Rob Hofmann tells us about his experience at the SEVERNE/STARBOARD Center on Fuerteventura.
“In 2019 I went back for the sixth time to hold my Windsurfing Clinic in Fuerteventura at the Rene Egli Windsurfing Center. The nearby Hotel Melia (only 200m walking distance) makes this location the perfect place for my clinics. This year I was particularly excited because it’s now a Severne Center, and I am very confident with the Severne gear. My group is the biggest group visiting the Rene Egli Center with 30 students, and the center is so well equipped that there is enough gear for everybody!
Once again our clinic was blessed with seven days of great winds from 15 to 35 knots all week. The first days we had more northerly winds that gave us flat water conditions. The rest of the week the north-east trade winds made it a hard playground for my students. During some hours of the day (depends on the tide) also the swell was quite consistent. That gave my students the possibility to get some first wave experiences. Actually, we had some really nice waves.
Everybody thinks that Sotavento is only a flat water spot, but you can get some real waves rolling in! As mentioned the waves mostly build up when the tide is coming in, and with strong wind, you can get 1-2 meter waves!
In the early morning hours between 10 and 12 I was teaching some medium wind technique because generally, the wind is not kicking in early, but mostly after lunch, so perfect for harness, tacking and light wind gybing. The afternoon is better for teaching carving gybes, chop hop, duck gybes and speed control. The most used boards were Futura 117 and 107 and 117 iSonic during the flat water sessions. And Kode FW 94-103 and CarveIQ 104-114 during the bumpy sessions. In the evenings I was showing the videos that were taken during the sessions to show my students what they can improve for the next day. I believe that learning in a group is more motivating, and exchanging experiences helps a lot! The reasons why my clinics are so popular is probably the mix between having fun, and at the same time, I am also very hard on them when the mistakes are repeating. It’s important to motivate, but also to make constructive critics when something is not right! Windsurfing is the greatest sport in the world, but also a very technical sport that is much easier to learn when you get professional help.
Looking forward to my next clinics!”
Photos by: Roger Photo Service Fuerteventura
