Ten years ago, my parents spontaneously signed up my younger siblings and I for Lavallette Yacht Club’s Junior Sailing Program. As an innocent nine-year-old, I geared up in my faded red life jacket, pink polka-dotted sunglasses, and a thick coat of sunscreen and thought I was ready to face anything.

Boy, was I wrong. The wind showed no mercy as it launched my tiny, 8-foot bathtub of a boat (also known as an Optimist Pram) across the choppy waves of Barnegat Bay. Having to simultaneously steer my boat, hold the mainsheet (line that controls the mainsail), monitor the wind and current, and be on the lookout for other boats, I realized the physical and mental skill sailing required and quickly fell in love with the sport.

I became so passionate about sailing that I was always determined to find a way to weave sailing into any conversation. Naturally, whenever someone would ask me what sports I played, I was always eager to say, “I sail.” You can imagine my frustration when many people initially responded, “Sailing is not a sport. What sports do you actually play?”

I remember the first time someone said this to me. At first, I was so taken aback I did not know how to respond. However, after growing accustomed to this reaction, I started to respond by asking why theydid not consider sailing a sport. Most people simply believed sailing involved no physical endurance or strength. I had that aha! moment as I realized that the common perception of sailing was strictly limited to sunbathing on a boat. While leisure is one aspect of sailing, their definition completely ignored the competitive side of the sport.

One of the first things I learned when I started sailing was “Ease, Hike, Trim.” Three simple steps that coaches drill into their sailors’ heads. When the wind is blowing strong and the boat starts to tilt towards the water, “Ease, Hike, Trim,” is the first thing that runs through every sailor’s mind. This short mantra signals the start of an intense ab and quad workout sailors are prepared to face in heavy winds.

The first step, ease, requires loosening the mainsheet and jib sheets (lines that control the jib sails) to reduce the wind’s pressure filling the sails. With less force against the sails, sailors will then lean back over the edge of the boat, lowering and straightening their backs, so that their bodies appear to be an extension of the boat. This technique is known as hiking, and sailors will hike in order to keep the boat flat and prevent it from capsizing. The final step, trim, demands serious arm strength, as in one swift motion, the sailor counters the wind’s force by pulling the sheets in as tight as possible, all while continuing to lean over the side of the boat. Sailors must exert this strength as waves splash over the side of the boat, water sprays into their faces, their fingers blister and bleed from gripping the main and jib sheets, and their abs and quads burn from hiking.

When the wind is so strong that not even hiking will keep the boat flat, sailors will trap, an extreme form of hiking. Crew members attach themselves to a wire that is connected to the top of the mast, allowing them to stand on the edge of the boat. Leaning back out over the water, their entire body weight is used to maximize leverage and counter the wind’s force. Trapping not only requires immense balance, as failing to keep knees perfectly straight and still can cause crew members to fall, but also an incredible amount of trust between the skipper and crew. It is the skipper’s job to keep the boat as stable as possible by easing and tightening the main over each wave, so the crew can maintain their balance.

Sailing in light wind requires almost as much physical exertion as heavy wind sailing. Skippers and crews are continuously shifting their weight from the edge of the boat to inside the boat in order to balance the relatively low force from the wind. This up and down motion is akin to a full day lower body workout.

Along with demanding physical strength, sailing entails a mental workout. In addition to competing against other boats, sailors are up against the dynamic conditions. With the “field”constantly changing, as wind shifts roll in, the current alters directionand waves pound against the boat, sailors must constantly be alert. Continuously calculating and anticipating how the wind and water will fluctuate, sailors assume a “chess-like mentality,” according to Dan Lin, University of Colorado alumni sailor and current Assistant Coach of the Chatham High School Sailing Team in Chatham, New Jersey.

During every race, my sister and I would continuously look up and down the course, heads always turning, as we assessed the conditions. “Which side is favored?” “Puff in 15 seconds!” “Boat 4 about 10 yards away!” Throughout the race, sailors are swiftly reacting to these changes and adjusting the boat accordingly.

Another aspect of sailing that is often overlooked is the level of teamwork required to sail two or more-person boats. Communication between the skipper and crew(s) is a crucial aspect, as crews look ahead and inform skippers of any oncoming boats or puffs (gusts of wind). Additionally, the skipper and crew’s movements must be perfectly in sync in order for the boat to move as fast as it can.

Sailors are hardcore-not only do they literally have rock solid abs from hiking, but sailors are also incredibly dedicated, often sailing in extreme conditions. High winds, rain, hail, freezing temperatures, sweltering heat, not even a frozen bay will keep a devoted sailor from getting out on the water.

The level of physical and mental strength sailors muster every time they are on the race course certainly qualifies sailors as athletes. Sailing is an awesome sport for anyone to experience, and with over 200 U.S. colleges that have active teams, it’s easy to get out on the water. Nothing compares to the feeling of exhilaration when a gust of wind catches the sails and launches the boat forward.The moment you overcome the fear of falling and lean over the edge of the boat, just barely hanging over the water, is completely liberating.