North American Windsurfing Youth. Where are they ?

[7176]

http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2016/11/21/windsurfing-become-popular/

Blame it on too many sports to choose from, lack of instructional infrastructure or video games ?

[DanWeiss]

Many of the top youth racers hail from Vineyard Haven Yacht Club, Miami Yacht Club, Clearwater Community Sailing and St. Francis Yacht Club.

Miami and Clearwater are leading the charge, with a top eight finish at the 2016 Techno 293 World Championship for Geronimo Nores (MYC). Geronimo took four bullets, one 2nd, one 3rd and a 4th over 11 races!

15 year-old Noah Lyons earned a solid 3rd place overall at the 2016 Kona One World Championship.

This short review ignores the many youth sailors who don't race much but enjoy local windsurfing with friends and parents.

[ctuna]

This is getting to be quite and expensive sport, and it
wasn't that cheap to begin with.
2000 dollar plus boards
600 dollar plus sails and masts.
Plus all the bits and pieces wetsuis harnesses etc.
And you need a vehicle capable of hauling this stuff.
That's quite a barrier to most young people.
And you have to live in a spot where it blows to
get good.

[cgoudie1]

Yep, I agree Mr Tuna, it is a niche sport, and it always will be, but once
you have your vehicle, your gear, and a place to sleep where it's windy,
it's total freedom.

-Craig

[isobars]

Texting.

I've spent a lot of time walking for miles every day in the halls of the Mayo Clinic lately (it's 3 times the size of the Mall of America). Much of the day it's crowded, and during peak hours it's packed. Yet even the Gen-Xers, not just the millennials, will run right into you head-on if you don't say something like "Hang up and walk" to them. What a bunch of zombies.

I don't say a word. I just slow down to 2 or 3 mph so they don't get hurt when they run into me.

It's the same in the airports. You'll see a hundred people waiting for or flying in an airplane for hours with their heads up their gadgets. Until I looked closer, I assumed most of them were Googling something important or useful or work-related. Silly me! With a few exceptions it's video games, tweets about what they just ate, or at most some stupid two-star movie they've already seen. "Smart" phones, my ass! The word is "DUMB", literally, and it's epidemic.

[Brian.bigfella@gmail.com]

We need more programs like Gorge Groms and people who are willing to do what Eva does at Lake Isabella. I've donated a couple of boards and other gear to Eva, and she's willing to lend it to anyone curious about the sport. That's how you get kids into it. They're camping with their families at the lake and they see us out there and come ask about it, and within an hour they're on the water.

Most people, young people particularly, aren't going to spend thousands on a sport that takes a couple of years to learn. If they have access to gear for cheap or free they're going to give it a go. And keep in mind, if a beginner buys new gear for $2000 they're going to outgrow it in a season. Even kiting doesn't have such a radical change in gear needs as you progress. Making that gear that people only need for the first few months bridges that gap and gets them hooked.

[rollerrider]

Equipment is way too cumbersome. Kids ride bikes and skateboards to the beach carrying surf boards or kites but not windsurfing stuff.