For 24 years his achievement was Malta’s best ever placing in the Summer Olympic Games. Peter Bonello was the name….Windsurfing was the sport.

The eighties and early nineties were the golden years of the sport of windsurfing in the Maltese Islands where the local bays were beautifully alive with throng of windsurfers riding the waves and defying the winds.

Possibly the beginning of windsurfing in Malta was in the Spring of 1976 when Paul Ripard Sr in the company of Tony Albanese, Eddie Woods and George Fleri Soler went down to St Georges Bay with two Yellow Ten Cate boards.

Windsurfing was a novelty then and attracted people from all walks of life: young people scrambling up just enough money to get one because it was the in-thing, parents thinking it a great hobby for all the family to participate in, seasoned sailors finding it a great way to be one with the elements.

It also attracted the photographers, the businesses, many dealers sprung up wanting a piece of the action, the social scene was terrific, maybe contributing to the energy that the organisers behind the events drew from. Yes, it simply attracted the attention of one and all!

Peter Bonello was one of the leading protagonists of the sport in that era where his reputation attained its highest echelon in 1984 when he represented Malta in the Summer Olympic Games at Los Angeles.

Thirty eight countries, each represented by one participant, contested the Windsurfing competition where Stephan Van Den Berg (Netherlands) took Gold, Scott Steele (USA) - Silver and Bruce Kendal (New Zealand) – Bronze with Peter finishing ninth overall.

“Most of the top contenders arrived in Los Angeles weeks in advance to train at the venue, since getting used to the local conditions is always a big help in any sailing sport. Just a few months earlier I had beaten Scott Steele convincingly at the European Championships in Carnac, France; however he arrived in Los Angeles to train at the venue two months earlier”, recalls Bonello.

For 24 years this ninth overall was the best ever placing a Maltese athlete attained in the Summer Olympic Games only to be bettered by sport shooter William Chetcuti in the 2008 Beijing Games who registered an eighth Overall. In 1996 the Malta Olympic Committee awarded Peter the International Olympic Committee’s Centennial Award.

Peter started windsurfing in July 1979 with the first achievement occuring one year after when the National Windsurfing Association considered him worthy to join the Maltese contingent at the 1980 World Windsurfing Championships. Following that, winning the Mid-Winter event in January 1981, gave him his first national title.

“On the local scene the Wishbone Championships were the most well organised events and attracted a lot of participation and media coverage. So winning that event was significant on the national level. That also led to the Boardsailor of the Year Award and eventually the Sportsman of the Year Award which I won for three consecutive years, but mostly because of my accomplishments on the international circuit”, recalls Peter.

Peter went to the US to continue his studies in 1985. He was half way through the Architecture and Civil Engineering Programme at the University of Malta but because he was so distracted by windsurfing in Malta felt that continuing abroad would allow him to focus better. He had every intention of returning to Malta, after all he had a wonderful life here and missed his family and friends tremendously.

But in order to make this venture worthwhile after ‘resigning’ from the Malta University was to get some work experience before he returned so he pursued employment in the field of civil engineering which he found in California on a student work training VISA during the summers while still attending University in Texas for the rest of the 2½ years it took him to graduate.

Upon graduating with a degree in architectural engineering, however, the company he worked for offered to help him gain US residency, which he did.

In the meantime he met his future wife, got married and started a family - thus returning to Malta just got postponed. After a few years working with the same company he obtained his licence to practice Civil Engineering and switched employers.

In 2003 he resigned his vice president position from that second employer and choosing to be self employed, started his own practice, AE Consulting, Inc. based in California, specialising in airport engineering which he continues to this date.

“Not until 2003, when I became self employed, did I get back into windsurfing in a competitive way. I met up with other local racing enthusiasts, regularly practice with them and travel up and down California participating in various events,” recollects 47-year-old Peter.

He has taken part in various events with interesting results - 2004 National Windsurfing Championship, San Francisco – 1st Place Prodigy Class; 2005 Neil Pryde RSX Pacific Coast Championship, San Francisco – 11th out of 37; 2005 San Francisco Bay Classic – Long Distance Race – 7th out of 22; 2007 Cabrillo Beach Windsurf Enduro – 1st Place Overall; 2007 San Diego Formula Windsurfing Series – 1st Place; 2008 US Formula National Windsurfing Championships, Worthington Minnesota – 2nd Place Men’s, 4th Place Overall; 2008 San Diego Formula Windsurfing Series – 1st Place. Peter also raced in a number of USA Windsurfing Championships, the last being the 2008 edition where he was one of 19 in the formula class and finished fourth.

Peter has been married to Jennifer for almost 18 years now and they have four children, namely, Jonathan 16, Andrew 13, Elizabeth 11, and Sarah 4. The three older ones all gave windsurfing a go this past summer but they are still beginners.

This chat with Peter brought about a grand nostalgic feeling. Memories that bring a gratifying grin to my face. So many events then, so much excitement, invariable competition and great fun.

There were so many keen windsurfers those days that mentioning names could sound unfair as it would be impossible to recall all…but I remember… Anton Cachia, Andrew Wilson, Angela Spiteri Staines, Christian Ripard, Chris Grech, Denise Hughes, Bernard Schranz, Jean Paul Fleri Soler, Paul Ellul, Bouty Attard Montalto, Ray Demicoli, Daniel Reginiano, Emma Calascione, James Camilleri, Henry Copperstone, Jean Gaffiero, Francesca Vincenti, Adam Scicluna, Maria Mercieca, Kurt Arrigo, Sue and Jenny Camilleri, Albert Fenech, Ray Condachi, Renato Attard, Timmy and Boccu Camilleri, Andrew Calascione, Sean Arrigo, Nikki and Sue Arnett, Jonathan Crockford, Steve Pace, Albert and Simon Gatt, Noel Toledo, Joanna Pace (sadly deceased), Jean Paul Pagnoud, Edgar Gatt, Martin Meacham, Nigel Rausi, Simon Said, Leslie Mirasole…Oh my God so many to mention all….yes it was a grand time never to be forgotten.