Patrick Vergeron - Oxbow Ride The Sky Update

http://www.windsurfjournal.com/article,news,oxbow-ride-the-sky--patrick-bergeron,270

ENGLISH VERSION AS SENT TO WINDSURF JOURNAL

What do you think about the Oxbow Ride The Sky event, this new
windsurfing concept ?

I absolutely LOVE the concept!... To me, there is nothing more fun
than seeing a large set brewing on the outside, catching a big gust
and gathering as much speed as possible while looking at the waves
build, seeing the wall dress up in front, the anticipation of whether
or not you'll make it in time. Then, when all the planets line up,
the feeling of having all that horizontal speed go vertical, of
leaving your stomach behind and then having everything go completely
silent around you while you get the best viewpoint in the place is the
best, the closest thing to time standing still! In such, I am and
have always been a big fan of the jumping dimension of windsurfing,
after all, it's a 3-dimensional sport and jumps are a great way to
bring our sport in the public's eye; jumps always get the loudest
"ooohs" and "aaaahs" by onlookers on the Hookipa hill. So I think it's
only time the jumps get more focus and some much deserved attention
and everyone is quite pumped.

What will be your preparation for this event, special training,
special equipment, special balls ?

I think all the sailors in this event are some of the most outstanding
the sport has ever known; Robby, Jason, Keith and cie are names I used
to know only as pictures in magazines when I was a kid growing up in
the winters of eastern Canada, then Kauli, Brawzinho and many more
have simply revolutionized the sport in recent years. So personally,
I'm just glad to have such an opportunity to participate in such an
event to begin with. Training, we've been sailing for a month
straight. Gear, If the waves are on the small side, guys on slalom
gear might be at an advantage for big jumps, but not for the trick
category obviously. If the waves are on the bigger side and the wind
is very strong, I think it becomes somewhat of a moot point; any way
you look at it, a lot of this somewhat rides on luck to have the right
timing on a set wave at the right tenth of a second with the right
gust, so it can be anyone's luck. All of this said, personally I'm
thinking mainly of trying to get set up with gear I know and go out
there and just enjoy myself above all else. Balls; growing up in
Canada until my mid-twenties, one thing Hockey has taught me is you
have to protect them, and I'll leave it at that...

Boujmaa Guilloul did last year a jump at 62 feet high, what are your
ambitions this year ?

Boujmaa is probably one of the best jumpers the sport has ever known,
the modern-day Robert Teritehau and any jump above 60 feet is a VERY
respectable jump! Jumps in the 40 foot range are somewhat common on
good jumping days, anything close or above sixty feet is usually
pretty outstanding, so it will be a tall order to beat, but with the
right conditions and in the context of a jumping event such as this
one, not to forget the best sailors known to the sport, I think
anything is possible. Everyone will be pumped to the max,
testosterone will be flying high and if we get the right conditions,
Hookipa will look like pop corn in a red-hot pan. This will
definitely be a crowd-pleaser and hopefully it pushes windsurfing to
new heights, litterally! If there is one thing windsurfing has really
taught me above all else, it's to never say never, sky will be the
limit...