Having sailed on my 1999 Mistral Flow Classic 276 for 19 years, it was time for an update. I tried out the Fanatic Freewave STB 95-liter version in the ABK Windsurfing Camp at Rio Vista in July and thought it was a nice board but lacked a bit of volume for lighter wind days.
The "Stubby," as it is affectionately known, has a unique outline with no nose and parallel rails. It's quite different in design from my ancient Mistral. It is wider and can sail with 1 or 3 fins, with the tri-fin configuration intended for the waves.
Since the standard price of the Fanatic is over $1,999 + tax & shipping, I decided to wait for a well-maintained used version. However, a few weeks ago, I saw it on sale for $1,595 at Second Wind Maui (one of my favorite windsurfing shops when I am on Maui).
Since my favorite local shops (Delta Windsurf, Boardsports) did not have a sale on it, I decided to purchase it from Isthmus Sailboards. It was delivered promptly (through Pilot Freight Services) and wrapped in multiple boxes. I look forward to sailing it at Coyote Point, Crissy Field, and Sherman Island.
I started windsurfing when I started my first full-time job at Compaq Computer in Houston, Texas, in September 1991. My first windsurfing board was the 1992 Bic Samba, 320 cm long, 64 cm wide, 15 kg, and with 170 liters of volume.
I started to learn that the beach and water start at Texas City Levee (south of Houston). After a year of trial and error, I could use the harness and foot straps but still had trouble with water starts.
My next board in my windsurfing progression was the F2 Orbit. Unlike the BIC Samba, which had a daggerboard, the F2 Orbit was a proper shortboard. The F2 was 290 cm long, 60 cm wide, and had a volume of 124 liters.
I had a lot of fun learning to windsurf on it and even took it to Bird Island and Corpus Christi.
I did manage to crack the nose of the F2 Orbit and had to figure out how to repair it using epoxy. My next board was the BIC Tempo. It was my first performance slalom board with a volume of 95 liters.
It was a performance board compared to the Bic Samba and the F2 Orbit. However, it had too much volume for the really windy days, which occur during the winter storms in Houston (January - March).
Thus, I chose the Mistral Ecstacy for my next board to enhance my high-wind sailing. As a true sinker with a volume of 84 liters, the Ecstacy required a lot of finesse to sail (and could not be uphauled).
I used it in Houston (on really windy days) and in the Columbia River Gorge, where it was my main windsurfing board for many years. It was durable, indestructible, and an excellent jiber. However, it was hard to get it planned. It was fantastic during 4.0m days in the Gorge and on Sherman Island.
The "Stubby," as it is affectionately known, has a unique outline with no nose and parallel rails. It's quite different in design from my ancient Mistral. It is wider and can sail with 1 or 3 fins, with the tri-fin configuration intended for the waves.
Since the standard price of the Fanatic is over $1,999 + tax & shipping, I decided to wait for a well-maintained used version. However, a few weeks ago, I saw it on sale for $1,595 at Second Wind Maui (one of my favorite windsurfing shops when I am on Maui).
Since my favorite local shops (Delta Windsurf, Boardsports) did not have a sale on it, I decided to purchase it from Isthmus Sailboards. It was delivered promptly (through Pilot Freight Services) and wrapped in multiple boxes. I look forward to sailing it at Coyote Point, Crissy Field, and Sherman Island.
I started windsurfing when I started my first full-time job at Compaq Computer in Houston, Texas, in September 1991. My first windsurfing board was the 1992 Bic Samba, 320 cm long, 64 cm wide, 15 kg, and with 170 liters of volume.
I started to learn that the beach and water start at Texas City Levee (south of Houston). After a year of trial and error, I could use the harness and foot straps but still had trouble with water starts.
My next board in my windsurfing progression was the F2 Orbit. Unlike the BIC Samba, which had a daggerboard, the F2 Orbit was a proper shortboard. The F2 was 290 cm long, 60 cm wide, and had a volume of 124 liters.
I had a lot of fun learning to windsurf on it and even took it to Bird Island and Corpus Christi.
I did manage to crack the nose of the F2 Orbit and had to figure out how to repair it using epoxy. My next board was the BIC Tempo. It was my first performance slalom board with a volume of 95 liters.
It was a performance board compared to the Bic Samba and the F2 Orbit. However, it had too much volume for the really windy days, which occur during the winter storms in Houston (January - March).
Thus, I chose the Mistral Ecstacy for my next board to enhance my high-wind sailing. As a true sinker with a volume of 84 liters, the Ecstacy required a lot of finesse to sail (and could not be uphauled).
I used it in Houston (on really windy days) and in the Columbia River Gorge, where it was my main windsurfing board for many years. It was durable, indestructible, and an excellent jiber. However, it was hard to get it planned. It was fantastic during 4.0m days in the Gorge and on Sherman Island.
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