HAVE you ever looked out of your bedroom window, seen something and thought of giving it a go?

Richard Flindall has. And when he first saw kitesurfing on Southend’s East Beach 12 years ago, he made the plunge and took to the waters.

And it proved to be a worthwhile decision. Having opened a dedicated kitesurf school in Southend, he is now celebrating becoming the second best at the sport in the country.

The 25-year-old triumphed in Hunstanton, Norfolk earlier this month to accumulate enough points for a second-place finish in the British Kitesurfing Championships, after fifth and fourth placed finishes in Lancing, West Sussex and Southend respectively.

Flindall even met his girlfriend, Georgina, thanks to the sport.

And Flindall says the sport is only gaining in popularity, with an influx of locals dropping by Richy’s Kitesurf School, in Gunners Road, Shoebury, since he opened its doors three years ago.

“I live on East Beach and was looking outside when I saw a group of people kitesurfing and I had never seen it before,” he said. “I just wanted to give it a go and have never looked back.

“I did it for a few years and by the time I was 16 I was competing on the British circuit. Two years after that I headed to the Caribbean to do my instructor course and I have taught all over the world ever since.

“To do so well in the British Championships is brilliant. It was an intense competition but so much fun and my partner Georgina (Monti) and I are the moon with our results for this year and are already looking forward to next year’s competitions.”

Monti is also an instructor and an accomplished kitesurfer, coming fifth in the women’s British Kitesurfing Championships.

She and Flindall now split their time between Southend in the summer, and the sunnier shores of the Dominican Republic in the winter, to ensure they can practise all year round.

His time in the UK is dedicated to his kitesurf school, which he says has been a roaring success.

“It has been incredible,” he said. “The uptake of people who give kitesurfing a go is about 90 per cent which says it all. They love it and it is for everyone. It is incredibly safe and we have had children take part and people as old as 75, which is great to see.

“There is talk of it being introduced in time for the 2020 Olympics after it was pulled from the programme for Rio next year and that would be great. It is a brilliant sport and the more people that see that the better.”

Flindall also thanked sponsors and partners Cabrinha kiteboarding, Np surf, Agent 8, Festival wakeboard park, Wetndry boardsports, Richys kitesurf school, Kite addicts and Southend Council for their support.

Anyone interested in kitesurfing can visit www.richyskitesurfschool.com for more details.