|
|
 |
The most talked about article in Issue 7.3/4 is “The Insider.” This sensitive interview with a former North/Mistral associate has captured many European readers and the fall-out over the information has just begun. German Surf magazine officially published an attack on American Windsurfer’s motivation, as considerable links to www.americanwindsurfer.com have been made. This article proved to be a major turning point for the windsurfing industry.
Honest Test
I have been following the Maui test reports with immense interest and delight. Finally an effort for an honest test by the people that matter: the customers. Well done, AW for making this happen!!!
However, the real reason for this letter is the issue of North Sports test boards, or rather, the lack of. I just can’t help it but have to reply regarding this matter. To put it bluntly, I can’t just sit by and watch this arrogance and stupidity by one of the so–called market leaders in the windsurf industry.
I was the Managing Director of the company that manufactured the Mistral boards in Germany and Malaysia, and therefore, I believe, qualified to make some observations.
I can’t say I am surprised by the behavior of North Sports, which as you may know, is a subsidiary of the Mistral Sports Group. During the time that I was responsible for the production of Mistral boards, on a number of occasions, Mistral requested “special” boards to be produced for the German surf magazine tests. These boards even had to be air–freighted (at great expense!) to reach the test locations on time.
When I now read that North Sports requires payment for the provision of test boards for the Maui test session with real people and not world cup riders, this just blows my top. Perhaps “special boards” couldn’t be done on time??? Or maybe the American market is not important enough? How North Sports can so blatantly disregard such an important marketing opportunity is hard to understand. Do they really think, that because they have almost 50% of the world market share (Mistral, Fanatic, F2), they don’t need customer feedback anymore??
But upon reflecting on this issue, there is some benefit to this development, as it will give you an opportunity to test the products of the more innovative and customer–oriented brands, such as Starboards, RRD etc. that are probably more deserving anyway. Keep up the good work.
Dr. Kurt Svrcula
Malaysia
We flew to Malaysia and talked with this mysterious Dr. Kurt. What we uncovered was not only sobering, but also inspiring (see The Insider on page 42). The decision to charge for equipment was made by the US importer and not from the international parent company. In the past the Euros have been very supportive of AW. No response came from the US office.
Against The Insider
After reading your interview “The Insider” with Dr. Kurt Svrcula we were, of course, really upset with Mistral. The more we investigated, the more we realized that a big part of Mr. Svrcula’s reproaches are definitely wrong. I want to comment on the most important reproaches in this interview, because that’s to the expense of our reputation:
1. From the boards mentioned in the interview, that were allegedly produced by EFK, as Dr. Kurt Svrcula said, as a special order from Mistral for the surf magazine test, Surf magazine never requested or tested the following products he quoted: Mistral Flow 260, Classic 315, Mistral One Design.
2. From the remaining boards only the Classic 276 and the Explosion 295 came from the production site in Malaysia. The other boards were produced by Fritzmayer in Germany. This, in fact, weakens most of the allegations against us.
3. Surf magazine published an article in issue 6/98, where we compared the weights of sixty test boards with the weights of corresponding products in surf shops (we did it twice) and with the weights manufacturers published in their catalogues. We weighed 180 boards. This was the result of the investigation:
Most of the brands revealed insignificant weight differences of the boards, either up or down on the scale. We assume that these differences are due to tolerance factors during production. The average weight deviation of the Mistral test boards to the figures in their catalogue has been not higher compared to other brands (AHD:-2.52 %; Bic:-1.26%; JP:-2.3 %; Mistral:-2.12 %; RRD:-2.1%; Starboard:-4.4 %; Tiga: +2.2 %)
4. Surf magazine has an agreement with every manufacturer, to cut boards in half that attract attention with very little weight. We have the consent to check the construction at any time after the test.
5. How little insight the so-called “insider” Svrcula had into the organization of the surf test is revealed in his statement that five to six world cup riders test boards that have nothing in common with the boards an ordinary windsurfer can buy in a shop. Let me tell you first: We have seven testers in our test team and only one participates “without any sponsors” in freestyle world cups. And secondly we make spot checks that all the test boards have the same shape as the products in the shop display.
6. Mr. Svrcula mocks our testers performing duck jibes and helicopter jibes on these boards. Let me tell you that we have a special test routine and the boards will be tested according to what they have been developed for. During seven weeks we tested performance and maneuverability of the products. And in addition the testers perform freestyle moves on freestyle boards. That’s what they are made for, aren’t they?
I would like to make some general statements on the test: SURF magazine carries out the most extended test and “in our opinion” the most independent and the most objective test worldwide. It is known as a fact, that American Windsurfer asks the manufacturers to pay freight expenses for this test on their own. The freight expenses for our test in South Africa come to DM 40,000,00. Together with the expenses for the team and logistics our costs rise to DM 120,000,00 (and that’s only talking about the test in South Africa). Of course, we pay these expenses. I would like to invite you to the next test of SURF magazine, to give you an idea of our professionalism, accuracy, and effort we put to run a test.
Josh Welz
(chief editor) Surf Magazine
AMERICAN WINDSURFER REPLY TO SURF: We have the utmost regard for the German surf magazine and agree that when it comes to equipment tests, you guys have the highest professional standards of any publication in the world.
But after reading the article in your magazine, we are amazed that Surf magazine would take a position that lawyers call “character assassination” of not only Dr. Kurt but also of our publisher/editor. We can understand if AW published an interview where we contributed to the attack of Mistral by adding comments that indicated that the magazine did not support Mistral, then you would have NEWS and a base for your article. But rather than stating the facts which you did in your letter to us, in your article, you attacked us personally. Magazines are allowed to print what people choose to say. Printing what they say in an interview does not mean that the magazine agrees or sides with the subject.
In the case of your counter article, it is unfortunate that you chose to cross the line of reporting and became a pawn in a premeditated attack on the characters involved rather than the facts. This is a line of diverting blame which is a form of defense used by the guilty.
From what I read in the your article, it looks like SURF magazine is in bed with Mistral and rather than printing what Mistral had to say, the magazine added comments that were not direct quotes. This unfortunately personalizes your involvement with AW and Dr. Kurt and does victimize the credibility of your great magazine.
For the record, AW does not make money on our equipment test. Our practice of inviting paying testers to be in the test is in line with the other tests conducted in the U.S. to help pay the bills. Unlike the other magazines’ tests, we spend more money to provide live virtual tests on our website (www.americanwindsurfer.com) and a video that is provided FREE to our readers. This video is also being distributed to other magazines around the world. No other tests do this. So this “disguised” equipment test does indeed hide our effort to make it worthwhile for companies like Mistral. This extra effort and cost are not required of us. But we do it as a service to our readers.
Also for the record, if you read what Dr. Kurt said, he said that X, Y, Z boards were built and shipped to test. He did not refer to which boards eventually got tested. There are many issues that have to do with Dr. Kurt which he will take up with you. For now, we would challenge you to printing this reply, as we will print your letter to us. We also challenge you to print the full interview of Dr. Kurt. We will provide you this FREE of charge and let your readers decide for themselves what the real truth may be. We believe the interview was a positive step for the future of the sport. —Editor AW
 |
The big story for the issue had to be the coverage on the 1998 Trans–Atlantic Windsurf Race TAWR. With the accompanying video, this is the biggest windsurfing story of the decade. “Hard Copy” and “Real TV” both aired segments of the TAWR. Several airlines including Virgin Atlantic have
the TAWR as part of their in-flight entertainment. “Outside” magazine did a piece called “Surf’s Up-and So Is My Lunch.” Speaking of lunch, how would you like to race from Portugal to the Grand Canaries and then to Brazil? That’s what’s in store for the next TAWR in March of 2000.
Stay tuned! Don’t touch that dial!
THE (2000) TRANS-ATLANTIC MIS-ADVENTURE sparked reactions and provided entertainment. A half-hour televised documentary was shown on OLN Network and negotiations about resuming the race are being made for late Novemember or early February 2001.
TAWR: A Basic Lie
Your extensive, and quite redundant, recent coverage of the Trans-Atlantic Windsurf Race (TAWR) made me finally understand a problem I always had with windsurfing. The problem is lack of sailorship, which translates into lack of humility toward the sea and the elements.
Example 1. Recently I “rescued” a windsurfer. His problem was far from being serious and the location and conditions were not life threatening. (San Francisco Bay area off-shore wind around twenty knots). The unlucky guy’s sail outhaul broke, and he was not able to tie the sail to the boom with the surviving piece of rope. The problem was of course, that nobody had taught him how to do so in cold water, chop, and wind, with a tiny piece of rope (nor, I am sure, how he could have tied himself to a rope in case he needed to be rescued in “high seas”).
Example 2. The never ending sequence of the X-treme inspired video-tapes and articles about shredding waves, insane moves, power over nature at a rock and roll pace, and hyper-inflated risk-taking which often gets just ridiculous. Guys, you go so far as to inform us, page 3, that “camera and lens were damaged by the storm.” Wow!
Example 3. The TAWR and your coverage: Besides mentioning the fact that the TAWR is basically a lie (you cannot sail across the ocean on a “standard” windsurfer, unless you elect to sleep in the water), any sailor would tell you that those pitiful RIBs (loaded with equipment or not) are not a safe way to cross the Atlantic (even across a southern route), nor to serve as support ship. They might make it, out of sheer luck, but they will fail when exposed to anything higher than, say, force 8, for an extended period of time (Really, does anybody think that a sailboard tied to the deck as shown on page 91, will survive even a few small, by ocean standards, breaking waves?).
It is pure luck that nobody died in this affair, and that the Coast Guard could still be called in—just add a hundred miles out and what would have happened?
So, I don’t know, I guess people can elect to risk their lives as they please. But it is sad to see your magazine explicitly and actively supporting a commercial activity which has little to do with sailorship, or even honest recognition of what windsurfing is: just a wonderful play thing which can be enjoyed off of a beach for a few hours.
There is a link between the windsurfer that has not been taught to tie a rope, a wave shredding mentality, and the TAWR. It is the same basic ignorance of what the sea can do to you.
Davide Verotta
San Francisco
You have some interesting observations about windsurfers. I’m curious whether you’ve read the articles. The three articles were really about the very thing that you are talking about – respect for the ocean.
Re—TAWR a Basic Lie
Thank you for your reply. To answer your question, yes I did read the articles and I got, as is often the case, a mixed impression from their content. Indeed some of the writers (and you in particular) express feelings and doubts similar to mine. At the same time there are other negatives in the articles that I did not mention, for example, the stress on the “competition.”
It is hard to consider the TAWR a “competition” when clearly the rules are not well defined and one team (as it transpires from the articles) had more appropriate sailboards and “secret weapons”.
Your voice comes across as considerate (in, e.g., your praise of the Brazilian team), but the net result is that the advertisement from “THE LOFT” claims having won the TAWR (over a field composed of (sigh) two teams).
So, yes I read and for my (and of course I stress my, I am not the editor!) sensibility and priorities the space dedicated to the TAWR should have been a short note—a shorter article than the one dedicated to the woman sailing alone across the Atlantic on a “windsurfer.”
But still it is interesting and at a minimum it serves the purpose of stimulating nice discussions.
Davide Verotta
davide@ariel.ucsf.EDU (Davide Verotta)
We take tremendous delight in provoking reactions. Perhaps it comes down to perspective of a cup half empty or half full. Your points are well taken though; in time sensibilities may change and the cup appears fuller. One thing is for sure—stimulation is a must. Competition? Both teams faced the same challenge: one team had more funding; the other was better prepared. It was competition to the max! Mano a mano.
. . . We took windsurfing to a new level. In the process, we held the power of the Atlantic in our hands. We danced to the rhythm of its rambling waves. We saw the fury of a raging storm and we got sobered (clobbered) by the siren songs of this seemingly simple sea.
It haunts us now. Like the way the wind haunts us with desire. We call it communion and when it’s over, what’s left is a message that echoes through the chambers of our souls.
Conquer not the fury of My essence but be transformed. For I give you life . . .to silence your savage ways.”
From THE GREAT TRANS-ATLANTIC ADVENTURE by John Chao
Volume 7 Issue 3/4
 |
HERE’S LOOKING AT YOU KID: In the town of Mazagan, down the coast of Casablanca, the ritual of watching the sea is no different than all the other beach towns around the world. The TAWR Team ran into their first storm that arose in the middle of the night. Miracoulously in the poorly charted coast, they found this only sheltered harbor within 200 miles. Here, they were pinned down for three days by hurricane force winds that blew trailer trucks to their sides. The reprieve provided time to organize their weathered RIBS (left) and eventually, during a break in the storm, tour and photograph the nearby village.
The eyes of mortal men have gazed seaward since the beginning of time. The imprints of our human play are contained by the sacred boundary of the water’s edge. Beyond lies the sanctity of the most beautiful planet seen by human eyes. These oceans are the last bastion where dreams can be found, where life can be renewed.
Those reaching beyond the shores of human habitation become celebrated explorers, for they have become enlightened by the sea. They have seen the gazing eyes of a distant land and have returned to review the condition of their own internal states. They are soaked by the molecules of a sustaining sea and now gaze back into the ways of their ignorant past.
For those of us who have ventured on the Trans-Atlantic Windsurf Race, we have seen the glory of a sunrise and the afterglow of a sunset. We have watched the movement of a day without the clutter of a ragged edge. We were blessed by schools of swimming angels whose sprightly contact filled our inner souls with hope.
But we have also been forewarned by the rages of an offending force. For living through the darkness of a midnight storm, we are faced with our blatant insignificance. Still, it was not until the calmness of a flat sea, in the stillness of a sleeping giant, that we truly discern the frailty of our existence.
It was only when the ocean becalmed itself that we saw—on the surface—the scathing scars inflicted on a sanctuary we thought so very . . . unreachable.
John Chao
Hood River, OR
Epilogue from THE GREAT TRANS-ATLANTIC ADVENTURE
Volume 7 Issue 3/4
|
|
|
![[Must See Videos]](../../../images/vcamerab.jpg)
