YACHT CLUB
When I pulled up to the Black Rock Yacht Club alone, having never been
there before, my palms started to sweat. What am I doing here? Why did
I sign up for this? I don’t know one person here. What am I doing? There
was something different about it though. When you get there for the first
time, they like to introduce you and welcome you with a hug. You might
not know me well, but hugging is not my thing. I don’t like people in fact.
Why I went, well I don’t know, but I almost turned around with the first
hug. Windsurfing in the Nevada Desert? First of all there was no water for
miles and miles, and secondly there were tons of people lined up to try it
out. Strange. There were hundreds of people wanting to go windsurfing,
all wanting to have fun and blast across the desert with a windsurfing sail. I
have never taught so many windsurfing lessons in my life. To make it more
strange, it was on a dry lake bed in the middle of the desert. Windsurfing.
Yes. You heard it right.
My first run across the desert, I glided along, inches above the dry lake
bed, flowing with the wind and enjoying the ride. Then the wind picked up
and I found myself hanging on for dear life as the board careened along over
the bumpy desert floor that had seemed so flat just moments ago.
The Black Rock Yacht Club is a group of “Burners” who teach wind-
surfing on land sailors at one of the biggest festivals on the planet, Burning
Man. If you have never heard of Burning Man you are probably living under
a rock, but it is a city in the desert, a network of dreamers and doers. It isn’t
your usual event or festival. Their mission is to produce an event that guides,
nurtures, and protects the community created by its culture. It is a city
wherein almost everything that happens is created entirely by its citizens,
who are active participants in the experience.ROOTS
In 1997 Bill Weir and Jim Pettigrew headed out to Black Rock Desert
for a bachelor’s party where they brought along some boards and sails
that were much more primitive than what they use now. They contin-
ued to head out there each year to sail around, drink beer and blow shit
up. When they went to Burning Man for their first time in 2005, they
brought a land sailing rig and taught a few lessons in between grooving at
the Green Gorilla lounge and cruising the desert at night on janky old bikes.BURNING MAN
64 JULY 2019
“I HAVE NEVER TAUGHT
SO MANY WINDSURFING
LESSONS IN MY LIFE.”
“This one time, at Burning Man .....”