Baja 1999 or PWA – the living dream
Girmantas | Windsurfing | March 07, 2010
I found this video on youtube by accident. PWA O’Neill Wave Classic Baja at Punta San Carlos, Mexico. Old School! Single fin! Off-the-lip table-tops and the best riders of the world. Advocates. Sportsmen that brought windsurfing sport to the masses. Jason Polakow, Pritchard brothers Matt and Kevin, Nik Baker, Vidar Jensen, Francisco Goya, multi-time world champion Bjorn Dunkerbeck, youngster Levi Siver, Robby Seeger, Peter Volwater, Scott McKercher, “Irie Man” Brian Talma, Jason Stone and his brother Josh who’s style and personality was the most influential for me as a windsurfer. These are only few of 32 list on Baja Wave Classic starting fleet. Even today we hear those names quite often. Some of them are developing boards and sails, some of them are managing teams. One way or another – they are very important part of the sport.
On the other hand we can take a look at PWA as an organizer. An association that created a scene for pro riders. Altogether they brought windsurfing to the current level. What they did more than ten years ago was creative, impressive, attractive. 5-8 tour stops in Fiji, Baja, Western Australia and so on – even nowadays most of us are just dreaming to go there. The PWA tour was living a dream! But just take a look at 2010 event calendar. Only 3 wave events and two of them are held on the shores of the North sea. Have nothing against the North sea, but who would compare it to the blue Indian ocean waters?! If that wouldn’t be enough, PWA is blocking the development of the sport by forbidding association members to enter a “lower level” competitions. I do not know all of the underwater streams, but from the side that seems ridiculous. It shows that PWA perishes and is not able to be creative anymore. Three four years ago with Cabo Verde stop on the wave event calendar they regained some attention. But events like Fuerte Wave Classic, Lancelin Ocean Classic or (I’m not sure if it’ll happen) Wave Classic Invitational are taking over. The market sets the rules. If you don’t attract media attention – think about your destinations and formats. PWA – you can do better than that!
Here’s some old website with 1996-2000 PWA tour stop lists and press releases: http://www.sims-windsurfing.de/pwa/pwa.html It’s OUR history! 
Baja Wave Classic 1999 video:
Gonna travel through Baja in April, welcome to join me!
