So there I was, the ancient theory of surfing incomplete in my head, in this small bay. Hardly a breeze, 8 degrees water temperature, 340 board and a 4.5 storm sail to start with. Ideal. What was that again? The rig has to go up somehow! So I dived under and pushed. But the rig stayed in place and I pushed myself down. Not bad, but now the rig was also under water, the mast was full, and who needs a starting sheet for a water start!
After 273 attempts, I was exhausted and half-frozen and drifted out onto the lake, where I was dragged onto the carabinieri boat at dusk. Costa 20,000 lire per carabiniere, three of whom were on board. I could have done a course at a surf school for that. But that was like reading instruction manuals: for weaklings.
More about the water start:
On we went. Practised early in the morning at Vento from Torbole to Navene, which strangely enough was exactly on the Carabinieri's course. This time with four men in the boat. 80,000 lire. "Upwind, downwind" sometimes worked - a partial success. In the afternoon, I tried Ora from Navene to Torbole, and no, even though there were already whispers about it on the beach, I didn't have a subscription with the water police. They just got more and more every time and were now coming with their families in the big boat. As their secure source of income, I was now allowed to park anywhere in the no-parking zone for free. That was something too. Only the "partenza dall'acqua" didn't and wouldn't work.
Just as I was about to throw in the towel in disappointment, the tide turned. A local grandmaster took pity on me and told me a trick: "Pull the rig over the tail and the boom will lift everything up." And indeed, it worked! Water start whenever I wanted. Easy, casual, relaxed, skilful. It felt like I'd learnt calculus. Now I was one of the good guys, everything was fine until, yes, until these short boards suddenly appeared overnight. And these bastards had a tail that was far too short ...
More from Tommy Brandner:
- Under-80s or over-80s? Diets for windsurfers
- A visit to the tuning workshop for windsurfers
- Motorhome for beginners
- Attention drone!
- Through the shorebreak
- The avalanche of traffic jams is rolling again
- Happy B-Day, King!
- Used is still too expensive
- That was 2023
- To foil or not to foil
- Faster, faster, faster... or: Who is this Lüderitz anyway?
- Windy stories
- The handsome Hansi
- AI hysteria
- News from the Spocht
- Get fit without training
- Madhouse on the beach
- What do fish actually think about windsurfers?
- Loop into the headline
- Great season!
