Back in the day... History of Vancouver Island sailboarding

[redbaron]

It's a windless day in Hood River and Im just flipping through some vintage magazines.... It's amazing how much the sport has progressed and how much it's popularity has dropped off.

I found a couple relic of articles about the island in a couple mags:

[redbaron]

Another one

[redbaron]

Some up and coming events from 1989!!!!

[rocdoc]

Don`t know if a lot of those planned events actually happened in 1989.
But anyway, belated apologies for not making the Wave Social Event on May 20-22, 1989. Had to go to Alaska for four months to work on Shoreline Cleanup Assessment for the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

[nanmoo]

I can't believe they held a contest at JR but more importantly blew up my secret spot Esq. Lagoon!

Pretty cool.

[winddude]

pretty cool, looks like they're running a beachstart slalom race at cook streetin that one pic

[downwind dave]

sigh, what an era... and when you tell your kids you could once get 9 different colours of nose pieces for your Razor blades they just don't get it.

[KUS]

I participated in the 88 bear creek blowout, I think the 89 one went ahead too

[Sandy Beach]

Thanks for posting, redbaron.

Page 4-The Victoria and Vancouver Island launch and beach locations- is like a 'Cole's Notes' of our BWD wiki:)

.........The time before BWD.

Interesting articles! They offer so much history to many of the people and places of our island wind community....many pioneers of the sport who are still ripping, either on windsurfers, kiteboards or both

I think it's good to reflect on vintage reads like these.....as it's important to know about, and respect the history of the sport, people and places....and to know how things have evolved and changed.

Hope you are getting lots of T.O.W. at Hood River and the coast !

[Sandy Beach]

Another oldie but goodie. Seventeen years ago, Tom Sullivan featured windsurfing in 'Around Our Shores~Islander' while 'Surfing Nitinat' in September 10, 2000.

This is when pastadude, windsurf247 and I met Tom S. , Vic Evans and many other Nitinat wind regulars as part of the 'Nitinat Windsurfing Society' who helped maintain the forestry campground. It was running as a co-operative organization with an annual membership fee for camping and keeping things/porta-potties clean and stocked up. Just before the kiteboarding era and pre-IKO.

"It's a treasure, said former Olympic windsurfer and White's general manager, Richard Myerscough" about Nitinat. "We're lucky to have it."

"The long drive on washboard-surfaced gravel roads is all forgotten as Tom Sullivan takes advantage of the wonderfully predictable 25-30 knot winds on Nitinat Lake"

Windy mid-island paradise.

[more force 4]

Sold my old half-ton pickup yesterday. Took a photo of the windshield sticker, I'll never see again. If the logo is anything to go by, windsurfers far outnumbered kites then It was a great time at the Nat, immaculate clean camp!!

[JL]

John R. & Grant W.

[Sandy Beach]

Riders on the storm! Johnny Reid and Mr Watson ripping on their windsurfers in a gnarly winter storm. Awesome, JL

[JL]

Here is a classic: