YENTEL CAERS B-16

With a dense population of 10.5 million and a relatively small coastline, Belgium is famous for brussel sprouts, over 1100 types of beer, praline chocolate, waffles, inventing french fries and three PWA freestyle world champions - Steven Van Broeckhoven, Dieter Van Der Eyken and more recently Yentel Caers, who just won the title at the Sylt world cup event in October 2019. Ever keen to get the scoop, JC tracked a tired but ecstatic Yentel down the morning after his maiden title win to find out a few secrets behind this amazing Belgium freestyle success story.

- John Carter

JC: The freestyle finals in Sylt must have been an emotional rollercoaster of a day where you had to win four heats straight to win the world title?

YC: Yeah I didn’t start so well in the single elimination as we all know, I messed up and was a bit too stressed. I think there was too much pressure to win this world title, blah, blah, blah! Every rider was pushing really hard. So I messed up. For the double I felt really like a bit of the hope was gone for the world title, I mean, there was still a chance, but it was a slim one. So I really tried to focus and do it heat by heat and put thoughts of the world title to the back of my mind. I just wanted to do well again in the event and sail solid. The first heat went better, which made me more motivated and helped get me more in a flow. I just had to keep doing the same three more times. I started to be dialled into the conditions. It was a really long day also with waiting in the morning, then we did some heats, then the wind dropped and we were all day in the wetsuits. But I had fun the whole day and when I won against Antoine Albert this was just amazing. Since childhood these were my dreams! I cannot describe it really! As a kid I dreamed of this you know, even to be competing with the best of the world and then this year I already won the European freestyle title in Lanzarote. I thought this is like the highest thing I will get ever and now in the same year I managed to win the world title as well. It’s amazing! In the top 10 of the PWA right now in freestyle, anyone could be world champion. They all have the same level and some guys shine in some conditions and others in different conditions. I had not the best results, but I was really consistent over the year, with a 2nd, 4th and 6th, so this helped secure me the world title and I’m super stoked about it.

JC: How was that last heat for the title?