One thing you guys are not focussing on is the sense of belonging and community a sport has.

It's why the gpsteamchallenge works so well, and has had a small influence in at least attracting back ex-windsurfers. We have a team based approach, which is a defacto club, and lots of socialising happens also.

We have to create oppotunity for people to be able to and want to belong.

Very good points, guys.

I tend to forget to point out the social side because it's such an integral part of windsurfing among the longboard racers!

At DAC every summer Wednesday is handicap start, followed by pizza and wine for 20 people. Saturday there's three short races, followed by beer on the club balcony as the sun sets. The kids and beginners tend to sail in the morning, so you get a family feeling. Then there's the weekends we join Kurnell Cat Club or go down the coast.

Used to love the hanging-out-at-Palmie days, but when everyone got too picky about the wind that all faded because unless it was blowing 25 knots people wouldn't come down, and if it was blowing 25 they'd just sail all day.

Wind Wanderers seems to have a good model; hope it's working well.

Chris 249 said...

Used to love the hanging-out-at-Palmie days, but when everyone got too picky about the wind that all faded because unless it was blowing 25 knots people wouldn't come down, and if it was blowing 25 they'd just sail all day.

You're right Chris, but at least your guys do get out. Here, we had the tail end of the Ike storm here 2 months ago. Plenty of hitherto unseen guys with fancy gear (they don't show up unless bla-bla).

But they didn't really go out, nor socialise: too busy changing from one sail to the next because the wind was changing by over 0.8 knot. Then they left after several changes, blaming changing conditions. Impressive gear though, and my wife says they had impressive war stories too. One misses the Wanda crowd on a good southerly...

Your other point was right too: many a sailor, and shops, discourage and scorn at used equipment. Heck, I'm pretty sure I've seen pros a few years ago ride those, surely they must be rideable for a fraction of the $$.

Here's a good example, you can try too: on a business trip mid-coast US, I pretended to be a newbie prospective buyer. First, he tried to turn me off windsurfing - "kiting is the 'in' thing, takes less room, etc". (As he was admiring his own muscles as he was gaiting in the store - what a mimbo.)

After insisting I wanted to take up windsurfing still, he started selling all sort of non-sense, I needed multiple gear, only planing early is fun, speed is the thing, I needed at least 3 sails and 2 boards, and so on. That used gear, even last year's, was crap, not performing, you couldn't plane on it, going out in less than 15-20 is boring, etc.

For sure he was a yankie ****er, but I do know that it's rather representative. By and large it's not far from the general message newcomers get on the local beach and in the fora.

Mate, after all the concussions, I doubt I'd ever use the intellectual version. Probably I didn't know any better