My sailing buddies over here are Will Ward and Corky Kirkham , mainly because not only are they incredibly talented wavesailors but they ’ re both a bit gung-ho uk
34PROFILE STEPHEN GIBSON
about these fins until a friend let me try some of his and I was instantly convinced . If you get the opportunity , try some .
I ’ m in a very fortunate situation with my present sponsors where I basically have the best kit on the market and all I have to do is go sailing . I don ’ t have any pressure to compete unlike some of my peers over here , and as long as I ’ m on the beach , doing clinics , chatting to people then they ’ re happy . I ’ ve sailed some rubbish over the years – stuff that breaks , shapes that don ’ t work but I ’ ve finally found kit that I love sailing with and that ’ s exactly what I ’ m doing .
Xenophobic ribbing
We have a good group of sailors over here and the level is pretty high , more so in riding than in jumping as we tend to get better waveriding and more diversity than the other Canary Islands . We all get on pretty well , wherever we ’ re from , and try to keep the xenophobic ribbing down to a minimum on our WhatsApp groups , although it can get out of hand during international sporting events like the World Cup and in particular during penalty shoot-outs . My sailing buddies over here are Will Ward and Corky Kirkham , mainly because not only are they incredibly talented wavesailors but they ’ re both a bit gung-ho and good laughs are guaranteed when they ’ re around .
Amazing sponsors
I ’ d like to thank all my amazing sponsors for the support over the years and especially so more recently , during my injury-strewn period . Nik Baker has been awesome . We used to compete against each other in the British Youth Championships way back in the day and he has looked after both myself and my partner Lucy Robson from day dot , enabling us both to carry on ‘ living the dream ’. Thanks Nik ! Also Timm from Maui Ultra Fins for providing me with board-changing fin technology . But , most importantly , I ’ d like to thank my dad , not only for introducing me to the sport which was destined to shape my life on that freezing northern lake all those years ago , but also for passing on his enthusiasm and passion for all things sport-related and helping me prioritise my life back in 1995 and nudge me onto the path I chose . I suppose I could also blame him for all the injuries I sustained along the way but I ’ m not the type of guy who holds grudges – love you pops !
I ' d also like to thank Oakley and igero . com for keeping the sun out of my eyes and keeping me in cool beachwear .
My sailing buddies over here are Will Ward and Corky Kirkham , mainly because not only are they incredibly talented wavesailors but they ’ re both a bit gung-ho uk
WIND SURFING