gave it up for nearly 10yrs due to kiting,,
kinda over that now, and back to windsurfing. mostly.

I've sailed more or less continuously since I was 14 (now 40), so I've never actually quit, but I did slow down a lot.

For a while there I got too fat for my kit (old school pin tail waveboard), and every time I went out I ended up grovelling around and came home frustrated. A few seasons went by where I only got out half a dozen times.

The catalyst for me was the GPS Teams Challenge. Bought some slalom gear that was more appropriately sized (115L board + 7.5 cammed sail), got the GPS bug and my TOW has gone up massively.

Now I've got a shed full of kit to cover all conditions, I've dropped weight and I'm sailing as much as I was when I was 18.

Helps that I have flexible work hours (I'm in consulting) and a lot of autonomy at work. An understanding wife also goes a long way (I've got three boys under 6).

It's a fantastic sport. The exhilaration can't be beat. Now my eldest boy wants to have a crack, and hopefully the other two will as well, so it's very much engrained in my life. Certainly helps maintain that work-life balance...ain't too many workaholic windsurfers around!

never conciously quit, however from time to time other things have got in the way.

Similar to mark_aust, I ended up not being on the water much due to a passion for fast cars. Built a car for me and worked on a number of friends cars - including a supercharged 454 chev ute

One daye realised how much money was going to waste and that I was becoming a "bogan", sold the car, bought a van and updated some gear.

Other times I have stopped due to injury, shoulder reco put me out for a bit. Again not really a concious decision to.

I must admit I am not getting much time onthe water lately. With the recent birth of my Son time is a priority, it is much easier to go for an early morning SUP for a few hours and only have to rely on having some waves at the moment.

sboardcrazy said...

gave it up for nearly 10yrs due to kiting,,
kinda over that now, and back to windsurfing. mostly.
Be interesting to hear the pros & cons of each from someone who has been into both..

Interesting is one word for it. It normally turns into a 4 page topic of abuse, with at least one or two members getting suspended from the site....

I find this thread amazing.

I must be the odd-ball, 'coz I had kids and a few missus'es and work (IBM, int'l stuff) and serious injuries and illness, but never ever stopped windsurfing.

The missus'es were chosen for their understanding of my priorities. I even bought a sailboat to the current missus so she can get her fill, and me mine.

Kids were brought on the beach young and a game was made out of my surfing. Work, a.k.a. 'career' (what a wank) were fashioned accordlingly. Surgery was made to happen in the winter, before the next season. And yes guys, the house is on sheer minimal maintenance and the lawn looks like the pits - who cares.

I respect those who stop and do other things. I do not respect kiters, but I respect their choice (as long as they got hit a brick wall out of people's way). But I do not understand it. No offense guys, really.

I have little time for those who drop for "lack of wind" - that is a choice. Too much fun freestyle to be tried in 10-15 knot range to use that excuse.

I'm glad my mongrel is like me now: getting up at 6-7am and looking out the window for wind.

After windsurfing/wavesailing for the past 23yrs...since 83'

I was gettin totally peed off at sittin on my butt watching the kiters kanning it in 12 knots & jumping, looping having a ball. Since my biggest love of windsurfing was wave jumping & loops (most times ) - a good friend offered to teach me how to kite because felt sorry for my arse stuck on the beach, days on end sometimes!

To begin with I wasnt convinced it was any better, but that was due to my inexperience and lack of 'real' control & understanding of the kite flying dynamics! A year later Ive swapped all my w/surf gear for kite gear, have total control & am enjoying 30 - 40 foot jumps & loops of the kiteing kind on flat water! Also I can kite in 10 knots no more beachbumin it for me.

Its not better than windsurfing - just 'different' and gives you more access to big aerial tricks.

I do miss the 40 knot + cylone weather on a waveboard though...

Kan said...

it seems all have the same story........we all lost some days in different period of our life, but......finally.....all come back & dedicate to it.
so......I decide to buy a new JP to celebrate my return........

Excellent way to celebrate Kan...perhaps I should join you!

Got into it 1978, pretty much got out of it competitively in the mid '80s (too much of a gear contest) and then did very little windsurfing for years after getting married and then putting myself in hospital after wavesailing.

Spent more time doing yacht and dinghy racing for years, sometimes getting the boards out on heavy days. But to be frank, just going back and forth doesn't do it for me. It's great if that's what you're into, but it's not for everyone.

About seven years ago my then-new partner got into windsurfing, and I ended up getting back into longboard racing and then One Designs. Since then there's been as much windsurfing as you can fit into work, 4 kids, her PhD, and the boats.

The key for me was getting back into racing and longboards. In many way it's less of a gear race than just going back and forth is (and of course in OD racing there's no gear race) and the social aspect is great. You end up sailing, eating and drinking with your mates twice a week in summer, no matter what the weather is like. Plus there's the fascination of trying to nail everything down better every time. In racing you've got a simple, objective measure of whether you are improving or not.

These days I haven't got the time to spend days driving to the surf, so a board that works well in the fluky spot 5m from home is best; and to be frank I'm starting to love those light wind days as much as the big winds.

evlPanda said...

How? Was it work, location, kids, injury?

Kids mainly. Last time I gave up it was for 9 years.