mkseven said...

However being recognised as the greatest is PR.

Stop it

I vote #1 Robby, #2 Dunkerbeck.

Robby started on One Designs and dominated there. Then he dominated the early funboard or "Pan Am" racing scene, at the same time finishing second in the Division 2 worlds - they were the round-bottomed canoe-style light air flyers. With Harold Iggy and Rick Naish, Robby also did a lot of board development. Then when the World Cup arrived, Robby dominated for years. As far as I know, it was then that the WC was at its height; 250,000 spectators at the Dutch round for example.

Sure, there weren't as many WC sailors then but that is best entry was restricted. There were many more windsurfers overall. In the mid '80s there was a separate World "Amateur" Funboard Championships to select up-and-coming new sailors, and the PWA's predecessor reckoned there were so many people trying to get selected for their nation's WAFC team so they could try selection for the WC, that the WAFC was actually the biggest sailing event ever. Considering that OZ for example had board sales of 25,000 or so at the time, that may have been true. Bjorn's wins were against a declining sport, I think.

I only raced Bjorn when he was a lil' tacka but I'm told by those who raced against him in the late '80s that he beat Robby partly because he was just physically bigger. And with great respect to Bjorn, he may not have shown quite the width of all-round skills (light wind longboards, heavy wind longboards, waves, slalom, everything) that Robby had.

It will be kauli in 10yrs

10 wave titles should do it.

Its gotta be wazza as qwerty said, his allround abiltiy is outstanding. From wavesailing to squash to dancing at the fishos with a hawaiin shirt on/off with half a D with no tea under his belt. That is raw talent.

#1: Mr Windsurfing
#2: The Machine