- Just one year after her first lessons this girl is able to surf in the Fuerteventura highwinds with 1-meter-waves.
- You can manage to do the same! Come on board! Paradise waits for you!
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perfect equipment:
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the board: For your first attempts you
do not need brandnew stuff. But take care not to use your boyfriends/ brothers old,
heavy-weight gear! Forget about the old-fashioned beginner-surfboards (like in this picture). They don't mind your mistakes and you will not become aware of them. It's better to use a "funboard" with something between 120 and 170 liters of volume. |
the rig: use a light sail with 4m² maximum and a light-weight mast.
perfect spots:
best is a lake or a beach with warm water, light to medium winds and – if possible – no deep water. It's good if you don't have to think about swimming during your first lessons.
Examples are El Yaque/Isla Margarita in Venzuela, Dahab in Egypt, Lefkas/Greece or Lake Neusiedl in Austria. Furthermore the Ijsselmeer in Holland or the Steinhuder Meer in Germany.
perfect instructor:
| Go to a windsurfing school! The instructors there know
their job and have brought 100s of windsurfers to the sport. It's more fun and their
second name is patience... Professional instructors don't
have to prove how good they surf! Meet your boyfriend/husband AFTER the lessons. |
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first steps:
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We promise: If you really want to learn windsurfing,
you will. In only a few days you will have command of all the basics
including sailing in light winds (to 10 knots), navigating, tacking and gybing (that's
what you learn in a beginners course of instruction). After the windsurfing school sail as often as possible and practise your skills in stronger winds. Learn to use the harness to save power, and the fascination of planing and speed will only be a question of time. |
It's so easy!
| Soon you can forget about pulling up the rig. The
beachstart (see picture) is easy to learn and saves power (and it's the way advanced
windsurfers begin their ride). There are lessions for that, but of course you can ask a
friend, who is able to explain it well. But take time, it is a key-move and necessary for the waterstart later on. So be patient and never give up! |
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Break the rules, push your limits!
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It's not Latin! Besides the necessary basics (see above) you don't always have to do one step after the other. You can e.g. learn the waterstart in your first month, if you want (and try hard)! And if you are able to plane, and to use harness and footstraps – why not try a backwind jibe or something? (Your boyfriend who needed years for that perhaps will not believe that, but it's possible!) The only thing that counts is the fun you have. If you have to break rules sometimes, don't dare to do so! |
windgirls asked the stars for some TIPS:
Iballa Ruano Moreno, E-63
Go to a windsurfing-school with a professional teacher. It is very important to have a lot of imagination. E.g. learning the waterstart was very difficult for me. You are always learning, even if you don't think so. And: Never give up, keep on trying! You will learn it!
Tony Frey, GR-1
The new generation of girls knows that windsurfing is not a sport for men only. I want to tell all the girls: "You have enough power to learn windsurfing! Day by day you will increase your power to learn all the moves!"
Colette Guadagnino, V-711
Karin Jaggi, Z-14
The easiest and fastest way to learn windsurfing is in a
windsurfing school. Your boyfriend – the nice he may be and even if he is a good
windsurfer – is a complete unqualified teacher.
We "pros" always like to help you! Don't be shy and ask!
Daida Ruano Moreno, E-64
! I can just tell my story: I didn't really know that I was
coming so fast to these kinds of
competitions. I was just sailing and learning. Asking everything to everybody about things
that I could't do, looking at films, mags…
Our friends helped us a lot and without them we couldn't make being on the tour a reality
enjoying the different conditions, countries, friends, wind and waves… That's why I
want
to be friends with all the girls who want to learn and teach them things that other people
taught me as well. Another really important thing is NOT TO BE AFRAID OF ANYTHING
and ask, ask, and ask…
GO FOR IT AND THINK THAT YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH TO LEARN AND TO
BECOME A PROFESSIONAL WINDSURFER!!!
Nicole Boronat, E-77
Babsy Straßer, G-1
Lucienne Ernst, H-444
Try, and you will have lots of fun and get addicted to the sport!
If you have any questions you can ask your windgirls-mag! Just mail us!