From Csiga, about 2006 summer camp :

I don't know who was luckier this summer; the twelve Vietnamese children who were able to enjoy the challenge of learning to windsurf at the summer camp held at Jibes, Mui Ne, or me, being given the opportunity to teach them for two months?

The boys who were selected by the Binh Thuan Province Sport Department to attend the summer camp were between the ages of 12 and 14 years and all had been chosen from the local community in the coastal village of Mui Ne where Jibes is located.

At the beginning of the summer camp the conditions were not suitable to start windsurfing straight away so instead the children took boogie boards out into the waves to get used to the water. For most of them this was the first time that they had spent a long time in the water but they realized that they could have a lot of fun and began to feel comfortable very quickly.

We started windsurfing by using a simulator on the beach to explain the techniques and give everyone a chance to feel what it was like to be on a board without being in the water. The children paid attention to the theory and immediately began to analyze how the wind and the equipment worked together. After two days, even though the conditions hadn't improved all that much, the children were so excited that we put together the Starboard "Go" 185ltr boards with 3m sails and fought through the shore break to experience windsurfing for the first time.

The children came to the camp every day, usually arriving at 7am and only having a break from the water to go home for a quick lunch. By day five everyone could hold an upwind position and had started to master the tack and jibe. As they progressed they started to understand the different features of the boards and how these relate to the sails and conditions. They put together their own gear and chose boards and sails according to their own personal needs and abilities. Some of them still chose to play on the "Go" 185ltr but most of them had a new favorite board, the "Go" 139ltr. The only exception were two boys who chose to make a step further and started to use the "Carve" 131ltr and 121ltr.

After one month of attending the camp eight children were still coming every day to practice. Four of these boys had progressed exceptionally and had already developed their own individual styles of windsurfing. By this stage they were using a harness and had begun to plane, even doing small jumps on the waves.

The summer camp culminated in a small competition for the remaining eight boys. They all took this very seriously, practicing several days in advance racing around the buoys set up in front of Jibes. Despite all of them wanting to win they supported each other through the practice sessions and on the day the competition was very friendly and a lot of fun for everyone.

Six of the boys have clearly fallen? in love with the water and windsurfing. Although school has started again here in Vietnam the boys are able to come and practice two days a week. They are already looking forward to using smaller boards in stronger wind and competing in the Vietnam Fun Cup here in Mui Ne in February.

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Csiga, windsurfing instructor.