COMPETITIVE OUTLOOK
I have reached a bit of a crossroads in my career. I feel like I am coming towards the end of my competitive side. I turned thirty-eight in December of last year… so while I am still competitive, I see that finally there is a new generation of sailors coming through and they are pushing the level, with regard to both jumping and tricks. I still feel like I want to compete because events always provide motivation to keep improving and pushing yourself, but at the same time, I feel like this is the end of my competitive career and I don’t really know what to do next. I feel like I am in a transition period, which could go either way.
On the one side, I am thinking about being able to focus on nice trips with big waves, but then on the other, it’s really hard to let go of the competitive side of the sport as it is fun to be at events also. We all meet up and it always provides you with the motivation to keep training, while trying to improve. However, I’m wary that I don’t want to compete for too long as the idea of just passing one heat at each contest doesn’t sound particularly fun or appealing.
MIDLIFE CRISIS
I never put in the time for real training at certain events like Pozo, and I am not going to start doing that now as I also have a family with three kids to consider these days. I am in a happy place in my life, but at the same time, there is also this midlife crisis circulating in my mind about what to do moving forwards. You cannot just keep going like you have been for the last twenty years. When you get older, you have to find a bit of a different way. It is quite mentally challenging for me right now to decide what to do next. I don’t want to be away too much, because with three kids, it will be a lot of work for my wife every time I am not there. I also want to spend time with my children, but at the same time, I also want to windsurf.
This story is from the Issue 437 - September 2024 edition of Windsurf.
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This story is from the Issue 437 - September 2024 edition of Windsurf.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
New School
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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.
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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!
