Surely you have all seen the movies where the plane is about to crash and the pilot is shouting MayDay, MayDay- he is in full panic mode as his life is flashing in front of him getting ready to take the plunge into the unknown…

As the month of May roared in, I couldn’t help but think about MayDAY, MayDay! By definition, MayDay means: the internationally recognized communications distress call, used especially by ships and aircraft. Of course a windsurfer isn’t quite as big as a ship but on occasion, it qualifies for aircraft
Saturday, May 1 marked the return of epic conditions to the island of Maui. There were some mast high plus waves coming in with light winds that were just enough to get out and get the heart rate up! As I was heading out one particular time, the channel was closing out and I didn’t have much wind- the perfect recipe for a Rock Sandwich at Hookipa. I let out a MayDay call and thankfully just escaped the ragged rocks.
It’s times like these when I think about windsurfing and just how much fun it is.- A sport that can never truly get boring because there is so much to learn. There is always the next level no matter how good you are. When I think back to my early days and that learning curve that got me hooked to the sport forever, I always remember wanting to go higher, faster or figure out a new trick. The funny thing is, today I am still wanting to go higher, faster and perfect a new trick.
Now that MayDay has arrived, it’s time to get out there and go for it. As you can imagine, Maui makes you pretty spoiled for windsurfing conditions, but I still find myself out there slogging around when it’s not perfect. No matter where you are, there is always something to learn even if you are out on the water spinning your sail around on Lake Garda or pumping onto a plane in Singapore.
With todays equipment, you can windsurf in nearly any conditions. So if you haven’t been out lately because of a lack of wind, it’s time to get some new gear. With too small a board and sail you may find yourself in the middle of the ocean sinking to your waist, a MayDay call maybe your only hope to getting back to shore. Like they say, go big or go home – get a board and sail that will float you and give you stability to get you out and back.
GET OUT THERE AND HAVE FUN!
Matt Pritchard

tratto da www.gaastra.com