US Windsuring Nationals
 Charter gear will be availabe at the 2009 National Championships in Hood River! A limited number of Starboard One-Design Formula board & rig packages will be available for $250 and Techno 293 one-design boards are also available for $100 (board only - no rig) by advance registration on a first come, first serve basis. Charters must be confirmed by July 10th. Contact Darren Rogers at drogers@gorge.net or 541-490-7137 to reserve your charter. Just fly in and race - it can't get any easier than that! Click here for the Notice of Race and all the details about Nationals.
National Race Tour:
-June 12-14, Worthington Unvarnished Music Festival in Worthington MN www.worthingtonwindsurfing.com-June 26-28, Moose Regatta in Dryden, Ontario www.windsurfwoody.ca/regatta-July 11-12, Ronstan Bay Challenge in San Francisco, CA -July 23-26, US Windsurfing Nationals in Hood River, OR www.vmgevents.com
-Aug. 8-9, SF Longboard SF Classic/UN Challenge in San Francisco, CA www.stfyc.com
Check out www.uswindsurfing.org for the full list of National Race Tour Events!
Other Events:
-June 6-7, East Coast Windsurfing Festival on Long Island www.ecwindfest.com-June 12-14, Nimby XIII on St. George Island www.20knotsnob.com-June 27-28, Gorge Windfest in Hood River, OR www.gorgewindfest.com-July 18 or 19, Gorge Blowout in Hood River, OR www.vmgevents.com-July 29-31, Techno 293 North American's in San Francisco, CA -Aug. 5-6, East Coast Junior Windsurfing Championships in Chatham, MA -Summer '09, Midwest Speed Quest in Worthington, MN www.midwestspeedquest.com-Summer '09, Hatteras Wave Jam in Cape Hatteras www.obxwindfest.com
Preserve Windsurfing History!
Joe from Rio sent the following request: Hi - I am a collector of past issues of windsurfing magazines and I am trying to establish a detailed collection to keep as a type of "folk art" that can be donated to a windsurfing museum in the future (I know John Rutledge has an archive at U North Carolina). My collection is just over 1,000 with about 700 issue and the rest doubles. Mostly US (the entire conuntry) and a bunch of Canadian, British and other. I also have 100 books and 60 video tapes that I am transfering to digital format. Anyone who want's to donate or sell their collection I would love to talk with. I am especially interested in pre-1985 issues. A blurb in your newsletter would help me and the sport archiuve this important information. You can contact Joe at riosunnywind@sbcglobal.net
Local Windsurfing Clubs:
- Baltimore Area Boardsailing Association- Columbia Gorge Windsurfing Association- Community Boating Inc.- Corpus Christi Windsurfing Association- Evanston Windsurfing Association- Fleet 8: Minnesota- Grosse Pointe Windsurfing Club- MOWIND- New Jersey Windsurfing & Watersports Association- New Mexico Windsurfing Association- San Diego Windsurfing Association- Shell Point Sailboard Club- St. Francis Yacht Club- Toledo Area Boardsailing Association- Triangle Boardsailing Club- Windsurfing Enthusiasts of Tidewater- Worthington Okebena Windsurfers
The Following businesses support US Windsurfing and make it possible for us to publish this newsletter: Action QuestAdventure SportsAerotech SailsThe Avon Sail House
Banana River Windsurfing Resort Big WindsBroward Community College DaKine
Hansen Sails
Hood River WaterplayIsland SolIsthmus SailboardsLarson's Ski & Sport
Long Beach Windsurf CenterMiami Windsurfing LLCNext Sports
North Beach WindsurfingSailboards Miami
Sailsport MarineSeabreeze Beach ResortWhitecap WindsurfingWindpower Windsurfing AcademyWindsurfing MagazineWindsurf the BoatyardWindward Sports LLCWorldwinds Windsurfing
Editors Note: Contributors to this newsletter include Jim McGrath, Arden Anderson, Barry Ritchie and Bill Keitel. If you have pictures, news, upcoming events or reports of past events please send them to karen@larsonsport.com for inclusion in the next newsletter. If I left out something you sent me or if there are any errors in this newsletter - I am sorry! Let me know and I will try to fix it - don't blame all of US Windsurfing, just me! -Karen Marriott
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Windsurfing Across the US!
What you will find in this issue:
Are You A Member of US Windsurfing?
Why Should you consider joining?
Have you ever shown up at a race or freestyle competition and seen another competitor with the same number? Have you ever gone down to your favorite sailing spot and seen a fence across the beach? These are only two of the reasons that you should consider joining or renewing your US Windsurfing membership.
Members of US Windsurfing work with local sailors to help them protect rights of access, and restore access where local officials have disrupted it, as has happened in New Jersey this year, and at Treasure Island on San Francisco Bay. In addition, US Windsurfing is: actively working with the Olympic sailing committee to identify and develop racing talent, maintaining a national website, supporting a national ranking tour, supporting an annual national championship. In the works is an effort to allow you to get a VISA card with windsurfers across the front, and using that card helps support US Windsurfing! We need your support to remain a viable organization that provides services to our members.
Without your support we will struggle to:
· Finish the overhaul of our Web Site
· Issue electronic newsletters at least quarterly
· Increase the number of sailing centers in the United States that offer windsurfing as part of their programs
To renew your membership or join - go to www.uswindsurfing.org
East Coast Update:
 New Jersey Windsurfers Fight For Water Access:
The New Jersey Shore has some terrific windsurfing spots. and recently the access to one of these spots, Bayview Park, a Green Acres area in Long Beach Township, Long Beach Island (http://www.windsurfnj.org/sites/longbeachisland.htm) became threatened. At the directive of the Mayor and Commissioners of the township, an area utilized by the windsurfers, kayakers, sunfish sailors, SUPs, and sun worshipers was cleared and a large enclosure was built with the purpose of constructing a dog park. The plan was to extend the structure into the water, not only drastically reducing the beach area but also severally restricting access to the water. On discovering this project, the local windsurfing community rapidly became organized in an effort to have access to the beach restored.
Attempts to reach out to the township to find a mutually agreeable solution were ignored, so a campaign involving writing letters, sending Emails, and calling the township, the local newspapers and Federal, State and local agencies was initiated. After much wrangling amongst government agencies, the enclosure was removed, rebuilt and removed again! Although full access to the water has now been restored, the campaign is continuing due to health and safety concerns related to the dogs now using the same beach area and environmental issues still remain concerning potential pollution of the water from coliform bacteria.
There have been positive aspects to this struggle. There is a renewed sense of community spirit among the windsurfers that enjoy the Jersey Shore which resulted in the formation of the New Jersey Windsurfing & Watersports Association (http://www.windsurfnj.org). We also are now aware of our rights of access to the water and the agencies to contact when infringements are threatening such access. For further information related to this story and for information regarding DEP and Green Acres regulations please visit http://www.windsurfnj.org/docs/docs.htm.
US Windsurfing encourages all windsurfers to organize at the local level in order to protect their rights of access. We work with local windsurfing organizations to make sure that the rights of public access are available to everyone, and that new groups are encouraged to use our public beaches and coastlines without displacing those who are already there.
Texas
Corpus Christi :
Barry Ritchie sent his report from the Screamin' Reach (edited here for space):
Dos de Mayo, Corpus Christi, TX
The morning of the Screamin' Reach [SR], Dr. Charles Allen, founder of the US Open, said it seemed windier than the windiest race he had ever done in the Bay, which was ~'88 when Robby Naish showed up for the US Open. It was so windy that we decided to sail as a loose group, as more of bay tour and not a race, and perhaps shorten the race by stopping short at Oleander. Of our fearless half-dozen starters: one had no business there and bailed after not even being able to waterstart; one decided to rig a 3.7, a great size sail for reaching, and decided just to BAF and not head downwind; another [Charles Allen] on a 5.9, became a human cannonball any time he attempted to head off the wind... he decided to not race; another nameless [to protect his ego] sailor on perfect gear and a 6.2 also decided not to race. That left two people. Actually it left only one person, me, because I had told Alissa Inman it was OK for her to get a head start.
The run down to Oleander made my short list for one of the most overpowered sessions I've ever done. Only a couple of Blowouts in the Gorge were windier. Long story short, to spare you the boring details, I made it down to Oleander and started looking for Alissa in hopes that she made it that far and decided to stop short. My original plan was to finish properly at North Beach and then sail back upwind to Oleander, where the van was located. I knew Alissa's vehicle was at North Beach, I shuttled her over there myself, but had a feeling she would stop short if she had made it that far. Just as I was about ready to get back on the board and head back downwind to search for Alissa and finish the course, she walked down the bluff and showed herself. Very relived to see her, I also opted to finish the race short and carried my gear up the hill.
My hat's off to Alissa, she gets the Gurls-Rig-Big-or-go-Home Award. I had decided that something needed to be presented as a trophy, that morning I had picked up a Cinco de Mayo limited edition tallboy Bud Light out of the swap parking lot. Dented but still unopened, this orphaned treasure from the previous [Friday] night was a perfect surrogate trophy for Chip to award... -Barry
**Note= With hindsight, doing the Screamin' Reach in the Gulf that day would have been a dream, since there was much less wind in the Gulf, but enough to make it a very fun downwinder. Maybe next year...
More info on the Corpus Christi Windsurfing Association and their events can be found at www.corpuschristiwindsurfing.com
New Mexico
April 2009
A Learn to Windsurf memorial fund to honor long time NMWA member Anne Salinas has been started by Dr. Gordon Eatman. After a heroic two-year roller coaster battle with cancer, Anne Salinas, 51, recently passed away in her sleep. Donations to the fund will be used to subsidize the tuition cost of the annual NMWA Learn to Windsurf class for women and girls. This author vividly remembers Anne's commitment to sail in spite of her cancer. In the spring of 2007, Anne decided that the family windsurfing pilgrimage to South Padre and the Blowout was still going to happen, in spite of her recently diagnosed cancer and chemotherapy. Anne arranged to have a round of chemo in Harlingen and then recover on the beach. Any of you that have ever seen how hard chemo hits a patient can appreciate the fact that Anne, now bald and clothed from head to toe to stay warm, somehow mustered the energy to sail a few days later. Anne is survived by Bob Salinas, her windsurfing husband, and a loving family. -BR
California
College Windsurfing at UCLA
 So who are your heroes? One of Joe Roth’s is Wayne Chin, the head of UCLA’s windsurfing program. Wayne has been teaching windsurfing at the UCLA Marine Aquatic Center for years, and caters to students interested in learning to windsurf. Each year he teaches about 200 adults to windsurf, plus those who enroll in the Bruins kids program.
How does he do it?
Keeping costs down and knowing his potential market is the key. The UCLA Marine Aquatic Center http://marinaaquaticcenter.org/Windsurfing/index.htm is an auxiliary of the University, with an annual budget of about $7-8,000. The have relied on surveys to know that students can only pay about $80 to $90 for lessons, and he has kept the price at that level for years. He relies on student workers and volunteers, again to keep the costs down. The classes run for 2 days, about 9 hours of windsurfing, and he guarantees that his students will learn to windsurf. He also runs a series of camps and clinics, at the same price, which are popular as a recreational destination.
I asked Wayne what he sees as the barriers to greater success with programs like his. He identifies three factors: the difficulty of mastering windsurfing, and progressing from being able to stand and sheet in a sail to planing and gybing, the decline of local shops that provide equipment and support lessons, and the allure of kiting.
US Windsurfing salutes all of the quiet heroes like Wayne who are helping keep our sport alive.
Mid-West Windsurfing
Walleye Wagatta
 The 2009 Walleye Wagatta windsurfing race was held on Lake Winnebago in Fond du Lac, WI last weekend (May 9-10) off of Roosevelt Park. This event was put on by the Wind Power Windsurfing Center as part of the MOWIND Race Series and 17 sailors from WI, MN, IA, and IL were in attendance. Saturday racing conditions were overcast with 10-15 mph winds and intermittent rain. Still, six races were completed and competition in the A-Fleet was tightly contested between Andy Gratton of Oshkosh and Don Altmyer of Taycheedah, with Peter Hartwich of Excelsior, MN in third place. The Sport Fleet was also tight with Mark Schmitz of Fond du Lac, Greg Anshus of Rochester, MN, and 13-year-old Magnus Zaunmueller of Beaver Dam as the top three after the first day.
You can see a full report, results and pictures at www.mowind.org!
Saylorville Dam Jam
The 2009 Saylorville Dam Jam windsurfing race was held on Lake Saylorville outside Des Moines, IA last weekend (May 16-17). It was successfully run by an “International Race Committee” with Uffe Jentler arranging much of the event from Sweden and then FLYING-IN for the event! What commitment! Read the full report and get results at www.mowind.org!
2009 Toledo Windsurfing Championships
The 20th running of this event had almost forty racers, lots of wind and good racing. You can see all the pictures and results at www.mowind.org!
Olympic Class Training in Worthington, MN!
Exciting News From your Friends at U.S. Windsurfing!
Intense Excitement! has been brewing in the bays and bayou's of Lake Okabena in Worthington Mn. Seldom in the history of windsurfing has there been such a concerted effort to build and promote the standing of the United States in the Olympics. U.S. Windsurfing has begun to do just that! Here's the scoop.
Last summer during the USWA annual meeting, the merger of three dedicated entities came together an forged an agreement. USWA, Worthington Visitors Bureau, along with the local Chamber of Commerce were approached to see if they might be interested in funding this dynamic new project. USWA was looking for a way to fund a training camp that was specifically geared to the building stronger Olympic competitors. The idea of bringing coaches, sailing tacticians and people with an above average skill level together to help train a new fleet of sailors to compete on an international level...........the new Olympic hopefuls!
The Chamber of Commerce & Visitors and Convention Bureau stepped forward and made a generous cash offer to be the host community of this training camp. In the coming seasons sailors with these lofty aspirations will be invited to come and train on Lake Okabena. They will have the benefit of some of the best coaching in the U.S.A. Lest you think the work is done........there is much to consider.
In the coming summers.....USW Regional Director Lisa Kremer (along with her parents Glen and Barb) and youth coach Britt Viehman will be putting together a plan of action and intend to host summer time clinics and training sessions that will be of Uncommon Merit. The Kremers generosity is unsurpassed and if you would like more information please contact Lisa or Britt. This is U.S. Windsurfing at work! Support their efforts!
Speed Sailing
Minnesota & Baltimore!
 The 2009 Midwest Speedquest in well underway in Worthington, Minnesota. Like always, it is a free event where even the GPS units are provided! You can pick the days you want to compete any time between April 15 and October 15. Over $2500 in cash prizes will be awarded to the fastest sailors on Lake Okebena. You can get all the details at www.midwestspeedquest.com!
The Baltimore Area Boardsailing Association (BABA) is having a speed event of their own for 2009. The event is open to all BABA members, and your sailing session can take place anywhere in the world between November 1, 2008 and October 31, 2009! You can get all the details at www.windsurfbaba.org!
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