The concept of board sailing was first conceived after World War II. There had been several of attempts placing a sail on a board that allowed a sailor stand up and sail. In 1966, Hoyle Schweitzer and Jim Drake patented a design for a sailboard they trademarked as the “Windsurfer.” Their design worked thanks to a universal joint that attached the sail to a surf board. Previous attempts by others did not work very well. Drake was a long time sailor and Schweitzer was a surfer. The pair came up with a unique design and it worked. Schweitzer bought Drake out early in the game, and along with his wife Diane, went out into the world to market their new creation. With the Schweitzer’s marketing prowess the Windsurfing craze took off in Europe and the United States.

Sailing one of their Windsurfers was easy and attracted new people to the water. The couple traveled to many boat shows and featured a nifty film of the Windsurfers flying over the waves. To steer, you tilted the sail forward to bear away from the wind, and you tilted the sail aft to luff toward the wind. It was that simple. Windsurfing International, Inc. was opened for business in 1970.

In the early 1970’s, national and international clinics and regattas started attracting top athletes who were drawn to these strange, speedy craft. By 1975, 80,000 Windsurfers had been sold throughout the world and there were about 2,000 in the USA. In 1980 the Windsurfer became an International Class. The impressive growth gained the attention of the International Yacht Racing Union and in 1981 the Windsurfer was selected as a new class for the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. By 1982, there were over 100 companies building similar boards. At the Olympic Games there were two types of racing: a race course for the Windglider and a slalom, freestyle and distance racing course for the Windsurfer. The new concept was accepted as a legitimate form of sailboat racing. The growth continued and by 1985 there were 10 million sailboards of many different brands worldwide. As of today there are an estimated 60 million plus sailboards and they are still a staple in the Olympic Games. This is the largest sailing class in the world.

Hoyle and Diane Schweitzer engineered a brilliant concept and marketed their idea to the world. Windsurfing took hold and is still vibrant. The Kite Board has taken the concept to a new level. Both Windsurfers and Kite Boards are scheduled to race in the Olympic Games in Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028. The Schweitzer’s can take great satisfaction in their vision.

~ Gary Jobson