The Takeaway
I finished 5th out of 9 women, which I’m very happy about for my first ever contest. My friend Annamaria Zollet went on to take first place and as I watched her standing on the podium I felt a lot of emotions. Joy for my friend who earned the win, but also a drive inside myself to keep practicing to do better for next time. Reflecting on the contest I realized how much I learned from this experience. I gained extremely helpful tips from other riders and learned from watching all of the different styles and techniques. I practiced how to keep a positive mindset during all of the excitement and nervousness of the contest, and exceeded my own expectations. I also learned that it’s not necessarily the best windsurfer that wins, it’s the best competitor for that day and for those conditions. It boils down to keeping your cool and sailing confidently and strategically for those 18 minutes. I’m so glad I didn’t wait to enter a contest until I thought I was ready, but entered to become a better competitor and knowing that I’d be a better windsurfer when it’s all over. Having nine women compete in Baja is a great turnout in comparison to previous years and I hope that it continues to expand.
“ Punta San Carlos provides all kinds of conditions to practice in. ”