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DIVA CAMP 2003 LAKE GARDA – THE STORY!
 

With great support from Neil Pryde and Starboard it was once again possible for me to invite girls from all over the world to participate in this years Diva camp. The purpose of the camp was to learn about the fun of Formula Windsurfing racing. Coaches Brian Røgild and Nikolaj Kruppa kept all girls busy from early morning until the evening and Dorota Stazewska gave all of us girls a lot of great tips and inspiration for this seasons Formula Windsurfing. If you did not join the camp, you should read Brian’s story about four days of great fun and learning.

"I had the pleasure of being the coach both for last year’s and this year’s Diva camp, together with Nikolaj Kruppa, the man of rules and tactics!!!
This year we went from 14 Divas to 23 participants and we had 4 busy days of camp. The level was like last year from starting to world champion.

This year we focused a lot on start training and getting the girls confident with racing, so they were not to scared of being close to each other and to the starting-boat.

We had some longs days, breakfast at 0700 on the water from 0800 to 1100, lunch and theory and again an afternoon session from 1530 to 1800. We had courses out for the both wind directions on the lake, and did smaller and longer races, with different elements included.

Since the girls came from 9 different countries and many of them are not used to seeing many women sailing, for them just being with that many girls together for the same thing, made it very encouraging, and they really gave their best everyday, with a lot of sore hands and blisters to come.

We started out the first day, getting the girls in trim, so they could sail fast and comfortable with their gear, We filmed and followed them on the water, to check the sails and the stance of the girls, and the nice thing about girls! They listen and do what you say to them. Then we went on to starts, tactics and we had pumping lessons, again filmed on the water, making it possible for the Divas to watch it afterwards. The improvement in general was very good, and the Divas really got something to bring home and practice and show to other girls

What an improvement, in the euro cup that followed the Diva camp, all the starts were much better than I have ever seen in a women’s Formula fleet, everybody was close together over the line. The fleet was 17 girls and it looked very good when they started, and as a coach I was very happy to see this.

Henriette made a very good job, making the Divas more comfortable in Formula Windsurfing, and the increase in interest and numbers of Divas in the camp, shows a bright light for the future of Diva Formula Windsurfing.” Brian Røgild DEN-173




I hope to see lots of girls on the water during the next year, if you have any questions about women’s windsurfing you can always post them at Starboards web forum for women, where I know for sure that all participants of the camp will be happy to answer your questions.

I hope to see you on the water.


Henriette Nielsen DEN-45
Neil Pryde, Starboard, SEAT