in the COBRA plant and also a renewed interest in custom boards. I am guessing part of this is due to the information available now AND an interest in boards like the Phantom longboards which are more difficult to mass produce well. Here is a clip with pics and some pics ...
As usual - pictures and videos are disappearing - pictures I can download, but I am unsure what to do about disappearing videos - for now - wish i could download and put them under my name and give credit #$%^&*()
Since the COBRA factory video disappeared, here's one in a SUP factory :
Je vais essayer de faire cette entrée en francais pour mes amis de La Plaine/St-Lin :)
This post will be attempted in French for my new friends - try the Google translate - put in French and then English :) When it goes OFF the main page i will put an English version too ...started - interspersed with French BELOW
Merci beaucoup pour avoir me donner la chance d'essayer la fameuse planche Fanatic Ultra Cat !!! La planche n'est pas juste connu pour les vents legères MAIS aussi pour sa vitesse !!! Ca date des années début 1990 et il y a du monde qui l'utilise encore !! C'est environ la même longeur que mon BIC Dufour MAIS beaucoup moins lourde, plus épais et moins large en arrière. C'est connu d'être capable de "planer" et roule casement avec les mêmes vitesses que les "shortboards".
Je l'ai nettoyé et ca fait une belle planche n'est-ce pas !!
Thank you SO much to my new friends for having given me the chance to test the infamous board Fanatic Ultra Cat!!! This board is NOT just known for light winds BUTT also for its speed!!! It dates back to the earlys 90's and there are still plenty of people who use such a board !!The board is approximately the same length as my BIC Dufour BUT is much lighter , less thick and less wide at the back. It is known to be capable of planing and going with same speeds as shortboards.
I cleaned it and it is a beautiful board, is it not ??
Qu'est-ce que ca prendre pour être une "longboard" du type course ? Comme déjà discuté, il faut que la planche "plane" rapidment ie ne prend pas trop de temps, evidement la planche est legère, le "mast track" peuvent être ajouster pendant le "voyage", le derive est fait en carbone, l'aileron est fait en carbone et c'est assez controllable evec vitesse et quand on change direction. Aussi le dérive peut être enlever de l'eau completement. Cela n'est pas possible avec le BIC Dufour. J'ai pensé que ca prendrait une aileron plus large par exemple ...
What does it take to be a " longboard" of type race ? As already discussed, it is necessary that the board plane up early, obviously the board must be light, the mast track can be adjusted while planing , the "keel" or centreboard is made out of carbon, the fin is made out of carbon and the board is rather controllable when direction is changed or under speed. One needs to be able to remove the "keel" from the water completely. That was not possible with the BIC Dufour. I would have thought this would have required a larger fin - to run with no centreboard.
Some say this board can be gybed like a shortboard !!
Pour sortir de l'eau completement, le dérive depasse la planche en haut. Il y a une couverte qui protège les pieds et donne la possibilité de facilement re-descendre le dérive.
For the centreboard to be taken out of the water completely , the keel sticks out of the board on top. There is a cover which protects the feet and allows one to push the keel/centreboard back down - with one's feet.
Le pied de mât est different et le "socket" aussi.
et l'autre coté plus haut ??
Il y a une genre de "pedale" pour être capable de changer la position du mât pendant qu'on "roule". MAIS c'est quoi la cord en dessus - qu'est-ce que ca fait dans la vie ?? Ca l'aire que c'est une genre de cord de sécurité.
There is some kind of pedal to allow one to change the position of the mast while moving, planing hopefully. BUTT what purpose does that cord serve ?? Apparently it is a safety cord that is NOT really required on this version of the CAT.
Le lendmain je suis allé sur l'eau avec ma voile MS-2 8.0 dans les vents très legères à Baie d'Urfé. La planche flotte mieux que mon BIC mais je trouve qu'elle flotte casement trop. Elle me fait penser à des BICs que j'ai essayé. Les nouveaux BICs flotte comme une bobin de pêche. C'est dur avec les vagues de face et de coté $%^& J'ai mis l'aileron dans le milieu et le "mast track" en arrière. Mais j'ai oublié de barré le mast track $%^&*($%^&*( Casement aller dans l'eau %^&*( Pas utilsé l'harnais aves ces vents faibles. Mais eu du fun pareil.
The next day I was on the water doing a test run using my MS-2 8.0 cambered sail in the very light winds at Baie d' Urfé. The board floats better than my BIC but I find it almost floats too much i.e. too floaty. It makes me think of other BICs that I have tested/tried. The new BICs float like a fishing bobber. It was difficult with small waves straight on and from the side $%^& I had put the fin in the midlle and the " mast track" at the back. But I forgot to lock the mast track $%^& * ($%^& * ( Almost flew into the water %^& * ( Did not use the harness in these weak winds. However, definitely had fun.
La prochaine fois ca va être avec des vents plus forts !!!
Next time I will go in "bigger" winds !!!
Les caractéristiquesdu planche ??
Longeur : 380 cm
Largeur: 67 cm
Volume: 250 litres
Poids: 13.5 kilos
Dérive: 70 cm
actuellement j'ai découvert que les mesures sont moins que indiqué ici. J'ai un chat/"cat" qui est plus avant le "mega cat" avec "juste" 210 litres and largeur de 66 cm. Le longeur est 374 cm et le derive est mesuré à 63 cm. Je ne suis pas sure du poid !!
Board characteristics??
Length: 374 cm
Width: 66 cm
Volume: 210 litres
Weight: between 13.2 and 16.6 kilos
"Keel": 63 cm measured
Fin: 12 inches/ 30 cm
Box: A-box
The board goes VERY well upwind (like most longboards) and planes in lighter winds than I thought. It seems I have the earlier, smaller version and the later, larger version was more race oriented .. and approached the specifications of the infamous MegaCAT.
La planche va bien "upwind" et va "planer" dans les vents plus legères que j'ai pensé !!!
Voilà qu'est-e que j'ai écrit dans ma journal...hier le 30 septembre 2011
By the time I got back and was ready to go , the wind had dropped and everyone was getting off the water. Including the kite surfers. So, I went out on the water ALONE and PLANED with my MS-2 8-oh !!! Some people commented on the Fanatic Ultra before i started:) They said they just donut make them like that any more. Even Helmut is talking about getting a longboard now !!
The above in italics is from my journal entry of 30SEPT2011. The only issues I have now with the board now are - need to change footstraps and the deck is slippery - needs reDek !!!
I have now made a video to describe the board - forgot to mention that reDek has been applied:
# 1 ESP 1, Fanatic Mega Cat, Neil Pryde RS:X 8.5 m2 and Loft sails 8.5
# 2 FIN 5, SB Phantom Race 380, Neil Pryde RS:X 8.5 and Severne Raceboard 8.5
# 3 FRA 259, Fanatic Mega Cat, Neil Pryde RS:X 8.5 and Bic OD 8.5
The ultimate raceboards were and are now all 380s like the Mega CAT, Phantom, Exocet, F2 Race NEXT STEP - gotta get me ona those 380's !!!
During my first experiences with the Ultra-CAT, which i will call U-CAT from now on, i felt that the board did not turn as tight as i would have liked. This was with tacks since gybes/jibes were NOT attempted. At first I thought a longer or bigger fin might help. However, some readings showed that fin placement played an important role in this... The further up the fin, the more "turny" it would become and "less control". The further back and it is to be somewhat more traction and perhaps even faster, butt less "turny". I had put the fin in the middle. Before I purchase a new fin that will cost as much as the board, i will do some experiments with moving the fin forward some ... One place that does carry US box fins up to 40 + cm is gsport. Have written them to see availability and shipping !!
On the longboard forum they are calling the Mega Cat fins trim box - thought the Ultra Cat was US box !! Some US box seem to have an additional "fin" at the bottom/top. What's that all about ?? Will have to check the fin box on the U-CAT now $%^&*( Here's that Mega Cat fin discussion -
In May of 2012 I changed the base of the CAT. I wanted to be able to remove sails from one board and put them on another ie swap boards instead of sails. This is NOT possible with the OLD boards cuz they all have proprietary mast bases. So, I took Yvan of AuVentFou's suggestion and CUT the old mast base. Then I purchased some washers and an 8 mm nut. This went on the standard Chinook US mast base. In order to put it on I need to loosen it about 4 turns, but then it tightens on fine.
Looks a little funny cuz it is NOT going snug to the board = NO matter, Will see how the feet like or dislike it !!
Here is a photo :-) Also asked Yvan if I can return the aluminum extension I just purchased :-)
I had made adjustments so that the mast base is now a standard mast base with full pulley support - in order to be able to take race sails downhauled properly. This created other issues - the nut came off once in the middle of the local river and someone called the fire department and three(3) times the pin came out. And so, I needed to find a solution ...
First i thought this clamp might work ...
However, on the base a piece of plastic is in the way ..
However, since the base was off, could make nut tight ...
And added a rope to keep clip on ...
And now just need to test this setup !! TESTED and GOOD !! Update: have to remove the "rope" as it wrapped and pulled on the clip.
Here is a video that shows one can have a good time in light winds:
i like the sounds, the colours, under water stuff and sailing in light winds NO harness and NO footstraps required One day will post one with planing and some editing :-)
I cannot believe that I am still piddling around with the mast base %^&*() I worry about losing the clip and the round piece inside. These two(2) pieces are custom for this board and not used elsewhere. I may have found a similar mast base for sale and would go back to that if i could. At least have the choice. My next attempt was jamming a wooden dowel under the clip to ensure it does NOT come out. After that i need to ensure the nut does NOT come loose and perhaps raise it a bit - bolt is scratching the track.
The very next day in May ... 2013, i continued my "experiments" with this base... I added another washer so that the bolt would NO longer scratch along the middle of the mast track. I know there are ways to stop nuts from loosening, but there is not a lot of room on the bolt to try things... And so I added bolts - one on each side so that that portion of the mast base could only twist and NOT turn. It is starting to look like something from a science fiction movie or from a knee joint operation, butt if it does the job - that is all that matters ...
This board is after all the board i have used the most so far in 2013. Tried sailing with the 160/79 once and with the Formula 94 cm board once also. Those boards need specific wind conditions and are not as forgiving. More and more i am looking at getting a real longboard - something like a StarBoard Phantom 320 or even the freaky AHD Tactik, which is not really a longboard and may even be considered a hybrid...
For now - let the tests continue .... :-)
The first test run was a COMPLETE success !!!
Note: On the next run I DID have to re-tighten the mast base and as such made another minor adjustment...
Just the other day I came to the realization that Fanatic Ultra CAT makes for an interesting acronym. This longboard has just become my FUC board :-)
And yet another adjustment to the FUC mast base - i added a tie wrap.
This one may be the clincher ...
I still look for what could/would replace this board - should the need arise. So far it is still between Kona ONE and SB Phantom 320...with a lean towards the StarBoard...
In 2014 I busted the nose when i hit a sandbak and somewhere prior busted the clip. The mast base is proprietary and as such was crazy glued - seemed to hold, but is always a weak point with NO alternative. With the clip and the nose repair, this board stays at the chalet. I still enjoy it very much on the little lake and have replaced it at home on the St Lawrence River with the Mistral Equipe I LCS-XR which is VERY similiar in terms of specifications. On that mast track I have put a metal plate under the track and attached a standard US base. MUCH better,,,
I used to wonder how people managed to punch a hole in the nose of their boards. Well, I wonder NO MORE. My buddy Ed helped me fix this board to show it is invincible. Here is the video when it made its return to the water :-) {still need to make a planing video with this board}
In 2016 I am trying to sell it as I now have way too many boards. Now it looks more like this:
It is a FANTASTIC board and the ONLY reason I am selling it is, I just have too many boards now. Currently have eight(8) boards !! For $150 , it is a steal for a GREAT board !! SOLD in less than 10 days ... with mast foot, fin, carbon centreboard, some footstraps , etc
I did not make many good videos of this board - sadly ... found this ok one...
