windsurfing equipment

He,s just taken on the role as PWA
chairman, he is a North and F2
sponsored racer and he is a key
player on the North sails test team
alongside Nik Baker and Bjorn
Dunkerbeck. A hard grafter and
conscientious employee, Jimmy Diaz
is up there with the most
knowledgeable sailors in the
business when it comes to improving
and refining sails. Born in Spain and
raised in the US Virgin Islands, Diaz
has been a part of the windsurf scene
for the past twenty years, and has a
proven track record working on the
sail development programmes for
both North Sails and Neil Pryde. The
meticulous process of discovering
the fine detail or minor modification
that gives a sail the edge over the
competition requires a sailor with a
patient, dedicated and scientific
approach. John Carter caught up with
Jimmy at his beachfront home in
Camp One Maui for an insight into
how he goes about his business.
BACKGROUND
So how did you first get involved in the
windsurfing industry?
I started windsurfing when I was twelve in the U.S.
Virgin Islands. The windsurfing scene was really big
there at the time. I got my first sponsorship with F2
when I was still at high school. I started racing after
I left high school in a few of the world tour events,
but after a couple of years I decided to go to the
University of Colorado. I did that for five years and
got my degree in electrical engineering.
So you finished your college education?
Yeah, while I was in college I continued to compete
during the summers. I still kind of had my finger on
the pulse. Every once in a while I would pick up a
windsurfing magazine and just be sick to my
stomach reading about events and seeing all the
pictures. Having already had a taste of the tour I was
really missing it. I went through a phase for about a
year and a half where I refused to look at a
windsurfing magazine. It made me so sick…I missed
it so much. I realised I was not done with it. It was
something I needed to see through. Being at college
made me realize that windsurfing was something I
wanted to do but at the same time I wanted to finish
university to get my education under my belt. I have
never used my degree directly, I have never been an
electrical engineer but I think that so much of
university is learning how to learn. It also taught me
an element of discipline. I learned a lot from it and
even though the direct application has not been
there the benefits are all there.
Were you initially hooked on the competition side
of the sport?
I tremendously enjoy competing. This is my
favourite part of the sport. I actually enjoy all the
physical training and the tuning, which is a huge
element to it. I love all the nerves and adrenaline
that competing brings. There are just times when
you are out there in places like the Canaries and its
blowing 35-40 knots…you are just buzzing…then I
think to myself this is exactly where I want to be!
TESTING TIMES
How did you start getting into testing?
It was actually through Ken Winner that I started
testing. After I graduated from university I went to
the Gorge and met up with him. We just started
sailing together and he was equally competitive and
into the racing scene at the time. We were really into
getting our gear tuned as best we could. He kind of
took me under his wing. He eventually became the
test editor for Windsurfing Magazine in the US and
asked me to help him out with it. I became
somewhat of an assistant for him. I learned a
tremendous amount from Ken. I think he is one of
the big personalities in the development of the
sport. At first we were just working for the magazine
but we were so much into racing that it was really
helping me tune my gear. That helped my racing
tremendously. I learned how to evaluate differences
in equipment and what makes things work. That
was a very valuable experience. Then an
opportunity came up with North Sails to help test on
the racing sails. That is when I moved out to Maui.
This was with Micah Buzianis, he was in charge of
the racing programme for North at the time. I
worked with him for about four years before I went
over to Pryde.
How long did you work for Pryde?
I stayed with Pryde for the next five or six years.
Originally I was hired just to race as a team rider but
slowly I was asked to help out with the development
of the race sail. It eventually progressed to the stage
where I was helping out more and more with other
sails, and before I knew I was responsible for testing
the whole range. Now I am back with North. That
came about at the beginning of 2005. There was an
opportunity there to do more of the things I wanted
with North. With Neil Pryde, the focus was mostly on
development, but then on top of that I was involved
in other things that took away a fair amount of time
on the water. It was becoming a little bit more of a
desk job. My main focus has always been first of all
to compete, and then secondly to develop what I
compete with. That translated into developing the
rest of the lines for the sail companies. With North I
had an opportunity to concentrate more on
competing and way more on the development of
the sails. It was also an opportunity to work with
some of my best friends in the industry. I was
working with Daida, Kai Hopf, Nik Baker and Micah,
who was still with North at the time. This was the
most highly motivated group of people I had ever
worked with. When Bjorn joined North, it really
made the programme complete. I had worked with
Bjorn quite a bit in the past and have known him
since I was sixteen. We did a lot of work together at
Neil Pryde and seemed to be on the same
wavelength. We see things very much eye-to-eye
development wise.
Is the testing aspect written into your contracts
aside from racing?
The testing is a major part of my deal. My value to
North is considerably greater in terms of
development rather than competing. They are
paying for my blood sweat and tears! (Laughs)
DEVELOPING A RANGE
What happens at the start of the development
programme for the next year’s range of
sails…where do you start?
The beginning point is usually the last range of
sails. The development of the sails is never really
finished. It’s a continuous process. Each season,
you kind of run out of time and you have your
deadlines when you have to put the sails into
production. That’s when you decide things are OK,
and you are done with them. Then the sails go out
into the market and you just evaluate what you have
done throughout the year. For example, with the
race sails, you sail them a lot, you tune them a lot,
and you really see what the strengths and
weaknesses are. As the year goes by you get your
ideas how to make them better and you apply them
to the following year. That goes right across the line
from the race sails through to the freeride sails. We
concentrate on making the best competition sails
out there and apply that knowledge to the freeride
and freerace sails for everybody else’s benefit.
What is your first move when you go about trying
to improve on a sail?
You look for the weaknesses on the previous years
sails. Sometimes when you are in the process of
development you find improvements, for instance,
in a wave sail and those improvements can be
applicable to a race sail. We are always trying to
improve the materials also, to make things lighter,
more durable and stronger. It is an evolutionary
thing more than everything else.
Do you take quite a scientific approach to your
testing methods?
Basically we try to be as scientific as possible. The
mast, the booms, the fins, right down to the harness
lines…it’s all very controlled. Windsurfing is actually
quite complex…the physics behind it are not the
most basic and you have to take care to isolate the
elements you are trying to test. We try to be as
meticulous as possible in the way we test, and that
way you can isolate problems and make step-bystep
improvements. Some people might find it a
little boring…to me there is an excitement to it; it’s
like in school when you were able to solve physics
or maths problems. It is the same thing with a sail, if
you are meticulous and diligent about things and
get results with your improvements, there is a
tremendous amount of satisfaction there.
I guess sometimes it is a step backwards before
you move forwards?
It is very easy to go backwards but sometimes it is a
necessary evil. For instance, with the race sail this
year we went a couple of steps backwards but then
we finished three or four steps forwards. It is a very
fine line… Sometimes we will make a prototype and
it will be worse than the current production sail but
we see elements in there that have a tremendous
amount of potential. I think the trick is recognising
those elements, going with it and allowing them to
evolve. That is what we did with the race sails this
year. We changed them around a tremendous
amount and initially we went back but we finished
quite a few steps forward.
Who do you do most of your testing with?
The development of the wave sails, the super-x sails
and the freeride/freerace sails is done with Nik Baker.
The development of the freerace and race sails is done

with Bjorn, and the Formula Sails with Seth Besse.
Basically the main testers are Nik Baker, Bjorn and
myself. The twins (Moreno) have been incorporated
into the programme quite a bit, and Cyril Moussilmani
is new to the team and he will be integrated also with
some of the race gear development.
If there is nobody around can you test on your
own and get any worthwhile results?
You can, but it is a little bit more complicated. I think
there are only two people in the whole windsurfing
industry that I would trust to test all by themselves.
That would be Bjorn and Nik. Both guys have an
unbelievable feel and understanding of how a sail
works and they have a tremendous amount of
experience developing sails. Those two guys are
the only ones that I would trust by themselves. I
don’t even trust myself to test alone; especially for
something like racing where to me it is absolutely
objective. It is a direct comparison, the sails have to
be side by side and there is no two ways about it.
Bjorn is perhaps the only one in that respect. He
can go out there by himself and really feel the
differences and get it right. I think he is that good
and that sensitive about it. In general I don’t like to
test by myself and there is usually never a need to.
Even with wave sails, which are really subjective. I
trust Nik inherently with them but I still prefer to test
alongside the other sail to be able to feel the
slightest of differences.
HARD GRAFT
With so many sails in the range to test, you have
to be on it with the wind everyday, where to
you test?
Over here in Maui and everywhere. We have done a
lot of development in Maui and Gran Canaria already
this year. In Gran Canaria we were driving round the
island quite a bit and now here on Maui we are
always looking for whatever wind there is on any
given day. You have to be pretty on it that makes it a
little bit tough because you are on call and on
standby to sail anytime, any day. Sometimes there is
just a one or two hour window of opportunity and if
you don’t catch it you don’t get anything done. If you
hustle, you get things done and you make progress,
the sails get better and the products keep evolving.
The more heart and soul you put into the job…the
better your product becomes.
What is the process when you take a sail to the
beach for a test session?
Let’s say we are testing a race sail. We will initially
go out there side by side and go as fast as we can.
We will compare them at different angles, upwind,
downwind and reaching and repeat that several
times. That will give us a clear understanding of
what’s happening with the equipment. Then we will
come back to the beach and switch sails. For
example if it was Bjorn and I, we would go back out
there and repeat what we had done with the
switched sails. We then come back to the beach
with the results. We evaluate what has happened
and then work out what we need to do to move
forward. That can involve changing battens on the
beach. I usually carry a whole batten stock and we
will just start making battens right then and there.
Sometimes it means modifying sails. We can bring a
sail back to the loft, re-cut it and have it back out on
the water within half an hour. Kai has a couple of
tricks to modify the sails right then and there. Five
minutes later we can have a luff curve change. So
we are constantly taking the sails out on the water,
evaluating them, making changes and then
progressing like that. If we can change a sail then
and there we will do it, or if we need another sail
then we send the design to the factory.
So how do you know where you are at in terms
of progression?
We keep the fastest sail as the benchmark. When
we make another one that is faster then that one
takes its place. That process continues until the
deadline and then that is the sail that goes into
production. Intermittently we go back and test
against an earlier generation sail or the previous
year’s production sail to make sure we have not
gone off on a tangent. This keeps us in line and
makes for a good system of checks and balances.
So where do all the North test sails get made?

The beauty of the system North uses, which is
something I really like compared to other brands I
have worked with, is that it is a very mobile
programme. We can be testing and developing
anywhere in the world. All the prototypes are made
at the factory in Sri Lanka. The prototypes are made
with the same materials and techniques that we use
in production. Because it is done that way, there is
no loss of translation in the eventual finished
product. The production sails are coming from the
same place the prototypes are coming from and
that is unique in the industry. Everybody else makes
their prototypes at a loft somewhere and then they
send their designs to the factory. That means they
are testing prototypes made in one place and
manufacturing in a different place. When you are
buying a North sail, you are buying the exact same
sail that we prototyped with. It is an exact replica.
There is no two ways about it. Whenever we need to
make a new prototype, Kai emails the file to Sri
Lanka and then they ship the sail to wherever we
are in the world. We can be in Maui, Gran Canaria,
Lake Garda or anywhere in the world…we have
complete mobility of where we work. We really can
take advantage of a lot of different spots and we are
not tied into one location. I think we are really
seeing the benefits of that, and our sails are working
in all conditions.
So how many sizes and ranges do you have
to test?
We make and test every single size in every range.
So we have about nine different ranges and we
have to test every increment in each one. It is a lot
of work, that is why we have to be so on it with the
wind. Whenever it is windy I am testing. It is pretty
much a full time job. There is a lot that goes into it
so I am always pretty busy. The sizes range from a
12.5m Formula rig, right down to a 3m in the small
wave sails. There are very few days where you can’t
test something. Any windy day is useful to us.
Do the boards have to be identical when you
are testing?
They don’t necessarily have to be identical. It is a
good thing when they are the same, but we are
comparing the sails. We only switch sails, we don’t
switch boards. That element of it is taken out. The
more similar the boards are however, the easier it is
to evaluate things.
WORK ETHIC
How do you work with Kai?
I get along really well with Kai. I have known him
and have been good friends for quite a few years.
Working together came very naturally for us. I enjoy
his company, his work ethic and how motivated he
is to get the best product out there. He takes a
tremendous amount of pride in his work. That is one
thing that I have found with North sails. The whole
company seems super motivated to push forward
and take the sails to another level. There is a
positive buzz of energy going on and it is a fun
working environment too.
Can Kai just listen to your comments and go
make the necessary adjustments to make a sail
how you want it?
I think part of the trick is for a designer to be able to
correlate what a tester is saying and translate that
into a design. With Kai, Nik, Bjorn, the Twins and
myself, we have all developed a language that we
are able to work with.
How much do conditions make a difference to
testing sails…for instance a gusty day against a
steady day?
It happens that we like sails one day and the next
we don’t. Usually if the conditions are a little bit ‘off’
we don’t put too much value into it. We make a note
that the sails need to be re-tested. We are really
conscious of the conditions. Testing when its perfect
steady wind isn’t always the best thing either. Bad
conditions have their value too; people don’t always
sail in perfect conditions. As long as you are
conscious of the conditions that is what matters.
There are days that you can come out of the water
and nothing feels good no matter what you are on.
Do you ever get a sail that you love and the other
guys don’t like at all?
At times there are a few differences but remarkably
with everybody that is involved, we are all on a
similar wavelength. I have never gone up to Bjorn
and said ‘This sail is it’ and have him go ‘This is
wrong buddy’. It is the same with Nik; we really
agree with each other on what we are looking for in
a sail and what direction we have to take. It has
happened in the past with other testers where we
have had complete disagreements and that is a
tough one to deal with. It can be a tricky situation.
Do you ever get regular recreational sailors to try
out your test sails?
That is something that we try to incorporate. A lot of
the time testing, we are refining the cutting edge
competition sails. We have Nik, Bjorn, Daida, Iballa
and myself to test these sails. These are highly
motivated people that have a tremendous amount of
knowledge and are very demanding of their
equipment. For the competition sails we know what
we want. When it comes to the more recreational
sails, then we know we have to look at it from a
different point of view. You take all those factors into
account. There are certain elements that you are
looking for that will apply for those particular sails.
In this respect we pay a lot of attention to the
feedback of dealers, magazines, and recreational
sailors that are quite generous with their feedback.
So with all this travel, where do you call home
these days?
My time is divided between Maui, Gran Canaria and
travelling to competitions. I actually enjoy moving
around quite a bit. I don’t like to stay put in one
particular place for too long. Going back to the
development aspect of the job, all the travel to different
spots gives us a much broader spectrum of conditions
to really develop sails that work everywhere.
Has the Gran Canaria test centre been a good
move for North?
I think it was a brilliant move. Gran Canaria and
Maui are by far the best two places in the world to
develop equipment. We are using both places and
doing our testing very thoroughly. We are using the
super strong winds of Gran Canaria and its variety
of conditions, and also all the conditions Maui has
to offer. We are really getting a huge benefit out of
that and I think it is something no other company is
doing. I think we can see that in the results we are
getting from the entire sail range.

WORKING WITH DUNKERBECK
What is it like working with Bjorn?
It is super easy. The guy is by far the most
motivated sailor out there.
Just for testing?
Just for sailing! The guy absolutely loves to sail. He
likes to go out on the water. For him sailing is an
absolute pleasure. I think that is the secret to him
winning thirty-four titles or whatever it is he has won.
He just loves to sail. When it comes to developing
sails and testing he loves to be out there. He enjoys
it and he is more knowledgeable than any other
tester I have worked with. He is really on it. He
knows his stuff.
Is he mostly into the race sails?
Not at all. He is into everything. We will go out there
and test the free ride sails and he loves that too. It
can be ten to twelve knots and we are just cruising
around on flat water and he just has a huge smile
on his face. We are out there sailing for hours. I
sometimes look at him and am amazed that he is so
happy about just cruising around in light wind and
flat water. For somebody that has won so many
titles, sailed in the windiest and radical places on it
earth with the biggest waves and harshest
conditions, it really says a lot when it is flat water
and light wind on freeride gear and he is absolutely
loving it. To me that is pretty impressive.
Who makes the ultimate decision at the end of
the year on which sails go into the range?
Ultimately Kai does. Collectively we evaluate the
products, between Nik, Bjorn and myself. We give
Kai all the recommendations and feedback but
when it comes to putting the sails in production,
ultimately it is Kai’s decision.
So with all this experience and access to the
cutting edge sails, you must be pretty tuned up
when you go to race at an event?
It helps tremendously.
You must have the best you can get?
Yes and no. In the past I have gotten so involved in
testing stuff but often I had to give the best
prototypes to another team rider. It is the same now.
Bjorn and Nik get the best sails. With the PWA
racing right now we are all on production sails so it
does not matter so much. Everybody is on the same
thing. In the past you could sail on whatever you
wanted and I would often have to give the best sails
to the top rider. There is definitely a pecking order.
The counter side to doing all the development on
the sails is that you are developing so many
different sails that sometimes you don’t actually
have time to go out and tune your own stuff. North
now have given me the opportunity and more time
to do that for my own stuff that will definitely show
when it comes time to race.
THE COMPETITION
Do you keep a close eye on Pryde, Gaastra and
Maui sails etc?
We have a very healthy respect for the competition.
Here on Maui we are all often at the same beaches
testing the next year’s sail ranges. It is a small
island. We have a lot of respect for all the
companies and keep an eye on what they are
doing. In order to be the best you have to keep an
eye out. You can’t just go off by yourself. I think the
smart thing to do is respect the competition and
don’t underestimate them. We try to work better,
more efficiently and harder than everybody else.
Again that is something with North…I am able to
spend twice as much time on development than I
did with the other companies.
Do you test against Pryde sails?
Every once in a while if we find out that one of the
competition’s sails is going really well, then we
definitely try it out. We evaluate it and see why it
seems to be working so well. I try to jump on as
much different equipment as possible.
What about when magazines test your finished
product, is that a nerve-racking time?
That is the test of your own work against the best of
everybody else’s so it can be a bit nerve-racking.
There is a tremendous amount of satisfaction when
you win a test or get a good evaluation. We are
really pleased with our test results right now. We
have been getting quite good results across our
entire sail range from numerous different
magazines. It has not been just one model or one
magazine. I think it is becoming universally
accepted that North sails are coming out with
consistently solid products.
SATISFACTION
What is the most satisfying aspect of your job?
I think the best satisfaction is when one of our sails
wins an event. In 2005 North sails did really well
across all disciplines. We had co-world champions
in racing, Bjorn was world champion in speed,
Daida was world champion in waves and freestyle,
Cheo and Golito were second and third in freestyle,
and Nik and Iballa scored second in waves. Across
the board, everybody did really well, and I would
like to think that the equipment was an integral part
of that. I also get emails from people that are stoked
with their sails and that is a great thing to hear.
Along with your roles as a competitor, a tester
and PWA chairman you can’t get too much
spare time?
It is just about time management. Surprisingly, with
everything I have on the go it is OK. I thought taking
on the whole thing with the PWA might be over the
top for me but so far it has worked really well. A lot
of things tie in together as far as the PWA is
concerned. It does take a lot of time but it is not
taking time away from my time on the water. I can do
the PWA stuff in the mornings and at night. With the
development of sails you can only do that during the
day. You have to be on it but it is quite manageable.
So finally…where do you see yourself in five
years time?
What are you…my high school counselor? Five
years time! Who knows…although the one thing I
am sure of is that I will still be out there on the water
and hopefully North will have the best windsurfing
sails in the world!