A very hot Pra' de la Fam, today 24 July 2022, at Lake Garda. What is one of the best lake spots for windsurfing gave us a typically summer session of pure pleasure.

 

WINDSURFING, SESSION REPORT: HOT PRA' DE LA FAM (LAKE GARDA), 24 JULY 2022

Short report to tell you about this Sunday at Pra' which closed, in the best possible way, my Garda weekend, which began with a great session with the Ora, in Riva del Garda, on Friday 22 July .

I had planned to return to the Engadine, to enjoy some fresh air and its splendid views. But the unfavorable wind forecasts for the Swiss valley, and the opportunity to go and get my Tabou Da Curve, repaired by Seatex Boards in Torbole, brought me to Lake Garda. And the trip went very well, except for the intense heat (37 °C in Riva del Garda ...), which I escaped by taking refuge, on Friday evening and Saturday, going up to Val di Ledro, which proved to be a nice place, pleasant and relaxing (and with valid refreshment points, and craft breweries...).

Saturday evening, after having dinner in Pieve di Ledro, at 24 degrees, I had to make a decision: staying overnight in Val di Ledro, or going to Pra' to take a position, given the probable crowding at the parking lot of the spot ....?

The 30-32 degrees at night on the lake shores gave me many doubts, but in the end I went down, and I ..... spent an almost sleepless night. But the Pra' car park, at 11.00 pm, was already almost complete. Perhaps, this time, the wisest decision would have been to sleep in Val di Ledro, and get off early to Retellino, in Malcesine, where there is always a few more places. But Pra' is one of my favorite places ....: the beauty of the place, and the relationships with the many people who frequent it, made me nostalgic and want to go to Pra' ...

Which repaid me for the almost sleepless night, with a truly enjoyable Peler wind ...

 

 

 

Already at 6.00 in the morning, the wind arrived on the spot, and the first riders entered the water; some of them already performing speed loops, before dawn, and giving me a headache just looking at them ... After a quick, but nutritious breakfast by the lake (thanks to guys from Brescia, who kindly offered me a urgent coffee), I rigged the Ezzy Elite 4.2 2019, giving it some belly, and the Tabou Pocket 94, 2016, set with single fin (MFC freewave 23). At 7.30, I entered the water, obviously with the shorty wetsuit. In the water, we saw several naked torsos, and thighs of some beautiful girls (not bad ....).

The wind, at the beginning a bit unstable, as usual, has spread well over the spot after sun rose from Mount Baldo (in this period, shortly after 6.00), and a spectacular session began, which pleased me a lot. Perfect equipment, and a good percentage of landed maneuvers. And if I didn't close them, falling into the water was just a pleasure. These are days of really intense heat, in which you feel good almost only in the water, or above 1500 meters of altitude. One of the few positive aspects of climate change, which is putting a strain on the vegetation on the shores and mountains of the lake, with some truly disturbing scenarios (southern slope of Punta Larici, or meadows around Lake Ledro). Water surface characterized by some short chop (which I don't like), in some areas of the lake.

 

 

I was pleased to see the many familiar faces of Pra' again (I hadn't windsurfed here for a few months). Click here, for the slidegallery of the session. I met Andrea again, and saw Giovanni, my travel mates during the beautiful trip to Galicia; I saw Davide di Salò again, who, believing to be still in Pozo, made some nice jumps around me; the locals Ricky and Marco (the mayor of Pra', whom, in the water, I tried to follow in vain, since he loves the coast to coast ...); Michael Silgoner, who always appears suddenly at Pra'; and Sonia, a bolt of lightning to park, rig and enter the water, and go away. I also met a nice German guy who slept on a leather sofa in his van!

I close the report here. Here in Monza, it is 36 degrees as I write. My PC also begs for mercy. I am going to Norway for a few days, with my family, looking for a slightly cooler climate. We will meet again with new reports, in the second half of August. Happy holidays to all (and if you want, send us reports of your holidays, or write in the forum).

Hang loose. Fabio

Click here for the session slidegallery

 

 

The video of the session