85
Freestyle
For myself coming from windsurfing on the sunny shores of
Vassiliki in Greece, freestyle was what really grabbed my
attention. Eight years later it is still the discipline of
windsurfing I enjoy the most, although the call of the waves
is getting louder. I had always heard about the Trench from
UK freestyle greats like Max Rowe, Andy ‘Bubble’ Chambers
and Ollie Scott. It was almost painted as this mythical
freestyle spot, tucked away right on our shores.
So when I took a job working at 2XS I was waiting with baited
breath for the tides and the winds to work in my favour. It
took a few months for it all to line up (2018, the year of no
wind!) but finally I got out for a session. The walk down with
your kit is always so exciting, picturing the session in your
head, visualising the moves you want to land, seeing the
conditions firing!
That first proper session I had there still sticks in my mind as
one of the best I’ve ever had. From Brazil, to Egypt to Cape
Town, on its day the Trench is a better flat water freestyle
spot than any I’ve ever encountered.
Fast forward to this year (2019), and I have sailed in the
Trench countless times now, yet every session there seems
to stick in my mind. Whether it’s a new move landed, a funny
crash, or an epic sunset as you’re cruising along, they all
have their place in my mind. I have also found that the
Trench is not only great for my own sailing, but also for
teaching others.
Having mainly taught in the choppy waters of Vassiliki for
years, it’s amazing to get someone up and planing, flying
along in the their footstraps across glass flat water, super
quick. The progression you see in the students is massive, as
is their satisfaction.
uk
WIND
SURFING