Contact - Mistral Water life and living since 1976

GET IN TOUCH, WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU
Mistral Red Dot Division B.V.
Industrieweg 4a
7641 at Wierden
The Netherlands
Chamber of Commerce No. 08150038

+31 (0)546 714910 / info@mistral-int.com

Confused? You should be!

It’s reasonable to say, there’s never been a greater choice of water sports on offer, but with it, comes confusion and the very real possibility what’s on offer might just be a fad, a short term craze, even a step too far, more for the benefit of brands who are attention seeking in attempting to show you just how innovative they are. One thing is certain, the more choice we have, the greater the dilution process of existing sports. ‘Over-shooting’ the market, is a well known commercial formula that essentially begins with an innovative idea, pioneered by what we call, first-of-type innovators and ultimately, end-users who buy into the idea. The innovators make things in their garage, experiment with kit and somewhere along the line, it ends with a brand investing or the pioneers do so themselves through venture capital and creating their own brand. The idea and skills develops along with equipment, but at some point, the symbiotic relationship between what team riders and high end-users demand, elevates the sport on an assumption, everyone wants what they want. Prices rise as exotic materials are introduced, research and development costs have to be recouped, the media focused only on this new high end performance oriented zenith of the sport and all else is ignored, more importantly the very pathway that elevated the sport to such heights. At this point you have an ‘over-shooting’ of the market, where the ‘original’ idea has outgrown the original idea of simplicity, complicity and affordability. Windsurfing fell victim to this, if you are of an age to remember. In recent years, SUP has dominated the headlines of water sports, growth accelerated by social media and hype so as it expanded not in a modest manner, but rather exploded onto the scene in a rather messy, fractious way, which seemed to leap frog much of the pioneering process, after all, it’s just a board and paddle? Meanwhile, windsurfing brands alluded to understanding the dynamics of paddling and even the design of such boards in what was an obvious black hole in their knowledge bank, whilst cashed up entrepreneurs, founded no-name brands to produce sub-standard, low cost 'Alibaba' kit in the hope to cash in on the craze and pretty soon, everyone was an expert. With the development of the foil, this has created a contentious conundrum in water sports which has advocates wanting to bolt a foil onto anything that floats in the name of progress and the way of the future. While it has merits, it does deny you some of the sensory pleasures in not being in direct contact with water; indeed, while the sensation of flying may well be ‘groovy’ you could also argue the case, there is some level of sensory deprivation at the same time. Oh and its a little bit dangerous, especially in crowds or in close proximity to others at high speeds. Make no mistake, foiling over-shoots the market of normality, however you look at it. On the face of it, those pushing hardest for this innovation, are largely acknowledged, male, sponsored, paid up, seasoned and accomplished water athletes, who have learnt their skills on conventional equipment and spare little thought for the big picture, in nurturing complete beginners across both genders, of all ages and abilities and all the while, they may of course be failing to acknowledge the merits of non-foiling equipment, what it teaches you and the experiences it provides for the price point. This will always be the biggest market and the most important in terms of nurturing board sports. ‘Wing Surfing’ is now the latest must do, revolutionary diversionary idea, seen as the best thing since bottled beer or sliced bread. But already the jokes have sprung up about it, with images of umbrellas being used, bed sheets and other amusing anecdotes. Add to this a foiling board and we have 'Wing Foiling', accepting you have to wonder if the evolutionary steps are in the correct order and as to whether those who can foil, will be satisfied with the lower limits of speed and elevation when compared to their option of Kite Foiling? Confused? Sure why not and you would be forgiven for thinking, some brands have an attention deficit disorder, in failing to nurture one concept at a time - and it’s not that we think any of these ideas are without merit, far from it. Meanwhile, here at Mistral we’re focused on bettering what exists, rather than going off on tangents and over the come months we will be revealing some of our new innovations that will not confuse, simply enhance some old school concepts without the need for new skill sets.

13th June 2019

SUP – Should I Take Lessons?

When a sport is promoted as ‘easy’ there is a risk of also promoting it as a sport without skill or indeed of any place to go in terms of expectations. The original promotional efforts of the industry promoting SUP as a ‘surf sport’ first and foremost over that of a ‘paddle sport’ has played out, so that in the long run, it’s clear it’s a paddle sport first and whatever you want it to be after you’ve learned the basics. Paddle sports are an ancient lineage and at an Olympic level have become both an art and science, so as to become a holistic blending of biomechanics and physiology as man / women being the machine that powers the inanimate object. A SUP board cannot power itself and while it’s true that the kinetic energy stored within a wave can provide movement, the fact remains, the paddle and paddler are the absolute necessary ingredient to bring all the elements into play from the point of view of control through steering and propulsion. If you are a total beginner who has never swung a paddle of any type, professional instruction can certainly help, but often such lessons are more a lesson in risk management and personal safety and the safety of others in respect of a water sport - and that’s a good thing. Learning how to paddle will take place over many weeks following the lesson. If you’re on the way to teaching yourself, you will tend to reach a point where you are neither going forward or back in terms of skill sets. The greatest issue, will be in practicing bad technique and working incorrect muscle groups, setting up the potential for injury and many inefficiencies. A professional will have make you ‘unlearn’ and this is difficult, because the longer you have paddled ‘badly’ the more hard-wired your brain will be to you body, through a process called kinesthetics. If you are an experienced water user, there’s nothing wrong with learning through self-discovery, but this is not a guarantee you have good technique. Having a professional observe and provide feedback even just the once, can be a worthwhile investment. Video analysis is a very valuable tool to bring into the process. In short, always consider some time with a specialist and in addition if you are becoming bored with you sport and need some inspiration, sometimes time spent with a professional mentor or instructor, trainer, can renew your love of the sport to seek higher grounds and new experiences.

6th June 2019

Hard boards have a hard time!

On the face of it, with some 70% of all sales of SUP boards being inflatable, the obvious question is why? This can be summarised by the term, urban-paddler-traveller, whereby the hype of the sport beyond ‘It offers a core workout’ for those who remember, soon polarised quickly into the idea, here was a recreational activity that through inflatable technology, could be stored in the boot of your car, stored in the corner of your apartment and taken with you to the ends of the earth and back again. Through it all, Mistral has been a significant advocate of this lifestyle focused aspirational idea, producing some of the finest and most practical inflatable boards of their time. But it must be said, we’re also big fans of hardboards with our immense windsurfing background and we appreciate and recognise the virtues they offer, namely high levels of on-water performance and durability, being their biggest plus points. Further to this, our SUP and windsurf hardboards represent some of the finest designs and construction technologies on the market today. For the very same reason windsurfing went into recession, the inconvenience of size and storage limits, has meant the inflatable has ruled the waters in terms of sheer numbers in relation to SUP due to its convenience, but not so in all parts of the world it has to be said. Where there are pre-existing hardcore board sport areas of the world such as Australia, Hawaii and California, inflatable SUPs are not on the radar of most participants. Here there exists a culture of the hardboard, through surfing and windsurfing, kayaking, surfski and outrigger canoeing. Roof racks and storage are all part of a lifestyle, where performance is not to be limited by convenience, because performance is everything beyond any issue of transportation or storage issues. Indeed it simply would not be ‘cool’ to be seen riding an inflatable anything. We’ve produced an FAQ for your to consider should you be considering the hardboard option.

31st May 2019

Mauritius Indian Ocean

Embraced by mother nature and caressed by turqoise waters, looming mountains, peace and tranquility, Nico Kux and son’s David and Daniel operate from Cap Malheureux and for years the family ran the famous Kuxville Villas. Located in the island's far north, their venue is directly in front of the famous Gunner’s Coin or Coin de Mire as it’s also known as. An ideal spot for SUP surfing, windsurfing, SUP and kiting, this area offers a uniquely different experience to that of the south of the island, where everything is little more intense and crowded. The Kux family can advise you on all your travel needs to Mauritius and in some cases, kit you out with whatever equipment you may need on a hire basis. Their location knowledge and fluency in English, German, French and Creole, make them ideal contacts to offer you a great Mistral water sports experience, in great hands. Contact Nico directly for more information and discuss your visit to Mauritius nico@kuxville.com

1st December 2018

River Dart Race UK

Head of the Dart Race England - (8 mile river race, Britain's largest SUP race) Congratulations to Ginnie Odetayo for her 2nd place finish in the female 14' division (Vortex) just behind the winner in a field of some 120 competitors and to James Van Drunen who also finished second racing his new 14'SD1 Vortex in a field of over 200 competitors, just a few seconds behind first place over the 8 mile course. James led for most of the race, but his tactics worked against him in the closing kilometre in a royal battle between he and former team mate Ryan James. The friendly rivalry will continue on the 28th when they and other competitors will meet for London's Battle of the Thames, where James will be present to defend his title. On a footnote, James was also awarded a Junior Award for the 1st youngest competitor. Great job!

17th April 2018

From South Africa

Meanwhile in South Africa - the Vanquish 14' arrives on its shores along with other new models unique to the SA market. South Africa is a uniquely placed bastion of the world in relation to its waters and winds. While it has its protected areas, it's a wild and crazy geographical part of the planet in relative isolation, fringed by wild oceans, winds, sea life, currents and winds and a breeding ground of some of the most accomplished waterman and women on the planet . . .

17th April 2018

Mistral Inflatables

OK, so you want to buy an inflatable stand up paddle board and you’re now completely confused having begun your search and been overloaded with choice. You could go for the cheapest on the market and by this measure, you will be investing in it’s only USP (industry speak for Unique Selling Point) – the price.

If you travel this pathway, know that you will get exactly what you pay for; poor materials, poor warranty (if any), lack of rigidity and therefore performance, poor valve systems, ineffectual undersized bags, inferior hand pump and little or no resale value. All in all, they serve a niche market for the relatively disinterested end-user not particular interested in investing in quality but more of a disposable consumable, where brand quality means little. Importantly, don’t be fooled also into thinking your SUP inflatable should look surf-board like in shape, unless you aim to sup-surf only, in which case the laminated board is the best option, always. On the other hand, we’ve since discovered our Tribe boards are also fun in shallow plunging waves as we found out in Tahiti in the right hands.

Our entry level Tribe boards, Lombok, Sumatra and Java, so named to reflect the idea of a family tribe using them, were from the outset, designed to break the mould on typical elliptical shaped boards in the market. What we wanted to do was design a shape that made sense from a paddling and handling perspective.Rave reviews in the German Press, confirmed what we knew to be correct that this shape of board offered a fast, streamlined feel with improved handling upwind and in head chop, super high levels of stability with the wide tail providing excellent step back tail spinning fun. Additionally the boards hold a good line when paddled and the slide in fin makes setting up super easy.

Add to this convenient bow grab handle and cargo net, carry handle, rear and bow D-rings for mooring, D-ring for ease of leash attachment, a mix of smooth skin and diamond shaped crocodile EVA and top line striking graphics, you have a board that’s been well thought out with the end-user in mind. To seal the deal on these epic entry boards, our super neat and sturdy roller travel bag, big enough to carry your clothes for a weekend getaway all in the one back, along with our dual action hand pump. The bag, should not be overlooked in the buy-in process – it matters and we’ve put a lot of thought into them, up to and including the water-proof internal lining.

Last year we added the Bali board to the Tribe range – ideal for young children, it features all the great attributes of the other boards and presents in striking fun colours. So if you’re in the market to enter the sport or indeed kit out your school or resort, consider your purchase as an investment, not just a disposal item and reap the rewards of a Mistral designed and created product.

Mistral Inflatables – Better By Design and What to Consider

28th June 2018

Our range of Squab and Cloud boards

SUP surfing is a niche interest area of our sport and only just recently it seems, SUP surfers are ‘discovering’ our range of Squab and Cloud boards and even our Levuka. Take this recent review where our Squab 7’10 was matched against JP and Starboard boards of similar spec where our Squab came out on top as the pick of the bunch. Aimed at the entry to upper level intermediate rider, our SUP surf boards are classic shapes, with a custom feel that should tick the boxes for most everyone. Seriously cool graphics, quality hand layups and all machine and hand shaped they include Futures fin boxes. There’s everything to like about these boards which defy their production status. Created by Chris Diplock and Steve West, the boards are ‘classic’ designs which will remain in the Mistral line up for some years to come.

Teamrider Surf Sport Castricum.
Stand up paddle addict and shop Owner of Surf Shop Castricum, Robert, travelled with his team buddy Jeroen to Plage Goulien-Crozon in French Britanny to test the new Mistral Squab against a couple of comparable sized boards. We are both big fellas (93+94kg) so opted for 115-129l compact boards. At Plage Goulien, we scored a variety of conditions from shoulder-high light offshore waves, to 3m peeling with a decent side shore breeze. Goulien isn’t a barreling wave, but it’s got plenty of speed and we scored long rides.

Mistral Squab

Volume – 129L
Length – 7’10”
Width – 30.3”
Thickness – 4.3”

Construction
The new Squab doesn’t look and feel at all like a production board. The rather square and wide tailed Squab has a custom board feel and build, in light weight glass-vector and epoxy resin paint construction, reinforced with a carbon tape stringer on bottom and deck. No paint or filler, makes this stylish baby, pure eye candy and looking very custom like!

On the deck the Squab has just a kick pad, so you can add a big pad on it yourself, or wax it for the ultimate surf feeling, or if you like, lightweight without the mess, add RSPro Hexatraction, which is what we opted for.

If you flip the board, you see 5 nice Futures boxes and a high quality quad set. The board has an intermediate rocker with a light mono-concave running in a channel with some serious tail kick.

On the water
We really didn’t know what to expect with the Squab. A wide and rather square board, but also lots of rocker, but the proof is in the pudding! The Squab paddles out very easy. The wide tail adds a lot of stability and the 7.9kg makes the board move easily through the water. Although there is no pad the board feels very composed, probably due the construction.

On a wave the big surprise started. The Squab takes off very quick, quicker than most boards we tried and when moving down the line you have a nice controlled feel, especially with the back foot on the tail pad the Squab turns on a dime.

Robert who is a true goofy footed back foot quad lover, was ripping like I have never seen him doing before. Nice bottom turns, showing some fins in-between and sliding top-turns with some serious spray in 2-3m waves.

After seeing Robert ripping, I wanted to try it as well. Like Robert, great acceleration and back-footed, Wow! Not the fastest board we tried when chasing down the line, but the loosest and most playful board we tried in normal conditions, especially when the wave wasnt that spectacular, the Squab has ample of drive and shows it’s true strength. A perfect board that makes you feel like ‘Kelly’ in the not so perfect conditions.

When pulling into some steeper, faster sections that needed to surf more over the front foot, it started to slip and slide a bit in the top turn. A tri-fin set-up might help there as well, by keeping everything under control; but for such waves, there are different boards.

Overall
We are were both very impressed by the Squab, specially for the smaller, softer waves and back footed riders the Squab opens up a whole new ‘turny’ dimension.

Custom board appeal and graphics
5 fin Futures boxes
Takes off very quick (quicker than most boards)
Nice controlled feeling
Turns very quickly (on a dime)
Rips
Nice bottom turns
Very playful board even when waves aren’t great
Plenty of drive
Experiment with fin set up.

Author: Jeroen van Gessel, Teamrider Surf Sport Castricum.

7th June 2018

Mistral Creative Juices

No matter how long you’ve spent on the water, on a wide and varied number of water craft, in as many water and weather conditions, when it comes to the design process, working in a small team with like minded individuals, helps to validate your intuitive ideas and take them forward with greater confidence. Our Mistral Design and Creative Team, Chris ‘Bro’ Diplock and Steve West, have between them, over 60 years of design knowledge, ranging from surfboard, windsurfing, prone paddleboards, outrigger canoes, paddle and sail design and more recently Mistral hardboards coinciding with the sports arrival onto the scene.

Good design is a complicated process, which requires an initial brief or idea as to what the board will be intended for, so as it can perform successfully within those parameters. From conception, to making the 3D files, to computer cutting the foam blank, hand shaping the final details and laminating, it’s an anxious time as you work towards that first sample test board and the on water sessions which follow. Feedback from team riders, provides the primary bases for adjustment or not, with some testing often carried out by West in order to ‘feel’ if the overall end-goal in performance is being met and that riders can indeed get out of the board what they put in. While designs can indeed be fine tuned over time, the catalyst for this, can also sometimes be due to improved abilities of the riders, as a sport matures, but equally at Mistral, we strive to create, ‘Classic’ boards, as an acknowledgement end-users prefer constants, rather than continual change.

‘Bro’ hails from Cornwall, Britain’s bastion of surfing and is something of a UK legend in his field, whilst West, has lived a varied waterman’s life in Africa, Mauritius, Australia, the UK and all parts of the Pacific and its islands. Competitive successes, combined with work within paddle sports in particular, is documented through his books and used as reference sources at the Universities of Hawaii and the University of the South Pacific. Together, they have created such record making boards such as the Slipstream, Vortex , Equinox 14‘ boards and more recently the new Vanquish 14‘, not to overlook the popular Levuka, Fiji and Levu boards and all of our other Mistral hardboards.

14th May 2018