PWA Disciplines

There are 5 main disciplines that are held on the PWA Tour: Wave, Freestyle, Racing, Super X and Indoor. Dependant on the conditions at the venue in question, it is likely that at least one, if not more, of the disciplines will provide a suitable exhibition to ensure a great show at an event.

The PWA has pioneered developments in the traditional disciplines of wave and race and is also responsible for the successful creation of the two youngest disciplines, Freestyle and Super X.

The Wave discipline is often regarded as the crown jewel of the disciplines. Competitors go head to head or in heats of up to 4 at a time, against some of the toughest conditions on the planet. Wave Performance includes two separate categories within the discipline, jumping and wave riding. In the jumping category, competitors launch themselves into the air from breaking waves to perform all kinds of forward and backward loops as well as even more complex maneuvers, anywhere from five to fifty feet in the air. Wave riding involves competitors riding waves in the same way that a surfer does, but with the added advantage of sail power allowing for some extreme aerial and tweaked moves, not possible on a board alone. Both elements are combined in a heat and judged to eliminate competitors down to a final, and eventually a winner.

Freestyle is without doubt the most versatile of disciplines, providing action close to that of extreme Wave Performance, but in a wider variety of conditions. Freestyle was first brought to the international stage by the PWA in 1998 as a means to bring a wider range of windsurfing options to those who live inland or in flat water locations. Freestyle is the youth blood of windsurfing and has been responsible for much of the new talent that has come into the sport in recent years. The flexibility and youthful vibrancy of Freestyle, makes it a great lifestyle discipline that works brilliantly at large scale public contests, with stage managed performances and a rock 'n' roll atmosphere. Equally at home in the windswept waters of Gran Canaria, to the tranquil lakes of central Italy and the beaches of the Caribbean, Freestyle is the true all rounder and never fails to deliver on its promise of unpredictable fun and a truly animated show.

Early in 2005 the PWA announced the creation of a new format in the race discipline Slalom 42. As a natural progression in windsurf racing, Slalom 42 is designed to bring the action close to the beach and right in front of the crowds and media. Competitors use a maximum of four sails and two boards, further increasing the emphasis on sailor skill and race tactics. Fully utilizing recent developments in equipment, the new format allows a wide variety of courses to be set, enabling each race to be tailored in a way that allows both public and TV cameras to easily follow the competition. Courses are generally based around downwind or figure-eight slalom courses, but can include any number of variations, some of the most dramatic of which include including long distance and between the island style races for the entire fleet.

Super X is the newest discipline in windsurfing, developed by the PWA in 2003. All of the competitive aspects of racing are combined with the spectacular aspects of freestyle to create a nail biting race where only the true all rounder can win. The Super X course consists of a downwind slalom course interrupted by large floating obstacles that competitors must jump over before performing compulsory freestyle moves at specified points on the course. The pace is fast and furious with the difference between glory and defeat coming right down to the wire, making Super X the most exciting form of racing on a windsurf board. Quickest round the course wins, however, speed itself is nothing without control and falling hard on just one of the moves, or not having the guts to go for it over a jump, can easily leave even the quickest racer floundering. As a result this high wind discipline is attractive to dedicated slalom veterans and freestylers alike.

Indoor windsurfing has been around for over 15 years and is one of the most exciting and marketable aspects of the World Tour. Since 1990, there have been indoor contests in major cities such as Paris, London, Milan, Frankfurt, Marseille and Madrid. Indoor is a finely tuned combination of close up action on the water and all the rock 'n' roll aspects of freesports, making for a superb show that is guaranteed to thrill the massive crowds that flock to see it. Within the indoor discipline itself, there are three separate disciplines. In slalom, sailors blast down a steep starting ramp, directly onto the pool, in heats of two to four people at a time. They then battle it out round a short figure-eight course, with the top half of the heat advancing until a winner is reached. Freestyle sailors scream down the pool one at a time performing their best maneuvers, before turning and coming back in the opposite direction, to perform more tricks. They are then scored instantly by the judges to decide a winner. Jump is the shining star of the indoor discipline. Sailors blast flat out along the pool, before launching themselves over the jump ramp into insane aerobatics that will have the crowd on their feet. Huge forward and back loops are commonplace with the occasional double loop being attempted, but whether it is the cleanest jump or the biggest crash the jump ramp guarantees excitement.

Source: www.pwaworldtour.com