You've had a lot going on recently, so first of all, how are you?
I'm doing great, I got a new hip eight weeks ago. I went back to Dr Vielwerth, who is also a surfer, and Dr Wahlbaum at Ammersee. They're the same two surgeons who did my left hip in 2018, which turned out great. So I'm super happy, the rehab went super quickly, but I was back at the Medical Park on Lake Tegernsee. I was only in rehab for ten days and then back to Gran Canaria again. The very next weekend I went stand-up paddling with Daniel, my youngest son. A week later, I went windsurfing for the first time in light winds with the big board, and the Sunday before last I even went out with 120 litres, again with my junior.
And are you still doing rehab at home in Gran Canaria?
Sure, you could say that training at our age is actually like lifelong rehab (laughs). I do physio at least once a week, and the more you do this physiotherapy, the better it is in principle. It's similar to yoga, which is also super healthy, especially for older athletes like me. Anything that is Crossfit is good. I've now got a new training device, the Icaros training system. It's all about balance and you get exercises for the whole body via an app, which I'm currently trying out. And they also say it's good for the man-belly, that it goes away quickly (laughs). Athletes over 40 and over 50 have to do rehab for the rest of their lives.
At this point, you will find external content that complements the article. You can display and hide it with a click.
What are your prospects? Your 100 km/h goal, are you going for it this year in Lüderitz or are you taking another break?
No, I've already planned to go surfing this year. And I should actually be in top shape by then. So that's not a problem for me.
I should be in top shape by the Lüderitz Speed Challenge!"
What percentage are you at now?
You can't tell yet. When I do more, I realise that it's getting warm. And that will still be the case throughout the first year, because everything is still irritable. But it's getting less and less. In other words, if you approach it thoughtfully and don't overdo anything, then you can do anything. But in small steps, especially in the first six months. Don't just go surfing wildly for eight hours, that would be wrong.
Before your hip operation, you were still struggling with an infection, what was going on?
Yes, I had a staphylococcus infection in my shin. You can still see the discolouration, it can take years for the pigments in the skin to return to normal. I still have to have an infection test every fortnight to keep an eye on the values, but so far everything is fine. These bacterial infections have to be taken very, very seriously these days. Everyone should clean all small wounds thoroughly with disinfectant after surfing. The sand and dust is really, really bad because it can contain all sorts of things. I was treated by Dr Clemens Panzi from the Klagenfurt Infection and Burns Division, if you have a problem, he's a good person to talk to, he's also a surfer. It's important to always clean all small wounds on your feet and hands in the evening. We don't even know many of these bacteria yet, so you really have to be careful!
It is important to always clean all small wounds on your feet and hands in the evening!"
This means that you have caught bacteria through a small wound, which has led to the infection.
Exactly, luckily only the upper layer of my skin was affected, not the dermis. And only very little went a little deeper. The doctors had it under control in no time at all. If I had come in two days later, it could have gone into the fibres. And then they would have had to cut it open to disinfect it. And that wouldn't have been much fun. I was lucky in my misfortune.
You were at the World Cup on Sylt for the premiere of your film, and shortly afterwards you were already in hospital, right?
Thursday was the premiere on Sylt, Sunday morning I flew to Klagenfurt, where we had the premiere in the evening. And by then I was already hot and feverish. And the next morning I couldn't walk on my foot. We then went straight to the accident clinic, where I had an infection rate of 32, which should normally be below 1.5. I thought I'd go in there, get an injection in my bum and then I'd be fine. But that wasn't the case.
And how long were you hospitalised in Klagenfurt?
Three and a half weeks in total. The last few days I was allowed to go out for a walk. I did a bit of the soundtrack for the English part of "Born To Windsurf" there, but had to get antibiotics in my vein every morning. Since then, everything has been under control. But you still have to keep an eye on it. But you can't take it lightly, especially the kids. It can also lead to amputations.
Your film "Born To Windsurf" is currently running very successfully on the Ocean Film Tour. What's next, where else can it be seen?
Yes, it can still be seen worldwide, and hopefully we will be able to motivate many people to go windsurfing with their families and friends and so on during the summer. It will also be shown at Kieler Woche in Schilksee, on Wednesdays at half-time. Then Red Bull Media House took it under their wing, they want to put it on their platform, talks are still ongoing. So hopefully it will be streamed soon, and otherwise there will either be a download option or something similar. Everyone who hasn't seen it yet and wants to see it will still get the chance.
What else is on your agenda until you go to Lüderitz in autumn?
The first time is the World Cup in Gran Canaria, which I'm organising, from 29 June to 7 July. We have a lot of divisions there: Juniors under 13, under 15, under 17, under 21, then men and women in the pro division, and masters over 40 and over 50. And masters over 40 and over 50. We have some starter limits, so if you want to take part, you have to register soon!
And is slalom on the agenda again?
Wave is guaranteed to run, and we are still working on the budget to get Slalom off the ground. I'm very hopeful that we'll get the money together for this. We have the wind. But we still need the budget to realise it. It's not 100 per cent certain yet, but I hope we can still manage it.
Your youngest son Daniel is also starting out, will he be there in Pozo and follow in your and Liam's footsteps?
Daniel is eleven, he's already fully gliding and rides the harness with a 3.0 or 3.8. He's definitely doing very well. He has said that he would like to surf with the U13s when he gets to that level in the summer. He plays football three times a week. And the other days he goes windsurfing and surfing. So I assume that he'll be wearing the junior jersey in the summer.
And what is Liam's goal for the season?
This year he is still in the U21 category, his last time as a junior. He wants to become world champion there too. And then top 10 in the pros, that would be the goal for 2024, but he also wants to become world champion at some point.
All windsurfers must help to make the sport bigger."
You've been visiting the Surf Festival and Defi Wind and have been in the press a lot recently.
Yes, all windsurfers must help to make the sport bigger. All surf schools in Germany, across Europe and worldwide simply have to help to make the sport bigger. Take your part seriously. Get people surfing. Bring people to the surf school. And then friends and family members learn the most beautiful sport there is. But everyone has to help to support our sport.
