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