Windrider: yep, Nicole was more natural then, not the plastic bag she is now.
As bad movies go, great one to watch at the RSL with windsurfing mates at the time...

Anyways, learned on a very small lake at some way-inland uni.
Said pond was so small you couldn't sail straight for a minute without gybing.
We had the best transitions, and great freestylists then, and they took me to comps too.

Was hooked forever.

I can't recall my first exposure to the sport, but what I think got me so interested was watching Laird Hamilton (?) in a surfing movie just caning along the maui coast, popping little airs while planing - I saw that and thought how awesome it would be to do.

But it was years since that movie that I looked into doing it - and its been 4-5 months now - and am very very very addicted.

I am very suprised this sport is not on the narcotic list

choco said...

I was looking for an alternative for footy back in 1984 a mate and i decided to try out sky diving but i chickened out and ended up hiring a one design down at the lake.
Must have been a perfect day to learn i was hooked straight away, felt like i was planning at the time.

Strangely enough I started after doing one parachute jump, then went on holidays to Bali with a friend who was a windsurfer, he convinced me that windsurfing was a much safer long term sport ! And then sold me his old TC Spacer to learn on.

Got a lesson from him and then just persevered. I moved to Carnarvon for 6 months and didnt do anything but sail, that helped accelerate the learning process.

I think it was about 85 as I remember I was hooked well and truly by the time the Americas cup was in Freo (87). I remember seeing on TV a guy on a windsurfer getting chased across the course, I dont think they caught him.

Went in my first LOC the year it was a triathlon, we were the only team I think. I did the sailing and the others did the running and cycling. I broke both outhaul and downhaul ropes and fixed them in the water, they werent happy at having to wait for me !

Windxtasy said...

I was the last person anyone would have expected to take up windsurfing.
I was very unathletic and uncoordinated and avoided sport wherever possible. I didn't like getting wet either. It had to be at least 38 degrees to get me into the water. I was fascinated by windsurfing though. I have holiday photos from years before I learnt that are of other people windsurfing.
For my first try I hired a sailboard at the rivermouth at Kalbarri. There was no instruction, and no small sails for beginners, and I did silly things like uphaul with the sail on the upwind side and of course I got flattened everytime. It was very unsatisfying.
Some years later I was running a sailing camp for Camp Quality. One of the activities was windsurfing and on the first day I was standing with the instructor on the beach watching the kids, and I said to him "I must give this a go one day." He said "Grab a board and hop on", so I did. Well, the kids were just delighted to see the camp organiser having a go, and they were even keener to see me fall in. I was happy to satisfy them on the first count, but my pride wasn't going to let that happen any more than absolutely necessary so I tried really hard, and with some excellent instruction I actually did rather well, and the kids were really impressed. Next day I fronted up for windsurfing again, and by the end of the week we had a core group of regulars and I was one of the crew, and I was hooked. We didn't want to stop windsurfing so a group of us got together to continue lessons with the instructor once a week. I had to drive past a windsurfing shop on my way to work and one day I stopped in and bought one for myself. It was so heavy I struggled to get it on the roof of the car, but I loved it.
That was about 15 years ago. I had to stop for about ten years when the kids were young, but I'm totally immersed in it again now and the kids sail too.
I have become coordinated and this year joined my first sporting team ever (Pinnas GPS team).
I still hate cold water, but I think wetsuits are the best invention ever (after sailboards)!

Windxtasy said...

I was the last person anyone would have expected to take up windsurfing.
I was very unathletic and uncoordinated and avoided sport wherever possible. I didn't like getting wet either. It had to be at least 38 degrees to get me into the water. I was fascinated by windsurfing though. I have holiday photos from years before I learnt that are of other people windsurfing.
For my first try I hired a sailboard at the rivermouth at Kalbarri. There was no instruction, and no small sails for beginners, and I did silly things like uphaul with the sail on the upwind side and of course I got flattened everytime. It was very unsatisfying.
Some years later I was running a sailing camp for Camp Quality. One of the activities was windsurfing and on the first day I was standing with the instructor on the beach watching the kids, and I said to him "I must give this a go one day." He said "Grab a board and hop on", so I did. Well, the kids were just delighted to see the camp organiser having a go, and they were even keener to see me fall in. I was happy to satisfy them on the first count, but my pride wasn't going to let that happen any more than absolutely necessary so I tried really hard, and with some excellent instruction I actually did rather well, and the kids were really impressed. Next day I fronted up for windsurfing again, and by the end of the week we had a core group of regulars and I was one of the crew, and I was hooked. We didn't want to stop windsurfing so a group of us got together to continue lessons with the instructor once a week. I had to drive past a windsurfing shop on my way to work and one day I stopped in and bought one for myself. It was so heavy I struggled to get it on the roof of the car, but I loved it.
That was about 15 years ago. I had to stop for about ten years when the kids were young, but I'm totally immersed in it again now and the kids sail too.
I have become coordinated and this year joined my first sporting team ever (Pinnas GPS team).
I still hate cold water, but I think wetsuits are the best invention ever (after sailboards)!

You do know that they now make heated wetsuits, don't you ?? I saw them at a Rip Curl shop recently.

In Perth in year 8 (about 12 or 13 years old) my dad sent me and my brother to a windsurfing clinic run by university of WA during school holidays.
They taught us on big old wallys. After that We were hooked - parents bought me a little tyronsea kids board and would haul us down to Pelican point every weekend. We eventually moved to nedlands just so they wouldnt have to drive so far :)
By 16 had a bombora and used to ride down to pelican point with the windsurfer strapped to a golf trolley I stole from my dad - used to stap all the gear on and tie the end of the mast to my bike to tow it down to the water.

At 17 i got a drivers licsence and a new wright design - 18" ocean speed and a 5.4 wild winds sail which i used in the Ledge to Lancilen finishing in top 100.

Sadly at 21 i moved sydney - didnt sail again for 15 years :(

After watching ppl down at sydney airport one day I got the itch again. Went up to WSnS that weekend and picked up a new kit. Was interesting to lean how to water start and gybe again - its a lot like riding a bike tho as some things you just never forget :)

Craig

Surf eince I can remember and then sailed dingys at school

Couldn't afford a boat (wanted a Hobie 16) so got a windsurfer cheap in the local paper. Must have been 1985

Went to Maui in 1992.

Got back home, it was cold and flat. Sold my gear for more than I paid for it.

Surfed.

Moved to Perth.

Surfed. Perth was flat, crowded or windy.

So started windsurfing again. Remember first day I stepped onto an Acid 70 at Lancelin having not sailed for 15 years. Didn't piss about trying to learn again. Just stepped on and headed out to main break. Hoped I could jibe, water start and hang on for long enough to get back to the beach.

Stopped surfing.

Moved to NSW.

No crowds, no wind, good surf.

Not too sure why I still sail and don't surf ?

My dad used to sail around with me sitting on the front of his board. Back in the mid 80's that was incredibly easy to accomodate. :D

Then we moved to Aus and he sold off the gigantor board and quit windsurfing.

Fastforward to 1998, and on a family holiday to Fiji i spent an entire week learning to windsurf by myself, on an INFLATABLE BOARD! Needless to say, it did not work well upwind. :)

When we got back i bought a rig from goodtime, a 25kg 4 metre monstrosity called a windsurfer express, complete with retractable centreboard. I had an ancient fibreglass mast and a 6m sail that was fully battened, but archaic. I spent every weekend at golden beach learning to do everything possible on it in wind from 5 to 25 knots. Heaps of rail rides, vertical on-the-spot gybes, helitacks etc. I would go out at 9am and come in when it was dark. I learned a hell of a lot! :)

At the same time i created a windskater out of my regular skateboard with a couple of rollerblade front wheels to reduce the chance of hitting a rock. I learned all of my planing doing that, in winds much lower than required on water. Also used to draw a crowd, and could go MASSIVELY fast in a bit of wind. :p

I transferred the knowledge straight into riding a 65L blaster board from the late 80's. It sank with just my weight on it, but was hilariously unstable/fast, it felt like a eurofighter. I used to just cane across cootharaba on it, barely in contact with the water.

But i fell out of the sport for several years and am just getting back into it. My primary board is now some random 160L surfboard-constructed slalom device, but i can't wait to get back out on the rocket this winter if my skills come back. :D

jh2703 said...

I watched this Aussie movie called Windrider when I was Just a Kid, This started the whole windsurfing journey for me....I was instantly hooked on the idea of blasting across the water and flying through the air.

I made my way to the local library and got every book on windsurfing they had...That was a total of one. I spent months reading this book and watching Windrider over and over, My old man finally convinced I was serious about this and offered to take me the Canberra to the nearest windsurfing shop. We spent the day looking at boards and sails and Dad offered to buy me my first board, This is when reason kicked in.

We lived about 2 hours from Canberra and at least an hour from any body of water that could be sailed and we only went down the coast for 2 weeks a year. I wanted that board so bad but I couldn't do it to my dad, he would have spent his last cent just to make me happy...we were not a well to do family, but they gave me everything they could.

My windsurfing dream now laid dormant for many years....

20 years on, I relocated with work to Canberra and My dream was awakened. I was out at the lake one day and watched the locals blasting back and forth across the lake, The odd loop thrown in to really get my adrenalin pumping. The next day I went and bought my first beginners board from Scotty at the Wetspot, Got a few sailing and rigging tips and I was off....3 years later I still love it. I've done 2 trips to Australian Windsurfing Mecca, Geraldton WA and have learnt so much and still continue to learn every time I get on the Water.

I love this sport and now can't imagine life without it.

The huge amount of testosterone in my battle-scarred body is making my eyes water.

The very moment I got hooked, 04 July 2007. I think it was the speed!!. My great mate Richard and I had just finished school in the UK, he had tried it the day before and said I'd better get down to the lake and try out this new thing. We both live in NZ now and both still go hard at 52!! My first board was a Windsurfer Regatta One design with a teak boom!!See pic also. The original freestyle board!! .

Oh my God, those dreadful tie-on booms and horrible sack like sails.
How did this sport survive infancy ??

I give thanks daily for modern gear.

Mrgob said...

Not all tie on booms were 'orrid. Remember the Klepper, with the two little steps moulded on the outside of the front end?

All you needed was a fixed length loop of non stretch rope, the boom laid against the mast with arms swung up parallel with it, (back end removed to avoid having to take battens out of sail), and it was only a matter of seconds to fix. You looped the rope around the mast beneath the front end, slid the loop ends over the outside of the boom front end, and swung it down down, then slid the boom back end in.

Rock solid and quicker and less fiddly to do than my present clamp booms. Only problem was you couldn't adjust the height once fixed, and the tubing was 80's rubbish and bent in the surf.

Nope, I went straight from an original Windsurfer One Design to an early 90's Hydrodynamix clamp-on boom, nothing in between.

Sailed 4.3m catamarans in the late 70’s (fairly successfully) in NSW and was not really looking for anything else at the time. They were fast and enjoyable. While traveling to different regattas I noticed a thing called a Windsurfer, with the long tie-on boom and triangular shaped sail at a few of the venues. Had a closer look and thought that this was interesting. Gave it a go and the rest is history.

Got my first Windsurfer with the pull-out centreboard either in late 1979 or early 1980. Sail number as long as a phone number. Sailed at Iron Cove Bay, Sydney with a mate until I was reasonably confident then bought a smaller storm sail and the higher wind centreboard. Tried a harness and found that this helped to stay on the water longer. The good old chest harness was all there was initially. Catapults were a common occurrence. Went out in all weather (including the beach). Sailed it everywhere on the Parramatta River, around Cockatoo Island and even up to the Harbour Bridge (not prohibited back then). I even sailed it at Maloolaba in Qld. in the early 1980’s at the north side of the harbour entrance on some rollers.

Sold the cat in 1985, spent the money on a newer Windsurfer One Design, the one with the retractable centreboard and the better sail/boom combination. Also got my first short board, a Ten Cate Leaper (?) which was a plastic hull and a De Vries 5.7m wave sail. Not bad on the bay, but not so great in the waves. Water starts, beach starts and gybes followed. Wave sailed at Palm Beach, Narrabeen, Wanda & Umina; bay sailed at Kyemah, Kurnell, Dolls Point, and Sanctuary Point. Surprised I didn’t drown.

Bought a custom fiberglass waveboard from a local surfboard shaper and two North Sails, a 6.5m & a 5.7m, in 1988. I took this board and the wally to Cairns on a sailboarding safari in my reliable XD Falcon s/wagon. Sailed both at a number of spots including the northern beaches of Cairns, Mission Beach, Airlie Beach, the Whitsundays Islands including a day trip to Beachcomber Island, off Great Keppel Island (Yepoon) and at Wellington Point, Brisbane. Great sailboarding holiday.

Years more wave and bay blasting, mixed in with Wednesday evening twilight racing the One Design at Rodd Point, Sydney. Mixed sailboard fleet racing was lots of fun and made lots of friends. Once we had about 65 windsurfers/sailboards at a race. The whole bay was covered with sailboarders. What a sight this was. We even used to make the local paper’s sports section.

Bought another Windsurfer One Design from an ex-Aussie Windsurfing Champ (a local) and got more into the windsurfing/longboard racing side of the sport. Did an AYF approved course and became a Sailboard Instructor. Worked for Bai Sail n Snow in Five Dock, Sydney for a few years instructing. Good times then….taught many to sailboard.

Bought a “John Hall” Slalom in 1990 from the man himself. That board opened my eyes to the thrill of pure speed on the water. Did some Sunday afternoon slalom racing at Kyemah. Fun & exciting. Next purchase, an Extreme 280cm World Cup Slalom in 1995 (a tricky 53cm wide baby that was fantastic); then a Mistral Naish Freeride 8’9” in about 2000 and later a Fanatic Goya Wave 80 litre in about 2004. A JP 114 Slalom Pro in 2005/6 and a few other newer NP sails and other assorted wave gear. Still got most of these boards today, but one or two don’t get used.

After about 30 years of doing sailboarding I’d say there is always more to learn. Every session is unique. This is the beauty of the sport. From flat water, to bay, to waves, it is all great fun. Anything that is easy to master is not worth the effort. This is probably why I love the sport. I am still having too much fun!!

Windxtasy said...

KenHo said...

Windxtasy said...

I was the last person anyone would have expected to take up windsurfing.
I was very unathletic and uncoordinated and avoided sport wherever possible. I didn't like getting wet either. It had to be at least 38 degrees to get me into the water. I was fascinated by windsurfing though. I have holiday photos from years before I learnt that are of other people windsurfing.
For my first try I hired a sailboard at the rivermouth at Kalbarri. There was no instruction, and no small sails for beginners, and I did silly things like uphaul with the sail on the upwind side and of course I got flattened everytime. It was very unsatisfying.
Some years later I was running a sailing camp for Camp Quality. One of the activities was windsurfing and on the first day I was standing with the instructor on the beach watching the kids, and I said to him "I must give this a go one day." He said "Grab a board and hop on", so I did. Well, the kids were just delighted to see the camp organiser having a go, and they were even keener to see me fall in. I was happy to satisfy them on the first count, but my pride wasn't going to let that happen any more than absolutely necessary so I tried really hard, and with some excellent instruction I actually did rather well, and the kids were really impressed. Next day I fronted up for windsurfing again, and by the end of the week we had a core group of regulars and I was one of the crew, and I was hooked. We didn't want to stop windsurfing so a group of us got together to continue lessons with the instructor once a week. I had to drive past a windsurfing shop on my way to work and one day I stopped in and bought one for myself. It was so heavy I struggled to get it on the roof of the car, but I loved it.
That was about 15 years ago. I had to stop for about ten years when the kids were young, but I'm totally immersed in it again now and the kids sail too.
I have become coordinated and this year joined my first sporting team ever (Pinnas GPS team).
I still hate cold water, but I think wetsuits are the best invention ever (after sailboards)!

You do know that they now make heated wetsuits, don't you ?? I saw them at a Rip Curl shop recently.

Tempting, very tempting.

can i have one mum. Please pretty please!!!!

bananalover said...

Windxtasy said...

KenHo said...

Windxtasy said...

I was the last person anyone would have expected to take up windsurfing.
I was very unathletic and uncoordinated and avoided sport wherever possible. I didn't like getting wet either. It had to be at least 38 degrees to get me into the water. I was fascinated by windsurfing though. I have holiday photos from years before I learnt that are of other people windsurfing.
For my first try I hired a sailboard at the rivermouth at Kalbarri. There was no instruction, and no small sails for beginners, and I did silly things like uphaul with the sail on the upwind side and of course I got flattened everytime. It was very unsatisfying.
Some years later I was running a sailing camp for Camp Quality. One of the activities was windsurfing and on the first day I was standing with the instructor on the beach watching the kids, and I said to him "I must give this a go one day." He said "Grab a board and hop on", so I did. Well, the kids were just delighted to see the camp organiser having a go, and they were even keener to see me fall in. I was happy to satisfy them on the first count, but my pride wasn't going to let that happen any more than absolutely necessary so I tried really hard, and with some excellent instruction I actually did rather well, and the kids were really impressed. Next day I fronted up for windsurfing again, and by the end of the week we had a core group of regulars and I was one of the crew, and I was hooked. We didn't want to stop windsurfing so a group of us got together to continue lessons with the instructor once a week. I had to drive past a windsurfing shop on my way to work and one day I stopped in and bought one for myself. It was so heavy I struggled to get it on the roof of the car, but I loved it.
That was about 15 years ago. I had to stop for about ten years when the kids were young, but I'm totally immersed in it again now and the kids sail too.
I have become coordinated and this year joined my first sporting team ever (Pinnas GPS team).
I still hate cold water, but I think wetsuits are the best invention ever (after sailboards)!

You do know that they now make heated wetsuits, don't you ?? I saw them at a Rip Curl shop recently.

Tempting, very tempting.

can i have one mum. Please pretty please!!!!

There you go sell another glass violin!