THE WORLD ACCORDING TO WINDSURFING DUO TO PETE AND ZARA DAVIS
10COLUMN ZARA & PETE DAVIS
DAVIS LOWDOWN
THE WORLD ACCORDING TO WINDSURFING DUO TO PETE AND ZARA DAVIS
Pete : Ever wondered why there are so many windsurfers that have been sailing for 30 plus years ? The sport was only brought to the masses in the 1970s and there are guys and girls still windsurfing from those heady times . Even the big name pros that made small fortunes from windsurfing and were hugely successful back in the day , like Robbie Naish , Bjorn Dunkerbeck and our own Nik Baker and Farrel O ’ Shea who started as kids , are still ripping now .
So what is it that drives us to keep windsurfing ? For sure the kit has become easier , lighter and faster , but that didn ’ t stop us back in the day . Nor does freezing cold winds and water , happily donning our thick rubber suits , hats and gloves to make the most of a winter blow when every normal sane person is in the pub in front of a fire .
Well I have a theory … the drive to carry on windsurfing or come back to it after an absence for kids or a dabble with the dark side ( kiting ) is for sure partly down to the freedom you get from blasting over the water , jumping and riding waves and overtaking your mates . But I think the reason we keep sailing these ( lets be honest ) weird craft is because we can ’ t do it whenever we want .
It ’ s a basic human trait that if we are denied something , we want to all the more . If we could windsurf whenever we wanted in perfect conditions we would get bored with it . So often you hear of people giving up their homeland to go and live in windy warm places like Maui and the Canaries and before you know it they ’ re bored and give up and often come home . What is the moral of this story … next time your having a moan about the lack of wind for what feels like a millennia or its freezing cold winds from the east with snow thrown in . Remember that ’ s what keeps us on the hook and makes the good days we get so special .
uk
WIND SURFING
Zara : This winter has been particularly bad for our sport . What with unseasonably cold weather , snow and a lot of rain . Thrown into the mix to make it even harder for us was hardly any wind ! To top it all when it did blow is was usually from the wrong direction . On the plus side it ’ s been a fantastic snow season in Europe for those into snow sports . The combination of which has kept most of us off the water .
So with my Osteopathic head on I thought it would be a good idea to float a few ideas by you all on getting ready for what looks like a good windsurfing season coming up . Firstly if you haven ’ t been doing so , get fit for windsurfing . This is always hard as the best training for windsurfing is windsurfing itself . However in the absence of that good cardio sessions like running and biking is good for all-round fitness but I find a combination of this with functional fitness like suspension training and if you can find one , a good functional fitness gym that helps strengthen your core and really helps with your flexibility and stability .
Finally we all do it ; rush down to the beach for our first outing on the water , struggle to remember all the bits and then remember how it all goes together in a desperate bid to get out there . Remember : it ’ s always worth a few minutes just before you go out to do a few active stretches and warm up before hitting the wet stuff . Loosen the ankles , knees , hips , lower back and shoulders , all the areas that will be under strain as you hop over that first wave . It will pay dividend ’ s for your session and most importantly avoid those injuries that can happen when you have been off the water for a while and it will avoid you having to come and see someone like me to mend those broken bits .
See you on the water soon .
Zara Davis is the current Women ’ s Speed world record holder and sponsored by O ’ Shea , Simmer , Sonntag , AL360 , Synergy Worldwide and Walnut Grove Clinic . Hubby Pete works tirelessly behind the scenes for the UKWA and organises the yearly Weymouth Speed Week as well as being an accomplished windsurfer himself