Duotone DRIVEN Magazine No.04

PAULA NOVOTNA FROM KITEBOARDING FREESTYLE QUEEN TO WINGFOIL WORLD CHAMPION Paula Novotna has been around as a professional kitesurfer for over ten years. Now she has become Wingfoil Freestyle World Champion as well as Wingfoil Racing World Champion, dominating the Women Wingfoil competition scene. We talked with her about how it all started, what winning those titles meant to her, and how the new sport has even influenced her kiting habits. You have been around as a professional kiteboarder for over 10 years – what brought you to wingfoiling? I wanted to learn wingfoiling a long time before I actually started. I liked the looks of it. It appeared to be so smooth and simple. But with kiteboarding being my profession, I was training for competitions a lot. I simply didn’t have much time to dedicate myself to yet another sport. Then at some point, Covid came, and suddenly I had all the time in the world. We got stuck in the Caribbean at that time and it was the best possible scenario I could have chosen. So, you learned how to wingfoil in paradise? That sure sounds like a perfect scenario! Haha, yes, it was. We were a t Jeremie Tronet’s Center in Union Island for four months. The second part of our stay was a bit less windy, perfect to start something new. Jeremie is a good friend of mine, he gave me a lesson. Though all I remember from that first lesson are his words: “Pump harder, harder! Not like this, like that! Yes!”. And then, all of a sudden, I flew! Though honestly, it was really hard in the beginning. What drove you? What kept you going? I enjoy getting out of my comfort zone, so learning a new sport was a great challenge for me. I spent endless hours trying to wingfoil on a very big board and a 4m Echo wing. Once I finally managed it, I started to like it a lot. So naturally, I wanted to keep going and improve. How did that go? I got my first wing board a couple months later. I chose a 55-liter board, and it turned out to be a nightmare for me. It took me forever trying to get up. At some point, I almost drowned in the choppy Brazilian conditions, haha. When did you start competing in wingfoiling? Actually, right after this challenging experience. I joined my first competition in Fortaleza, Brazil, barely knowing how to wing. There, I met all the wing athletes and I saw them jump. That impressed me. I wanted to do it as well. I remember asking Titoan Galea “How should I jump in my heat?”, even though I had never tried it before. Well, I wasn’t very successful in that competition. Afterward, I went to Jericoacoara and spent 2–3 weeks wingfoiling there. That was when I knew I was completely hooked and that I wanted to start seriously competing in this sport. And you did. You are Wingfoil Freestyle World Champion as well as Wingfoil Racing World Champion. Congratulations! Thanks. It definitely is a great achievement, and I am really proud to be a professional in two different sports. It is the result of a lot of dedication, hard work, and countless hours on the water and in the gym. But all worth it! What do you like about wingfoiling, that kiteboarding doesn’t give you? What is awesome about wingfoiling is that after more than 10 years of doing competitive freestyle, I stopped having pain in my body after sessions. When you wing, you fly. There is no impact. My entire body composition changed a lot as well. The two sports are completely different. Additionally, wingfoiling gave me so much variety. It opened a lot of new spots and opportunities for me. For example, you can wing in gusty conditions with no beach access. And choppy water is actually a plus to have some kickers for jumping. Would you say kiteboarding helped you reach such a professional level in wingfoiling this quickly? Yes, definitely. With kiteboarding, I have learned a lot about how competitions work, how to prepare, and how to stay calm before my heats. Does wingfoiling also influence the way you kite? It actually does. After 10 years of traveling around with my kiteboarding Freestyle equipment, I really enjoy doing something else now. I stopped riding boots almost completely. Something that was unthinkable for me for a long time. I enjoy going out with my straps a lot. I find it more fun and a way to personally keep progressing in kiteboarding and to try new things. There has been a lot of wingfoil content from you lately and not so much kiteboarding anymore. Did you quit kiting for wingfoiling? Oh no, I would never! I still enjoy kite sessions a lot, especially as I have a lot of friends who are also kiting, and I love to share sessions with them. Wingfoiling, on the other hand, is quite new for me, and I enjoy it a lot as I progress very fast. Wingfoiling as a sport is growing fast, and not without reason. It’s something even kids or older people can easily do. Wingfoiling has less impact on the body and no splashing water. Just a peaceful flight above the ocean. It’s great to see how many people find their way into the sport. I hope it stays this way. Photos  Romantsova Photo Interview  Laura Alexy T H E T E A M 1 1 0 D R I V E N D R I V E N 1 1 1