14PROFILE JAMES COX
Is it still waves or do you dabble in other areas of
windsurfing?
Still waves but I do a touch of freestyle. I recognise the
technical skill of the freestylers and want to learn better
sail handling for jumping so it’s a good challenge to
keep an eye on things but it’s wave sailing that holds
promise for me. There is an infinite learning curve and I
get to challenge myself. On the good days, you fight
fear, use skill, luck and get immersed in a wild
environment. Seeing my friends and other top guys
ripping is a thrill. It also makes me think, “I want to do
that! Hey, what’s stopping me?”
What’s the score with your local area? How is it
special and what are general conditions like?
The surrounding waters of Hengistbury Head, Dorset,
offer a really good variety of conditions from onshore
to cross-offshore all in a very short distance – we can
thank the Purbecks and Hengistbury Head for that.
There is Southbourne, Hengistbury Head,
Christchurch Harbour, Boscombe Pier, Avon Beach,
Branksome & Highcliffe. It’s mostly wind swell and the
associated fun, but occasionally ground swell magic.
Where’s your favourite home spot to sail and why?
I’m pretty lucky to live next to a beach that can get
untameably wild but is also reasonably consistent.
Southbourne faces SSW and is predominantly cross-
onshore. It provides a good dose of wind swell when few
other places have much but on the bigger days, the
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