SWA Festival goes one better…

Unanimously adjudged to have been the best ever, the sixth Student Windsurfing Association Festival witnessed record breaking numbers of windsurfers just getting out there, improving and seeing what a student windsurfing life is all about…

375 students sailing, 150 complete beginners, over 50 instructors, 600 windsurfers in total and 900 people partying away on the Saturday night. This student not-for-profit company, set up and maintained by 18-25 year olds continues to set the benchmark for grass roots windsurfing and bringing new and excited people into our fantastic sport. Well we’ve done it again and it really was a blinder.

Friday night and students from across the land descended on Bude Holiday Park in Cornwall to grab a beer and meet the hundreds of other windsurf-addicts they would share the weekend with. Thanks to instruction from Club Vass professional instructors: John Palmer, Colin Dixon and Simon Bailey accompanied by Nick Moffat and ex-GBR racer Hugh Sims-Williams, intermediate and advanced sailors attended clinics covering everything from beach starting to advanced freestyle, before trying out their new techniques on the water. Similarly the beginners, who had literally never stepped on a board before, were shown the ropes under qualified instruction and then did an amazing job giving it all they had in perfect force 2 conditions.

Saturday night signalled the biggest party in student windsurfing’s history with the Student Kitesurfing Association joining forces with the windsurfers to make the whole evening go with even more of a swing. Monkey Militia, The Measure and New Groove Formation provided some awesome entertainment for the night and there was many a sore head the next day to attest for just how good an SWA festival party can be.

Hangover or none, Sunday was no damp squib. The keen students awoke to a breakfast bap and then it was straight into a wetsuit and back out on the water at Roadford reservoir where the whole event took place. An exclusive and wonderful Women’s clinic followed by a highly competitive freestyle competition led the afternoon to its close and after an emotional prize giving the SWA committee said goodbye to it’s devoted followers for a whole three weeks.

Good job they don’t have to wait too long for the next event really! Nottingham are hosting the first event in the race and freestyle series’ and it’s sure to be as good as the festival….watch this space!

Thanks again to Club Vass, Boardseeker.com, Naish, RRD/EZZY, Boardwise, Starboard/Tushingham, Boohai, Bic sport and F2 and especially Mark from Boardwise and Rich from Naish for attending the festival with some fantastic demo kit for sailors of all abilities.

Industry contact: [email protected] 07828927283