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When did you start windsurfing and where were those first steps taken?
I actually had a go in St Tropez in the days when you had to wedge a piece of bamboo into the
mast foot to stop the rig popping out. The rest was mainly in Vassiliki…
Tell us what made you head to Lefkas and the story behind discovering
Vassiliki Bay. Was it all cloak and dagger stuff or was ‘Eric’ common
knowledge?
It may not be the romantic story you’re hoping for! I was teaching waterskiing, in Tolon in the
Greek Peloponnese and didn’t really take to it. One night I was putting the world to rights in a
bar with a couple of mates, Gary a pro Aussie rugby player and Paul who happened to own a
share in a windsurf operation in Vassiliki. I knew Paul from ski seasons in Andorra and during
this rather wobbly evening he mentioned that Roger, another mate from Andorra, was working
at the centre in Vassiliki. So we hit the road and arrived in Vass on the opening night of the
Zeus Bar! That set the tone, and after a couple of quite hazy months, I decided to buy the
operation and see what we could do with it. At that stage the centre was a handful of boards
and sails that had to be moved most afternoons to allow the shepherd to pass with his sheep;
we never looked upon it as a 30+ year business.
uk
WIND
SURFING