ELISE GIRE - COMPETITION GOALS

Late last year we featured Elise Gire’s fast track progress to windsurfing, from beginner to shortboarder in 50 days. Elise’s next goal was to enter a wavesailing contest and true to her word, she did! From conquering nerves to finishing in the top 5, Elise tells us about the experience of her first event.

Words Elise Gire // Photos Si Crowther & Clark Merritt

Originally published within the November ’17 edition.

First Contest
My name is Elise Gire and I started windsurfing at 27 years old. In April 2017, about one year after learning to windsurf, I joined my boyfriend Joey Sanchez to work at SoloSports in Punta San Carlos. I knew that Punta San Carlos (PSC) would be the perfect place to get better at wave riding and I couldn’t wait to practice on the waves. As soon as I learned that the Baja Desert Showdown, a wave contest that is a stop on the International Windsurfing Tour, was coming back to PSC in August, I made it my goal to compete for the first time.

The Preparation
Punta San Carlos provides all kinds of conditions to practice in. It’s known for ideal side-off wind, making for perfect long down-the-line sailing, sometimes getting 6 or 7 turns on one wave. I learned that getting out on the water no matter what the conditions was the fastest way to improve. When there’s only a one-week window for the contest to run, I needed to be ready for whatever the weather threw at me. Some days it’s fun chest high waves and perfect 4.2 wind (my go-to sail size) and I can practice my bottom to top turns. Sometimes it’s more challenging, with very high winds and no swell, giving me the opportunity to get better and more consistent with my jibes and tacks. Other days are mast high waves with super light wind, and I would practice survival in the big sets. No matter what the conditions, time on the water was what I needed.

Being able to survive in big sets was something I needed to achieve before the contest. If I wanted to windsurf on big waves, I needed to feel OK with the possibility of crashing in big waves. What scared me was being in big sets without a self-rescue plan. I had a bad habit of just chucking and ditching my gear when I was heading toward a massive wave of doom. To overcome this I practiced my pivot jibes to get out of scary situations, getting my feet in and out of the footsteps quickly, as well as diving the mast under big sets and trying my hardest to hold on. Once I knew how to handle crashing on the big sets, and realized it wasn’t that bad, I felt more confident sailing out on the bigger days. Joey and I are very fortunate to work in an environment where we get to host multiple windsurf clinics per year. Matt Pritchard, Jem Hall, and Joey were all a huge help in breaking me of bad habits, like reaching my top hand over instead of under on my jibes. They gave me technique goals to work on, like keeping my front arm straight and driving forward on my bottom turn, something I am still working hard at. Listening in on these windsurf camps helped me learn the right techniques.

The Inspiration
Last year on Maui I was standing at the registration table at Charley’s restaurant in Paia while all of my roommates, Casey Hauser, Sarah Hauser, Annamaria Zollet and Joey Sanchez, were signing up for the Aloha Classic. I was so proud of all of them, especially Annamaria for never have being to Maui before and entering in the contest. Ho’okipa was expecting a massive swell, and it turned out to be just that. During the few days prior to the contest, Annamaria ended up on the dreaded Ho’okipa rocks twice. It didn’t stop her from pushing past her nerves and competing. Sarah Hauser took first in the women’s single elimination, on one of the biggest days I’ve seen, and in super light wind. Seeing her charging those waves motivated me that someday I could be brave enough to take on conditions like that. Here in Baja, I had a chance to chat with IWT photographer Si Crowther. He shared with me that in 2006, only 8 months after learning to windsurf, his friend convinced him to enter a wave contest in North Wales. At that point he didn’t know how to jibe and finished in dead last. He went on to compete a month later in another contest, managing to score points with an attempted forward, but still ending up last. Gaining tips from pros and other competitors, he pushed on, entering more contests and started to score points in heats, learning about wave riding and wave selection. From then on he was hooked on competing. These people went past that nervous feeling in their stomach and charged it. My motivation to compete was to push my limits and sail out of my comfort zone, learn from it, and have fun no matter what the outcome.

The Contest
Two days before the Baja Desert Showdown all the competitors were starting to show up, everyone was getting on the water and the energy was pumping. The excitement for the contest was high and I sailed down to the point for a practice session and was overwhelmed by the talent. It was so much fun seeing all of my friends out on the water. I sailed for a while catching waves in the Chili Bowl thinking that I was sailing pretty good! When I came in, Joey and Kevin Pritchard told me that I needed to be way closer to the peak…about 200 yards closer! I wasn’t even sailing the point, mainly just taking the very shoulder of the wave into the Chili Bowl. That was not going to score me the points I wanted. I felt a little panicked and realized I had some work to do if was going to keep up with the other girls. It was a hard realization and I considered chickening out and not entering the contest.

With only one day to go before the contest started, I went back to the point to practice. This time I faced my fears of catching the waves close to the rocks and went for it. I caught two waves far upwind and had epic rides down the racetrack and into the Chili Bowl. Arriving back to camp feeling motivated and ready to compete! Within an hour I found out that I was sailing my first heat the next day with my very talented friend Sarah Hauser and Tomimo Noguchi, and the nerves came right back. How am I supposed to get any sleep?

The morning of the contest my stomach was in knots. Why did I sign up for this? Before I know it my first heat is here. I sail out and wait on the outside for the green flag to go up, as I notice the wind continuing to drop. The heat starts and I manage to find a wave right away, I get a few turns and head back out. With long periods between sets and the swell dropping it was hard to find waves. At one point I crashed and took a few waves on the head but managed to catch one more decent wave before the heat ended. I came to the beach feeling pretty disappointed and my mood quickly changed when I received the news that I had placed second and was advancing, I couldn’t believe it! The next day I competed in my second heat, which was the semi-final. I was calmer this time and worked on keeping a steady mind and focussed on what I wanted to achieve. I needed to get first or second in this heat to advance. I found a great first set wave, drove into my bottom turn and realized I was too late; the lip hit my sail causing my gear to come back at my face. I went on to have two other decent waves during the heat, but the crash on that first wave deprived me of the points I needed to advance to the final. I took third in the heat and the contest was over for me.

The Takeaway
I finished 5th out of 9 women, which I’m very happy about for my first ever contest. My friend Annamaria Zollet went on to take first place and as I watched her standing on the podium I felt a lot of emotions. Joy for my friend who earned the win, but also a drive inside myself to keep practicing to do better for next time. Reflecting on the contest I realized how much I learned from this experience. I gained extremely helpful tips from other riders and learned from watching all of the different styles and techniques. I practiced how to keep a positive mindset during all of the excitement and nervousness of the contest, and exceeded my own expectations. I also learned that it’s not necessarily the best windsurfer that wins, it’s the best competitor for that day and for those conditions. It boils down to keeping your cool and sailing confidently and strategically for those 18 minutes. I’m so glad I didn’t wait to enter a contest until I thought I was ready, but entered to become a better competitor and knowing that I’d be a better windsurfer when it’s all over. Having nine women compete in Baja is a great turnout in comparison to previous years and I hope that it continues to expand.