Windsurfing boards should have names. The first windsurfing board I was introduced to was called The Red Man. Boats have names. And the guys I started windsurfing with (the Puffins) named their boards (well, one of them did, and everyone else followed.) Venturing out in the larger world of windsurfers I soon learned that not many people outside of the Puffins named their rides. This was depressing, and for a few years I lived in a world where I believed named boards to be a bit odd, but my first trip to Aruba cleared all of that up. Vela’s staff were the owners of such rides as Padrito, Dash Board, and One Ton Tomato, and I felt better immediately.
Here are all the boards my wife and I own or have owned, and their names. All are our own doing, except for Sparkle Baka Guy (which involved a baker and Shonen Knife.) It should also be noted that Steve Marks resolved a bitter dispute in which he ruled (incredibly) that Da Stalker was a valid name.
The Leaking Iron Sow (Bic Salsa)
Sparkle Baka Guy (Seatrend 9.4 squashtail)
The Pamlico Pilgrim (Bic Tempo)
Da Sphinx (Sally’s Obrien…worst board ever sailed)
Little Wings (F2 Axxis 258)
Learning to Fly (Naish 8’11”) SEMI-RETIRED
Calamity Jane (Seatrend 9’7″ slalom)
Mr. Al (early 80’s Mistral Superlight, with spring-loaded fin!)UPDATE 7/14…NO MORE SPRINGY FIN)
Da Stalker…(Sally’s Bic Salsa)
(Sally’s unnamed F2 Air 265) SEMI-RETIRED
The Millenium Puffin (Bic Techno 283, for nonplaning freestyle only.)
Potato Chip (Starboard Formula 153)
Little Wings II (Naish 8’5″ wave) ACTIVE DUTY
Calamity Too (JP Freestyle 109) ACTIVE DUTY
(Sally’s unnamed JP Freestyle Wave 93) ACTIVE DUTY
Other folks name their boards…check them out!
Learning to Fly at Dewey.
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