windsurfing

windsurfing also called boardsailing or sailboarding, water sport that employs a board-and-sail device and combines elements of sailing and surfing. The sport was developed in the United States during the 1960s by the Californians Jim Drake, a sailor, and Hoyle Schweitzer, a surfer, and became popular in the 1970s. Essentially, a sailboard is much like a surfboard to which a sail has been attached by a universal joint, thus allowing full manual movement of the sail. By standing on the rudderless board and maneuvering the sail the windsurfer harnesses wind and wave to glide along the water's surface. The sport spread rapidly from California, throughout the United States and North America, Europe, and Australia. There is variation in modern sailboards; they now generally range from 8 to 12 ft (2 to 4 m) and weigh between 15 and 40 lbs (7 to 18 kg); some have attained speeds of over 40 knots. Types of modern windsurfing include racing, freestyle, slalom, and wave sailing, with competitions held throughout the world. The sport has been an Olympic event since 1984, and has had separate contests for men and women since 1992. Kitesurfing is a variation on windsurfing that emerged in Hawaii in the 1990s; in it, a parachutelike airfoil (the "kite" ) and a board are used and aerial maneuvers are performed.

wind·surf·ing / ˈwindˌsərfing/ • n. the sport or pastime of riding on water on a sailboard. DERIVATIVES: wind·surf v.