Packing a surfer's life, especially that of the most successful windsurfer of all time, into two hours of film is as difficult as it is time-consuming. Gerald Salmina, himself a successful windsurfer in the 1990s and now a multi-award-winning director of sports documentaries, has been realising the project with Björn since 2019.
Was the film a long-cherished wish of yours as a filmmaker?
I had the idea of making a big film about Björn 15 years ago. Back then, I focussed on surfing in Jaws. We wanted to make a big documentary after our "The Search" series (2001-2004), but somehow it never materialised.
How was it possible to realise the project after all?
Björn called me in summer 2019 to ask if I would be interested in filming his world record attempt in Namibia. I said to him: "Yes, I'd love to. But we should also finally produce the Björn Dunkerbeck film!" No sooner said than done. As I was very successful in Austrian cinema, I was able to call on reference funds from the cinema funding. Without this bonus budget due to the previous successes, a windsurfing film like this could never have been financed for the big screen. With the support of Red Bull (Thomas Überall) and Servus TV, we were also able to realise the rest of the budget. In the end, it was a project close to our hearts, which nevertheless pushed us to our financial limits financially and logistically with the pandemic and climate change - very often no wind and no waves. Two years of filming were planned. Actual shooting time: idea summer 2019, start Namibia November 2019, end of shooting April 2023, completion September 2023.
The film goes far beyond the world record attempt. Roughly speaking, what is the plot?
The content idea was clear to me right from the start: a father-son story about Björn's career and the world record attempt by the most successful windsurfer of all time, who still manages to be a world leader in speed surfing after 35 years. Another aim was to show Björn as I have always appreciated him and how he really is and ticks!
You've known Björn since the late 1980s and filmed with him in the early 2000s. How has he changed?
Of course, everyone changes. Even Björn. When I last filmed with him in 2004, he and his family were just starting out. Now he's the father of a large family with four children and an ambassador for windsurfing. I was lucky enough to shoot with him in 2001, when he was a little less competition-orientated and was looking for free windsurfing in exotic locations. This was also more and more in line with my own personal surfing philosophy.
What were the biggest challenges in making the film?
The biggest challenge was the pandemic. We weren't able to realise the script with the events in Gran Canaria, Hawaii and Sylt before the second record attempt, nor were we able to go on a new "The Search" trip because travelling was simply no longer possible. In other words, world events had a huge influence on the dramaturgy. It was fortunate that Liam grew into a young man during this time, who at the same time became more and more of a world leader in the wave. This father-son story in elite sport was very exciting to watch and document, especially during the record attempt and the subsequent World Cups. My son Marvin was in charge of this and realised it very well in Denmark, Cape Verde and Fiji, bringing this relationship to the screen in a very exciting way.
What and who do you want to reach with the film?
My hope for the film is that everyone leaves the cinema with a good feeling and a smile. Inspired by the fact that true strength lies in family, that goals never get boring and that windsurfing is a spectacular, but above all a wonderful and very close connection to Mother Nature, with so many variations - wave, speed, slalom, freestyle, jumping - and feelings of happiness that hardly any other sport can offer. Last but not least, I hope that this film will pay tribute to Björn's tremendous achievement and that the audience will also get to know the person behind it all. For me, Björn is the heart icon of our sport.
"Born to Windsurf" can also be seen on the Ocean Film Tour in 2024!
