Windsurfing renaissance

 I think I have windsurfed everyday this week. Wow!
Having spent a lot of time down the beach huts and in the Christchurch harbour area it has been more a case of re-learning freestyle. There is a lot to re-learn since I was never much good at it in the first place, that said sunshine full power and flat water with a 5.3 on a 105litre board I had such a good time, either just blasting, doing full speed spin loops off chop, or just going for some freestyleee.. I have to admit though, I just don't have the patience anymore to keep crashing moves like the old days. Perhaps my most victorious moment was an almost switch spock (maybe not as hard as it sounds to initiate.. keep switched after a vulcan, go broad and hop the board round.
That said I still didn't quite pull it off - another

 maybe!)
Wierdly enough, I might have had my best sail in the harbour. There was loads of wind and tiny bits of chop to do full speed forwards off and plenty of people out having a great time. Jim Crossley must have been doing about warp 9. I felt I could go pretty fast on a broad reach with a 5.3 and not get overtaken as easily as the others, but with an 8.0 metre up (bear in mind I was feeling really comfortably powered on a 5.3), he was going into hyperspace.

 What I love though, is how everyone is getting back into windsurfing, on whatever kit they can find and put together. People are out there having fun on 25 year old kit alongside some 2012 F2 and Drops kit that Mark and a client from spot on water were using.

The over riding factor is that it all works, and it all goes fast. New kit is lighter, more stable and comfortable. But as Leo Holloway on the right here using a gaastra 1986 powerspeed that we put together and a bic hip hop demonstrates, you can go just as fast. We had a drag race and there was little speed between us - that is until he lost control, spun
out and piled into his kit. There is what lies the
 difference

Brand new windsurfing kit maybe prohibitively expensive for some, but to actually get into or keep into planing windsurfing it is incredibly cheap. You could but together a whole planing set up with kit from the last 10 - 12 years for £150 if you choose carefully from e-bay. To be honest a good condition 20 year old sail will do the job. The important thing is to get out on the water and then start thinking of newer kit.

 After the morning session, I managed to get a few waves at Southbourne which were building nicely. But with the wind dropping, and the tide and chop out to sea, combined with the slower speed of waveboards. I think I actually much preferred my fast freestyle sessions!