Do something for windsurfing in Rio 2016 Olympics

by Ned Crossley on 24 Oct 2012 Annul the May ISAF Council Vote against Windsurfing. Do not let US Sailing and their three votes for kiting off the hook! Do not let the other 16 ISAF Council voters against windsurfing off the hook. Do something now prior to ISAF Annual Meeting 1-11 November 2012 to support windsurfing, please even if one design course windsurfing is not for you.

Why?

http://saveolympicwindsurfing.wordpress.com/
http://www.facebook.com/votewindsurfing
https://www.facebook.com/groups/207173142734427/

How?

Let US Sailing know how you feel about voting out windsurfing by a simple statement! Here are four emails readily available from the US Sailing website:

jakefish@ussailing.org, Communications Director
jackgierhart@ussailing.org, Executive Director
garyjobson1@verizon.net, President
davejohnson@ussailing.org, Olympic Program Manager (deliver to USA ISAF representatives voting in ISAF meetings.)

Vote!

Vote on petition below and email your MNA going to the ISAF Annual Meeting. Please vote, windsurfers need to get the petition over 35000!

http://www.change.org/petitions/isaf-keep-windsurfing-as-olympic-discipline

Kiters, Sailors, and Windsurfers are all powered by the wind! This is about windsurfing's future in the USA and internationally on a fair playing surface vs. prejudiced sailing politics. This is about USA Olympic medals unfortunately.

Written by a concerned Windsurfer, US Sailing Windsurfing Instructor Trainer, and Member.

Giuseppe Scire has responded to this Sail-World story as follows:

'In Europe and in most of last Olympic locations there aren't constant trade winds but thermal and weather disturbance's winds, often gusty and with chops or wave, managing often better those with windsurf than other sailing equipment. Uppermost Youth competition activities are based in Italy on Techno 293 and Optimist. Kiteboard racing (amazing sport as kites freestyle, slalom and wave, much more widely diffused compared to KBR in all Europe, in Italy and especially in the most windy and warm Italian islands Sardinia and Sicily, where we sail during all the seasons) is difficult or impossible to practice everywhere for absence in many geographic area of wide beaches, presence of nautical club in/near harbours, presence of rocks or not allowed by Coast Guard and other Authorities, or during summer season for the presence of bathers, allowing only small launching areas (for boat and windsurf only) or for the story of accidents as for example on the south-east coast of Sicily. I hope that future technological evolutions and improvements of seaworthiness and safety of Kiteboarding racing equipments satisfy all requirements to become an Olympic sport together more time proven Windsurfing. Only an opinion of Giuseppe Scire' ITA 50'

Please keep your comments rolling in and we will post them here...