HST alumni, Sharon and David

Well, the wind came back and I did get to sail and it felt great!

It was fun to see some former students, Sharon and David, at the beach today. They live in Hong Kong, and took lessons with me a few years ago. Since then, they’ve sailed in Margarita (Venezuela), Turkey, and Boracay (the Philippines). It’s great to see their energy and enthusiasm. She told me they’d enjoyed some instructional windsurfing vacations with Simon Bornhoft, a well-known instructor from the UK. I wonder if he ever comes to Maui? Sharon, if you read this, let him know I’d love to meet him if he comes here!

Talking with Sharon reminded me how relative “good conditions” are: She’s been enjoying the wind the last few days, and when I showed up, because it had finally gotten windy enough for me, it was too windy for her! She’s lighter than me, and yesterday she sailed 5.9 and was very happy. Today she sailed 5.4 and 4.7. There are a lot of guys who live here who won’t sail anything as big as a 5.9! But with the right gear, windsurfing can be fun in a wide range of conditions.

I didn’t sail this past week because it was too light for my gear. I guess most of us who live here have a limited set of equipment, based on what we can afford, or what we have room to store or transport, or what conditions we enjoy most, or how much time we have available to sail. We sometimes forget that visitors can rent a wide range of equipment choices and have fun in conditions we don’t even consider sailing in. So, visitors, don’t let local attitudes keep you off the water, and locals, don’t dismiss the possibility of having fun in less wind than you usually sail!