Windsurfing is still a male-dominated sport. As a result, there are also many camps and coaching programmes that are primarily attended by men. Lina Erpenstein launched her series of girls' camps in order to create enough space for women and offer suitable coaching. With Yannick Mittas as the second coach, the Girls Camp Tenerife took place for the first time in August in cooperation with the TWS Centre.
Lina reports on the Girls Camp:
"The bay of El Medano offered the ideal conditions for the eleven participants to improve their windsurfing skills. In the '4 out of 6' format, the coaching team chose the four days with the best possible conditions during the camp week.
The camp started with a promising forecast. On the very first day, beautiful waves rolled into the bay of El Médano, accompanied by 25 knots of wind. The special women-only focus of the camp created an atmosphere that encouraged even the more reserved participants to try out new things and learn from each other in a safe environment. On the very first day, the group tried out a wide variety of manoeuvres, including fast tacks, jumps and waveriding.
The atmosphere also encouraged more reserved participants to try out new things in a safe environment."
The next day started with a yoga session on the beach to get the tired muscles from the previous day moving. As the yoga instructor is a windsurfer herself, she was able to adapt the yoga flows perfectly to the demands of windsurfing. Before returning to the water, the two coaches showed each surfer videos from the previous day. This allowed each participant to see themselves windsurfing, analyse their own movement patterns and learn from their mistakes. For many, it was the first time they had seen themselves windsurfing.
Some participants tried their hand at the front loop
The third day of the camp was characterised by a topic that many windsurfers have on their personal bucket list: Front loops! After we had demonstrated the technique on the simulator and via video, the participants were able to try out their first preliminary exercises directly in the water to learn the movements. After a few attempts, a few brave ones even dared to jump their first forward loops. Watching other windsurfers push their own limits had an incredibly motivating effect on the whole group. This dynamic encouraged other participants to go beyond their previous limits and shows why 'girls-only' camps are long overdue, reports Lina.
Watching other female windsurfers push their own limits had an incredibly motivating effect on the whole group."
It was also great to see how the participants of different ages and backgrounds supported and motivated each other. At just 12 years old, the youngest participant Smilla, motivated by the group, showed that even head-high waves in the shorebreak were no obstacle for her. Hardly any of the women and girls had ever spent so much time in the water with like-minded surfers before.
Perfect setup in El Medano and at TWS
There were also plenty of equipment options for the group. Thanks to the close cooperation with Tenerife Windsurf Solution (TWS), the participants were able to test all kinds of windsurfing equipment from leading brands. The direct proximity to the beach made it much easier to change equipment and everyone was able to find the perfect setup for them.
El Medano itself impressed as a small town on all levels. The wide range of culinary delights on offer in numerous sweet restaurants paired with a variety of water sports and swimming options provided the perfect setting for female surfers and their companions to take part in the camp.
The eventful week came to a successful conclusion with a get-together in the restaurant, where the successes of the week were eagerly discussed. Many of the women and girls had tried out new things during the past week or performed a manoeuvre for the first time. The many wonderful experiences helped to forge friendships and create a real community within the group."
Further girls' camps and other events can be found at 1001grad-events.com