Crossing Pictures

[scottman]

Anyone who took pictures please share and post them.

[JRN]

SCOTT, Man, I had a beautiful shot of you doing that inverted reverse to blind 720, but then I tried to get a self-portrait & broke the camera! Maybe I'll get a better shot at the next Crossing... My theory: Mike is doing his own version of a "Favre:"
"I am definitely hanging up my spurs this year...This is my last season...etc." Come on Mikey Baby, make it an even 30!!

[Woody]

Yes I too thought "30 years" would be a good end, but the reality is the windsurfing and kiting community are not supporting this event enough to keep Michael and his staff going for 2 more years...sad as it is.
You know, I was in Toronto a couple of weeks ago and the Toronto Windsurfing Club has over 600 paid members (at $90 bucks a head)! Now Toronto is just a tad larger than Minneapolis/St.Paul, but I'll bet there are more windsurfers/kiters in the Cities area than in Toronto. So, could you imagine the hayday of events, parties, etc the Minnesota area windsurfers/kiters could have if they were to find some sort of organization ( Fleet 8 ) and pay an annual membership to, even if it were 20 bucks a head. Something to think about. We are doing paid memberships here in Dryden on a micro scale of Toronto, but still have over 30 paid members at $60 per year, so not a bad start here I think. One of the real benefits of having organization is insurance, and a 'voice' if one is needed to lobby govt. etc.

Also, Bruce Houston from our windsurfing club and who had participated in the Crossing this year had taken over 1500 pictures during the weekend, so I'm sure you'll see some of his pics posted in the gallery soon.

Sure wish I could have been on Mille Lacs Sunday to enjoy all the carnage on the water

Cheers,

[scottman]

Jim are you really calling it quits after this year, don't tell it's so???

[JRN]

U R RIGHT, WOODY! The Canadians win the stoke prize, the windsurfers for showing up 28 years, and Michael the Grand Prize lifetime achievement award for doing the amazing feat of having the smarts and the patience to pull it off. Thanks to his loyal staff for making it possible. Now it is time to think of what kind of an event we want going forward. How about it? Kiters? WS'ers? Your thoughts, please.

[scottman]

Instead of the gathering lets just call it the crossing, who really needs to race anyway, just getting together with great people and having a great time should be enough I would think, just look how good the gatherings go?

[steveb]

I owe Mike a lot, for many years we did the fleet 8 events, Nancy and I met at the Crossing, we made many great friends and had many memorable weekends doing his events.
I know without doubt I have never really given him the thanks he deserves for all the events and superb memories he's given me. It should be face to face and will be, but for the record there's a lot of photos in my memory that would not be there without you Mike and I'm not a good enough writer to really express the thanks I owe you.

As we move forward it's hard to be apart of this community without "The Crossing" being there. For local boardheads it's a large part of our Minnesota identity.There's no doubt in my mind it would be a shame to let the crossing go away, but there's also no doubt in my mind there's a limited future for the event if the kiters are not interested.
More windsurfers still did the crossing than kiters and according to the kite press windsurfings dead.
So my questions whether or not the kiters want an annual water crossing, would they support the event. There's no doubt in my mind it would not work unless there was a solid "local" commitment to support ,enter and attend the event. ???

[Michael F]

Thanks for your words, Steve. The Crossing weekend has been special to many couples, you and Nancy, Mike and Meri, Dennis and Alyse and more recently, Woody and Margot, providing some of the many rewards that energized my role. Sorry I missed you at the lake, but thanks for getting me the bar.

Woody mentioned the Toronto windsurfing club with 600 members. An important fact is that less than 10% are actively involved in racing. In early ’78, Toronto had a larger windsurfing community, but the explosion in the Cities over the next 6 years probably well doubled their numbers. The difference is maintaining the organization. The Crossing became the focus after ’93 and the last entry-level support for windsurfing was the clinics that Steve and Mike Gagan worked in ’95 and ’96. It appears that 90% of those taught over the past decade have yet to make it into the sport.

The Crossing did not die, it just donated its heart to save the sport that gave it birth.

[Woodette]

Thank you Mike and Fleet 8!
The Crossing was always the event of the year I looked forward the most.Our Wedding anniversary was celebrated on the Crossing weekend for the past years, and what better way to spend it. Our passion is windsurfing and from all the events we traveled to in the past, the Crossing will always hold the greatest pictures and memories in my heart.
"Team World" was brought together by the wind at the Crossing, Friendship's were made for life...all I can say my sincerest "Thank you" to Mike and of course a very special "Thank you" to the "Vultures" which made me try harder to succeed.

Woodette