Everyone was out on 4.2m sails overpowered, loving life in the sun. I headed a few miles on to get to Whitsand Bay. As I expected it was looking great, perfect for my 4.2 Edge and Starboard 69 Quad in shoulder to head high waves. Suited, booted and fully loaded with Jamaica Ginger Cake, I ran (almost rolling) down the cliff path full of excitement. I rigged faster than you can say “the wind always dies when you really want a good session”…. and that’s exactly what it did. Two planning runs and it was game over.
But, I was not defeated, as a glass half full kind of guy, looking at the wind direction it seemed as if it had just clocked a bit more offshore earlier than forecast, so Whitsands cliff was making it light on the inside, while it would mean that Torpoint would be even better than it had looked on my way past. Quicker than you can say “if you’re in a rush you will walk to the top of Whitsand’s cliff and realize you left your harness on the beach” I de-rigged and did just that.
Since I had just run up the cliff, fully suited in my 5/4, I felt like a baked potato, every man has a limit to their enthusiasm, and by now my nose was pressed right up against mine. To avoid the evil experience of putting on a wet wetsuit for my ‘next’ session I voted to run back down the cliff path fully suited, returning more like a shriveled plum than a golden baked potato. But still I would not be defeated and soldiered on, enthusiastically hopping into the van and driving back to Torpoint in the hope of getting my fix. But it was not to be – as I pulled up to the beach everyone was packing up and the wind was non-existent. The windsurfing anti love virus had germinated in me!
For the next few months my enthusiasm to windsurf was drained – I didn’t chase much, nor did I get that excited by much going on in the windsurfing world. I really saw first hand the frustration that I think most UK windsurfers have to deal with when balancing getting their windsurfing fix with a job and/or a family. I spent most of my time on my mountain bike, rolling down hills because, lets face it, gravity is reliable. The fix was good, but it was almost too easy to improve, progress and most importantly get a session.
Two weeks ago, I finally killed of the virus that was plaguing me. I got re-energized by a great looking forecast and I dragged my sorry broken windsurfing self for a session at Bigbury. Windguru’s promise of 25 knots delivered on my arrival and I was straight out on the Edge 4.2m and Flare 91. But all too soon, it dropped! Arrrrghh! Not again! Deflated, it felt like one of ‘those’ sessions again, but I hung out determined to fill my craving and half an hour later the breeze filled in drawing me back onto the water. When the wind had initially died, I was close to heading home, but four hours later I came off the water with that warm buzz you get after a brilliant session. The conditions had aligned themselves perfectly, full torque on the 5.2m Edge, one to two foot stunt ramps rolling in, flat on the inside; a perfect freestyle playground. After months of pushing a few moves and not getting anywhere, things clicked during this session and I landed numerous new moves – progression doesn’t come easy in windsurfing, nor do the sessions, but just like the Whitsand Bay cliff good things come to those who put the effort in…
Keep searching for your windsurfing progression, its hard, but on achieving it you will feel better than words can describe!
Will Rogers is sponsored by:
Starboard, Tushingham, Reactive Watersports, K4 Fins and Spartan Wetsuits.
Image credits Julia Slack.
Check out the rest of Willy’s Ways column, plus all the news from Will here.
