Old Sailors

[JeffGerke]

Is 40 too old to start windsurfing and have time to become really good? I started to learn a couple times but get frustrated with crappy gear and the time it takes traveling to places to sail. However I've been thinking about saving up some money for awhile so I can buy some good gear and give it another shot. But am I too late now. Would be nice to become good enough to learn some of the freestyle tricks and possibly wave sailing. But that could take ten years or so and by that time I'm afraid I'll be to hold to handle that level of sailing. I want to be able to do more than just cruise around on my board. Are there any windsurfers in their 50's or 60's that can sail at the level as younger windsurfers?

[bordy]

40 is a even better age to learn how to kite!!!!! You could be doing airs and tricks in just a year or so. Some kiters are 70+ and we have some local guys in there 60s that kite and rip!!!!Oh ya and they use to wind surf...

Come Kite! Check out this Place!

http://www.ukbinc.com/

[Jon Manwaring]

Jeff,
I started Winds surfing at 40, and IMHO got really good at it. Loved 3.5 M 'spray days' at the Gorge. Soon got high wind fever and just said no to 5.0, (indise joke). Then in 2000, by now I'm closer to 60 than 50, took up kiting. Super fun all over again. Learning a new sport is the real rush. I have a brian body discrepency, in that my brain (47) thinks it's younger than my body (62). I can't do all the tricks but do enough to get a few ooohs and awes from the crowd. Also tend not to be able to stay out as long each session but still manage to get my share of time on the water. Younger is always better but hey it beats the alternative. It used to be that most kiters were crossover wind surfers, but now it's probably mixed between those that came over to the Dark Side and those that just started Dark
Take lessons first !!!!!!! Give Bordy a call and get going
Jon Mzee

[Steven Nyhus]

Jeff,
Good gear and a lesson will have you windsurfing in no time and you will be able to get good enough to have a lot of fun. 40 is not to old for anything!! I windsurfed for a couple of years back in the mid 80's on a Windsurfer One Design (12 foot long and heavy!) and never sailed a short board. I then took a few years off and started up again in 2005 (long time not being on a board) at the age of 45. Modern boards and sails make it so much easier. A couple of trips to a windsurfing destination would really help in your progression too. Come check things out at the beginner day tomorrow if you have time.
Kiting is an option, it's not for me (I just can't see myself wearing my board shorts on the outside of my wetsuit), but it looks like a lot of fun. Windsrufing is still a kick in the pants and you will be able to pick it up fast and have a great time for many years.
Hope to see you on the beach soon

Steve

[Jack Harmon]

I started kiting at 56....way less gear and free check in on airplanes.... you can ride in less wind.....plus it is way easier to learn then wind surfing....
just my two cents......

[Josh Shirley]

I love the kiting missionary work being done here.

Jeff - come out to the beginners windsurfing clinic tonight as well as the tomorrow morning. With the right help you can be up and going in no time. To get really good, that all depends on you. What is your definition of "really good?"

I think windsurfing is a lot like skiing you can windsurf until your 85. You get "really good" when you stop muscling the gear around the lake and you learn to balance and use the wind to do your work. Finesse.

[Kenny]

Jeff,

Keep in mind that the wind is light in Utah, so windsurfing requires more travel. Most of the dedicated windsurfers take several trips to the Gorge for the good stuff. You can kite in less wind and you can kite all winter long on the snow. Which IMHO is better than riding on the water.

Of course, kiting is really growing and some of our launch spots are getting crowded, so kiting sucks - learn how to windsurf

[RickHeninger]

Jeff,

IMHO... Trying not to be biased... Promise...

First off, I don't think you asked about kiting... But it is a viable consideration... I have nothing against kiting... It's fun... It's different than windsurfing... They are two totally different animals... Kiting's the NEW thing... Till it becomes just kiting... As did windsurfing... Anyone who sees the best in the sports of either doesn't say it's JUST one or the other...

Kiting and Windsurfing are both major addictions to many! Every individual will have a different thing to say... I know windsurfers who claim to be over windsurfing and kite.. Some don't do either anymore... I know kiters who are bored w/it and feel they've peaked and are looking to the horizon or are windsurfing again...

If Rush were full, you'd be getting a WHOLE different response here first of all... When Rush died, windsurfing suffered a huge embolism... If it ever fills again... Look out! It was close and over a 100 sailors would be out there on any given windy weekend day throughout the 80's and 90's... It's mostly dry now... But it was close and consistent...

Windsurfing is an endless effort to improve... A guy in the Gorge (Jim Oaks) started windsurfing at 40 and is looping and throwing all kinds of old and some new school tricks that some of the pros are in awe at... He is one of the smoothest extreme sailors out there at the Hatchery (World Class Sailing spot, Hood River, OR)...

Windsurfing isn't the easiest sport... But it is unbelievalby satisfying when you try a trick (jibing, water starting, duck jibing, monkey jibing, looping, sliding) over and over and over and then finally stick it... No better feeling... It takes real dedication but I don't know of any sport that is more rewarding after hard work...

But kiting's fun too! Marty says it's super easy... And that it doesn't take very much physical effort... I'm sure there are differing opinions from kiters on this...

I thought it was pretty easy & fun, but you need to be more cognizant and careful with kiting... To be honest... You can only serve so many masters! I've kited, and have liked it when I did it... Windsurfing has remained my wind fix... There's WAY WAY too much challenge left for me in windsurfing... But I've only been windsurfing since 1978 ... I plan on snowkiting for sure... And paragliding...

There are amazing numbers of kids windsurfing and Kiting in Maui and in Europe and in the Islands... It'll be interesting to see the next big thing that sweeps in and takes half of both participants from Windsurfing and Kiting... Some cutting edge sport that's seems cooler than these! But both have deep reward... I can't be too biased now, I don't want the UWA to have a two party system, or even three!!! he he... But I'd say, give windsurfing a try until you can pull off a successful planing jibe... Then ask the question again...

But if you keep up the sailing you'll be rewarded... Just like anything... It takes sacrifice for reward... It's just the HEAVY reward with Windsurfing is preceded by HEAVY sacrifice and effort... Effort that actually to me is rewarding in itself... If you Kite, the SAME thing... The important thing is that you are STOKED about the wind! ...

[tjacques]

jeff windsurfing is great. i have windsurfed for 15 years. way fun, agree with rick I will always be challanged. it depends on what youre expectations are, any level is good as long as you have fun. all windsurfers/ kiters want to share the amazing adrealine rush that happens when wind takes over. if you do nothing, enjoy the wind!!!!!
by the way i just learned kiting and absoultly crave it, it flips my jib!!!!!!!
I agree with kenny try windsurfing!!!

[JeffGerke]

Thanks for the responses. Kiting looks like it would be fun but I think windsurfing is more my style.

Rick, you gave me the website of some older guy that windsurfs and has a bunch of videos showing how to do various windsurfing manuvers. Was that guy Jim Oaks or a different guy? I would like that website again it was pretty cool.

I think one thing that would help people get into windsurfing is to have somewhere local to rent gear. In my case if I could rent gear and get my whole family into it then I'd be set. Having decent gear to learn on instead of junk would be another benifit of rentals. Last summer I was in the Gorge and rented some gear in Hood River. It made a HUGE difference sailing on good gear, no wonder I got so frustrated sailing the junk I had.

Jeff

[RickHeninger]

Jeff,

This guy is Royn Bertholdi... He is an amazing talent... And also a great Ambassador to the sport of windsurfing...

Take a look at his website... Have fun! It is a lifetime of effort I'm sure to pull some of these tricks off...

http://www.roynbartholdi.com/windsurf/index.htm

Yeah, new gear makes a huge difference in taking off some of that challenge...

Good luck man... And hope to see you on the water...

[Carl Christensen]

Poleboarding probably does better in variable winds. A light wind board and rig easily stay upright in a breath of wind or no wind. Then, like a surfer in a line-up, you can anticipate the next push and ride as it comes. This gives a significant margin of safety to windsurfing. IMHO windsurfing is the safest scare-yourself-sport there is. It's been hard for people, despite all their best intentions, to really hurt themselves. Ankles sprain, ribs bruise and welts are raised but only rarely does a knee go or a bone break. Serious injuries have been exceedingly rare.

Kites pack small and are becoming safer as are kiters, but they have less margin for error. The default for a windsurfer, when things come unglued, is to come to a stop, usually within about 5-10 feet of your gear. You have to launch hard or be in surf to be more than 30 feet away when the spray settles. In Utah you have more launch options, the exception being Rush which, often 6 inches deep, is really exclusively kite appropriate. Sometimes it's hard to launch a kite because of geographical considerations.

Windsurfing is probably a bit more technical than kiting, like skiing versus snowboarding. It's up to an individual. If you are going to windsurf be sure to get a modern board, something less than 5 years old or so and go big with light to medium wind your first goal. Formula sailing has changed the way windsurfers look at light wind. Smooth water has never been so fast. At times people are sailing on tacks that seem to defy physics and covering some serious acreage. It's wide open.

Pay attention to the weather, not just where, but what time and you'll find that people come out of the woodwork to get their share. This is a great site for information. Good luck.

[RickHeninger]

I just thought of a great analogy... Kiters and Windsurfers alike will probably get a kick out of it...

Windsurfing is like riding a big ol' horse... Bareback (old gear), saddled up (newer gear)... English Riding (Slolom)... Racehorse (Formula)... Buckin' Bronco (Freestyle and Wave Riding)... Riding is quite hard on the body and if you get bucked off, you might hit the soft dirt, and maybe get a little stepped on, kicked, slammed into the fence... It's got its dangers!

Kiting is like tying a 50-100 ft. rope to a horses tail (ok, the tail is just funnier and maybe applicable to old kiting gear, but the new kiting gear is more like connecting to the reins!) next to a body of water and controlling it from there! Or maybe 3 horses in Kenny's case some days! These horses are SO much more well trained than a few years back... The benefit is the ride isn't quite so rough... And if you are able to get free from the line or have the mind to let go (safety releases) possibly watching your horse run into traffic (kite tangling in trees etc.) you'll be ok... BUT, if you decided to try to save your kite ($$$) or your release mechanism is faulty or you've set it up wrong... And your horse is in full gallop running in its own direction, well the rest is self explanitory!


So, training is pretty important with both... But I thought the analogy might be enjoyed. Rick.