Wanting Advisors for PWA

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Created by

JaneS > 9 months ago, 27 May 2024

JaneS

51 posts

27 May 2024 6:39pm

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Wanting Professionals To Help Advise The Global Sport Of Windsurfing
We're seeking Expressions of Interest from experienced professionals to become volunteer advisors to the PWA (Professional Windsurfing Association) Management Board. Our sport needs significant strategic change at a global level to help it grow, and we want some strategic, experienced professionals to help guide us in what we need to do.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to give back to a sport you love, or to really build your professional career by holding a Management Board advisory role and helping to drive significant strategic change. You'll also get to meet and work alongside windsurf industry brands, professional riders and other passionate professionals from all corners of the world.

We're specifically looking for volunteer people who have at least 10 years professional experience in any one of the following specific areas of expertise.

CEO/Leadership/Strategic Change. Windsurfing as a global sport really needs some fresh leadership and advice from people who can help to guide or drive strategic change.
Finance. We'd love someone with an accounting background to help oversee the finances, improve our financial processes and help us find efficiencies in our spend.
Global PR. We hold visually spectacular, exciting events that probably don't receive as much PR coverage around the world as they should. There's always limited funds, but we need help to find new, efficient ways to deliver global PR outcomes in the modern world.
Legal. A commercial lawyer could help advise us on our structure, subcontractor arrangements and event contracts.
Sponsorship/grants. Do you have a successful track record in securing major event sponsorship, or do you somehow have a good network of potential contacts where you can get a foot in the door for windsurfing sponsorship?
Junior/Women's Sports Development. We're quite new to these areas, so someone who has experience at developing and implementing programs and sourcing founding for them would be ideal.

Your Tasks We're wanting smart experienced people to help advise the sport and we want to listen to your advice. We're not expecting you to do work that is normally paid, just help guide and steer us. Specifically, it would be very much appreciated if you were able to participate in a strategic planning session, and then also sit on a relevant sub-committee that advises the Management Board on topics relating to your area of expertise. You'd also be welcome to attend online Board meetings if you wanted. It's also possible that some of these roles may turn into permanent, voting board member positions. We conduct everything online given existing board members are spread throughout the world.

How To Apply
Provide a one-page Expression of Interest to advisorspwa@gmail.com by 30 June outlining
- Which area of expertise you specialise in and how many years of experience do you have working in that area

- Why you want to become an advisor in windsurfing
- Your relevant experience that will help you provide solid, strategic advice for the sport of windsurfing.
- Your name, phone and email contact details
- Where you are based (town, state, country).

Please include your CV as an additional attachment.

We'll review the applications during July and be in touch with more questions if we think you might be a good fit.
Thank you for your consideration to help our incredible sport.

JaneS

51 posts

19 Jun 2024 10:30am

This is now live on the PWA site - in the news section.

Chris 249

NSW

3531 posts

19 Jun 2024 9:30pm

The funny thing is that some qualified professional advisers, like the pro windsurfer turned university professor, would point out that part of the problem is the very reason that the PWA chooses that sort of photograph.

ptsf1111

506 posts

19 Jun 2024 7:41pm

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Chris 249 said..
... part of the problem is the very reason that the PWA chooses that sort of photograph.

Can you elaborate? What is the issue with the photos or the relationship with PWA "problems"?

sheddweller

278 posts

19 Jun 2024 8:46pm

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ptsf1111 said..

Chris 249 said..
... part of the problem is the very reason that the PWA chooses that sort of photograph.

Can you elaborate? What is the issue with the photos or the relationship with PWA "problems"?

I'll give it a go.
"Professional " windsurfing dissapeared up it's own arse some time ago.
The continually more extreme, faster higher bigger waves more technical imagery and emphasis by the pwa and it's industry partners is directly responsible for the low participation rates in the sport.
The problem now is that those still windsurfing are the self selecting group that respond and responded to what windsurfing is now. We are at the limit of those people. If you want more participation you need a fundamental change in emphasis.
To be fair to the pwa at least they are asking for help. It remains to be seen if they will listen to the answers

curac

1160 posts

20 Jun 2024 4:45am

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sheddweller said..

ptsf1111 said..

Chris 249 said..
... part of the problem is the very reason that the PWA chooses that sort of photograph.

Can you elaborate? What is the issue with the photos or the relationship with PWA "problems"?

that's dumb

ptsf1111

506 posts

20 Jun 2024 6:29am

I can see where you're coming from but I think windsurfing is an extreme sport so imo it makes sense. Look at the Red Bull air races, even more extreme footage for promotion and those events are packed with people so I'm not sure if the photos would turn people off from visiting events. Guess that is important for PWA and to less extent how many people take on the sport. Might look pretty lame if they imaginary with beginner sailors for a pro event. That said, it can have both where in the days before the pro event, local beginners and hobby sailors can participate in events, fun races, teaching/coaching etc. That could have the both of best worlds.

I personally like that we're pushing the boundaries and the more extreme the better. See how exciting the foil slalom can be compared to fin slalom. I love wave sailing but watching it there's not a lot of action.

Mark _australia

23526 posts

20 Jun 2024 7:18am

I guess the suggestion is the PWA should have average Joes, everyone on secondhand gear, and a ribbon for every participant saying "I ran a race"

Ben1973

1008 posts

20 Jun 2024 8:15am

It needs to go back to being fun. Maybe a bit cheaper would also help.
its been said before but events like wave slalom are so much more fun to watch, slalom racing now is dull compared to the late 90's, it like f1 racing vs rally.

ptsf1111

506 posts

20 Jun 2024 9:06am

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Ben1973 said..
slalom racing now is dull compared to the late 90's, it like f1 racing vs rally.

Wow, have you watched any of the foil races last season? It's nothing like the fin slalom and anything but dull, riders on the edge with a foil that can explode any second. I find that super exciting to watch. Let's see what the SlalomX brings us this year, it will make fin slalom probably more fun to watch too.

jusavina

QLD

1494 posts

20 Jun 2024 11:56am

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Mark _australia said..
I guess the suggestion is the PWA should have average Joes, everyone on secondhand gear, and a ribbon for every participant saying "I ran a race"

That has already been done, it's the Windsurfer Lt class and is hugely popular.

Maddlad

925 posts

20 Jun 2024 11:20am

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ptsf1111 said..

Ben1973 said..
slalom racing now is dull compared to the late 90's, it like f1 racing vs rally.

100% agree with this. The recent racing with both discplines combined was awesome in my opinion, especially with the drone and water based shots which made it exciting. Im not looking forward to fin only races where the 5 guys who didnt get a good start bail at the first gybing mark in the hope the race gets cancelled and re run later so they can get a better result.

catchmeifucan

73 posts

20 Jun 2024 3:22pm

you don't become a professional windsurfer just to have fun. You become a professional windsurfer to be able to make a living and push yourself to compete with the best there is. The objective of the PWA is to bring value and attract money to the sport so professional riders can also earn a living, have you looked at the prize money they are getting?! Not even enough to cover their costs. But also sponsors need to see value for their money. It doesn't help when there are events and only couple of hundred people, who are windsurfers are watching in a world of 7 billion people. Most of us do it for the love of the sport. That love will not save the sport in a world of money. I hope they find the right people and give it the status it deserves so more people can experience the positive impact of this great sport.
And for the rest of us keep WINDSURFING! and don't forget to support your favourite Windsurfing shop every bit helps.

sheddweller

278 posts

20 Jun 2024 8:50pm

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sheddweller said..

The problem now is that those still windsurfing are the self selecting group that respond and responded to what windsurfing is now. We are at the limit of those people. If you want more participation you need a fundamental change in emphasis.

Like i said above.
I dont expect many people in this forum to agree with me, we are by definition part of the self selecting group that likes windsurfing as it is. Trouble is there are only about 5 of us left in the world, everyone else has chosen to do other stuff.

The PWA advert above directly asks for guidance in "growing the sport", I understood this to mean increasing participation.

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catchmeifucan said..
you don't become a professional windsurfer just to have fun. You become a professional windsurfer to be able to make a living and push yourself to compete with the best there is. The objective of the PWA is to bring value and attract money to the sport so professional riders can also earn a living, have you looked at the prize money they are getting?! Not even enough to cover their costs. But also sponsors need to see value for their money. It doesn't help when there are events and only couple of hundred people, who are windsurfers are watching in a world of 7 billion people. Most of us do it for the love of the sport. That love will not save the sport in a world of money. I hope they find the right people and give it the status it deserves so more people can experience the positive impact of this great sport.
And for the rest of us keep WINDSURFING! and don't forget to support your favourite Windsurfing shop every bit helps.

It gets exactly the status it deserves. It is a niche sport practiced by not very many people. If you want more status get more participants.

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Mark _australia said..
I guess the suggestion is the PWA should have average Joes, everyone on secondhand gear, and a ribbon for every participant saying "I ran a race"

Not from me, i feel the PWA should be the pinnacle of the sport. It would be worthy of being a pinnacle if the pyramid it is built on is of a decent size. It is not. As far as i can see there isn't a pyramid at all, more of a splat.

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ptsf1111 said..

Ben1973 said..
slalom racing now is dull compared to the late 90's, it like f1 racing vs rally.

Paint drying. Simply none of the sail racing classes are particularly good spectator sports , unless you already have an interest, see earlier self selecting point, so get more participants and you will get more spectators. I do not believe that watching foil racing will bring any more participants.

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Ben1973 said..
It needs to go back to being fun. Maybe a bit cheaper would also help.
its been said before but events like wave slalom are so much more fun to watch, slalom racing now is dull compared to the late 90's, it like f1 racing vs rally.

Amen to that.

Subsonic

3384 posts

20 Jun 2024 10:26pm

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sheddweller said..

ptsf1111 said..

Ben1973 said..
slalom racing now is dull compared to the late 90's, it like f1 racing vs rally.

very much the contrary.

Windsurfing and some of the other sailing classes are excellent spectator sports, and that's not speaking from the strong bias of being an avid windsurfer/sailor. Watching the cricket, and to a lesser degree football has much more in common with watching paint dry. You watch a PWA slalom race, it has everything going for it so far as spectating goes. It's a brief, high speed race, and the layout is very easy for a layman to understand. There's plenty of action occurring between the start line and finish line too, and footage is just getting better and better.

What you did get right though, windsurfing is niche, too niche. And it's not ever going to be anything other than niche. Sports like football, and cricket have such a great following because they have a great amount of historic value behind them. They were the everyman sports of yester year. You could/can head to the local park, and hit/kick a ball around. That's all you need. And that grew into following the local teams as they went further into competition, spectating etc. they are actually boring as Batsh!t to watch, but they have progressively developed an almost cult like following of nation wide fans across the country despite that.

that is what we as wind sport enthusiasts will forever be trapped by. Our sport is much harder to get into than the more basic sports, so despite how exciting it is to watch, it will never carry the mass following that some other sports enjoy.

all we can hope for is that it can continue to hold enough of a following to remain viable.

catchmeifucan

73 posts

21 Jun 2024 12:01am

Reading all your comments is making me depressed! Maybe I'm a believer, but I do think if you have the right people behind it can be popular again. And recognising that you need to do something about it is the first step in the right direction. Just keep Windsurfing/foiling it will get better they will figure it out. There is wind tomorrow for foil :-)

sheddweller

278 posts

21 Jun 2024 12:34am

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Subsonic said..

sheddweller said..

ptsf1111 said..

Ben1973 said..
slalom racing now is dull compared to the late 90's, it like f1 racing vs rally.

The numbers spectating sailing are dismal.
How many people watch the Americas cup? Me and about 5 other people worldwide, less than turn out to watch a third tier soccer match. How many people watch windsurf racing?
Delusion is not helpful to the pwa, and is probably why they are asking for outside help. It is actually great that they have asked.

aeroegnr

1747 posts

21 Jun 2024 12:50am

Sailing always seemed to be more of a participant sport than spectating.

If you're lucky enough to live next to a sailing club, it's possible to get on a sailboat having no clue and just have a fun time with some people in a little club race.

Luckily, there have been some local races kick off (non-PWA longboard mostly), but they are irregular and advertised poorly. The biggest barrier is equipment not being there for people to just try if they wanted to.

Every now and then a stray passerby will come and ask us what we are doing and how to do it. The local shop can help some as they have lessons but it's not a permanent setup, just showing up a trailer and no facilities. It was far more convenient in europe where they had a windsurf rental place next to a restaurant/bar and you could sail and then grab a beer after and talk to people if you wanted to. I wish it were more popular with more permanent rentals set up in the good areas here but it's not quite there.

Gestalt

QLD

14722 posts

21 Jun 2024 8:28am

Love the pwa, love the iwt, efpt, the vlogs, the blogs and every piece of footage I can watch.

Don't want the comps dumbed down to my level unless they are comps for people at my level. Watching the competitors push the limits, race on the edge and Rip **** apart is inspiring

azuli

QLD

368 posts

21 Jun 2024 8:48am

What is the mission statement / vision of the PWA these days? I couldn't find it on their website.
Seems to me it has become less relevant with the rise in popularity of Wingfoils, IQFoils, LTs, etc.
Their Ad states "We're seeking expressions of interest from experienced professionals to become volunteer advisors to the PWA Management Board."
Perhaps they need to extend their search beyond ex Pro Windsurfers to people with experience in sports promotion, marketing and entrepreneur skills and take learnings from other sports that have managed to reinvent their leading bodies to increase participation and relevance.
The PWA Website about page states:
"The PWA organize and sanction professional events, make new rules for the sport, help promote grass roots growth, strengthen the bonds of friendship between existing associations, classes and disciplines of windsurfing and to provide support and services for all windsurfers."
I'm not sure how it is promoting grass roots growth, or strengthening the bonds between existing associations, classes and disciplines of windsurfing to provide support and services for all windsurfers - As its focus seems to be on wave and slalom and heavily influenced by selected industry brands.
The IWA states its role is to "Unite, assist and serve" and lists similar roles to the PWA statement above, so its not clear to me how they work together on doing this, but the IWA appears to include a wider range of existing associations, classes, such as IQFoil, Raceboards, Techno etc.
www.internationalwindsurfing.com/userfiles/documents/What_is_IWA.pdf

Just my 2c worth

sheddweller

278 posts

21 Jun 2024 7:00am

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Gestalt said..
Love the pwa, love the iwt, efpt, the vlogs, the blogs and every piece of footage I can watch.

Don't want the comps dumbed down to my level unless they are comps for people at my level. Watching the competitors push the limits, race on the edge and Rip **** apart is inspiring

Yes
But
There is no money.
There is no money to pay professional windsurfers.
The brands don't make enough to pay them
There are no outside sponsors to pay them
There is no TV people buying up the TV rights to pay them

Until you sort out participation numbers you are not gonna get any money.

The professional windsurfers association and its Industry partners desperately need money. So they rightly understand that they need to encourage and grow the sport.

It is patently obvious and demonstrable that making the sport and it's marketing more technical, more niche, more extreme more difficult over the last 40 years hasn't encouraged participation.

It's just us that like it.

We are not enough for a professional sport, we don't buy enough to fund a professional sport and so we are not enough for the pwa.

The pwa needs to encourage participation in order to survive.

Or else the best talents in windsurfing are going to jack it in and become firemen, ie actually get a job that pays the bills.

Gestalt

QLD

14722 posts

21 Jun 2024 9:28am

I don't see it as the pwa's role to encourage participation. That's more the role of local, state, national bodies. The way the iwt has tapped into lower level comps is a good thing. This is how the wsl works and it works well. Provides a ladder.

Flying Dutchman

1732 posts

21 Jun 2024 8:03am

Participation doesn't matter to media or non-windsurf sponsors (where the big money is). They want fans. They want eyeballs buying stuff.

What's more niche? Windsurfing or cliff diving?

AUS 808

510 posts

21 Jun 2024 8:19am

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jusavina said..

Mark _australia said..
I guess the suggestion is the PWA should have average Joes, everyone on secondhand gear, and a ribbon for every participant saying "I ran a race"

That has already been done, it's the Windsurfer Lt class and is hugely popular.

Also riveting to watch ??

azuli

QLD

368 posts

21 Jun 2024 10:41am

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Flying Dutchman said..
Participation doesn't matter to media or non-windsurf sponsors (where the big money is). They want fans. They want eyeballs buying stuff.

What's more niche? Windsurfing or cliff diving?

Good point.
How could PWA help windsurfing gain a wider exposure and get more eyeballs watching their events ?
I've seen a couple of non-windsurf Ads from a car company and finance company recently that featured windsurfing which is encouraging.

AUS 808

510 posts

21 Jun 2024 8:42am

The fact is it's a hard sport to promote, spectators can't see much & they have no concept of the thrill for the competitors so no interest.
The only people really interested are windsurfers & we are dying of old age.
People at the beach always see & comment on kiters, they don't even see the windsurfers, maybe because we are not within camara range??
Winging is probably the next popular thing but even that doesn't really get kids exited.

Recently I was windfoiling at Golden Beach in Caloundra, there were a few old wingers out as well.
A school group kayaked past twice along the shoreline & I took note that they didn't even see us.
I expected a couple of kids would point at the wings at least & go "wow, look at that, that is so cool" but nothing??

Windfoil racing is pretty spectacular to us but even if it was on mainstream tv with Ben Proffitt commentating, I don't reckon non windsurfers would get it.
I'm not sure what the answer is but it seems we are just maintaining a presence as a sport ??

Gestalt

QLD

14722 posts

21 Jun 2024 11:56am

The answer is don't **** the coverage up.

Even as a hard core fan it's been tuff watching some events.

Gestalt

QLD

14722 posts

21 Jun 2024 1:01pm

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AUS 808 said..
The fact is it's a hard sport to promote, spectators can't see much & they have no concept of the thrill for the competitors so no interest.
The only people really interested are windsurfers & we are dying of old age.
People at the beach always see & comment on kiters, they don't even see the windsurfers, maybe because we are not within camara range??
Winging is probably the next popular thing but even that doesn't really get kids exited.

Recently I was windfoiling at Golden Beach in Caloundra, there were a few old wingers out as well.
A school group kayaked past twice along the shoreline & I took note that they didn't even see us.
I expected a couple of kids would point at the wings at least & go "wow, look at that, that is so cool" but nothing??

Windfoil racing is pretty spectacular to us but even if it was on mainstream tv with Ben Proffitt commentating, I don't reckon non windsurfers would get it.
I'm not sure what the answer is but it seems we are just maintaining a presence as a sport ??

out of interest, over the past 3 years the only times (there has been a couple) people have wanted to try my kit at the beach has been when i'm on the LT.
never happens with the shortboard kit.

Maddlad

925 posts

21 Jun 2024 1:10pm

You just need some tiktok kid to make a 20 second video of someone windsurfing, set to the latest soundtrack and it will be all the rage again.

Seriously though, windsurfing is hard to make popular because its not easy. It takes time to be really good at it. Kite surfing etc uses less gear and takes less time to be able to do and most of the youth today dont have the committment or desire ( or attention spans) to learn windsurfinig. Why should they when they can do a couple of kite lessons and be on the water already?

AUS 808

510 posts

21 Jun 2024 1:51pm

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Gestalt said..

out of interest, over the past 3 years the only times (there has been a couple) people have wanted to try my kit at the beach has been when i'm on the LT.
never happens with the shortboard kit.

Because it looks like old school learner gear ??

izaak

TAS

2013 posts

21 Jun 2024 4:30pm

Difficult spot for the PWA to be in! Good on them reaching out and hope they have some luck come their way but it's going to be an uphill battle I reckon. Good online live coverage is a start. If I was keen to help I'd happily pay a small fee for a subscription each year.

Few things.. - Sponsors and backing? Both to the PWA and competitors.
- Decent price money? And Their pay as a team rider?
- Extremely expensive to cart gear around the world
- A hard sport to watch as a spectator at times, plus if you don't have much sailing knowledge, it would be hard to really know what's going on out there.
- Younger generation coming into the sport? Wouldn't be in big numbers. Cost of gear and sponsor backing of good talent to try and grow the sport without them it's a tough road!

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