............. NINTENDO


Just read a really interesting article in the Jan/Feb edition of Windsurf, an interview with Neil Pryde, and I think what he has to say is insightful, as he has been involved in windsurfing since it's earliest days, and is alo highly invested in Kiting (He owns Cahbrina), Surfing and Yatching.

When asked about the future of windsurfing? This is what he had to say:

"I think windsurfing visually and athletically is still the most exciting sport today. Unfortunately it's a little out of step with the aspirations of young people today who, with all the computer games around want instant gratification. Windsurfing, for all the improvements we've made over the years, is still fairly complex. You've got to be athletic, have an understanding of wind and water conditions and understand the technology of rigs and boards, so there's a lot of stuff going on there. Now I maybe sound like an old guy preaching but kids today don't seem to have the patience to deal with this sort of stuff. I think our biggest competitor is Nintendo."

I think there's a lot of wisdom here. I also think that we as windsurfers are the custodians of our sport and need to do things to make it easier for kids/juniors to get into our great sport. I have my ideas, and am trialling things through the GPS team Challenge, but much more is needed (The Challenge is very limited in some ways it preaches to the converted), and I'd like to hear other peoples ideas?

Sailing Clubs?

I think one thing I might need to do is to join the local sailing club and introduce windsurfing as a sport???