Serious enthusiasts already know about the boardsailing Mecca of Hood River, an hour east of Portland on the Columbia River. The winds come howling down the gorge with enough force to send sailboards airborne. Several shops in Hood River rent boardsailing equipment.

Right in Portland you can take a lesson at Gorge Performance Windsurfing, 7400 SW Macadam Blvd. (tel. 503/246-6646), which happens to be conveniently close to Willamette Park, the city's best boardsailing spot. You'll find this park at the corner of SW Macadam Boulevard and SW Nebraska Street, on the Willamette River.

The many miles of sandy beaches on Sauvie Island are another good spot for experienced sailors to try.

The easiest spot for beginners is across the Columbia River in Vancouver, Washington, at Vancouver Lake State Park, which is reached by taking the Fourth Plain exit of I-5 and driving west on NW New Lower River Road.