ELEMENTS OF SPEED
tips to get started

Fast Facts for Milking Maximum Thrust on almost any Gear

Kurosh Kiani's recent Pro Slalom Secrets Series lifted the lid on a stack of vital Slalom Racing Techniques. This time we're concentrating on pure speed and how you can advance the ability of both your gear and yourself. Thanks to one of GPS-Speedsurfing's leading lights and multiple Dutch Speed Champion Peter De Wit (NED-161), and PWA Legend and Speed Tour maestro Peter Volwater (NED-24), here's the first in a new series of valuable guides on how to get all-out performance in a straight line, and some handy tips on speedsailing devices, ladders and locations.

GPS SPEED vs. SLALOM
NED-24: These two cousins are the same in that they boil down to raw board speed. But the main difference is that (GPS) speed sailors are sailing their own course while in Slalom you are on a set course with other sailors, so turbulence comes into play and therefore a fight for space and clean air.

In Slalom, because of that turbulence, and the technical stages of the start (waiting for heats / delays / getting up speed to cross the line etc.), you have to make sure you are never underpowered, because when the wind drops you’re guaranteed to get passed by guys on bigger sails. So, you need to be sailing real overpowered most the time.

In speedsailing you're looking for those gusts, so, when you are really powered-up, you're actually faster on smaller gear. As timing your run is your own choice you don't have to perform in the lulls like a racer, so it comes down to having the right gear too - usually rigs that are as small and efficient as possible while still being powered-up.