Erik Loots schrijft een mooie evaluatie van 8 maanden fulltime speedsurfen
Naast fanatieke speedsurfer is Erik ook een auteur van allerlei speed gerelatereerde artikelen op zijn veel gelezen speedsurfingblog. Nu ook weer een mooi artikel over zijn eigen evaluatie van 8 maanden als fulltime windsurfer.
Hier zijn verhaal:
Its November, since April I have been speedsurfing without any school or time consuming job, for the record I never lived from unemployment pay (it is all money saved over years)! The goal was improve some personal records and extend this 100% windsurfing period as long as possible. I searched for answers about speedsurfing. I tried to make this article shorter, but impossible. Too much happened past 8 months.
Evaluation
Some very important steps done this year (not all fun). Hardcore testing, to get all effects and trims on paper. Lots of fintesting done, Sonntag fins are my type of fins, this works for me, but more important is the great friendship with Alex and Joerg, windsurfing without Sonntag fins is not possible for me!! Also the change from Neilpryde to Starboard/Severne gave new refreshing insights, I found not only great performance with the equipment but very great acceptance in the Starboard/Severne family, I feel a part of starboard/severne and enjoy the many discussions about products/development. Other important step was the Wad1team (gpsteamchallenge), something that made speedsurfing fun again at our local spot. The boat for wad1team was worth all money, since it contributed to many (personal) records.
I learned after many discussions with guys from windsurfing industry, speedsurfing (records/competition) is something done by privateers for a very long time now. Like I did last 8 months, this is normal. I wish I could full speedsurf for 5 years and demonstrate the effect on performance. Working towards a crazy record, yeah it is possible for sure. Waiting low-budget on a high potential speedspot :)
I see my future a bit different compared to my thoughts in April, still speedsurfing will be a part of me. But at some point I can't afford this much time on water anymore. First thing done is finishing my speedsurfing papers, which is for a big part online spread over this blog, this will be the basis to build from. After this it will be time to start with a bit more (financial) rewarding job.
The speedsurfing game, hate it or love it :
Winning is important to me, fun too, I enjoyed being faster some sessions than the big (big= heavy&tall) sponsored guys with big pimprides (VW T5 with big rims), fully loaded with windsurfing equipment. I loved breaking every previous personal record with Starboard/Severne/Sonntag equipment. I hated losing performance on short tracks, or gusty lightwinds. I enjoyed smashing chop/waves with my iSonic 111, 107 or 86. I hated some speedsurfers can (and do) buy everything to keep ahead of the rest. I hated some guys are only able to measure and copy others designs, and thinking this will not hit them back hard in the end. I liked the impressive kitesurf records, it inspired me what to do, when it is my time. I actually ENJOYED most of all windsurfing together with WAD1TEAM, this is fun!!!!!!!!
I am happy with all comments/tips/emails/responses/etc I have got on Speedsurfingblog.com these are very important. The blog is my source for inspiration, the speedsurfing connection to the normal world and it does demonstrate for me speedsurfing is a big part of windsurfing these days.
I can recommend every serious speedsurfer this, go windsurfing for 1 year if possible! Don't always focus on numbers on GPS, search new conditions/spots, new experiences, new friends, new challenges. Invest in your own skills, friendships, sponsors. Find out who are real friends with windsurfing, and people only trying to take benefit of you. Kater/Starboard/Severne/Sonntag will be the brands for me, if this will not work I better stop speedsurfing (yes I am for real).
Bron: Erik Loots via www.speedsurfingblog.com
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