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Team Duotone
 

  -  ADAM LEWIS  -

For most windsurfers, this sounds like a dream come true! Adam Lewis has spent this extraordinary last half year on Maui - end open…

Adam is one of the best windsurfers in the world and was in great shape - before the lock-down – ready for more World Cup podiums! Now he is living permanently at the same spot as our Chief Sail Designer Kai Hopf. Being also part of the Duotone test crew, consequently Adam got extensively involved in testing and development - especially of the 2021 Super Star.

Read how the humble British wave sailor experienced his longest stay at one place a time so far? How does he motivate himself as an athlete and keep himself in the business?

 

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"I feel so lucky really, I think I made it here just in time"

 

Due to COVID-19 this spring you got stuck on Maui. Sounds like a dream come true for the ordinary windsurfer. How did you spend this special time in Windsurfers’ paradise?

Yeah, I feel so lucky really, I think I made it here just in time, Marc even arrived the day before they closed all the US boarders and they’ve stayed closed since! Honestly here it’s sort of a bubble. Everything is outside in open air anyway plus they were pretty quick to introduce quarantine travel so the cases were low. We had a sort of lock down, but you could still go to surf, fish or windsurf just the hanging out on the beach wasn’t allowed. Honestly, we were really lucky we could surf and sail every day.

In the past you were travelling a lot. What kind of experience was it for you being at one spot for a long time? What or who did you miss?

Yes, it’s been pretty crazy experience and maybe that also reflects on the lives we have as professional windsurfers but this is the longest I’ve been anywhere since I was 19… Obviously you miss competing and I miss traveling, although not the excess baggage desk! I miss all the guys and girls from tour. I’m still in Maui now and it was pretty slow this summer, so it was weird not to just book some flights and go somewhere with waves. That said honestly, I’ve loved being here in one place and having a chance to slow down and do other things I’d never of got the chance too with such a nomadic lifestyle.

With no Wave World Cup for the whole season, how do you stay motivated and keep yourself mentally and physically in shape?

Good question, I’ve also avoided the gym since this all kicked off too, it’s been pretty tricky to keep in shape the same as before. Honestly, I struggled, I found it tricky to get new routines to adapt training wise to the circumstances. Somehow most of summer felt like March still.  However, as August came and I could start to feel those winter swells around the corner I started to feel more and more motivated. It's different and I had to create a lot of my own workouts in the garden here and incorporate sand dune runs, underwater stuff etc. in to the training schedule but feeling the difference already is another huge motivator to keep pushing so I feel fully motivated. Mentally in shape, well I’m here in Maui sailing with some of the best guys in the world that competitive mental motivation is always here!

Will you have an advantage for the future over riders, who were less lucky as you and had to spend their time somewhere away from proper wave spots?

I guess so, I think a lot of Europe had very little wave sailing time through the spring but honestly sometimes those breaks you come back from sailing better than before… I think perhaps this winter will be the real test if people still can’t travel as much... Honestly, I think it’s good just to concentrate on your own sailing and I think I’ll for sure be getting enough of that this winter here!

You did get strongly involved into the development of the NEW 2021 Super Star Wave Sail. How would you describe the result? What are your mayor learnings from this R&D process?

I suppose the biggest learning curve was that 1/2mm can make the difference between the best sail and a not so great one - like a mind-blowing difference and how many things effect how a sail performs! It’s incredible! The whole process is also really addictive, once you start make these radical differences from small changes and you physically feel such big improvements you want more! Its endless and to be able to make changes to sails that hopefully will make loads of other windsurfers sessions better is an awesome opportunity. It’s been amazing to get to work with Kai Hopf too… the bloke is a genius and the level of knowledge and understanding he has is basically inspirational.

 

In “True Lines”, your Webisodes on insights of your windsurfing world, you proved to be a great presenter. Will we see more of that in the future? Is that your second career plan?

Hahaha, I’m not sure about that one! Alex Hasch our Marketing Manager always said Hollywood… Maybe my sights are set too low, haha! Well if anyone has any presenting jobs, I’ll have my best crack at them!

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You also introduced us to foiling together with Vincent Langer with your foil riding clips. How do you see the foil trend change the windsurfing sport?

I think we could almost do a whole interview on this! But I think foils are epic, they make terrible conditions brilliant and exciting not matter how many years you’ve sailed and that can only be a good thing.

With no competitions happening now, it is becoming even more important for windsurfing pros to represent themselves as ambassadors for their sponsors. How do you handle that situation or even learn for your future?

That’s an interesting question, I guess I tried to cover my bases, I’ve kind of focused on what I’m good at and got stuck into as much testing and developing sails as I can. We added up with Kai the lines we’re working on right now and we’re currently working on over 6 lines of sails… Being here and being able to constantly develop gear offers a lot and its essential to improve such already great products and continue to be an innovative leader in the market place.

From a personal side I think I’ve always thought as professional you are an ambassador for windsurfing and the brands you represent, I suppose that’s also part of the reason we kicked off with the True Lines concept…   However, I can’t imagine anything worse than being described as an influencer or something like that.... I think as a Wave sailor it’s a little different and you’re still an athlete focused on performance, producing pictures and video you’re still selling the performance of the equipment, maybe more so than results in the first place.

Talking about future, even if currently it is very difficult to predict what will be in one year. What are your goals for the next season?

I’d like to improve my sailing at Ho'okipa as much as possible firstly. It’s sort of the goal for any Pro windsurfer I feel like.
...IF we compete, I would love to win an event!

Where do you want to be in 5 years?

Honestly, I’m not sure. Maybe here in Maui, I’d love to still be involved with gear development or design.

Any further motto or statement you want to share with us?

Well, I think that times right now are strange and across with world I feel like a lot of people are struggling and people seem to be polarizing in ideas. Maybe just to remember to look at things from other points or view and be respectful to one another regardless of view.

Pictures: FishBowlDiaries, JC

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