52 FEATUREUK WINDSURFING
HOLIDAY
WINDSURFING
LET’S BRING IT BACK HOME
WORDS: MIC BRIGNALL
PICS: LAWRENCE SINCLAIR, ANDREA SONCINI
SKATEBOARDING, SURFING, SNOWBOARDING: THESE
SPORTS ALL HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON (AND IT'S
NOT JUST THE LETTER S!) SUPPOSEDLY THEIR HEYDAY
HAS BEEN AND GONE – SOME SAY THE SAME AS
WINDSURFING. IT'S A SAD THOUGHT, BUT NOT
NECESSARILY TRUE. When it comes to windsurfing
the sport’s more accessible than ever! There might
not be a set up in every other household but the
amount of centres overseas is truly staggering –
Vassiliki, Greece, has five centres alone, and Lake
Garda, Italy, also has five!
That tells you something. It could even be argued, based on
some reports, that more people are trying windsurfing than
before, but fewer are bringing it home to UK waters (maybe).
The perception is windsurfing is a wholly inconvenient sport, yet
it doesn’t need to be. These days there’s plenty more ways to
windsurf than simply rigging up a big sail and board.
An introduction to myself though: I have been windsurfing for
14 years now, beginning in Scotland. My parents wanted to find
an activity that we could all do together, as I refused to go on
walks or ride a bike. So, they decided that we would all take up
sailing; being the annoying brat I was, I wanted to windsurf
instead. Fast forward a few years, several Neilson holidays
later, and practice at the sailing club (I admit, I used to sail as
well), I was 14 and happily planing in the footstraps on an 8.5m
- something not many kids my age could do. Sadly, life got in
the way and I began competitively kayaking. My windsurfing
became limited to one or two weeks a year during trips.
uk
WIND
SURFING