WS – How did you get into windsurfing and where did you learn to sail?
JS - Windsurfing came into my life when my Dad’s friend got a hold of a second-hand windsurfer and tried it on a lake. We went with the whole family so my Dad could have a go. The gear was prehistoric, but my Dad got hooked there and then. After him, my brother tried and that was the turning point! Even though I was scared and not really keen, I always had to do everything my older brother did to prove I could also, even if I’m a girl and smaller. I guess here you have an answer to where my motivation comes from! I was 7 and managed to go along a bit. It wasn’t until I was 12 that another opportunity to try came up. I semi-planed for the first time and was hooked for life. From then onwards all my notebooks were covered in windsurfing drawings and my walls in windsurfing. Every summer I would go to the Polish seaside to try and get as much water time as possible. I used to camp in a tent at Puck Bay on the Hel Peninsula. Yes, I learned to windsurf in Hel haha. When I got better I did my windsurfing instructor course and worked there every summer. At some point, probably because I watched “About Time” too many times, I decided to drag the gear through the forest to the open season the other of the peninsula to try windsurfing in the waves of the Baltic Sea. I was on my own and terrified, even though the waves were not even head high. I absolutely loved the feeling of being in the waves and from that moment on the obsession has never stopped.
WS – Tell us about your move from Poland to Western Australia?
JS - Since I was a little girl I dreamed of being able to windsurf on a regular basis and not just once a year. Even the Baltic sea was out of reach for me, as I lived 500 km away and didn’t own a car growing up.
This story is from the Issue 390 - October 2019 edition of Windsurf.
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This story is from the Issue 390 - October 2019 edition of Windsurf.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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On a trip to La Tranche-sur-Mer in France last year, Tris Best estimated over 80% of the windsurfers were foiling. This summer in Portland Harbour, foiling activity has increased dramatically too he reports. With the market offering plenty of choice to recreational windfoilers, our test team check out some of the latest foil offerings.
TACKING – THE SEQUEL
Having given you time to practice, Harty concludes his tacking series by critiquing various tacking options, including the carve tack, as well as offering solutions to common slip-ups.
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DELPHINE COUSIN QUESTEL
28-year-old French sailor Delphine Cousin Questel secured the 2019 PWA women’s slalom world title in Noumea, New Caledonia at the final event of the season. Despite starting with results below her normal expectations, Delphine managed to fight back and finish the event in 2nd overall to clinch her 4th slalom world title. John Carter finds out more about Delphine’s success story.
VISION
‘Where there is no vision, there is no hope.’
CHASING FREEDOM
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2020 VISION
We asked leading figures in the windsurf industry to give their thoughts on the next decade, covering everything from cost, competition, accessibility and most importantly, their vision for the next 10 years. Candid, controversial and unplugged – here are their informed opinions about our sport’s future!
The Black Pearl
When one of the most spectacular yachts in the world parks up at your local windsurfing spot, then it really would be rude not to go check it out, especially when it’s blowing 30 knots! Scotty Stallman, Kevin Greenslade and Si Pettifer blasted out into Weymouth harbour to check out the incredible “Black Pearl”, while Andy Stallman captured the action from a R.I.B. Read on for more about the yacht and what the Weymouth slalom posse made of it!