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Club Vass Then and Now

PART 1: Early Evolution

Ever wondered how Club Vass got started? The club has been going since 1987 and much has changed but the legendary spirit remains the same. It’s fair to say that no windsurf destination compares to Club Vass and it has become synonymous with progressive windsurfing, but how did it all happen? Marianne Booth has been busy digging through the archives and shares some memories and epic photos from back in the day at Club Vass!

Photos: Protography Official // Global Shots // Jono Carmichael // JC!

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The Making of the Myth

Back in 1987 windsurfing was really taking off and Vassiliki was on the windsurf map as a ‘not so secret spot’, mainly due to its extraordinary local wind phenomenon. Tony Booth had been working as a water-ski instructor in the Peloponnese and Roger Green was a windsurf instructor in Vassiliki, both having done ski seasons together in Andorra.

Tony and Roger rafting back in the day!

 

As fate would have it, Tony arrived in Vass on the opening night of the Zeus bar and, over some beers the legend was born. Within a few ‘hazy’ months, Tony & Roger had bought a small windsurf operation, which amounted to a beach shack and a handful of boards and sails that had to be moved most afternoons to allow the shepherd to pass with his sheep.

The Good Ol’ Days

They set about building the business. Back then the Club was much closer to the village – that original site is now a beach restaurant in front of the campsite. Everyone launched from here, but it was often a long walk back at dusk when the wind eventually dropped. Suffice to say, the operation was much smaller, with about 30 Tiga boards to rent (considered pretty state of the art back then), compared to over 300 today!

The original crew included Ewen Honeyman and Dave Barrington, whose kids have all worked for Club Vass. There was no restaurant, bar or facilities to speak of, but the weekly Friday BBQ started that first year. Everyone would bring their own pork chop and then there would be a talent show, before everyone piled into the Zeus bar. This is where many Club Vass classics, including the infamous Song and Plate Dance originated and it was not unknown to find Tony or Roger asleep in the board racks the next morning…

Heading Upwind: Two Centres

Over the next few years a restaurant was added and the terrace became the social hub and where the now famous Club Vass BBQ really took shape. This became Centre 1 and the long boards stayed here, mainly for beginners/improvers in the gentle morning onshore. To avoid the long walks with kit, Centre 2 was added just upwind of Wildwind; it was also known prosaically as the ‘Short Board Rack’, as that’s really all it was. Once cross-shore predictably kicked in, the more experienced would grab their seat harnesses and charge up the beach, climbing the cages if the staff were a little late to open them. There was no beach road, and no infrastructure on site, not even a beach bar!

It was a much smaller operation and Tony & Roger were very hands-on, multi-tasking as instructors, board repairers, reps and of course party organisers. There was a very personal feel, with often only 20-30 guests a week, many of whom have become firm friends and very much part of Vass folklore. In 1998 Paddy Payne started the Vass Class with Club Vass hosting the 1^st event; it was ostensibly for racing but perhaps became more renowned for the massive parties. A few of the Snow & Rock guys also got involved, including Vass legend Jono, who hasn’t missed a year since!

“I guess we were in the right place at the right time and it’s just grown from there. We just wanted to create a destination that we would like to go to and that’s still our approach.  Club Vass seems to attract like-minded people; we all love windsurfing and having a good time, it’s infectious.” Tony Booth

Branching Out: Going Global

Vassiliki is an exceptional location, in terms of what it offers for an all-round windsurf holiday. It took a while to find anywhere else that came close, but Club Dahab in Egypt was added in the mid ‘90s and Club Margarita in Venezuela opened in 1998.

This allowed people to get their windsurf fix all year round, knowing they could rely on Club Vass to add the ‘magical mix’ of world class kit & coaching to the outstanding conditions. They would also find the unique Club Vass vibe and see familiar faces, as having 3 centres meant that instructors could work all year round.

Being based in arguably the world’s top x3 freestyle Meccas helped raise the standard of everyone’s sailing. Tony still remembers when 12-year-old ‘whippersnapper’ Ricardo Campello would beg him for sponsorship…

Building the New Centre: Bringing it All Together

As the last millennium drew to a close, Tony & Roger bought the current plot and set about building the new centre & restaurant (opened 2000) and hotel (opened 2001).

This represented a major development for the Club; everything was now on one site and all the facilities were carefully designed to make a windsurf holiday go as smoothly as possible. This included state-of-the art racking to house all that amazing kit, teaching lawns and even decking and carpeting across the pebbly beach for comfort-launching!

It was always important to have an on-site restaurant to provide the right fuel/refreshment for everyone ripping on the water all day. The beach bar started life as a roof-top cocktail, before moving to the centre of the lawn, but it’s always been the hub of the bay. It’s the perfect spot for a sundowner, while watching the instructors and experts put on an incredible show.