Sent many of these one-card! I even still have one I never mailed – must have been a windy visit.)
Before kiteboarding, before wing foiling, and before extreme sports filled television screens, there was windsurfing, and nowhere captured its spirit quite like the Columbia River Gorge. Throughout the 1980s, this remarkable corridor between Oregon and Washington became the epicenter of the sport, where legendary sailors, iconic beaches, and legendary locations like the Wind Ranch helped define an entire generation of windsurfers.
Thank god for guys like Warren Miller, the original action sports filmmaker.
Enthusiasts Drove the Vibe
For guys like us on the East Coast, sure, we had Hatteras, and don’t get me wrong, there was some great windsurfing and some even bigger annual windsurfing voyages, and it became an annual trek. But for a generation of windsurfers, there was simply no place like the Columbia River Gorge during the 1980s, where world champions, weekend warriors, and first-time sailors all came together to chase the legendary Gorge winds.
If you Build it… They Will Come
Here’s where the story really made a difference. The transformation of Hood River and the area was something I had never seen since it happened. Now I know what the gold rush must have been like.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Hood River transformed from a struggling timber town into the windsurfing capital of North America. Many companies were founded there, while others relocated from Seattle, Vancouver, California, and Maui to be closer to the Columbia Gorge’s legendary wind. By 1999, Hood River had more than 30 windsurfing-related businesses, more than any other town in the continental US.
| Business | Founded / Moved | Type of Business | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wind Synergy | 1983 | Retail shop / Windsurfing school | One of Hood River’s first dedicated windsurfing shops, founded by Will Griffith. (Columbia Gorge News) |
| Hood River Windsurfing | 1984 | Retail shop / Lessons / Rentals | Doug Campbell’s pioneering shop and instruction center; helped launch organized events like the High Wind Classic. (Columbia Gorge News) |
| Windance Sailboards | 1984 | Retail shop / Board builder / Repair shop | Originally shaped custom boards, repaired equipment, and sold gear before becoming one of the world’s best-known windsurfing retailers. (Windance) |
| Rushwind Sails | 1984 | Sailmaker | One of Hood River’s earliest sail manufacturers. (Columbia Gorge News) |
| Sailworks | 1985 | Sailmaker / Design & Manufacturing | Bruce Peterson built Sailworks into one of the premier high-performance sail companies in the sport. (Columbia Gorge News) |
| Big Winds | 1987 | Retail shop / Lessons / Rentals | Founded by Steve Gates and Doug Gallant; grew into one of North America’s largest windsurfing retailers. (Visit Hood River) |
| Gorge Animal | 1986 | Custom Board builder | Les Crichton and Kerri Kent specialized in high-performance custom sailboards built for Gorge conditions. (Columbia Gorge News) |
| North Shore Inc. (NSI) | 1989 | Accessory manufacturer | Produced EVA deck pads, footstrap inserts, board accessories, handles and other hardware. (Port of Hood River) |
| Northwave Sails | Early 1980s (moved to Hood River) | Sailmaker | Relocated from the Seattle area to Hood River as the Gorge became the center of the sport. (Eagle Newspapers) |
| Fiberspar | Mid-1980s | Mast & boom manufacturer | Produced composite masts and booms used worldwide. (Seattle Times Archive) |
| Chinook Sailing Products | Late 1980s | Component manufacturer | Mast bases, booms, extensions, fins, footstraps and rigging hardware. (Seattle Times Archive) |
| Aerotech Sails | Late 1980s | Sailmaker | Designed performance sails for recreational and racing sailors. (Seattle Times Archive) |
| Windwing | Early 1990s | Sailmaker | Custom and production sail manufacturer based in Hood River. (Seattle Times Archive) |
| RBS Batten Systems | Moved to Hood River 1993 | Component manufacturer | Built fiberglass and carbon battens used by sailmakers worldwide; originally served the windsurfing industry. (Port of Hood River) |
| North Pacific Surf | 1985 | Custom board builder | Built custom windsurf boards, surfboards, SUPs and kiteboards. (North Pacific Surf) |
| Doug’s Sports | 1984 | Retail shop / Rentals | Began as the first windsurf retail store in the Columbia Gorge before expanding into other outdoor sports. (Visit Hood River) |
Following the windsurfing industry, the entire town and area began a revival not seen since the start when the logging industry came to town. Breweries, ice cream, restaurants, alongside plenty of tourist attractions came to the area to support the growing windsurfing community that flocked to the region. Here are just a few that we remember
If we missed a good one, let us know:
| Business | Type | Owner(s) / Founder | Claim to Fame |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bette’s Place | Breakfast Restaurant | Bette Walters (opened 1975); later daughter Gay Walters & Gary; longtime employee Sheri Castaneda became owner | Legendary cinnamon rolls, homemade pies, and the breakfast every local recommended. (Bette’s Place Restaurant) |
| Full Sail Brewing Co. | Brewery / Restaurant | Founded by Irene Firmat, John Harris, Mary Jones, and partners | One of Oregon’s pioneering craft breweries; transformed Hood River’s downtown nightlife. (Port of Hood River) |
| Mike’s Ice Cream | Ice Cream Shop | Mike Kitts and later the Kitts family (including Cecily Kitts Diffin) | Opened in 1986; the traditional stop after a day in the Gorge. (Columbia Gorge News) |
| Andrew’s Pizza & Bakery (Closed) | Pizza / Bakery | Andrew McElderry | Known for pizza, fresh bread, and cinnamon rolls. (BBB) – closed June 2024 following the retirement of Andrew and Melissa McElderry |
| Pasquale’s Pizza (Closed) | Italian Restaurant | Pasquale family (historic ownership) | Popular gathering place for locals and visiting athletes. (Closed) |
| Oak Street Deli (Closed) | Deli | Local ownership | Fresh sandwiches for picnics and river outings. |
| Waucoma Bookstore | Independent Bookstore | Longtime independent local business | Serving Hood River since 1976; Pacific Northwest books, maps, and gifts. (Waucoma Bookstore) |
| Apple Valley Country Store | Fruit Stand / Bakery / Gifts | England family | Famous for homemade pies, jams, pears, apples, and gift shop. (Visit Hood River) |
| Draper Girls Country Farm | Orchard / Bakery | Draper family | U-pick fruit, cider, bakery, and Mount Hood views. |
| Rasmussen Farms | Orchard / Farm Market | Rasmussen family | Cherries, pears, peaches, apples, and local produce. |
| Smiley’s Red Barn | Farm Market | Local family business | Fresh fruit, vegetables, cider, jams, and local products. |
| Hood River Hotel | Historic Hotel | Various owners | Downtown landmark since 1912, popular with visitors. |
| Columbia Gorge Hotel | Historic Hotel | Originally built by Simon Benson | One of Oregon’s grand hotels overlooking the Gorge. |
| Safeway | Grocery | National chain | Where many visitors stocked up before camping or sightseeing. |
| Rosauers Supermarket | Grocery | Rosauers family | The longtime hometown grocery before larger chains dominated. |
| Doug’s Sports (Bingen) | Sporting Goods | Doug Campbell | Started as a local sporting goods and windsurf retailer serving both locals and visitors. |
Remembering Columbia River Gorge’s Epic Windsurfing Competitions
By the early 1980s, the Columbia River Gorge had emerged as the epicenter of high-wind windsurfing in North America, attracting the world’s best sailors to compete in some of the sport’s most prestigious events. The first major competition, the High Wind Classic, debuted in Hood River in 1982, introducing organized high-wind slalom and speed racing to the Gorge.
Two years later in 1984, the Columbia Gorge Pro-Am transformed the region into an international destination, drawing more than 250 professional and amateur competitors each July to compete in slalom, course racing, speed, and eventually freestyle events. Prize purses grew rapidly as the sport exploded in popularity, climbing from several thousand dollars in the early years to more than $10,000 by 1986.
The legendary Columbia Gorge Blowout, a demanding downwind race from Cascade Locks to Hood River, became one of the most anticipated competitions of the decade. By 1989, the event attracted over 200 competitors from around the world and offered more than $30,000 in cash and equipment prizes, making it one of the richest windsurfing events in North America.
Throughout the decade, additional races in Hood River, Bingen, Stevenson, and The Dalles formed a vibrant summer competition circuit that helped establish the Gorge as the world’s premier freshwater windsurfing venue. Spectators regularly watched many of the sport’s biggest stars, including Robby Naish, Mike Waltze, Pete Cabrinha, Dana Dawes, Shawna O’Neill, Bruce Peterson, Brian Carlstrom, Doug Campbell, Jeff Hughes, Rhonda Smith, Les Crichton, and Will Griffith, compete on the same waters that thousands of recreational sailors enjoyed each day.
Send Me a Postcard
Before texts, emails, and social media, there was the postcard, a simple, heartfelt way to let family and friends know you’d arrived safely and were thinking of them. Every postcard captured a place, a moment, and a memory. This collection celebrates those small pieces of history, reminding us that sometimes the shortest messages tell the biggest stories. Welcome to our journey through the golden age of postcards. A fond memory for those days when you were writing a few postcards while camping at the Wind Ranch on one of those rare “no-wind-days.”
Share a Memory if You Trekked to the Gorge in the 80s/90s
We’d love to hear from our readers. It’s part of the reason we write about history: the social interaction with our readers. Post in the Comments section at the bottom of this post.
Send us some pics if you have any.
Oh, and if you watched the YouTube above, it didn’t sound like Warren Miller to me.
This one is DEFINATELY Warren Miller!
About the Author
Brooks Betz and his wife, Jill, founded Mr. Local History and the Mr. Local History project back in 2019. Born in Plainfield, New Jersey, and raised in Westfield, Brooks graduated from Westfield High School in 1980 and Bryant University (1984).
For over two decades, Brooks, along with his family, owned the Cranford Boat & Canoe Company (Cranford, NJ) in the 1960s through the 1990s. His father, Frank Betz, became one of the first Windsurfer dealers in 1972 and became close friends with the Schweitzer family, who invented the classic Windsurfer.
Brooks took the shop and made it one of the nation’s most noted windsurfing shops in the 1980s. Today, Brooks is a researcher writing stories about his experiences and the history of the great state of New Jersey.
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