Wind Surfing

kalpitiya Wind Surfing

Windsurfing, as a sport and recreational activity, did not emerge until the later half of the 20th century. Because of the financial stakes in the manufacture and sale of windsurfing equipment, there has been considerable dispute and litigation between parties claiming the rights to the invention.

Windsurfing boards can be classified into seven categories as below mentioned.

Freeride

Boards meant for comfortable recreational cruising (mostly straight-line sailing and occasional turning) at planing speed (aka blasting), mainly in flat waters or in light to moderate swell.

Formula Windsurfing Class

Shorter boards up to one meter in width, for use in Formula Windsurfing races. See below for a more detailed description

Wave boards

Smaller, lighter, more maneuverable boards for use in breaking waves. Characteristically, sailors on wave boards perform high jumps while sailing against waves, and they ride the face of a wave performing narrow linked turns (bottom turns, cutbacks, and top-turns) in a similar way to surfing.

Freestyle boards

Related to wave boards in terms of maneuverability, these are wider, higher volume boards geared specifically at performing acrobatic tricks (jumps, rotations, slides, flips and loops) on flat water.

Slalom boards

Shortboards aimed at top speed, rather than maneuverability or ease of use.

Beginner boards(funboards)

These often have a daggerboard, are almost as wide as Formula boards, and have plenty of volume, hence stability.

Racing long boards

Mistral One Design, or the Olympic RS:X class race boards.

For a real wind-surfer's paradise, head down to Kalpitiya where the exhilaration of cruising across the azure water overlooking the idyllic beach won't fail to disappoint.