Every time Jim Drake goes windsurfing, he re-writes the history. The reason is simple. No one, anywhere,
has been windsurfing longer than Jim Drake.
The very first thoughts and ideas of the original Windsurfer actually relates back to the early 60's,
when Jim Drake discussed the concepts of wind powered water skis and surfboards with his good friend
Fred Payne. However, the thought at time was to use kites rather than conventional rigs.
Still, nothing really happened until several years later, when Jim Drake and Hoyle Schweitzer got together
and actually built a board in Jim's house in California. It was January 1967, but details such as centerboard,
fin and the actual universal joint were not even close to finalization. In fact, Drake was still trying to
figure out how the sail could be mounted and the board could be controlled. It was months later during
one of Drake's commuting drives to his work place at the Norton Air force base in Southern California that
he clicked on the idea of a moveable sail.
Jim Drake took his family and the new contraption he called "The Skate" to the beach on May 23rd. 1967.
No one on that beach could have known that the grey haired gentleman they had watched rigging was about
to make history.
Though credit must be given to Drake for the invention of the sport, it was really Hoyle and Diana
Schweitzer who gave life to the new sport of windsurfing. Their vision, energy and passion remains one
of the most underrated achievements of our times.
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