Toronto Windsurfing Club's Water Story

While my time with the Great Waters Challenge (GWC) has come to an end, I am currently applying to be on the Youth Advisory Board for the next round of the GWC! The second component of the application process is to choose a community in my province or local area whose water story I would like to showcase, and then create a video (under 5 mins) to show how water has shaped the story of this community.

WINDSURFING AND WATER

My mom, dad and brothers are all windsurfers. I was born into windsurfing and started the sport at a very young age. I am privileged to have attended many windsurfing regattas as a child, while accompanying my parents during their competitions. I have also competed in a few regattas myself, including the Canadian Masters Windsurfing Championships that was held in my hometown Dryden, Ontario in 2010.

Windsurfing regattas in Canada and the United States bring together windsurfers across the continent around countless bodies of water. Each body of water brings its own challenges and conditions, and windsurfers must be extremely aware of the water they are on.

Unfortunately, I have not been on a board since I have moved to Toronto. I miss windsurfing and the positive atmosphere of the community.

When I was presented with this challenge, I thought it would be a great opportunity to reconnect with the windsurfing community and to showcase the strong relationships that windsurfers have with water.

My older brother Josh previously worked at Toronto Windsurfing Club (TWC) as a coach, and I also knew some folks at the club from past regattas. So, I decided to showcase the water story of the TWC. It was a great way for me to finally go to the TWC and reconnect with the community. Water is essential for windsurfing, and I knew that the TWC would have an important water story to share.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT RACES

I searched the web and discovered that TWC has Wednesday Night Races every week. I figured that was the perfect opportunity to meet and interview TWC members and shoot footage of their races!

I cycled to the TWC around 4pm on Wednesday, July 5th, 2017. I was so excited to hear the stories of the TWC members (and to be by Lake Ontario)! When I arrived, I locked my bike, approached a group of people sitting in a circle of chairs, told them what I was doing, and then asked if it would be okay to interview members and videotape their races. Without any hesitation, I was welcomed in by the community and members were happy to talk about their connections with Lake Ontario.

My experience at TWC was absolutely incredible! I heard numerous water stories from the windsurfers (on and off camera), and each person had a very strong connection with Lake Ontario. There is a great appreciation and respect for the water at the TWC, and every windsurfer had a profound knowledge of the relationship between wind and water. I could feel the windsurfing community's love and gratitude for the water shine through in the interviews and while watching them sail.

(RE)CONNECTING WITH THE COMMUNITY

The best part of the night was that I got to be in the flag boat by the start and finish line of the races. It was so special to be close to the community during their races and to be able to videotape from the water. I am so thankful for the opportunity - I had not spent that much time on Lake Ontario all year. Also, I was so happy to see a few familiar faces and it was amazing to reconnect with them!

Overall, TWC members are overwhelmingly kind, friendly, and welcoming, and they have clearly established a tight-knit community around Lake Ontario.

I strongly encourage anyone who is in the Greater Toronto Area to go check out the TWC and try windsurfing! The club members will greet you with open arms and they are always looking for new folks to come try out the sport!

Thank you to everyone for welcoming me into your community. I look forward to coming back again soon! :)