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History of Windsurfing Windsurfing is the most amazing of sports, combining the thrills of surfing and the tranquility of sailing. It is a sport where you can go off by yourself for some peace of mind, or enjoy the camaraderie of sailing with the crowd of 200 other windsurfers. No sport other than windsurfing can give you the same feeling of being out in beautiful, clear and open water, gliding along effortlessly. A windsurfer has virtually unlimited access to the nations' waterways. It's fun, it's easy - it's the perfect sport. History Most people know
Windsurfing to be the brainchild of two southern Californians, Jim
Drake (sailor) and Hoyle Schweitzer (surfer), who combined their
two sports into a workable, if not somewhat unusual, new hybrid
sport. At the same time, Bert Salisbury of Seattle,
Washington, met Drake and Schweitzer during a trip to Malibu beach
with intense enthusiasm and interest. Without delay, the men
obtained patents and soon the world was introduced to this new
sport aptly named (as suggested by Salisbury)
"Windsurfing". Although it was Drake and
Schweitzer who developed the sport into what it is today, the
first inventors of the sport of sailboarding should be attributed
to Newman & Naomi Darby. Thanks to American Windsurfing Magazine Newman & Naomi's story came out from obscurity. Although the Darby's name has been mentioned through the years when the origins of windsurfing was discussed, their idea was always referred to as something that didn't work. But in fact, Newman had been working with the idea of a 'free sail' since 1948 and the Darby's were producing and selling their boards in 1964. Their story is a must read and if you haven't done so already pick up Volume 5, Issue 1 or check the American Windsurfer Magazine website. And know this - It was a woman, Naomi, who was the first person to be photographed sailboarding! For more first hand in-depth information check out the Darby Electronic Museum. On August 20th, 1997 an event organized by Brian & Lorraine Carlstrom was held honoring Newman Darby. The gathering drew a crowd of 300 plus giving the first public acknowledgment of Darby's contribution to the sport of windsurfing. The heart of both the Darby's and Drake & Schweitzer's co-invention was mounting a sail on a universal joint, requiring the sailor to support the rig, and allowing the rig to be tilted in any direction. This tilting of the rig fore and aft allows the board to be steered without the use of a rudder. The Darby's phased out their production of sailboards by the late 60s as sales were not going well and it wasn't until Schweitzer's Windsurfer™, which began being mass produced in the early 70s that the fledging sport took off. These durable polyethylene boards were used for all sailing levels, simply because they were the only boards. Beginners learned on them, and experts prevailed on them. Everyone made the Windsurfer™ work, regardless of the conditions. By the late 1970s, windsurfing fever had Europe firmly in its grasp. Europeans, attracted more to individual than team sports, took windsurfing up in masses, and one in every three households had a sailboard, as they were called back then. Dozens of European manufacturers produced their own versions of the Windsurfer™, and a thriving industry was born. Americans started buying European-made boards, a trend that continues to this day. The early 1980s was a period of tremendous growth for windsurfing. Racing participation was at an all-time high, the professional World Cup tour was born, and the sport was awarded with Olympic status in the 1984 Los Angeles Games. Equipment development progressed at a feverish pitch through the mid-80s, as seen when a windsurfer captured the world speed-sailing record at slightly faster than 36 knots. Since then, windsurfers on extremely specialized equipment, sailing winds of 40 knots and above, have pushed that speed up to an incredible level, 45.34 knots. Now, windsurfing is a fully matured sport that is enjoyed by people of all ages. Windsurfing Today From riding the biggest waves to simply just going out for a cruise in gentler winds, windsurfing become a very diversified sport. Just as skiing has its downhill and Nordic branches, windsurfing has light-wind and high-wind sailing which, while sharing some similarities, are quite different in both equipment and technique. Light-wind windsurfing, taking place in winds of approximately 10 knots and under, is done on boards that can easily support a sailor's weight while he or she is not moving. This aspect of windsurfing is an easy, low-energy, relaxing way to enjoy yourself on the water.
High-wind windsurfing is done in winds over 10 knots, but primarily from 15 - 25 knots. At this wind strength, advanced sailors can get their boards onto a plane, and consequently, the lift created from the board's speed allows for the use of smaller and more maneuverable boards. The smaller boards go faster, but require more agility and quicker reflexes to handle.
The Truth about Myths Some people say windsurfing is hard to learn. The truth is – nothing could be further from it. The only time windsurfing is difficult to learn is when people try to learn on the wrong equipment in the wrong conditions. With the right equipment, most people are comfortably sailing around after a two-hour lesson. Others say you need to be strong to windsurf. The truth is – windsurfing is like golf when it comes to strength. Muscling it will get you nowhere. This is a finesse sport, where 100 pound women can windsurf as easily and as well, if not better than a guy twice their weight. This leads to the next myth, that windsurfing is a guy's sport. Remember, windsurfing is not a strength sport, it's a finesse sport. And who has more finesse? Just take a look through any windsurfing magazine, and have a look at how many women are enjoying the sport. Maybe you've heard windsurfing is expensive. The truth is - it can be! But is can also be cheap. $500 can get you a good, basic setup, and from there, you have no lift tickets, no registration fees, and the wind is free! Or maybe you think you have to be young and athletic to windsurf. Hardly! Sure, many windsurfers look very athletic because windsurfing can be great exercise. But windsurfers come in all shapes and sizes and certainly all ages. For
more information on the sport of Windsurfing click
here to AWIA's (American Windsurfing Industries Association)
Web Page where you can find lot's more info including lists of
Windsurfing Schools in the US. |
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