Whatever sport you look at, there is no doubt youths are the future. They will ensure the survival and the development of a discipline, especially in windsurfing. In the past, perhaps this was forgotten in terms of specially adapted and efficient equipment for youngsters. Today though, kids can finally find boards and rigs that will boost their progress. All they have to do is to spend time together in the water, because kids loving being with other kids and pushing themselves to progress. So ignoring the rule of never work with children or animals, I organised a mega trip for a bunch of talented kids in their school holidays, with the aim to get everyone on the water as much as possible, this is the story of how my ‘Water Academy’ went down!
Most parents know that for children to have fun, they have to be with their friends. Putting a kid on the water with windsurfing equipment and wind will not be enough to get him hooked. But if he finds himself spending this same day with friends of his age, the magic will happen!
Therefore we gathered a team of kids for a journey that would take shape according to the weather conditions. Not all of them were windsurfers, but we wanted to make them discover all the board sports available and learn from each other. Today, there are so many different ways to have fun with boards, that I did not plan a single second of rest for the whole two weeks! Our trailer was filled with sails, boards, foils, surfboards, SUPs, skateboards and some surprises! Manu Morel, our faithful photographer, came with us to immortalize our sessions, but also to help me manage the team! Two weeks with a bunch of kids - we must be mad!
KIDS ON TOUR
The message sent to each kid was clear! Meeting at my place in Carro in the south of France with a towel, warm clothes, a wetsuit and a toothbrush - everything must fit in a small backpack to ensure mobility! Our itinerary will be decided by the weather forecast on the day of departure. This does not really reassure parents, who usually need to know precisely where their kids are, and I am surprised that everyone trusts me with their kids! Besides the homework, which is not really our specialty, Manu and I are ready to manage these five young water athletes.
LET’S GO!
Denne historien er fra Issue 388 - August 2019-utgaven av Windsurf.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra Issue 388 - August 2019-utgaven av Windsurf.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
New School
Slingshot’s windsurfing brand manager, Wyatt Miller, has noticed that kids are drawn to playing with wings and puts forward an interesting case as to why he thinks this could help entice them and others into windsurfing.
Changes
Wave sailor Flo Jung reflects on our changed world during his lockdown in Germany.
THE LAST WAVE
Lockdown stirred the creative juices of reader Björn Alfthan, who peers into the future to present a fictional story set in the wild waves of Norway, five years from now.
STILL IN THE GAME
After a horrific fracture in his leg from a crashed aerial in 2018, Alessio Stillrich is back! John Carter talks to the highflyer from Gran Canaria about his move to the Simmer team, recovering from injury and how he learned to windsurf in Gran Canaria!
MOVE ON UP - GET ON THE FRONT FOOT
This month we look at how our front foot weighting can affect and improve different aspects of our main windsurfing moves.
SOUTH' KIPA
Nik tweaking it over home waters.
A NEW NORMAL
On a trip to La Tranche-sur-Mer in France last year, Tris Best estimated over 80% of the windsurfers were foiling. This summer in Portland Harbour, foiling activity has increased dramatically too he reports. With the market offering plenty of choice to recreational windfoilers, our test team check out some of the latest foil offerings.
TACKING – THE SEQUEL
Having given you time to practice, Harty concludes his tacking series by critiquing various tacking options, including the carve tack, as well as offering solutions to common slip-ups.
‘NO VAPOUR TRAILS TO SCAR THE SKY' *
Realising we may be about to enter an extraordinary period in our lives, Harty decided to keep a windsurf-centric lockdown diary. Here are some of his choice excerpts.
REDEMPTION DAY!
Renowned for its windsurfing and variety of spots to sail at, Kimmerdige Bay is a wave sailing jewel on the south coast of England. Timo Mullen gives a guide to its shores while reflecting on why a recent session there was a reminder that there is no place like home!
