Interview of Tiffany Ward
Using a profile method, can you describe yourself on a physical and a psychological point of view?
What makes you better than the average?
I don't think I'm better than anyone. But what makes me different is my aggressive style and attitude as well as my positive out look on life in general. I think the biggest difference or average I have over most is my balls... I'm pretty fearless when it came to big waves or just going for it. Sometimes that kind of attitude can bit me in the ass and I end up paying the price but I love the rush I get.... To me that's what it all about. Go big or go home, "pretty much"...
What does windsurf brought you?
Windsurfing has given me an outlet for physical and mental expression. Windsurfing is my time to meditate and rejuvenate my soul. I feel super relax and refreshed after sailing. After a long day of work all I want to do is snap slap some waves and twist some sick flip's. On a professional level windsurfing has allowed me to travel world and experience new locations, foods, friends as well as culture's. Windsurfing has become a lifestyle not just a sport or pass time, I live, eat and breath it... I'm love'n every minute of it...
Do you think owing something to this sport ?
I think anyone who's made it in the industry as a professional windsurfer definitely owes something to the future generations. If we as professional don't inspirer and help the up and coming than how can our sport grow. To give something back to the sport is one of my main goals.... With out all the young guns pushing the limits, our sport will never reach it's true potential... My dream for windsurfing is to be able to have the same success that surfing has had... Windsurfing is such a gear intensive sport that it takes a lot of time and technique to master the liquid half pipe... Kelly slatter's effortless style should be a goal for every windsurfer and surfer.
Do you consider creating your own brand?
I would love to doing my own sails serious call the "69 serious" Super light but durable with extra flare. My Board line would be call "The Sassy lass or the Stiffler shape by Al Merric or Mark Nelson"... It would be double concave with a constant curve... Built for speed and comfort...
For you, when did windsurf stopped being a simple leisure to become a real passion?
It always been a passion. I come from a long line of windsurfer's, who live to sail and didn't care if their little girl was suck on the beach for hours. I can say that when I started windsurfing professionally, it took on a different meaning. Traveling for one, is hard work and takes some serious skills... Lugging 3 to 4 hugh board bags half way across the world and back isn't an easy task.. Neither is dealing with airline rep's, over sized baggage fee's, customs, connecting flight and lost equipment... Windsurfing has become a job for sure but I'm not mad about it. It's hard to love dragging all your equipment from comp to comp. Hopefully getting wind and waves but when every thing works out the rewards are amazing and very for filling . I'm not a 9 to 5 kinda gal so I'll definitely take windsurfing as a job...
Do you think it's hard to become a professional windsurfer? And why?
Good question.. It seems like there are two types of people in windsurfing, The TFer's ( trust funders) & average Joe's. Traveling 6 month out the year is a hard thing to do if you do have super good sponsorship to pay for it.. The prize money at this point just doesn't cover the expenses. Women definitely have an easier time finding sponsorship because there's half as many women as there is men that do it as a profession. Just like with any sport you have to self yourself and all your skills, making your package deal look better than anyone else... So the answer to your question is yes, it's hard but if it wasn't everyone would be sponsored...
Competitions' organization isn't very good, what's your opinion regarding this?
The PWA is a good organization but they just need to change up the locations and format a bit. It would be great to have official judges and instanced electronic scoring for all the events like they do in surfing. The World is a big places and there a lot of place with wind and waves. If anything the PWA needs to branch out to new locations and media's. I'm sure they would say that they don't have the money to do that but anything possible... Where there's a will there's a way... Fiji, Tahiti, Cape Verde, & AW, all super sick local for comp's and that just a few spots...
In soccer, seasons are overloaded, is it the case in windsurf?
Yes, but not as intense as soccer... There are only four waves comp per year that nothing compared to freestyle or racing. I only do waves so for me it very limited but for those who do waves, freestyle and race it's a very busy year.
Will windsurf came back to his golden age or will it stay a summer sport?
Oh it's come back alright, it just might take some time. Windsurfing is one of those sports that you can do from the age 5 to 95. Look at surfing and soccer, they been around for decades but just recently have they taken to the main stream media allowing the World to embrace and experience what they have to offer. There are a lot of up and coming kids like Kai lenny who I believe will be able to bring back our sport to the golden age and perhaps to a whole new level. To me that's why it so important to push the young guns, their the future of our sport...
What wish would you have to improve windsurf?
Well it would be nice to be able to watch windsurfing on ESPN and other major sport channel's.. I would love to see more waves comp in new sick locations with some big time sponsors. More prize money and maybe another World cup tour. Also its so expensive to start windsurfing if you have to buy all the gear. In an ideal World it would great if equipment was half as expensive as it is now. Manufacture's wouldn't worry about profit because there would such an high demand for product... You could have a custom board made for $800 or less... Now that would be amazing...
What would be the best innovation in windsurf equipment?
- Sleeker, sexier, stronger equipment that's easier to rig. Maybe a pop up sail, kinda like thou's camping tints that just pop up, ready to go.
- Super light but durable equipment bags that were self guiding hover craft's.
- One size fits all boards that you could change the amount of volume by adding or releasing pressure...
- Bathing suit bottoms that didn't get dammed up your butt every time you tried a tick or land funny.
- Portable wave machine that could turn any windy beach into an epic liquid half pipe.
Freestyle session, write whatever you want.
Maybe in another life...
Stif for airjibe.com