Windsurfing Festival - Sara Flowe - Fastest woman on the East Coast

by International Windsurfing Tour on 20 Apr 2017 Sara Flowe was the first woman to cross the finish line in Monday's 20K long distance races. With 177 sailors on one start line for an exhilarating windsurfing adventure, Sara finished 27th overall. The International Windsurfing Tour got a chance to interview the champion and this is what she had to say:

IWT: Congratulations on winning first in the women's division for the OBX-Wind 20k race on Monday! How does it feel?

Thanks! It was a really fun race. I am very happy with my overall score too, this was only my second time racing so it was fun to beat so many of the men! We don’t normally sail anything bigger than a 5.3 in Hatteras, so rigging a 6.5 in that much wind was a bit more work than normal, but it was worth it to be able to compete with the top riders.

IWT: Tell us about your experience in the race with 178 riders on one course…

The start line was crazy. I knew from my sailboat racing experience that it was going to be crucial to get clear air off the line, so I made that a priority. Once I was out in the front pack, I was able to relax and enjoy seeing so many windsurfers on the water in my home spot!

IWT: What is your history with windsurfing?

I learned to windsurf in college and moved to Hatteras the day after I graduated. I started working at OceanAir Sports and having a huge shop full of top of the line equipment made it very easy for me to get better quickly! My first competition was the AWT Hatteras Wave Jam in 2012.

IWT: We see you traveling the world. Tell us about some of your recent adventures.

I just went on a really exciting trip over spring break - my little sister is in college and had never travelled outside the country, so she and I went to Costa Rica for a week. I didn’t make it onto the water sailing, but we definitely enjoyed some good waves.

IWT: You are not only a fast windsurfer, but also in grad school! What motivated you to continue your studies?

I really love the Outer Banks and I think the best way to make a living here is to start your own business, so I decided to get my MBA. My school has a lot of opportunities for entrepreneurs and I have a few ideas in the works.

IWT: What do you want to be when you grow up?

When I was five, I told my mom I wanted to “take pictures of pretty fish” That is not what I am in school for now, but I did just get a new camera so maybe one day!

IWT: What keeps you inspired in windsurfing?

This might sound funny, but I inspire myself. I think back to my days in college when I was learning how to windsurf and had these goals like “If I just knew how to waterstart I would be so happy” or “If I could just carry my gear on my head like the boys, I would be so happy.” Now that I can do those things, I think about how much fun I had in the simplest version of windsurfing and that keeps me motivated to push myself to new goals in this sport that I enjoy so much.

IWT: What is next for Sara Flowe?

That’s a good question. In the immediate future, I am getting ready to complete an internship at UPS in Atlanta this summer, then I have one more year of school. After school, I definitely want to find a job that allows me to pursue my passion and maybe even start travelling to more events on the IWT!

Tomorrow's skippers meeting for the slalom will take place tomorrow morning at 10am. We look forward to more fun and racing on Hatteras Island over the next few days of the event.