Tushingham encourage youngsters to use the F-word......

Freestyle! - Kids Freestyle Festival

Rutland Water - Sat 27th & Sun 28th October 2007

Windsurfing is a diverse sport and here in the UK there's a fantastic structure for youngsters to race at grass roots through Team 15, right up to international standard. But speak to the younger sailors (even some top racers) and it's clear to see there's a really strong desire amongst them to try freestyle at their clubs all across the country. Despite this, not every Team 15 club has a coach trained in freestyle so for many young windsurfers there is only coaching available for racing.

The weekend of 27th and 28th October will see a new type of event to the UK, organised by people with a passion for freestyle. The Rutland Freestyle Festival will offer youngsters the opportunity to develop their skills in the sport's most creative and expressive discipline. Furthermore, top coach Jim Collis, who developed the RYA's freestyle coaching scheme for Team 15, will teach the grown ups how to coach freestyle effectively.

All the coaches who attend will return home with the skills to guide the youngsters on their way to learning all manner of spins and twists. They don't need to be freestyle hotshots to help the younger generation flourish! Many relatively basic non-planing moves are the foundations of radical stunts performed by the top riders on the PWA World Tour and Jim will show how best to exploit the huge potential of the younger generation.

Several top professional riders, including Freestyle Champion Andy "Bubble" Chambers, will be on hand to give expert advice on many aspects of freestyle and show off the very latest big moves! The event will teach about freestyle in a fun and exciting manner giving everyone a new set of skills to work on and a bunch of goodies from sponsors Animal, Starboard and Tushingham.

• Camping available overnight and refreshments available at the centre.
• The latest demo kit from Starboard and Tushingham plus Turfdog land boards will be on offer.
• Simply turn up at Rutland Watersports, Whitwell on the Saturday, Sunday or both! The event is open to all under-18's and coaches.
• Cost is just the Rutland launch fee!

More details will be released on the Tushingham website and you can e-mail windsurfing@tushingham.com with any questions.

For info about sailing at Rutland Water, call Rutland Watersports on 01780 460154

So..... don't forget the important dates for your diary - 27th & 28th October - at RUTLAND WATER!