2. The "windgirls" from Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao

by Tanja Emig

Last november I visited the island of Aruba to meet the local woman windsurfing scene. There are 4 girls who are always windsurfing together and also best friends. One of them is Tatja Becker, she is 15 years old, is windsurfing about 4 years and is windsurfing on weekends and in holidays. Her favourite move is the duckjibe but she is training on the vulcan and pushtack. She would like to compete in the worldcup, but it's too expensive (200 US$ entry fee) and she doesn´t have any sponsors. Nevertheless she went to Bonaire to watch the competition and to be the "caddy" for her sister, Manou Becker.

Manou is 17 years old and she did the worldcup in Bonaire. She is windsurfing about 4 years and freestyle sailing for 2 years now. Her favourite move is the vulcan and she is training on the grubby, sailtricks and shove it. Her plan after school is to go to Maui or Bonaire for one year and then to study in Holland. She wants to compete next year in Bonaire again and also outside of the caribbean. Manou: "The competition was a very good experience, I had a great time, I really enjoyed it. The girls are all very nice and friendly, and the parties were great, but I hoped even more of those hahahaha :) The organization was very good, but I think the judges were not fair to me and the other girls. I was a little disappointed about the unfairness, I heard a lot of stories!! But the important thing is that I had fun."

Manous homespot in Aruba is completely flat because of the offshore wind, but if you go a bit more outside, then you will find a nice chop. Manou is always surfing with the 5.2 which is her only sail – so mostly low wind conditions. If there is no wind at the weekend, the girls are hanging arround at the surf station or they love going for a swim in cristal clear Arubian waters. Including jumping!

Siestke van der Wal is 18 years old and she already has a drivers licence. Therefore she is always driving with Manou and Tatja to the spot because there is no bus going there. Sietske is a good windsurfer too, but she couldn´t compete this time because of an infection on her arm.

The youngest of this 4 girls is Sarah Quita Offringa, she is only 12 years old, but did 6 competitions till now and also the worldcup in Bonaire where she was able to take an excellent 5th place. Her only sponsors are her parents right now, but she tries to get more sponsors to make more PWA competitions.

I spent one week in Aruba and I really liked to meet the girls and to see their island. Its really a nice place and a great place for windsurfing. Manou offered me to sleep in her familys house and I also met her nice parents. My journey to Bonaire started with some troubles to get my boardbag on the aircraft. After we had arrived in Bonaire, there was no wind for two weeks, but it was nice anyway.

From Curacao, there is only one windsrufing girl, Mylene de Vries, who is 16 years old, sponsored by her parents. Mylene did 6 competitions at the islands till now and also the worldcup in Bonaire where she did the 6th place. "It was great but I was a little bit nervous during the first heats but then it was ok. It`s a wonderfull experience." Mylene would like to join more worldcup events, but the wind in Curacao is very light, so she cant train a lot. She started windsurfing 3 years ago in Bonaire, when she was there for a vacation. She startet because her dad is windsurfing. Her favourite move is the duck tack and up wind 360, she is training on the vulcan, but its hard to learn something with the light wind conditions. Mylene thinks that not so many girls are windsrufing because a lot give it up very quickly and the equipment is too expensive.

Femke van der Valk, 20 years old, is sponsored by van der Valk hotels and restaurants. She is from Holland but has been living in Bonaire since one year. She did 3 competitons till now and her first worldcup was very exiting for her. It was a "cool experience" she said and she wants to join more competitions! "I think it was great to meet Karin Jaggi and the twins, and I learned a lot from looking and listening to them. Not only in for the windsurfing but also their experience in general - eg interviews." Femke works in the morning as a diving guide and in the afternoon she has a lot time for windsurfing.

When the girls where windsurfing and competing, I found that they are really motivated and they all give their best. They are the future in this sport and I hope that they all get sponsors to join more competitions!