Shelley Gimbal

Name: Shelley Gimbal

Hometown: Hood River, OR

Home Beach: Swell City, WA

Discipline: Fin swell riding pluswindsurf foiling

What’s in your quiver?:  Lots of small sails (3.5 to 4.7), no more racing for me!

Favorite Sail: Revos… Love my Revos!

Board/Foil Set up: Tabou Pocketwave 86 & 75 andNorth Pacific 110L foil board with Sabfoils all MW101, with W899/S450.

How did you get into Windsurfing?: Mostly self-taught with help of Glenn Taylor’s book ‘Windsurfing-The Complete Guide,’Frank Fox’s ‘The beginner’s guide to Zen and the Art of Windsurfing’, attending Gorge Girls presentations and watching short-board instructional videos by John Guay.

Favorite trick? An occasional duck jibe. MostlyI just love just riding big, smooth swell on the Columbia River!

Accomplishments/Awards/Championships: West Coast racing (slalom, course, & formula) for almost 20 years:  US Windsurfing National: Numerous top 5 finishes. Gorge Cup women’s champion for 10+ years.

What’s your pre-ride ritual: Put on sunscreen while chatting others about the conditions. Then make my own rig choice and get on the water within 15 minutes-  ‘Ya gotta go to know’ folks.

Favorite Post-Ride Snack: Peanut Clif bar with a Hood River Valley apple.

Life outside of windsurfing?: Pickleball, singing, gardening, Qi Gong, going to the gym and learning to live with Parkinson’s Disease (diagnosed in 2023). [Please support the fight for a cure at https://www.parkinson.org/ and/or https://www.michaeljfox.org/ ]