YENTEL CAERS B-16
Windsurf|Issue 392 - January/February 2020
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
YENTEL CAERS B-16
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?

Denne historien er fra Issue 392 - January/February 2020-utgaven av Windsurf.

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Denne historien er fra Issue 392 - January/February 2020-utgaven av Windsurf.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

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Issue 396 - August 2020
Changes
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Wave sailor Flo Jung reflects on our changed world during his lockdown in Germany.

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Issue 396 - August 2020
THE LAST WAVE
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Lockdown stirred the creative juices of reader Björn Alfthan, who peers into the future to present a fictional story set in the wild waves of Norway, five years from now.

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Issue 396 - August 2020
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After a horrific fracture in his leg from a crashed aerial in 2018, Alessio Stillrich is back! John Carter talks to the highflyer from Gran Canaria about his move to the Simmer team, recovering from injury and how he learned to windsurf in Gran Canaria!

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Issue 396 - August 2020
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MOVE ON UP - GET ON THE FRONT FOOT

This month we look at how our front foot weighting can affect and improve different aspects of our main windsurfing moves.

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Issue 396 - August 2020
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Nik tweaking it over home waters.

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A NEW NORMAL
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A NEW NORMAL

On a trip to La Tranche-sur-Mer in France last year, Tris Best estimated over 80% of the windsurfers were foiling. This summer in Portland Harbour, foiling activity has increased dramatically too he reports. With the market offering plenty of choice to recreational windfoilers, our test team check out some of the latest foil offerings.

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Issue 396 - August 2020
TACKING – THE SEQUEL
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Having given you time to practice, Harty concludes his tacking series by critiquing various tacking options, including the carve tack, as well as offering solutions to common slip-ups.

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Issue 396 - August 2020
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Issue 396 - August 2020