Thursday 4th December brought together some of NZ best sailors to promote windsurfing as a sport and to officially launch the six new Techno boards destined for Tauranga. They are courtesy of the Bay of Plenty Sailing Academy and funded by TECT. At $5800 apiece fully kitted out, the boards aren't cheap but spokesman Stuart Pedersen is adamant they'll be a great investment for the sport's future. "Getting these boards is huge - they'll provide a pathway from learning to windsurf through to getting into serious racing without having to commit to buying your own gear," Pedersen said.

As in the previous year the 2009 Auckland Freestyle Champs was run again on stand by to get the best conditions possible so the stand by period was set for the whole month of May with each Saturday and Sunday being a possible event day.

The weather systems during that time of the year are normally a bit windier and consistent - but what is normal in these days anyway? The first weekend in May had a terrific forecast, 30+ Knots for 4-5 days in a row but it became quickly apparent that the direction was SE, which is the most unreliable of all for the Auckland area. After a bit of gambling the decision was made to postpone the event to the following weekend. As it turned out the wind never arrived for the first weekend – luckily!