47
most spots. You think you’re in the clear and then the
entire horizon rises up into a giant, grey, growling
monster and you have to decide if you’re brave enough
to try and climb it. A solid chicken gybe is a valuable
talent for a bigger day at Bigbury. It’s always satisfying
when you score a new spot, but this was especially
rewarding thanks to the significance of the place to my
dad. The bay is also breathtakingly beautiful, and for
me it’s often these little extra things that turn a good
spot into a truly great one.
So what did I learn in my year in the South West? I
learnt that camping and windsurfing in the winter can
actually be a good combination. Although evenings are
seriously boring if you’re sitting in a car in the pouring
rain. Boring enough in fact to make me revise, and as
it turns out, I did somehow learn enough sport science
to pass my exams. However this is perhaps not a tactic
I feel I should encourage.
Cooking and sleeping
I learnt that you definitely don’t need a van to camp
and windsurf. I discovered that it is in fact possible to
cook and sleep in a Ford Focus. Although again it’s not
something I can wholeheartedly recommend, as its
death and subsequent borrowing of my girlfriend’s
camper converted Land Rover did make my life much
easier. I learnt that if you’ve slept in a car it is possible
to be so cold that putting on a wet wetsuit actually
warms you up. And finally, I learnt that yes, the South
West definitely is best.
uk
WIND
SURFING