Whether on the grey Elbe, the Atlantic or in Hanstholm - depending on what the 19-year-old's wallet can afford, he can be found on the water with his friends. Capturing their trips, sessions and especially their progress in raw videos is an integral part of the crew. This has enabled Arne to push himself to a considerable level in freestyle in a short space of time. He will soon be moving from the Elbe to Kiel to study - and his international debut?
With the Freestyle battles on Fehmarn you stood out with your powerful style. Did you copy that from someone else?
I've always liked Youp Schmit. I often watch his clips from Kuma Movie in Bonaire. His powerful ponches with the long, flowing hair - that has style.
The judges particularly liked your ponches and burners. Especially because you haven't been around that long.
I started really enjoying windsurfing when I was 14 or 15. That was during the coronavirus period. Before that, my dad put me on his old stuff from time to time, but that didn't really grab me.
What made it click?
My dad bought me a freestyle board at some point, an old skate with 108 litres. And then came the phase of short-time work, when he had more time and often went surfing with Ben, Jasper and me. That's when it started.
You three are also behind the "Kooks on the water" on YouTube, right?
That's right. Ben (Behrendt, note from the E.) has always had an affinity for the media, I'd say, and started filming our sessions with a small action cam and uploading videos of them to YouTube.
How did the name come about?
The term "kooks" comes more from surfing. (Slang for a "wannabe surfer" who has an exaggerated view of his abilities.) We chose "on the water" as an appendage because we weren't sure at first whether our focus would be on windsurfing or surfing. That became clear pretty quickly, but we didn't want to change the name.
How did you come together?
We met somewhere fishing once. I don't do that any more. (Laughs) We got on well and my father and I took them both windsurfing. They live just round the corner and we went to the same school. Jasper (Debbert) got into water sports from scratch back then, Ben could already surf. They both really caught fire and quickly bought their own equipment.
How is the channel going? Are you busy collecting subscribers?
In the beginning, almost nothing worked. It took us ages to get the first hundred subscriptions. But now we have, I think, around 1,400 - so we already have a certain audience. That's fun. I've met someone on the beach a few times now who said that they knew us from the videos. That somehow motivates you to keep going. And I also enjoy seeing the progress over the years. The videos are a great way to track and understand it. You can see exactly what level you were at last year and where you are now.
For example, when did you stand your first Airjibe?
Three years ago.
Wow! And you're already tweaking...
...Double Culo and Double Burner. I'm also practising combinations like Spock into Culo a lot at the moment.
At the last German Freestyle Battle on Fehmarn, you came fourth in the tow-in and fifth in the single elimination. You've already won the Danish Open U21 twice. Would you say you're the competitive type?
So competitions are definitely fun for me, and above all it somehow pushes me to become a bit more consistent and not just to try to knock out a new combination or as high as possible, but also to simply ski safely.
Would you like to compete internationally in the future?
Yes, definitely. Let's see how far I get. So far, I've been very happy with my results at the GFB and the Danish Open.
You don't just focus on freestyle, you also like to surf waves, don't you?
Exactly, it's the mixture that does it for me. So whenever I'm stuck or frustrated somewhere, it helps me to just go out into the wave and do something different. Knock out a few front loops or work on the back loops and ride waves. I'm also in the process of getting the Taka consistent. Or I can go into the wave with the freestyler - that's fun too.
And do you sometimes let the sail down in the waves?
Yes, I've been surfing with my dad since I was six years old and I started long before windsurfing. Last year after I finished school, I went on a long road trip with a mate along the Atlantic coast to Sagres in Portugal, where Ben Proffitt lives. There wasn't that much wind and we mainly went wave riding.
What trips are you planning next?
France again and maybe Norway. Both as a combined trip with surfing and windsurfing. In Norway, I'm particularly keen to explore the deserted, secluded stretches of coastline.
You have several siblings. Do they surf too?
Yes, I have three younger brothers. They are 17, 13 and 10 years old ... Right? Yes, 10, I think. (Laughs) They are all just starting to surf in a more manoeuvre-oriented way. (Laughs) It's fun to watch. The next generation is coming!
You live in Hamburg. Is the Elbe your home base?
Yes, I'm still living in Hamburg with my parents at the moment, but I'll be moving to Kiel to study in the autumn at the latest. In the past, I mainly travelled on the Elbe, that's my home spot. But now that I've finished my A-levels and have my own car, I often go to the Priel in Büsum or up to Hanstholm to ride the waves, if I have the petrol money.
What are you studying?
Geosciences at the Christian-Albrechts-University.
What about the other two "Kooks", Ben and Jasper? Are they moving to Kiel with us, into a three-person flat share?
(Laughs) That's the plan, yes. We're currently looking. But maybe we'll end up with separate flats after all, we'll see.
Do you already have sponsors?
This year I officially became a team rider for Sailloft Hamburg. As far as boards are concerned, I just look at what I can find cheaply on the second-hand market - and that's usually a Tabou Twister. (Laughs) But I would also be open to something else. I would have liked to get in touch with other manufacturers at the surf festival, but somehow I didn't really get round to it. It's great that Sailloft is based right here in Hamburg, they've been supporting me for a long time - we didn't even have any subscribers back then. But Sailloft only makes sails. I have to find everything else second-hand.
What fascinates you so much about freestyle, the sport and discipline that you are currently putting the most time and training into?
It's the measurable progress, I think. Suddenly things were moving fast and there was something new on the programme for every session. When you're out and about with your friends, pushing each other and filming, that's just the best.
What is your best tip for freestyle beginners who also want to get to this point?
Always go out on the water with other people - regardless of whether they are better or worse than you. And also go out in light winds if you can't planing all the time. The sail control that you get when you're doing tricks in light winds pays off in strong winds. And the third thing is the camera: having a camera with you, whether it's a small action cam in the POV perspective or with a filmer on the beach, always pushes you and is particularly helpful when analysing mistakes. You often only notice the small mistakes that can make the decisive difference when you look at the clips afterwards. It often looks very different to how it feels on the water!
Facts Arne Jörn
- Age: 19 years
- Place of residence: Hamburg / Kiel
- Profession: Student
- Size/weight: 190 cm/88 kilos
- Surfing since: the age of 14
- Regatta debut: Danish Open 2024
- Discipline: Freestyle & Wave
- Successes: 1st place U21 Freestyle Danish Open, 2nd place Men; 4th place GFB Fehmarn Tow-In, 5th place Single Elimination
- Favourite spots: Büsum, Elbe & Hanstholm
- Favourite moves: Ponch, Taka
- Hobbies: Water sports
- Sponsors: Sailloft Hamburg
- YouTube: @kooksonthewater
- Instagram: @a.j_on_the_water
Julian Wiemar
Editor surf
