Among a wide variety of types of active sports, windsurfing stands out separately, which combines sailing and surfing. One of the advantages of this sport is the ability to practice not only on water, but also on snow. Learning the technique of swimming on the board does not take much time, while it will give a lot of impressions from self-conquering the water surface with the help of the board. It is worthwhile to learn in more detail what windsurfing and surfing are.
What kind of sport is this?
Windsurfing is a combination of sailing and water activities, which involves professional management of a swimming board with a sail installed on it. For many people, this kind of sport is similar to running a small yacht, which has a small hull and larger sails. This is partly true. It is worth noting that the swimmer on the board moves due to the force of the wind, while the control is carried out using displacement movements. People windsurf for both thrills and pleasure, as well as professionally, participating in competitions around the world.
Today, this sport consists of three main categories.
Amateur
Despite the fact that you can learn the basics of skating on a board with a sail in a short period of time, mastering the technique of moving along the waves quickly still does not work. Beginners should carefully study the ways to control the surf, learn to maintain stability on bends, have a general idea about this sport. Obtaining general knowledge makes it possible to fearlessly ride in water with a relatively small wind.
What is amateur windsurfing?
Today, amateur windsurfing is gaining more and more popularity, and this is not surprising, because today you can rent a ski kit at almost any resort. In addition to equipment, you can also use the services of instructors to help conquer the water element.
Professional
Many people decide to take windsurfing more seriously. The requirements for it are much more stringent, but the possibilities in it are incommensurably greater.
After you consider what windsurfing is, you should understand its disciplines:
- Formula - a series of competitions during which athletes from all over the world compete. The swimming distance is a large triangle.
- Slalom - is a kind of drag racing on a water surface, during which surfers follow each other in eights and zigzags.
- Speed - this discipline implies speed with a relatively straight path. A fierce battle for high speeds.
- Wave - in this discipline, athletes have to conquer waves. Only professionals are allowed to participate in the competitions who give the audience a real sight.
- Freestyle - undoubtedly, can rightfully be considered the most spectacular type of professional windsurfing. In the course of the competition, participants need to impress the judges and spectators with their board management abilities. This type of competition appeared relatively recently and has now gained sufficient popularity around the world.
What is Olympic type windsurfing?
It is the highest category where all professionals strive to get. Only the best of the best fall into the world championship, where very strict requirements are imposed both on equipment and on the selection of participants.
Why is it worth doing it?
Windsurfing Benefits:
- In the process of controlling the board, all the main muscles are loaded, which allows you to tone the whole body. As a result, in addition to receiving exciting impressions from practicing such a sport, a person also trains his body.
- Learning to move on a board with a sail can be carried out in any body of water where there is wind.
Start
The history of this kind of sport is rather vague, but Peter Chilvers, who in the middle of the last century created the prototype of a modern board with a sail, is still a pioneer. In addition, there is another version of the appearance of windsurfing: in 1967, two enthusiasts (Jim Drake and Hoyley Schweitzer) conducted experiments with boards on which sails were installed. In the process, the guys were able to patent their invention, after which they launched mass production, which caused a sharp increase in the popularity of windsurfing.
However, until the beginning of the 1980s, windsurfing boards were not perfect - they had a lot of weight, which did not allow to develop great speed while moving. Mark Waltz corrected this shortcoming by attaching the sail to a small board, after which windsurfing became truly unpredictable, exciting and spectacular. After this, there was a real boom in the popularity of this sport: competitions of various sizes were held, the boards became noticeably perfect, which ultimately led to the emergence of a universal surf, which allowed to ride with any wind power.
Along with improving the design of the boards, the material of the sails was changing: at first it was an ordinary canvas on a wooden fastener, now it uses a strong film that is mounted on a reinforced carbon mast that can withstand heavy loads. Also there was a novelty for inflatable windsurfing. This is a board that looks absolutely similar to an ordinary one, but its technical characteristics are completely different.
Necessary equipment
Want to windsurf? For beginners, there are special tips and tricks.
People who for the first time decide to try themselves in this interesting sport, it is better not to immediately purchase individual equipment, but to use a rental kit. To start training, it is best to use a long board, the size of which should be chosen based on the weight of the person. A prerequisite is the presence of a fin and a daggerboard on the board - it is recommended to choose a kit that contains a sail, mast and boom. In addition, the equipment can be equipped with other devices.
Trapezoid
Using this part, you can transfer part of the load from your hands. There is a waist and seated trapeze. Selection of details is considered a matter of taste. One tip: when choosing a trapezoid, think not only about how it will look, but also about whether it will be practical to hang in this place for which it is needed. Be sure to try on and try to hang, asking the seller to hold the hook.
Previously, sitting trapezes were more in demand. Today, trapeziums are superior, however, they are prone to sliding up or to the sides. Full trapeziums adversely affect tanning, are somewhat bulky and expensive. In each case, choose what you like, that fits the figure and personal preferences.
Wetsuit
A wetsuit for windsurfing is required - in a cold wind it will help prevent hypothermia, and in hot sunlight it will relieve burns. It is divided into male and female. When choosing, you should definitely find out more about the material from which it is made. It is also recommended that you familiarize yourself with all the specifications. After all, this is really a necessary thing when practicing windsurfing.
Sail
A special piece of equipment and can be used for racing, slalom or waves. The size of the sail can be different depending on the strength of the wind and the type of pond on which to ride. Typically, the area of this equipment is from two to twelve square meters. Using a large sail, you can easily catch even a small breeze, but it is more difficult to manage. For windsurfing, sails are used from the following materials:
- Dacron is the most popular option for beginners. Low price, light weight and high wear resistance allow it to be used in budget packages.
- Mylar - contains several layers, which allows it to better keep its shape, but after a certain amount of time this material may delaminate.
- Film - is the main type of material that is used in the manufacture of sails. It keeps its shape better than the rest.
Board
Sports equipment stores offer boards that have different geometric shapes and total volume. When choosing, you should pay attention to the material of the boards - if possible, you should purchase seamless structures made of carbon and Kevlar, which have high strength and wear resistance, as well as low weight. Plastic boards are best suited for freestyle. The length of the boards can vary between 2.2-3.8 meters:
- Boards larger than 290 cm are long - the best option for riding with relatively little wind. This type of design has a daggerboard - a part that allows you to stay steady on it even at low speed.
- Short boards have a length of less than 290 cm - stability in this case is ensured by a high sliding speed. Short windsurf boards allow you to perform steeper maneuvers and feints.
Board riding basics
For easy and quick learning the basics of windsurfing, it is best to use the services of instructors, but in the absence of such an opportunity, it is best to follow a number of recommendations:
- For riding on the water surface it is very important to correctly position the board depending on the wind, this will help to maintain stability and not to fall. During the training period, you should start riding at shallow depths: you need to put the board perpendicular to the direction of the air flow, while the sail should be on the leeward side (should blow in the back).
- When the board has taken the correct position, you should stand on it and start moving. It is necessary to start skating with setting the aft leg a little forward, while at the same time with a stern hand you need to grasp the boom. The nasal arm should be held on the boom, which is located near the mast.
- You should slowly turn the sail towards yourself, the mast at this time should not deviate. We move the nasal leg to the hinge and slightly turn it to the nose, this allows us to control all movements.
- To achieve acceleration, it is necessary to close the sail - when the boom begins to pull, then follow the course to continue moving at right angles to the movement of the wind. When unfolding the board, a course correction should be carried out. This is done by tilting the mast in the bow or stern.
- The nasal leg is placed just behind the hinge, hands are removed from the mast - we continue to move while holding the sail. The back should be even, knees slightly bent.
Safety precautions
Particular attention must be paid to safety studies. A few simple rules below will help you avoid bodily harm and personal injury:
- You should always plan your route, because each exit to the water carries a risk to your own life.
- Do not ride with the wind blowing from the shore, you should wait until it changes direction towards the shore. In case of unforeseen circumstances, the wind will be able to take you not to the shore.
- Every time you enter the water, you should check the equipment and equipment, and do not forget to wear a helmet and a life jacket.
- Do not sail far from the coastline. As soon as fatigue begins to be felt, one should immediately go to land.
- In the event of an unforeseen situation, it is necessary to remain calm and not to panic - the board will never drown, and if necessary, you can disassemble the sail and get to land.
Where to learn?
Training windsurfing is quite complicated and costly. Not everyone will do this, especially since it is more accessible to residents of coastal zones. And those who still decided to go in for this sport should visit any windsurfing school in the Crimea. They are in almost every city. Learning windsurfing, the photo of which is presented above, is an absolutely expensive pleasure. In these schools, one lesson costs about 1000 rubles.
Reviews
Windsurfing is not an easy, but at the same time fascinating sport that will bring a lot of vivid emotions and memorable impressions of the process. According to reviews, it is very important to choose the right equipment and gear - in this case, skating on the water surface on the board will bring you not only pleasure, but can also tone all the muscle groups of your body.