Why does it seem windsurfing is fading away

DanWeiss · Joined: 24 Jun 2008 Posts: 2296 Location: Connecticut, USA

The thing holding back a potential buyer who claims to be frustrated with the choices is his or her fear of making the wrong choice. Yet, most boards sold are not high strung, single-use sticks but very easy free-ride models. Those of us posting on iW are really into windsurfing knowledge and likely could recommend a great board to anyone within 5 minutes. The plethora of options is great, but not at all necessary to impart windsurfing happiness.

Best Buy sucks because most salespeople have no idea how to sell the right product. Windsurfing gear is easy to sell to a person truly interested in buying a board because of windsurfing's inherent appeal. The question isn't whether but what. Selling one type of OTC pain killer versus another to one suffering from regular headaches is far harder. To them, one option works and another simply does not. Nobody is pleased with 90% of their headache relief wishes achieved. 100% must prevail. Not so with windsurfing gear for most sailors. To us, it's more like choosing M&Ms or Twix. Both work to give a candy fix.

Fear of getting the wrong board is largely unfounded because nearly all boards are great for most windsurfers. Those who know more are less intimidated or frustrated by choice anyway.

nw30 · Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 1:05 am Post subject:

GURGLETROUSERS · Joined: 30 Dec 2009 Posts: 2643

Quote, 'Yet most boards sold are not high strung, single use sticks but very easy free-ride models .... the plethora of options is great, but not at all necessary to impart windsurfing happiness.'

Absolutely agree, but doesn't that statement back up others worries that if the manufacturers continue this frantic yearly 'change just for the sake of it' cycle, they will be cutting their own throats so far as sales of new boards, and bringing newbies into the sport goes?

There are some very well shaped free-ride boards, and there has been so for quite a few years now, so why not stick with the good ones and achieve some simplicity and economy of scale, with lower prices? (As with Bic.)

I use both old and new free-rides and compare them directly. It just happened that the most enjoyable session so far this year was on an old 04 Fanatic Cross 99. (It was just the board I flung on the roof rack that day, to be met with close on perfect 5.5 windy swelly classic freeride conditions.)

The old board did everything a free-ride board is expected to do, and was no better or worse than my later Exocet Cross 94, just a little different in feel. (Windy, swelly, whooping along the faces with huge grin on face.) Both boards (old and new) are excellent, and probably can't be much bettered for what they are meant to do.

So have free-ride boards reached the point where annual tinkering (with new graphics) just adds a little here at the expense of removing a little there, and frightens new buyers off?

Sailboarder · Joined: 10 Apr 2011 Posts: 656

jingebritsen · Joined: 21 Aug 2002 Posts: 3371

emphasis of our culture on planing only, that's the largest contributor. nintendo, skin cancer, shrinking of the middle class, fashion, kids' culture of super competitive education rigors, and other stuff hasn't helped.

long board wave sailing is something that i had done in the mid 1980's with my original learner board. i then dropped long boards for a really long time. i now know that long board wave sailing is as much fun, or maybe a touch more, than flat water blasting. no one in my community seems to want to even try. without a more casual way into the sport, no newbies. no newbies, no sport.

steve1 · Joined: 30 Apr 1998 Posts: 239 Location: Alameda, CA

3-phase · Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 481

drysuit2 · Joined: 01 Apr 1997 Posts: 119

The truth is I can pinpoint the exact moment Windsurfing was doomed to stop growing…I was at a windsurfing clinic in the early 90’s. The instructor was explaining the steps of jibing his 9 foot centerboardless race board. Someone in the group asked “ OK, How do I do that on my Superlight?” His answer…”go out and buy a real board”.
So now we travel with tons of equipment. And spend more time talking about sailing, than actually sailing.
Believe me, to outsiders, it does not look fun.
What was a way for everyman to have a low cost fun day on any body of water, no matter the wind or sea state; has become an expensive, addiction for elitist junkies needing their fix.

Hi, name is Frank, and I am a windsurfer…

drysuit2.blogspot.com

outcast · Joined: 04 May 2004 Posts: 2724

Where do you register to disagree with the premise that
"windsurfing is fading away"?

My six year old was sailing an Equipe with a 2.1 the other day....Out and Back.....he is totally jacked.....not to please Dad....he likes the "freedom", and I couldn't get him off the thing....he's got the Jones....

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20936

I'm very often asked about WSing, both at Gorge WSing launches and in my home community on the Columbia. But as soon as I inform them that it takes time, effort, driving, and dedication ... that it's not something you just buy and do occasionally ... they respond with something like "You mean I have to drive all the way to Hood River (one to two hours away) and take a LESSON? Screw that!"

Another version is "How long does it take to learn to sail like that (near-nuke and head-high)?"

"Hundreds of days on the water in high winds ... several years if you can get off work and drive to some Gorge launch every windy day".

"Oh, I need something I can do near home a few days a year."

"Then you need a Jet ski".

"I have one. Used it twice last summer."

People want it NOW, wrapped in a simple package, on a few Saturdays a year from noon 'til 3 including travel time, plus maybe on the third and fifth days of a major annual vacation to some destination one or two hours away. The concept of subjugating their job and family and lawn to a weather-dependent hobby is completely foreign to them. My neighbor inquired earnestly, but I knew instantly that was hopeless; he spends many hours a week making CERTAIN that not one leaf is ever allowed to rest on his lawn overnight ... despite the scores of mature trees on his and nearby upwind yards. He was miffed that I wasn't clipping the ends off the green zip ties I was using on my backyard fence buried in foliage.

We gotta get 'em young, before they develop or marry some warped sense of responsibility. Responsibility/obligations/schedules and WSing are very nearly mutually exclusive for folks not sufficiently dedicated to move their job and home close to good sailing.