Emeryville Marina & Harbor News

San Francisco Bay – Courtesy of Scuttlebutt Sailing News

In the 1980s, many of us poured onto local beaches in the  early misty morning fog to try our hand at windsurfing lessons. I found myself caught up in a wind off the Alameda shore at Crown Beach, dangerously surfing to San Francisco solo – the rest of my class far behind and clustered close to the shore. After the rescue, I gained more control and stayed in sight of my instructor, finally passing all the tests for certification. The next day I went out in the same water and was hit by such horrific winds that I could not maneuver my board, even though I was certified! That was the beginning and end of the sport for me. Since then, Windsurfing, its gear and competitions evolved, and many experts moved on to hydrofoil Kiteboarding or Sailboarding.

Keeping pace with the changes, a local San Francisco Bay windsurfer turned kiter, who is gaining proficiency at “foiling” on SF Bay, tells his story of the evolution.