Windsurfing began in Fiji in the 1980s when a young sailor called Tony Philp Jr introduced a sport that was unknown in the country and, through fierce determination and an unrelenting passion, placed Fiji on the world windsurfing map.
Philp became a multiple world champion. He and golfer Vijay Singh are the only two Fiji-born athletes who have claimed the top prize in their sport in official world rankings (excluding team sports).
In what could only be described as a sterling career, Philp has won 13 individual Windsurfer World titles at the 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 World Championships (including four overall world titles) and competed at five consecutive Olympic Games from 1984 to 2000.
He was also vice–world champion in both the Windsurfer and Mistral Olympic Class in 1989 and 1999 and topped the International Sailing Association Federation (ISAF) world-ranking list for Olympic windsurfing in 1997.
When he was 15, Philp was the youngest ever athlete to compete at an Olympics sailing event when he fought it out amongst the best in Los Angeles in 1984.
He was a flag bearer for Fiji at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, and was made a member of the Order of Fiji – the most senior award in the Fijian honours system in 1995.
In the process, he was inducted into the Fiji Sports Hall of Fame in 2009 for his outstanding achievements and contribution towards sports in the country.
In 1995, the Windsurfing World Championships held in Pacific Harbour saw a large number of competitors from around the globe taking part in the event. Philp again proved his dominance by winning the competition in his own back yard.
When he retired from sailing around the turn of the millennium, Fiji windsurfing went into a slow decline, with only a few die-hard locals enjoying the idyllic conditions created by Fiji’s wind and waves.
It wasn’t until 2014 that Fiji windsurfing again featured on the global stage when local sailor Andrew Redfern set a national speed sailing record for Fiji when he achieved an average speed of 40.87 knots over 500m while competing at the Luderitz Speed Challenge in Namibia on the African continent.
Originally from England, though having worked in many places around the world before settling in Fiji, Redfern went back to Namibia the following year and pushed the record further.
He achieved a top speed of more than 44 knots (approximately 80km per hour) and an average speed of 42knots.
“I have lived in Fiji for just over 30 years, and I am a Fiji citizen married to a Fijian lady,” he said.
“I had tried windsurfing a few times in the United Kingdom, but it was when I came to Fiji that I really started to learn a lot when I met a group of windsurfers in Suva, including Tony Philp.”
After Redfern’s record setting ventures and his passion for the sport became more of a hobby rather than competition, Fiji windsurfing went quiet again for a while.
“There are many reasons why windsurfing started to ‘die out’ after it initially rose in popularity so quickly, but honestly, I don’t really know the answer.
“I’m also not sure why more people do not sail in Fiji. It is such a perfect location.”
It wasn’t until 2022 when the International Wave Tour (IWT) returned to Fiji for a wave sailing competition which enticed numerous world ranked sailors that things began to pick up again.
The competition was held at Fiji’s iconic and world renowned surfing spot, Cloudbreak, and was made possible by the tremendous support and hard work of local surf icon Ian Muller and his team from Fiji Surf Co.
The event was toasted as a huge success, and an announcement was made that it would be held again this year.
This time it would also be a Professional Windsurfers Association (PWA) as well as an IWT event – meaning Fiji would be hosting the best of the best in the world of wave sailing this year and hopefully in years to come.
“One of the great things about the professional sailors coming to Fiji is that it not only puts Fiji well and truly in the spotlight for great places to sail, but also, many of the top visiting athletes have expressed their willingness and desire to take time out of their busy schedules to teach and help develop young sailors in Fiji.”
As if that was not enough, Fiji will also host a second event in June this year with the International Windsurfer Class Association (IWCA) Oceania Championships takes place at Natadola Beach.
Unlike the PWA and IWT competition, the IWCA regatta will be an open event with categories for various ages and skill levels — from junior through to masters.
“Those interested in taking part can find out full details from Lisa Philp (Tony’s sister) at secretary@sailing.org. fj.
Both Redfern and the Fiji Surfing Association hold windsurfing lessons on a regular basis and they are urging Fijians to take up the sport – especially with the advent of more international competitions in the future.
“I offer lessons in Nadi and have seen a lot of people are interested in trying it out since I started.
“It’s great to see the international competitions coming back to Fiji. Hopefully it will inspire youngsters here to give it a go and become the champions of the future.”
From the looks of it, Fiji is well and truly where it deserves to be – back on the map of the world’s greatest sailing locations.
