Freestyle has been fantastic for windsurfing.

Freestyle has given motivation to people who want to perform at their best, but don't live in wave locations. It has given rise to many new talents including the likes of Ricardo Campello, Gollito Estredo and The Frans Brothers. And it has refreshed the world of wavesailing with many new freestyle moves finding their way onto the wave face.

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However, over the past few years Freestyle competitions have been ebbing in popularity. The format involved competitors being sent out for a timed heat whilst judges decide upon the winner based purely on ‘overall impression’. In a five minute heat it was frequent to see at least 30 moves from each of the top sailors and with very few of them falling in at all, it became very difficult to separate the sailors abilities. The format was overwhelming for all but the most technically astute spectators and even the judges were struggling to work out who should progress through heats.

So for the start of 2008, the PWA introduced a new format known as ‘The best moves’. Sailors are still subject to a timed heat, but instead of cramming in as many moves as possible, they are now given a maximum to stick to. The exact number depends upon conditions but is usually around 6 moves in each direction (port and starboard). If a move is dropped (ie the sailor falls in), the move is not scored and the sailor is allowed to try it again (time permitting). Once all the moves have been completed eg six in each direction, the scoring stops and no further moves will be counted.

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It’s an interesting turn in the world of freestyle. The intention is to encourage more hardcore moves, with sailors risking more and being less worried about falling off. The format was heralded at the first PWA event in Podersdorf (a large lake) earlier this year and we are now half way through the second event of the year in Lanzarote.

We stopped a few of the judges and sailors to see what they think about the new format………