Windsport thumbs up

[PeconicPuffin]

In light of the recent demise of Windsurfing Magazine I know I've been wondering if Windsport (of which I've always been a fan) would step it up. An early story:
Last week on Long Island a windsurfer got himself into a jam when he was separated from his gear attempting a self rescue:
http://www.peconicpuffin.com/the_peconic_puffin/2012/01/-lost-and-found-at-seathe-wolf-at-new-suffolk.html

Afterwards another windsurfer was raving to me about a great article Windsport did ages ago about how to self rescue, how it had saved this guys butt, and how it would be great if the info could somehow get back out there.

I shot a note to Pete Dekay, who found a copy of the article (8 years old) and had it on his website within an hour.
http://www.windsport.com/how_to_article?news_id=1310

Talk about not being asleep at the wheel...

Nice work.

[SeaDawg]

As a 30+ year windsurfer. I miss some of the hot topics that were the How to's, where to sail, wind finder type articels from the mid 80"s to the mid 90"s. I have a few issues of WindTracks that feel like old friends circa 97'-98'.

I just spent a month in Destin FL and my son and I were almost the only windsurfers. In fact two locals showed up cause they heard there were some windsurfers around.

My last late fall trip to Nags Head I sailed Jockys Ridge again the only windsurfer the rest "kiters" got lots of encourgement to switch sports.

Then I read that Winsurfing Mag is done.....

Really trying to talk myself into kiting, but with a garage full of windsurfing gear hving a hard time comitting.

[isobars]

[d0uglass]

Yeah, I'm getting pretty stoked about Windsport.

Looks like they may pick up an article that I had pending publication in Windsurfing Mag before it went out of business. Sweet! The article is about someone who is a regular on this forum...

@SeaDawg- I wouldn't read too much into the cancellation of Windsurfing Magazine. The same publisher cancelled Kiteboarding Magazine at the same time, so it's not like they chose one over the other. In my experience, having kited for two years before switching back to windsurfing, the fun factor of both sports is about the same. So there's no reason to switch unless you really want to try kiting for your own curiosity.

[Wind-NC.com]

Keep that chin up, SeaDawg! Windsport is a fantastic mag with lots of great How-To's, Ride Guides, etc etc to keep you fully entertained and stoked.

And trust me, Windsurfing (the sport) is Alive and Well- you just have to know where to look. True, some of the old favorite launches have fallen by the wayside, but that doesn't mean you can't go back and represent!

[SeaDawg]

Oh, I like Windsport just fine, lived in Toronto for 18yrs, sailed lots of the same great Ontario launches that the WindSport staff sailed.

One of my favorite Launch sites is on the Southern Shore of Lake Erie 30mi west of Buffalo,NY the South Shore Inn beach bar. In the Late 70's through the mid 90's there would be 20-30 windsurfers on any good day.

The SouthShore is about 20mi from our summer place which has been in the family for over 50yrs. I still spend my summers there. For the past 5yrs or so on any good day for windsurfing I'm more than likely to see no one out sailing, except for one or two kiters.

I particapated in a huge junk of history of this sport between Toronto and Buffalo area sailing.

I think that if I were starting over and were in my 20's and not ready to turn 60 I be signing up for kiting in a heart beat.

I think "Harry Callahan" said "A mans got to know his limitations" my knees and back have taken a beating and I haven't been using a small spoon at meal time.....So....

Anyway kiting looks like a really fun sport with alot more dimention than windsurfing. However, as I helped a 20 something very fit kiter recover his kite in Destin a few weeks ago (lite air, off shore wind, kite hit the water and wouldn't get back up) I helped the guy drag it back to shore, where we did a relaunch and off he went. He told me the last time that happened he got dragged all the way across the bay and had to hitch hike back to the launch site after 3hrs in the water(not fun)

Hey, I love the water and have lots of ways to enjoyed it(no complants) just some personal obsevations to share on a cold day in January.

Whats next? Heading out to the Pacific NorthWest in April to look at places to relocate, Seattle, Portand, Olympia are on the list so far.

[RickCronk]

[rigitrite]

There are alot of things I like about Windsport, and I will continue to subscribe, but they really need to improve the quality of their writing and editorial content, which I find somewhat amateurish.
They need to hire Josh Sampiero; he'd whip em into shape.

I really find it depressing that so many windsurfing magazines have died:
Windtracks
American Windsurfer
Windsurfing
Boards UK

I hope Windsport can hang in there.

[jingebritsen]

all depends on their advertising sales strategy. gotta go where the money is in ads:
insurance, lawyering, pizza, cars, and beer. i shake my head every time i look at a bonnier product. where's the real money from ads? not there.

[RickCronk]