Review: These were the highlights in surf 10/1993

Tobias Frauen

· 28.10.2023

41 Images

Photo: surf-Archiv

Also the cover of the October 1993 issue: Jason Prior cutting back, photographed by Jono Knight

We go back into the archives and take a look at old issues! Here we show you the best finds, remarkable test results, bizarre anecdotes and much more! This time we're going back to 1993!

The year of slender noses

The ISPO innovations present a mixed picture: While some brands are uncompromisingly focussing on No Nose, other companies are sticking to conservative shapes. No Nose is the topic of the year and the subject of countless discussions. Because the surf testers don't want to wait until the big autumn test to get their first impressions, a handful of new products are being tested in advance. The Tiga 286 CX is "a winner in the lower wind range, from six wind forces upwards, fear wins." The AHD 282, on the other hand, is only really good in stronger winds. The Fanatic Snake, on the other hand, the first larger board with a slim bow, is "an interesting alternative for beginners and intermediates with many advantages."

Fanatic flying high

Speaking of Fanatic: The brand name was recently largely buried after more than 40 years In 1993, Fanatic was just about to take off once again. "Suddenly Fanatic was back on the map and no longer a joke," writes Gerd Kloos in a portrait of the new rider Bernard Hennet. The recipe for success: the previously neglected slalom market is being extensively exploited, development is once again taking place in the World Cup: "So-called end 'consumers' want to ride boards that are close to racing." Although F2 shaper Peter Thommen could not be poached, a number of prominent world cup riders and Marco Copello, another well-known developer with a wealth of experience, were. The first new ideas such as Ram and Jag are in place, and Copello has another ace up his sleeve: "We call them convertibles (the quick-change artists). [...] You just have to change the fin and adjust the foot straps."

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Board in the railway

Surf author Olaf Dohse dares to try going on a windsurfing holiday by train. At the beginning of the nineties, the former state-owned company tries to present itself as modern and flexible, and there are also attractive options with Bahncard and ICE. But his board initially causes scepticism and confusion at Munich Central Station: "Unfortunately, surfboards have not been accepted as luggage since 1992," he learns - and is sent to the freight station. But the prices for bulky goods ("sounds as promising as bulky waste") are horrendous, and the transport takes two to three weeks and, in case of doubt, only goes to a freight station that is closest to the holiday destination. Every railway employee gives different information and charges a different price - but most of the people we speak to are often not sure which regulations actually apply. Dohse tries his luck - and is met by understanding train staff who let him and his board bag onto the ICE. Apparently, not much has changed in this respect in the last 30 years.

Verlagssonderveröffentlichung

You can click through the entire magazine in the gallery above!

And what else?

Editor-in-chief Gerd Kloos writes in the editorial about a necessary rethink due to the no-nose boards. We "volume-crazy Germans" (shaper Peter Thommen) should focus more on the proportions than the bare numbers.
Sports scientist Christoph Jolk measures the heart rate of World Cup professionals for a research project. Bernd Flessner achieves up to 207 heartbeats per minute when overpowered, whereas a loop with Robby Seeger is almost a recovery phase at 160 beats.
To get good windsurfing scenes for the new series "Against the Wind", ARD organised the "Bavaria Slalom Cup" in St. Peter-Ording. Bernd Hiss won the men's competition ahead of Philipp Richter and Christian Kohl, while Nanni Deubzer won the women's competition ahead of Tanja Hinkelbein.
Kutte Priessner and Werner Buschmann are racing in Greece at the "Odysseus Crossing" team regatta in the Greek islands. Based on a three-master, they race to the next island every day. What starts out as a light-wind doddle turns into a full-throttle heat with a refreshing Meltemi wind, which is discussed over ouzo in the evening.

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