Hello again windsurfers!
It’s been nice and windy, but also cold… So congratulations to those that made it out, but we’re secretly convinced you’re crazy.
Anyway, on to this term! (Horrendously plagiarised from Gaelle’s email… Sorry Gaelle…)
- Varsity trip to Egypt, DAHAB!!! (March 20th-27th 2012)
- SWA event in Liverpool (March 9th-11th)
- Climbing social (sometime Hilary term)
- Nationals in Southampton (20th-22nd April)
- Committee handover
1. Varsity Trip to Egypt
Our friends at Cambridge have organised a trip to Dahab! This will involve a week of windsurfing from March 20th-27th in one of the best windsurfing spots in the world (and an all around beautiful location).Phil and Danielle will be instructing again, which is great news for those of us that know them already, and even better news for those that don’t.
It’ll cost you about £590 in total = £360 (for kit hire, accom, half-board, transport) + around £230 for flights (which you need to book yourself, contact Aidan for details).
It should be an amazing week for all windsurfers so if you are interested in coming along, check out the details sent from Cambridge president Aidan Hopkins (including details on how to secure your place, which you should do ASAP!!)
Where: Dahab
When: 20-27th March 2012
How much: £360
What do you get?!
- Kit Hire
- Accomodation
- Breakfast and Dinner
- Tuition from world class instructors
- Transfers
- Insurance
How do you get there?
You have to book your own flights: Easy Jet fly to Sharm El Sheik from Luton, we will be flying out on the evening of the 20th. Flights are currently £230, so book now!
How do you secure your place?!
Send me a £50 deposit RIGHT NOW to secure your place, be quick as we have limited numbers! It is going to be an amazing week of Oxford and Cambridge fun so get those deposits rolling in!! The method for paying deposits will follow shortly.
I have never windsurfed before in my life, can I still come?
Of course! Dahab is a great place where it is possible for any level to have fun. This trip is perfect for beginners as you will get a chance to learn this amazing sport in warm water and good conditions! Obviously, any semi-pros lurking out there are welcome too.
SO, get in touch with Aidan ASAP! Email him at : adh41@cam.ac.uk
2. SWA event in Liverpool
If you missed out on Aussie Kiss last term, we have an alternative weekend trip for you! From March 9th-11th, Liverpool Uni are hosting the first core Student Windsurfing Association event of the year. We hope to get a few of us together from Oxford and drive up to Liverpool on Friday 9th, stay at the house of one of the liverpool club committee members, windsurf on Saturday and Sunday, and have a big party on Saturday night. If you are keen to come along, it should be a great weekend! Also, a perfect excuse to get back on the water after a long winter & back in the windsurfing mode in time for Dahab!
Note from Mike: I’d definitely recommend this, there’s nothing worse than going on a windsurf holiday and having to spend the first 2 days remembering how to stand up on a board again…
Just a heads up: it is the last weekend of term though and we’ll get back on Sunday evening, so if you are in college accommodation do make sure you’ve sorted something out with your college.
Watch out for more info about the event on the SWA website (www.studentwindsurfing.co.uk), and I’ll be emailing about it again once the date approaches.
3. Climbing Social
Are you looking for a winter alternative to windsurfing? Why not rock climbing! We’ll be hitting the Oxford Brookes climbing wall sometime this term for a social climb followed by a well deserved pub stop. Access to the wall for the evening costs approx £7, we will supply some harnesses (but if you have one/have access to one then definitely bring it along) and you can hire climbing shoes (if I remember correctly they charge a fiver or something like that).
If you are keen to come to this, email Alice (social@ouwindsurf.org) so we can figure out numbers, coordinate with some climbers to get some expert belayers/instructors involved, etc. Also if you can climb/belay/have a harness that you wouldn’t mind donating for the evening, then do let us know!
4. BUCS/Nationals in Southampton (April 20th-22nd)
This is a big event, and the club definitely intends to show up in force at BUCS this year (and maybe go home with some trophies?! 
)!
)!Unlike your traditional SWA event, Nationals is a pretty big deal and there are some serious prizes to be won! Including brand new sails, boards, various bits of kit, and trips to Club Vass. We will drive down to Southampton (Calshot) on Friday afternoon and set up camp for the weekend. Everyone participates in racing on Saturday (there are divisions for beginners, intermediates and advanced so don’t worry, its really fun and friendly & you’ll be racing against people of similar ability), then on Sunday there are usually team races followed by prizes. And of course, there is the standard big fancy dress party on Saturday night
Now I know that April 20th-22nd is not the greatest of dates as this is the first weekend of term for us, but unfortunately as this is BUCS event we don’t have much of a choice! Do get in touch in you are keen though so I can start building up our team
5. Committee handover
It’s getting to that time of year when we need to start thinking about who will take over the club! Every considered running a student club? The current committee will be leaving at the end of April so we need you to take over from Trinity term!
If you have never run a club before don’t worry, its good fun & your opportunity to do what you want with it and bring new ideas to the floor. Also I’ll be in Oxford for a while (the joys of doing a PhD) so if you have any questions/problems I’ll be happy to help you out
The key positions up for grabs are: president, treasurer, social sec, and kit rep. Let me know if you are keen to get involved or if you want more information about what the positions entail!
Note from Mike: IT Rep is also clearly a key position… though generally absorbed into one of the others, since it only really involves posting things on here, and that’s easy enough now that anyone could do it!
So, an exciting term planned for all, with more details to come as we get them. Watch this space for more socials, more open days, more windsurfing, and information about the varsity competition!
Cheers all,
Mike
P.S. Whats the difference between a weasel and a stoat?
A weasel is weasily recognisable, since a stoat is stoatally different.