PWA Announces Windsurfing Hall of Fame Top Seven

The first round of votes are in for the Inaugural PWA Windsurfing Hall of

Fame. There were 64 nominations in total. The PWA would like to thank the

selection committee for their very informed choices.

 

We have taken the top 7 nominees and sent them back to our selection

committee for the final voting. They will make their final choice of 3 names

who will be inducted into Windsurfing Hall of Fame for 2002. The results

will be announced at a later date.

 

The top 7 nominees for 2002 Windsurfing Hall of Fame, they are as follows

(alphabetical order):

 

Jim Drake, Robby Naish, Arnaud de Rosnay, Hoyle Schweitzer, Barry Spanier, Mike Waltze and Ken Winner.

 

 


PWA Announces Windsurfing Hall of Fame Top Seven


The first round of votes are in for the Inaugural PWA Windsurfing Hall of


Fame.


Friday May 31, 2002



The first round of votes are in for the Inaugural PWA Windsurfing Hall of


Fame. There were 64 nominations in total. The PWA would like to thank the


selection committee for their very informed choices.



We have taken the top 7 nominees and sent them back to our selection


committee for the final voting. They will make their final choice of 3 names


who will be inducted into Windsurfing Hall of Fame for 2002. The results


will be announced at a later date.



The top 7 nominees for 2002 Windsurfing Hall of Fame, they are as follows


(alphabetical order):



Jim Drake


Robby Naish


Arnaud de Rosnay


Hoyle Schweitzer


Barry Spanier


Mike Waltze


Ken Winner



(You may notice a predominantly high percentage of US citizens in the top


seven Hall of Fame nominations. This is primarily due to the fact that in


the days of windsurfings infancy the US was at the forefront of windsurfing


invention and subsequent development. Nowadays it is a truly worldwide sport


and we are sure, in years to come we will see a more global representation


of our windsurfing heroes.)




JIM DRAKE


FATHER OF WINDSURFING. On May 15 1967 in Marina del Rey, California, Jim


took the first step on the first windsurfer that he designed and built in


his Santa Monica garage.


Born 38 years earlier in Hollywood, California, he


graduated from Stanford University to become an aeronautical engineer for


what was then called North American Aviation. His carrier took him to the


Pentagon, the Rand Corporation and lastly R and D Associates, a technical


studies firm he help found. He, with help of course, developed the first


designs of what became the X-15, the B-70 and the cruise missile. Now


retired, he still consults with the Pentagon but more importantly with


Starboard where the concept of the ultra-wide short board, known as the


Formula, was born. He and his late wife, Wendy, bore six children. He and


his second wife, Sam, have between them eight children and six-teen


grandchildren. They now live in North Carolina but travel frequently to


Bangkok, Paris, Rome and Hawaii in pursuit of his technical infatuation with


water borne, wind powered sports.




ROBBY NAISH


Born 23rd March 1963. Living Legend? He is the true windsurfing ambassador.


Robby has won multiple world titles over the years (world champion 1983-91).


He is still pushing the limits of windsurfing today with new moves like the


"table top push loop". Robby has shown us time and time again what it takes


to be a consummate professional. Robby Naish is also owns of Naish


International _ manufactures of Windsurfing and Kitesurfing equipment.


Overall World Champion 1983-87 (Pre PWA)








ARNAUD DE ROSNAY


The adventurer. Arnaud de Rosnay was ahead of his time, a man with vision,


not afraid to take risks. He was the forerunner to all traveling


windsurfers, he showed us the freedom and possibilities windsurfing can


bring to us all and will always be remembered.


Arnaud_s official website: arnaud.derosnay.com











HOYLE SCHWEITZER


Born April 8 1933, Los Angeles, Ca. Graduated Pomona College, B.A.


Economics, 1955. Married to Diane Pardue.


Hoyle co-developed the sailboard with James Drake in 1967. He is known as


the man who brought windsurfing to the masses. He manufactured the


Windsurfer and was the first to promote one design racing. Hoyle will always


be known as the joint inventor of the windsurfer and the man who brought


windsurfing into the public eye. He is now retired and living in Maui and


Georgian Bay, Canada.








BARRY SPANIER


Born July 30th 1946. Barry Spanier is renowned throughout the world of


windsurfing and beyond as one of the greatest and most innovative sail and


equipment designers, having created many ground breaking prototypes and


quantum leaps for this progressive industry.


Over the years the sails that Barry has developed and designed have been


used by hundreds of thousands of recreational sailors and professional


sports people alike, with equal ease.


From speed sailing and course racing, to the wild and wide requirements of


successfully completing freestyle and wave maneuver's, Barry's attention to


refinement and sail details ensure that every discipline is developed to its


utmost premium.




MIKE WALTZE


The first person to sail a short board? Mike is widely recognized as holding


this title, he attached a sail to a surfboard (Ken Winner was also there


that day). By taking this momentous step he changed the sport of windsurfing


forever. We could say he took "One small step for himself and one giant leap


for Windsurfing!" Mike also brought Hookipa to the windsurfing world by


being the first guy to sail it. Mike Waltze now owns his own film production


company and is a professional waterman. Mike was also a very competitive


windsurfer winning the mistral worlds and placing in the top three in all


National one design events from 1970 -1981.


First person to win all 3 disciplines at windsurfer worlds in Okinawa freestyle, racing, slalom.


Mike has two girls age 4 and 6.





KEN WINNER


Former windsurfing world champion.


Born May 4th, 1955, He has lived in Hood River, Oregon, USA for the last


fourteen years. Ken has been involved in windsurfing since 1975 and has


participated in many aspects of the sport and business. He built the first


adjustable boom _ a feature found on virtually all windsurfers. He also


designed the Mistral WindGlider, the biggest-selling sailing craft in the


world. He built the first foot-adjustable mast track _ a feature found on


most longboards and all Olympic boards. All in all Ken Winner has made a


significant contribution to the sport of windsurfing. Ken now designs Kites


for the North. First place overall at Windsurfer World Championships 1977, 1980.


Ranked 2nd on the World Cup 1983, 1984