UKWA SLALOM PREVIEW: WEYMOUTH!

Scott Harrison gives us a preview of the upcoming series of UKWA slalom events, which will be kicking off in style on the sunny and windy shores of Weymouth over the weekend of the 12/13 April, read below for more details!

Scott Harrison

“Ever fancied yourself as a racer? Or, just want to supercharge your freeride skills and speed? Well, slalom could well be the answer. With very few rules (mostly don’t start early and don’t hit anyone) and almost no gear restrictions, it’s not only super accessible but also a whole ton of fun too.

The UKWA has a series of three slalom events on the south coast of England, the first is coming up soon over the weekend of 12/ 13 April, at the national sailing academy in Weymouth, home to the the 2012 Olympics; the facilities are second to none. Weymouth is not only one of the easiest places in the country to windsurf it’s also one of the easiest to go fast ! It also has quality event sponsors, OTC and Surf Doctor, who happen to have a mega sale on; so not only might you win a prize but you could also bag a bargain !

There are divisions for fin, foil, mixed fin and foil and a burgeoning wing foil class, so it’s easy to find a level that suits you and your equipment! On that note you do not necessarily need race gear; freeride boards and sails are perfect in the beginning, with freestyle waves and wave sails often being the weapons of choice if it’s really windy. We race on all sorts of courses, simple out and back, figure of 8 and downwind slalom are the most common, there is no tacking required here!

The vibe off the water is relaxed and friendly, you might catch Jenna Gibson, last years fin champion and worlds fastest windsurfing woman or James Faley, multi championship winner and last years foil fleet winner! These guys are very approachable and they are some of the most open and genuine people to chat to about windsurfing.

Entries are online at www.ukwindsurfing.com or you can enter on the day, but arrive bright and early, we’re there to windsurf and as soon as there’s enough wind we’ll be on the water. There you go, easy location, easy racing and great people; come with what you have and have a blast… See you there!”