I am now to be called, "WINDSURF MAN" (my new persona)...

[Quetzalcoatl]

Say folks: we need a little humor at this time...And I am taking it upon myself to take on a
new "Persona" (of course my main name is "Quetzalcoatl") but I shall call myself "Windsurf Man."
No, I'm not at all a great windsurfer,,,I mean I can sail in 37 mph on a 85 liter board,,and sometimes complete a
gybe without falling.
But we need to loosen up a bit and speak out and be proud of our windsports! Maybe someone can be "Kiteboard Man."

Or "Windsurf Woman" or "Kiteboard woman" or "Kiter Dude."

I got this idea when one Wintry Evening (Mid December of 2008)when I went to "The House" to buy a 118 bic Techno board and the sales rep. (a young woman) who attended me, yelled out to her co-workers, Here comes the "Windsurfer guy!"
I was somewhat taken aback at the thought,,,Windsurfer guy? Am I the only windsurfer that buys windsurf gear at the House? Well, it was Winter time and everybody else was buying Snowboard equipment at that time and really "NONE of
the sales reps. have EVER windsurfed. Only Bill, Yes "Great Bill" (who knows as much as can be know of Windsurfing) is
(thank God) still working at the House.
So,,in light of that: ("here comes the Windsurfing guy) I have taken on that "persona.'

Safe Journeys
"Windsurf Man" out.

[Bill S.]

Quetzalcoatl, aka "Windsurf Man," your stoke is contagious! Your posts remind me of the early years when Tighe created this site (first as LAWA: "Lake Area Windsurfing Advisory," later LAKAWA to accommodate kiting). In the beginning it was just Tighe, Scott Chapman and me posting long, rambling, reports about our sessions . . . most of which the three of us were together for. Soon, though, others jumped in and began waxing poetic about their highs (jumps on the water, parties in the parking lot) and lows (failed forwards, near drownings beneath the sail hooked-in-with-twisted lines). Looking back, I can't believe how far we drove chasing the wind, always searching for the epic 4.0 sesh with buttery smooth launch ramps and swell rides. Sometimes we scored, sometimes we didn't, but no matter the wind (or rain, sleet or snow) we always rigged, sailed, and then went out and chowed down and drank a few beers at a local diner before the long drive home.

Needless to say, we missed a lot of work, too.

While I've been kiting now for a dozen years and spend the summer riding on Lake Michigan, I still have a wave board and 4.7-4.2-3.7 sails for the big days around here in spring or fall. I don't chase the wind anymore but if it's blowing in my backyard hit Cannon, Byllesby or Pepin for a late afternoon session when the big fronts roll through. An hour or so of lit-up windsurfing is still a major source of gratitude for the gift of being able to play in and with Mother Nature. Especially with friends.

Keep the stoke going, Windsurf Man! I don't know the median age of the windsurf demographic, but somebody's got to carry the torch forward. Dude, you're nominated.

[Quetzalcoatl]

WOW Bill, What a post!

Your post was well worth waiting for! These are the words, the expressions, descriptions (the prose) that I was accustomed to reading on LAKAWA when I took up windsurfing back in 2001.

Thank YOU!

Quetzalcoatl (Windsurf Man) out.