Messing around on the beach

I would recommend a season to anyone who asked me. No question about it. I loved both the seasons I did.

Because of a certain video people look on the “Gap Year” as something very posh, so I will refer to mine as a year out! There is something somewhat frustrating about the stereotype cast by the phrase gap year, but the gap year doesn’t have to be the stereotypical year between school and university, including a trip to Thailand and Machu Pichu.

I spent seven glorious months of my time between school and university working in Greece as a dinghy sailing instructor (bear with me) for a fairly well known sailing holiday provider.  This was split into two seasons in 2008 and 09. I expected that most of my colleagues on the seasons would be the same age and in a fairly similar boat (if you will excuse the pun). In reality there were a lot of people who weren’t in the educational no-mans land that I was.

Sailing and windsurfing after work

From Brooksey taking some well-earned time out from his stressful day job as a head chef, to Pippa and Louise at the beginning of their gap life, there was a big mix of people.

I think the point is that seasons are not just for those fresh out of school. It is however a good space filler in your life. If you have a summer between jobs, or are stuck for something to do for a few months then a season is great fun and you can go back to doing them at almost any time.

Why do a season? Well, certainly not to earn money. The lifestyle involved and the meager wage that most season staff are paid adds up to virtually nothing.

So, what then? Well I just mentioned part of it; the lifestyle! Working in the sunshine, sailing and windsurfing in just boardies. Getting paid (sort of paid) to do something you enjoy.  Yes there are downsides, like roasting in a safety boat or rigging and de-rigging kit, but there are downsides to every job, and the people you do it with can make it fun to do.

That’s another thing. You are living and working with likeminded enthusiastic sporting people. They love sailing or windsurfing just as much as you. The thought of an after work session with your mates is what gets you through the long days (and if there was no wind then the thought of a few beers in the town!).

Then you learn a lot. I left school a very socially awkward and innocent boy who was OK at sailing, and finished my seasons not so innocent and having learned to windsurf fairly well.

Duncan after a week of learning to windsurf

You are very likely to work with people who are better than you at something whether it be tying knots or light wind freestyle, and so you can always learn.

And two weeks later

Then the impact teaching has on your own windsurfing. You quickly learn the main pitfalls of technique and it makes you examine your own technique. As a consequence you are bound to improve. Also, constantly getting time on the water, finding ways to amuse yourself while your pupils are up hauling or righting a capsized boat means you try stuff you might not otherwise (floating heli tacks anyone?).

Many of my friends are currently on a season, in fact some of the SWA greats like Beaker (director) and Will Jones (president) have had their season fix this year at their favorite centres. Many make it their life, Taffy on the back of his experiences on seasons has decided to make his way through the watersports coaching world as a career. It is possible.

The point I am trying to make is that seasons have a lot to offer anyone. More than I could ever possibly think of, let alone write here. Whether it be a sabbatical break from the 9-5 drudgery, or a start in the working world. If you find yourself with a few months to kill, look into it, you won’t be disappointed.

Follow the SWA and all their shenanigans, including previous columns on Boards here, and on their website - http://www.studentwindsurfing.co.uk/

Check out the latest information on their website here and Facebook page here

SWA AK 11

Sam Sills Flying

…the final stop on the SWA tour 2012. Which was in a word, EPIC!

Taking place at Calshot Activity Centre, on the weekend of the 21st of April, hundreds of students, the biggest brands and many more enthusiastic part goers turned up for the last event in the student  calendar.

Having spent the week checking the forecast and preparing their fancy dress outfits, Friday couldn’t come quick enough for most. The vans stuffed with kit, packed cars and fully loaded mini buses invaded Calshot. Turning a blind eye to the weather, the students pitched their tents and got straight down to partying. The music pumped and the drinks flowed the way the SWA does best. The dance floor kept moving until the early hours.

Kit from Boardwise

On the water, the weekend was packed with racing, freestyle and freesailing on an abundance of demo equipment. After light winds to start with, the strength picked up over the weekend which provided some tight racing and freestyle competition at the top.  In the guys fleets, Southampton Solent were dominant in the racing, as well as taking the glory in the freestyle with Nicola Terenezi and Ollie Acton taking first and second respectively. For the girls, familiar faces at SWA events showed their strength; the Exeter girls Jo Wright, Kirsty O’Callaghan, Alex Powell and Rachael Ince set the pace.

Exeter ready to party

The weekend was a fitting end to an amazing SWA year, for the full report and results head to the SWA website.

For more SWA news and views on Boards why not have a look through the SWA Monthly features by Will Jones, last month he was discussing how a little bit of support goes a long way,  as well as the windsurfing industry and asking is it worth it?  Wonder what he will  have in store for us this month?

Here are some extra words from Sam Burnett the SWA Marketing Manager:

This year the industry has really risen to the challenge of supporting the next generation of windsurf enthusiasts.  We saw four new boards, two sails, loads of masts and booms, flymounts, loads of Spartan wetsuits, event tickets for Beach Break and the National Windsurf Festival, the list goes on.

It’s great to see the newer companies get onboard like Puravida, who are making a bespoke full carbon waveboard for our 2012 wave champ MC Yeates.  Last years headline wave sponsor was K3d who have once again been involved, offering affordable 100% carbon masts to the student populous, it’s really great to be on the forefront of breaking these newer brands into the industry.

MC Yeates Freestyling

The relationship we have with all of our sponsors is excellent, but this year all hats go off to Starboard and Tushingham.  After meeting with Dave Hackford and Sam Ross to discuss the development and needs of student windsurfing, we came up with the winning formula of providing prizes to clubs which can be used for years to come by all of the members, rather than just providing prizes to already kitted out advanced guys.

Starboard and Tushingham provided a wealth of prizes to each of our core events this year (also Boardwise/Spartan) ensuring that everyone on the podium went home with something inspiring.  This continuous support came to a climax when I had the opportunity to unveil the overall series at the end of series prize giving.  No one knew about this rogue series and everyone went nuts for it.  Liverpool has been an excellent club this year, they don’t necessarily get first spot but overall they dominate on and off the water.  It was a privilege for the SWA to be able to tell these guys they were leaving Calshot with a £1300 Starboard Rio.  No doubt this board will see countless enthusiasts follow in their glorious footsteps in years to come. Bristol also get a prize for the whole uni, they get to show up to a lake and a wealth of Starboard Tushingham experience and kit all rigged and ready to go.  This makes it super easy for the club committees to get maximum people on the water.

The SWA are getting more people on the water every year than any other windsurfing establishment.  This would not be possible without the continuous support from all of our industry partners. Big, big thanks to all who make our goals achievable.

Will Jones - The SWA Media Dude

Who Is Will Jones

Age : 22

Occupation: Student, studying Mechanical Engineering at Cardiff Uni and Head of Media for the SWA.

Number of years windsurfing: Had my first taste of windsurfing when I was on holiday with my family aged 7ish. Then maybe a week or two most summers until about 5 years ago when I got my own kit and started sailing as often as I can.

Favourite discipline: Wave.

Favourite spot: Newgale, West Wales.

Sailing ability: Got forwards pretty good trying lots of backloops and pushloops, water starting out of lots but sailing cleanly out of very few at the moment, would love to have them consistently.

Involvement with the SWA: I got involved with the SWA through the Cardiff Uni windsurf club. Went to my first SWA event which was Aussie Kiss 8 and been hooked on SWA events ever since. At the beginning of this year I got involved with the SWA committee helping organising events and handling the media side.

The SWA Monthly

What an awesome opportunity! Boards have only gone and given me my own monthly feature with the brief to write about anything I like, as long as it links vaguely into the world of student. So what am I going to write about? Well, I want to get under the skin of the student windsurf community and show the world just what we’re really about. I want to shout about all those undiscovered talents that deserve to be shouted about and send the student gossip global, after all rumours are meant to be spread. For my first entry let’s just get some perspective with a look back at the first half of the academic year and a look forward to what the remainder has instore.

There is no doubt that first half of the SWA 2011/2012 season has been sick! What has struck me the most about this year is that the level of windsurfing amongst the students has really stepped up a notch. Just a few years ago if you pulled a Vulcan at an SWA event you were almost guaranteed to get some that night. To stand out from the crowd and attract the opposite sex you now have to have something really special tucked up your sleeve (and I’m are not talking about the wizard’s kind). At Aussie Kiss this year we saw konos, ponches and burners being pulled in the freestyle event. This year so far in the race series I don’t think anyone in the top 10 has dropped a gybe. Let’s just pray for some wind in the wave series, how long will it be before we see students doing double forwards?

Aussie Kiss - Bigger every year

There is no official chart to back this up but I think it’s safe to say that the SWA is now the biggest active windsurf community in the UK if not the world. Other than the PWA I can’t think of anywhere else where there is such a dedicated regular following to a calendar of events throughout the year. Around 700 people attended Aussie Kiss X making it possibly the biggest windsurf event in the UK during 2011, and putting it on the worlds windsurfing calendar as a highlight of the year. Just in case you have forgoton how awesome Aussie Kiss 10 was here is a reminder filmed, edited and produce by Matt Farrant, Josh Gajewski and Carl Davis:

It’s been great to see the student influence on the wider windsurfing world. Over the summer there was a big student presence at National Windsurf Festival and Pool Windfest. A particular mention should go to Ollie Acton, one of the top SWA freestylers, for winning the amateurs fleet at Pool. At the BWA Cornwall event earlier this year there was a huge posse of students (and ex-students) from Universities far and wide. Bangor, Bristol, Bath, Cardiff, Southampton and Exeter all represented teams of over 25 in total.

Students push into the UKWA/BWA scene

The SWA ladies were particularly successful here with Jo Wright from Exeter Uni taking third place and Sarah Bibby formerly Southampton Uni taking second and the overall series title. Hopefully in 2012 we can get a big group of students up to North Wales and across to Ireland for the BWA events (if only they didn’t fall slap bang in the middle of the exam period), and even the long trip up to Tiree (Scottish Students be prepared to have some guests crashing on your floor for a night).

SWA / BRUWE Wet Dream III

Student Windsurfing Association media secretary Will Jones introduces the next event on the SWA calendar…

For its third year running we welcome back the incredible, the mesmerising, the sick-tacular, the madness that is BRUWE Wet Dream III – time to change the sheets!

Following the wide range of ideas available from Pondlife’s Children in Need theme, we are proud to annouce a theme of ‘Stereotypes’ to the weekend full of options with chavs, goths and ginger guys in kilts raiding the streets of Bristol.

We understand that this event is right on the tail of Pondlife and the loans are running out, so that’s why this event is only £20. That’s right, just twenty quid!

For this price you will recieve a t-shirt, mug, 2 x breakfast & dinner, a full day of instruction for beginners and intermediates, entry into racing and freestyle competitions, prizes, the floor of a host’s house for two nights, a Friday night party, and a Saturday night that will promise to be the most ridiculous night you will ever have as a student – we’re looking for many contenders for the outrageous behaviour award. It will not fail to impress!

Get your tickets now at www.studentwindsurfing.co.uk

Check out the event at www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=217750608298484

See you there!

SWA Nottingham Pondlife VIII

Last weekend the students of the UK were back out on the water. The second event of the year on the SWA calender hosted by Nottingham University and Rutland Water, Pondlife VIII was awesome. A super-competitive tug-of-war, some awesome SUP racing, some super-close team racing (on the RRD Firerace boards kindly provided by Boardwise and RRD), some of the highest standard individual racing ever seen at SWA events and some sick freestyle. That lot topped with two mental nights of partying all in all made a weekend to remember.

Thanks to Mark Hammond from Boardwise and Adam Sims from RRD for providing demo kit for the weekend.

Look out for a full write-up of the events and more event photos coming soon to the SWA website and Facebook Page: www.studentwindsurfing.co.uk / www.facebook.com/studentwindsurfingassociation

SWA Pondlife VIII

Get ready for SWA round 2: Pondlife – STUDENTS IN NEED! Yet another weekend of the Student Windsurf Association doing what they do best, windsurfing and partying!

With demo kit provided by the SWA awesome sponsors the UK’s biggest reservoir Rutland Water is really the only place to be on the 12th and 13th of November. With two epic nights of partying at Nottingham Uni on top of that it is an event you really can’t afford to miss.

SATURDAY NIGHT PARTY – FANCY DRESS ESENTIAL!

Theme: children’s TV programmes. Following the X-rated Aussie Kiss we have gone for a more innocent theme, so delve deep into your childhood memories and show your creative side.

Included in the Pondlife entry fee an awesome sweat, 2 night B&B, 2 epic exclusive nights out to Forum and Market Bar with a free drink, private bar and exclusive drink deals with pizza on the sat night! On top of that Pringles have kindly provided loads of tubes of crisps to be given away.

As the second stop on the SWA competition series our sponsors will be providing prizes for freestyle and team racing! And not forgetting, a good result in these events will take competitors ever closer to winning the grand series prize. As if you need reminding, the series freestyle winner will take home a brand new Fanatic Skate (thanks Fanatic/North) and the Uni coming out on top of the Team Racing will win an RRD Firerace courtesy of RRD and Boardwise.

More at www.studentwindsurfing.co.uk

SJ at BWA Cornwall

The weekend before last, the elite of the student windsurfing world descended on Gwithian in Cornwall to compete in the BWA Pura Vida Cornwall Classic (in association with Franklin & Marshall). For the second year in a row the forecast for the classic was full power, attracting the biggest names in British wavesailing including Ben Proffitt, Phil Horrocks and Chris ‘Muzza’ Murray. Everything was set for an epic weekend and with the series titles in contention for most fleets things were bound to be tense.

A small team of dedicated wavesailors from the SWA (including sponsorship manager Sam Burnett) headed down a week early (after Aussie Kiss) and scored some clean waves, and a bit of practice. Others travelled from as far as 400 miles away just for the competition. There was a huge turnout with SWA and ex-SWA members making up a large portion of the fleets. Representatives from Bangor, Bristol, Bath, Cardiff, Southampton, and Exeter were all present making for a posse of over 25!

In the Amateurs the SWA had it’s largest turnout with nearly a dozen members making up part for a 40+ strong fleet, including last years K3D Wave Series winner Steve ‘SJ’ Jarvis, head honcho Beaker, committee members Duncan and Sam, and ex Southampton student Stef Hilder.

In the Ladies fleet the SWA also dominated the fleet of 13 with ex Southampton student Sarah Bibby taking 2^nd place for the event and winning the series overall and Jo Wright Exeter Uni. taking 3^rd place in her first wave competition.

Then to the judging panel where the SWA were represented by ex Southampton student and the man behind Turf Dog, Mike Archer, who is out of action due to a knee injury.

Looking to the future, and one to watch out for is Tom Bennett-Lloyd, who took second in the event and the series win, and will be starting university next year.

Incidentally the SWA wave series sponsored by Pura Vida Customs will be kicking off in November. These competitions are a super friendly way to have a go at competitive windsurfing. With North/Fanatic demo kit available and a load of enthusiastic SWA waveheads there is no better way to start competing. That is how the vast majority of SWA wavesailors cut their competitive sailing teeth.

More from the SWA at www.studentwindsurfing.co.uk

Cornwall Wave Classic women's winners, by Jay Haysey

Glasgow Uni Windsurfing Club

September 2011 saw yet another highly successful Fresher’s Week kick-off at The University of Glasgow!  The Sports fair gave the windsurfing section of the club the relaunch it desperately needed after years of being the club’s prepubescent kid-brother. (Glasgow University Surf Riders is the umbrella club that covers both windsurfing and surfing.) With the help of BOARDS magazine, and a motley crew of committee members, the club created a stall that attracted over 500 sign-ups for the club; many of them excited to hear that windsurfing was back on the agenda. This year the windsurfing division aims is to introduce more students to this exciting and dynamic sport. For students already involved in windsurfing the club will provide an infrastructure that allows students to travel to various events and competitions at a subsidised cost, making the sport much more accessible.

Already with Scottish Windfest under its belt the club hopes to travel all over Scotland taking part in lessons, trips and competitions.  The next big thing on the itinerary is the club’s very first trip to the infamous Aussie Kiss; thee student event held in Bude, Cornwall.  Last Easter the club ran a hugely successful (surf) trip to Fuerteventura, a feat the windsurfing division hopes to attempt later on this year!

Throughout the year we’ll be working alongside the rest of the the long established Surf Riders club (a club known throughout the University for its trips and general friendly and sociable atmosphere) but hopefully as their slightly cooler, older and more hip kid-brother!

The windsurf captain for Glasgow University can be contacted via glasgowwindsurf@gmail.com

Pondlife VIII

Student Windsurfing Association press man Will Jones has news of the next shindig on the SWA calendar…

It’s that time of year again! Everyone is just about fully recovered from Aussie Kiss so lets do it all over again. It’s time for PONDLIFE VIII – STUDENTS IN NEED!

That’s right this time the SWA are taking on innocent children’s TV programmes. After seeing what X-rated Aussie Kiss theme had to offer I’m more than sure some childhood memories are going to get ruined by windsurfers from all over the country!

For just £32 you get your very own limited edition Pondlife sweat, 2 nights’ B&B, 2 epic exclusive nights out to Forum and Market Bar with a free drink, private bar and exclusive drink deals with pizza on the sat night! Saturday night fancy dress compulsory so get creative! And of course, not forgetting, 2 days of windsurf fun and tuition and much much more!

Pringles and Red Bull will be around giving away lots of great freebies and all our amazing sponsors will be providing prizes for freestyle and racing competitions.

The tickets are live at www.studentwindsurfing.co.uk now – be there or be a sailor!!!

Aussie Kiss student shenanigans

Have you got a ticket yet? These stars from the windsurf industry do: Simon Bornhoft, Max Rowe, Chris Muzza Murray, Adam Sims, Nick Moffat. 

This year with the naughtily themed X-rated Saturday night fancy dress party, so get down to your local fancy dress store and get creative. Have a look at the following link to see the themes shotgunned so far: www.studentwindsurfing.co.uk

This weekend of windsurfing will satisfy the needs of complete beginner and those of a far more experienced ability. If you don’t have any kit, don’t sweat, Boardwise, RRD, Ezzy, Gaastra, Tabou, Spartan, Severne, Tushingham, Starboard and Turfdog will be demoing their 2012 wares (kit for all abilities) along with new to the UK KA Sails, giving you the chance to try out some of the newest and shiniest gear on offer and maybe even win yourself a souvenir. 

Making AK X a year to remember…

Red Bull will be kindly bringing along their teepee and beanbags as a chill-out area for a break between windsurf sessions, their DJ VAN to pump out the tunes all day long. Further, keen to capture as much on the water action footage as possible they will be bringing along 2 GO PROS for students to wear on the water. Even more good news, they will be bringing the” Red Bull Milk Float” to the Caravan Park to distribute red bull in the mornings!! Pretty awesome hangover cure!

‘Stage engage’ www.stageengage.com will be providing us with a stage to ensure everyone can see the world record being made and watch the awesome live music being played.

ACOUSTIC MUSICIANS PLAYING at ROADFORD RESERVOIR…

That’s right, AK X will have a chilled out festival atmosphere with a range of artist catering for all music taste providing some background music. Check out the artists playing:

1. Chris Millington – www.chrismillington.com
2. Sam Green – www.wix.com/samgreenlive.com
3. Woodford Green – www.woodfordgreenmusic.com
4. Will and the People – www.myspace.com/willandthepeople.com

STALLS at ROADFORD RESEVOIR…

Some local businesses will be giving all attendees of Aussie Kiss X a chance to take home some local delights. Confirmed as attending so far…

Funzees – like onezies but cheaper! Check them out on www.funzee.co.uk

Jewellery by Chloe – a selection of affordable jewellery! Find her on Facebook by searching ”Jewellery by Chloe” 
 I Love Lowie – From London Fashion Week have kindly given us some knitted socks that Chloe will also sell on her stall. www.ilovelowie.com (she has reduced the price for our event).

BURTS BEES are an American brand who use natural ingredients in all their body products. Not only are we making sure the students have an epic weekend we are also ensuring they have high standards of hygiene too!! 800 mini samples of hand cream, body wash and scrub are being delivered to Bude. www.burtsbees.co.uk

Saturday night at Bude Holiday Park… The host for the evening entertainment. This will be a night to remember!

HOGROAST available Saturday night!
 The gaurenteed to be awesome AK fancy dress party! Theme: X rated! Co Supreme (formerly Phoenix and the Turtle), a band known for listeners on a musical journey, fusing instrumental rock and classical strings, while incorporating sparse vocals, creating a unique sound (check them out at: www.myspace.com/phoenixandtheturtle). This southern California quartet will provide live music to kick of the Saturday night entertainment, making way for a DJ to keep the party going until the early hours.
Firework display for the 10 year celebration!

Competitions and prizes…

Beginners, intermediate and advanced windsurfers are invited to represent their University in fun racing, freestyle and team racing competitions. Thanks to the SWA’s awesome sponsors there are some incredible prizes up for grabs this weekend:

Make sure you enter the North Fanatic freestyle competition for your chance to win a new Maui Ultra freestyle fin and get yourself in pole position to win the series prize, a FANATIC SKATE!!

Spartan are providing a mens and ladies wetsuit for first male and female finishers in the advanced individual race competition.

Simon Bornhoft from Windwise is providing a FREE UK clinic to one lucky individual – other Windwise stash is also up for grabs

One FLYMOUNT will be awarded for best amateur windsurf video taken at Aussie Kiss so make sure you bring your camera and keep that video rolling. For more info about this competition visit: www.studentwindsurfing.co.uk

Stash from GLOBALSHOTS and FLOW

Further there is a special prize awarded to the Most deserving student/Best move of the weekend (adaptable rules, just be awesome!). The student awarded this honour will receive a brand new SEVERNE S1 sail!

And don’t forget! Aussie kiss is the first round of the SWA series giving you your first chance to score some points for the years Freestyle, Racing and Team Racing competitions. Taking you a step closer to those awesome series prizes.

North/Fanatic Freestyle Series in association with Boardwise and Turfdog:

Make sure you bring with you your quiver of moves for your chance to win….

1st Prize – North Fanatic – a brand new shiny FANATIC SKATE, along with a freestyle fin from windsurfingfins.co.uk

2nd Prize – Boardwise/North/Fanatic – a North Silver Series boom + a FLYMOUNT

3rd Prize – Turfdog – a land freestyle board

Spartan/Tushingham/Starboard Individual Race Series in association with Windsurfingfins:

One design racing. This simple format has never failed to provide fair and exciting racing….

1st prize – Tushingham – an Aeron boom and a Slalom fin from Windsurfingfins.

2nd/3rd prize–  a quiver bag and set of harness lines

But wait, there’s more…

Thanks to the kind people of Spartan Wetsuits; 1st, 2nd, 3rd place winners will also receive Spartan winter, summer and shorty wetsuits, keeping you the perfect temperature all year round.

Boardwise/RRD Team Racing Series:

For 2011/2012 a tried and tested one design race series (everyone using the same board and sail) is being improved upon. An entire fleet of brand new RRD FireRace boards are being kindly brought to all core events by Boardwise for the team race event. Each Uni puts forward teams of 3 to complete in a full speed out and back blast style race. Even more exciting is the fact that the wining team for the series will take home one of the boards. That’s right, one lucky club will win one of these speed machines! Thanks Boardwise!

Can’t make it to Aussie Kiss? You’ll be missed. But not to worry! Aussie Kiss is just the first of many
amazing SWA events coming soon to various parts of the UK. Bring on the good times ahead!

 For more information and event signup, visit www.studentwindsurfing.co.uk

For regular updates, make sure you like the SWA Facebook page: www.facebook.com/studentwindsurfingassociation For information on other SWA series and sponsors, visit www.studentwindsurfing.co.uk

SWA Aussie Kiss 9, by Javier Choi

Will Jones of the Student Windsurfing Association proudly presents the student windsurfing festival 2011 – Aussie Kiss 10!

It’s once again time for the UK student population awaken from a long summer slumber of endless daytime TV, to head back to Uni for some more day time TV! (and the odd lecture, of course).  However, one other thing which is also due to return from a summer vacation, and will certainly draw some of the student community away from The Jeremy Kyle Show, is the prevailing South Westerly.

It’s every UK windsurfer’s favourite time of year, with a sea that’s been heated by a couple of months of warm (ish) weather and there is still a little daylight still remaining.  Nationally, windsurfers have become fixated by their favourite wind app, anxiously waiting for the Guru to flick the magic switch. But something even more unusual is brewing… an invisible force, combined with the promise of an epic weekend of windsurfing and one heck of a party, is pulling students from far and wide to Bude North Cornwall; time for the annual Student Windsurfing Festival 2011 – Aussie Kiss 10.

Now in it’s 10^th year the nationally renowned student windsurf festival has really grown up. Taking place at Bude Holiday Park and Roadford water in Devon on Saturday 22^nd and Sunday 23^rd October 2011, Aussie Kiss (AK) provides the first taste of the season for student windsurfing, a chance for university windsurf clubs to unite under the mature umbrella of the Student Windsurfing Association (SWA).

Catering for all, AK proudly boasts the greatest number of beginners on the water of any national event providing an introduction for those new to windsurfing and setting the stage for the top UK student windsurfers to show off their swagger. Every year there is record sellout and this year will be no exception, all 600 tickets are expected to disappear faster than electronic goods from Tottenham; proving that Bude Reservoir is the only place to be! Throughout the weekend an army of qualified instructors and some of the UK’s, and the worlds, best pro-windsurfers will be on hand to help take your windsurfing to the next level.

Simon Bornhoft has made it his personal ambition coordinate and run the WORLD’S LARGEST windsurfing clinic.  We of course, welcome a challenge and are working relentlessly to ensure this will happen.  We need YOU! Come and be a part of windsurfing history!  Guinness world records have been informed and depending on their organisational skills, an official may show up to make it legitimate.

The weekend will also feature clinics by other industry celebrities such as Adam Sims and Chris Murray and free sailing will be running all weekend. So if it’s your first time on the water or you’re looking to crack that front loop, there will be someone kicking around who can help you out.  If you don’t have any kit, don’t sweat, Boardwise, RRD, Ezzy, Gaastra, Tabou, Spartan, Puravida and Turfdog will be demoing their 2012 wares (kit for all abilities) along with new to the UK KA Sails, giving you the chance to try out some of the newest and shiniest gear on offer and maybe even win yourself a souvenir. Beginners, intermediate and advanced windsurfers are invited to represent their University in fun racing, freestyle and team racing competitions.

After an epic day at the lake, Saturday night sees the infamous AK party, fancy dress compulsory, carnage guaranteed. The best windsurf party to be found anywhere, this year with a naughty “Aussie Kiss XXX” theme taking the inter Uni competitions of the day to a new arena on the dance floor.

Further support is once again provided by Red Bull who will be bringing a festival atmosphere to the lake with music and enough of their stimulating energy drink to rouse even the hardest party goers.  If you don’t fancy getting wet there will still be plenty to do; FLOW (for the ladies of windsurfing) will be on hand to attract the better sex to this beloved sport, hosting a get-together to talk about ‘windsurf-chick stuff’, Turfdog will be demonstrating some basic skills and also introducing the concept of land based freestyle, the Roadford reservoir assault course will be open to all those brave enough to take up the challenge and a beach volleyball tournament (no doubt a very competitive one) are just some examples of other surprises the SWA has in store for this weekend of dreams.

Can’t make it to Aussie Kiss? You’ll be missed. But not to worry! Aussie Kiss is just the first of many amazing SWA events coming soon to various parts of the UK.  Bring on the good times ahead!

For more information and event signup, visit www.studentwindsurfing.co.uk