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Show Wide Hollow Reservoir Wind Surfing Getting Popular ESCALANTE Enjoying the breath-taking scenery and leming new sporting skills have made wind surfing at Wide Hollow Reservoir a favorite amoung youths who attend Navajo Trails Ranch headquartered between Torrey and Bicknell. Wide Hollow (just one mile outside Escalante), unlike Koosharem, Otter Creek, or Piute Reservoirs, has little algae and the water is warm. There is plenty of room and an Ideal wind for windsurfing. According to Navajo Trails supervisor Terry Hopkinson, there has been ample breeze every day throughout their seven-week stay for sailing. Hopkinson is an expert at the sport, having competed in several races and experiencing sailing on Deer Creek Reservoir and Utah Lake. Windsurfing was invented 17 years ago by Hoyle Schweitzer and fast became a competitive sport both in the U.S. and abroad. "Youths are naturals for it," said co-counsdor, Stewart Hewitt, "They are on the boards the first day, and catch on, almost immediatdy." Hewitt, who hails from South Africa, is an expert sailor and professional motocross. He and Hopkinson bring about 15 different students weekly from the ranch to windsurf on Wide Hollow. The 19-year;old Navajo Trails Ranch, under the direction' of Dan Sampson of Sunnyvale',' Calif., hosts many sports. Backpacking at the Zion Narrows, horsebacking at Thousand Lakes, water skiing, canoeing and kayaking on Lake Powdl, mountain climbing in the Henry Mountains, survival trips from Pleasant Creek to Capitol Reef National Park, swimming and rafting on the Dirty Devil, Green and Fremont Rivers, and bicycling are some of the sports skills taught by experts at Navajo Trails Ranch. Learning new skills is one way to throughly enjoy the unique terrain of southern Utah, and windsurfing on Wide Hollow is one of the favorites amoung participants. Jason Smith of Sandiego, one of the youths involved said, "It's the greatest!" He hopes someday to become .a counsdor and teach others what he is learning. |