Windsurfing - Ten Facts

Explore Lake George by grabbing your board and rig; regardless of your skill level, you will learn how to master the wind and enjoy camp from a whole new perspective.

1. Windsurfing emerged in the late 1960s from the aerospace and surf culture of California

2. It gained a popular following across Europe and North America by the late 1970s and had achieved significant global popularity by the 1980s.

3. Windsurfing is a recreational, family friendly sport, most popular at flat water locations around the world that offer safety and accessibility for beginner and intermediate participants.

4. Windsurfing has been one of the Olympic sailing events at the Summer Olympics since 1984 for men and 1992 for women.

5. Windsurfers are often classified as either shortboards or longboards. Longboards are usually longer than 3 meters and are optimized for lighter winds or course racing. Shortboards are less than 3 meters long and are designed for planing conditions.

6. Modern windsurfing sails are often made of monofilm, dacron and mylar.

7. Windsurfers gain power and control by balancing the weight of the sailor against the wind pressure in the sail, while adjusting both factors relative to the board.

8. Types of Windsurfing include racing, freestyle, slalom, and wave sailing.

9. On average, a windsurfer can sail as fast as 20 to 25 knots.

10. The greatest distance on a windsurfer in 24 hours is 432.28miles and was achieved by Dennis Klaaijsen in Zeeland, Netherlands, on 10-11 August 2014.