Toronto Demo & Canadian Deliveries

In August I loaded the van with a few boards, the dog, and drove to Canada.

My first stop was Toronto at the Toronto Windsurfing Club for a Freestyle Demonstration and their Wednesday night series. I was invited by Tom Mae who is President of Windsurfing Canada and an avid windsurfer sailor.

Students from Kids Camp trying new Original Windsurfer

They have a sweet facility very close to downtown with a big beach. This seemed like a club where members drop in to check the wind and visit with friends in addition to windsurfing. Throughout the afternoon and into the evening several people introduced themselves to me and shared their windsurfing stories. Some weren't sailing in the evening race but wanted to come down to the club to see the "new" Original Windsurfer and say hi.

Here's a light-wind power jybe

The wind was light but I continued with the Freestyle Demo anyway and then took questions back on the beach from the "Kids Camp" students who had finished their day of windsurfing. They were kinda quiet so I kept talking, then one of them raised their hand and asked if she could try the board, then there were more hands, "me too, me too"!

They sailed the 2 boards I had rigged and one guy even did a back-to-sail (impressive) and 2 of the gals were having a ball and just kept sailing around, tacking and gybing. Back on the beach I asked them what they liked about the board and they all agreed they liked how responsive it was and how easy the rig was to use.

Next was the evening race. The wind was still light but that didn't stop this lively group of sailors from having a good time. A gal named Andree Gauthier sailed the 2nd Original Windsurfer and in no time it felt like I had been sailing with this club for more than just that evening. After a BBQ and loading up the equipment I left Toronto that night heading north.

Above photos by: Reet Mae

Next stop: Cottage Country

Cottage Country consists of all the Canadian summer cottages around and on the lakes and thousands of islands north of Toronto

Map and near the famed cruising grounds of The North Channel. Some crazy couple originally from California wanted a new Original Windsurfer and I (being also a crazy guy originally from California) volunteered to deliver it since it was kinda on my way home from the Demo in Toronto and they're kinda my parents. Oh, but I forgot to mention that while I was driving to Toronto I got a call from a guy in California and he wanted a new Original Windsurfer...and guess where he wanted it delivered? "Cottage Country" but even farther north. You just can't make this up.

Here are some shots of delivering the board and Hoyle sailing his new Original Windsurfer:

Everything has to be taken out by boat to the Islands. Here's the excited new owner. It was too far to windsurf after 2 nights of sleeping in the "van" with my dog Roscoe.

Rigging up

Hoyle's 1st sail on a "new" Original Windsurfer. Over 40 years later, he's still got it.

He was having too much fun so I paddled out to him to see if I could knock him off and pirate his new toy.

He took the bait! I successfully stole his new toy,

did some freestyle, then took a long sail around Lambert Island.

Roscoe waiting for me to return from my cruise...

My next stop was delivering another board to the northern part of Lake Huron. After that I drove back to Michigan. I look forward to another sailing session with the Toronto Windsurfing Club and another stop to sail with family.