WORDS: STEPHEN GIBSON
PICS: AS CREDITED
STEPHEN GIBSON IS A LONG TIME WINDSURFER WHO
MOVED TO SUNNIER CLIMES BACK IN THE 90S. NOW A
PERMANENT FIXTURE OF FUERTEVENTURA’S
WINDSURFING SCENE GIBBO STILL RIPS AND ENJOYS
THE SPORT AS MUCH AS EVER. WE TAPPED MR G UP
FOR A NATTER TO SEE HOW THINGS ARE THESE DAYS.
GIBSON'S
WORLD
I started windsurfing back in 1981 on a semi-frozen diminutive lake
in the north of England, and since that very first moment when I
saw those little ripples appear at the nose of the board I have
always been hooked. I guess windsurfing is a sport which is
incredibly addictive due to the fact that it’s always changing,
always a challenge and one can never achieve perfection. I love
the fact that it’s so difficult.
My permanent move to Fuerteventura was a bit of an accident
really. I left England in ‘95 to come to the Canaries to train for six
months to prepare myself for the British Wavesailing
Championships in Tiree and when those six months had run their
course I simply never went back. Why would I? I was living the
dream. 24 years old, every day on the beach, wandering around in
boardies and no shoes and windsurfing every day.
Why would I want to come back to England? Twenty-two years on
and it’s still a dream. Before I left the UK I used to love our annual
jaunts to Tiree and to me Fuerteventura is the same - windy, with a
beach for every wind direction and super laid-back. But without
winter jackets. I’ve ended up in tropical Tiree, haha.
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