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What ’ s the ultimate goal re work ? Is being a sponsored sailor not enough ? Do you have to work outside of windsurfing ? My goal is to continue to prioritise windsurfing for as long as possible and find a way to make work fit in around that . One day my fitness and health will run out so I can ’ t do it the other way round . I bought myself extra time when I was 16 years old after a knee operation fixed damage done by a bad skateboarding accident . If I work on this premise with the awareness , that this won ’ t always be possible , I think that ’ s my best shot at being happy . Hopefully I can make it all tie together . This way , I also stay true to the commitment I made to myself as a kid which rightly or wrongly I still hold as extremely important . I ’ m extremely grateful to have been using what I consider the best equipment for such a long time - Quatro Boards and Ezzy Sails . Them helping me with kit really makes a big difference .
Any out of industry sponsors ? What ’ s the deal with them if so ? Some wheels are turning with Conker Spirit whose vision and enthusiasm I feel we share . Hopefully we ’ ll put pen to paper and do something that is really productive for both parties . I feel that something great is possible . Meanwhile buy yourself some Conker Dorset Dry Gin and you ’ ll understand where I am coming from ( we have ! – ed ).
How does it work with your supporters ? Are you expected to compete or are you free to follow the soul sailing path ? They ’ ve never told me they expect me to compete but I feel it ’ s important for me anyway . Competing against others provides me with a yard stick and makes sure that I don ’ t get soft . Fortunately I often windsurf with some incredibly talented windsurfers so I get that from them too but getting beaten in a heat has a good way of rubbing off the need to improve . I think that my sponsors are aware that it is challenging to mix professional level windsurfing with modern life so they do offer me a good degree of flexibility . I ’ m hoping to pay them back by doing some big and interesting things over the next few years .
Who do you get your kit from and why do you love it ? Boards from Quatro , sails from Ezzy and fins from K4 fins . I sort of feel like these brands not only have the quality and thinking behind them that I respect but they are run by people with a passion that really filters in to the products . That ’ s invaluable as far as I ’ m concerned and it ’ s really noticeable to me when I use the gear . I ’ m not a hype man , I like good quality gear that lets me focus on what I need to do .
In the shack
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uk
SURFING