BIG
SALT
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JAMES ‘COXY’ COX IS A STAPLE PART OF THE UK’S WAVE
SAILING SCENE. EVER ADAPTABLE TO THE CONDITIONS
ON OFFER, AND WITH A GO BIG STYLE, YOU CAN SPOT
COXY A MILE AWAY WHEN HE’S DOING HIS THING –
USUALLY JUST AS CONDITIONS RAMP UP THE GNARLY.
As well as his on water prowess, Coxy is also the
brains behind BigSalty Weather – bigsalty.com – a
weather site aimed squarely at those who dip in the
brine regularly. We caught up with Coxy to find out
more.
Tell us about your windsurfing beginnings – where you started, what
led you try the sport and why it keeps your interest?
I learnt to windsurf at Hengistbury Head in Dorset, which was a summer
holiday getaway for my family back in the day. We left the suburbs of
Southampton to go and live in a beach hut and enjoy sea food, water sports
and most importantly windsurfing. My brothers learnt to windsurf there.
Seeing them disappear out to sea in conditions that seemed impossible to
deal with spurred me on. They learnt from my parents. It was a hard sport to
fathom and that got me interested. There was just enough balance of
challenge vs payback. It’s no different today.
Profile photo: Jamie Hancock
Main photo: Iwona Bielinski
At what point did you think wave sailing was a good idea?
Early on I remember being sat at the end of the Mudeford sand spit during a
summer storm, hunkered in the lee of a dune and looking downwind to Avon
Beach and seeing guys out doing big jumps and going for forward loops in
the distance amongst all the spray. It looked sort of terrifying but alluring. I
knew I wanted to get that good, but was aware that the progress was going
to be slow with the kit I was using and the restriction of only windsurfing in
the summer time. It’s kind of cool to look back and think yep, I’m there now
and I’m still learning. The guys out on the water back then: John Dickens
and Richard from Bournemouth Windsurfing Centre are still out on the water
with me today. That’s rad.
uk
WIND
SURFING