Winds of Fortune Filling the Sails of Wind Surfer-Advisor Mackenzie

Meg Mackenzie grew up in La Crescenta and ski raced while she was a student at Crescenta Valley High.

She made the U.S. Junior Olympic ski team and continued slalom skiing until after her freshman year at Western State College in Colorado.

But snow is a thing of the past for Mackenzie, 33. She completed her education at Cal State Northridge, where she majored in radio, television and film, and got involved in wind surfing.

Now she spends a lot of her time plowing through the warm Caribbean Sea on her wind surfer.

Mackenzie has won more than seven major wind surfing titles, including last year’s World Championships in Spain’s Canary Islands.

She competes in about 15 tournaments a year around the world, but lately Mackenzie has spent more time focusing on other projects.

For instance, she is working on a series of recreational travel videos.

“They will appeal not to racers but people who enjoy the sport recreationally,” Mackenzie said.

Some of the footage is filmed in top wind surfing locations such as Maui, Spain and parts of France.

Mackenzie narrates the videos, which also feature scuba diving and skiing.

This week and next she will work as a consultant with a firm that will invest more than $2 million to build a large lake in Palm Desert.

It is hoped the lake will become a wind surfing mecca and Mackenzie will be largely responsible for its operation.

Mackenzie also is preparing to defend her title at the World Championships next month in Spain.

She is the top-ranked U.S. woman in the speed-sailing division and has traveled as fast as 46 mph.

Mackenzie, who lists Ventura’s Sea Street and Leo Carrillo beaches as her favorite local training spots, follows an intense, year-round workout program to stay in shape for the sport.

She runs for 40 minutes every other day, lifts weights at least three times per week and does a lot of biking.

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Those who aren’t crazy about working out in a gym or exercising outdoors can get in shape by dancing.

The L.A. Mission College community extension program is offering a variety of dance classes on campus and at Granada Hills High.

The six-class belly dancing course will begin July 10 and Latin and country western dancing (eight classes for each) on July 11.

Ballroom dancing and East-West Coast swing will begin July 12 and each has six classes.

Hip hop is also a six-class course and will begin July 24.

Prices range from $34-$54.

Information: 818-364-7387.

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Football buffs can get their fix at the 17th National Sports Collectors Convention on June 27-30 at Anaheim Convention Center.

The NFL exhibit will feature a 228-by-75-foot area that will include a memorabilia display, an Internet site and a football field with clinics every hour.

NFL players are scheduled to participate in several of the clinics. Admission is $30 and includes product samples and autographs.

Information: 818-574-5500.

UNDER RECREATION, pg 10