21
HEAD
HONCH
UKWA BOB INGRAM
INTERVIEW: WSUK
PICS: ANDY STALLMAN
BOB INGRAM HAS HELD DOWN THE POSITION OF UKWA HEAD HONCHO SINCE 2009. A
FAN OF ALL ASPECTS OF WINDSURFING – NOT LEAST RACEBOARD AND FORMULA –
BOB’S STILL AS HUNGRY AS EVER AND SUPER KEEN TO GET AFLOAT, DELIVER THE
GOODS IN TERMS OF EVENTS AND GENERALLY SPREAD THE GOOD WORD OF
WINDSURFING. Here’s what he said when we caught up.
Tell us when you first got into windsurfing and what attracted you to the sport.
In my youth I had been fanatical about all sports but in particular I was a pretty good rugby player and that was
where I saw my sporting future. In the summer of 1975 I had rather a serious motorbike accident and after
three operations and many long months in plaster I was resigned to a life without sport. This went on for a few
years until a holiday on The Gower when whilst sat on a beach bored out of my mind I saw something going on
out on the water. There was a guy was blasting back and forth and every time he did so his Irish setter would
bound towards the waves. Could I do this? Well, just maybe, so I went out and purchased a Sailboard
Masterclass 335 and of course two Irish Setters.
How different were things back then?
Anyone today would not recognize the kit. The sail was triangular and you wrapped it around the mast to take
it home. Mine was pretty modern. It had a flat plastic batten you took in and out, nobody had anything bigger
than a 6.5. When the wind did blow you should not be surprised if your mast foot popped out at any time. On
the positive side they were pretty indestructible and if you had one on your roof rack you did look pretty cool.
I joined a local club at Sandwell Valley not much bigger than a puddle and thought I was a real expert.
Unfortunately this was far from the truth for when I later joined Chasewater Sailing Club I realized I knew
absolutely nothing. Chasewater in those days had a very healthy membership of extremely talented
windsurfers and club racing was extremely competitive. I was rubbish in comparison but one thing that came
through was the friendliness of everyone involved and how happy they were to pass knowledge on. In those
days the Club Team Championship was the big event and it took me a few years to break into the third team,
although we did later go on to win the title which was a fantastic experience.
And what about competition – when did you discover this and get involved?
My first event was in 1985 and I have never missed a UKWA course race or slalom event since so I guess you
could say I got well and truly bitten by the bug. My first event was the Inland Nationals at Grafham Water and I
remember it well. Scared and totally unprepared for the whole experience I was certainly in the last five in a
fleet of at least 250 boards.
uk
WIND
SURFING