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50 events that changed the world of WINDSURFING
1958 – Twelve year old Peter Chilvers (GBR) invented and sails a board with rig connected together with a universal joint in Southern England.
1963 – Robby Naish (USA) is born. We will hear a lot about him in the future.
1964 – Newman Darby (USA) is testing his „SAILBOARD“. Rider controls the kite-shaped sail standing on the lee side. The craft will be manufactured and also produced DIY, but patent papers are not filled.
1967 – Jim Drake and Hoyle Schweitzer (both USA) test a board with sail at Marina del Rey, California. They call it simply „SK-8“.
1968 – Jim Drake and Hoyle Schweitzer apply for a patent of „WIND-PROPELLED APPARATUS“. The SK-8 board was renamed to “Baja Board”. This small series (# c. 70 ) of “custom designed foam boards with the surfboard like finish of polyester and fiberglass” are produced by CON SURFBOARDS Co. within the next year and half (only a handful of this first series survive into the 21st century – one of them is on display in the windsurfing museum). The name „WINDSURFER“ is used since 1969.
1970 – the first mass produced Windsurfer boards are made of Polyethylene. The patent is granted in 6/1970.
About 535 boards in total are produced by the end of 1971 (sail number #315 is preserved and proudly displayed in the windsurfing museum).
1972 – Per Fjaestad (SWE) orders and ships 50 Windsurfers (the very first order from Europe). Per is confirmed as an agent for Sweden, Europe and Middle East. In 3/1972 he will use his own designed and built windsurf simulator (the first ever) during the Stockholm boat show.
1972 – Tom Siefer (DEU) tests his homemade “Pontoon” construction using a small 1971 picture from YACHT magazine. Probably the first documented attempt to build a windsurfer in Europe.
1972 – Calle Schmidt (DEU) brings the first WINDSURFER to Germany. Later this year in Sylt, the first competition in Europe is organized.
1972 – 574 windsurfers are sold with the total number of US produced windsurfers now c. 1,110.
1972 – TEN CATE, Dutch textile producer, wants to sell sailcloth for sailboards and instead brought boards to Europe. A license agreement is announced in December 1972; in 1973 mass production under Schweitzer´s license will start.
Licenses for production in Japan, Australia, South Africa and Canada follow. In less than ten years, 125 manufacturers will be making sailboards in Europe alone.
1973 – Windsurfer is introduced in the UK, France and Italy.
1974 – WINDSURFING HAWAII company is founded. Windsurfers from Kailua „Thor“ Horgan, Larry Stanley and Pat Love and others are bringing windsurfing into the waves and developing further basics of advanced equipment: harness in 1974, storm sails 1976, foot straps will follow in 1977, adjustable booms in 1979).
1975 – Fred Ostermann´s (DEU) WINDGLIDER company starts licenced production. He invents, among others, the “tandem” – a sailboard with 2 sails and starts its production.
1975 – NEIL PRYDE (sail producer since 1970) makes first sails for sailboards.
1975 – Mike Waltz (USA) uses the WS rig on short surf board in big waves (according to Mike himself it occured in 1979).
1976 – Mistral company – brand with the iconic M-dot logo is founded in Switzerland by Peter Brockhaus and Heinz Bader (both DEU). Mistral creates the first international monotype class called One Design (IMCO) and the brand gains immediate international recognition.
1976 – Robby Naish (US-1111) wins his first title at Bahamas Worlds among 456 participants and impresses with his “rail ride” (he will win another 22 world titles in subsequent years).
1976 – The first NORTH SAILS windsurfing sails are on the market. The production under licence will be moved to Germany in 1981.
1977 – Derk Thijs (NLD) breaks the 17 knot speed barrier on WINGLIDER (not serial board).
1978 – HiFly company is established. Its blow-moulded PE boards will be soon famous for their durability.
1978 – Mr. Vorapant Chotikapanich (THA), founds the WINDGLIDER THAILAND company (later it is renamed to COBRA). It will become the world leader in the beginning of 21st century, covering 90% of world board production.
1979 – John Speer (USA) is probably the first one to use hydrofoil on a windsurfer. Several other designs will come later: Joop Nederpelt/MISTRAL 1980, Peter Harken 1985, Rich Miller 1997.
1979 – BIC is established by Baron Bich (FRA). It´s division DUFOUR WING buys the WS licence. Ken Winner (USA) provides first designs. Fred Beauchene on standard Dufour WING board /using 2m2 sail/ passed succesfully 300 miles journey around the Cape Horn in the same year.
1980 – GAASTRA SAILS (est. 1897) becomes market leader in windsurf sails.
1981 – F2 is established by P. Brockhaus. Rider and shaper Jurgen Honscheid (DEU) introduces „FUNboard concept“.
1981 – Retractable daggerboards are introduced.
1981 – FANATIC company is established by Udo Schutz, a succesfull race car driver.
1982 – WINDGLIDER is chosen as the board for the 1984 Olympics. Fred Ostermann sells his business to DUFOUR.
1982 – Christian Marty (FRA) is crossing the Atlantic ocean on a windsurfer (3860 km in 37 days).
1982 – Windsurf board sales are at their height. In Germany alone, 80 000 boards are sold. HiFly sells 22000 boards per year (21000 boards in 1983, 17080 boards in 1984). Sales of BIC (TABOUR/DUFOUR) are even higher.
1982 – Jenna de Rosnay (FRA) sets the world women’s sailing speed record on 23,67 knots. She will set another one in 1984 again. Moreover she will become forever the most photographed women in windsurfing history.
1982 – Full length battens are introduced.
1983 – Fred Haywood (USA) reaches the 30,83 knots speed in Weymouth. This is probably the very first use of seat harness.
1983 – Gaastra introduces and applies for a patent of a camber inducer.
1984 – Clamp booms and RAF sails are introduced.
1984 – Arnaud de Rosnay (FRA), experienced adventure windsurfer, traveller and photographer disappears at sea in the Taiwan Strait.
1984 – Stephan van den Berg (NLD) becomes the first Olympic windsurfing gold medalist in Los Angeles. Scott Steele (USA) takes silver, Bruce Kendall (NZ) takes bronze.
1985 – Legaignoux brothers (FRA) demonstrate the first inflatable kite (commercial boom will start at the end of century, when Robby Naish gets involved).
1986 – Pascal Maka (FRA) sets the world WS speed record – 38.86 knots in Fuerteventura.
1987 – Windsurfing Intl. terminates operation (about 400 000 one design Windsurfers have been sold since 1970).
1988 – Bjorn Dunkerbeck (E-11) gets his first world title. He will win 42 World Championship in all disciplines and set several speed records.
1988 – Bruce Kendall (NZ) becomes the second Olympic gold medalist (Lechner DII class).
1988 – Eric Beale is the first sailor to break the 40 knot barrier.
1990 – Jason Polakow (AUS) starts his PWA career. In 1997 he will be crowned PWA Wave-sailing World Champion and he’ll launch his own board brand.
1990 – The first Indoor windsurfing event is organised in Bercy, Paris.
1992 – Barbara Kendall (NZ) wins the first ladies Olympic windsurfing competition (DII – Lechner). Franck David (FRA) wins gold in men´s category.
1992 – Antoine Albeau (FRA-192) makes his PWA debut. Soon he will win multiple world IFCA and PWA titles and will hold speed records.
1994 – Svein Rasmussen (NOR), a successfull windsurfing rider, starts his own windsurfing company called STARBOARD.
1996 – Olympic´s regatta uses Mistral One Design boards (designed in 1989, modified MOD will be later used for 2000 and 2004 Olympics).
1998 – Transatlantic Windsurfing Race – Four teams (USA, GBR, FRA, GRE), including top PWA windsurfers Anders Bringdal and Micah Buzianis) race from Canada to England.
1999 – First Formula World Championships held in Belgium (the maximum board width is 1m, 12.5m2 sail).
2000 – Current WS speed record holder is Thierry Bielak (FRA) with 45.34 kts (since 1993), PWA overall winner is Kevin Pritchard (USA).
2000 – Vaclav Hornik is launching Windguru.com…
2000 is not the end of SAILBOARDING history…
WINDSURFINGMUSEUMPRAGUE thanks to:
boards.co.uk, seabreeze.com.au, Jan Volman, Jan Štumbauer, Marek Raška, Joe Windsurfer, members of Old school windsurfers FB group, pwaworldtour.com and many other.
For study purposes only – 5.2019.