Pics: Geraint Roberts
As many will know Witchcraft specialise in making high quality, hard wearing windsurfing equipment that stands up to the harshest of environments. Our home base of Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, is a tough place to exist if you’re a windsurf board or sail – not just the strong sun but also rocky shorelines do their level best to destroy kit on a regular basis.
Another trait of the WC brand is our penchant for a wave or two. With many hard charging wave sailors owning our gear over time a reputation has grown within this area of the sport. Just take a look at WC head honch Bouke who loves a bit of juice! And yet, there’s more to Witchcraft than being a one trick pony…
Take a look at WC’s extensive catalogue of products and you’ll find all manner of windsurfing toys to help you pass the time on windy days. Freestyle sleds, freestyle wave machines and sails, that while on the face of things are built for one purpose, actually fit many other niches of windsurfing – check out or windfoiling article for more evidence of our Karma being a great toy for hydro foiling here.
In some parts of the world summer signals a drier period for waves. Wind may still be in abundance – especially if thermally driven effects ramp up with the increase of heat. So some may be lacking a liquid wall to carve up, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to put your Witchcraft stick in the cupboard for the next few months.
Obviously using your WC gear – depending on sizes of boards and sails owned – may be condition specific. Yet if you’re confronted with a blow, and mulling over what equipment to bust out, don’t discount that Witchcraft wave board stashed in the back of your van.
Take our Reaper for instance. Although this is designed primarily as a ‘real world wave board’ with flatter rocker and a generally fast around the break feel, it can also be utilised as sporty bump and jump (dare we say freeride esque), manoeuvre orientated board. With one simple tweak you can widen the range of conditions you can use the Reaper in. Simply add a bigger fin to the central box and you’re good to go: more speed (in lower winds), higher boosts off chop yet without having to switch to a specific freeride board, what could be better? If you want even more of this performance then what about our Chakra?
But it’s not just the Reaper that benefits from tweaks. All our boards can accommodate the same. Of course certain products have specific targets of what they’re aimed at. But there’s always an element of versatility built in to all of Witchcraft’s products.
As already mentioned Witchcraft’s Karma range of sails definitely has a freeride bump and jump element – especially in the bigger sizes. Partner these with a larger board and all manner of summer flat to choppy water fun can be had. And if the waves should return? Then revert back to your normal set up and hey presto, back in the surf mix with the same gear!
Having a hardcore wave image is great – we love it! But this summer don’t dismiss the crossover performance potential of WC products. After all, we know a thing or two about windsurfing and put out stuff that fits many scenarios.
Note: If you haven’t windsurfed on Fuerte, our home page, then don’t be put off by the stream of wave shots that get shared. Fuerte is, indeed, an ideal place if you’re looking for warm flat water blasting as well. The bay/harbour of Corralejo, Sotavento in the south and even the north shore’s Cotillo (in summer) offer great playground for those with bump and jump/flat water in mind. There’s a well sized crew that frequent Coralejo, chasing each back and forth across the channel to Lobos island. It doesn’t always have to be about the hardcore, as we’ve said. If you have any questions about Fuerte then hit us up.
