HOOD RIVER, Ore. — At 8 a.m., a big group of young kids have already been out on the water for an hour.
“So that means at 6:45, kids are running down the dock, and they're ready to get on the water, so it's really special to see that type of energy early on in the morning," said Fiona Wylde. "I just love working with kids. It's so much fun; it's so much fun to see their smiles.”
Wylde knows something about water sports; she's won three world titles racing paddle boards, along with a junior world title in wind surfing.
And it would not have happened without the support of community members, organizations, friends, coaches and especially family, said Wylde.
That support inspired the 27-year-old from Hood River to start a nonprofit organization three years ago, called Wylde Wind & Water, to continue the teams that she learned on when she was a kid.
“But then also to broaden the scope of what we do in the community, making sure that the waterfront here in Hood River is a lot more accessible and inclusive, providing free community programs and then also pushing the performance side, too,” said Wylde.
The performance side starts young with the "devo," or development team. This season, it's 27 kids, and 22 are girls!
Most of these young paddleboarders grew up around the water. But not all in Hood River County have that advantage.
That's why developing partnerships with schools and the sheriff's office to teach water science, and safety is a big part of the mission.
“In particular, we run a program called Viento e Agua with Hood River County Migrant Education, which is for Hispanic students who are here in our community,” said Wylde, who grew up splitting her time between Hood River and a small town on the water in Mexico’s Baja Penninsula.
Wylde, who is bilingual, says the free program for migrant students is so important for Hispanic kids and for the organization, with Hispanic high schoolers moving into paid internships and part-time jobs with Wylde Wind & Water.
“It's really cool to see that not only our young Hispanic students coming to the waterfront speaking in Spanish and English, bringing their families, but also, too, the older high school students now are coming and taking ownership of the Hood River waterfront and their community,” Wylde said.
Wylde and her 28-person team also offer performance training in the relatively new sport of wing-foil. It looked too challenging for me, out in the wind. But back in the relatively calm water, by the dock, I wanted to show my inexperience at paddleboarding — and get a beginner's intro from Fiona.
I'd only been on a paddle board once before, and it showed. But the world-class water sport expert was nothing but helpful. And even with my lack of skills, I’d still be welcome to come out for the community paddle on Saturdays in the summer, where it's all about coming together for a no-charge, equipment-provided paddle party in Hood River.
“I wouldn't have had this life without community support, so if I can give just a little bit back, then I’m more than happy,” said Wylde.
Participation in the nonprofit’s various programs has grown exponentially since it started three years ago, and Wylde Wind & Water operates thanks to grants and donations. Wylde said financial support to continue to grow is appreciated.
