OLD SCHOOL WINDSURFING.COM

“No waves needed.” Here’s the story about how I inadvertently helped bring the windsurfer to Europe. To those who don’t know me, you could say, in windsurfing geologic time, that I’m from the prehistory phase of the sport.

The Early Days

Let’s go back to 1970, when there were about 50 windsurfers in the entire United States. Here’s a video from 1972-73 in Alameda’s Bay, Long Beach. I was there at the beginning.

Recognition and Innovation

Let me explain how long ago that was. When all the glamour guys and gals were just discovering our sport in 1981, I was being awarded the sport’s first North American Masters Trophy at the Winter for Class North American Championships in Grand Haven, Michigan. I was already out to pasture, having been the sport’s first champion nearly ten years earlier.

The DuPont Cover Impact

I had always heard the lore of how that DuPont cover was the spark that started the explosion in Europe, but I was never sure. In the process of reviewing old magazines, Carla came across a 1982 article. Modern technology allowed us to translate into English, and sure enough, the article authenticates the lore of the DuPont cover. I was already in possession of an article from Windsurfing International Magazine, 1975.

The Story Confirmed

Written by English-speaking Swiss Alex Mauthner, also telling the story about the DuPont cover bringing windsurfing to Europe. So now, it was corroborated. Hoyle Schweitzer wanted me to do a photo shoot at the Malibu Pier the day before my Santa Barbara wedding. The date was March 20th, 1970. A photographer was atop the pier, shooting Hoyle Schweitzer and me down below. I was on Baja rig number 25, and he was on number 10.

Surprising Recognition

Seventeen months later, much to my surprise, I was on the cover of DuPont’s industrial magazine that had worldwide distribution. In my opinion, Martin Spanjer’s great “aha” moment upon laying eyes on the DuPont cover for the first time was the total concept of a guy on a surfboard, at speed, on flat water, captioned with, ‘No waves needed.’

Personal Memorabilia

I gave a copy of this DuPont magazine to some close friends. They, in turn, gave me a gift of two giant posters of this magazine cover of me, where the original words said, ‘windsurfing, no waves needed.’ They changed it to, ‘Bruce Matlack, national champion.’ In big bold letters at the top left was printed, ‘windsurfing nationals.’ They gave me two of these poster boards. One of which I gave to Hoyle, and the other I kept and still have.

The First Nationals

And then, sure enough, the first nationals became reality, several months later, in Mission Bay, California. I went on to win this first 1972 windsurfing national championship, as well as do a repeat the next year, in 1973, when the U.S. nationals were combined with the first world championships.

Conclusion

So, this concludes my story of windsurfing’s prehistory involving the famous DuPont magazine issue of August 1971, with my image and sail number 25 on the cover. Stay tuned for more stories of the history of windsurfing from the very early prehistory.