TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Go Like The Wind

Tribune photo by SCOTT ISKOWITZ

Windsurfer Ben Barger trains for the Olympics at Boca Ciega Bay.

ADVERTISEMENT

By STEVEN HINTON

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 5, 2008

Ten years of hard work has finally paid off for Ben Barger. The windsurfer will be competing next week in sailing at the Olympics in Beijing.

The 27-year-old from Tampa won the Olympic trials in Men's Windsurfer RS:X in October by beating his former coach and role model, Mike Gebhardt.

"It has been a highlight of my career to beat Mike," Barger said. "Nothing is more satisfying than winning against a formidable opponent, and with his previous level of success it made me a better racer and sailor."

Gebhardt won two medals out of four appearances in the Olympics and has been a dominant force in sailing since the late 1980s.

Barger was introduced to windsurfing when he was 8 years old.

"I just love how difficult it was and progress was fun to achieve," Barger said.

He started thinking about the Olympics in 1997 when he won the National Junior Olympic championship. That was the same time he met Gebhardt, who thought Barger could compete.

"My two goals of a four-year cycle are to win the Olympic trials and now the Olympic Games," Barger said.

Windsurfing consists of a course that is usually triangular or oval in shape. The length is 30 to 35 minutes depending on the conditions. The windsurfers have a starting line and have a 5-minute period to sail around and to strategize before they have to get to the line. An anchored boat sits at the starting line to make sure everyone is at their spots. When the race starts the windsurfers sail counterclockwise around the course. It's outlined by markers they must go around.

The RS:X class will be used for the first time at this year's Olympics. Prior to RS:X, it was the Mistral One Design.

If Barger is to win a medal in Beijing, he'll have to go up against Poland's Przemyslaw Miarczynski, who is ranked No. 1 in the world, No. 2 João Rodrigues of Portugal and No. 3 Piotr Myszka of Poland.

Gary Bodie, Olympic sailing team high performance director, said Barger will have to defy plenty of odds to win.

"He has a long process to go through in order to win a medal," Bodie said. "He's dramatically improved because he's a hard worker."

Barger, who is ranked 27th in the world, said he's pleased with his speed, tactics and physical strength, but his mental aspect is his strongest attribute.

"Every athlete will be going hard and fast; I think the differences are small but the hungriest, most determined and developed athletes will win."

Besides his coach, Barger has another source of motivation. When he arrived home from California from the Olympic trials, he was proudly welcomed by a big crowd.

"It's a great feeling to have all their support," Barger said. "They've seen me when I train when nobody is watching, and hoped that I would win. So, obviously they were excited."

And this makes the Olympics even more special. His wife, family, extended family and best friends will be there in Beijing supporting and sharing the experience. It's going to be "a family reunion in China," he said.

Whatever happens during the Olympics, the process has made an impression on Barger.

"The people I've met and the skills I've developed on the way to the Olympics has made it the absolute best experience and will indeed ground the foundation I work for in the future," Barger said.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT