Windsurfing Wedding Planner

This article is an attempt to enlighten and inform non-windsurfers or non-windsurfing partners of the demands of our sport and their potential conflicts with social and corporate functions.

It is only through sharing and understanding that we can expect to live in a relatively harmonious fashion with those that do not start fidgeting and breathing rapidly at the sound of a rustle in the leaves. We must remember that while our friends and colleagues try their best not to frown when we explain our obsession to them, it is all still something of a mystery to them. Rather than trying to explain about the freedom, adrenaline rush, expression, fear and exhiliration, it might make more sense just to give them some practical guidelines on how to manage us.

Hence, the wedding planner.

The hints and tips mentioned here do not only apply to weddings, of course. Much of the wisdom contained in this document is equally applicable to birthdays, work functions, picnics, golf etc. It is just that the wedding possibly represents the most extreme potential social commitment that we are faced with and is therefore an appropriate base for analysis.

Planning your wedding to accomodate windsurfing guests / bride / groom

Basics

There are a few things that need to be understood about the sport of windsurfing that act as a premise to the guidelines that follow.

It is an addictive, obsessive sport. This means that the devotee is irrationally preoccupied with it. Norms and priorities that can be taken for granted in other people cannot be assumed about the windsurfer.
Good conditions for windsurfing are rare and need to be exploited if it is within the realm of possibility.
It is unfair to presume that because s/he would rather windsurf than attend the occasion that windsurfing is more important to him/her than the people involved. Recall the description "irrational"
Windsurfers do not plan! They can't. What looks like free space in their diary is always surfing, pencilled in.

Timing

This is what it all comes down to. How do you minimise the chance of your occasion coinciding with good windsurfing conditions?

Season. Play the statistics. The lowest likelihood of sailable conditions in KZN occur from March to June. That gives you four whole months in which to schedule your special day. The flip side of this is that sailing is not out of the question during this time and if sailable conditions should happen to occur, the desperate and deprived state of the windsurfer during this season could make them even more unreasonable.

On the plus side, these are the best months to have a wedding anyway. Summer in this province is way too hot for formal occasions and it pours with rain most afternoons.
Long weekends and public holidays. These are particularly bad times to have any sort of function. The typical windsurfer is tied Monday to Friday to some sort of income generating activity. Long weekends are *always* reserved for possible windsurfing pilgrimmage. Remember, they do not plan, so they can't tell you 6 months in advance if they will be free that weekend; You might have a chance of pinning them down a few days before but it would be easier just to steer clear of these occasions completely.
Time of day. Most often, the wind peaks at 3pm. It is also the time of rugby matches. Windsurfing takes precedence over rugby and rugby takes precedence over weddings. It would be safest to avoid this time but we understand that this is seldom practical so if you must plan for an event around 3pm, make sure you back yourself in terms of season at least. (Rugby is easy to plan around because there are schedules way in advance).
Johnnies (sharks) tend to feed between dusk and dawn. This is a good time to hold social occasions. Most windsurfers will sensibly stay out of the ocean during these times and be able to give relatively large amounts of their attention to your proceeding.
Day weddings are a complete no-no. Don't even think about it. If you must risk clashing at all, choose an afternoon ceremony with evening reception. That way there is still the option of a quick morning sail and at least the chance of some good nosh and a good post-euphoric party.

Hope these tips have been helpful. Remember, your wedding is the most important day in your mother-in-law's life. It is worth taking a little extra time to plan it properly.