Steve Wilkings - media hall of fame, class of 2021
It gives me the greatest honour to announce that one of the sports earliest, and undoubtedly best photographers, is taking his place in the Windsurfing Hall of Fame.
He was inducted into the first ‘Class’ of the HoF in 2021, but felt he wasn’t ready to take his place at that time. However, I am delighted that he is now, thankfully, prepared to take up his rightful place.
Please welcome Steve Wilkings, a name we are all very familiar with as we’ve seen his incredible skill and expertise gracing countless magazines over the past forty years or so. When I saw his early photo’s from Kailua and Diamond Head, I was simply in awe, his incredible eye for beauty and action absolutely set the standard for others to follow. His talent was an inspiration to young aspirant photographers like myself, and his pioneering ideas and approach to showcasing this ‘new’ sport of windsurfing to the world, influenced and captivated everyone with his timeless, brilliant images.
In discussion with him ahead of announcing his place in the HoF, I asked him if he could choose some special photos for us to showcase his work, so please enjoy these again, this time with Steve’s own words to accompany them, two per day for the next few days!
The following is written by Steve himself...
Steve Wilkings - Portrait taken by Dick Hoole - circa Dec. 1980. This photo of Steve Wilkings was taken by Dick Hoole at the Schweitzer Speed Trials held at Maalaea Bay in Maui, Hawaii. Hoyle wanted to establish a world record for the fastest sailboat. Hoyle hired a team of sailing experts to both establish the course and set up the timing system. Jaap Van Der Rest did manage to set a new world speed record soon after this photo was taken. However, this was only the beginning of multiple world records that were subsequently set by sailboards. I was thrilled to witness many different board shapes and designs, some of which changed a few of the pre-conceived ideas about both designs and surface area.
Below- Mike Horgan sailing “The Box” at Diamond Head - August 1978. Photo copyright Steve Wilkings
The photo is of Mike Horgan. Mike was a legendary innovator of many things in windsurfing. The only things on that sailboard shown above that were not made by Mike were the sail and the mast. He personally made the hollow wooden sailboard, the booms, the universal joint, the mast base and the harness with a spreader bar. The board was made from 1/8-inch birch plywood with cedar stringers and birch cross beams. Mike had started off using the traditional plastic Windsurfer that was made by Hoyle Schweitzer, but Mike wanted to try different ideas, and this was the platform Mike used to test his ideas. Every day Mike tried different things. One day it was the foot strap placement and the next day it was the fins. It wasn’t long before he cut off the nose just to find out how a shorter board performed. Mike Horgan is a true hero in the development of Sailboarding.
This photo was taken from the water using a Nikon 35mm camera inside a housing. with 180mm lens.
He was inducted into the first ‘Class’ of the HoF in 2021, but felt he wasn’t ready to take his place at that time. However, I am delighted that he is now, thankfully, prepared to take up his rightful place.
Please welcome Steve Wilkings, a name we are all very familiar with as we’ve seen his incredible skill and expertise gracing countless magazines over the past forty years or so. When I saw his early photo’s from Kailua and Diamond Head, I was simply in awe, his incredible eye for beauty and action absolutely set the standard for others to follow. His talent was an inspiration to young aspirant photographers like myself, and his pioneering ideas and approach to showcasing this ‘new’ sport of windsurfing to the world, influenced and captivated everyone with his timeless, brilliant images.
In discussion with him ahead of announcing his place in the HoF, I asked him if he could choose some special photos for us to showcase his work, so please enjoy these again, this time with Steve’s own words to accompany them, two per day for the next few days!
The following is written by Steve himself...
Steve Wilkings - Portrait taken by Dick Hoole - circa Dec. 1980. This photo of Steve Wilkings was taken by Dick Hoole at the Schweitzer Speed Trials held at Maalaea Bay in Maui, Hawaii. Hoyle wanted to establish a world record for the fastest sailboat. Hoyle hired a team of sailing experts to both establish the course and set up the timing system. Jaap Van Der Rest did manage to set a new world speed record soon after this photo was taken. However, this was only the beginning of multiple world records that were subsequently set by sailboards. I was thrilled to witness many different board shapes and designs, some of which changed a few of the pre-conceived ideas about both designs and surface area.
Below- Mike Horgan sailing “The Box” at Diamond Head - August 1978. Photo copyright Steve Wilkings
The photo is of Mike Horgan. Mike was a legendary innovator of many things in windsurfing. The only things on that sailboard shown above that were not made by Mike were the sail and the mast. He personally made the hollow wooden sailboard, the booms, the universal joint, the mast base and the harness with a spreader bar. The board was made from 1/8-inch birch plywood with cedar stringers and birch cross beams. Mike had started off using the traditional plastic Windsurfer that was made by Hoyle Schweitzer, but Mike wanted to try different ideas, and this was the platform Mike used to test his ideas. Every day Mike tried different things. One day it was the foot strap placement and the next day it was the fins. It wasn’t long before he cut off the nose just to find out how a shorter board performed. Mike Horgan is a true hero in the development of Sailboarding.
This photo was taken from the water using a Nikon 35mm camera inside a housing. with 180mm lens.
Here are the inductees for the Windsurfing Hall of Fame Class of 2024!
A truly fabulous group of people...
Women's Riders:
Dana Anderson (Dawes) - USA,
Lisa Neuburger - USVI,
Tomoko Okazaki - JPN
Men's Riders:
Craig Yester - USA,
Rush Randle - USA,
Erik Thieme - FRA,
Nik Baker - GBR,
Scott Steele - USA,
Cesare Cantagalli - ITA
Pioneers & Promoters:
Jimmy Diaz - USVI,
Tom Pace - USA,
Dick Lamb- USA,
Rich Page - GBR,
Bruce Matlack - USA
A truly fabulous group of people...
Women's Riders:
Dana Anderson (Dawes) - USA,
Lisa Neuburger - USVI,
Tomoko Okazaki - JPN
Men's Riders:
Craig Yester - USA,
Rush Randle - USA,
Erik Thieme - FRA,
Nik Baker - GBR,
Scott Steele - USA,
Cesare Cantagalli - ITA
Pioneers & Promoters:
Jimmy Diaz - USVI,
Tom Pace - USA,
Dick Lamb- USA,
Rich Page - GBR,
Bruce Matlack - USA
The Windsurfing Hall of Fame is now inviting entries for the 2024 Class nominations.
This is your opportunity to suggest who you feel should be recognised for their achievements in the sport over the years. This will be the fourth year of inductees to the Hall of Fame, and there will once again be a voting process to follow when the nominees are selected.
Our Mission: - To recognize the remarkable people the sport of windsurfing for fame, achievement, character, longevity, and their contribution to the sport.
Please read the qualifying criteria below.
If you would like to nominate someone to be considered for inclusion in the Hall of Fame, please send an email to [email protected] and tell us why you wish to nominate the person you have chosen, and explain what, in your opinion, they have done to earn this honour of being inducted into the 2024 Hall of Fame.
The more you can write and the more information you can provide, the higher chance there will be of your candidate making it to the final stage of the nominations. Please provide any press or PR and photos to support your submission which will help us.
The nomination period will close on November 10th 2024 at midnight GMT.
You can nominate people in the following categories –
Our Mission: - To recognize the remarkable people the sport of windsurfing for fame, achievement, character, longevity, and their contribution to the sport.
Please read the qualifying criteria below.
If you would like to nominate someone to be considered for inclusion in the Hall of Fame, please send an email to [email protected] and tell us why you wish to nominate the person you have chosen, and explain what, in your opinion, they have done to earn this honour of being inducted into the 2024 Hall of Fame.
The more you can write and the more information you can provide, the higher chance there will be of your candidate making it to the final stage of the nominations. Please provide any press or PR and photos to support your submission which will help us.
The nomination period will close on November 10th 2024 at midnight GMT.
You can nominate people in the following categories –
- Riders Hall – for those that have spent their careers competing in the sport at the highest levels nationally and internationally. Please see former inductees here https://www.windsurfinghalloffame.com/riders-hall.html which include people such as Robby Naish, Bjorn Dunkerbeck, Rhonda Smith Sanchez, Ken Winner, Jenna de Rosnay and many more.
- Craftsmen’s Hall – for Shapers, Sail Makers and Innovators. This is for those people who have been instrumental in helping the development of the sport with their designs in board shaping, sail creation, and innovations in any area of the sport that have helped it evolve for the better.
- Media Hall – for photographers, filmmakers and journalists. People who have been involved in the sport’s coverage and promotion to a national or international audience.
- Pioneers and Promoters Hall - for people who have been involved in staging windsurfing events, promoting the sport, or creating new concepts that have helped grow and develop the sport over many years. Link to this new Hall created last year: https://www.windsurfinghalloffame.com/.../windsurfing...
- There is also a newly formed Events Hall for the longest running windsurfing events, and nominations for the 2025 Class will open next year.
- Minimum of 50 years old;
- There are no nationality restrictions;
- May only be nominated/inducted in one category in the HoF;
- Nominees may be suggested posthumously;
WORLD CUP SYLT INDUCTED
INTO HALL OF FAME
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
A new Windsurfing Hall of Fame category has been launched, a 'Windsurfing Events' Hall, and the very first event was inducted into this at a special ceremony in Germany on October 4th 2024.
The Citroen Windsurf World Cup Sylt celebrated it's 40th anniversary edition this week and becomes the inaugural member in this newly created 'Hall'.
Organisers Mathias Neumann and Birgit Ballhause were also inducted into the 'Pioneers and Promoters' Class of 2024 in recognition of the many years work they have put into making the event the success it has been on the PWA World Tour for so long, known as one of the biggest prize money events for many years.
Also presented with a commemorative photo was Jorg Elias of the Sylt Tourism bureau who has been instrumental in working with the event over many years.
On stage in Sylt, SURF Magazin Chief Editor, Andreas Erbe, a Media Hall of Famer in the Class of 2021 was recognised with a certificate, as was PWA photographer John Carter, who is also in the Class of 2021.
No ceremony would be complete on Sylt without Bjorn Dunkerbeck, who is an icon of the event after competing here for so many years, a household name in Germany, and is also in the Hall of Fame Class of 2021.
The ceremony was live streamed and hosted by Cliff Webb and Ingo Meyer, an ex-pro windsurfer, in English and German, and can be watched in full below,
hosted by Ben Proffitt.
John Carter's photos - Left to right in photo above:
Bjorn Dunkerbeck, Birgit Ballhouse, Matthias Neumann, Jorg Elias (Sylt Tourism),
Andreas Erbe, WHoF Executive Director Cliff Webb.
The Citroen Windsurf World Cup Sylt celebrated it's 40th anniversary edition this week and becomes the inaugural member in this newly created 'Hall'.
Organisers Mathias Neumann and Birgit Ballhause were also inducted into the 'Pioneers and Promoters' Class of 2024 in recognition of the many years work they have put into making the event the success it has been on the PWA World Tour for so long, known as one of the biggest prize money events for many years.
Also presented with a commemorative photo was Jorg Elias of the Sylt Tourism bureau who has been instrumental in working with the event over many years.
On stage in Sylt, SURF Magazin Chief Editor, Andreas Erbe, a Media Hall of Famer in the Class of 2021 was recognised with a certificate, as was PWA photographer John Carter, who is also in the Class of 2021.
No ceremony would be complete on Sylt without Bjorn Dunkerbeck, who is an icon of the event after competing here for so many years, a household name in Germany, and is also in the Hall of Fame Class of 2021.
The ceremony was live streamed and hosted by Cliff Webb and Ingo Meyer, an ex-pro windsurfer, in English and German, and can be watched in full below,
hosted by Ben Proffitt.
John Carter's photos - Left to right in photo above:
Bjorn Dunkerbeck, Birgit Ballhouse, Matthias Neumann, Jorg Elias (Sylt Tourism),
Andreas Erbe, WHoF Executive Director Cliff Webb.
First Ever Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Le Defi!
The first ever Windsurfing Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in association with Surf Magazine took place at the amazing Le Defi event in Gruissan, South of France on May 9th 2024.
It was a celebration of stars in the history of the sport, who made the journey to be part of this historic ceremony, which was live streamed and set before the audience in France.
The Legends gathered, many of whom had not been together for years, and enjoyed the opportunity to swap stories of former days and events, almost like and old school reunion ahead of the ceremony itself.
Taking to the stage were 13 Windsurfing Hall of Famers', Ken Winner, Pete Cabrinha, Peter Thommen, Annie Gardner, Bruce Wylie, Nevin Sayre, Brian Talma, Monty Spindler, Willem Blaauw, Nancy Johnson, Micheil Boumeester, Antoine Albeau and Bjorn Dunkerbeck. Joining post ceremony was freestyle star Gary Eversole too.
During the ceremony, the stars were called on stage to speake to the audience, and the stories they told of their history of the sport and their experiences were enthralling for all of the fans.
It was an outstanding success in celebrating the achievements of these stars of yesteryear, thoroughly enjoyed by the audience worldwide and in person. Each was presented with a wooden engraved HoF plaque, and in the aftermath of the celebrations, these were signed by each person for immortality
Plans are well advanced for the next HoF induction after this inaugural event....
The first ever Windsurfing Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in association with Surf Magazine took place at the amazing Le Defi event in Gruissan, South of France on May 9th 2024.
It was a celebration of stars in the history of the sport, who made the journey to be part of this historic ceremony, which was live streamed and set before the audience in France.
The Legends gathered, many of whom had not been together for years, and enjoyed the opportunity to swap stories of former days and events, almost like and old school reunion ahead of the ceremony itself.
Taking to the stage were 13 Windsurfing Hall of Famers', Ken Winner, Pete Cabrinha, Peter Thommen, Annie Gardner, Bruce Wylie, Nevin Sayre, Brian Talma, Monty Spindler, Willem Blaauw, Nancy Johnson, Micheil Boumeester, Antoine Albeau and Bjorn Dunkerbeck. Joining post ceremony was freestyle star Gary Eversole too.
During the ceremony, the stars were called on stage to speake to the audience, and the stories they told of their history of the sport and their experiences were enthralling for all of the fans.
It was an outstanding success in celebrating the achievements of these stars of yesteryear, thoroughly enjoyed by the audience worldwide and in person. Each was presented with a wooden engraved HoF plaque, and in the aftermath of the celebrations, these were signed by each person for immortality
Plans are well advanced for the next HoF induction after this inaugural event....
Surf Magazin Germany supports the
Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
We are pleased to announce that the famous and internationally renowned Surf Magazin, probably the longest running windsurfing magazine in the world, is supporting the Hall of Fame ceremony at Defi Wind, and through 2024. Thanks to Andreas Erbe, Chefredakteur, and his team at Delius Klasing Verlag GmbH for their valuable support.
Windsurfing Hall of Fame first ever induction ceremony.
The Windsurfing Hall of Fame is to stage it's first ever induction ceremony at the famous Defi Wind event in Gruissan, south of France on May 9th, an event that will see many of the sport's legends honoured for their achievements over the years.
There will be videos, music, and stars on stage, and those already confirmed include the 42-times world champion, Bjorn Dunkerbeck, so too Antoine Albeau who won 25 world titles in a stunning career, and Mr 'Irie Man' Brian Talma from Barbados. From former years coming from the USA, US-9 Nevin Sayre, a top world tour regular through the early years, also freestyle specialist Andrea Livingstone who created unique moves on the original Windsurfer boards and won many titles, and four time women’s world champion Nancy Johnson. Others include one of the sport's early pioneers, a multiple national and world champion, US-1 Ken Winner, while former speed sailing world record holder Fred Haywood from Maui is also aiming to attend, as is former world champion and world tour star, S-10, Sweden's Anders Bringdal, who are among more looking to join in.
Founded in 2021 by film-maker Jonathan Weston, The Windsurfing Hall of Fame (WSHOF) has recognised three 'Classes' of riders so far, in 2021,'22 and '23 and the list of those included to date is a 'Who's Who' of Windsurfing's history. There are also categories for 'Shapers & Craftsmen' in the sport, 'Pioneers', and 'Media'. www.windsurfinghalloffame.com
The organisers of Defi Wind have created what is said to be the world’s largest water sports event, and have welcomed the staging of this first WSHOF ceremony, as a major attraction for everyone involved. An estimated 1400 windsurfers race together in a sensational spectacle, over one of the longest race courses of 40km, in strong 'Tramontana' winds, and the 2024 event will be the 22nd edition staged. Unusually, it is open to both amateur and pro-riders, all competing together on the same race track. Enthusiasts from all corners of the globe come together to share their passion at the event, and there are exhibition stands packed with equipment, and concerts in the evenings https://defiwind.fr/en/
Phillipe Bru created the event which now sees both wing foiling and kiting events take place before the windsurfing, and was pleased to include this special attraction to the event, ''We are really excited to have the honour of hosting the first ever Windsurfing Hall of fame ceremony at Defi Wind. Every windsurfer knows about the legends of the sport and the evolution that has taken place over the past 50-years', so to have these stars come to our event to receive this recognition in front of the public and fans, will be just a wonderful moment''.
Having recently taken on the role of Executive Director for the Hall of Fame, TV producer and director Cliff Webb commented, ''Phillipe and his team at Defi Wind have been incredibly helpful and enthusiastic about having the ceremony as part of their event, so we are very grateful to them. Getting in touch with all of these people again to see if they can come to France for the ceremony, after so many years, is just amazing, and the response we've had from the Hall of Famer's involved is just humbling, all are welcome. We have a lot of work to do with our vision for the Hall of Fame, but we are looking to create a legacy for the sport to remember it’s greatest stars''.
The Windsurfing Hall of fame induction ceremony will take place on May 9th, at around 19.30 hours, subject to completion of racing. It is planned to be on the main stage outside, so that the maximum amount of people can join in and enjoy what is sure to be like ‘The Oscars of windsurfing’, and a 'magnifique' moment of history in the sport.
