WINDSURFING BEGINNER DAY- 2007 ROUSING SUCCESS

[RickHeninger]

It was great... Lots of successful 1st tacks... Lots of smiles... It would have been nice to have a few more rigs there... I was just glad that the two groups of scouts cancelled in the last minute! This group of beginners was really determined. Awesome group!

Thanks, Sarah & Linda (brought food and drinks), Fred & Lana, Ivan, Josh, Rick M., John D., Dave & Racheal, Trip, Grant, and any others I may have forgotten (I hope none)... Especially thanks to Rick McClain who had put his Seatrend at the stop sign to point up the road to Grantsville to guide people... Somebody got a five finger discount on it! It had a blown out fin box... So if YOU stole it, call Rick M. and he'll help you fix the finbox for $500!!! Hilarious... That person deserves this board... Thanks Josh and Rick M. for bringing the kayaks for rescue. Thanks to Fred G. for walking up and down the beach afterwards, appologizing to and making great PR with all the fishermen, a couple of whose fishing we "interferred" with...

Thanks to Windance, Northwave Sails, and Dakine (stickers received today!) for major SWAG they sent to give away... Windance sent about $150 worth of Tshirts... Please thank them when you're up there from the UWA...

Also thanks to the 20+ people can now say that they have windsurfed and a couple of them can say that they are Windsurfers. John Kikkert! and the 11 or so people he brought... I couldn't keep all their names straight! Thanks John... Good luck keeping them in line! ... Then an award needs to go to Beginner Dave K. who swam across the lake and back at the end of the day!!!

One of the beginners actually said to me at the end of the day as we were talking about how we band together at times to get a good "sesh" in, "Man it seems like communication really sucks in the organization!!!" ... ha ha... Ok, that was a rookie comment... But we are working on ways to get word out even better about sailing opportunities via, possibly a voicemail phone line, mass email feature on website, etc... But I did get a kick out of the comment!

We could have used about three more rigs to make it a 2:1 ratio on beginners to rigs... And we could have used more help... Next year we'll give more heads up... Also, we're considering doing a simpler one day one session BEGINNER INTERMEDIATE day later in the summer in addition to the BEGINNER DAY. This one would be for Waterstarts, Harness, Foot Straps, Rigging, Planing, Rail riding... J/K about the old school rail riding...

Rick Heninger.

[Josh Shirley]

I would like to say thanks to everyone who helped out. I feel like we had a very successful clinic, again.
I think last year took a lot more work and talk to get it going, this year was like pressing replay. Which made it a lot more simple.

I personally had a great time helping out. I feel like the sport can be very selfish and I spend 99% of the time worrying about my water time and not about those that are around me. So I feel like I got much more out of my volunteer time then the beginners got out of their water time.
Great experience.

Through out the year people ask about windsurfing and at least ten or more ask to learn. When they ask I tell them that if they are serious about learning we put on an annual clinic to reach out to those that want to learn. The best part is I only have to use one Saturday to take care of those beginners.

The back of my legs, my arms, and neck are sunburned. I was surprised how much energy the sun sucks out of you. If you didn't make out and bring your kids or wife that you want to see learn you really missed out.

Fred has got this down. He brought his two little granddaughters, put them in life vests loaded them on to the start, and then took them on the grand bath tube tour. They looked like they had a lot of fun. And the grandparents looked even happier to be spending water time with the grandkids. Way to go Fred.

[Trip Houk]

Congratulations to all those who made the beginner clinic such a success. We weren't able to make the 2nd session but enjoyed sharing the kick-off at Skyline. It is so sattisfying to see the enthusiasm on the faces of these (mostly) young people learning a new sport. To see people sailing around the parking lot on Sara, Dave and Freds land rigs was a hoot. Josh is a natural teacher..."name please?"

I'd like to throw out a suggestion that some of the UWA funds could be used to acquire some additional beginner gear. It doesn't need to be new. Also, I think some of us could donate some rigs and write it off.

It would be great to see another followup clinic later in the summer. Count me in. Thanks to you all for making it happen.

[RickHeninger]

Sounds good Trip... A Beginner/Intermediate day... Waterstarts, planing, harness lines, rigging maybe... I'll be in Maui here over the next few weeks and maybe I'll see if Rick Markham is going to be in town sometime during the summer and would like to give an advanced somethin' somethin' class... Now that's what I'm talking about!