Following from the recent topic "New Age of Windsurfing" raised by BlueStorm, I am starting a new topic because I think the other one was getting too long for people to scroll through and we need to focus on solutions to the issues he raised.
The problem is basically about the future of windsurfing given that there are not a lot of young windsurfers taking up the sport.
Kids with windsurfing parents might learn to windsurf if their parents can afford the time and money but, even for them, once they start windsurfing they would find it a lot more fun if there were other kids on the water and they would be more likely to keep windsurfing.
I don't think that we can count on most kids with windsurfing parents becoming windsurfers. The reasons vary and they include the time and dedication that is needed to teach the kids, expense of kids equipment and know-how.
It goes without saying that kids without a windsurfing parent find it almost impossible to take up the sport.
In other countries, this is not necessarily so. Have a look at the UK Team 15s. The link is:
www.rya.org.uk/programmes/rya-team15/Pages/hub.aspxThis concept involves the RYA setting up clubs for windsurfers under 15 years old. Each team has up to 15 members. The kids meet at least weekly during the windsurfing season with some meeting more often and some all year. They keep in touch even when not windsurfing. The meetings involve training by qualified instructors, games and provision of windsurfing equipment if the kids don't have it. The teams learn to windsurf (including race training and freestyle and what ever the particular teams want to do) and can race against other T15 teams. The idea is to promote windsurfing and to eventually get good participation and success for the UK in European events and Olympics. It gives kids opportunity to learn to windsurf and then have windsurfing buddies of their own age to windsurf with.
I think the idea is brilliant and I can't see why we don't copy it here. I guess as a windsurfing community we have to get more organised. Maybe we need to all join the RYA here and get involved in setting the programme. If we are in the organisation then maybe we can influence the agenda. We probably also need to be prepared to do some volunteer coaching. The kids cannot do it alone and one thing is for sure - we need to help!
An advantage windsurfing has over kitesurfing is that we are part of an Olympic sport. We come under the RYA which means that we have the support of an organisation which is bound to look after us. I think it is rightfully our organisation that could be working to support our aims better - it's there for the taking if we get involved and become more vocal.
Apart from supporting better ways to get kids involved in windsurfing, there may be more advantages to all windsurfers of any age. There could probably be more done for adult beginners and more influencing in terms of better rigging areas, beach facilities eg storage, equipment rental, lessons, social and fun events. There might even be funding available from government. I don't know exactly but let's think about it.
The majority of windsurfers are probably freeriders and they are the group currently not catered for properly within the RYA. If the freeriders joined en masse we would probably be the largest sailing class in the organisation and deserve better benefits (a bigger piece of the pie). I imagine that currently the windsurfers in the RYA would be predominantly the racers...
There was a suggestion made by LeStef in "New Age of Windsurfing" about setting up a Seabreeze forum just for kids issues which would allow questions by kids, questions about teaching kids and kid's equipment and whatever other issues are specific to them. The "older" (and wiser) windsurfers could help there by passing on their knowledge.
Also one of the latest replies, included information about what happens in Hong Kong. Really interesting...
I can't help thinking that, in Australia, our climate and traditional involvement in water sports should mean that we dominate in windsurfing over countries that have poor climates in comparison.
So what do you think?
If we want windsurfing to have a better take-up (and retention) rate then the kids need to get into the sport. If we have more windsurfers, we will be taken into account more when it comes to cheaper gear or even availability of equipment (because there is a bigger market) and we'll have better facilities etc We will have more influence when it comes to our use of waterways too.
... By the way, over the years, I had a habit of giving away Wallys as Christmas presents and they are probably under those lucky people's houses gathering cobwebs - I'll go and get a couple of them back ....
