Which feels stronger: the joy of a magnificent second place, or the disappointment at narrowly missing out on victory?
To be honest, it’s still a bit of both. If I’d thrown the win away myself, I could accept that. But the fact that it was decided by the crash with Nico makes it doubly bitter, especially as it meant a driver who was himself a long way from the top places got involved in the title race. I don’t blame him for the crash – these things happen. I can’t blame myself either: up to that point, I’d never finished lower than fourth in any race and, with three race wins, I’d secured the most of anyone at the event!
What was going through your mind when you were in the water during your semi-final?
At first, all I could think was: He can’t be serious! I’d deliberately left him some space, and then he made a mistake like that – which, of course, was disastrous for me. I knew straight away that was it. The wind had died down considerably and was already at the lower limit; on top of that, the current was set to change direction. Realistically, there was no hope left of any more races.
How did you cope with the circumstances surrounding the setback? Do you also find it hard to accept the fact that you were knocked out of the race by another driver rather than because of a mistake of your own?
Absolutely, it’s a real shame when that sort of thing happens. But as I said: crashes are part and parcel of the sport. Sometimes you just need that little bit of luck at the end to make sure something like that doesn’t happen to you. Otherwise, in my view, the final would have been a close battle between Matteo and me. I was able to show afterwards that I belonged there. I won the B final without any real problems.
Which conditions did you prefer – the races out at sea, or the Saturday race with the course right in front of the beach?
I didn’t really notice any difference. As I said, right up until that incident, I was in contention for the win in all conditions. I feel fully prepared for all conditions and capable of competing at the very front of the field.
I absolutely loved the way the spectators and the media got behind me. It was phenomenal!”
As a top rider, you attracted a lot of attention during the event – what was it like for you to be in the spotlight?
That was absolutely massive. As there was no wave riding this year – meaning Philip Köster wasn’t competing – and no German rider was among the frontrunners in freestyle, a lot of attention was naturally focused on me. But I absolutely loved the way the spectators and the media got behind me. It was phenomenal. To then make it into several TV reports, right up to the ‘Tagesthemen’ news programme, is something quite special. That sort of thing doesn’t happen all that often.
There were often days with no wind – does that throw you off your stride as a rider?
I have to say, it actually worked out really well this time. We had no wind for the first few days, so we had plenty of free time. From the first day of racing onwards, we raced for four days straight without a break. So it was actually perfect.
Do you approach a World Cup day differently when you know there are no races today?
Yes, it depends. If the forecast looks such that I can be absolutely sure there won’t be any wind, I’ll naturally approach the day differently. Then I’ll get up later, head to the event a bit later, and do other things as well, rather than just hanging about on the beach.
You’ve been training with Matteo – what have you learnt from those sessions?
Yes and no. The media made a big deal of it, but we didn’t actually train together that much. As our final preparation, we both happened to compete in the Austrian Championships at Lake Garda and so went head-to-head once more just before the World Cup – as a sort of final test of strength before Sylt. But that’s when I realised that Matteo and I are on the same level, because I was consistently able to beat him. That naturally gave me a lot of confidence heading into Sylt.
You’re particularly strong in light winds – why do you think that is?
I wouldn’t necessarily see it that way. Of course, I definitely feel more comfortable on larger boards – that’s certainly partly because I’ve done a lot of iQFOil riding over the past few years. That’s simply given me a lot of experience in light winds. But I now feel very comfortable on the very small boards too, and I see myself as absolutely competitive there.
Do you reckon Japan has a chance too?
Absolutely! I’m really looking forward to Japan. I was there last year and enjoyed it immensely. I also managed to achieve my best result to date there, finishing fifth. That’s why I definitely think I’ve got a good chance this year too, and I’d like to be among the frontrunners there again.
"I think the Z-Foil is superior to the Patrik in many conditions this season."
After years of Patrik’s dominance, the Z-Foil seems to be very fast. What’s your view on that?
It became clear right at the start of the season that the Z-Foil is extremely fast. I think the Z-Foil is superior to the Patrik in many conditions this season. Nevertheless, I’ve made a conscious decision to stick with the Patrik, because there’s more to a race than just having the fastest foil. You need to feel comfortable on your kit, get off to good starts, execute good gybes and, above all, avoid mistakes. Of course, all of that can be a bit easier with a fast foil – but ultimately, the whole package has to work for you.
One last question, as this came up quite often on Sylt: Will the Blockhouse sponsorship continue?
That’s still up in the air at the moment. But I do think the sponsorship has definitely been worthwhile for both sides. Our partnership was actually the number one talking point almost everywhere, and the big Blockhouse sticker on my sail has now become a real trademark of mine.