A few days with Josep Pons, and a lot to take home.
After announcing our Windsurf Training Clinic with Josep a few weeks ago, it was finally time to bring the group together at Wind Center Playa Surf in El Médano.
The idea was simple: three days of focused coaching, combining time on the water with technical work, individual feedback and video analysis.
But as the clinic developed, it became much more than simply following a fixed training program. Every day brought different conditions and, with them, a different opportunity to work on something new.
From longer sessions and wave sailing to light-wind technique, manoeuvres, video analysis and even an extra day dedicated to understanding the equipment better, there was plenty to take home from this one.
Day 1: Starting with the strongest conditions
The clinic started with the windiest day of the week, so there was no reason to waste much time on land.
Everyone was able to enjoy a long first session and give Josep the chance to see them properly on the water: their level, habits, strengths and the areas where there was room for improvement.
The conditions also gave the group the opportunity to head towards El Muelle, the harbour wave spot in El Médano, and spend some time windsurfing in the waves.
It was a great way to start the clinic: plenty of time on the water and a first chance for Josep to get a clear picture of each rider before getting deeper into the technical work over the following days.
Day 2: Slowing things down and looking at the details
The second day brought lighter wind, particularly during the first part of the day.
Instead of simply waiting for the conditions to improve, Josep used the time on land for some theory and technical explanations with the group.
Later in the afternoon, the wind picked up enough to get everyone back on the water.
It was a very different session from the first day, but that’s also part of training over several days: the goal isn’t to repeat the same session over and over again, but to use what each day gives you.
With lighter conditions, there was more space to slow things down, think about technique and start putting some of the points discussed on land into practice.
Day 3: From video analysis to better technique
By the third day, there was already enough footage from the previous sessions to take a closer look at what everyone was actually doing on the water.
The group sat down with Josep for video analysis, going through the footage and identifying details that can be difficult to feel while sailing.
This wasn’t about watching windsurf videos together. It was about understanding each rider’s own movements: what was working, what could be more efficient and what they should concentrate on once they got back on the water.
Afterwards, it was time to put that feedback into practice.
The day also focused on some of the fundamental windsurfing manoeuvres, particularly the power jibe and fast tack.
They may be basic manoeuvres in the sense that every windsurfer knows them, but doing them consistently and with good technique is another story.
Josep broke them down both on land and on the water, working on the details that make the movements cleaner, faster and more efficient.
Sometimes progression isn’t about learning the next big manoeuvre. It’s about going back to something you’ve done hundreds of times and learning to do it better.
Day 4: Understanding your equipment
The official coaching package included three days, but Josep wasn’t quite finished yet.
On the fourth day, he got the group together for an additional theory session — this time focusing less on what the rider does and more on what they are actually riding.
They went through the different parts of the sail and how to rig it correctly, as well as how small changes in setup can affect the way the equipment feels on the water.
The same applied to the board.
Fin position, footstrap setup and other adjustments shouldn’t necessarily be identical for every windsurfer. Rider characteristics, level, sailing style and what you want from the board all play a role.
For some participants, it was a chance to better understand equipment they had already been using for a long time.
And that’s useful knowledge to take home too: coaching doesn’t help much if you improve your technique but continue sailing with a setup that isn’t right for you.
Different conditions, different lessons
El Médano is famous for strong trade winds and waves, but this particular week showed another side of the spot.
Apart from the stronger first day, the conditions were lighter than what many people normally associate with El Médano. Still, the group was able to windsurf every day.
More importantly, the clinic wasn’t built around waiting for the forecast to deliver the “perfect” session.
When there was more wind, the group sailed more. When it was lighter, there was time for theory and technical work. Once enough footage had been collected, the focus moved towards video analysis. And when it made sense to go back to the fundamentals, that’s exactly what they did.
It turned four different days into four different ways of learning.
More than individual coaching
One of our favourite parts of the clinic had very little to do with the program itself.
A really nice group formed along the way.
Everyone arrived with their own level and their own things to improve, but over the days the experience naturally became something shared — sessions together, conversations after sailing, watching each other’s progression and plenty of time spent around the center.
That’s something we want to preserve in future clinics.
Keeping the groups personal means Josep can dedicate attention to individual riders, while still creating the atmosphere of going through the experience together.
You might arrive thinking mainly about your own windsurfing, but you end up learning from the people around you as well.
One clinic, different ways to join
For this edition, we also offered different options depending on what each participant needed.
Some riders joined for coaching only, bringing and using their own equipment.
Others chose coaching + rental, with their windsurf equipment provided directly by Wind Center throughout the clinic.
And for those travelling to Tenerife who preferred to have everything organised together, there was also an all-inclusive package, combining the coaching, equipment and accommodation.
It allowed everyone to join the same clinic without having to travel in exactly the same way.
And this was only the beginning
Three official coaching days somehow became four days of learning, a lot of time on and around the water, and a group we’re very happy to have had at Wind Center.
Most importantly, everyone left with something different to work on — whether that was a change in technique, a better power jibe, a faster tack, a detail spotted during video analysis or simply a better understanding of how to set up their own equipment.
A few days with Josep, and a lot to take home.
And we’re definitely not stopping here.
We’re already looking at more clinics with Josep Pons at Wind Center, and we’re also playing with the idea of taking this kind of training a little further from home. 🌍
New conditions, new spots and maybe some bigger adventures.
We’ll share more when the time is right.
If you’d like to join one of the upcoming Josep Pons × Wind Center clinics, get in touch with us and we’ll keep you updated on future dates and destinations.
