SHAWNA CROPAS CLINICS  2019

"Windsurfing is a core life skill like building homes, growing gardens, making clothes, and basic mechanics. Sailing boats are how man has traveled well before horses, cars trains and planes."

In life I think we are all in pursuit of joy & connection with each other, ourselves and (for us water-lubbers) the ocean. At the end of our days we will not think about our clean houses and all the money we made. We will remember peak states where we were alight with living. We will smile at all the fire moments in our lives when we were ablaze, hitting a lip that terrified us or planing on a windsurfer for the very first time, screaming, “YES!” With self satisfaction.

For me, it will be the laughing with friends in huge Irish seas where the wind blew us off the water. Memories of huddling for warmth against a gale behind a friends van before we headed into the storm once more. I will hold on to smiles shared, huge Ho’okipa waves and all the friends I have made at the beach.

This is why coaching and running clinics on Maui is more than just learning to windsurf or perfecting our skills. It’s about experiences shared. It’s about adventure and accomplishments. Sunsets, jibes & banter. Riding waves, drinks in Paia and sharing funny stories. It’s getting into footstraps and flying into the horizon where the whales breach.

I always joke: Windsurfing is a core life skill like building homes, growing gardens, making clothes, and basic mechanics. Sailing boats are how man has traveled well before horses, cars trains and planes. Should civilization ever collapse you will be happy when you are able to sail out and wind-fish, or get to the next island. This makes everyone laugh at first and then they stop and hmmmm while calculating the logic of my logic. Friends who don’t windsurf immediately ask me for lessons. Lol. Friends who windsurf go out and buy fishing tackle.

Windsurfing is a release from all worldly contrived pressures. It feels like bliss and most say it’s the ultimate freedom. A way to literally walk off the earth with all its straight lines and rules and simply set sail. Away. Alone. Chilled. Relaxed in full immersion with nature. A landscape void of roads and signs.

Nothing keeps us in shape like windsurfing. It is grace and balance. It’s the pureness of harnessing and transferring nature’s powers via your body. Health is our wealth and time is the new valued currency. “Collecting moments and not things.” Is our year 2020 mantra. Windsurfing is so full on it requires all our attention. It allows no room to think about anything else (let alone problems) when we are balancing the fluctuating power of wind and liquid sea states. Focused moments create a meditational state of mind that slows down our breathing and relaxes our nervous system thus releasing stress hormones from our bodies. Success floods our bodies with dopamine which makes us happy and makes us desire more.

Greatful voices

"Shawna this week I am making the biggest business deals of my life and instead of sitting at home stressing about it, I have been on your clinic working on my jibes. I have not thought about my work at all this week. I am just beaming with my first dry jibe. So happy."

Mark, 50, CEO and businessman

“3 hours straight in the waves. Going to sleep so well tonight. Not scared of being caught in the wave washing machine now. A super fantastic week, thank you so much Shawna. I learned heaps & have lots to practice at home.”

Anne, 45, Doctor

“Thank you Shawna for bringing magic into our lives.”

Greg & Dania, 39, Business Owners IT

“What I loved the most about the windsurfing clinic with Shawna Cropas: Honestly, the teaching obviously, but better than that, at least for me, is that you make it ‘personal’ The involvement that went beyond the teaching.”

Stella, 24, teaches languages and windsurfing until she finds out “what she will do one day”

"Now that I came to Maui and sailed with you, I really love windsurfing. Before I did it, but now I love it. And if I stay any longer on Maui I will never be able to leave."

Ben, 8

"Shawna can you please teach me to windsurf too."

Henry, 6