Strapper Windsurfing ‘The Glory Days’
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
- Visited Strapper Surf Shop in Torquay to chat with Michael Di Sciascio, the legend behind the waveboard legend.
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Here's the KA1111 video if you want to watch it! - ua-cam.com/video/5L3SDeEY3hk/v-deo.html
Absolute gold again! 👏I went to Torquay in '95, sailed Point Impossible and Point Danger, hazy memories now. Was already fairly quiet I think. Knocked my front tooth out looping and the local dentist, who was also English took pity on me and sorted it out for a few dollars. Wish it was windy here, need a sail so bad after watching that!!
Awesome mate.. loved it! Super interesting ...and the format is perfect!
Mike is a great bloke... as a 14 year old he shaped my first short board and allowed me to pay it off a few dollars at a time.. went to pick it up and he said "can't sail it without a rig".. let me take rig with board and let me pay it off a few dollars at a time.. really appreciated it.. saw him a few years ago and thanked him .. he was just glad I enjoyed the board and rig and happy im still sailing ..
This is a rad bit of windsurf history Paul, well done brah.
🤙
Thanks so much for documenting that incredible time in history Paul! Your interview with Mike brought back so many memories. I was growing up/surfing/windsurfing in Torquay, same time, same age as Jason. There was a solid group of us teenagers sailing every weekend and any windy day after school. All aspiring to sail like Brendan Morgan and Byron Marsh especially. Those guys really pushed the levels, could do huge airs, and had all the brightly color coordinated gear, that set a template for Jason as he took it to another level. There were so many hardcore good surfers and sailors in Torquay, I feel so fortunate to have grown up at that time and to have parents that were into it all. Jasons parents deserve a huge round of applause. They were super supportive, always getting him to the beach before the wind came in and waiting for Jason to come in at the end of the day. After 1992 I had a huge 20+ year break from windsurfing but I wasn't at all surprised to see JP had his own brand. Such a legend! I remember Watercooled sponsored Byron and Jason in those early days too. I'm sure there is another story there. So cool to see Strapper/Mike is still there on the same corner shop from the mid to late 80's. I used to dream and drool over the equipment in there. I still have dads old Strapper in the shed.
You're the Louis Theroux of windsurfing documentaries. Great job as always PVB!
Waou, Paul ! @31min, it's not a double loop, it's a double killer loop !!!!
Thanks, as usual, a very nice video. 🤙🤙
Great off the cuff interview Paul . You manage to show what Mike and Strapper is all about ,.Find something you love , throw your heart and soul into it , back the people that share your passion , and never compromise the integrity of what you love .
As for the old artwork on the wall , I recon you will find my fingerprints on those Eagle wings , I was with him when he drew them up on mums kitchen table .
Yep , He's my brother !
That's so cool thanks for the comment mate! Those eagle wings are iconic!
So nostalgic! I think I watched that KA1111 video 100 times and even now I remember all the song lyrics.
Mike was right about the fact modern boards are less surfy. That footage shows the boards then were slightly less manoeuvrable but my god the speed they held through the bottom turn was amazing. Great for you to document that Paul. Hopefully we can see guys back sailing point danger again soon!
I used to hang out with Brendan when he was a teenager, and Jason was about 10 in those days, you're video brings back the grand days of the Ripcurl classic with Robbie and Richard White, guys like Warren Cornish would come down, and Midget Farrelly, locals such as Brenden and the famous Sparrow! We really did have a great culture of weekend Asa tournaments, and touring all over Victoria to find the next great spot, such as discovering Sandy Point, and my best man organising the first water speed trials there. I used to sail a 8' Warren Cornish sinker, and can still remember Big Saturday when Bell's closed out at 30', and point danger front beach, was 8'.
A great video Paul documenting the early days, thanks for your time and effort.
Andrew thanks for sharing those memories. Would have been so cool to be there at those times!!
I must have watched the KA1111 video on VHS at least 10000000 times back in Cape Town when I was a teenager lol, was even singing along to the songs...fascinating interview and awesome video...thanks!!
Same!
Thanks you for this one. Amazing part of windsurfing history. Now recorded so hopefully it never gets lost.
Great vid. Have just gotten back to the sport after 30 odd years, never wave sailed but am working towards it. Given torquay is on our back doorstep will have to give point danger a crack!
Hey Paul. Another awesome video. Great to feature that very special spot and interview someone who so influential in Jason’s career and wavesailing.
I moved to Melbourne at the age of 16 in 1989 and was lucky to sail with Jason and the guys Mike mentioned in the film. I remember sailing Point Danger in decent waves, late 1990 and shitting myself surrounded by a load of epic wave sailors. 🤙
Cheers, Paul. (One half of BooM Windsurfing)
Awesome! Jason riding STRAPPER boards and GA sails in insane surf was my fav poster on my bedroom wall growing up. Very uplifting impressions I got from that. True embers of pure STOKE!
😀👍
Thanks for creating this Paul, I really enjoyed it and thanks to the Strapper Guys for doing what they did for Windsurfing.
Almost as good as this series of windsurfing videos!: ua-cam.com/video/f1_BHdhinW8/v-deo.html
Another great video, thanks Paul. Very interesting. It’s hard to imagine a spot going from 50 windsurfers per day to no-one, with Hookipa-esque conditions.
Unfortunately this sums up the decline of popularity of windsurfing
@@blakoemail it is slowly rising up in the recent years but it will never be close to how it was
What a great document Paul! I used to watch that polakow video in VHS a lot before sailing. A lot of good memories of Tarifa summers during the ‘90’s....thanks a lot 🙌🏻🙏🏻🙌🏻🙏🏻🙌🏻🙏🏻🙌🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
The original Polakow video and performance level was off the charts in 92 - fast rocker, single fin for projection and wide point forward. Such an honest design. The safety off the bottom turn and the power based riding style - and those wave threes! - they still hold up today.
What an amazing video, brought back soo many memories and why I became a windsurf addict. Thanks Paul, am epic video and soo many cool stories
What an awesome video! Love seeing the history of Strapper boards. I remember seeing a trailer loaded with strapper boards pulling up at Blouberg bay, Cape Town and I was in love! Great insight. Thank you Paul 🤙
Good insight into the history of Strapper Sailboards and windsurfing back in the glory days at Torquay. I was living in Victoria in the late 80s and I can say I've seen the spot where they use to sail and Mike was right, 40 to 50 guys out there and I once saw JP out there, wasn't a big day though. I've met Mike one time in his shop, super nice guy. I ended up buying a board from his competitor, Watercooled just a few doors up, Kym Thompson was the shaper and owner and a good wave windsurfer. I was into slalom boards at the time, loved the board Watercooled made for me. Your story bought back a lot of good memories, thanks Paul.
And now Kym Thompson makes all the worlds waveboards from his Cobra factory in Thailand.
I love these end over end forward loops they used to do instead the sideway ones we are doing now. Very interesting interview. Keep doing them. It's part of windsurfing history been recorded.
Exactly! One handed killer loop, amazing!
This was really enjoyable. Showed up on my feed and decided to give it a quick view and before I knew it I had watched the whole thing. Loved it! Bumped in to JP at the Neil Pryde Maui shop about a decade ago.
Ha cool glad you enjoyed it Jon!
ABSOLUTELY LOVE THAT!!
I'm really enjoying these blasts from the past. Must have watched KA1111 1000 times back then. Nice one Paul. 🤙
Another great video Paul - we’ll done!
So cool you capture this history Paul. Loved the music as well.
Happy you liked it Paul!
Hi Paul great work with this story. It was an awesome time to windsurf in the late 80's early 90's. There was so much going on with everyone push each other back then. The gear may not been as good but the excitement was through the roof.
If your still in the area try catching up with the Trigger Brothers Paul and Phil at Point Leo. Both are red hot surfers and Phil would wavesail. The support they gave was fantastic for the local crew that would often head over to compete at Torque in wavesailing comps. Pete Jaspers, Rob Lowsby, John Jacob and myself and many others . Triggers was the Victorian east coast revile to Strapper.
Pt Leo would get 30 sailor's on a big wave day it was crazy. Many of the same locals are still sail there. Thankfully now days it not as busy but still gets 10-15.
side note. You talked to Michael about how Jason burst on to the seen with the Strapper boards and rode wave like no-one else in Maui. Apart from Jason unbelievable talents and the fact he had been to Maui about 6 times and still hadn't made a name for himself. The big difference was the speed the Australian boards could carry and still be highly maneuverable.
I was on Maui in 89 with Jason and a big group of Victoria wave sailing members. Those that took our own boards noticed we were all very fast compered to the locally made boards that got hired. The big difference the rocker Maui boards had. They were like banana's. Great for turning but struggled with speed for jumps. I think it was a good ting we were isolated and developed our own style of boards. Which the world has now adopted.
Thanks Paul for all the work you put into this video. It’s awesome!
Glad you liked it Jeroen!
Amazing film again, thks Paul. The strapper windsurf board is so cool, but so small LoL
We had Strapper Session boards in The Netherlands back in the 90's . Great video as always👌🏽🙂
Thank's for this really great video. I love your unique mixture of windsurf passion in combination with your videograph-story-telling style. It's amazing.
WOW!! What a story!! Didnt know about strapper brand and didn't know also this JP beginning!! Thanks for sharing again some awesome history of our sport!! 👏👏🙏🙏
That was a terrific video Paul - thanks for putting that together! I was a mad-keen wavesailor in the late 80's / early 90's and a huge fan of Jason Polakow, who I always regarded as the best wavesailor (Bjorn had no wavesailing style imho) and I thought that KA1111 video was incredible when it came out. Lost count of the number of times my mates would come over and we'd rig up waiting for a southerly to arrive and watch that video at my place on the beach at Toowoon Bay, the hotspot for wavesailing on the Central Coast at the time (in a southerly anyway). Those Strapper boards were absolutely iconic, great to see the history around the brand.
Super cool thanks for the story mate... it was a special time!
Great video Paul, I didn't know any of this early wave board history in Australia, thanks for filling in that gap for me.
Great video Paul. Being a West Aussie I spent 2 different years over there to experience Starboard sailing. Torquay was great ! I even sailed with Jason 😂
Inverloch & Phillip Island we’re 2 other great locations 🇦🇺🙏👍
😀👍
Great video! Love the history :-)
Thanks paul what a video. So good to know these details of WS history!
Awesome Paul! Another brilliant video and an amazing historical record of wavesailing in Torquay/Australia. I was about 18 and wavesailing (Central Coast NSW) when KA1111 came out and it was so inspiring. Like many who’ve commented, I watched it 100s of times and knew all the words by heart (and still do apparently). My mate Steve Sheen got a Strapper, and I was very jealous (I had a custom Natural Hi from John at Belmont), but I mail ordered a Strapper t-shirt with the wings that I probably have someone in a wardrobe :-D Keep up the great work.
Thank you so much for that one! Always wanted one of Polakow boards
Great video Paul.
Lots of us still sail at Pt Danger when it is on!
On a good day you could have 15-20 windsurfers out including Byron Marsh.
Great inside video! Liked that you mixed it with the original video.
Great to hear and see the history behind Strapper !! Dave Blakemore was the UK importer also a nice guy . 256 contest wave was a great board 👌🏽🙂 .
Dave was a great guy and he lined me up (from his home garage) with a 262 onshore and 277 slalom strapper.
Great video mate, I could and have spent hours walking round surf shops lol.
Lancelin surf sports being a great one in WA.
I can’t believe how much jp ripped the strapper wings logo off.
Great looking at old gasstra wave sails ( removing the foot batten) 😂
Awesome vid, thanks mate, great history 👍. Really enjoyable.
Really good video and what a great guy, Jason too of course 👌
the most beatiful board ever!
Fascinating
Paul, another great video, really appreciate your content and the time to put into it!! Such history 🍀🤙
Been in that store, have a couple of pairs of their trackies, never knew Strapper was an old windsurf brand! Pt Danger great spot to windsurf - once bit a hole in my tooth on a landing!
That was interesting. I remember seeing those boards in magazines but the wing graphics never tickled my fancy. The financials of making windsurf boards versus selling things like clothes/shoes is obvious. I guess that's why so many brands just get Cobra to churn out their desires. Mike has done very well and great to see he is still making surfboards. Torquay looks fantastic as a place to live.
You must be doing a PvB video back to back videoathon Adrian ha! Glad you enjoyed this video. Torquay is indeed a really nice place!
@@windsurfer yeah I am not efficient in my studies currently 🤣🤣 Loving it. I do need to throttle back somewhat. At least we have wind and a 3.4m swell on Friday. I'll send clips 🔥🇿🇦🤘🏼
@@AdrianTregoning ohhh sounds pretty big!
great story, would be nice to see that beach when the conditions are there
very interesting thanks!
I wonder if there are any old videos from the Rip Curl windsurfing events held in Torquay in the '80s lying around the Rip Curl HQ down there.
Der Windsurf Hype der 90er🤘🤘scheisse bin ich alt💀
I remember Jason at Point Danger, hitting golf balls out to sea from the cliff top,, waiting for the south westerly to kick in.
You need to do an interview with Brendan Morgan. . . As Mike mentioned his influence constantly. . Good vid
👍
Byron Marsh ended up riding Trigger Bros. boards after Strapper (for your next edit!). I think he also rides the jet ski during Bells.
Hi Paul great video! Could you do a future project interview with Australien rider Jaeger Stone? Would be nice to get some info about him. Did he stopped sailing? Keep up the good work!
Thanks mate! Yeah I tried in Geraldton when I was there in summer. He’s an elusive character! He still is windsurfing however has become a Fireman now so he’s got a full-time job and windsurfing is now his hobby. I think you’ll see some stuff from his sponsors in the future. 👍
@@windsurfer Thanks for the info Paul!
Loved my Strapper…
Excellent vid Paul. Thank you Is windsurfing over in Torquay ?
Happy you enjoyed it Thomas! There are still people windsurfing in Torquay just not like the 'ol days.
Single fin pintail 4eva boy!!
The. Ost beatiful boards ever
Hey Paul! I was at an event on the Outer Banks in the US end of October and at the swap….a Strapper!
Haha cool!
What is the name of old school movie? Was it original sound track? Anyway cool
ua-cam.com/video/5L3SDeEY3hk/v-deo.html
Umm, I’ll say it right away. Me likey!
Great, great video but WTF are you doing in Victoria now? You should be somewhere warmer!
I drove back to Sydney from Perth for my Dad’s 70th Birthday!
Ahahah
Polakow sold out to the Euro's, best wavesailer, but just a money man...
Been in that store, have a couple of pairs of their trackies, never knew Strapper was an old windsurf brand! Pt Danger great spot to windsurf - once bit a hole in my tooth on a landing!