It’s a popular public misconception that learning to windsurf takes a while. Reader Elise Gire shares her own rather faster track approach of learning from up-hauling all the way through to short board sailing, water start, harness, footstraps and jibing in 50 days on the water! Granted this was in Maui, but it still shows with some dogged determination what can be achieved! The story doesn’t end there; Elise is now sailing in the waves and planning to enter her first wave competition. Read on for excerpts from the diary she kept during the first fifty days of her windsurf journey and an inspiring tale!
After moving to Maui in January 2016, I decided to learn the awesome sport of windsurfing. My mum Paula and stepdad Jon are both wind surfers on the island and after years and years of watching from the beach on my trips here I was finally ready for a change and a challenge. This is a glimpse into what I experienced in the first 50 days of windsurfing, from my first lesson to where I am now.
DEAR DIARY
Day 1: Lesson one of three was with Spencer from Pritchard Windsurfing. We headed to Upper Kanaha Beach Park to start with a brief land lesson on up-hauling. Soon enough I was hopping on the 150 litre board, amped and ready to go. I quickly learned that this was much easier said than done. After what felt like a million attempts, I remember thinking how was it so hard to get on a board and start going? The two hour lesson came to an end, I was sore, feeling a bit discouraged and had a lot to review before the days ahead. I remember feeling very motivated to just get to a point where I could just sail out and back.
Day 3: I finally started getting the hang of up-hauling and had my first real ride going out! Keeping my weight low and centred on the board was a key tip for me with up-hauling. I also learned that when my hands got to the top of the up-haul rope, I needed to keep my arms extended and away from me and not in close or I would fall backwards when I went to grab the boom. Getting the first ride felt like all my hard work so far was worth it.
Denne historien er fra Issue 367 - July 2017-utgaven av Windsurf.
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Denne historien er fra Issue 367 - July 2017-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!
