The RYA tell us more about their initiative to get more people hooked on the best sport in the world – windsurfing!
Pro slalom and speed competitor Scotty Stallman first tried windsurf-ing in a taster session on his 9th birthday and loved it so much he was hooked for life. His parents had been determined to find a sport which would properly challenge and engage him and it was a simple two hour introduction to windsurfing with the Official Test Centre (OTC) in Portland, Dorset, close to his home, which did the trick.
Recalling that particular summer's day, Scotty says, "It was quite light winds and an instructor in a boat beside me said 'go out, turn around and come back in', and that feeling of being able to do it on your own without any help was really intriguing. Then on windy days I saw people out windsurfing, going so quick, and thought 'I wonder if I'll be able to do that one day?' "
The answer was a resounding yes! Windsurfing had caught his imagination and thanks to the OTC providing a 'next step' of clubs and courses, Scotty was able to continue getting out on the water as often as possible. By the age of 11 he'd hit 30 knots and by 14, 40 knots! A top youth on the slalom circuit, Scotty, now 17, finished second in the Pro Fleet on the 2018 national tour and is one of the UK's hottest windsurfing prospects.
PUSH THE ‘BOARD’ OUT IN MAY
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New School
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Nik tweaking it over home waters.
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