Research reveals we take in only about 25% of what is said to us – and if it involves a parent talking to a teenage child, I suspect it’s probably 24% less than that. It’s news that’s both sobering and interesting to the coach/teacher trying to get a point across, but it affirms what we’ve always known, that poor coaches tend to over-explain, while the best are famous for their verbal economy.
I once interviewed Matthew Pinsent, multiple gold medal winning Olympic rower and asked him about his coach Jurgen Grobler, the most successful in rowing history. He said sometimes Jurgen would go for weeks without saying a thing – apart from “Ja, gut boys,” at the end of a session – which was totally at odds with the stereotype of the bloke cycling next to his team on the towpath, bellowing unremitting commands through a loud hailer. Although sometimes Matthew and his crew craved a bit more input, they knew his silence meant everything was all going in the right direction, and that they were working it out for themselves - which is essential in a race where there’ll be no one there to tell you what to do if things start going wrong. Jurgen was a coach, who in the subtlest of ways, encouraged self-coaching.
This story is from the Issue 429 - November December 2023 edition of Windsurf.
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This story is from the Issue 429 - November December 2023 edition of Windsurf.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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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!
