It would be good to see Tom Leudecke back (he could assume KA-1 again).

yeah, such a great change.

last year in maui, and a friend i was with exclaimed

"that bald austrian guy nearly ran me over!"

"thats just phil mcgain and he always does that!"

KA30 and proud of it, ian.

Just remembered.
We are all wrong. KA-1 was actually Mark Paul's number. He let Tom use it in the PBA/PWA events.
Tom's real number was KA-11. Dave Dorn took KA-111 so that left KA-1111 for a certain young Mr Polakow.

That'd be Tom for sure - at the Gorge Pro-Am in Hood River, Oregon.

Mobydisc said...

PWA did not exist back then. This photo is probably from the PBA days.

Neither did the PBA. It was the WBA back then. (World Boardsailing Association)

The Prydes are '86 Warp Speed prototypes (I used ti have a Warp Speed) while the Gaastras look more like the '85 models than the '86 Speedfoils.

Mobydisc said...

There ya go!

Where do you think the shot was taken? Possibly Lake Garda?

The Gorge.

Actually, if it was '85/'86 it was the WSMA - Wind Surfing Manufacturer's Association - that ran the World Cup. I may still have a rule book somewhere.

Those manufacturers who were members in the WSMA and paid into the "pool" got to run a team. There were Hi Fly, Browning, Mistral, F2, Tiga, Bic, North, Pryde, Gaastra, etc. Each got about 8 spots in each WC event.

The only other way to get into the World Cup was via the short-lived "Amateur Funboard World Championship" which featured 3 guys and 1 woman from each nation racing Raceboards and Slalom. The top 10 guys got an entry into the World Cup.

'85 was the peak year in board sales - 25,000 boards in the UK and Oz each, for example.

Both highly intelligent and gifted chaps....though

The real KA1 - Mark Paul was only fast on a face of a wave, or talking about it.

Mark tried to design boards at Bombora that would plane on a smaller and smaller area - such as the Astrotoy though they didn't work ....

Thomas Luedecrous was a racer and could also design a board to go fast.... until.... he too started designing Bombora's?

Chris 249 said...

greenleader said...

jeezus chris! you are the windsurfing supernerd! the pencilnecked geek of obscure race facts!!!!! onya mate my alzheimers made me forget half of that important stuff.

I am the Rainman of early '80s windsurfing!

Don't even get me started on '80s offshore racing yachts or dinghy design 1880-2008!

So, tell us your thoughts on early 80's waveboards versus the modern ones??

greenleader said...

shoot me your address willy, and i'll send you a few to test!!!!!

they were really good, honest!

well...good back then.

Serious???

Dont k nock the glass

Hausey said...

greenleader said...
[ my thoughts have always been......"did i actually ride this thing!"

The real KA-1 had a collection of dinosaurs under his house at Long Reef that would have had you all far more perplexed about actually riding them...... an array of beasts so bad that you'd be left breathless......and would draw the crowds in any windsurfing shop / museum.......they would have taken a legend to tame........and some serious creative thinking or drugs to design ......

thank god for evolution ........ unless you're a creationalist!

It was like a history lesson when I went to his place.

willthe real KA-1, please stand up, please stand up

He he he he he

You guys are cracking me up ... and the memories are bring a smile to my face.

Tom Luedecke was legend! I remember in the 80's you could actually see windsufing on the TV. I remember one time there was a racing series on Pittwater and Tom, Bruce Kendall (NZ) et al were all racing around on those weird tubes of toothpaste ... what were they called?

ANYWAY ... you mentioned AHD. I've still got the AHD Omega (circa 1989/90). This was a great board back then. Still pops up onto a plane quickly. Just wondering how a board like this compares to a current similar style board these days.

Am I potentially missing out on another new world of sailing???

Cheers,
P