Remember the good old days?/ Do you give a damn?

bred2shred · Joined: 02 May 2000 Posts: 989 Location: Jersey Shore

I has been my experience that you tend to do a lot less windsurfing when you go to a race. I got fairly into the formula racing scene for about four years, and the thing that always irked me would be when we're standing on the beach when it's blowing because of something in the schedule. It would be blowing at 9:00 in the morning, but we've gotta wait until 10:00 for the skippers meeting and the first race isn't scheduled to start until 11:00 and then the wind dies. Or the wind would start to come up in the afternoon, but we've got to take a break for lunch and blow an hour and a half sitting on the beach - stick a power bar in your harness and suck it up. It seemed like half the people there were more interested in getting their hoagie then they were about getting in good racing.

I was somewhat amazed at the calema midwinters maybe five years ago. The racing on one of the days got blown out and there were like 100 windsurfers on the beach watching a couple guys doing freestyle. Here it was great conditions in the middle of winter and there were like 10 people on the water - I rigged up my 4.4 and went sailing.

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PeconicPuffin · Joined: 07 Jun 2004 Posts: 1830

If you're doing "serious" racing, then yes. For the Long Island festival we had great success with a less serious format, with no wind minimums.

The first thing that has to go if you're trying to build community at an event is wind minumums.

phazer · Joined: 03 Jun 2006 Posts: 30

I've been windsurfing for over 25 yrs and the sport has not been growing for the past 15 yrs or so in the east due to no young people getting into it. Today's youth are to hung up on computer games and ipods. This sport is being supported by old farts like me now 50 and that is the problem. Kite sailing reminds me of the old windsurfing days. That new exciting sport you have to try but will it become like windsurfing? Only time will tell. Cool

dcharlton · Joined: 24 Apr 2002 Posts: 414

Events are great and a lot of fun but what about bringing a friend in on the sport?

It's tough as you have to sacrifice some occasional windy (and rare this summer) days to go out on flat water and teach uphauling, but in all reality, you can teach on the not so nukin days, dust off the big boards and get a friend hooked.

It's pretty rewarding to watch a budy get on a plane for the first time and realize you had something to do with it.

Yes, you will miss the occasional good day but it will pay off dividends.

DC

blogo1@msn.com · Joined: 06 Oct 2015 Posts: 2

Windsurfin was popular 18 years ago because it was new. I skied and got into it from skiers. But over the years, running down to the water with a supposed forecast and sitting around, especially living over an hour from any water. The equipment is damn expensive too. You need a van to haul it all around, etc, etc. I would never talk a friend into it unless he/she was real real interested. And I would still tell them the negatives. And anything less than 18 knots with a 5.5 is all I care about anyways. East Coast is just not the Gorge.
I had a share in a beach house, LBI four times this Summer. Guess what, one day of sailing.
I still like it. When its over 20, its like a powder day..

bred2shred · Joined: 02 May 2000 Posts: 989 Location: Jersey Shore

PeconicPuffin · Joined: 07 Jun 2004 Posts: 1830

It's called windsurfing, not windwhining. If the goal is to increase enthusiasm for windsurfing and building a windsurfing community, then having the race be open class (any board will do, though you can split the results into formula and everything else) and the willingness to have shlog racing is important.

People had lots of fun racing at our festival...one guy planed. I challenge anyone who has not participated in such a race to do so and have a bad time.

andymc4610 · Joined: 19 May 2000 Posts: 684

bred2shred

mewindsurf · Joined: 30 Jun 2000 Posts: 177

Personally, I've done everything from High wind slalom racing to light wind vintage races. Personally, I have way more fun in the lightwind "Shlogfests"
You just laugh the entire way around the course while egging on your friends. It sure beats having 300 people show up and sit around waiting for wind. Yeah, I've been to those events to, and they just suck.