Back to Slalom
Have you ever asked yourself “why did I stop doing this”, it’s what I found asking myself on Sunday night as I drove home from the BSA Slalom event in Weymouth. I had plenty of time at the wheel to think about it and can put it down to heavy and unwieldy kit that you had to mussel around to get the best out of it, how things have changed.
I went to Weymouth on Friday with the thought of getting used to the kit, used the 9.4 and 8,6 in what I would have previously called “no wind” honestly, you couldn’t even fly a kite when I was on the 9.4 and yet it just needed a pump or two and the feeling was more akin to 7.8m conditions of my past, really, the sails feel light and even though the boards look wide they seem to just ride over the chop. In fact I was so sceptical of the big boards I hadn’t even ordered the 129, though after that experience it’s or order no, can’t imagine how quickly that’ll get going.
By the end of play on Friday the only negative in my mind was “I should have tried these before” one day isn’t enough to get to know new boards and sails, let alone how they work together with fin size and deck placement. That steep learning curve continued over the weekend, nothing I tried on Friday was relevant to the weekend as the winds switched from light to extreme, so much so I spend more time on a 5.7 than anything else.
I’ll confess to being more than a little nervous, unlike the waves event I’ve competed in resent years I wasn’t entering the Masters but jumping in the deep end with the pro’s. A bit ambitious maybe but nothing ventured, nothing gained plus I was hopping the speed of my past would pull me through while I learned how to start and turn.
Both the latter need a lot more attention but if there’s one lesson I learnt over all others, it was to run your own race. The more I tried to play follow the leader the worse my situation, while I might have tried to follow and learn from the best, it just made sure I was doing just that, following. You could say my second lesson fights the rules learnt in lesson one, as not watching what the others did between races meant I was approaching the start line on a smaller sail than my competitors, yes I did say smaller. Actually I never used a bigger sail than any of the leaders over the weekend but while I was enjoying blasting around between heats I hadn’t noticed the winds had eased. It was only as we gathered before the start I spotted most had changed up to 7.0’s ensuring lesson No3 soon followed.
Apparently being disqualified is a positive thing, no I hadn’t been abusive or fighting, just pushed a little too hard on the start. Knowing I was on smaller sail I was over eager to been in the front with clean air, while a little frustrating it doesn’t feel half as bad as being twenty meters behind the pack as the start gun goes.
With one event and eight races behind me, will I be going again, definitely, so much so I’m actually frustrated a family holiday clashes with the next round (don’t tell the wife, she’ll kill me) but what physical sport can you compete on equal terms with kids a third of your age. While that fact was bit of a disturbing reminder of my age it was also conformation that I’m enjoying what I consider the best sport in the world.
I will get to every one I can this year and ensure nothing clashes next year, honestly it feels great getting back to slalom.
Big thanks to Alastair Campbell and Reece White for letting me play on the other side of the lens
Read MoreI went to Weymouth on Friday with the thought of getting used to the kit, used the 9.4 and 8,6 in what I would have previously called “no wind” honestly, you couldn’t even fly a kite when I was on the 9.4 and yet it just needed a pump or two and the feeling was more akin to 7.8m conditions of my past, really, the sails feel light and even though the boards look wide they seem to just ride over the chop. In fact I was so sceptical of the big boards I hadn’t even ordered the 129, though after that experience it’s or order no, can’t imagine how quickly that’ll get going.
By the end of play on Friday the only negative in my mind was “I should have tried these before” one day isn’t enough to get to know new boards and sails, let alone how they work together with fin size and deck placement. That steep learning curve continued over the weekend, nothing I tried on Friday was relevant to the weekend as the winds switched from light to extreme, so much so I spend more time on a 5.7 than anything else.
I’ll confess to being more than a little nervous, unlike the waves event I’ve competed in resent years I wasn’t entering the Masters but jumping in the deep end with the pro’s. A bit ambitious maybe but nothing ventured, nothing gained plus I was hopping the speed of my past would pull me through while I learned how to start and turn.
Both the latter need a lot more attention but if there’s one lesson I learnt over all others, it was to run your own race. The more I tried to play follow the leader the worse my situation, while I might have tried to follow and learn from the best, it just made sure I was doing just that, following. You could say my second lesson fights the rules learnt in lesson one, as not watching what the others did between races meant I was approaching the start line on a smaller sail than my competitors, yes I did say smaller. Actually I never used a bigger sail than any of the leaders over the weekend but while I was enjoying blasting around between heats I hadn’t noticed the winds had eased. It was only as we gathered before the start I spotted most had changed up to 7.0’s ensuring lesson No3 soon followed.
Apparently being disqualified is a positive thing, no I hadn’t been abusive or fighting, just pushed a little too hard on the start. Knowing I was on smaller sail I was over eager to been in the front with clean air, while a little frustrating it doesn’t feel half as bad as being twenty meters behind the pack as the start gun goes.
With one event and eight races behind me, will I be going again, definitely, so much so I’m actually frustrated a family holiday clashes with the next round (don’t tell the wife, she’ll kill me) but what physical sport can you compete on equal terms with kids a third of your age. While that fact was bit of a disturbing reminder of my age it was also conformation that I’m enjoying what I consider the best sport in the world.
I will get to every one I can this year and ensure nothing clashes next year, honestly it feels great getting back to slalom.
Big thanks to Alastair Campbell and Reece White for letting me play on the other side of the lens
