Archive for the 'Gear' Category

The Gemini Project

Monday, June 28th, 2010

The Starboard Gemini, a tandem windsurfer, got put through its paces last week. Here’s the video.

Remember May?

Friday, June 5th, 2009

Some goings on and special deals at Big Winds.

Steve’s Review: Naish SUP Glide

Friday, March 27th, 2009

Board Tested: 2009 Naish Glide Date: March 25, 2009 Location: Columbia River Gorge Conditions: Wind: 12-15 Water: 42 Air: 45 Rider: Steve Gender: Male Height: 5′10″ Weight: 150 lbs Skill Level: Expert surfer, expert windsurfer “The stability on this board is awesome which was somewhat surprising due to the relatively narrow tail. The solid feeling [...]

Dane’s Review: North Pacific Round Squash Wave

Thursday, June 5th, 2008

Rider: Dane Gender: Male Height: 5’5″ Weight: 135 lbs Skill Level: Advanced kiteboarder Board Tested: 2008 North Pacific Round Squash Wave 5’3″ Kite Used: 2008 Cabrinha Switchblade 3 8m Date: June 4, 2008 Location: White Salmon Bridge, Columbia River Gorge Conditions: 18-28 mph, huge glassy swell North Pacific is a local Hood River surfboard company [...]

Daryl’s Reviews: Naish Pro Wave 65 and Naish Session

Friday, May 30th, 2008

Rider: Daryl Gender: Female Height: 5’2″ Weight: 120 lbs Skill Level: Expert windsurfer Board Tested: 2008 Naish Pro Wave 65L Sails Used: 2008 Naish Session 3.4 – 4.7 Dates: Winter 2008 and Spring 2008 Location: Kanaha, Maui, Hawaii and the Columbia River Gorge Conditions: High-wind wave and swell riding A great board for smaller riders [...]

Jodie’s Reviews: Starboard Kombat 79 and Naish Session

Thursday, May 29th, 2008

Rider: Jodie Gender: Female Height: 5’2″ Weight: 115 lbs Skill Level: Advanced windsurfer Board Tested: 2008 Starboard Kombat 79 Wood Sail Used: 2008 Naish Session 4.7 Date: May 27, 2008 Location: Event Site, Columbia River Gorge Conditions: 15-25 mph, flatwater, medium chop, small swell Two nights ago, Jodie had an opportunity to ride the Starboard [...]

Unpacking the North Rebel 08

Friday, May 16th, 2008

With the help of Mac, one of our expert kiteboarding instructors, we just finished giving the royal treatment to the 2008 North Rebel 08. As we did with the Switchblade 3, we extensively detailed and photographed the Rebel and uploaded the results of our investigation to our photo gallery at Flickr. The Rebel is North’s [...]

Dane’s Review: Naish Sol 128

Tuesday, May 13th, 2008

Kiteboard Tested: 2008 Naish Sol 128 Kites Used: 2008 Switchblade 3 6m, 8m and 10m Dates: Spring 2008 Location: Columbia River Gorge Conditions: Mellow 10-18 mph, moderate 16-24 mph, and intense 22-34 mph Rider: Dane Gender: Male Height: 5’5″ Weight: 135 lbs Skill Level: Advanced Kiteboarder Even though it’s still quite cold out there, I’ve [...]

Steve’s Review: Naish Global Wave 78

Monday, May 12th, 2008

Board Tested: 2008 Naish Global Wave 78 Sails Used: 2008 Naish Force 4.2 – 4.7 Dates: Fall 2007, Spring 2008 Location: Columbia River Gorge Conditions: “Fully powered-up to light and funky.” Rider: Steve Gender: Male Height: 5’10″ Weight: 150 lbs Skill Level: Expert windsurfer Steve is a lighter guy than Joe, and he wants to [...]

Joe’s Review: Naish Global Wave 78

Friday, May 9th, 2008

Board Tested: 2008 Naish Global Wave 78 Sail Used: 2008 Naish All Terrain 4.0 Date: May 6, 2008 Location: Rowena, Columbia River Gorge Conditions: 26-39 mph winds, swell riding Rider: Joe Gender: Male Height: 6’2″ Weight: 185 lbs Skill Level: Expert windsurfer Joe tested the 2008 Naish Global Wave 78 the other day, and I [...]

Joe’s Review: Naish All Terrain 95 Board

Tuesday, May 6th, 2008

Board Tested: 2008 Naish All Terrain 95 Sail Used: 2008 Naish All Terrain 5.0 Fin Used: Stock Naish All Terrain 28 cm fin Date: May 5, 2008 Location: Rowena, Columbia River Gorge Conditions: 8-21 mph winds, swell riding (marginal conditions) Rider: Joe Gender: Male Height: 6’2″ Weight: 185 lbs Skill Level: Expert windsurfer Joe is [...]

Daryl’s Review: Lots of Stand Up Paddling Gear!

Tuesday, May 6th, 2008

Boards Tested: Aquaglide Amundson 11’3″, Naish 10’6″, Naish 11’6″ Paddles Used: Naish Stand Up, Werner Spanker Dates: Spring 2008 Location: Central Columbia River Gorge Conditions: Flatwater paddling Rider: Daryl Gender: Female Height: 5’2″ Weight: 120 lbs Skill Level: Expert windsurfer, intermediate paddler Rider: Andy Gender: Male Weight: 85 lbs Age: 12 Skill Level: Intermediate windsurfer [...]

Unpacking the 2008 Naish Sol

Tuesday, April 29th, 2008

We just finished putting together a photo gallery of 2008 Naish Sol, so if you’re at all curious about the state of this fine kiteboard, here’s your chance! The Sol is the go anywhere, do anything, all-terrain model from Naish’s 2008 lineup. The aggressively rounded nose and tail are a result of what Naish calls [...]

Packaging Your Board for Airline Travel

Monday, April 28th, 2008

It’s no secret that baggage handlers can be rather unforgiving when it comes to the proper care and feeding of your precious windsurf board. International travel can be an especially trying endeavor, and it’s wise to do everything in your power to give your gear the upper hand in any mistreatment scenario. Sailing a remote [...]

Unpacking the 2008 Cabrinha Switchblade 3

Monday, April 28th, 2008

We’ve just uploaded a new photo gallery that meticulously documents the 2008 Cabrinha Switchblade 3. The Switchblade is Cabrinha’s go-to kite for wakestyle riding, with a smooth powerband and a pulley-less bar system that eliminates all but the slightest trace of bar pressure. The Switchblade offers all the safety and depower you would expect from [...]

New Big Winds Product Comparison Tool!

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008

We love helping people find the best gear for their needs, and we know that shopping for a rig can be an overwhelming experience. For instance, in our current 2008 lineup we have more than 30 types of boards from six manufacturers. Each of those 30 boards includes numerous sizes and constructions, such that we [...]

Demo the latest windsurf gear at the 2008 Gorge Windfest, June 28-29

Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008

Every summer in Hood River, Windfest proves to be the ultimate opportunity for visiting the Gorge and trying out the latest technology in windsurfing. With free clinics and lessons, anyone from beginner to advanced can swing by and have some fun! Last year, even Robby Naish himself couldn’t resist the pull of Windfest! Windfest takes [...]

Our 2007 demo fleet is online!

Friday, October 19th, 2007

Phew! It’s taken us awhile to recover from another whirlwind summer here in Hood River, but it looks like we’ve finally gotten our wits back amongst us. Thusly armed with such concentration and a laser-like focus, we’ve now added our entire 2007 windsurfing demo fleet to our website. This used gear saw one season of [...]

Save cash money on 2007 kite harnesses!

Friday, August 17th, 2007

Often overlooked, the lowly harness may be the most important safety item in your setup. If you’re still using your old windsurfing harness for kiteboarding, it could be time to consider upgrading to a true kite harness. What’s more, if this has been your first season of kiteboarding, by this point you might be ready [...]

All 2007 JP Australia boards on sale!

Friday, August 17th, 2007

Geez, is it August already? In two weeks it seems our season here in the Gorge will start wrapping up, but that’s just in time for those of you in the Midwest and on the East Coast to get your autumn blast! And hey, you might be planning a windsurfing trip this winter, or maybe [...]