Windsurfing is one of the most challenging sports there is, and as Chris Cecil-Wright has found, it takes passion, determination, and the perfect instructor. Step forward, Guy Cribb.
13x British Champion, 5x Vice World Champion and an induction into the UK Windsurfing Association Hall of Fame in 2014: Guy Cribb has come a long way since he first windsurfed in Poole Harbour aged 13. Instantly hooked on the sport, he began competing in his teens and turned to coaching amateurs in 1999. ‘With entrepreneurialism and optimism, he’s taken his passion and turned it into a viable lifestyle’ says Chris, who has found Guy’s ‘INtuition’ coaching extremely effective.
THE GREAT ESCAPE
Guy’s intensive windsurfing clinics involve taking 14 clients to wherever in the world the best conditions are. In 2015, that’s Australia, Hawaii, Brazil, Greece, Fuerteventura, Ireland and the USA. Guy’s clinics are only for those with at least one year’s windsurfing experience and the clinics are always fully booked. ‘Because of the complex equipment, the weather and the water changing every second, windsurfing is difficult to progress in,’ Guy explains, ‘it takes perseverance and only the strongest survive. That’s probably why windsurfers tend to be successful in business too.’
ANALYTICAL APPROACH
Make no mistake, the clinics are not a holiday – and Guy is results-driven. ‘I want people to do, not to stand and listen,’ says Guy emphatically, ‘There’s such chaos at sea, but I break down the technique and highlight what will make a difference. And I’ll share the more intricate details when we’re socializing in the evening.’ Of course, Guy ensures his clients experience the local culture in their downtime, from being cooked for by friendly villagers in Morocco, to camping by a remote lagoon in Egypt.
The guests – of all ages and nationalities – are bonded together as they pendulum from emotional stress to success. As Guy admits, it takes time and courage, even at his level: ‘Windsurfing on waves takes timing, positioning, tactics and knowledge. When I make a good move, it feels like 30 years of experience has arrived to get me to that point.’
“ Windsurfing is freedom. It’s limitless. You leave the beach and you leave it all behind.”
Guy Gribb