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Technology Stocks : Applied Materials No-Politics Thread (AMAT) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Gottfried who wrote (2516)	8/18/2002 3:35:14 PM
From: Kirk ©	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 25522

OT *** wind "Thanks. Many years ago I went to Crissy Field to watch an international sail board race. It was postponed because they wanted 20 knots." Much improvement in the technology since then. Windsurfing started about 25-30 yrs ago with teak booms, plastic fins and boards and Aluminum masts. Now they all have carbon fiber technology. 20-30 knots is still "ideal" since you can use sinker boards and small sails but there are few places in the World where you get to sail and even at the best, like SF Bay Area, often had to cancel races due to not enough wind. Today the light air race boards are as wide as picnic tables and plane up in 6 to 8 knots. I use a 66cm (26") wide board with a 50cm fin and an 8.8sq meter sail to sail maybe 10 knot min wind and it can hang in into the low 20's if I want to feel like an Indy driver (scary!). Even then, I often choose a bike ride over windsurfing when the wind is predicted to be that light. The racers can actually race in much lighter wind with boards that are 90 to 100cm wide with 75cm fins and 10.0 sq meter sails! It is amazing to see the material development that went into making this all possible. BTW, skiing has seen a similar development in materials. I bought a new pair of skis in 1994 and I thought they were great compared to rentals... They got me up to doing "some black" before my legs would tire. Then I bought new skis last year (shaped free ride) and all of a sudden I was able to learn what it took to ski black most of the day at Kirkwood and NOT get too tired (plus I was in my best shape since high school...). The skis actually do what you want them to do and you don't have to be 24 yrs old and in iron man shape to ski. High technology is EVERYWHERE.... some skis even have chips in them!