since 1994  |  Windsurfing

since 2000  |  Kitesurfing 

since 2004  |  Wakeboarding 

since 2006  |  Snowboarding

since 2008  |  SUP

since 2017  |  Racebike

DESCRIPTION

#creative

#positve

#motivated

#intent

#relaxed

KITEBOARDING STYLE

#hardcore

#low kite

#powerful

#grabs

#more quality than quantity

FAVORITE MOVES

#nosegrabed mobe

#nucleargrabed s-bend to blind

#nickelodeon (315)

#270° tailpress slide

#front mobe

TOP RIDING TIPS

#never stop playing

#Turn off your brain

#don’t feel pain

#use a bigger kite

#search new secret-spots

How did you get into kiteboarding ?

My first contact with watersport was ages ago; I started windsurfing in one of our yearly summer holidays on Fehmarn when I was six years old. From here on, my addiction to watersports intensified with every session. Interestingly, kites came into my life before kitesurfing was invented. If the wind was not strong enough, I used kites to drag myself over the beach, which got bigger and bigger every year.

When I read my first article about kitesurfing—in a windsurf magazine—I was 11 years old. I was so stoked about the idea of combining a board with a kite that I grabbed my windsurf board and kite to try it out. One year later, my parents got me a proper kitesurf lesson for my birthday. After that, my watersports addiction was heightened beyond expectation. The kite teacher was impressed that I could do my first jibs after only a day and gave me a lot of encouragement. My first sponsor was my grandmother followed by Robby Naish and my parents have always been an incredible support to me.

Which part of this sport do you like the most ?

Along with the lifestyle and culture surrounding this unbelievable sport, I love pushing myself to excel on the water—and the adrenaline rush that comes with it.

Thinking more specifically, my ideal kiting session involves wakestyle riding in butter-flat water with obstacles.

When determining which were the best sessions of my life, I like to consider the quality of conditions. This February I had a wave session in over 6m high barreling waves. My body was pumped full of adrenaline—from the barrels and kite loops—and I can still remember the feeling.

You are especially practicing wakestyle, right? Why do you like it? 

I’m an adrenaline junkie, am very ambitious and push myself constantly. Right now, after countless injuries, I try to satisfy my ambitions with perfection. I work on the quality of my tricks—adding grabs that fit into the movement naturally—and try to find a symbiotic way of making gnarly, powerful riding look easy and fluent. This is why I always ride as fast and powered as possible and keep my kite lower than 45°.

Did you start wakeboarding before kitesurfing?

Windsurfing was actually first on the list; I tried kitesurfing next and, after a few years, I tried wakeboarding and fell in love with it. Watersports are such a passion of mine. When you do more than one, it creates a beneficial symbiosis allowing you to take elements from one sport and apply it to the other.

Are you sometimes competing? Or you just love freeriding?

Sure, I compete!

I participated in loads of competitions when I was younger. In fact, I was two-time German Youth Champion, German Vice-champion and I remember finishing in the top ten at two PKRA stops. When I first got into Triple-S I loved this competition style. Each year was amazing.

I started university the winter following my knee injury. During recovery I thought a lot about my life and decided to spread out—focusing on other things that I really enjoy. Training for other things in between competitions keeps my motivation high. My riding would definitely be better if I focused only on that, but I think that, after a while, you start to feel empty when your focus is so narrow. I compare it to standing on one leg for so long that you eventually lose your balance.