As a schoolboy, Alex Maucher played football with Rainer "Calli" Calmund, then went on to play hockey. He was introduced to windsurfing by his friend and 420 sailor Tom Siefer, who saw a photo of Hoyle Schweitzer windsurfing in the sailing magazine "YACHT" in 1971. That was the initial spark that has kept Alex's windsurfing flame burning for almost 50 years now.
Starting out with a self-build, how did that work back then?
Tom has used this photo as a template for an ingenious red custom made from GRP. 3.55 metres long, 71 centimetres wide, still without a daggerboard, but with a huge fin and a mast track. Tom had screwed a curtain rail to the wooden mast, on which the self-made sail was pulled up like a curtain. The boom even had trim rollers.
Was Calle Schmidt on Sylt Germany's first windsurfer or were you?
It probably overlapped in time. The pioneer was my friend Tom Siefer, who was only 18 years old at the time. He was the first to get on the self-built board, which I first became acquainted with in spring 1972 on the Biggesee. The sensation at first was that it worked at all. Everyone watching was fascinated and I immediately realised that I wanted to learn how to do it.
A short time later, Cologne is said to have experienced the windsurfing premiere?
On the Decksteiner Weiher in Cologne, the walkers saw us alternately "surfing and swimming". I now had a 50 per cent share in the board, so I didn't have to beg for it before every trip.
Then Calle Schmidt is said to have come into play.
In the summer of 1972, the Siefer family saw an interview with Calle in the Handelsblatt. He explained the sport and announced a regatta on Sylt for the autumn.
You and Tom, let's go?
We stormed off to Sylt with my Mini, bought a white US windsurfer from Calle for 800 marks and threw ourselves into the surf. Of course, we didn't get a foot on the board, but we were totally pissed off. Now the thing had to go back to Cologne with us. With my anorak as a base and knee bandages, we tied the board to the mini-roof and zoomed back to the Rhineland at 80 kilometres an hour.
Where was your next gig?
My first spot was the Decksteiner Weiher in a Cologne park in front of the Geißbockheim of 1 FC Cologne. I practised in the depths of winter and in driving snow. Drivers stopped and there were traffic jams. The interest was astounding.
Did a scene already meet at the Düsseldorf "boot" in January 1973?
Scene would be an exaggeration, but all hell broke loose at the stand of importer Calle Schmidt. I think he sold over 300 windsurfers at the trade fair in one week. I also met Manfred Charchulla, one of the Twins, there. I took him with me to Cologne and put him on the board at Decksteiner Weiher and later on Lake Liblar. In the depths of winter!
You also had to take part in the legendary first European Windsurfing Championships on Sylt in autumn 1973. Did you get anything?
Of course not. There were some luminaries among the 130 participants, such as Derk Thijs, Ernstfried Prade and Peter Kleinwächter, who all won. My friend Tom Siefer, however, finished in the top 10, while I didn't do quite as well with 64th place. However, I was able to leave a young local who later became a successful professional three places behind me - Jürgen Hönscheid. The Charchullas also finished behind me. We shot a film worth seeing back then with a small Super 8 camera. It shows the Twins with their guitars. Mirror online has published it on the Internet under "Windsurfing pioneers: Ziiisch".
So why did things become quieter around you over the next two years?
I had to finish my medical degree, that had priority.
But the scene was already exploding in the West?
You could say that schools and shops were springing up everywhere in the Rhineland. Unfortunately, at the same time, we were hearing more and more about bans on the area. We started petition campaigns and had to organise ourselves to fight against it. I took the initiative and on 29 August 1976 we founded the Rheinische Windsurfing Gemeinschaft. "Whoever shouts the loudest, we'll take" was the motto under which I was immediately elected chairman.
But shortly afterwards, in 1976, you travelled to the Bahmas for the Windsurfing World Championships?
You could say that. It was brilliant. There were almost 500 new boards and rigs, around 80 starters in each of the four weight classes. Plus the ladies. I was able to place in the top 20 in the qualifiers for the "Jumbos" and made it into the finals. After the five final races, Robby Naish was at the top, I finished in 66th place overall, but in 9th place in the heavyweight category. Funnily enough, two places ahead of me was Michael Schanze, the well-known TV presenter!
Back in Cologne, full of zest for action?
Surfing was still completely unorganised. There were two currents, one of which wanted a separate umbrella organisation for the new sport. I was convinced by the other current, which was trying to integrate windsurfing into the sailing organisations. After the RWSG was founded, I was appointed to the Windsurfing Committee of the German Sailing Association (DSV) by Prof Heinrich Schoop (Berlin).
As a doer, as a talented organiser, did you want even more?
I soon took over the chairmanship of the national Windglider Class Association. At that time we published our own newspaper, Windglider News. As I wanted to see the Windglider become an Olympic sport, I founded an international class association and organised a world championship at Lake Balaton in Hungary, at that time still behind the "Iron Curtain". The outcome of this endeavour is history. We were then able to prevail against Hoyle Schweitzer and the all-powerful Windsurfer Class Association in a battle vote at the International Yachting Union (IYRU) in London. Windglider was Olympic for 1984.
All on your own, or was there support?
I was advised on the whole project by my friend and sailor Heinz Staudt, who as president of the international 470 class gave me an insight into all the connections on the international stage.
Shortly afterwards there was stress with Fred Ostermann, the Windglider producer. What was going on?
In Palamos in 1981, I was ousted as Windglider president by Fred Ostermann and his importers because I stood up against the plans of the managers and in favour of the interests of the active players. I was no longer able to implement my ideas for modernising the Windglider. What I had in mind was something like what has now been achieved with the new Windsurfer LT. 27 years later, Fred Ostermann apologised to me in private during a tandem regatta at the watersports lake in Zülpich in a touching conversation for what was done to me back then. He was really sorry.
Did the wind glider go downhill immediately after the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles?
Things went downhill immediately after the "Night of Palamos". The international class association collapsed immediately, Windglider soon went bankrupt and the company was sold to BIC for a lot of money. Fred Ostermann had to make a commitment not to return to the industry! He became a property agent. The Windglider class became the Vereinigung Deutscher Regattasurfer (VDR), which later merged with the Windsurfer class (DWK) to form today's Deutsche Windsurfing Vereinigung (DWSV).
Once a functionary, always a functionary?
At the end of the 1970s, it was not enough for us to simply advise the DSV presidium as a committee. We wanted a seat at the presidium table. To achieve this, however, an additional seat on the board had to be created, which required a change to the association's constitution - pure utopia! The RWSG, the largest German surf club at the time with 800 members, submitted the crazy proposal under my leadership and we sensationally won the vote at the Sailing Day in Berlin after a great speech by Dr Ulli Müller-Frank (RWSG). The DSV presidium was shocked.
And what have you achieved?
At the age of 32, I sat on the DSV board alongside former Olympic sailor Ulli Libor, who built up the Fanatic brand as a job at Schütz Werke. I'm still amazed today that we managed to do that. The structure existed for more than 30 years after me. I resigned after a year in protest because the DSV didn't support my initiatives. It was about the cooperation with the VDWS surf school association and the driving licences. Today I see my involvement in the DSV as a failure. The intended bridge to the World Cup also failed to materialise.
Ostermann had already built his first tandem in 1974, in white with a yellow base, also known as a fried egg. The wind glider tandem with the hollow fillet followed in 1976 and the first tandem regattas were organised. Were you also fully involved back then?
It all began with the first World Championships in 1977 on Lake Garda off Malcesine. No less than 80 tandems! I was fascinated and still am today. Following the example of the windsurfers and windgliders, I founded the German and international class associations (DTK e.V. and ITCA). Today, the DTK is once again a lively little class association with its own beautiful homepage (www.tandemsurfing.de).
Functionary and doctor at the same time, how did that work?
In the late 70s and early 80s, I invested a good eight hours a day in surfing. There were three desks in my office at home for the various associations. At the University Women's Hospital in Cologne, I had my own private room for night shifts with a typewriter, dictaphone and telephone. I employed two secretaries and a great interpreter from the federal government.
And your professional career?
In 1982, I set up my own practice and became a workaholic. I started doing outpatient surgery back then. It was a bit like windsurfing. It was a completely new variation. A year later, two colleagues in Hamburg had the same idea. We became real pioneers, created new structures and really made a difference for people. We can't go into detail here, but the legislator followed our lead and German hospitals are now obliged by law to offer outpatient surgery - in all specialities! In 1993, I founded my own large day clinic, where I still work today.
Was there any time left for the family?
Unfortunately, my wife with two small children missed out.
In between you had to save the RWSG from ruin?
That's right. At some point in the 90s, the RWSG wanted to disband because no chairman could be found. The necessary general meeting had already been held. Ulli Müller-Frank got me involved and we took over the position. He did it for a year and then I was supposed to do it for a year. Please don't ask me how many years I did it for. After what felt like 20 years, I passed the baton on to Christian Hammermann.
But your secret love has always been surfing on a tandem?
Yes, but in the 80s I sailed regattas in all monoboard classes and won at least one regatta (windglider, windsurfer and open class). I've always been successful on a tandem, no matter which partner I'm sailing with. Apparently I'm quite good at it. In the beginning, I was successful with Wilfried Löffeler and Markus Lorscheidt, and occasionally with Georg Lechner, with whom I was runner-up in the 1979 European Championships on Lake Garda. With Jens Brock, I won the German Best of the Best competition at Schluchsee.
But tandem surfing wasn't enough for you. After the wind glider tandem, something more modern was needed. Are you now a designer?
In 2009, I started the project of a new tandem. Fred Ostermann gave me the tip to get the Belgian Jansen family and their company Indupol on board. They brought in Olympic champion Stephan van den Berg and his brother Ron from Holland, and I financed the whole project out of my own pocket. The result was the hand-shaped TD 580, the best tandem that has ever existed. Unfortunately, Indupol did not succeed in producing it. Only two boards were built in Prepeg carbon. The price for a series would have been astronomical.
Who then came into play?
Georg Lechner, who built the Olympic boards for 1988 and 1992, also used to sit on the board of the International Tandem Class Association. My first attempt to contact Mr Lechner in Austria at 9 pm was a direct hit. "Schurli" was on the line - our first conversation in around 20 years. Georg was still connected to me because I was able to give him important tips for his Olympic applications back then. Georg took the material from Indupol, reworked my original prototype and produced seven tandems by hand. As we know, he ingeniously solved the problem of divisibility in 2018 and in the next few years this two-part tandem will be available to everyone at an affordable price. It is easy to store and easy to transport. Above all, the two halves are easy to make.
What is your current situation?
Two years ago, a clinic bought my surgery centre and appointed me as manager. I no longer work as an entrepreneur, but as a salaried employee without any economic pressure. That's comfortable!
Is the focus still on having fun on the tandem?
I always had the most fun by far with my mates on the tandem, regardless of whether they were Wilfried Löffeler, Dirk Hoekzema, Frank Spöttel or currently Markus Hoffmann or Patrick Bahlke. There have always been better tandem teams than mine, but I've always been at the front. I like to compare tandem surfing to doubles in tennis. My friend Andy Mies has at best the necessary playing strength for the 2nd Bundesliga in singles, but with his partner Kevin Krawitz he has now won the French Open twice as a team and plays for Germany in the Davis Cup. It's a similar story for me with the tandem.
FACTS
- Born: 25 March 1949
- Place of residenceCologne
- ProfessionSpecialist in Gynaecology & Obstetrics
- Size/weight: 189 cm/90 kilos
- Surfing since: 1972
- Regatta debut: 1972 on Sylt
- Sail numberGER 132
- Surf clubRheinische Windsurfing Gemeinschaft (RWSG)
- SuccessesTandem Vice European Champion 1979 (with Georg Lechner), 7 victories in tandem best-in-class competitions in 1978, 1979 (with Wilfried Löffeler), 1981 (with Markus Lorscheidt), 2010 (with Ben Klinkhammer), 2011, 2013 and 2017 (with Dirk Hoekzema), 2nd place Engadine Tandem Surf Championship 2015 (with Frank Spöttel), Tandem European Champion 2018 (with Markus Hoffmann)
- Favourite spotParos/New Golden Beach
- HobbiesTennis as a team sport, skiing
- PrivateMarried to Eibi for 48 years, one son, one daughter, three grandchildren
