Local Windsurf History --
The sport of windsurfing got going in the late 70's
and early 80's, peaked in
the 80's and 90's
and has been fading steadily since the late
1990's. Read
here evidence of downsizing of the sport by taking a look back in time
Southern Maryland Windsurfing Association - An association located
near Solomons Maryland,
this association used to maintain a website
called "somdwindsurf.com" that provided info for
windsurfers in Southern
Maryland, including St Mary's County, MD.
This web site is no longer
in
existence, but info regarding windsurfing in this area can now be gleaned from
my
Southern Maryland Launch Page.
Annapolis Wind - Run by Stuart Gray, provided deeply discounted
beginner clinics at the
Jackson Creek
Landing Launch.
This organization had a fleet of inexpensive, used
equipment
that beginners could learn on and practice with without having to pay
a large sum for an outing.
Also worked with children in events like the
Pirate's challenge. To view its website, click
here
Sailing Etc--Located in Ocean City, MD, this was an on site shop that sold
gear and rented
gear on the bay side at 46th street.
The
business has been taken over and moved one half
block north. It is now called
48th Street Watersports, and is located
at
the
Princess Bayside Hotel.
The new facility at 48th Street does not sell gear, but only rents
gear.
Belle Haven Marina--located on the Potomac on the VA side a couple miles
downstream of
Washington, DC, this facility used to 1) host evening races, 2)
rent gear and 3) give lessons.
The races ended in the late 90's, and the
lessons and rentals
ended about the turn of the
21st century. Windsurfers
can still launch from
here.
Sandy Point State Park--although you can still launch from here, and it is
prime for NE winds,
in decades past,
there used to be windsurfing
schools present at the park. Check it out by clicking
here
Washington Sailing Marina - during the 80's
and some of the 90's, there used to be a windsurf
school located here and run by
Bob Redman (deceased) and Mark Schroetel. Furthermore,
there were often
speeches that people would attend regarding
the designs of equipment and
the
latest advances of technology. Although one can still launch from here,
the school and
the speeches have long since disappeared.
Day's Inn @ Willoughby Spit
- located in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, this Day's Inn
was at the
launch site of the
Willoughby Spit launch, charged only about $60 a night, even
on a Saturday night in the middle of Summer, for a room.
In 2006, the
motel closed so that
luxury condos could be built, and as a result, the launch
is no longer accessible.
Click
here for more
information.
Beach Sports--Tidewater VA
- former windsurf shop located in Buckroe, VA from 1995 to 2009,
now operates out of his own home
Ft. Belvoir -- Fort Belvoir is a U.S. Army reservation in SE Fairfax
County. The launch is near
the visitor's center of Accotink Bay Wildlife
Refuge located within Ft Belvoir and provides
access to Gunston Cove/Pohick
Bay/Accotink Bay body of water next to
the Potomac River.
Follow Warren
Road within Ft Belvoir down a steep hill to the water. However, the
military
regs prohibit
the launching of any craft from here. There is also
a sign on Warren Road on
the approach to the launch saying so.
Nevertheless
people do it anyway, but doing so could
get a ticky from Ft
Belvoir police. And, by the way, this prohibition was in effect
prior to 9/11.
The very same body of water (i.e. Gunston Cove/Pohick
Bay) can be accessed legally from the
cartop launch
in
Pohick Bay Regional
Park.
Modifications in Equipment - although the current style is to provide
a wide planing board for
racers (i.e., formula board) and wide freestyle boards
for recreational windsurfers, this was not
always the case. Up until
shortly after year 2000, boards were
designed to be narrow and long,
to function
well in light air. A style change occurred shortly after Y2k to provide
wider and
shorter boards for planing in stronger wind speeds.