It's a typical Saturday afternoon, and my friends and I gather at the windsurf center next to the Fisherman's Huts. Just like every other Saturday afternoon in Aruba, the sun is shining, the wind is blowing, and our agenda consists of hanging out, catching up after a week of work, and most importantly, heading out on the water to shred it up.

    Gazing out from the luminous white beach, the turquoise waters sparkle with playful possibilities. Brightly colored windsurf sails flit across the water like wistful butterflies. The vista is too tempting for my friends and I to resist any longer—it's time to get wet!

    Truth be told, it was this combination of wind and water that brought our group of friends together. Hailing from various countries like Holland, Brazil, Canada, and Norway, we all share a passion for windsurfing. Differing reasons brought each of us to Aruba. Whether it was to escape cold winters, pursue love, see the world beyond the places we were born, or search for new unfound opportunities, windsurfing gave us a common bond and common ground to get to know one another while having fun.

    The first time I stepped off the plane in Aruba, I couldn't help noticing the warm wind that welcomed me; it is what makes the climate of Aruba ideal for windsurfing. With its warm shallow waters and constant trade winds, Aruba has become a Mecca for windsurfers from all over the globe.

    Since the sport arrived on the island, Aruba has developed into a world-renowned location with top windsurfing schools catering to students learning for the first time, as well as die-hard sailors anxious to work on new moves and learn the latest techniques. Over the past two decades, Aruba has been host to a number of international events—both professional and amateur—most notably the Aruba Hi-Winds competition held every summer.

    On this particular Saturday our skills are put to the test. As we congregate, the conversation teeters between fashion advice on which bikini is the cutest to what sail size works best with the current wind conditions. Just when everyone seems ready to make the plunge, last minute adjustments need to be made—tighter foot straps, change of shorts, less down haul, more out haul, a different pair of sunglasses, and a dab of sunscreen on our noses. It must be said that life as a woman is never without complications, even when we are windsurfing.

    To everyone's relief we finally manage to make it down to the water’s edge, albeit a little more ruffled and a little less groomed then we would like; when dealing with wind and water, loose hairs and slightly askew swimwear goes with the territory.

    Once in the water, everyone is at ease and relaxed—akin to watching mermaids slipping into their natural element. The tense excitement of getting ready and organizing equipment easily slips away with the current.

    Out on the water, the indecisiveness and fleeting neuroses of the group has disappeared. The wind carries laughter and shouts of supportive glee. I can't help marveling at this extraordinary group of women. On land, they are beauties to behold; on the water, they are strong, skillful sailors, speeding alongside men twice their size.

    On this day, like any other day, there are triumphs to share and bruises to compare, as participating in an extreme sport can leave you in some rather compromising positions; a Saturday afternoon on the water doesn't go by without one of us searching frantically for a bikini top or bottom that has gone missing after a spectacular fall. When you play hard, you also crash hard!

    So, why aren't more women windsurfing? Why does it continue to be such a male dominated sport? When talking to Dasher, a local head instructor, he feels that, generally speaking, women are intimidated by the 'extreme-ness' of the sport—it is a common misconception that to be a windsurfer one needs upper body strength. "Phewy," says Dasher. "At one point that may have been true, but now with more advanced and lighter equipment, women actually have the advantage—windsurfing is more about finesse and less about strength and brute force."

    Back on the beach we giggle about our momentary vanity that was quickly quelled by the forces of nature. The wind and water have a way of humbling those who challange them. It is this enforced humility and the alliance with nature that make the sport so appealing. Windsurfing can be a somewhat solitary sport, however with the friendship and support this exceptional group of women offers, an afternoon out on the water is that much more fun.

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