My favourite Sport - Windsurfing

Maciej Kaleciński
Academic Writing 3A
January 8, 2007
PhD Sean Hartigan


Windsurfing the most fascinating water sport ever

Windsurfing is one of the most amazing water sports and sports in general. It combines the thrill of surfing, the peace of mind of sailing and a sense of freedom that cannot be compared to anything else in the world. It gives you the chance to speed for miles through endless unchartered waters, knowing you can do anything you want. You have endless access any waterways such as rivers, lakes seas and oceans across the globe; it only depends on where you can afford to go and your motivation. A famous Polish windsurfer Wojciech Brzozowski, when asked why he devoted himself to windsurfing, said that he associates all the best of it to it: the sun, the hot beach, warm sea and long journeys. When you do windsurfing you exploit the natural forces like wind and waves, you feel more connected with the nature; you feel like you are a part if it. *
The history of windsurfing dates back to 1965, when Jim Drake and Hole Schweitzer came up with an idea of combining surfing with sailing. By the year 1968 they patented the first windsurfing board, which was then called ‘Windsurfer’. After that windsurfing gained more and more popularity, not only among the enthusiasts of sport but also among the architects, scientists and designers, resulting in new inventions and devices that improved the equipment and greatly simplified its use.
Windsurfing is a varied sport with many competition disciplines, which developed and evolved throughout the years. It all started with one-design course racing on the original ‘windsurfer’, but soon freestyle and parallel slalom were invented. As soon as footstraps were introduced (they kept the feet strapped to the board), wave competitions quickly developed as well as high wind course racing, initially only on the "long boards" with centreboards(which made the board more stable), but a new trend of wider and shorter course racing boards emerged in the late 90's. Today's modern wide race boards do not have centerboards, but are equipped with long tail fins to aid upwind performance. Despite slightly less pointing abilities, they are significantly faster around a given course.
A new combination - discipline, the SuperX was introduced in 2003. Being very media-friendly with freestyle moves built into a slalom type of course, it calls for spectacular racing.
Regular windsurfing can keep you in very good shape. It works a lot of major muscle groups, and you can make it as strenuous as you want - windsurfing at Olympic level is reckoned to be the most arduous sport in the entire games. Wojciech Brzozowski says on his Web Page that “to practise windsurfing you don’t have to spend time in a fitness club or train intensively for a few hours every day. It’s enough to devote daily 40 minutes to training. That’s because the most important thing in windsurfing is elasticity of the body, not strength.”
It is good for the head too. You can empty your mind of all other worries and stresses while you're out on the water; just enjoy the sensation of being afloat. Windsurfing is definitely good for you. Even in the lightest of winds, windsurfing is a mobile and active enough sport to leave you pleasantly exhausted at the end of a good day, and usually results in a well night's sleep.
Windsurfing is not only about enjoying yourself. One of the greatest things in windsurfing is the sense of bond with other windsurfers. Wherever you go, when you meet a windsurfing enthusiast like yourself, no matter if he or she is much younger or older than you, more skilled or a total newbie, you can talk to him\her like an old friend, being very direct and on the first-name terms. It is like all the windsurfers are one big happy family, where everyone is equal. Windsurfing with other windsurfers gives even more joy than surfing alone, as you pass big grins or give the ‘Aloha’ sign with your hand to each other on the water. In addition, contact with other provides you with encouragement and advice when trying new techniques or tricks from them.
Windsurfing is an easy, exciting and most satisfying water sport ever invented. It not only give you the chance to spend your time actively, improving your skills and facing new challenges before you, but also lets you spend this time among friends and people who enjoy this sport as much or even more than you, feeling ‘free’ on the water and ‘like home’ on the beach.

* - own translation; original quote: “Kojarzy mi się z tym, co najlepsze: słońcem, rozgrzaną plażą, ciepłym morzem i dalekim podróżami. Kiedy płyniesz wykorzystując siłę wiatru i fal, czujesz się bardziej związany z naturą. Czujesz się jej częścią.”]

Bibliography

Brzozowski, W. How to stay in form? Pol-10 – Wojciech Brzozowski’s Homepage Retrieved January 8, 2007: http://www.wojtekbrzozowski.com/szkolka/jak_byc_w_formie?lang=eng

History of windsurfing Wikipedia.org Retrieved January 12, 2007; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windsurfing#History

Interview with Wojciech Brzozowski (November 1, 2004) Ludzie – Wojciech Brzozowski SportBiznes.pl Retrieved February 12, 2007; http://www.sportbiznes.pl/nowosci_ludzie_content/id/19