GIRL POWER
Windsurf|Issue 436 - August 2024
Sarah Jackson headed for a wet and windy weekend at Makkum Beach in the Netherlands for a ladies only event with the aim of encouraging more women into watersports. Read on to hear about her travel shenanigans and how the impact of the event brought a big smile to her face, despite the rain.
Sarah Jackson
GIRL POWER

PRELUDE

Picture this… we’re at Makkum Beach in the Netherlands, a spot located on the north of the Ijsselmeer (a huge lake). It’s blowing a solid 25 knots, it’s sunny… well… ish, there are 150 people out on the water from absolute beginners, to the best riders in the world, it’s a beautiful sight! In fact, it’s a sight I’ve seen many times all over the world - consisting of windsurfers and… ahem… wingers. However, this day was different from any I’d ever experienced before in windsurfing… why? Because 95% of the people on the water were women!

BREAKING THE MOULD

So, how did we get here? Because let's be honest, in my 18-years-of windsurfing, I've never had a situation where there were this many people on the water - especially when there were more women than men, it's normally the complete opposite particularly when the conditions are, shall we say, more challenging.

Well, it's actually the third year in a row that the Dutch windsurfing shop, Surfcenter, have partnered with Surf n Sail Makkum, and Funsport Makkum, to host Ladies Day. However, the last two years have been hot and sunny, which is great, but ultimately, also windless affairs, which is obviously not so great. So rather than windsurfing they were forced to resort to yoga, paddleboarding and beginner windsurfing lessons with advanced clinics being resigned to the beach. Don't get me wrong, it's still an amazing day celebrating women who are involved in windsurfing, however, all participants agreed that this year the event reached another level, thanks to that all important ingredient... yep you guessed it... the wind!

Denne historien er fra Issue 436 - August 2024-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.

Denne historien er fra Issue 436 - August 2024-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.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA WINDSURFSe alt
New School
Windsurf

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.

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 396 - August 2020
Changes
Windsurf

Changes

Wave sailor Flo Jung reflects on our changed world during his lockdown in Germany.

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 396 - August 2020
THE LAST WAVE
Windsurf

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.

time-read
10+ mins  |
Issue 396 - August 2020
Windsurf

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!

time-read
8 mins  |
Issue 396 - August 2020
MOVE ON UP - GET ON THE FRONT FOOT
Windsurf

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.

time-read
5 mins  |
Issue 396 - August 2020
Windsurf

SOUTH' KIPA

Nik tweaking it over home waters.

time-read
10+ mins  |
Issue 396 - August 2020
A NEW NORMAL
Windsurf

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.

time-read
10+ mins  |
Issue 396 - August 2020
TACKING – THE SEQUEL
Windsurf

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.

time-read
10+ mins  |
Issue 396 - August 2020
‘NO VAPOUR TRAILS TO SCAR THE SKY' *
Windsurf

‘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.

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 396 - August 2020
Windsurf

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!

time-read
6 mins  |
Issue 396 - August 2020