In a way, windsurfing is a little like driving. The wheel in the question of windsurfing is a ring that is attached to the sail; with it, the rider can position the sail against the breeze, and propel the craft off the waves and into full launch. Windsurfer Ronald Stout puts this on full display on his ride here in Pozo Gran Canaria. With wind blowing at 35-40 knots, Stout picks up speed and hits a few swells, sending his board and sail floating well into the air and tilting back on its axis. With more clearance, more complicated tricks can be performed, but one key thing to keep in mind that isn’t necessarily the case with other board- and trick-based sports is that the sail catches wind in the air as well, making a presence in the air consistently volatile.

It doesn’t take long to realize that windsurfing can send you shooting across the waves at blazing speeds, like these Adrenalists riding at 20 knots over Moon Beach. Windsurf boards are usually the fastest of any self-propelled watercraft because of the power of the ocean breeze. What’s more difficult is controlling and harnessing the available power, and not letting it overpower you. This also means that games of control become more interesting when, for example, two speeding crafts fly past each other, like in this video.

The dynamics of sail and wind means that a windsurfing craft often hangs in the air for considerably longer than any other type of vehicle would. Watch these Adrenalists take on some serious waves in Tarifa. What goes up must come down, and when the sails eventually stop taking on wind and the board floats back down to the water, it can make for a rough landing.

This windsurfing video, shot on the windy San Francisco Bay, gives us several different perspectives, from the mast of the sail to the foot of the craft. In the San Fran Bay, hot inland temperatures mixed with cool coastal temperatures equates to powerful wind. The choppy waters and high wind speeds of 25-30 knots force the pilot to be a master of control. This involves the constant shifting of body weight and incessant, intuitive sense of how the water affects the board and how the wind affects the sail. The key is for the rider, as seen here, to work both against and with the natural forces. Use it too much, and you’re going to be susceptible to wherever your pushed; use it too little, and you’ll probably end up underwater.

Windsurfer Ronald Stout hits the waves again in this video shot in beautiful Fuerteventura. Here, we get some insane camera angles again with the Helm, Beach, and Boom views. The water at Sotavento Beach is shallow, but that doesn’t stop Stout from pulling off some awesome mid-air maneuvers.  Stout displays some impressive control over his craft, balancing through swells and wicked angles.

Send us your best GoPro windsurfing videos in the comments below or @DegreeMen.