It's Blowin' a Smoky Sou'Wester: Time to Rig!
By Betsy Rickards, CZM

It was a characteristically windy day in May of 1998 in the San Francisco Bay Area and I was standing on the shore of Coyote Point, an inlet of San Francisco Bay. Bracing myself against the 30-knot breeze, I listened to the rapid slapping noise of boards skimming across the water, while, one by one, windsurfers would sail full speed toward the beach, quickly carve a jibe, snap the sail, and fly off again into the distance.

Re-learn, actually. As a child growing up on Cape Cod, learning how to windsurf on the relic longboard was a given. My brothers and I spent countless back-breaking hours hauling up the sail, teetering for a few moments, only to fall backwards into the water and have the mast come crashing onto our heads. I didn’t find it fun. So, I gave it up. My brothers, on the other hand, stuck with it. Soon they were using shorter boards, and flashier sails, and were water-starting rather than uphauling the sail. My husband, in his parallel world, obviously stuck with it too. A decade later, he was really good. And, I realized I wanted to be that good.

I started taking lessons from a Bay Area windsurfing outfit. It’s amazing how a lesson from a professional with the right equipment can make a big difference. I emphasize lesson from a professional, because lessons from a spouse or significant other are a bad idea, even if said person considers him or her self a professional. Take it from me (and my brothers’ spouses)—it’s not worth the potential marital strife.

With these experienced professionals rooting me on and instilling me with confidence, I put a little more effort into uphauling that darn sail. I found that the sail wasn’t quite as difficult to pull up; over the years equipment had come a long way in being more light, flexible, efficient, and fast. I managed to actually “sail” the board without much injury to my back and head. I will still caution new sailors that the learning curve can be rather steep in terms of the enjoyment factor. Carrying around big clunky boards, hunching over and pulling up the sail by a line, balancing oneself on a pathetically slow moving board, and most importantly, swallowing one’s pride and looking like an amateur out on the water in a 0-5 knot breeze, are activities that require a lot of patience, vigor, and humble pie. The time and effort, not to mention willingness to look like a fool, does pay off, however, when you find yourself not just knowing, but living the lingo—beachstarting, waterstarting, hooking into the harness lines, and getting into the foot straps (see A Windsurfing Lexicon). Jibing on a short board has its own learning curve, the pinnacle of which I haven’t yet reached. It will probably take me years, but that is the beauty (and challenge) of the sport. There is always something new to learn, or a technique to perfect, or crazier conditions in which to sail, making boredom an unlikely factor.

When you do finally “get it,” you will no doubt feel that adrenaline rush when you suddenly find yourself hydroplaning across the water, efficiently harnessing the almighty power of the wind and ocean. Akin to that feeling of accomplishment you might get after a hard day out on the ski slopes, a few hours out on the water will give you that same triumphant buzz. And when the equipment’s been put away, the thrill of reliving the day’s sail and talking shop with other windsurfers is often just as energizing. Windsurfers love to talk about how juicy it was out on the water, what size sail they went out on, whether they were shredding it or slogging, and of course, what hot new gear needs to be purchased. These discussions are nearly a requirement if you are to be a regular within the windsurfing community.

Perhaps I am biased, but Cape Cod is still my preferred location for sailing in Massachusetts. The Nantucket Sound and Cape Cod Bay waters are warmer, provide a steady wind, have less current, and the beaches tend to be a bit sandier for launching. Fortunately, no matter where you and your gear go, you don’t have to worry about user conflicts over the beaches and the waters, because a really good wind (known as a 5.0 sail day)—and the sandblast that comes with it—isn’t conducive to other beach and water activities. In addition, most of the prime windsurfing days happen to be in the spring and fall, when temperatures are low enough to trigger hibernation for most beachgoers.

Some say windsurfing is a dying sport, taken over by personal watercrafts and power boats, or ahem…kite-boarding. I say, there will always be people crazy enough to overcome the learning curve, the quantity of gear, and the elements to fulfill the windsurfing cause. And it’s not too late to try.

So, grab your wetsuit and your gusto, leave your pride behind, and get started! I hope to see you out on the water.

Photograph by Betsy Rickards