WORLD SAILING - PROFESSIONAL WINDSURFING ASSOCIATION

About

Windsurfing is a water sport that combines surfing and sailing. Windsurfing's story started in the sixties when four pioneers started coming up with several ideas for handheld sails, sailboards, and kite-powered surfboards. All the early inventions and combinations of sail and board, or sail and catamaran were personal experiments or ideas to fulfill an even bigger idea. It was not until after years of changes in design that it was decided to make the sail move by rotation through a universal joint. An East Coast racing sail was added and the element that would change everything, a wishbone boom. This is used by the windsurfer to hold and maneuver the rig. In 1968 the first windsurfing patent was filed and later that year, the company Windsurfing International was founded in Southern California.  

Windsurfing International would oversee manufacturing, promoting, and licensing of windsurfer designs. Also, in 1973 they registered "windsurfer" as a patent. During that decade and through the eighties, the sport grew rapidly and became more popular among sailors, surfers, and athletes alike, generating competition and interest around the world. With today's materials, design improvements, and innovation, windsurfing is possible under a lot of wind conditions and is practiced by professionals and beginners.  

Currently windsurfing is represented by several organisations based on the class. The Professional Windsurfers Association (PWA) was created and is managed by the best windsurfers in the world. The PWA represents and supports the athletes, making rules, promoting the sport, strengthening each discipline of windsurfing, and organizing professional events. However, the governing body for the sport (and for sailing in general) is World Sailing. WS is officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and is responsible for the promotion and development of sailing sports internationally. It also manages the sports at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, elaborates racing rules, regulations, and provides training for administrators, umpires, and judges. WS is a democratic non-profit that works mainly because of the volunteers that invest their time and effort to improve sailing sports.  

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