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Confidence
Something during this trip flicked a switch in Molly that’s for
sure. Within a few days she was practically begging to be let
loose on the water with boom in hand. There were a couple
of days where she was also out paddle boarding. And on a
couple of occasions she had the opportunity to ride a few
ripples on a SUP surf style (another tick in the box). And all
this without being able to swim properly remember. And on
that note…
With proper flotation our little girl was all over the wet stuff.
Under supervision Molly became quite happy chucking
herself head first in the deep end of the hotel pool. With
inflatable noodle under one arm she could get back to the
surface for another go. If she needed fishing out then we
could oblige. Pretty soon she was beginning to show signs of
doggy paddle, which from a safety POV is comforting.
Back on the water
Molly’s crowning glory was during a morning with the
(amazing) nannies and kid’s instructors. Setting off atop a
board specifically designed with nipper rippers in mind she
was able to position the sail intuitively and slot her feet in the
footstraps. OK, this wasn’t planing conditions but again it’s
the familiarity and muscle memory (we all know about that
one!) that aids progression. With a huge cheer from
onlookers Molly was very much loving the spotlight which
only fuelled the fire.
She also managed a short stint with UK pro coach and top
freestyler Max Rowe. Don’t think many three year olds get
that kind of opportunity! So big up the instructors and head
nanny Billie.
And the wee one?
It wasn’t all about big sis though. Young son Oscar (10
months) had his first go with a windsurf sail, albeit on dry
land. As a child just learning to walk it was grin inducing to
see him just about managing to balance a kiddy rig. Either
way he thought it was hilarious. And crawling around
sail/board racks is amazing as well!
Final thoughts
It’s very hard when it’s your own kids to not sound gushing
when they achieve. That said we, and others, were genuinely
impressed by our three year old girl’s enthusiasm and
progression. She may end being a windsurfer for life. Likewise
she could find something else as a passion. That fact that
she’s had the opportunity, however, bodes well for her future
windsurfing exploits. Obviously we parents are chuffed so it’ll
be interesting to see how things go.
Huge thanks to Club Vass for hosting us and allowing
our kids to roam free and immerse themselves in
windsurfing’s culture and the Vass vibe. All the staff
were great and we can’t fault them. Kit is amazing and
with some blow to play it meant mum and dad also got
their windy fix. All in this trip was a big success and an
experience our kids will hopefully remember for a
lifetime. Check out more at clubvass.com
uk
WIND
SURFING