Kauli Seadi has one. Ricardo Campello has one. Björn Dunkerbeck used to have one. Jason Polakow’s had one for ages as has Robby Naish. Now Thomas Traversa is finally up there with the big boys: he has his own signature wave sail, the Gaastra IQ. We asked him about his new sail and how many times he had to practice his signature before production.

How did the idea for the sail come about?
‘I have always wanted to try the short sails with four battens, as they looked really easy to move when Kauli used them. When Gaastra started to make freestyle sails with four battens two years ago for the team, the Echo LE, I used those sails quite a lot. They were working quite well in waves too, so when our designer Dan Kaseler made the Vandal Riot, I just had to give it a try. I loved it and Gaastra then decided to make their own four batten wave sail: the IQ.’

What can you tell us about the sail?
‘Like most of the four batten sails on the market today, the IQ is more compact. It has a shorter mast than my Gaastra Manic, and the same boom length, it’s larger in the top area and has a bit less area under the boom, to move easier. It’s built to go in the waves: it’s not superlight, but it’s not heavy either and quite strong.’

I heard you say that it’s better for tricks but how is it on the wave?
‘I would say that the IQ feels really free on the wave, you can move it without any problems. That’s good for tricks, but also for carving: the sail is always where you want it to be and allows you to change direction really quickly.’

Is the sail made for your boards?
‘It’s not made for my boards, but of course they fit really well together! Like other short sails the IQ works perfectly with the versatile short boards we have now, they have the same purpose: making fast and tight turns with a lot of speed, and without using too much power for it!’

How will it be for the average windsurfer at the beach who is probably heavier and can’t taka?!
‘Well, the sail feel really free on the wave, but at the same time it’s really powerful to sail in a straight line, so I think it’s a good compromise for any wave sailor. You have speed to jump and move on the spot, and once in the wave the sail feels so small and easy to move, it’s a nice feeling.’

How many times did you practice your signature before signing that badge?
‘Haha, quite a few times, you see the details, that was a lot of work!’

Finally, how high is your IQ?
‘Well, I have never had it tested, but I trashed this IQ on the rocks, I guess that was not the cleverest thing to do hahaha.’

© photos by Sophia Regerbis. umi 2010

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