On the weekend of the 10th-12th March, Bristol University and UWE's windsurf clubs double-teamed it to host BR_UWE, an SWA 'regional' event. |
Friday night saw the arrival of student windsurfers from Exeter, Cardiff, Swansea and, of course, the other main university in the region, Sheffield.
On Saturday the windsurfing began on Axbridge Reservoir where there was a distinct lack of wind - perfect for beginner stimulator sessions. Beginners then had a potter on the water whilst light wind freestyle competitions went on amongst others, using the university pool of kit and demo kit from Naish. As it became clear that the wind was not going to grace Axbridge with its presence, no-wind alternatives were called upon, including land boarding and the rib towing thrill-seeking surfers.
Saturday night brought revelry in Bristol's student union, where an Olympic themed party kicked off - including a spontaneous curling competition between two rival teams, much wrestling between moustached, athletically clad men, and a fair amount of alcohol consumption (which possibly initiated both of the former activities).
All woke up on Sunday to find that it had snowed overnight, but undeterred and wind-hungry it was off to the reservoir much to the surprise of the reservoir volunteers who had apparently placed bets that due to the icy conditions noone would show before 12.30, and even then only to collect kit and scarper. Little did they appreciate how hard-core student windsurfers can be, especially when a force 4 is blowing cross-shore and there are university assignments they really should be doing. It was time for the first ever attempted SWA Supercross event, which looked so promising but unfortunately had to become a freestyle comp as the sausages drifted off downwind. The home competitors dominated, with Bristol's Pete Baldwin (K216) taking first place in the Advanced league with impressive Upwind 360s and Spocks and Bristol boy JC Cowap a clear winner in the Intermediate race.
The weekend finished with an abundance of prizes being awarded from the very generous sponsors: Windsurfers World, Naish, Sola, Fat Face, Boardshop and Westbeach.