You are now back on Maui, where you already spent almost half of 2020. Are you following Adam and building your second home there?

I am not building a second home like Adam, but it feels like home here to me. I love to sail on Maui because it is a very consistent place, there are wind & waves almost every day and it is a paradise for all water sports.

With no PWA World Cups last year, you were granted some extra time on Maui. How did you find this experience?

Last year it was the first time I spend 5 consecutive months on Maui. It was an incredible time with the family and also with Duotone Teammates Marc, Arthur and Adam. I was lucky to sail a few spots in the South of the island that I never sailed before and it was epic down the line port tack. I also got to visit a few other places of the island which normally are very crowded but not during the beginning of Covid. It felt just a bit weird to not to be on the Canaries during summertime for the first 2 World Cups of the season, but I was in another windsurf paradise sailing and doing other water sports every day.

With Duotone R&D being based on Maui, this also gives you the possibility to work very closely with Kai Hopf, our Sail Designer. Can we expect major changes for the Super Hero or another big coup – like the Super Star – for the 2022 Wave Range?

It is great to work with Kai for so many years now in the development of the wave sails. He knows so much about it that it is very interesting to see how many things he can change on a sail to make it better and better. We are right now working on the Super Hero and Super Star together with Adam Lewis and we are very happy with the few changes we did in most of the sail sizes. I think we cover all the wave range for all kind of wave sailors having 2 very different 4 batten wave sails.

In 2020 - besides Maui - you also sailed on Gran Canaria, in Klitmøller and Catalunia. Looks like you have made the best out of the situation. How satisfied are you with your plan B? Have you also spent more time at home than usual?

Yes, my plan B was actually very good. I think, I was travelling and sailing more than I expect it considering the situation. Gran Canaria is a must go in summer, I love it there and I went just for one week but with a very good forecast. Klitmoller is one of my favorite cold-water spots and Craig Gertenbach had the idea to make a Team trip just with the Fanatic/Duotone wave riders for 2 weeks. We stayed together in a house and we were able to go in the water every day and get good footage. As I was driving from Switzerland to Spain after being with my girlfriend´s family, I contacted my teammate Marc Paré for a visit at his home spot in Pals and we had a super fun day on 3.7.

After many people have been stuck at home for a year watching Netflix, what is your favorite show to watch in your downtime?

Well, I don´t really have a favorite, but I have a few ones that I like to watch such as Breaking Bad, Peaky Blinders, Lucifer or Money Heist among others.

More than a year ago you became a father to a little boy. Did this unusual last year make it easier for you to groove into family life? What are the major changes for you?

Yes, my son is already 15months old, time is flying. It has been a big change of our life for sure. It is amazing to be a dad, but it is also harder to organize yourself daily for training, recovering and making plans - specially adding the Covid situation. It does not make it easier to travel with our son, but we get used to it and we are super lucky to have him and see him growing every day with us wherever we go.

Your own father has always been a great support for your entire career. In what way does that inspire you for your own relationship to your son?

My father is also a great friend of mine and we understand each other very well. I always had his support and understanding, and I learned, and I keep learning lots of things from him. He is still windsurfing, and I love to see him with the same passion every day he windsurfs. I will try to support and teach my son the best way I can. I just hope he keeps liking the water and that he enjoys sports as much as I do even if he does not compete.

How much do you miss competing at PWA world cups and how do you deal with the uncertainty about when the hunt for the title can be continued?

I do miss them of course. I miss competing against the best guys in the world and I feel that I still have plenty of motivation and skills to compete with the best guys. I also enjoy being focused and the days of preparation for competitions.

Even if currently, it is very difficult to predict what will happen. What are your goals for the upcoming season? Are there any new projects you have planned?

I have some projects such a Clinics, travel stories for social media, video editing plus Windsurfing events if they happen. I really want to keep pushing my windsurfing skills.

Where do you want to be in 5 years?

I want to keep windsurfing as long as I can and enjoy the time with my family and friends.

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

Don´t be too hard on yourself, enjoy every moment in life.

Picture Credits: Almudena Cueto, Alvaro Luna, Manuela Jungo, Fish Bowl Diaries, Cathrine Ide., Carter / PWA