windsurfing has just been cancelled...

[Erik the Viking]

No, nothing to do with it in all honesty. I and many friends here in Weymouth are now so disillusioned over the Olympics that many of us are going away while it is on. They have already fenced off our launching and parking area at Portland Harbour almost 3 months before it starts.

It is going to make a few people very very rich while the rest of Weymouth and Portland suffers. This is already happening, funding has been taken from youth incentives, from the local athletics training ground and put into 'the olympic legacy' leaving the kids without their old playing fields, without equipment etc. Locog are constantly advertising in the area for 'Ambassadors' to work while the Olympics are on, Locog themselves are raking it in and getting people to work for free for them all in the name of the Olympics, it is disgusting! I know its off topic.

On topic I personally think its best to disassociate with the Olympics anyway, Windsurfing may well grow better without it but its up to us to make sure it does, by helping kids into the sport.

I only hope that Nick and Bryony become the eternal Windsurfing Gold Medal Olympians.

Trust me I know there is bad feeling down in Portland over the Olympics... PS I work for LOCOG, but am not blind to the issues overall. There are good and bad things, but those can be for another day (when I am no longer there!!)

One interesting thing I did hear from those running the Olympic Village down there is that they could not find enough local people willing to do paid roles. Now taking the level of unemployment in general that's quite a surprise...not sure how easy it is to get jobs down that way.

As for the volunteers..then that is what they are. I would not do it personally, but there are many people who are looking at the olympics as a once in a life time event and are willing to give up their time.... their choice.

Back to windsurfing not being in the olympics... not sure that's a bad thing, but really hope Nick and Bryony do well (that's coming from a Frenchman!!)...they have worked so hard for it.

[Maker]

They could have done windsurfing plus kitesurfing.
Why did they drop windsurfing, did they give a reason?

[cob1]

They could have done windsurfing plus kitesurfing.
Why did they drop windsurfing, did they give a reason?

they are lumped in with the rest of the sailing classes so there's a limit to how many they can choose. There were some changes to other sailing classes as well. I think there was only ever going to be one board sailing class.

[niall1]

Sad day for windsurfing. Very tough day for sailors coming through the ranks to sail for there country in 2016.
Does seam a bit mad to kick windsurfing out. It like replacing skiing with snowboarding. Rather than running both

It all going to end in a big ball of string!

[DaveK]

Sad decision. How many sitting down sailing classes are there? And how many could a member of the public identify? Whereas to include kiting, windsurfing and sailing would be more interesting to the average viewer I reckon.

It would be a shame if grass roots windsurfing, T15 etc suffered as a result of it, after all how many people who do sports have any hope of competing in the Olympics anyway.

The worst bit will be in 4 years when colleagues (I don't work at asda btw) come into work raving about 'that kitesurfing' they watch on tv and say 'isn't that what you do?' Grrr!

[overthehill]

Even if you don't think much to the T15 etc, I don't see how this can be read as good news. Good or bad, the RYA do fund and lobby for us as a sport. For the moment... If the RYA go kite instead, my money goes elsewhere.

A triumph of fashion over something that offers tactics and requires a huge amount of fitness and skill. Having said that, how many of the general public would know whether it is in or out today? I like mountain biking, but I couldn't say who our athletes are, nor how Olympic status affects it as a sport.

[guest104]

Asda , John Lewis , Tesco , Sainsbury's

Looks like they still have that crappy ad rubish screwing with simple words. Odd that the chav market gets the linky.