I realy think that's where windsurfing went wrong, with trying to grow it's popularity, and bring new guys into the sport. Supercross was really taking off, I heard at the time, and looked great for the spectators, and you did not need a place that was super windy, with waves to hold a event.
I dont think this is any more dangerous than wave sailing, and how is this more dangerous, than a whole stack of guys on motor bikes, jumping around a dirt bike track?? How come motorcross get to do there sport?? and we cant do ours??
It would of been so cool to hold a event in port phillip bay..
Yeah its more like a freestyle event but you also have to race around a course while doing it.
See the guy do a forward right infront of the other sailor at 1:41 also nice spock over the jump at 2:40.
Wow - Kauli beat Antoine in a race! Who would have thought?
As for what happened to Supercross - I don't know. Too hard?
I think Slalom came back and Freestyle began to stand on its own two feet so the combined form of the two (Supercross) wasn't necessary anymore.
However, some form of supercross, would still be the most fun event to do/watch in most locations I reckon.
i reckon supercross was the shiz. they finally created a windsurfing event that was fun to watch and could be done anywhere without needing cabo verde type waves to be interesting, and then they remove it
some extremely poor decisions have been made in the last few years
Good to watch. What happened to super X? I'm not sure. Perhaps it didn't catch on because its a bit silly? Having to do a certain trick while racing doesn't really work for me. It would be like forcing a F1 car to do a doughnut every lap. Back in the day surf slalom was seen as one of the most spectacular forms of windsurfing competition. Nowdays slalom events seem to be held predominantly on flat or flatish water.
Events like the Sony International at Long Reef were interesting to see and read about. Racing in big waves and gybing around marks in the shorebreak. It would be sweet to watch a modern version of that, full on racing in wave conditions.
I think the average sailor had no chance, so it was something that made the sport too elite, great innovation initially but very little growth potential.
maybe its demise had to do with something like, say... needing wind...
Racing of any sort is hard work when winds are flukey - not everywhere is WA.
I think it would be better if they took out the free style element but just left the sausages to jump over, it would allow the average sailor who can do basic jumps to be able to compete.
wait wait, i know. lets take the freestyle and the sausages out so you just have to sail down wind and gybe around the buoys, then you don't even need to be able to jump to do it.
it's not a point of being able to jump or not.
everyone can jump to some degree.
but try and do a jump over a 1 foot high sausage at a particular point and see how you go. you may be trying to jump out of the trough of a swell. unless you can jump your board 2+ft in the air off flat water good luck....
It should be an obstacle course with archers with flame arrows and piranhas and everyone gets to run over question boxes like mariocart and you can lay bananas or shoot red shells and if you fall off you die.
Plus every now and then its bonus round and Moses comes out and parts the sea and you have to jump over it.
Well let`s do it, a trial run next season? There`s heaps of bump and jump crew out there that dont have the gear to race and arn`t down the line wavesailors so it`ll be their time to shine!
I think we should get together and discuss more so if anyones keen on the idea send me a PM.
Cheers
I can recall Scott McKercher telling me several years ago that he did one of the early supercoss races in Fuerte and that on completion of the race he 'threw his guts up' out of total physical effort.
If I recall correctly Scott said it was the most intense and physically demanding thing he had done in windsurfing combining flicky-spin with racing, in waves!!
It died!
