Top Gear gives windsurfing a try. Didnt seem real pleasent there i must admit.



Cheers
Bubs

nobody will be along shortly to sell Jeremy on a longboard..

"whatever you're doing right now, it's more fun than what I'm doing"

Yep.. 4 knots in the rain, in a lake in England (where it's Frrrrrrreeeeezing)

Somebody send the man a ticket to Dahab where the rest of England's windsurfers go!

leftfield said...
Have you ever been to england?

Yup, but not for at least 20 years..

leftfield said...

Just wondered as you made a jibe that windsurfing in england is cold/rubbish and everyone goes to Dahab.

Certainly looks cold and rubbish in the vid! That's some serious insulation he's wearing. Sorry if I unfairly insulted the homeland though.

My point was that if he wants to learn to be a windsurfist (rather than just making it look rubbish for the sake of the story) then he should go somewhere a bit more learnable.

Like Dahab perhaps. Then he could do a story about driving SUVs in the sand as well.

Boards forum is UK based - they'd probably be able to tell you the real story on the English scene.

windsurfist that's a terrible name, or is it?

leftfield said...

Just wondered as you made a jibe that windsurfing in england is cold/rubbish and everyone goes to Dahab.
I windsurf but took it up in OZ (I'm english haven't been home in 2 years). Now from the magazines It sounds like everyone in Britain windsurfs and the lakes and sea are full of people blasting about. When I was living i at home I never saw anyone windsurf once?!!

So just wondered what was the real situation

Leftfield, Windsurfing in the UK is massive in comparison to here and they are really trying hard to build it further - they did a National Windsurfing Day last month where everyone was encouraged to head to the water and teach friends - it was a big success. They also have a Fat Face night event, a good racing scene, excellent youth racing/events, the University Windsurfing comp is also huge (we're talking hundreds of people). I think windsurfing is more popular there than here because the surf isn't a good and a lot of people are land locked and can head to lakes, resevoirs and old quarries to get a fix of an "extreme sport". The UK due to being an island has a long standing tradition of sailing so windsurfing grew as it was seen as being more cool.

Go to Ebay.co.uk and search for windsurfing products - there are over 300 things on there (compared to 19 things here!!).

555 said...

I want to see the episode where he tries kitesurfing......

They'll probably feature that in an episode on drag racing...

I've been sailing in the South East of England for the last 20 years, somethimes seems cold bleak and wet in winter(head for the resevoirs with showers), but still can have some awesome days on a 5m on the sea, shoreham, hayling island.. and would you believe it the sea temp can get up to 18degrees!!!! you can sail 4 months in shorty there..(big deal u say?)
I believe the diffirence is not just a Uk phonomenon but a Euro one, jump on a plane to Malaga and sail in Tarrifa or off to Fuerteventura thats what keeps the sport alive in the UK.!!
still sailing here, in Melbourne seems great and i have spoken to alot of really great people here as fanatical about the sport..waiting for those summer sea breezes

what do you mean? what could possibly be wrong with sailing when it's -3 with wind chill That said, I used to enjoy the 40kt+ days which seemed to come through pretty regular in winter