I'm sure you all have funny stories of situations your windsurfing addiction has gotten you into, or maybe just funny incidents at the beach. Post them here!

Here's mine:

I will always remember the day of my first waterstart. For two reasons: It was so exciting to get it right at last, and what happened afterwards.
It was Perth Cup Day and my husband and I had planned to go to the races, but the seabreeze came in strong and early that day so I just had to go for a sail first.
I was working on waterstarts and finally got it worked out. Yippee! ... and the wind was really blowing so I just kept sailing for a little bit longer...
I arrived home to change for the races only to find my husband had already left. The house was locked and I didn't have a key, or a phone, and it was going to be hours before my husband returned.
So I turned up to Ascot in my wetsuit and thongs and salty hair. I knew my husband would be in the members stand, but I couldn't get to him because I failed the dress code requirement!
I had to wait in my wetsuit at the bottom of the escalator for my husband to come down. I felt very conspicuous.
Eventually I got the house key, went home, showered and changed and went back to the racecourse. By this time there was no parking for miles around and it took me about half an hour to walk from my car to the course, by which time there was only about one race left!
It was a total stuff up of an afternoon, but at least I learned to waterstart!

An oldie :-

As a beginner I sailed a battered Tyronsea 330 with a broken finbox and a broken mast track. It was good because it didn't matter what I did to it, sail it onto rocks, drop it on the road, throw it at the dog. It didn't matter. It was tough and ugly. I bought a ratty old 6.5m sail, an aluminium mast and a cheap mast base to go with it. The mast base was a picture of design elegance, simple pure and light. It was a Bic single bolt affair with a simple recessed plastic lever - and it was CHEAP. It appealed to the Homer in me, "Mmmm cheap windsurfing bits. Must have."

I took my acquisition to the bay and sailed off in a glorious 10kt southeaster. After a bit I started to feel the odd little thump that became more and more frequent ... JELLYFISH. I was sailing through the biggest mob of jellyfish ever assembled, a MILLION ACRES of the buggers.

After 3 hours of relentless thumping I was somewhere near the middle of this Pulsating hord when my marvellously elegant mast base decided to demonstrate to me why it was so inexpensive. How? well it let go of the mast didn't it. And what happened? I fell in the water. It was the height of summer and I was as close to nude as I'm ever likely to be with a harness on.

Now I'm not saying those jellies were malicious or vengeful, and they had every right to be because I had blithely scythed my way through them with a blunt fin and that must have hurt. In retrospect I can only admire their restraint, but restrained or not JEEEEEEEEEZUS K RICED did they wreak their revenge. Is it easy to hold a big old Tyronsea 330 on its side in bumpy water while trying to insert a uni in a mast base while being afflicted with the torments of HELL?... That's a rhetorical question. The answer is no.

I don't remember how I got to shore but I must have done it or I wouldn't be here. (I am here aren't I ?). They gave me this comfy white coat with very long sleeves and some lovely medicine that keeps the j***yf**h away. (You wont let them get me will you). I spend my days writing long rude letters to Mr Bic and my nights... well I'd like to dream of sailing but I don't dare.

When I was learning to sail on an old mistral longboard, I had a lycra rash shirt that was way too big and loose, hanging way down low around my hips. I was just starting to wear a waist harness at this point, but wasn't confident about hooking in.

Anyway, one sunny light-wind afternoon I was cruising along with a big smile on my face, as one does on longboards. A couple sailed past me in a dinghy, and they were both smiling at me so I smiled back.

It was only after they had gone past that I realised, my oversize lycra shirt was wet and hanging down over my harness hook; I looked like I was proudly sailing along with an erection - no wonder the couple in the dinghy were smiling!!

When i finally got the hang of the windsurfer it was time for me to start hooking into my harness. It was a rather windy day and it was great feeling the weight of the wind as i was hooked in.

I started moving back to try an step in to my foot straps for the first time to but in the process a big gust of wind came along. It lifted me up to the horizontal position and i was staring right at the noise of my board waiting to crash into it.

For sum reason the wind gods were on my side, after a second or two in the horizonatal position I landing back on my board from the same place i had been launched from and continued sailing.
I rate this as my first ever jump/trick i have done on a windsurfer and have never seen a trick like that before.

LoginName said...

When i finally got the hang of the windsurfer it was time for me to start hooking into my harness. It was a rather windy day and it was great feeling the weight of the wind as i was hooked in.

I started moving back to try an step in to my foot straps for the first time to but in the process a big gust of wind came along. It lifted me up to the horizontal position and i was staring right at the noise of my board waiting to crash into it.

For sum reason the wind gods were on my side, after a second or two in the horizonatal position I landing back on my board from the same place i had been launched from and continued sailing.
I rate this as my first ever jump/trick i have done on a windsurfer and have never seen a trick like that before.

I hope you went out and bought a lotto ticket! That's amazing! If only a video camera was trained on you at that point...

In the early days I learnt on a wally one design in lake that was popular for tourism. I was not bad on the old wally after a full season sailing any day that was not dead calm. So my confidence was high.

Coming into shore I had removed the dagger board and was about to land right in front of two young sun-baking beauties. Seizing the moment to demonstrate my prowess, I rode the board nose right into the shore in front of them and planned to step neatly off onto the grassy fore-shore as I has many times that summer.

Naturally this time, the nose bit into something and brought the whole board to a sudden stop catapulting me over the nose and face planting me hard into the gritty sand at their feet.

Nice moves huh? That's right ladies, play your cards right and you could be the lucky lady icing down my bruised forehead and swollen lip tonight...

There must be more funny stories out there surely?

firiebob said...

Windxtasy said...

I'm sure you all have funny stories of situations your windsurfing addiction has gotten you into, or maybe just funny incidents at the beach. Post them here!

Here's mine:

I will always remember the day of my first waterstart. For two reasons: It was so exciting to get it right at last, and what happened afterwards.
It was Perth Cup Day and my husband and I had planned to go to the races, but the seabreeze came in strong and early that day so I just had to go for a sail first.
I was working on waterstarts and finally got it worked out. Yippee! ... and the wind was really blowing so I just kept sailing for a little bit longer...
I arrived home to change for the races only to find my husband had already left. The house was locked and I didn't have a key, or a phone, and it was going to be hours before my husband returned.
So I turned up to Ascot in my wetsuit and thongs and salty hair. I knew my husband would be in the members stand, but I couldn't get to him because I failed the dress code requirement!
I had to wait in my wetsuit at the bottom of the escalator for my husband to come down. I felt very conspicuous.
Eventually I got the house key, went home, showered and changed and went back to the racecourse. By this time there was no parking for miles around and it took me about half an hour to walk from my car to the course, by which time there was only about one race left!
It was a total stuff up of an afternoon, but at least I learned to waterstart!

Windxtasy over 30 years ago I went to the Perth Cup and from memory it was very hot, that's the last place I'd want to be in a wetsuit

Cup day is usually hot but the sea breeze was very fresh and early that day so the temperature was probably comfortable. I don't recall that detail.
The wetsuit was preferable to turning up in my swimsuit.
Not that I look that bad in a swimsuit, but I would have felt even more conspicuous!

many years ago at lake cootharaba in a one design race.

thought i'd rail ride over the start line for a bit of fun.

almost made it,

then slipped and landed on the rail (kahunas first) with either leg straddling each side of the board.

ouch!!!!!!

just flopped into the water cried.

Gestalt said...

many years ago at lake cootharaba in a one design race.

thought i'd rail ride over the start line for a bit of fun.

almost made it,

then slipped and landed on the rail (kahunas first) with either leg straddling each side of the board.

ouch!!!!!!

just flopped into the water cried.

Isn't that freestyling 101, you just know its going to happen when you step onto that daggerboard and then up to the rail