On Sunday July 9th BABA teamed up with several other sponsors to hold the 5th Mayo Beach Fun Fest. Low 80 degree temperatures and low humidity made it a perfect day at Mayo beach watching ships and yachts on the bay, a new family of osprey and lots of first time windsurfers and stand-up paddlers.
This year we had over 70 Fun Fest registrants and drop-ins with 22 people participating in Taste of Windsurfing. We were happy to meet a lot of new watersport enthusiasts from all over the world!
The squirrely, light off-shore wind along with some mild chop presented a challenge that Fun Fest participants met with enthusiasm – accomplishing dry up-hauls, 180 degree turns and sailing off to the horizon with BABA in-water mentors bouncing along in waste deep water to keep up. A special thanks to Daphne Lathouras and Mark Sarrasin who organized the Taste of Windsurfing activity and taught the lessons and to all of the in-water teachers.
Mark Bandy from East of Maui joined us again this year offering free SUP demos and different boards to try. Many of the participants took advantage of the opportunity for the first time and had a blast.
Steve Uthoff organized our first mixed fleet (windsurfer and then SUP) relay race with a simple off-shore gate course and relay exchanges inside the stone breakwaters. Team Steve took the honors with team Mark coming in 2nd. We should definitely do this again!
Thanks to all of our co-sponsors who made this event possible:
- Baltimore Area Boardsailing Association http://www.windsurfbaba.org/
- East of Maui http://www.eastofmauiboardshop.com/
- Outdoor Architects http://www.outdoorarchitects.com/landscape/default.aspx
- In Partnership with – Anne Arundel County Recreation and Parks.
And a special thanks to all of the BABA member who volunteered to setup, handle registration, feed us, mix up lots of lemonade and ice tea, provide equipment for on-land and in-the-water windsurfing tastes, organize a relay race, … and in short make it all happen:
- Ann Jackson and Mike McCormick
- Charles Lorenzetti
- Christophe Waerzeggers and Rebecca Millar
- Dan Fenstermacher & Tawann Jackson
- Daphne Lathouras
- Dave Iseri
- Eddie and Uyen Murawski
- Eugene and Becky Belongay
- Haiging Zhao
- Helen Van Gelder and Bill Anderson
- Jane Rigby
- Janice Emerling
- Maureen and Albert Pritchard
- Mark and Jennifer Storch
- Mark Sarrasin
- Steve & Tracy Uthoff
After many years as a BABA member, it is still fun to get together with BABA friends and to share our fun sport together and with new enthusiasts.
Mike McCormick
