| Whatever other pretenders will have you believe, Peter is the original coaching 'guru.' He is the original architect of the advanced RYA (Royal Yachting Association) teaching system. He writes the manuals, makes the videos and trains the advanced instructors. He conducts an annual, international clinic tour running sell-out courses in Maui, Egypt, Ireland, Venezuela, Spain, New Zealand and the Caribbean.
"Coming out of ski teaching, I had an immediate interest in coaching the more advanced levels of windsurfing. I saw so many parallels in the two sports. The psychological effects of a tough and potentially dangerous environment bring about many of the same learning barriers. There are also parallels in the way you get across the notions of anticipation and dynamic balance. The great thing for me was that there was NO knowledge out there. Equipment was developing at a far faster rate than the information on how to use it. The RYA were on the verge of buying the German VDWS teaching system. It wouldn't have worked over here, it was just too ... too German! So the RYA said: 'well if you think you can do better, then go ahead!' Without meaning to, I had invented a job and went on to develop the 5 levels teaching scheme."
Peter's Masterclass clinics are famous not only for the quality of the teaching but also for the fact that the fun and laughter never stops. The jollity does tend to hide the fact that a lot is going on in the background.
"Clinics seem like a bit of a jolly (I'm happy to take the stick) but in fact they're really hard work. On wave courses, people are going out in conditions they'd normally avoid and there's limited rescue cover. You have to be 100% aware all the time what's going on and where everyone is. I actually really love the challenge of teaching. Everyone learns in a different way and you need to be able to play to theri strengths and NOT be dictatorial."
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