36 FEATUREVASS
And number of guests in those early
days; how many did you cater for?
Anything from 0 – 20, it’s a lot more now.
What were yours and Roger’s roles back
in the day?
Layabouts really! There were only three of us at the start so
we did pretty much everything; we were instructors, board
repairers, reps, party organisers, etc.
When did Vass start getting busier? Do
you think that was down to you guys
promoting the spot?
I’d like to take all the credit but I think luck played a big part.
Windsurfing was the ‘in sport’ at the time and there are few
places better for all levels than Vassiliki. Initially two or three
tour operators featured us in their brochures and we saved
up for the occasional ad in the magazines. Word of mouth
also played a role as windsurfing’s always been quite a tight
community. It was probably by year three that we started to
see a future in it.
How hard did you have to work to attract
custom when other centres started
springing up?
There weren’t many centres in Vassiliki; the only two with any
presence were Club Vass and Falcon Sailing and both offered
a good product. Including lessons in the holiday was the
magic formula, as people had a great time on the water and
enjoyed the sociability of the small groups, and nobody else
really did this. We started offering all new kit each year which
made us the real ‘stand-out’ operation.
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WIND
SURFING
Any funny stories from back then with
reference to guests that you can tell us
(windsurfing or partying wise)?
So many but better not to name and shame in the press!
As much as Vass has a windy rep it’s
always been good for a right old knees
up. Has this changed over the years or is
it still good for blowing off some steam?
It’s still the same, it’s always been a great spot for a party
and still is. When Paddy Payne brought Vass Class to us, it
put Vassiliki on the party map, so many characters and great
friends came from that initial event. Pete Hart and Dave
White are still regulars and even Mark Woods is back this
year, I don’t think Jono has ever missed a year since!