STEPHEN GIBSON – EXPAT SHREDDER
Until the age of 17 I was a regular competitor on the UK wave, slalom and course racing circuit (the BFA back then). In 1987 university beckoned and with it the attraction of more hedonistic pursuits, causing windsurfing to fall completely by the wayside. In 1992 as a fresh faced undergraduate, not having touched a windsurf board for four years, I decided to get into training to compete once again at a national level. I soon realised however that the local conditions up in North East England are too inconsistent and not entirely conducive to full-on wave sailing training, so I formulated a cunning plan! My dad had recently come back from a windsurf trip to a mystical island off the coast of Africa with perfect waves and constant trade winds – Fuerteventura. I decided to save up for a year and head off there for six months solid training before coming back to compete in Tiree in October. In May 1995 I landed in paradise, Fuerteventura, and the next 6 months were spent windsurfing all day every day and washing dishes in a restaurant in the evenings. In October, when my 6 months were up, I quickly re-evaluated. I had a job, an apartment, a new windsurf sponsor, a rusty old Fiat Panda (they were all the rage back then!) and I was windsurfing in perfect conditions every day in boardshorts. Suddenly the thought of returning to Newcastle had somewhat lost its appeal. I ditched my return ticket and never came back.
