The successful hosting of the 2015 RS:X World Windsurfing Championships by Oman Sail that concluded at the Musannah Sports City on Saturday is one of the many initiatives that are needed to promote the sport in the region, according to the founder of the world's biggest manufacturer of windsurfing equipment.
Neil Pryde, the founder of Pryde Group, has led the company through tremendous growth and development, building it into a benchmark in marine and action sports over the past 44 years.
Pryde was honoured by the RS:X class president Carlo Dalla Vedova with a golden pin during the inaugural ceremony of the worlds at Musannah for his immense contribution towards the development of the sport.
In his remarks to Muscat Daily, Pryde said, “The Middle East is absolutely the region we are looking to spread the sport. The region has been neglected for long. Windsurfing has gained a firm foothold in Asia, but this region is where we need to focus more.”
“Oman Sail is doing a great job in promoting sailing in the region and has put in a lot of effort. The amphitheatre facility here in Musannah is world-class and it is amazing the way the area has developed,” said Pryde.
Pryde had visited Oman seven years back and said 'to find such massive development is really a remarkable transformation'.
He said Pryde Group has always encouraged young sailors and was already supporting Oman Sail with a supply of equipment.
The New Zealand-born Olympian said 'having good coaches was the key to develop windsurfers at top level' and the world championships in Musannah provided a platform for the best coaches to visit Oman.
Tracing the company and the sport's growth, Pryde, a chartered accountant by profession, said, “Windsurfing started in 1970 in California, but unfortunately, it did not explode in the US, but became popular in Europe. I was based in Hong Kong then and as the manufacturing cost was cheaper in Hong Kong, we started manufacturing windsurfing equipment.
“Soon, we became the largest manufacturers and through the 1980s, the sport changed. It became very technical and transformed into a high-performance sport. The structure of the sport changed and we adapted to the changes. We started our branding and sponsored high-level athletes and by end of eighties, we became the most successful brand in windsurfing - be it for the professional circuit or the Olympic class, making well over 300,000 windsurfing sails a year.”
A promising sailor in his young days, Pryde took part in the 1968 Mexico Olympics in the Flying Dutchman class, but it was windsurfing that caught his imagination.
“Windsurfing is the real epitome of competitive sailing. The most athletic and fit sailors in any form of sailing are the windsurfers. They are incredible and with the speed on the boards, it is a spectacular sport to watch,” he said.
“The sport has played an important role in the development of sailing around the world. When we first started in China in 1978-79, sailing was non-existent. But once the officials
understood the sport, they took it up, and in the last three-four Olympic Games, the Chinese have managed to finish on the podium. I am proud that we have played a role in promoting sailing through windsurfing.”
Pryde said technology has played a big role in making the sport popular as the lightweight equipment make it easier to handle. “Windsurfing is the most one-design event in sailing and even the International Sailing Federation (ISAF), admits that it is one of the most popular forms of sailing.
“The RS:X class is the future of sport and with nearly 45 countries involved, it is one of the most popular forms of sailing,” he said.
“It is the most inclusive class in yachting and probably the No 1 sport in Olympic sailing classes. The nearest could be the laser class,” he said.
The 77 year old Pryde retired as the chairman of the group on January 1. Under his leadership, the company successfully expanded into multiple sports and product categories, spearheading the windsurfing and kitesurfing sports revolutions.
