COMUNICATO STAMPA N. 08

WORLD FESTIVAL ON THE BEACH

PALERMO 15^TH OF MAY 2004
OFFICIAL SPEAKER OF THE WORLD FESTIVAL ON THE BEACH, PIETRO PORCELLA HAWAII AWAITING THE WORLD FESTIVAL ON THE BEACH AT MONDELLO MATT AND MIKE, THE WINDSURFING HISTORY IN MONDELLO

Even at Maui, in Hawaii, at the other end of the world everyone awaits the World Festival on the Beach.

Not just me, your historical speaker, I’ve never missed an edition from the middle of the 1980s and I can’t wait to get away from teaching at school here in Hawaii to dive into the transparent Sicilian sea and the warm Sicilian Sun, and go back to my home town Cagliari for a few days.

Who can’t wait to get to the other part of the world from here in the Pacific Ocean are two very special guests of the Albaria’s Windsurfing Club: Matt Schweitzer and Mike Waltze, who will alight the “Legend Race”.  They alone represent the first ten years of windsurfing history.  Matt Schweitzer isn’t only the inventor of the windsurf’s son (Hoyle Schweitzer) but was the first ever windsurfing champion before Robby Naish became known.  Matt has won more than 10 world titles (racing, slalom, free style and overall) from 1973 to1976 at the Windsurfer World Championships which was the only category which existed back then.  Even after the arrival of Robby Naish when the sport went towards the smaller boards and acrobats on the waves, Matt was the first champion of the “wave” beating Naish in the Maui Grand Prix in 1981.

His Athletic values were going strong from the begining of the 1990s and were increased by his perfect “windsurf spirit” interpretation.  His modesty, and respect for others and his love for the sea are Matt’s qualities, we’ll have a way to find more out from this great champion and from his with Shawneen (also ex athlete and windsurf model) during the intervals of the races in Mondello, talking with our micophones and going over a few pioneering episodes.

Mike Waltze “Matt’s Brother” is another of the protagonists of the windsurfing history  as well as being“the water man” with the most innovation.  First “King of Hookipa” Mike dominated the 1981 World Windsurfer Edition at Okinawa in Japan, winning in all his races straight after a typhoon that kept us closed in the house for two days (and allowed Klaus Maran and Manuela Mascia their first approach).  Mike then invented the wavesailing contest, strapsurfing, tow-in and jaws surfing, and now apart from being a film maker he’s the organizer of the “King of the Air” the most famous Kitesurfing world championships.  In Mondello we’ll find in the Legend Race a few protagonists from the pioneering years, like Jean Philippe Boghossian from France and many more. This year in the 19^th Edition other than the traditional olympic show  (we’re all with Riccardo Lion’s heart Giordano) there will be a jump back to the past with the first windsurfs.  For me, your humble speaker of the World Festival on the Beach it is an honour for me to come back to Mondello, this time with Matt and Mike, with a great piece of history from our sport. Greetings to unite our islands, celebrating with us Cagliari and Palermo that walk arm in arm to the first division.

I’ll see you in Mondello

Pietro Porcella