surf-matic

What Would Josh Angulo do? Or WWJAD? That is a question I’ve often asked myself this summer. Why? Well…I’m not really sure why.

When presented with an issue in windsurfing or with the AWT this summer, I would try to imagine what Josh would do. Sometimes I would do that thing, and sometimes I would not do that thing. More important than the doing was the asking.

But why Josh Angulo? Well, he is one of my biggest windsurfing influences. He rode for Ezzy Sails for years. And he even lived at our house for a week or so many years ago. During my first years on the PWA, I would caddy for Josh during his heats (though, I’m not sure how good I was at it). Josh has created and defined his own style of riding—and I claim that no rider other than Kauli focuses on flow as much as Josh.

But none of those are reasons for asking WWJAD. I think I asked myself WWJAD because in most situations, I could actually imagine what Josh would do. When it looked like the organizers at the AWT in Pistol River were running heats that were too short, I asked WWJAD, and I knew that he would have spoken to the head judge in a strong effort (emphasis on strong) to increase the head duration. In that example, I did exactly that, and the heats increased by a minute (a 13 min heat over a 12 min heat can make worlds of difference when the conditions are fluky). I would ask WWJAD for many things, even things outside of windsurfing.

It should be noted that I obviously have no idea what Josh Angulo would actually do in any of those situations, but he has a strong enough and consistent enough of a personality that I felt I could easily imagine an answer to just about any situation— windsurfing related or not.

Not many people are so consistent! I have many close friends for whom I would not know the answer if they were the subject of such a question. Most people are too middle-of-the-road or too inconsistent to come up with an answer. Love him or not, Josh has a strong will and a consistent personality, both of which help him succeed in whatever he’s doing.

But the real reason I was so keen to WWJAD? Well, I guess I was searching for the answer to WWGED. And would other people be able to answer WWGED?

This summer has been one of discovering an answer to that question. Till I knocked my tooth out, I was filled with obligations that I put on myself. And only recently I’ve felt a freeing from them.

So many things in life seemed imperative! I felt I had to compete in windsurfing competitions, even if I didn’t like them. I felt I could never leave Maui from October till April for fear of missing a good day on the water. But I realized, I didn’t “have to do” any of that.

So WWGED? Ironically, this question is much harder to answer than WWJAD. But I’m answering it. And in answering it is freedom.

What do I do? Let’s see… On Monday, I had a session in Connecticut overpowered on a 4.2 in wind gusting over 50 and small but very fun waves with a crew of local sailors who loved the extreme wind. It was a blast. I had way more fun on that day than in any of the contests this summer.

Also, I’ve been writing a feature length windsurfing film with umi. I love the process and I need to do more of it.

People go on about what windsurfing is about. But one thing I hear often is that windsurfing is about freedom. And that is so true. But the freedom is not obvious when one looks at our sport from a distance. Lets bring back the channel crossings and the discoveries of new spots (wave or otherwise). It doesn’t have to be documented; it just needs to be happening.

I remember the exhilaration I felt when I first sailed at Ojos de Garza in Gran Canaria. To get to the wave, you have to sail around a massive point, and the wave breaks in front of an army base (they frown on anyone coming ashore). Ojos was not a new spot to the world, but yet most everyone sails at Pozo or Vargas. And leaving the normal to sail this new and what seemed at the time to be adventurous spot was a moment where windsurfing was most amazing to me. I want more of that– both in what I do and in what most windsurfers do.

I remember stories of my father back in the seventies doing huge crossings. And having them go wrong so that he had to camp stranded on random beaches in Canada. Windsurfers are not just surfboards but also ships. Lets go places.

I’m not sure where I’m going with this post. I wanted to write something making fun of myself for thinking WWJAD. Matt Pritchard thought it was hilarious. But instead, I’ve wound up writing something somewhat serious. I guess windsurfing forces most people to question what they’re doing. After all, on the water there is no one to give orders or suggestions.

So, as I figure out what I would do, I will look for new windsurfing spots and find any adventure in the sport that I can. I hope you will do the same.

G

PS. I still plan to make something out of the “I windsurf because…” responses, which were wonderful by the way. When I get back to Maui, that’s on the top of my To Do list, especially since I seem to be so obsessed with why I windsurf and what I’m doing with it.