I am sad to inform those windsurfer's who were privileged to know him, of David Pitchfords death from complications caused by Lou Gehrigs disease, a motor neurone illness. He is survived by his wife Stephanie, and two young children.
Dave was a pioneer in windsurfing introducing the One design to Canberra in the early 80's where as I recall his first Windsurfer had a wooden boom. I remember him as the brother of my school friend Rohan, a foundational member of the ACT Sailboarding club and competitor in the NSW long board racing circuit. He was an outstanding windsurfer on a national level with some significant titles to his name. He was a consummate sportsman, excelling in whatever activity he chose. Whilst in year 12 he was selected for the Australian Olympic training team for downhill skiing and after windsurfing he went on to excel in other outdoor pursuits such as climbing. His gift was not only in competing but encouraging also. He had a natural ability to share his enthusiasm for whatever activity he was participating in, a great asset for an outdoor education teacher, and in this respect windsurfing was no exception. As Steve Audsley commented on Friday at the memorial service, Dave's passion for windsurfing was a key driver in the growth and success of the ACT sailboarding club in the 80's and 90's.
I am sorry I was not able to inform more about the memorial service last Friday as I had lost touch with many former members of the club. We are considering holding a social sailing event and BBQ in Canberra before long in memory of our friend and mentor.
If you were touched by David Pitchford's love of windsurfing, or have comments, records, Photos or memories to share, please contribute to the thread.
Apologies I didnt see the previous. Feel free to delete and i will re- post about Dave in the previous thread.
