12 February 2018 |
Windsurfing
Sebastian Steudtner learned to surf when he was nine years old. Because he was born in Nuremberg, far away from the ocean, all he could do was windsurf in the nearby bodies of water.
“Where I grew up, in the south of Germany, it’s only mountains and lakes. So, the only way to stay connected to surfing was through windsurfing. That’s the reason why I started, initially,” explains Steudtner.
“I decided to quit school and move to Hawaii when I was 13. Which I did when I was 16 after my teachers, my mom and everyone couldn’t handle my begging anymore.”
“I started my surfing career as a windsurfer. I was on a good way to become a professional – had sponsors, did competitions and started to make a name for myself. And then I saw Jaws breaking for the first time and decided that that was what I wanted to do,” adds the German surfer.
Recently, on a windy and chilly day, Steudtner decided to give windsurfing a try after a four-year break. The ocean conditions were challenging, but the German couldn’t be stopped.
Sebastian really wanted to do it. So, he got into his “office” in Nazaré, Portugal, and searched for the sailing gear.
“Now, we have to figure out what’s what.” When Steudtner finally collects all the pieces of equipment, it’s time to head over to the beach. “Windsurfing 101. Let’s see if we can still do it!”
“I love the sport. I love the feeling. You can catch so much speed just with the power of the wind. I think I should be windsurfing again. You can catch waves that are really big, and you can jump really high,” stresses Steudtner.
After getting to the beach, Sebastian Steudtner was confronted with a white-capped sea. He rigged up and nervously walked down to the shoreline where a pounding shore break threatened to smash his windsurfing equipment.
After a couple of wipeouts, the German found a few seconds of peace and sailed a few meters. But the waves were closing out and sending the intrepid athlete back to terra firma. Apparently, this was not a good day for windsurfing.
“Well, we have to try. We tried, and we failed. Miserably!”
[embedded content]
Source: WCA
