Freestyle documentary by Maarten Molenaar: How "Pasko - The Magic Move" was created - now available for free!

Much more than just a freestyle trick. Maarten Molenaar is recovering from testicular cancer and has set himself the ambitious goal of mastering the trick "Pasko", named after André Paskowski, after his recovery. André was a gifted freestyler and filmmaker and died in 2013 as a result of testicular cancer. Maarten himself tells all about his background and challenges.

The idea for the film

While I was bobbing around on my freestyle board on the crystal clear waters of Sorobon in Bonaire, I fell into my usual contemplative spiral of thoughts - as always, when the wind doesn't blow the way you expect it to, I started fantasising about windsurfing. A few days earlier, I had just taken part in my second EFPT freestyle event and was now treating myself to a well-deserved little break. I had a lot planned for the next season, I thought, but I had no idea that the most exciting project would open up before me at any moment in a true aha moment.

I've been a hobby filmmaker for many years. I started in 2014 when I made my first real windsurfing videos on Curaçao, the Caribbean island I'm now so close to. I never really considered a career in this field. Instead, I pursued a traditional life, went to university and then took an office job in the Netherlands. It took a huge shock in my life in 2020 to realise that running around with a camera, travelling and windsurfing every day was the path I wanted to risk and really go for.

The centrepiece of every sports documentary: The personal battle

While I was recovering from cancer in 2021, this idea started to take shape. I was soon lucky enough to get a job on the European Freestyle Pro Tour, which set in motion an avalanche of changes that led me to a life I would be happy with. I started my own company, filmed the best windsurfers in the world and wrote about it. That year, I participated in countless events that eventually led me to this moment on Bonaire. However, there was one thing that was still bothering me: I felt the urge to create something completely my own that wasn't restricted by guidelines, event dates and clients. To reflect my own experiences of the last few years and hopefully come to terms with them. I was also frustrated by the lack of relatable and impactful windsurfing stories that would transcend the boundaries of our windsurfing community and inspire outsiders to take up our sport.

Every good sports documentary shows a challenge and a personal struggle"

But what makes a good story? It has to be easy for everyone to follow, and it needs highs and lows. The person who is exposed to the story must be interested in the ending. That's why we all love climbing documentaries like "The Dawn Wall" or the Formula 1 series "Drive to Survive" without ever having climbed or driven a Formula 1 car. There is always a challenge and a personal struggle, and as I slowly bobbed back to shore with wet ankles, I figured out what my task would be. Windsurfing was definitely going to be the centrepiece of my project.

Would I ever be able to windsurf again after cancer?

I quickly realised what drives me so much to keep practising this sport. It's the constant challenge and difficulty, alternating with an immense sense of satisfaction and reward when I've managed to land another trick and improve. It's the fact that my mind is completely switched off when I'm on the water, simply because this sport with its endless variables requires so much concentration. Some people say that windsurfing is doomed because it's too difficult to learn, but I think it weeds out the people who seek instant gratification and brings together people with character traits like determination and perseverance.

As a result of my illness, I had lost all my physical abilities and could barely walk a hundred metres."

This is one of the main aspects of my recovery that I was worried about. I had lost all my physical abilities as a result of my illness and could barely walk a hundred metres. Would I ever be able to windsurf again, let alone reach my old level and even think about learning new tricks again? Especially in freestyle, learning new tricks is what I enjoy the most. Had I lost the one thing in my life that was my safe harbour? Here on Bonaire, two years after my recovery, I had finally got back to my old level, but I still hadn't learnt a new move. And then it clicked: This was the challenge I needed. A personal challenge to really close the chapter on my illness and convince myself that my windsurfing career wasn't over yet. But also the challenge I needed for a great comeback story for the film project I had wanted to do for so long.

The Pasko as a symbol and homage to André Paskowski

I decided to learn a new move and document the process. The move I wanted to learn? It had to be the pasko! Why Pasko? Named after the legendary windsurfer and filmmaker André Paskowski, this move immediately became a symbol for me. It was first shown to the world in 2012 when Gollito Estredo - nine-time freestyle world champion from Venezuela - used it to win another PWA world title at the freestyle event in Fuerteventura. In more ways than one, Gollito's success can be attributed to Paskowski's efforts in making films and promoting our sport. Every windsurfer in the world will know the inspiring story of André and Gollito, just as every windsurfer will have seen his films such as "Minds Wide Open" or "Four Dimensions". But most windsurfers will also remember that the two-time European freestyle champion passed away on 2 August 2013 after a long battle with cancer.

Since André Paskowski's death, I've become frustrated with the lack of good windsurfing films."

André's films are the reason why I am where I am today. The inspiration his work gave me, both in terms of windsurfing and filmmaking, was crucial to my constant drive to continue practising the sport and my craft as a filmmaker. Since André's death, a frustration with the lack of good windsurfing films has set in for me. Learning how to jump the Pasko and documenting it on film was supposed to be a first step to fix that, at least I thought so. And that wasn't all. There were already two big parallels: Both André and I were freestyle windsurfers and filmmakers with a mission to promote the best sport in the world. But what really hit me was that the disease I was battling was exactly the same one that had killed André ten years earlier: testicular cancer.

The challenge

Despite the lack of wind, I came off the water on Bonaire full of excitement. When I want to challenge myself, the first thing I usually do is tell other people about it. That way I immediately create a level of accountability, and coincidentally the people I shared this session with in Sorobon were Adam Sims and Rafael Cervero. Adam, who currently runs the Freestyle Pro Tour, falls into the same category of inspiration for me as André. A professional freestyler who makes high quality windsurfing films. I always wanted to be like him and was curious to hear his thoughts. But as luck would have it, the ideal person to talk to about the idea was Rafa. He is one of the most experienced judges in the scene but, as I soon found out, he used to be a professional freestyler who travelled the world with André, one of his very best friends.

Talking to him planted the seed that had just been planted in my head and gave me some much-needed background information on Paskowski and the Pasko - and endless inspiration. That same evening, I shared my thoughts with some members of the Polish freestyle community who were present on the island, and the first thing they did was bring Magic Moments into play. This was one of André's last short films, an interview with him reflecting on his life, even though he knew his life was coming to an end. I don't know how it was possible that I had never seen this film before, but the haunting way in which his words resonated with me meant that I was now determined to make this project blossom.

The Pasko is a very demanding freestyle move

Air Flaka in Shaka - that's basically what the Pasko is, and to be honest, this was probably far too ambitious a goal for me. My Flakas were average at best, I'd never done an Air Flaka before and could barely do the Shaka. I had also never done a ponch, another prerequisite for learning the pasko. And if you're a non-freestyler wondering what all these strange names mean, don't worry, because one of the first things I had to figure out was how to make a film about a highly technical and world champion windsurfing move while making sure even non-windsurfers understood it.

Essentially, the pasko is a 540-degree turn in the air where you land backwards and then glide the last 180 degrees across the water. Imagine going outside in a strong wind with a large piece of flat wood and trying to wedge it between you and the wind as you jump, all the while hoping you spin on the right axis and don't hit the ground. Sounds scary? It is. To learn the Pasko, you need strong winds and ramps in the form of small waves. Fuerteventura was the obvious choice as a spot, not only because of the perfect conditions, but also because the Pasko was premiered there by Gollito.

The final ingredient needed was the budget and a cameraman to capture it all, as I obviously couldn't film it myself. I was lucky enough to be supported by many people through crowdfunding as well as TTMS, Wavecamp, GunSails and Maui Ultra Fins. The challenge seemed to resonate with many and I was able to get Floris Tils on board, an established documentary and action sports filmmaker who also happens to be a keen windsurfer. He also sparked my interest in filmmaking when we met in 2014. When everything was ready, I packed up my bright yellow van and boarded a ferry bound for the Canary Islands in early June 2023.

The pressure

I lived in my van for six weeks in the sand of Risco del Paso on Fuerteventura. With the wind blowing every day, I was able to get going straight away. "Surf, eat, sleep ... repeat!" was the motto. Full of confidence and under the expert guidance of British professional freestyler and one of my best friends George Grisley, I made good progress. I quickly overcame my fear of initiating a flaka while shooting over a small wave. It only took me one session to learn the ponch, a new move for me that gave me back the feeling I thought I had lost forever due to my cancer. It got to a point where I deliberately stopped trying the pasko, simply because Filmer Floris hadn't made it to Fuerte yet. Because of the flawless start, I was afraid that I would land it before we had even started filming.

Unfortunately, things are probably never that simple. Similar to my first diagnosis, there were also some nasty surprises. When I first found out about my testicular cancer, I only needed an operation. Immediately afterwards, I was told that we were on schedule and that I wouldn't need chemotherapy. After six weeks of recovery, I was back on the water and dismissed the whole thing as a big scare. Two months later, however, my first medical examination revealed that I had made a blatant false start. The cancer turned out to be much more aggressive and it had managed to spread throughout my body. I had no time to lose and had to undergo chemotherapy immediately. It was the hardest and most difficult thing I have ever had to do in my life.

Parallels between chemotherapy and the Pasko challenge

When Floris arrived, the pressure began to build. It was perhaps not the best idea to announce to the whole world that I was going to learn this move in honour of André and make a documentary about it. I got lost in all the different tips while receiving endless encouragement in the form of "You're so close!". Frustration set in as I seemed to have hit some sort of reset button and wasn't getting anywhere near my original attempts. My mentality started to waver and I began to realise the parallels between this challenge and the chemotherapy I had been through. Although people were so positive about my trials, it had the exact opposite effect. Why hadn't I made it yet when everyone was telling me I was so close for so long? I got angry, just like during my treatments.

Towards the end of my stay on Fuerte, the PWA Freestyle World Cup took place. To challenge myself even more, I decided to make my PWA debut, but for slightly different reasons than you might think. The second day of competition was on 2 August, and on that day it was exactly ten years since André passed away. How great would it be to land the move at my first PWA competition to honour him on that day, at the place where the move was first shown to the world? It was amazing. I didn't stand a chance in the competition anyway. In my first run, I had to compete against Yentel Caers, the Belgian beat me and became world champion again in 2023. With that in mind, I simply tried to land the Pasko in the three heats I surfed, but to no avail. Nevertheless, I managed to draw attention to Paskowski by reminding people not to forget him at this event.

Beneath the surface

I still had a few days after the event. I still hadn't stood a Pasko and was beginning to lose hope. I was extremely frustrated and in a bad mood. This was so similar to the four months I had spent in hospital and kept reminding me of it. I was hooked up to a totem pole of deadly chemicals whose purpose was not to heal me, but to kill everything inside me. I just hoped it would kill the cancer first before it would kill me. I came to a really dark place. Despite the marked improvements, I was ready to give up. The chemo made me feel so bad physically and mentally that the moment the doctors suggested I might need more chemo, I thought out loud about not taking it and giving in to the cancer.

André's passion for filmmaking kept him going, just as windsurfing kept me going ten years earlier and hopefully will continue to do so now."

I caused quite a stir with my project. Many people were interested and approached me about it. Whenever I explained what I was doing, anecdotes about their experiences with André came up. The bottom line of all these stories? That André never gave up. His last film before he died was "Below the Surface". He continued to work on it and was filming in Gran Canaria just two weeks before his death. Talking to Victor Fernandez, the three-time world wave champion, I learnt that it was probably this perseverance that enabled him to stay alive for so long. His passion for filmmaking kept him going, just as windsurfing kept me going ten years earlier and hopefully will continue to do so now.

You could call it a twist of fate, but at the same time as Andre died, I lost my father in a farming accident. As a 17-year-old kid, I didn't know how to deal with it and windsurfing was the perfect escape for me. On the water, I can switch off my thoughts, forget about all the difficulties in life and just surrender to that moment of bliss. Losing that escape was probably my biggest worry when I was recovering from my illness.

Magical moments

Landing a new move is a magical moment. André describes it perfectly in his short film "Magic Moments", and I don't want to take away the pleasure of watching it by quoting his words here. This film was the backbone, the main inspiration for "Pasko - The Magic Move", as my film was called. As I had very little time left, I had to finish the film, but this time I was not behind the camera as with most of my projects, but in front of it. On the very last day, there was a good forecast for the evening session. I spent a whopping four hours attempting the Pasko on every shot, one run after another. It was the absolute last chance to make it. I kept going until it was completely dark and crashed because I couldn't see the waves anymore. Even if I had landed it at that point, I doubt the camera would have been able to record anything. It was over, I had failed.

One last chance for the Magic Move

The next morning I was woken up by my van shaking and being sandblasted again. It was barely light, but apparently the forecast was wrong and there was still a bit of wind left. With any luck, I had maybe two hours to try one last time. I called Floris, had him drive to the spot with no time for a coffee, and with an insanely sore body from the previous day's incessant crashes, I headed out on the water. Did I have my magic moment? I don't want to reveal that here. Watch the film ...

The Pasko can be something different for everyone in life, and it doesn't matter whether you make it or not."

But I've learned that my film isn't about whether I make it or not. It's about so much more than that. The Pasko can be something different for everyone in life, and it doesn't matter if you make it or not. For me, the Pasko was a trick, but it was also the challenge of making a film and putting myself in the limelight. I edited the whole film myself, even though I was so incredibly close to the story. I found that I got my confidence back and started to live again simply because I didn't give up and kept trying. Even if I don't make the Pasko, it's the feeling that I gave it my all to try - that feeling is my big progress and victory. Back on Bonaire, after watching Magic Moments for the first time, things fell into place for me. I had no idea that a simple, windless session could shake up my life so much, but I'm glad I pursued this inspiration that allowed me to process and close this upheaval chapter of my life.

Text: Maarten Molenaar

Watch "Pasko - The Magic Move" now

About "Pasko - The Magic Move" was reported in numerous media outlets to raise awareness of testicular cancer. In addition, an official premiere screening was held on 15 December 2024 at Filmhuis Lumen in Delft, followed by a Q&A session. The same event took place on 29 December 2024 at the Luna cinema in Warsaw, Poland. After a limited exclusive online release, the documentary was submitted to film festivals. It won the following awards:

• Best Documentary at the Ignite Film Festival
• Audience Award at the St. Anton Film Festival
• Merit of Awareness Award at the Awareness Film Festival Los Angeles

Pasko - The Magic Move" is now freely available on YouTube:

Epilogue: Maarten's fight against cancer continues

Since the release of the film, Maarten's cancer has returned and he has had to undergo major surgery. He is currently recovering and working on a sequel with Floris Tils. "Cutting Loose" is scheduled for release in 2025, for which Maarten is still gathering support: