Windsurfing season has just about come to an end. NW winds are shifting to SW and SE directions now which is no good for windsurfing here. So windskating is the next best thing. Had a good session yesterday.
Feel free to share your windskating stories.
Guy Trudeau is our local windskate hero and has posted here before
as you can see, he is getting other locals "into it"
Nice video,
Wish I had some others to windskate with. We have a real small group where I live. Just me, another windsurfer and 3 kiters. That's it, we all get along real well with each other, even the kiters. Lol.
Joe Windsurf,
I like the footstraps on your board. I'm wanting to jump my board, but I'm limited without straps. Does the rear strap get in the way of when you gybe? Since there is little room to maneuver on these boards.
I remember we used to do this 20 something years ago, it was hard on the booms, the grips and aluminium would get pretty chewed up during bails! Do you guys have that issue, or just crash rarely?
Hi Scotty Dog,
I bail every once in a while, but the gear I use for windskating is already used, worn out gear to begin with.
I have 3 sets of gear for 3 different types of windsurf rigs. My nicest set goes on my sailboard, when that gear starts wearing, it gets passed on to my windski, when that gear is on its last leg, it gets passed on to my windskate. The gear on my windskate is worn out gear,taped up sails, scratched up boom, old mast extension with older mast. The gear just gets handed down the chain as you can see. I do wear a harness when I windskate, and it's very effective, especially when going up hill. I use my worn out harness for both windskating and windskiing.
I was sharing the same mast, boom and extention for both windskate and windski, but I just bought a new mast, boom and extention for my sailboard, so now the windski and windskate will have their own complete gear now including sails as well.
if you want info on the windskate magic ride ...
you can go to pages.infinit.net/gtj101/home.htm
and/or pm gtj101
i have only just begun windskating and play with designs 
How well do the freestyle tricks you do on the windskate translate into windsurfing? Would a windskate be a good way to practice technique for freestyle tricks?
I just bought a skate board and drilled a hole in the center of the board, just behind the front chucks or front wheels for the universal joint. Then screw on the nut on the underneath side of the board to the universal joint and that's it, you're ready to windsurf on land. If it's your first time windskating, I recommend getting a long board skate board, rather than a shorter board, because the longer boards have more room to move around on, and they track easier. The short boards are lighter and can spin out easy if you take a turn to fast or you're leaning out too far with too much mast foot pressure. Once you get the hang of it, you will move fast. I clocked myself at 23 MPH ON my board so far. That's freekin fast on a skate board. Back winding your sail is your best friend when wanting to stop. Works like a charm.
Another nice thing about windskating is, there is hardly any drag, so your sail size will be much smaller than if on your sailboard. For example, when it's blowing about 14 MPH, I'm on a 5.3 sail on the windskate, but on the water I would be on my 6.8 sail.
my first attempts were as follows:
with faster wheels too:
but never made it to this:
Joe,
Looks like you have a short board, so you had to put the universal joint in front of the trucks for more room to maneuver. The only reason I put my universal joints behind the trucks is because it helps prevent catapulting. If your not going very fast, it's very easy to catapult on a small rock in front of the front wheels. I found that when the universal joint is behind the trucks, it helps drive the board over small rocks or pushes the rocks out of the way to prevent catapulting.
Is that you on the black platform?
I have open spaces of grass to give it a go , but I'm worried about snapping my wrist.
Ive seen it happen to a friend of mine , on a skateboard , landing in grass , six months off , poor bastard.
I like soft water.
I hear your concern IMAX about potential injury. They have these windskate boards with beefed up wheels so you can windskate off road. The only reason I picked up windskating is because when the windsurfing season ends here, I can still get my windsurfing fix but on land instead of in the water. You definitely have to be more cautious on land. I'm always out wearing a helmit, knee pads and wrist splints and I have been fine.I have bailed several times with no injuries so far. Knock on wood...
Just tracked my speed yesterday on the windskater and I was at 18.9 MPH top speed. My fastest ever was at 23 MPH.
Just tracked my speed yesterday on a windsurfer 40.44 mph! Always faster on the water and softer when crashing, still lots of wind in the Gorge.
For sure water is more fun and comfy if you bail. My fastest on the water is 38 MPH, so 40 is pretty impressive. What board were you on when hitting those speeds?
Yesterday I was on the old gear just cruising around at Stevenson. 2008 Naish SP 80, 2011 Loft Race Blade 5.6, 2016 Vector Raven 26 Roo mod. Choppy and bumpy as usual with wind 20-30 mph from the East. Down at the coast when I'm running the speed course it's the Mistral Speed 41, Neil Pryde EVO5 5.0 and Tribal Sym Speed 21. Looks like it will blow down at ARooBar tomorrow, forecast for 40 mph breeze and nice low tide to coincide. www.windguru.cz/119475
Very happy I purchased a windskate the other day. Have not seen it only photo. a friend is hopefully bringing it home to melbourne from Brisbane. It's a 12 inch tyre model with cast trucks, stainless axel, should be great on big open beach, this is my 3fd windskate with golf buggy wheels, fastest speed almost 60km/h on Fraser Island 20 years back. A fisherman was driving next to me telling me to go faster 60 is enough. See ya
Those windskates sound pretty neat with those off roading tires on them. You can go all over the place with that. I'm sure you will have a blast with it.
I have had a lot of great sessions with mine. Windsurfing season just ended here for me, so windskating is the next closest thing in order to get that windsurfing fix.
