BLOW OUT: Julian Da Vall and Brian McDowell let rip!
Julian. Well Brian, according
to the press, all Olympic sports that we actually
win anything in are all toff's sports! That includes
Dempsey you know.
Brian. That puts it in the same bracket
as fox hunting, polo & peasant bashing.
Julian. No disrespect to Dempsey,
but I don’t think he’s bashed any peasants
nor is he a Burberry cap wearing chap either. Still,
windsurfing is the only sailing discipline where
the sailor has a greater weight than their equipment.
But what do you reckon to the new designs being
trialed recently for the next Games?
Brian. Oh don’t even get me
started Jules……why oh why are they
even having this bloody Olympic trial business
eh? It will just get us misrepresented again at
what is in effect the pinnacle of (amateur) sports.
I reckon windsurfing is better left out of the
Games, as one of these rushed through radical designs
will not stand the test of time & is not representative
of any part of our sport just like the IMCO.
Don’t get me wrong, the IMCO has been great,
and I respect all the guys who campaign on them,
but we need the replacement to be a modern version
of what the IMCO’s original, accessible ethos
was. Not some botched up formula hybrid with a
dagger board that no ordinary windsurfer will ever
use.
I reckon freestyle, waves and formula best represent
our sport and none of these are suitable for the
Games as they are condition dependant or require
subjective judgement so we should just leave the
Games to the shot putters and beach volleyballers.
Oh and the Prodigy, that’s not there either,
more of a sea cow than a windsurf board. Belbeoch
and Drake and these other players are in a rush
for a new board and they are great innovators.
But their innovation is just damn, pig-headedly
inappropriate for an IMCO replacement
Julian.Steady on Brian, touched a
bit of a nerve there. But I do agree that the replacement
for the IMCO should definitely not be a formula
mutant. The whole industry is like a flock of poxy
sheep that are missing the point completely, the
goddamn retards.
If we’re going to be at the Olympics, we
need the windsurfing equivalent of the Laser dinghy.
Windsurfing has never been quite right at the Olympics.
The first was the Windglider, with no harness & no
pumping. Take my hat off to Dave Hackford though,
disqualified for pumping in the first ever Olympic
race. I think he should have got a bleedin' medal
for that!
Brian. Get to the point you div.
We haven’t got all night & I want to
get up the Legion for a bevy.
Julian. Sorry mate I’m getting’ a
bit of a thirst on too. What I meant was we need
a board that will capture the spirit like the Original
Windsurfer/ Superlight did. Then I think that windsurfing
could do for sailing what Beach Volley Ball has
done for Kleenex.
Brian. Fair enough, but no one is
going to be sensible enough to approve a ‘laser’ dinghy
style mid performance board, like the Discovery
or the Ntrance. A board that you can learn, race
on, have its own Aloha style class for the kids
to train on from day one and be accessible. Perhaps
we could start the trend of this more sensible
class here in the UK and then lead the way forward?
To summarise, we should all grow up and be sensible,
or all start racing Alohas and have this as our
Olympic class. Let’s go get a couple off
Boardseeker and race ‘em here in the summer!
Julian. Brian, they don’t make
the Aloha anymore. But for some reason they still
make the rig!! Oh those crazy French types. My
point is that windsurfing is basically a beach
sport & should not be considered as “stand
up yachting”.
Brian. Good point well made old
chap.
Freestyle was a demonstration event at the 1984
LA games so at least two aspects of the sport were
represented. A more multi-purpose design is what’s
required. Think of all the flare gybing articles
Peter Hart could resurrect! Gary Eversoll could
show a few people what it’s all about!
Brian. Agreed, Agreed. Well I’m
glad that’s sorted out. Time for Pale Ale
I think.
Julian. Make mine a large sherry,
old Boy.
Cheers to Dempsey & his cardiovascular superiority!!! |
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