What makes you come alive?

My first experience of windsurfing was in a summer camp when I was eleven. That day, I waited patiently to get on the board, as each person took turns to try out windsurfing. I got up on the board, barely able to stay standing as the waves tossed the board up and down. For the next fifteen minutes I was on the board, it was a constant battle to not yanked into the ocean. When I came home that night, I told myself I would never go windsurfing again.

Nevertheless, my mother signed me up to a windsurfing class next summer with my friends. The class took place in a reservoir, so the wind was calm and there were no waves. Towards the end of the short windsurfing course, I was able to develop some control over my windsurf board and started to enjoy this sport. From then on, I occasionally take windsurfing lessons with my friends when there were school holidays. After every class, my coach gives me critique and tips on how to improve on certain techniques and I would focus on them the next class.

In my time on the surfboard, I made many great memories. A year ago, me and some of my classmates and I could not get back to shore and waited for the coach to rescue us on his power boat. We got on the power boat and tied our surfboard to it. Longing to return to shore after being stranded in the ocean for so long, we started singing “country road, take me home”; the coach also sang along with us. Moments later, schools of fish started to jump out of the wake of the boat, as if they were celebrating our salvation with us.

I have windsurfed for years now, and I have definitely improved a lot. I have learned a variety of techniques and to go upwind and downwind with ease. Just this summer, I was able to do a maneuver called “fair drive” comfortably, which seemed impossible when I first saw it. Windsurfing has also taught me to be humble and to work hard. Everytime I indulge in my pride and let my guard down, the ocean brings along a strong gust of wind and sends me straight into the freezing water, reminding me that I still have a lot to improve on. Despite still being not very good at windsurfing, it has become a sport that I have come to love.

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