😲 I tried the OLDEST WINDSURF BOARD I could find

[@bodurango]

Thanks. Very interesting to me. I am a 75 yr old windsurfer who is considering upgrading my old gear and buying the latest, greatest board. After watching this, I am more likely to do that. And, as a photographer, I have to say that fin-windsuring is still the most photogenic windsport. Yes, foil-windsurfing, kiteboarding and winging are cool. But to me, fin-windsurfing is still the most beautiful.

[@Team33Team33]

I think you need to at least TRY foiling. It's so much easier on the old bones !!! And of course continue fin sailing. As you said. THATS where the fun is. Foiling isn't the same sport.

[@bodurango]

Thanks. So many choices, all good. I have friends who have moved to foil-windsurfing or winging, and they very much enjoy it. So those sports are on my radar, and I will take some lessons. But I think I want to fin-windsurf until it is obvious that my body can't handle it. Who knows, maybe fin-windsurfing will help me maintain strength and stamina. Sometimes physical stress is good.

[@JisungxMinho_LOVE]

Started wirt a sailboard 360 in 1987. Then a Vinta 315. Then a tiga wave , then proof boards gran canaria and Jp and back to cs proofboards today. Best boards

[@grzegorzgorniewski6502]

I'm younger and not your level (and definitely not Nico's) but I can only confirm: modern boards are MUCH easier. The plane easier, gybe easier and you can stay on water in high wind on a much bigger board than even in the late 90's. Up to about 20-25knts waterstart is not really necessary, which is perhaps not quite a pleasure for your back, but surely a blessing for the knees ;) I own both contemporary and old ones, and the only old one I regularly use is a raceboard.

[@Team33Team33]

@@grzegorzgorniewski6502 Same here. I use a raceboard and sometimes a D2 board when there is little wind for the fun. Funboarding (as it was called back then) starts at 20kts with short boards !

[@nicolasespinasse]

I read the 15 first comments and will write basically the same : 54, windsurfing since 1979, riding an 94 Naish Vector (250€ online) and riding also JP, Fanatic, the things are more complicated than being obviously in favor of newer boards. Older boards are more responsive yes often, and once you have the speed, they jibe more easily. Narrow boards behave better in chops yes, and I remember talking with a windsurf shop manager looking at me like if I was totally out of my mind saying the old Naish Vector jibes "better" (effortless) than modern large boards, even if you loose planning quicker on the outter curve for sure. So all in all, for average riders, buy these old boards for 10 times less money than newer ones, they're built like tanks and still get you on the water for nothing. Maybe the rule would be to take 10 liters more than you would on modern boards, but otherwise, they still rock big time !

[@jessiebrader2926]

They used to work perfectly for me....And...They still do!

[@framfull]

Exactly🤠

[@mixxnitro7797]

I'm 25, windsurfing for 6 months and personally the older boards have always been more fun and responsive to me coming from a surfing background Personal favorite board is an old, yellow F2 277 A beautiful board, looks like a racecar and when matched with an old 3.7m Neil pryde core... it comes so alive in anything above 15knots Just climes out the water and flies like a bird

[@marinm108]

I am 52 and have been windsurfing for last 40 years so I have tried all kinds of boards. Used to sail f2 bullit 115 and that board was so versitale and I had great fun with it for years, then I have switched to f2 axxis 261 85l and it was fantastic bump and jump slalom board for middle and high winds. After that f2 sputnik 270, very fast and very tecnhical and then I got to more modern slalom boards which are quite easier, more comfortable and have broader range of use for sure.

[@JamesKelly81]

I’ve had a Bullit 295, Axxis 278 and now Axxis 262 :)

[@carmeng.abengoa6670]

F2 Boards and Neil Pryde Sails are an explosive combination and great fun for me always.

[@tayronachan]

"modern slalom boards which are quite easier, more comfortable and have broader range of use for sure", guess I better upgrade. Just dragged my old gear out of storage a few months ago and started sailing again, at 66. Had some nice sessions on the OBX of NC.

[@pingoovert3692]

@@carmeng.abengoa6670 Exactly! F2 Xantos 295 and V8 7,5m2 more or less 25 years old. Total fun and speed

[@lifeonthebay2974]

I still use old boards for the simple reason, they are cheap. I have only just got back into windsurfing after a 35 year break. New boards are so expensive. To me it’s all about getting on the water and having fun. And the old boards certainly are fun 🤙🏼

[@tonyperez5360]

I always say FUN IS FUN you don't always need the best new stuff! Unless your a pro competitor

[@tayronachan]

Crazy how expensive they are now.

[@MikeBrown-dk7or]

I agree I have newer Naish Titan board and find it is very easy to sink the front and back I don't remember this happening with older boards

[@phil2186]

New boards are paper-thin ding magnets. I’m back to my 20 year boards because they’re just as good and will take a knock without springing a leak.

[@soleromac21]

Nice to see many of us ‘older’ windsurfing people about and still being enthusiastic about our sport after the diversion to kite surfing, wing foiling, windsurf foiling. 😁👍

[@thorstenhahn5510]

I still love my Sunset Slalom I bought when I was 16. Now I’m 52 and it looks still brand new. 😊

[@joramponi249]

totally relate!

[@bobp6280]

The advantage of the older narrow shapes would not be experienced in the flat water conditions that Nico was sailing in. Carrying speed in rough, choppy, bumpy conditions is where boards like that old JP really shine. My old F2 Axxis 258 was a similar shape that really excelled in high wind choppy conditions.

[@tigertrap2269]

Comparing those 2 boards is like comparing a road cycling bike to a mountain bike. You're not comparing apples to apples. The older 85 liter board size is where wave boards begin. That size of board needs a lot of nose to keep it from catching, have more rounded rails, and have a lot more bottom rocker to make it work in the waves. All of those traits will definitely make it slower. No one is going to take a 110 liter slalom board into waves that the 85 liter board would be perfectly happy in.

[@Team33Team33]

He said that although it says "Wave" on the logo, THIS is an old JP SLALOM board. In other words he is comparing two apples. LOL. Pity he limited himself to his sponsor "JP" because there are 30 year old SLALOM boards out there that are just as fast and maneuverable such as the AHD Pro Race series or the Diamond Race series of 1990's and 2000's.

[@tigertrap2269]

@@Team33Team33 A freeride board was designed to be a 90% "do-all" board....not a great wave board....and not a great slalom board....but comfortable doing both. I believe that label on the board is the correct sticker. He can say that it's a slalom board to make it a slalom board comparison, but the amount of nose and rounded tail design boarders way more on a freewave/freeride concept. Hell...my old Bic Astro Rock would have done a lot better on the top end. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.

[@Team33Team33]

@@tigertrap2269 I think your issue is either with Nico Prien or JP Boards. Not me. Cheers.

[@bagomoyo]

Ok so it’s good for surf slalom then😎

[@Team33Team33]

@@bagomoyo Its a marketing thing. They will print what YOU want to THINK you are buying on the board to sell more of them. Up to YOu to make a choice (Oh my god; I said the forbidden word: Choice). Use your head and experience, test the board and find out for yourself. If it's good for surf slalom then it should be called an "All Round" board. Cheers mate. Now you have a choice to make; a real one that will affect your life. LOL.

[@klimaanlagenjochen]

Hi Nico, nice video and idea. Just 2 years ago I changed from a 1999 Fanatic Bee 260 (85L) to 2021 JP FSW 94. Honestly the Bee is mich lighter than the FSW, even the FSW has been the lighter version. My impression ist similar, the new board is easier and has more control, but If you habebthe skills the Bee is even better in jibes, especially If you want to keep planing. Also early planing the Bee is Not worse than the FSW, even with 10L less and using the same sail. The benefit for me with the FSW is the width which allows me to use larger fins and sails. So at the end the range gets wider. For your test maybe a flater sail would have worked better with the old board. Good luck for Pozo now. Jochen

[@rcggijzen]

Well-produced and fun to watch, thanks for that. Although for an actual comparative test I think the conditions were too easy. Anything sails nicely at 25-30 knots on super-flat water. Taking it out in the chop or small waves would reveal more differences. Ideally you would also allow the rider to get used to the board and adjust his technique. But I understand that would take way too much time of course. Funny to see how close the measure speeds actually were!

[@ralf1073]

Hi to all of you. Thank you Nico, nice video. I am 54 years old and I really loved my Fantics, called Ultra Boa from 1986 and Ultra Mamba from 1989! I used the Mamba until 2014- my Speed Board in chopy conditions. Maximum control and really fast as hell. New boards of course have less weight and are easier to jibe, but thats it.... Boa, Mamba and even the Mosquito which I used not very often are slepping in my garage and the Mamba in my living room... They stay as good friends... 🤙

[@GLOCKDPLUSFlowriders]

Thank you, beautiful! Would you happen to know which Fanatic board I owned? It was probably about 1994-1999? It was red, and about 280 in length, but more than enough volume to uphaul.

[@ralf1073]

@@GLOCKDPLUSFlowriders To me sounds like Fantatic Gecko...?

[@peschnu7869]

@@GLOCKDPLUSFlowridersRed one… It is a Bee 274. The first board I bought with my first self-earned money 😊.

[@GLOCKDPLUSFlowriders]

Thank you so much! That was the board I believe. I used a 5- m sails and it seemed super fast. (probably wasn't by today's standards) Could even up-haul and tack it!

[@gatesurfer]

I landed my first jibe on a Boa in the Berkeley marina. Still one of the most pleasant sensations of my life as it slipped smoothly through the chop, the sail flipping perfectly through the wind. I came out on a full plane, sheeted in and took off. That Boa was such an easy board to sail, wide, floaty and fun, soft rails. Indestructible too. Kinda wish I still had it.

[@Batwam0]

I spent my childhood dreaming about windsurfing on most the boards in this shop, reading and re-reading every Windsurf magazine to see what reviews they had! Still remember this purple Mistral board and thinking that I would be like Robby on the Naish RIP video in the epic slalom session in Kailua bay, the Sputnik, that yellow Axxis at the back (almost bought the red one!) and the super cool F2 wave board with the dragon on it if I ever became a wave rider. So many memories!

[@michaelanastasi9969]

Great video! I have a Mistral Classic 276 103l from 1999, it is a great board and fun in open water chop because it is narrow, fast and cuts through chop like it’s nobody’s business. It is the board I learnt on and I love the fact that it was such a challenge. In the gusty conditions we have in Malta it was tricky to keep it planing in the lulls, but in the wind it was fast, stable and very comfortable. As the boards evolved and got wider I eventually learnt how to gybe on the wider boards, but I still have the Classic, and even though I haven’t sailed it in a long time it would be difficult to let it go.

[@jonbrooke8308]

I used to have that f2 Sputnik on the museum rack. It was awesome - fastest thing on the water at the time. Would love to see a comparison with a modern slalom board.

[@atelieretzwood]

48 years old and I always use my fanatic mega ray 276. Very old shape like me 😅. Pure "no nose" slalom. Construction carbon sandwich. I agree with you, modern shapes should be easier but so expensive. Always a pleasure yours videos 👍

[@timoldschoolsurfer1320]

Great stuff Nico.... exactly what we want to see...but they didn't advice you on a fair comparison...you should have got a Mistral Flow 103 or F2 Thommen 270 or a Naish Enduro etc...etc..so many better alternatives for a test....please ask me next time...😊 by the way they had a similar Jp at the surfcenter in Devils bay Karpathos a couple years ago, for show on a fence, and when I asked if i could try it out on a day with about 30 knots,they looked at me like i was crazy 😂😂...but i knew it would have been perfect in those choppy conditions 😊 keep up the good work with your videos Cheers from Sweden

[@henq]

For me, 66 yr old guy JP is a "new" brand. And any board with the term *'Freeride'* printed on it is kind of the new generation. When was the term Freeride introduced, around 2000 ? Windsurfing started around 1976 ? In the mid 90's there was the most stupid period in windsurfing ; new *"No Nose"* designed boards with fatty backs and pointed noses (menhir shape), and the widest part of the board way back of the mast position... Luckily, that fashion went away.... Did I see a Mistral Screamer in the rack? That was my favorite board, around the 2000's, me thinks.. THE most succesful board of the late 80's early 90's was the F2 SUNSET of course. The original all around slalom board. Love your vids, Nico!

[@soleromac21]

I thought I saw a Mistral Screamer. First board I bought after using hubby’s board and getting told to be careful with it! 😀

[@1212354a]

I used to sail a Bic Presto in Freeride conditions and a Tiga 260 in bump and jump. Never needed a wave board, but did enjoy the Mistral Eruption. I have since gotten racier shapes from Bic and Tiga, with my favorite being the Tiga HyperX 115. I have a Bic Blast and RRD wavecult 93 for very windy days. However, for the last 2 years, I have used my Slingshot Dialer in most conditions with a 76 or 84 size foil.

[@cvanscho]

Yes, the yellow board is not what I would call "old".

[@team3383]

Did you ever try "drops" nomex carbon prepeg PWA Series 278cm. 6kgs of pure joy and speed. Length 281 ! Width 56cm and 108 litres. That thing is a rocket with the correct fin. Extremely Stiff - Points upwind incredibly well and never stops accelerating. I can barely use it anymore in high winds it's so fast. (and I'm getting older ...). It's true that modern boards are far easier because of the volume and width but when you get an old school board going full chat ...... nothing compares. Unfortunately he is sponsored ny JP, so he felt "obliged" to go with a JP board and he would NEVER say that an older design was the better design. In this case it wasn't as they are not in the same category.

[@jeffmilum5858]

Everyone had those screamers back in the day!

[@richardepping9748]

You need to try the sputnik. They were really really quick even held the world record for a production board

[@marinm108]

Had sputnik 270, 85 litres and I used to be so agile I could tack it 😂😂

[@tigertrap2269]

I have one and it's almost impossible to sail. I sometimes try to sail it just to see what the talent of yesteryear had to deal with. You're either going like a bat out of hell.....or sinking like a brick. There's no schlogging in between. It's almost a speed needle. I bet old Nico couldn't even ride one.

[@OhNoNotAgain42]

“Oldest board he could find” 😂😂😂 He should come to my house. I don’t have my old “Windsurfer One Design” from 1984 anymore. But I definitely still have a “Mistral Stinger” from 1992 up in the garage rafters. think there might be an old “Mistral Ecstasy” from the mid 90’s behind a couple old motorcycles in the shed. But it would be like a game of “Jenga” to get back there. 2 old JP boards…why I keep old delaminated boards is a mystery. I probably have 20 old windsurfing boards under the house. I think the centipedes have built a civilization in there. When I die, my kids will probably just burn the place down and start from scratch. Easier than cleaning up.

[@GLOCKDPLUSFlowriders]

Mistral made some amazing boards!

[@p.douglas]

Still got my carbon Mistral Screamer LCS😂

[@antialt3498]

Still have my Stinger and Screamer Race XR in a shed. 😀

[@jazzersky]

​ Still got Mistral Naish wave and Synchro!

[@joncorke760]

He should go find an old vinta wave 270. I still choose my f2 axxis 261 over anything else unless I am renting 2023 gear in maui.

[@superfive33]

When I was 18 my first board was a Fanatic Bee 294. It was fun !!

[@BurtReynoldstash]

My first board was a 278 fanatic bee. I had the blue one and later the green one with two fins

[@rikiwind9199]

Hola Nico, tengo 59 años y he navegado todo. Creo que la condicion de test no era la mejor. Y no veo la comparacion de una tabla de 85L a 111L . La tabla para testear era la Sputnik F2 100L o 110L o simil. La sputnik 280 era la tabla buscada en esa epoca, era la tabla top de Bjorn ganaba todo. Ahi vi una 275, tal vez esa era ''la tabla''. Muy rapida. SIn duda la evolucion del windsurf ha sido tremenda, para bien. Pero con mucho chopy no son tan malas. Rukovsky en otro video ha corrido con slalom antiguos y comparado lo moderno. Saludos de Argentina.

[@VenhaVe]

Fahr mal an den Stausee Bautzen surfen, da siehst du Rentner auf Brettern und Segeln rumfahren, dagegen ist das Board hier brandneu :D.

[@younium-insights]

Very interesting. I am 48 years old experienced "old school" windsurfer. Doing lay down gybes and having fun but still on pretty old gear. I am looking into getting up-to-date with my gear. This is my history: 1986 started windsurfing 10 years of age on my uncles Dufour Wing in Sweden where I live. 4 meter board with a rounded bottom and triangular shaped sail with 2,7 meter long boom (!). 1988 bought my first windsurfin gear. A "Surfpartner Airlaker 330". 5,5 m2 mylar sail with 4 battens and a glass fibre mast 1990 Bought my first "funboard" a BIC Astro Rock.285 cm with 125 litres. A new world opened with full planing in footstraps and harness 🙂 1992 - 1999. Bot sure about the exact years but owned a Bic Techno 95 litre board. Great fun on that one 2000 - 2001 studied in Melbouren australia and bought a used Bic Vivace 270 slalom board. Very fast and "race style". 55 cm with and 90 litres i Think. Also bought an australian custom board "Strapper" from Torquay 2005 (I think) I bought my current board a JP Freestyle 105 litres (acually it is a freeride board with double straps ) and an AHD Wave 85 litres. NOW Looking at buying a 2022 Starboard futura 63 (99 litres). Cant really get over how ugly all modern boards are, looking like barn doors with its short and very wide size... :-).

[@gonzogliding]

I still have my Division II from 1984. Riding that downwind in decent swells with the centerboard up is by far the most difficult board I have ever sailed, far harder than a 6 foot surfboard.

[@enkeldo]

i'm on that yellow jp board, haven't really learn how to surf yet. This encourage me to have a start anew, thank you

[@Solar-flight]

I am still riding a 69 liter yellow JP wave board made in 1999, and I love it. Works great, and I am faster than anyone that I am out on the water with. I never want a board with two rear footstraps.

[@rustie4242]

I have what I’m pretty sure is the first single fin wave jumper in Australia, a Bob McTavish board from the early 80s. It is really fast, gun shape, make for big wave sailing. Totally different from the modern boards. It’s a “sinker” so you need to be able to do water starts, and at least 20 knots to sail it. Cheers Rustie.

[@nigelcastell2156]

Interesting video Nico. I sailed similar boards and have a Copello 270 slalom which is heading to a new home tomorrow. Good fun but as you say the modern kit is so much more balanced.

[@edmathon5952]

Oldest board you could find, ehe? I could have given you a 1978 Ostermann Windglider. You could also have looked out for a Freerider-avant-la-lettre: a Bic Show, Windsurfer Rocket or Mistral Kailua.

[@lucacroce2900]

I’m still riding that old board, both on the sea and the lake! Thank you for this content, very useful and interesting.

[@paolodema100]

Ho dovuto abbandonare windsurf nel 1988 per gravi motivi di salute. Fino ad allora usavo Mistral , solo sui laghi , che divertite. Mi hai fatto commuovere a vedere il video. Ero a bordo con te . Grazie 😢😊

[@williamtech4668]

I like this episode! Because almost no one i know is able to buy the new stuff.

[@Acrowat40]

I haven't windsurfed for years - just looked at the cost of board and rig!

[@Team33Team33]

@@Acrowat40 It's a problem isn't it ! Almost 4000 EUR for a good set up brand new ! I look for good old boards on the second hand market and recycle them. That way I can sail a whole range of boards for a fraction of the price. My current favourites are : AirInside 260/72 - 6.5kgs from 2000. Just as easy to sail and as fast as modern board and far far stronger - epoxy, nomex & prepeg Carbon with no foam interior. Very stiff and very fast. I haven't seen anyone faster where I sail and they all seem to have the latest modern boards (Hence the AirInside second hand).

[@enriccoll8505]

Very Nice Video,,,, Congrats for your work and your ideas on this nice Winsdsurf´s expiriences... The windsurf is a Life... I love Windsurf and your videos are pure inspiration. I tried wind foil, and i return to winsurf and wind foil ( The winsurf for me is the best )... Thanks, lots of Thanks Nico...

[@SirKilmore001]

Love old but decent gear videos like this. I myself still have a Bic Veloce that is older then me. Its narrow, reasonably fast and indestructible but o so hard on the ankles :D

[@stevendufty4813]

I swear by my 2.68m 93L Mistral Screamer, of this generation. Takes a 7m sail. 4 runs on GPS, all topping 30knots speed. Like a knife through chop. Smooth fast gybes. Easy water starts due to boom on back of board. Robust board on pebbles. On a standard freeride sail and fin. No board bag required. Top board!! I thank you.

[@billgardyne7328]

I still have my 41yo Naish Gun with deep conclaves and a stretched narrow tail. It planes in 15 knots, jibes like a demon, and is still easily controlled in 40 knots (in PNG with a 2.8m sail).

[@michaelkalkoff7210]

I am, still, now and then ,using my 1986 F2 sunset slalom. the first slalom board. super fast. Comparing new and old boards is like comparing old skis with carving skies.

[@MichelBertrand]

The coincidence of me digging my F2 Thommen 285 out of the basement earlier today, in mint condition, and then stumbling on this video tonight :) I have to try a newer board sometime, but man, that WorldCup Edition Sputnik is such a nice board paired with a 7.1 or a 5.7 that I'm in no rush to upgrade. Friend of mine who has the latest and greatest told me the newer construction methods are nowhere as sophisticated as what we had in the '90s, and are even heavier. Not sure how true that is, as I haven't kept up since F2 disappeared, and my race sponsorship with it. I think next I'll dig out my Lightning Race and the old 8.4 sail and go beat up some J/24s going upwind on the lake :)

[@lborl5843]

I had bought the 1986 WC Race, the one with the narrower daggerboard. In races, I always felt inferior to the 1987 models with the broader carbon fiber daggerboard and fin going upwind in light conditions. I finally could purchase the 1987 WC race including 7.5m2 rig three years ago for €250. Upgraded to 9.5m2 NP sail, and it became my most sailed board. We rarely have more than 15kn of wind in southern Germany.

[@adir_bauchek]

I had an F2 board from 2000 and last year it broke, I've learned how to windsurf with board like you've shown in the video(but like 120liters) and I'm kinda regret my decision btw, very nice video.

[@ATCDave1]

Loved my old Mistral Screamer. Yup, that's how old I am....

[@CdR-k8b]

Indeed! Still have one :)

[@edgardorodriguez791]

I used to have a Mistral Screamer that was a great board..

[@robertgoble9739]

Yes I had one of those, a little too flat, but hey it's fast on flat water

[@stefanrehpenning73]

I still use some similar board, a Fanatic Bee 260 with 85l from 1999. You need a lot of wind and it's more difficult to jibe than modern boards. But it still works and I have fun with it on windy days.

[@GLOCKDPLUSFlowriders]

That's a sinker, no? I used to ride a Fanatic board from the 90's (wish I could remember the name, I loved it!) it was about 280 in length, but had enough volume that I could sail it back in offshore winds, whilst the others on sinkers, were up to their knees in water.

[@klimaanlagenjochen]

I used the same Bee, See my comment to the Video. Amazing board if you have the right skills.

[@welshshogun6750]

I learned by myself almost 30 years ago, on a 80 liters Fanatic Mega Jag with Gaastra 6.5 cambered sail on very choppy water. Without strong wind it was not fun, couple of years later upgraded for a bigger 110 liters Fanatic with more fun for speeding. In 2012 I bought aTabou Rocket LTD 115 and now I use it with 5.0 to 7.8 cambered sails, have a lot of fun and I feel the difference like between a Ford Ka and a Mustang

[@SURFtheEARTHguru]

Suffering here. I was learning on an old as dirt fanatic fun/race 340 with center board sliding track. The base broke and I cannot find a new one. So now I am stuck wit a f² sunrise which is 105 L 😭 I literally just lay in the water wishing I can waterstart just for the exercise. Windsurfing is sooooo hard to get started in the states. It's not zero to hero here, it's zero to zero for years until you can find someone to ship a board(when I have the money nobody is shipping) or stumble on and affordable one locally. I dream of a jp magic to complete my zero to hero series that is now 2 years to long. 😢 I just started a separate savings account to get a new magic or equivalent. Packed away the gear till then. That is the true feeling of these old boards now.

[@CdR-k8b]

Hello there from The Netherlands.. i'll ship one to you if you want. Very large second hand market here. Shipping will likely be quite expensive, however if you are up for it i'll make it hapen.

[@gilliebilly]

Until a few years ago I still sailed with a 1999 F2 Ride 282 (115 lt). I had a lot of fun with it. In terms of speed, for me it was not inferior to the 2016 JP Magic Ride 111 that I use now. Gybing, on the other hand, is a lot easier with my current board.

[@mikandnik1]

Thanks for the review, great to watch you having fun. I loved that board back in the day. Never tried new shapes but can imagine it must be fun and so much more forgiving

[@windsurfingatmeerwijck]

I love the spray of the Yellow One..

[@MrSheymie]

Looks like a Mistral Stinger a few boards to the right of the JP? I had a Mistral Screamer 1 for a few years. An incredibly sweet board to gybe. Used to love to look back a watch the slice that the pintail made in the water when gybing. Volume in front of mast track helped keep the board planing when slowing down a bit in gybes but maybe moved less from line than modern boards during gybe due to being narrower. Yes, older boards a different stance and style. Shorter lines maybe and maybe a bit more of forward lean towards nose might have kept nose a bit lower in water and a bit faster overall perhaps. Length of older boards quite good for grip when going upwind, or that's what we used to think. A slightly smaller sail might have been a bit faster too maybe. Max sail on an old school 85L board would probably be an absolute maximum of 6m at most. I had a Tiga 260 88L and never put more than 5.7 4-cam sail on it. Bigger friend sailed one with max 6m no-cam sail.

[@marcpollrich8440]

Perhaps the oldest jp board. My old gear ( sunset race and exstasy) are in good condition. But i changed also to new gear! The feeling of ride is so much different…. Nice vid!🤙🏻🤙🏻

[@oze5947]

Ride what you got it's all for fun. I started windsurfing in 1988 coming from one design sailing. At that time the numbers dwindled at the regattas cuz evryone started windsurfing! For the next 25 years I windsurfed all over but home base was Chrissy field and the Golden Gate. I had all sorts of 'production' boards. Some were good but they all lacked a certain sweetness. Eventually I just sailed on stradivarius-esque Haut boards. Custom shaped by Doug Haut, a renown surfboard shaper from Santa Cruz CA. The Gate is known for huge chop, big ebb tides, steady high winds, and on the best days large ocean rollers entered the Gate which was magical. On a Haut board you could reach terminal velocity carving smoothly through this mayhem due to the superb ride and control. I still have 7 or 8 of his boards, maybe I'll screw them to the wall in an X above the fireplace.

[@snOcean101]

I rode white F2 Sputnik 265 till last year. I now have a Supersport 101 but still enjoy old style boards 🦖

[@nswart2093]

Wow that board reminds my of my mistral screamer. It was yellow/purple and maybe even less wide then the jp you were shredding. It felt like a missile and i even liked the pointy nose with a redicilous amount of scoop. I could really lock it in and piont it wherever i wanted to go, fast. Oh if i only had a chance to ride that board again… I would probably think: what a piece of crap. (Still fun though)

[@damianketcham]

I had an F2 Sputnik. Very fast and hard to gybe.

[@GLOCKDPLUSFlowriders]

Wow! Everyone wanted one of those!

[@vprwave]

and the one they have is the Sputnik World Cup Edition even. 😲

[@damianketcham]

@@vprwave That’s the one I had as well. I wasn’t very good on it as I was fairly new to windsurfing at the time and I hurt myself a couple of times on it.

[@vprwave]

@@damianketcham Ouch, ambitious, very steep learning curve as a beginner. I know what you mean with hard to gybe. I learned on bigger and newer boards, then got a second hand 1st gen Sunset Slalom for the 25+ knot days. Difficult enough for me. :) After each session on it, going back to bigger made gybing really easy.

[@joecoleman4285]

I prefer my fanatic bee(the green machine) To my not new but newer hypersonic. I find the bee comfortable in the chop were as I get knocked of balance with the wider hypersonic. Picked up the Bee for $50 at a swap it was my dream board when I was a teen and it got me back in the sport after a 20year break. And I wish I didn't pay out what I paid for the hypersonic and invested that into more new sails as the sails make a huge difference in progression. Hint Hint Nico you want to try some older sails I have some you can have. Catapult city.

[@anthonypmcbride]

Ha ha - I still have that F2 board further back in the rack. I also have my old styrotec built, "Sailboards Maui" branded custom board from 1988 in the boat shed. Fun times from down under!

[@edwindrenth8072]

Thanks is very nice to see what the new technology did with the windsurfing boards. I am 54 years old and my favorite board was the Tiga Slalom 260 which has 90L of volume. Unforunately i broke the vinbox during a jump and it could not be repaired. Now iam sailing on the new stuff: Fanatic 132 HRS Blast and on the Fanatic 155 HRS Eagle.

[@MickaelSitbon-k1i]

The surface of the fin is related to the área of the sail. Obviously, with more volume, you need a smaller sails to plan..

[@marcodefelice3444]

Nico, I had F2 axxis 273 and 262 85 liters there where really fast and fun. Changed in 2001 with Tiga 259 96 liter and Naish 8.5 85 liter second hand. So I am still using booth with my max pleasure. By

[@milosceconik]

Nico, perfect, as always... I did not use so small boards that time, something around 120 liters, length the same, width wider, four straps :-)

[@AlastairCampbell199]

I had the 270 version (bought new) and used it in high-wind slalom up to 2019. It works better with a no-cam sail like a speedster or NCX, you can close the slot more easily and it just feels better. I think if you tried both setups on lumpy conditions like the UK south coast you'd find some more advantages to the older board, I find the length and rocker really helpful in larger chop and swell.

[@borges4662]

Nice video. Why didnt you use the outboard strap positions on the old board? I think you might have been more comfortable and gone faster. Id love to see you testing the f2 sputnik. I suspect the main advantage of newer boards is more low end drive off the fin, which helps in the lulls and going upwind.

[@dohzy]

There are a lot of great comments here and one thing that shines through is that all boards work, with certain foibles that we adjust to as we grow up with them. I do agree that the test wasn't really fair, fun, but not fair, as what is being asked of the boards has changed radically over the years. Sure, speed and carve will always be there, but look at the videos of the new kids catching air of flat water and doing flik-flaks etc.! I'd say the old board here was born out of the generation of 'wave-slalom' boards, and like my similar pin-tailed, high rocker, custom Lodey 275 (1989), it cuts brilliantly through chop and 3ft waves. The downside of that beautiful old board is that it weighs 10kg against modern equivalents that are 6kg. Anyway, thanks for the video.

[@BTiger-ip4yx]

I have a F2 Starlit from 1985, pintail winger, shaped by Hoenscheid still in my cellar, best board I ever drove, the asymmetrical tracker fins sucked it in the curve like a race motorcycle, planing through jibes like a knife through butter, I guess board design did not make any progress since then...

[@rickfunk1355]

71 yr old male who used to ride a Mistral Hookipa 85L when the wind blew, but also a Mistral Superlight and a Mistral Take-Off (which was lousy jibing), back in the 80's.

[@HWissel]

2.65 lenght is called a sinker. You have to surf it with a minimum of windforce or it sinks, so most of the time you are forced to make waterstarts. Its a wave/slalom board. It all depends on the rigging and how it's setup. Different fins for slalom racing in combinatiin with speedfoils. Different fins for wave cut foils. Also the change in mast and fin position completly canges the the way how the surfboard responds. I have a AHD carbonboard still laying around in the shed, you could make loopings with it under the right conditions, or keep up with the bus driving on the road aside the ijsselmeer here in the netherlands :) Anyway , enjoyed youre comparisson and still see a old school board in action. Keep up the nice video's and above all, enjoy surfing !

[@leonszczepanek1521]

I ride F2 Sputnik 290. It's extremely difficult for me, 3 meters long and 60 cm wide, but I love it. Very similar to f2 that was in the recording, only it is blue not purple.

[@vicbauwens]

surfboard technology has not changed significantly over the last 20 years. Light wind boards are obviously much different but a 20 years old 75liter waveboard is basically not all that different from today's board.

[@grubnetseor]

That "quite beautiful" board is a pristine Wave Warrior!!! You should have bought it and tried it out, they are the best.... ever! O and the gybe "problem" (youngster hahaha!!) was because of your hind foot should be on the center line of the board, not the side ;)

[@AlastairCampbell199]

Agree with this, foot in the centre, just using your toes to pressure and it glides through the chop on a smooth arc.

[@JOVO1971]

Funny test:-) I remember the old surf-magazin test with 100l Euro-Funboards, recommended only for "experts": The point "tack" the note was: "impossible". The point "sheet start" the note was: "impossible" :-)))

[@Gareth-s9z]

I have an older Tiga 265 bump and jump, 75 litres made of polyethylene, ie washing up bowl plastic very heavyand bends. Very thin , high nose. Where we sail in Langebaan South Africa, get terrible chop, 30 knots against a 5 knot tide. In these conditions the old board is so much smoother than modern. My 76l tabou 3S becomes uncomfortable, old board isgo to board

[@kippywylie]

Driving down the highway 1995 I saw a white flash in my rear view mirror as my Tiga Wave flew off my rooftop rack. It forever had a crack I was never able to repair. Used it a few times after that but it just kept gaining weight drinking water. Shocking to think it's still sitting 30 years later in some far away landfill and will be there forever

[@p.s.9821]

I took a look into my garage, found three older boards immediately. It’s not old, when you can use your mast without adjustments, and you know that 😉

[@anisslekkal2981]

Thx a lot for the video Nico ! ❤ I have jus a small question please if you allow. How we can choose the right volume for free wave ride still, according to our weight. For constable use ?! What the perfect balance between a sinker and big board.

[@peterivanac7359]

I had a KAII in 92L and it was a beauty. They lasted forever because they were hand built and bulletproof. I'm told they were the last of the boards with hand laid rib re-enforcing to the bottom skin. A great all-rounder.

[@gt1man931]

As a landlocked U.S. guy all I remember was the 1987(?) America's Cup in Australia on the television and they were way out there well in to deep blue water and the patrol boats were chasing and apprehending other boaters that were getting in the way(restricted areas). Suddenly some guy showed up on a board and he was out there casually cutting up where he was not supposed to be and as the patrol boats came after him he looked over his shoulder saw them coming and he leaned into it and skipped away like he had an engine, those guys had no chance of chasing him down(It was pretty big chop and serious winds that day). Ever since then I wished I was in a place where I could get in to the hobby.

[@AndrewWilmotAu]

That would have been me and my friends - off Swanbourne in Perth! Good times. I was 18!

[@thulium3]

I love the scenery of Gruissan, reminds me on the movie "Betty Blue" which was filmed there.

[@SystemAdministrator-j3f]

Mid-fifties dude here. My first ones were the large Whaler and Windsurfer brands in 1983. These had a wooden boom with a square cross-section - really hard to grip, lots of blisters. I moved up to a Bic 210S with dagger-board in 1987, then a slalom Bic Astro Rock in 1991, which I regret selling. Haven't really windsurfed since 1995 (except for a trip to Aruba - the huts) but would like to get back into it or try wing foiling. I don't know what would make sense to buy...another older board or these squashed short, wide, fat ones being offered today for a lot of $$. I don't get it...isn't there a market for slim pointy boards anymore? What's the pros/cons?

[@photopicguy]

That's exactly the size and shape board I had in that late 70s but mine was in fiberglass and l could plane in 11knots the max speed l could get was 25knots lt ended up being the board l used all the time. Sadly I'm just too old now.

[@q2w8i9o]

I have a Fanatic Goya 85L bump and Jump. Use to by my main board at 72 kg, 20 yrs ago… Now I am on a modern boards 134l and 105l and I weigh now 90 kg. Needs to be very windy now to use my old Fanatic.😂

[@radovanondrovic1975]

the same for me I have 86l fanatic gecko from 20 years ago, still riding that one sometimes

[@zameerpactyan]

Nice video! Maybe you can race with someone, using the old board and the new board 😀

[@Karsten-238]

I don't know exactly, but the fin is I think of the line which was presented and develop beside Björn Dunkerbeck himself. But he was on board with Peter Thommens F2 world cup edition boards. ( or was it only the design and high end custom mades for him?).... i don't know but this blue grey fin was very expensive and is not original for this board. Nice competition I think. Sorry I forgot the name of this fin line. It was presented in the surf magazine with advertising👍

[@Karsten-238]

The brandname of the fin is "North Shore Maui Hawaii" fins. Premium segment of serial production fins at that time, I think.

[@fertysurfer]

All my boards are older than that and all that thin. I've tried the modern boards, but they all feel like riding an oil tanker. I had a couple of Mistral Hawaii Naish, and I did cut the nose off because they would always get damaged. Both were still fantasic boards to blast around on, no matter what the conditions were. So easy to ride but you have to be super fast on the tack. The fin you used wasn't really a good match for the board.

[@timothyleach6319]

One of my favorite boards of all time was the F2 Sputnik 275, was in that shop you went to. I was sailing it in the late 90’s.

[@sv1onk]

I realy liked you video - good job ! I am a noobie in windsurfing. I had a series of beginer's lessons, and a friend of mine gave me a a gift a tiga 254 VR. It was almost impossible for me to stand up. I googled and I found out the board comes back from 1993, and it's olny 74 liters !!! I keep the board until I gain some experience... In 10-20 years from now, it will be a 50 years antique 🙂

[@Marty-q7m]

Haha, nice little movie. Like the old car!😉

[@chasaroo77]

I have mint Windsurfer Rocket 9’6” from the early/mid 80’s sitting on a rack in my garage. Somewhere I read that it was the fastest production board made at that time. Who knows, I never had enough wind to ride it after I bought it. I haven’t windsurfed in decades. Now i’m content slugging around on flatwater with SUP’s with my kids.

[@benoitlaberge6380]

For a complete scary test you must try with the NP V8 of the same year !!! 😂 Nice vidéo…thanks🤙🏼

[@Nico_GER7]

That’d be epic!

[@stefanthynelius1250]

I am still riding the 265 freeride with 6m2 V8 ... it is lightning fast

[@enzotorresi5693]

Nice video Nick!! I'm 51 and sail since my 18. When I was young I could bought new boards but later on, with family compromises priority changed. Thank god I still own my old boards and sails. The bigest one a Mistral Energizer for light winds (there was one similar standing in the rack when you selected the yellow 265 JP), a high wind slalom F2 Axxis 258 (lovely fast) and a very friendly Mistral Flow 266 (very funny when it's choppy and windy). All them provide me lot of fun in a wide variety of conditions, and make me windsurf really cheap and fun. Probably they demand any differents technics than modern boards, but when you know them, believe me they really work in their conditions and with the sails they were created for! My best regards from Argentina. Many Success for you Nico, I follow at Instagram 🤙

[@EamonnSeoigh]

I had an Alpha pro race 240 epoxy board with a 6.5, a 7.2, and an 8.0 in the quiver. It was a true boat. Upwind machine. Once on a plane, it would float over chop really well. Definitely not a sinker……..but light enough that I could rig it up and fly it down to the water, drop it in and beach launch it….never get my shorts wet.

[@TeddyShrEdward]

I learnt to carve gybe and chop hop on a Mistral Screamer 268

[@Xtremecomposite]

Habe auch noch so ein altes, war mein erstes schmales Board -F2 Wizzard 268cm 63cm 113L -ja komplett anderes Feeling, Schräglage bis Haare fast im Wasser liegen beim Gleiten, Vollgas Gleiten im hohem Chop sogar ohne Fußsschlaufen möglich und dabei noch Tasse Kaffee trinken können so smooth, irgendwie komplett relaxt. Fahrbar von 4.2 bis 7.4 Segeln, dümpeln und Schotstart geht auch -also totaler Allrounder.

[@joramponi249]

man o man... do I feel OLD!!! used to ride a TIGA 260, at the time the fastest board😅 (circa 1988) I was in love with this board. cheers

[@veen4405]

I still have my 95L/270cm Fanatic Lite Boa. A great slalom board in combination with a Gaastra cambered slalom sail. Pure speed. I recognized the red Wave Warrior board in the shop. Custom made, beginning of the 90’s very expensive

[@МаксимПрозоровский-и3ь]

Very interesting video!!! Comparison of old and new boards! I have been riding for only 3 seasons, and in my area there is not much wind. My main board is 150 liters, 285x70 cm (approximately 2009 model year). Recently I started trying a 115 liters board, 265x59 cm (a board from 2000, or maybe older)). And I like it much more than mine. More playful. Unfortunately, I have never tried modern equipment. It is very expensive. But to my great happiness, even on this old stuff, you can ride with great pleasure))

[@tweedsfromleeds167]

I really enjoyed this video; I have both the 1993 F2 Sputnik 275 as well as the F2 Axxis 267 from 1999. I have to admit that the Axxis reminds me of an painful girlfriend, not a pleasure to be around but for some crazy reason you keep going back for more. (When it's good it's great; but when it's bad it is bloody terrible!) The Axxis is not forgiving and is very high maintenance, I really don't know why I still have it! Once again a great video; thank you for posting.

[@AlmansorKerroum]

Nice. Would had been interesting to compare to old race sails, too. Maybe it was difficult to find the right gear for this, a request in the channel could have helped. I still have some 1995 slalom race kit stored in France, Copello 275 + NP racing sails. When I compared to my other kit from 2015, the other kit was easily 5kts faster at cruising speed.

[@rolandibanez2509]

The most underrated boards of th 80s and 90s were the Tiga Boards. Yes, they were relativly heavy. They were made of Polypropylene and were extremly robust. But they were cheap and had the best price-performance ratio. The Tiga Slalom 260 was unbeatable in high wind choppy conditions. And due to its more flexible body, because of the Polypropylene, gibing was breathtaking good. It was extremly fast, but you could use it in waves, too. It was the first board to break the 30 knots barrier. And the sailsn back then were really slow and hard to. The sails did make much more progress, than the boards. Many testers said, that the F2 Sunset Slalom was the best board of that times. But that isn't true. It was the Tiga Slalom 260.

[@Tobias1949]

You know what is crazy: on eBay people are offering "brand new boards/sails", which are actually much older than the one tested here.

[@cjeslicabaas3729]

Nico. I have a Cobra slalom 270 (270x52x90liter) in my garage. The fastest productionboard of 1994. In 2008 I reached 64 km/h with it with an old Gaastra Courseslalom pro 5.2. I know. Not your trademarks (sadly😊). You may try the Cobra if you want.

[@c__d0ao990]

That board wasn't ever intended for a full race rig, it'd be interesting to see how it went with a modern v8 or RAF sail... It was actually quite impressive how well it did with the racing rig

[@zzzhacker]

Ich würde sagen der Boardvergleich hinkt ziemlich. 1. +35 Liter mehr Volumen bei einer Breite von >60cm bei dem neuen JP Board im Vergleich zum "alten" Board sind Welten. Das eine Board ist für Dich ein "Sinker" wie wir früher gesagt haben und das neue Board ein "Floater". Und natürlich macht es weniger Spass wenn man bis zu den Knien abtaucht und als U-Boot durch den See pflügt, als wenn man über Wasser im Gleiten ist. 2. Das Segel was Du benutzt hast schiftet für den engen Kurvenradius des "alten" Boards viel zu langsam. 3. Die Verhältnisse mit extrem flachem Wasser bei ablandigem Wind erlauben Boardbreiten von 70-80cm mit Finnen >40cm Länge, sodass Du das Board relativ gefahrlos aufkanten lassen kannst und im Wesentlichen auf der Finne gleitest. Ab Chop-Höhe >40cm ist so ein müheloses Daherdüsen, aber für Otto-Normalbürger mit einem Board mit Breiten von 70cm und mehr nicht wirklich drin. Da spielen schmalere Boards dann ihre Vorteile aus, das sie eben dem Chop weniger Aufschlagfläche entgegenbringen. Die "alten" Board-Designs" sind nicht schlechter als das was aktuell Mode ist. Sie haben einfach andere Prioritäten und sind damit auf ihre Weise zeitlos. Ich kann mich noch gut erinnern wie der Weg vom TenCate, über den Windglider mit "Blutrinne" gefolgt von den ersten Boards mit Fußchlaufen wie HiFly 444 , hin zu den Custom-Boards ging, wo sich jeder am See dann in den 1980er Jahren in seiner Garage seinen eigenen Sinker gebaut hat. Bei den Eigenbauten gingen die Boardlängen runter auf 220cm mit Volumina von 45-60 Litern bei einer maximalen Breite von 52cm. Und auch die Boardhersteller zogen dann nach und produzierten Sinker aus der Tiefziehpresse. Das wurde also immer extremer. Bis man feststellte, dass, obwohl das "U-Boot"-Surfen zwar irgendwie Cool aussieht, wenn man bis zum Achterliek durch das Wasser pflügt, es aber doch auf Dauer keinen Spaß macht. Und dann hatte man, weil man merkte das die Sportler frustriert waren, dass sie bei den üblichen 4 Bft der Norddeutscehn Tiefebene mit den Sinkern fast nie im Gleiten waren, die Boardbreiten wieder den regionalen Windverhältnissen in Europa - dem wichtigsten Markt für Windsurfboards angepasst. Die Lösung waren die "Klotüren". Boards mit den Abmessungen 200cm x 100cm und Volumina von 140Liter aufwärts. Und Überraschung: auf einmal kam man auch wieder bei 4Bft ins Gleiten, selbst der Norddeutsche Durchschnitts-Vatti mit seinen 110kg KG. Da war die Welt dann wieder in Ordnung. Allerdings wollte man dann eben auch schon bei 2.5 Bft auf dem See im Gleiten sein. Also musste noch mehr Gleitfläche her. nun wurden die Boards noch breiter bis 120cm und damit konnte man sich dann auch gegen eine Finne von 100cm Länge stemmen .... allerdings fehlte dann doch noch der entsprechende Vortrieb um diese neue Geometrie zum funktionieren zu bringen. Die Lösung: Segel mit 12-15qm und Mastlängen bis 6m. Also: eine "Abomination" im Board-- und Rigg-Design jagte die andere. Und das ist bis heute so und wird sich wohl auch nie ändern. Allerdings gibt es immer auch einen design-threshold und solche Designs sind zeitlos. So wie das hier gezeigte gelbe alte JP Board, .... which is a beauty compared to the "modern" ugly-stubnose-short-fat-cut-out abomination of a board.