Windsurfing

Windsurfing is a fun water sport. It mixes surfing with sailing. You stand on a board and hold onto a sail to catch the wind. The wind pushes you across the water. Windsurfing can be done on lakes, rivers, or the ocean. It has been an Olympic sport since 1984.

How It Works

A windsurf board has a sail attached to it on a pole called a mast. The rider grabs a bar and tilts the sail to catch the wind. To turn, the rider moves the sail from side to side. Good windsurfers can jump waves and do tricks. Beginners start in calm water to learn the basics.

Where It Started

Windsurfing was invented in the 1960s in California. An American named Jim Drake helped create the first sail board. Soon, people all over the world started trying it. Windsurfing was added to the Olympic Games in 1984. Today, the sport is popular in places with strong winds, like Hawaii and Greece.

Fun Facts

• Top windsurfers can go more than 50 miles per hour.
• Windsurfing is sometimes called sailboarding.
• You do not need an engine or motor to windsurf, just wind.

Did You Know?

The fastest windsurfer ever clocked a speed of over 60 miles per hour. That is as fast as a car driving on the highway.