Team USA Windsurfing

Busy Spring for Junior Windsurfers!

2011-04-01T20:49:00.002-06:00

Spring 2011 was a busy one for junior windsurfers in the US! Margot Samson and Ian Stokes competed at the Miami Olympic Classes regatta in Miami in January. They both learned a lot of RS:X skills that will help to prepare them for the ISAF Youth Worlds Championships in Cyprus this summer.

In February, Rax Sayre, from Martha's Vinyard travelled to Mexico to compete in the Techno 293 North American Championships. While he was racing he showed incredible sportsmanship when he saw a fellow competitor who had been seperated from her rig and was in danger of drowning. You can read about it here, http://www.mvgazette.com/article.php?29104 or see the video here, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJQXdEFtqlc .

And of course, kids from all over the country are making plans to travel to San Francisco for the Techno 293 World Championships in July. Kids from all over the world will be competing in San Francisco Bay, ripping around between the Golden Gate Bridge and the Island of Alcatraz to see who will take the world title for 2011. For more information, check out the regatta website at http://www.techno293.org/page0143v01.htm

Marion's Report from the Techno 293 World's

2010-08-22T17:29:00.002-06:00

This year’s Techno 293 World Championships was one to be remembered. There were over 400 competitors and winds ranging from 0 to 55 knots. I was eager to see how much I’d improved since last year’s Worlds, and I’d set myself a goal to finish in the top 10. I met the US team in Martigues on Saturday evening, and there were already 40 knots; I was thrilled. The following day we registered, and got our charter gear together. On Monday, we had our equipment inspected, and then we went out on the water at around 1: 00 pm. The wind was great with +20 kts. Unfortunately, around 2:30 p.m. the wind started picking up to the point where I was just getting myself exhausted; so I came back in, which was not an easy task as there were about 400 people there trying to launch at the same time. I ended up missing the practice race, but since more than half the fleet did not do it either, I did not mind. In the evening there was the opening ceremony followed by some Tahitian dancing.

Tuesday was too windy to race, so we had our first races on Wednesday, and we got out on the water at 6:00 pm. I finished 12th and 22nd, the latter one being raced in very light wind. I had the most trouble with my starts because I couldn’t figure out how to sight the line properly. I did better on Thursday, finishing 9th, 13th, and 8th because the wind was more consistent, blowing about 15kts. This made it easier for me because less pumping was involved, and since I could point higher than most girls, I was able to recover from my bad starts and move up to the top of the fleet. On Friday the girls did not get to go out because the race committee believed it was too windy for us. Unfortunately, Saturday was very light. In our first race, which had about 5 to 10 kts, I finished 31st, and we all had to be towed in because the wind disappeared after we finished. Surprisingly, my best race was the following one in the afternoon in which we also had very light winds. I had a terrific start because I port tacked the entire fleet, so I was ahead of everyone for a few minutes. Unfortunately, this didn’t last long because other girls pumped better than me, so they ended up passing me. I ended up finishing 7th in that race. In the end, I finished 11th, and just one point behind tenth place.

Overall, I had a great time. I met a lot of people, learned a lot, and I now know what I need to work on if I want to make it to the podium next year. I have to say that I was disappointed that the girls did not get a single race with the centerboard up, but I did get to see how well I’d improved in my light wind sailing. This was a great event, and I’m looking forward to competing at the Worlds again in San Francisco next year. Hopefully they will let girls go out when the wind blows above 20+ kts which does not seem to be the case in Europe...
A great thanks to my parents, my grandparents, Britt, and the St. Francis Yacht Club Foundation for all of their support.
-Marion Lepert

Junior Racers at the 2010 Nationals In San Francisco

2010-08-09T20:20:00.002-06:00

Alyson Fromm sent the following report from the Nationals in San Francisco where she raced in both the Formula and Slalom classes:

It was July 20th at 8 AM and I was wide awake with anticipation to rip up San Francisco Bay for Nationals. I was excited , but scared at the same time, because I had only sailed on the bay a total of 45 minutes the day before. Then if you add in my major fear of sharks and huge boats, my mind was pretty occupied. When we roll into the parking lot at Crissey Field I saw people starting to rig from all over the world and I knew from then on that it was going to be an intense, but fun, week. After two races, I was exhausted, because each race was two laps around this huge course which was about 12 miles per race. Trying to get to the windward mark on an incoming tide was really hard! I underestimated the mark and had to tack a couple of extra times! During the break we were told that the junior sailors with 8.5 sails and smaller, would only do one lap from then on. What a relief that was! With that change, the four juniors in that fleet were able to finish the course before the men made it around twice. That went on for the two days. Then the last three days we did formula in the morning and slalom in the afternoon. I have to say that slalom is more my thing. I love it!

Throughout the whole competition I had some problems with equipment and learning how to deal with the floods and ebbs, but after a while everything finally came together. Phil McGain led a small clinic and gave us some advice on how to get better starts and deal with the currents. I followed his starting advice and claimed my position right at the front of the charging, world class racers. Unfortunately, my start was a little too good, and I was over early and didn’t realize it. That was one of my better races, but I was disqualified.

It was on the second to last race of formula , as I was going up to the windward mark that I had my most memorable race. I was being followed by a pod of porpoises and they were jumping and swimming right next to me the whole way! It was really cool to be able to share the water with one of my favorite animals. That ended up being one of best races in formula. Thank you porpoises!!!

I have to say the biggest challenge was dodging all the tourist boats, fishing boats and huge tankers, because let me tell you, they don’t care about the SPLATS(aka windsurfers in their way). They mean business! Luckily, the committee boats were out there watching us and making sure we stayed clear of the biggest tankers and cruise ships. The tourist boats are another story. They fly along until they slow down to talk about the windsurfers in the bay and try to get you to wave to them. Then they jet off leaving this huge wake behind them. I know I definitely went flying off a good handful of those confused monster waves. I think my mast met the board on one of those.

After 5 days of rigging and derigging the same 3-5 sails every day, and racing non-stop, I was pretty tired. I loved windsurfing in the bay though, and it was great being part of the Windsurfing Nationals in San Francisco. I would totally do it again. Now, I can’t wait to show off what I learned at the last two Gorge Cup races in Hood River, because I feel I made a huge leap forward in my sailing. If you are a Junior racer who didn’t go the Nationals this year you should definitely try to go next year, because you get to race with some amazing talent from around the world and you learn a ton.
See you on the water!

Techno 293 2010 US National Championship

2010-08-09T19:43:00.001-06:00

The Techno 293 East Coast Championships and US Nationals took place in Vinyard Haven last week. 15 races were run over 3 days in perfect racing conditions! Jean Sebastian from Quebec, Canada took the top spot, with Raz Sayre and Chris Waldo finishing behind him.

Techno 293 Worlds Video!

2010-08-01T07:03:00.004-06:00

We're so proud of the performance of our US Team at the Techno 293 World Championships that just wrapped up in Martigues, France. Ian Stokes, Marion Lepert, Jack Lundquist, Charlotte Samson and Margot Samson (allong with coach Britt Viehman)raced hard all week. And you can see them in the below video inviting everyone to San Francisco for the 2011 Worlds!

In the fleet of 80 girls, Marion Lepert of San Francisco finished 11th and Margot Samson of Clearwater, FL finished 49th. In the fleet of 160 boys, Ian Stokes of Virginia finished in 68th.

Check out http://www.techno293.org/page0125v01.htm for more videos and results.

Bic techno 293 world championship 2010

2010-07-27T22:58:00.000-06:00

Check out this video from the Techno 293 World Championships, where Margot Samson, Charlotte Samson, Marion Lepert, Ian Stokes and Jack Lundquist are racing for the USA this week!

Juniors Ripping at Nationals

2010-07-23T10:01:00.002-06:00

The following is excerpted from www.waterhound.com, check it out for lots more coverage of Nationals and other windsurfing, kiting and sailing events!

San Francisco Bay is known for chewing up and spitting out some of the most seasoned sailors. The fleet of junior sailors at this year's event however came prepared and are dishing it right back. Starting on the same line as the rest of the fleet they are showing that the future of American Formula sailing is a bright one. Just finishing races in these challenging conditions is a serious accomplishment and these kids are not just finishing they are excelling.

In the Junior 8.5 max sail division Ben Grodner (USA 1618 Salt Lake City, Utah) is sailing a near perfect regatta with 7 bullets in 8 races. Perhaps even more impressive is the performance of the divisions two girl's entries Alyson Fromm (USA 015, Seattle, Washington, pictured at right) and Fiona Wylde (F 11, Hood River, Oregon,pictured at right) both of whom have finished every single race and are engaged in a battle that has them separated by only one point after seven races. I can testify first hand that these kids are legit contenders. In one race I wass lit up on port tack and locked in battle with Mike Percy (USA VYV Hansen Sails also an event sponsor, pictured below). We are both pushing as hard as we can to the finish line and that's when I hear a fierce, albeit high pitched, "STARBOARD"! As I peer to my right I here comes Fromm who had called the perfect lay line to the finish and she has me totally covered. I am forced to take her stern and it hands the race to Percy. Nice job Alyson – that's racing!

In the Junior division Chris Gardiner (7, St Petersburg, Florida) is mixing it up with the big boys. Day 2 saw Gardiner post three straight top 20 finishes 17-17-16 to lead the division and has him sitting in 21st place overall. Cullen Ahern (USA 163, Clear Water Florida,) also got in the action posting a 19th place in race 6 and sits in second place while Jay Watermeyer (US 45,Hood River, Oregon, pictured below body dragging) is in third. With talent this strong the adults better be watching their backs the remainder of the regatta as it's likely these three running them down.

Gorge Groms

2010-07-17T20:04:00.002-06:00

Often the biggest obstacle for kids to become “a windsurfer” is access to gear and having friends who participate. To fill this gap, CGWA is starting Gorge Groms, a youth windsurfing club. Our goal is to build community and camaraderie amongst kids who windsurf in the Gorge. When you sign up to become a Gorge Grom, you receive:

■Unlimited access to a full quiver of gear for use at the Hook
■Participation in all Gorge Groms clinics with local and visiting pros and qualified instructors. Clinic schedule available here.

Registration

Registration for season passes will take place in person at set dates & locations. If you cannot make these registration times, please contact CGWA to set up a time ( 541.386.9225 541.386.9225; cgwa@gorge.net).

Registration dates:

■Sunday July 18th, at the Windance swap meet, 9-11am
■Monday July 19th, at the Hook, 9-11am
■Friday July 23rd, at the Hook, 9-11am
**A legal guardian and all kids participating in the family’s season pass must be present to register. Payment accepted by credit card, check and cash (please bring exact change).

Cost

A family season pass to the Gorge Groms program is $100, which includes the cost of a family membership ($35) and covers participation for all kids in one immediate family. The season pass is valid through September 11, 2010.

■If you are currently a CGWA member and contribute $100 or more, the cost of the program is waived.
■If you are currently a CGWA family member at $35, the season pass costs $65.
■Memberships must be valid through the end of the season.
■If you are not a Gorge Grom but would like to attend a clinic, the cost is $20 per person per clinic.

Clinic wrap-up from San Francisco

2010-07-10T11:34:00.003-06:00

The St. Francis Yacht club has been hosting a very exciting youth Windsurfing clinic with Olympic Windsurfer Ben Barger.

In preparation for the Techno 293 World Championship in France and the US Windsurfing Championship (at the St. Francis), Ben has been on a Techno Windsurfer himself teaching kids how to go faster than they ever have gone before. Focusing on advanced high wind techniques in the afternoon and lighter air techniques in the lighter breeze of the AM, the stoke has been high as the skill levels are launching into the air (literally during a fun jumping session off some freighter's wakes yesterday :). Ben has been putting the kids through some awesome cardio workouts on the rowing machine at the St. Francis as well as on the water in the famous breeze that is San Francisco Bay. He's been following up with advanced chalk talks at the end of each day. After taking hot showers in the endless hot water supply at the club, these kids are pooped till the next day where they charge it again.

Ben kicked off the clinic by presenting an inspirational Olympic story at the St. Francis Wednesday yachting lunch. The kids were present at this lunch and enjoyed listening to Ben juxtaposed with the adults and press (as well as the very tasty desert table at the club :). Key support has been given by Windsurfing Task Force member, Nevin Sayre, club members Paul Heineken, Dennis Deisinger, Mike Kalin and others.

Thank you St. Francis yacht club for your amazing support!

Respectfully submitted,
Bryan McDonald
Windsurfing Task Force Chair

Junior Windsurfers at Pistol River Wave Bash!

2010-06-25T20:54:00.004-06:00

The junior fleet at the Pistol River Wave Bash was full of talent! Zane Schweitzer and Bern Roediger from Maui took the top two spots respectively with their talented performances that showed their years of experience in the waves. Morgan Noireaux (who also lives in Hawaii, but is from France) rounded out the top three. The sole junior girl entry was Fiona Wylde from Hood River. Here is her story:

When we arrived at Pistol River it was howling! The pro's were on 3.7's and saying they could be happy on a 3.0. My good friend Ben Grodner had never sailed in the waves. The waves were not all that big, but big enough to definitely get pummeled and have to swim after your gear. We arrived and we saw Ben's mother Linda, running down the beach with a nervous look on her face. She was running after Ben who's gear got away from him and he couldn't get to it. I knew Ben would be ok, but this was not the introduction I wanted my mom to see about sailing there.

The next day there wasn't any competition so we were able to go sailing and learn how the waves work there. It was still probably blowing 25-30. I thought I got the hang of it my first try. I made it out, got some jumps, and sort of rode a wave back in. I was super happy that hadn't gotten washed! I went out again. My second try wasn't as glamourous as the first. I got over two waves and then the third waved mushed me. I went swimming! My gear was a ways in front of me and I just had to keep swimming. I am not sure if I mentioned it, but the water was about 45-50 degrees F. It was so cold! Later that day I went out a couple more times and we called it a night.

The next day was the first day of competition. I was in two heats the Junior and the Women's heat. In my first round of the Junior's, I made it out, got some jumps and rode some waves! I was super excited, and I became even more excited when I advanced to the second round! I was so happy because it was my first wave competition and I advanced! Then I had a Women's heat and I did ok. In the women's heat there is no elimination because there was four of us so we just ran heat after heat. In the next heat of the juniors I got washed and I spent the whole heat swimming. I was also up against two boys from Hawaii, I don't think that helped all that much. By the end of the day I sailed 2 heats of the juniors and 3 heats of the women's so I was pretty tired.

The second day of competition I got to sail with the Juniors again because of the double elimination. Double elimination means everybody gets two chances to move on. My first heat was With the Juniors and I didn't do so well. I went swimming after my gear, again. I was out of the Junior for the rest of the competition. In a way I was ok with not having to sail so many heats. In the women's division we sailed three heats and I came back to the beach where I started in all of them but one. I did not place but I had an amazing time, and I learned a lot about wave sailing! I am hooked!

~Fiona W. Wylde

Calema Midwinters/T293 North Americans

2010-03-04T06:15:00.002-07:00

Kids from Canada, the US, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Guatamala are all waking up in Florida this morning ready for the start of the 2010 Calema Midwinters and Techno 293 North American Championships. This is also the qualifying regatta to determine which four kids from North America get to attend the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in August!

5 US kids and 5 Canadian kids have spent the last few days at a training camp at Banana River Resort sharpening their skills and tuning up for the regatta. Racing starts tomorrow and we can't wait to see which two countries end up getting to attend the Youth Olympics.

Regatta reports and pictures starting tomorrow night!

Team USA in the News!

2010-01-30T12:12:00.003-07:00

Junior windsurfers have been getting lots of press lately. The Clearwater Gazette recently published a story about the kids who sail out of the Clearwater Community Sailing Center. You can find the story by going to the Clearwater Gazette website and then scrolling down to the headline "windchasers" under the sports heading.

Cullen Ahearn got his picture up on the Clearwater Yacht Club website after winning the Youth World's qualifier in January. He was also profiled on http://www.windsurfingtour.com/ ! Also on http://www.windsurfingtour.com/ you can read reports from Cullen and Austin Emser from the Miami Olympic Classes Regatta that took place just last week.

Team USA in Miami

2010-01-22T06:30:00.003-07:00

A handful of Team USA kids were lucky enough to get to race in Miami at the Alex Caviglia Bluewater Classic last weekend. Kid's were racing in the Kona class and the Techno 293 class (getting in some training time before the Youth Olympic Games Qualifying regatta next month!) and a few in the Formula fleet as well. A race report from one of the kids will be up soon! Til then you can check out the race results at www.cavigliafoundation.org and pictures at www.windsurfingtour.com

NEW! Youth Development Windsurfing Team!

2010-01-11T13:27:00.002-07:00

US WINDSURFING announces the new Youth Development Windsurfing Team, Endorsed by the US Olympic Sailing Committee

Applications are now being accepted for the 2010 Youth Windsurfing Development Team (YWT) -- a new, youth pipeline team endorsed by the US Olympic Sailing Committee (OSC). With an expanded emphasis on the development of talented sailors competing at an international level in the RSX and Techno-293 Classes, YWT was created for young athletes who have been identified as Olympic Windsurfing prospects.

Those selected as part of the Youth Windsurfing Development Team (YWT) will receive experienced coaching, guidance, and mentoring to build the necessary skills to compete at the Olympic level. The YWT athletes will be required to participate in the following activities during the calendar year 2010, in pursuit of Olympic competition:

1. International Regatta: At least one (1) international regatta
2. US Regatta: At least three (3) national level windsurfing regattas
3. Windsurfing Training Camp: At least one (1) windsurfing training camp
4. Supervised or Independent Training*: At least forty (40) days of on the water training, documented in a training log
*Note: Competition days are not included in the count of training days

The YWT is seeking a total of 8 to 15 sailors who are ages 12 through 23, as of January 1, 2010. Applicants will need to provide a resume of their sailing/windsurfing capabilities, results and parental approval for those under age 18. Important criteria which will be considered for selection on YWT includes:

• Documented ranking in windsurfing and sailing competitions
• Demonstrated skill and independence
• Willingness to work with a team
• Commitment and desire to train for the purpose of competition in the Olympics
• Referral from an experienced sailor
• Minimum “C” grade point average or equivalent

Based on applicant resume, the Windsurfing Task Force (a task force named by the Board of Directors of US Sailing), will choose qualified candidates up to a maximum number of 15 sailors for the following classes:
• RSX Class
• Techno-293 Class

The Youth Development Windsurfing Team (YWT) is affiliated with Team USA Windsurfing. For additional details regarding Training Camps and Regattas, please refer to the Team USA Windsurfing site: http://www.teamusa-windsurfing.blogspot.com/

Applicants must be current members of US SAILING and US Windsurfing.

Sailors interested in the YWT team should apply at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/66LBQF6

In addition to the application, sailors are required to send a resume to the following address: britt@nbwindsurfing.com

The deadline for the first round of applications is February 15, 2010. YWT members will be announced in March, 2010.

Christmas Cocoa Beach Race Camp!

2010-01-08T07:37:00.004-07:00

Report by Margot Samson:

Sing we joyous, all together,
Heedless of the wind and weather,
Fa la la la la, la la la la!
By Margot Samson

Ah! A junior race camp in the warm waters of Florida’s Central Coast, at a time when windsurfing gear elsewhere in the country is encased in five inches of ice – brilliant! For the second year in a row, top junior racers from across the U.S. and Canada headed to the Banana River Resort in Cocoa Beach – just south of NASA’s Cape Canaveral - to cure their post-Christmas blues. You know, the letdown that comes with realizing yet again that Santa doesn’t windsurf.

National coaches Karen Marriott, Dominique Vallee and Britt Viehman rounded us up for four days of intense physical training and on-the-water practice on Techno 293 and RS:X - the rigs used in international competition. Every day started with a jog on the beach. I realize this doesn’t sound too bad: a jog on the beach, watching the sun rise over the Atlantic, in December, dude, where do I sign up? But it was still cold, 40F or so, and you had to do push ups in the surf if you fell behind. Well, not really, but there was the threat of doing push ups in the surf if you fell behind, and that threat was enough to make many of us fall behind. Actually, mostly me. You know what, let’s talk about sailing!

Over the course of the four days, the wind went like this: WHOOSH – Whoosh – Hush – Zip – BANG! Not very consistent to say the least, but that was perfect for us to learn and test new skills in a variety of conditions. The first couple of days (whoosh) were brutal because of the cold but the wind, sustained above 15kts, kept us on the water from dawn to dusk. When the wind hushed on day 3 and the temperature broke 60F, we thought ‘ah, easy.’ Of course, the coaches had us pumping most of the day and we’re not going to be looking at a light air day with the same innocent eyes ever again. On day 4 the wind died completely – zip. Fortunately, SUP extraordinaire Girard Middleton was on hand to teach us the fundamentals of paddle-boarding and we headed ocean-side to try our luck in the Cocoa surf. I still don’t know how you carve or even think about cutting back on that mammoth board. There must be a rudder somewhere.

Many of us knew each other already, but we hadn’t been together in some time and the camp was a great opportunity to rekindle the friendships. After all, there’s only so much that can be shared on Facebook – at some point, you’ve got to get together with your friends and have a bonfire! Magically, two dozens discarded Christmas trees found their way into a pit on the beach on New Year’s Eve and burst in flames for everyone’s enjoyment. That was quite a show. Looked like the Space Shuttle taking off, if you ask me.

And then came day 5. The forecast looked promising and most of us stayed an extra day to enjoy the conditions. The fact that there’s a ‘day 5’ in a 4-day race camp should tell you something about our level of enjoyment, but also about the graciousness of the coaches who subjected themselves to an extra dose of pranks and mischief and would most certainly have preferred to celebrate the New Year between adults. But we all got treated to a great session. Take a look at the pictures: it’s cold – again -, foggy, rainy and gusting to 30kts. BANG! Happy New Year!

2010 Calendar is Huge!!

2009-12-10T11:22:00.002-07:00

The calendar of events for 2010 is shaping up to be a big one with lots of important events. Check out the list on the left of this page and start making your plans now for which events you are going to attend. And that means it is also time to start training! If you are planning on attending any of these events or training camps you don't want your physical conditioning (or lack of it) to stand in your way.

Florida Season Begins!

2009-10-21T20:27:00.004-06:00

While the sailing season is winding down further north, the regatta season is just beginning in Florida. The junior windsurfers who are lucky enough to live there are busy preparing for a full calendar of races and training camps. If you don't live in Florida but think you can come to a regatta or training camp- remember, you are always invited! Just send a note to Britt (the coach) at britt@nbwindsurfing.com and he can give you more information!

Last weekend several junior competitors travelled to Miami to race slalom and a great time was had by all. Austin Emser, Kevin Hendrickson, Chris Waldo, Chris Conlon and Margot Samson showed everyone just how fast a Techno 293 can go around a slalom course; there were a few adults on slalom gear who were finishing behind the Technos who have a new found respect for the kids!

Cullin Ahearn raced in the open class with the adults and pulled off a third place!

Girls in the Gorge!

2009-09-01T22:37:00.003-06:00

The 2009 Nationals in the Gorge had one of the biggest junior girls fleet ever! With Marion Lepert of San Francisco (who handily took first place), Lene Botha from Abilene, TX, Margot and Charlotte Samson from Florida, Solvig Sayre from Martha's Vineyard and gorge locals (in the summer anyway) Fiona Wylde, Alyson Fromm, Kelly Watermeyer and Audrey Davis - there were girls ripping around the race course everywhere you looked! I hope the rest of you windsurfing girls join us at an event or training camp soon.....

It's Been A Busy Summer.....

2009-09-01T22:19:00.003-06:00

Is it really September already? The calendar says it's so, and school is back in session and a whole lot of you have some great "what I did on my summer vacation..." stories!

Floridian Cullen Ahearn raced in Hood River at Nationals at his first big Formula event. This is what he had to say about the first day of Formula racing:

I was on my 10 meter and the wind was very up and down, anywhere from 7 to 17 mph. After every tack and gibe I had to pump a lot to get going again. In the first race my start was good and I was second around the top mark, but with good angles and lots of pumping downwind I was able to pass and hold the lead until the finish. We went back to the beach and the wind died again to almost nothing and we they decided it was a good time for lunch. The wind picked back up to about what it was in the first race and we were sent out again. I had another good start and was first around the top mark and held it on the downwind. Around the bottom mark it was very light because it was very close to shore and I was pumping a lot. On one of the pumps I snapped my fin and that race was over for me. I went out in the third race looking for revenge and was pumping very hard to get another bullet. I was in good shape as we were nearing bottom mark with a good lead but I made the very dumb mistake of going to the wrong mark. Fortunately only 1 person passed as I had to do 2 more gibs downwind to make the right mark. I was too far behind to catch up but I held second. The fourth race was incredibly light and I was pumping the whole way around and got a solid first, but unfortunately after I had already finished they abandoned the race.

You can read more about Cullen (and an interview, watch out for the paparazzi!) at www.windsurfingtour.com/?p=413

Chris Gardiner (also from Florida) and Solvig Sayre (from Martha's Vinyard) got their first taste of international RS:X competition at the ISAF Youth World Championships in Buzios, Brazil and then flew straight to Portland for Nationals. Chris won first place in the Junior Formula fleet at Nationals and was super stoked. Controversy abounded on the beach with the Gorge junior racers pondering what effect it would have on the results if they had Formula boards instead of Formula Experience boards, Cullen wishing he hadn't broken a fin in one race and Chris wondering if his sails have less low end than Cullen's. Everyone is eager for a rematch next summer in San Francisco at the 2010 Nationals. Chris had this to say about the event:

Day one of the 2009 windsurfing nationals started out windy and sunny, and it only got windier. At the skippers meeting it was announced that we were going to race slalom for the day, because it was so windy, which was really cool because I had limited experience with slalom so it was great practice. The first four races I rigged a 5.9 TR-5 which was still super overpowered because the gusts were reaching close to 40. Then it got even windier so I downsized to a 5.0 and kept racing hard. I got much better throughout the day, and went from getting 7^th’s and 8^th’s to 3^rd’s and 4^th’s.

Day two started out slightly less windy than the first, but still really breezy. I rigged a 6.6 TR-5 and started to do some serious work, and finally figured out how to jibe, bending your knees really does help in chop! I was getting 3^rd and 4^th every race and even got a 2^nd in one, which I was really stoked about. Then the wind started dropping a little bit and the holes were everywhere, and at that point the lighter sailors started to prevail. This was the end of the slalom series and I finished 4^th overall out of 20 or so.

Day three was the beginning of the formula racing, and started out glassy, however by mid afternoon the wind had filled and we got in a couple good races. I was rocking the starts and was 1^st around the windward mark every time, but I found that I was a bit slower on the downwind, and the second place racer was usually very close to me by the downwind mark. Then every race, at the bottom of the course there was a massive lull, and my board just would not plane through it, making for some tight racing as the rest of the fleet caught up. I ended the first formula day tied for first, but then they threw out the last race due to lack of wind, so I was in first place alone.

Day four started out even lighter than the third, with the east wind trying to fill in, and we only got two races off. The first race, I came in second, even though I was first around the windward mark I lost it on the downwind, and I was tied for first going into the last race of the series. They moved the course further up the river towards the hatchery in an attempt for more wind on the last race, so I knew there was going to be some wind involved. Instead of rigging down, I decided to have a little extra power should I need it so I just down hauled my 10.0 a little harder. Sure enough, when I got out there, it was windy. I knew that this race decided the regatta, so I went out half an hour early and did my homework, making sure I knew where the favored parts of the course were, which end of the line was favored, etc. and it paid off. I got the best start by far, hitting the pin at full blast as soon as the gun went off, tearing upwind, with the person tying me for first behind me in my dirty air. I as first around the windward mark, but seriously overpowered so I played it safe on the downwind, which was a good idea, because one person passed me then promptly crashed, and multiple others crashed behind me. With all these crashes, I just had to get around the course without falling myself, which I did, staying towards the flat water, and playing shallow angles on the downwind, and with that, I won the race, thus winning the junior formula class!

US Windsurfing Nationals!

2009-07-25T23:01:00.002-06:00

There is a big junior fleet here at Nationals with tons of racing in both Slalom and Formula and T293 course racing. Jay Watermeyer dominated in the junior class in slalom after two days of super windy, 25-35 mph (with higher gusts), classic gorge conditions. Marion Lepert finished fifth in slalom out of the juniors, first junior woman and also first out of the women of any age! After one day of course racing, Chris Gardiner and Cullen Ahearn are sailing super quick - with Cullen having the edge when not plagued with fins breaking off or mental errors (nooooo........don't sail the wrong course!).

You can see pictures and results at www.vmgevents.com. You can also find pictures and stories at www.windsport.com where Team USA member Margot Sampson was recruited to contribute to the website!

More news soon!

What it Takes to Win

2009-06-24T13:13:00.001-06:00

Reprinted from www.sailingscuttlebutt.com

In the realm of sports, elite athletes are different, with the biggest difference often lying between the ears. Their "wiring" allows them to handle situations at a superior level. This difference can be most evident at the youth level. While some kids are easily distracted, others are highly focused. Meet Duncan Williford. Sailing Optimists for Lauderdale Yacht club in Fort Lauderdale, FL, Duncan qualified for the Optimist Worlds last year in Turkey at age 12 and this year missed the Worlds team by one point. His sixth place finish at the U.S. Team Trials (April 30-May 3) qualified him to attend either the Europeans in Slovenia or the North Americans in Dominican Republic. Now 13 years old, here is a paper he wrote for school as a persuasive essay:

Never Give Up On Your Goals
Have you ever REALLY wanted to accomplish something? Not like "Oh, that sounds nice, I would kind of like to do that," but something where it is your dream. What you can never stop thinking about, never stop dreaming about, never push out of your mind for later. It's different and the same for everybody. It can be academics, sports, a job, or something else. But what they all share is that they are inner goals. If you feel this way about a goal, and never give up, the goal is never impossible.

Sometimes, though, one decides to stop following their dreams. Usually, it is not one of those dreams that you can't stop thinking about, but one of those "Oh, that would be nice," kind of dreams. Those are more hollow dreams. If each time you have a dream, make a goal, and then give up; your goals start to get shallower and shallower. Eventually they are going to just become thoughts. Imagine walking through the middle of an ocean, with a path for you to walk forward, but every step you take, the ocean water fills in behind you. It seems as if there is fair weather ahead of you, but there is a hidden storm. If you go back, you must swim hard against the current and work that much harder to get back to where you came from. That is what it is like if you start giving up on your goals.

Working hard to achieve your goals is almost exactly the opposite. As if you are on a trek through the desert. You don't know exactly how long it will take, but you have a clear path, and a steel determination that will give you all you need to best the twists and turns and rocks and thorns and beasts, anything that will get in your way of that crystal clear vision of what wonders lie ahead at the end of your path. That determination will stay the burning heat, turn away the beasts, crush the rocks, and straighten the twists. But if you decide to stray from your path, "just for a minute," it will turn into that salty ocean way in which it is so very hard to come back from.

If you can grind your teeth, set your jaw, and kindle a blazing fire in your eyes, and never stop to even think about straying from your path, you arrive at your oasis; your lush, green, flowering, wonderful oasis. Here you can do whatever you want and have all the time in the world. Here is where you reach your inner happiness.

Now sometimes there are those few, extraordinary, wise people, who wish to depart again from that wonderful oasis and brave again the desert. These few people realize that it is not the oasis that really brought the peace, but the journey. They wish to feel that feeling of accomplishment again, and again, and again. When they see those who have given up and who are wandering aimlessly through life, they do not laugh or consider themselves better, but pity them. They will help guide them back to the path, so that the others may too enjoy the wonderful oasis. Sometimes this brings an even greater happiness, and inspires them more. That is how it feels to accomplish ones goals and follow ones dreams. That is how it feels to never give up, and to always strive for greatness.

Gearing Up For the Season!

2009-03-29T20:33:00.004-06:00

Look for Alyson in the Gorge this summer training for Nationals on her new Starboard Formula board!

Calema Midwinters '09

2009-03-18T11:52:00.003-06:00

Kona Junior Class winner Mateo Vargas reports on the Midwinters:

The 2009 Calema Midwinters and Kona North Americans was a great experience. Although the wind was on the light side for the majority of the weekend, the Kona fleet still managed to get 7 good races and Formula squeezed in 3 at the very last moment.

Friday started out with no wind despite forecasts for it to be a solid 12. The lack a wind wasn't a problem though as our skateboards laid at the ready. After a couple hours of skating and beach volleyball the Kona fleet was sent out in a light ,but manageable, breeze. This being only my second Kona regatta I made a point to begin tuning and looking at other people's technique the very second I left the beach in order to have the best chance of being in the top pack. Being slightly out of the groove off the start I tacked out right where I was able to get clear air and ended up making it to the windward mark in the top of the pack. We had one more similar race before we hit the beach and ate the great food Calema Windsurfing had ready for us.

Saturday morning was a carbon copy of the previous morning. As soon as it was realized that the wind would take a few hours to fill, a paddleboard relay race was organized and put into motion. This race was easily dominated by Team USA members Jay Watermeyer, Chris Gardiner, and myself. Not wanting to sit idle for a minute, a group of us moved on to wakeboarding behind a local sailors boat until the wind filled. The races held in the afternoon on Saturday were similar to Fridays with the exception of the wind being in a little more of a left phase. This initially hindered my race results, but I adjusted my strategy for the remaining races and produced a couple alright finishes. We ended our day by skating one of the best bowls on the East Coast at Cocoa Beach Skatepark. It was a great end to an already sick day.

The final day of Midwinters was the windiest of the regatta. The high pressure that had been sitting over the area moved out overnight allowing a for a nice ESE breeze at about 12 knots. The race committee quickly fired off two races for us Konas before sending out the Formula fleet to get in the three races the desperately needed. The last two races of the regatta were my best to date. The stronger breeze and a pin favored line helped me to get ahead and hold my position, giving me a third and then bullet in the last race.

Overall Calema Midwinters was a great event. The competition was great and although the wind was light, there were plenty of other things to do. I definitely plan on going to this regatta again next year.

Alex Caviglia Bluewater Classic - Formula Fleet

2009-01-26T21:07:00.001-07:00

Chris Gardiner reports from the Formula fleet:

The Alex Caviglia regatta held in Miami this past week was one of the best I have ever been to. It was a great venue, and it was awesome to have food waiting on the table right after we came off the water. Being Formula North Americans the competition ranged from professional windsurfers looking for gold, to the average windsurfer just looking to have a good time, it was a great bunch of people to be stuck with for three days.

On the first day, there was very good conditions for formula, I was pretty powered up on my 11.0 and was going upwind and downwind comfortably. The starts were very competitive, much more than i was used to, as all 36 competitors fought for a place on the line, this taught me to be more aggressive off the line and to find a hole earlier. One of the coolest things about the regatta was watching the pros such as Gonzalo on his TR-5 tear upwind and downwind, much faster than i ever thought possible. By watching his stance and technique I was able to refine my own to go a little faster.

The second day there was no wind so it gave my friends and I a chance to skate around the parking lot and have a good time. I also talked to a lot of the racers there and got to know them better along with picking up some tips to do better the next day.

The third day started out light, the first race i had trouble planing the first time, only the sailors on 12's and higher were able to plane the whole time. The second race however it started to get windier, and I was on the edge of being overpowered as i ripped through the course at top speed. This was one of my best finishes, and was a very fun race. By the end of the second race and before the third race, the wind had picked up even more, and was close to a steady 23 gusting higher. At this point most of the formula sailors went in, thinking that they were at their limit, for they had rigged big for the lighter winds in the morning. As the gun for the start of the third sequence went off, a gust hit, and as I could barely sheet in my sail, I began to have some doubts about whether I'd finish the race. I made it to the first upwind mark, and resolved to go back downwind just to try it out, and it was the fastest of my life. The gusts were hitting almost thirty as I later found out, and i was able to go almost dead down wind, strapped to my 11.0. There was spray everywhere and i could barely see, but i did manage to see some Konas doing kart wheels around me as their riders got tossed over the handlebars, This was pretty cool as long as i was the observer.

In the end it was a great regatta. We saw all sorts of wind conditions, there were great people all around, and it was a ton of fun. I'm looking forward to next year.

2009-01-26T20:59:00.004-07:00

Alex Caviglia Bluewater Classic - Kona Fleet

2009-01-26T20:54:00.001-07:00

Here's another quick report regarding the Kona fleet - from Tom Ingram

Saturday - the St. Pete contingent of Team USA Windsurfing together with team member Solvig Sayre of New England were dominating the fleet and humbling the old timers, showing that practice might have something to do with finishing well. I hear that the St. Pete crew is practicing fleet racing twice a week now. Their skill level is way, way up from last year. Race 3 in particular was fun, with a huge 2-lap windward leeward and yet almost all the fleet finished within a couple minutes of each other. I couldn't tell you firsthand who won because I was so far behind these guys most of the time, but the results showed that Team USA was 1-2-3 at the end of Saturday with Cullen Ahearn leading. Bruce Matlack was also up in the mix.

Sunday - a beautiful day in Miami, air mid 70s, but no wind. Bruce, Mike and I went SUPing (Bruce on his Kona) - the highlight was Bruce falling into the water in dry clothes.

Monday -

Race 4 - started out in marginal planing conditions for formula and good but nonplaning wind on Kona for windward leeward racing (it was planing conditions on a reach). Solvig won and from my perspective it looked like she decided to railride across the finish line (she was standing on the rail, sailing along for a second or two) - I thought, "rub it in!" but she apparently just had the board rail up due to the higher winds.

Race 5 - full tilt, perfect planing conditions, daggerboard up the whole time other than a minute at the top of the first windward mark. The wind was increasing throughout the race, around 20 knots.

Race 6 - I would say it was survival conditions except that after Race 6, it got even windier. Completing the race was all about not falling. My tactics were to head to the flatter water, windward side of the bay where I could sheet in and not be bounced off the wave tops going upwind. I did the formula-style "super chicken" strap thing on the way downwind and that worked pretty well. My main thought was, wow, we're racing in this?

Getting back to shore - the wind nuked so hard that it took major muscle just to hold the sail up in the air during the gusts. None of us had our sails trimmed for wind like this since it was 10 knots when we left the dock. Some of us rerigged them some on the water but I know mine could have used more tweaking. The launch was a couple of miles upwind, in the lee of skyscrapers and upwind through a marina. Good times!

Congratulations to Cullen Ahearn of Team USA Windsurfing for his win in the Kona Class. He did well in the big range of conditions that we had and I hope all of you Kona racers will remember him well at the Midwinters starts in March :). Thanks also to the team coaches, Britt Viehman and Karen Marriott, who are doing a great job, and to the guys for letting me borrow their skateboards to cruise around between the races.

All in all it was another great regatta in Miami. The Calema midwinters should be just as fun if not more so.

Tom

Alex Caviglia Bluewater Classic

2009-01-18T10:42:00.006-07:00

Halfway through the regatta here in Miami - Team USA is well represented in the Kona fleet, in fact we make up almost the entire Kona fleet! Check out the score sheet so far (there are a few mix ups however, David - FL14 has finished races, he just isn't currently scored properly). The three races yesterday were in breezy conditions (10-15 knots) and today we are sitting around waiting for it to fill back in .

Check back later for more pictures and a complete report!

Jay Watermeyer's Peru Report

2009-01-15T07:57:00.012-07:00

Formula Festival World Championships – Ancon,

Peru

By Jay Watermeyer

I first found out about the Formula Worlds from a fellow teammate on Team

USA

, Todd Selby. Because of the location in

Peru

, it sounded like an exotic and a fun place to gain some new race experience. After doing some research on the bay where the event was being held, I quickly found out it’s a perfect place to race. My dad and I left Seattle on a snowy, white Christmas morning and arrived in

Peru

at midnight.

When we first entered the terminal in Lima, the airport was hectic. There were about 100 people holding placards with travelers’ names on them. My dad and I could not find our own name, despite looking around carefully, and eventually found a sign with our name on it leaning up on a wall, with a gentleman standing next to it.

Our journey from Lima to Ancon was an adventure. Both my dad and I knew little Spanish, and had a hard time communicating with our friendly driver. Despite the posted speed limit, our driver drove in the middle of two lanes going as fast as he pleased for the 50 KM journey. It felt like we were playing X-box live. We stayed at a friend’s apartment (who previously sailed with us in Hood River) which was roughly ¼ mile walk by beach to the Yacht Club. They extended me a warm, Peruvian welcome and introduced me to some of the local kids.

The first day we were in Ancon we participated in successful practice races in perfect Formula conditions. Many of the other Junior and Youth racers from around the world were very friendly, and we soon got to know each other very well. The first day of the competition, however, there was no wind and the races for that day were cancelled. Some of my Peruvian friends and fellow competitors, Sebastian Aguirre & Mario Romero, took me, Connor Baxter, and Zane Schweitzer to a local surf spot called Pasamayo, which was only a 15 minute boat ride away. We had fairly decent waves and thoroughly enjoyed the surfing experience. We appreciated the graciousness of the Aguirre family for taking us there.

For the next couple of days the races were cancelled due to no wind. On December 31^st, one of the local sailors knew of a place that would have wind, and it was only one hour bus ride to the north, further into the desert. So the next morning at 7 am, all of the competitors put all of their gear into the back of a semi truck, and loaded themselves onto a Grayliner coach. When we got to this beach, the wind was 10 – 15 knots and picking up. It was perfect! I had a great couple of races and everyone was stoked!

After three races, the race committee decided to call it for the day and we went back to Yacht Club in Ancon to celebrate New Year’s Eve. The party was a lot of fun because everyone was dancing and singing and having a good time. Many of the local neighborhood kids purchased fireworks at the local market and the streets were lit up the whole night with fireworks and bottle rockets going off.

On New Year’s Day, everyone was hopeful we’d race, but the wind in Ancon did not cooperate. Since we achieved our three races to make the championship legal, the race committee gave us another day off. The final day of the competition was roughly 10 – 13 knots in Ancon Bay. The bay was a little tricky to sail in. Out in the middle of the bay was light and unbeknownst to me there was a lot of floating trash and debris close to shore. I had some pretty good racing until I hit a piece of a submerged mattress and lost my lead. I was still able to catch up, but I wish we had more races in the championship to make up for less successful races.

I was stoked to be able to participate in such an important regatta and excited to meet kids from around the world who love to windsurf as much as I do. Hopefully I will get the chance to compete in the 2009 World Championships in Cadiz,

Spain

, where I will see most of these friends and fellow sailors from around the world who participated in the 2008 Formula World Championship.

Jay finished 7th in the Formula Experience fleet and Team USA was also well represented by Conner Baxter in 9th and Zane Schweitzer in 11th.

Does Christmas mean windsurfing?

2009-01-05T21:08:00.003-07:00

Margo's Race Camp Report, she is 14yrs old

Just came back from a 4-day youth race camp in Cocoa Beach, FL. Happy to report that I had a blast! I wasn’t thrilled with the scheduling at first: squeezed between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, it’s a time I’d rather be thinking about snow and double diamond stuff. Or at the very least something seasonal like hanging by the chimney, drinking eggnog or getting a group of friends to go prank caroling. But windsurfing?

The camp was run by Karen Marriott, Dominique Vallee and Britt Viehman at Cocoa Beach’s famed Banana River Resort. Ideal location: we just crossed the street every morning to jog on the beach, headed back to the lagoon’s glassy waters for hardcore windsurfing sessions, and back to the beach in the evening for smores and a chat around the fire. Half of those conversations were in French, mind you! Let me see if I can recall where we all came from: Montreal, San Francisco, Martha’s Vineyard and Clearwater. Go ahead, draw those on a map and see what you get. Yep, a sail.

Not just a sail, but a sail in a nasty jibe! Pretty fancy, don’t you think? With all of that good mojo around, we were bound to have a great time. And that we certainly did. Everyone was competitive on the water, the hours were long and loaded with instruction on both the 293 and RS:X olympic class boards, but there was always a spark to light things up. I learned to tighten my jibing, that pumping is an artform, that a stuck mast base can be a good thing and that ‘paté chinois’ has nothing to do with China and everything to do with paté - oh boy...

Great weather, great friends. Who needs caroling?

North American Junior Race Camp

2009-01-01T12:21:00.011-07:00

Fourteen youth windsurfers from across the US and Canada got to spend four days between Christmas and New Year's at the Banana River Resort in Cocoa Beach, Florida taking part in a super-intensive racing camp. Each morning started with a run and warm-up exercises on the beach before breakfast, and on a couple of the days sailors were still coming off the water after the sun had set.

Each day was a mix of on-land and on-water training and the predominantly light winds made for perfect learning-to-pump conditions. Lots of drills on the water helped to improve board and sail handling and everyone got a lot more experience on the start line! Amazingly, even with lots of time-on-the-water, intensive instruction in pumping and race strategy and tactics, the kids still found time for surfing and football on the beach.

We had 14 windsurfers (4 Canadians, 10 US - 9 boys, 5 girls) training on both RS:X and Bic Techno 293 and it was very cool to get to know all of these talented, hard-working kids who will likely be racing in future world championships and even the Olympics!

Alex Caviglia Bluewater Classic

2008-12-13T07:43:00.001-07:00

This years’ Alex Caviglia Bluewater Classic (January 17-19,2009) is welcoming the Formula Class North American Championship to Biscayne Bay. In it’s third year, the regatta is a charity event to benefit Shake-A-Leg Miami’s watersports programs for people with disabilities. Shake-A-Leg Miami, a non-profitorganization, uses sailing and other watersports to bring hope, confidence, social integration, independence into the lives of people with disabilities and their families. Similarly, the Caviglia Bluewater Foundation seeks to serve, represent and educate individuals and families who have been touched by a traumatic brain injury (TBI) on their way to recovery and rehabilitation. Together, these two organizations are hosting the regatta which is open windsurfers (Formula and Kona), Keelboats (Paralympic classes and J-24’s) and two dinghy classes (O’Pen BICS and Access Dinghies).

Close to 180 sailors from around the world are expected on several race courses, including The O’Pen Bic “Unregatta”, a format jampacked with crazy racing and tons of fun for kids of all ages.

Proceeds from the last two events enabled Shake-A-Leg Miami to start up a windsurfing program and teach more than 200 kids how to sail over the past two summers. This year Shake-A-Leg is hoping to build the program and make it adaptive to introduce people with disabilities to the sport.

For more information on the Alex Caviglia Bluewater Classic, please visit the website at: www.shakealegmiami.org/alexcavigliabluewaterclassic .

Prepared Peak Performance Race Camp

2008-12-08T16:40:00.006-07:00

There are still a couple of spots available in the Prepared Peak Performance Race camp that will be held at the Banana River Resort in Cocoa Beach, FL from Dec. 27-30!

In addition to teaching and refining windsurfing skills, we will be focusing on creating well rounded competitors by emphasizing preparation, training (both mental and physical) and goal setting. These skills are vital for long term success in windsurfing, and also crossover to success in other sports, college and the workplace. It is a lot to fit into just four days, but our goal is to make sure that these four days are efficiently used!

The price for four days of coaching, four nights lodging, breakfast and lunch each day and 2 dinners is $520 per person (only $130/day!). If you have other lodging options – you can pay $440 for four days of coaching, lunch each day and 2 dinners. The clinic includes time on Bic 293, Neil Pryde RS:X and Exocet Kona equipment. If you bring your own gear (of any kind) there is no additional equipment charge. If you are not bringing any gear with you, there is a $100 equipment charge.

Your coaches for the clinic will be Dominique Vallee, Britt Viehman and Karen Marriott. Dominique Vallee from Quebec, Canada has over 15 years of windsurfing, coaching and racing experience. She has competed in PWA slalom events and was the gold medalist in windsurfing at the 2007 Pan American Games. She has the experience of several Olympic campaigns in both the Mistral One-Design and RS:X. Britt Viehman also has over 15 years of experience, including years of Formula racing experience and an Olympic campaign in Mistral One-Design. Karen Marriott has raced Mistral One-Design, Formula and RS:X and was a member of the US Sailing Team in 2006 and 2007.

Come join us - we already have 4 competitors from Quebec and 9 from the US!

Miami Pro-Am

2008-12-03T11:24:00.003-07:00

The Miami Pro-Am kicked off Nov 15-16 with some great conditions for Formula and Kona racing. There was about 35 sailors there and the really cool part is half of the competitors there were under the age of 20! US Windsurfing’s Team USA showed up and were jamming. Most were competing (and performing quite well) in the Kona Class and there was several in the Formula Class.

Cool stories about several of the sailors here at the Miami Pro-Am:
-Cullen Ahearn from Clearwater, FL competed in his first windsurfing regatta ever at the Pro-Am last year. In the past year, he has put in so much hard work that in highly tactical Kona fleet, he won the podium! It is great to see him achieve such skills as a sailor and he is a great competitor - watch out for him, he is continuing to practice hard.
-Mateo Vargas, a Laser sailor from St Pete, competed for the first time ever in a windsurfing regatta and placed 4th overall in the Kona fleet!
-Chris Gardiner from St. Pete, FL won the Youth Class in Formula with Sergio Cremissini from Miami and Alex Stankie from Cocoa Beach rounding out the Formula Youth Fleet.

There are a bunch of more up and comers as well who are hungry and looking to climb on podiums as well.

Off the course at the US Sailing Center, it was cool to see skateboards and footballs instead of older guys huddled around discussing Formula fins and the economy. And in the evening, the skate park in Coconut Grove was put to good use. Overall it is looking like a great start to the racing season with Team USA. So feel free to talk to the kids on land, because on the water you may not have that chance. They are all good kids and I am stoked that they are making a showing. I am contacting more kids to get them involved - so look for the numbers to increase at future events.

We are looking forward to the next Team USA event, the Prepared Peak Performance Training Camp at Banana River Resort, Dec 27-30. We have 12 youth sailors already and some others considering it strongly.

Britt Viehman
US Windsurfing’s Team USA Coach

Techno 293 North American & World Championships

2008-11-08T16:24:00.002-07:00

Would you like to travel to England and compete in the 2009 Techno 293 World Championships? Would you like to have some of your travel expenses paid for and have a coach who will travel with you and help you get your best possible finish? You can make that happen!

The Techno 293 North American Championships will be held from July 29-31 at the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, California. Anyone can attend and all racers will use a Bic Techno 293. There will be two ages classes, under 15 and under 17. Performance at the North American's is what will determine who gets sent to the world championships in Weymouth just a few weeks later. We are hoping to take six kids to Weymouth and the goal is to have boys and girls in both the under 15 and under 17 classes; however, qualification will be based on performance and ability to get around the race course regardless of age or class.

If you work super hard at getting yourself ready for this event you can make the dream of international windsurfing competition your reality! Nevin Sayre (who was a 5 time US Windsurfing National champion and PWA competitor) got his start in similar fashion, “I know when I was 18 years old and heard that I could win airfare to the North American windsurfing champs in Corpus Christi by winning the New England Champs, this changed my life forever. I dedicated myself to those New England Champs and won airfare to Corpus where for the first time I saw Matt Schweitzer, Ken Winner, Mike Waltze, Alex & Greg Aguera, Rhonda Smith et al. This made me a dedicated windsurfer for life!”

So make your plans now to start getting ready for the North American’s, and if you have any questions about training or competing send an e-mail to Britt or Karen.

Think About It

2008-11-03T21:19:00.002-07:00

This article is reprinted with permission from Michael Sinnott of the Saab Salomon Factory Team, www.skipost.com and www.enjoywinter.com. It is not windsurf specific, but applies to all forms of competition - be it course or slalom racing and freestyle.

Call me a head case, but I believe that the single most overlooked aspect of skiing is the mental aspect. To preface, I did spend a lot of time studying the brain in my past (psychology major and neuroscience minor, I’m a head geek), so I may be biased towards the things I like. That said, my studies gave me a firsthand appreciation for the untapped potential of the human mind.

You should never enter a race in an unready state of mind. Period (for emphasis). End of story. It’s like starting a race without boots or with red klister the length of your glide zone on a cold day. If you slide up to the line, and in your head you are repeating, “Oh, this is miserable. What am I doing? I’m not ready. These guys look fast. Maybe I’ll just ski the first half and see how I feel,” or anything along these lines, then you have knocked yourself out before the race has begun. Take a step back. Breathe deep. Re-assess and focus, because a mind set up for failure will be ready to jump on the failure bandwagon. A mind will make your thoughts reality. Rather than have your mental state fight against you from the get-go, use the brain as a tool, and set your sights high. Think about all the mental hoopla quotes you’ve heard over the years, from “reach for the stars,” to “90% of this game is half mental” (as said by the great Yogi Berra). These things are not coincidences, and as much as you may rue the idea of meditation or breathing rituals or whatever “sports psychology” means to you, the truth is that these things are real.

There is no "right" way to mentally prepare. I can’t tell you how to find the right mental state for yourself. It’s an individual assessment of mental strengths and beliefs. I once heard Michael Phelps say that the only thing he thinks about in a race is “I have to touch the wall first.” Then there is the stereotypical football player who is yelling and pounding his head and finding his mental (?) adjustment. Phil Jackson believes it's best to clear the head and play in a Zen state, conscious of everything around you. Of course there is also the Prefontaine way of life, trying to win at everything and making winning, or losing, a disease. The point is that there are many ways to create a successful mental aura, but it’s all up to you to discover what that entails. One common denominator to all these success stories is that these people didn’t just create their mental tact overnight. They developed them.

A racer does not jump into a race, usually, without training. I propose the same thing for your new found mental attitude. Find it. Develop it. Hone it. Make it infallible to the obstacles you may encounter. Start today. Winter is coming and you may be preparing to be physically fit, but prepare to be mentally fit too. This could mean that you embark on a long run, and don’t bring any music. Just clear your head and focus for as long as you can. Find your rhythm and embrace the flow of ideas, or the consistent pounding of your feet. Mental exercises strengthen your resolve and ability to keep the “game plan” on par. Try the Pre method and practice competitiveness in unimportant things. It may not help you make any friends, but it will make you ready for success when it counts and the pressure is on. Kris Freeman is known for taking every race seriously, and it shows when the heat is on. Don’t be discouraged at first if your brain fights back. That’s the point of practicing now, to strengthen your synaptic connections and make you ready for race day.

Today, with snow still a month away, mental practice may be less time consuming and strenuous. Just find the right frame of mind. As the season nears and your big race is on the horizon, focus longer and harder. Practice day in and day out, even for a little bit at a time. Eventually it no longer becomes a decision, but an instinct. This way, when the gun fires and people are scrambling around, flailing, hoping the kick wax works, hoping their energy holds, waiting for the finish to come, you’ll have an advantage. You’ll be ready; you’ll be focused; you’ll have a game plan; and this will be second nature to you.