Sarah-Quita Offringa enjoyed another fantastic summer in the Canary Islands, during which the ‘Lady of Aruba’ won her 17th freestyle world title, successfully defended her title at the event in Tenerife and finished second in Gran Canaria – putting her in an excellent position to reclaim the world title in wave riding in the second half of the tour.
Hey SQ – how are you getting on after another eventful summer in the Canary Islands?
Everything’s going well! I’m currently recovering from the Canary Islands Marathon.
All in all, you must be incredibly proud of your results – winning your 17th freestyle world title, defending your title in Tenerife and coming second in Gran Canaria – what were the highs and lows of the summer for you?
Yes, it was a brilliant summer and I’m definitely proud and happy with my results! If I had to name one low point, I’d simply say that, unfortunately, Pozo didn’t really live up to expectations for the first time – probably in 20 years. I love surfing and training there, but I feel that we simply didn’t have the best conditions this year, and I practically live for those challenging days there. After the freestyle event in Fuerte, however, I decided not to compete in the slalom, headed back to Pozo and actually had 10 days of brilliant conditions there – that made up for it! My victory in Tenerife and the conditions we were able to compete in were probably the biggest highlight for me. I’m not exactly sure why, but I think I felt I’d made the right decision not to take part in the slalom. I felt better prepared for the event and did well. It seemed as though everyone was pushing each other on, and the standard was high, which made the victory all the sweeter.
Coming back to Fuerte for a moment: what was it like for you after you’d Lost the single-elimination final against Maaike Did you? A situation that must surely have felt a bit strange…
Well, Maaike forced a Super Final last year, so it didn’t strike me as all that strange when she won the single-elimination this year, as I’d mentally prepared myself for that too. I had a brilliant day on the water that day and landed pretty much all my dream tricks in my heats, including the Pasko! I would have loved to have won the singles, but it didn’t hurt all that much, and at the same time it was a bit of a relief – I felt as though a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. However, once I’d had a bit more time to think about it and come to terms with it, that tingling sensation came back, and I was curious to see if I could stage a comeback.
You then had to wait a few days for the doubles match – how did you feel whilst you were waiting? Were you nervous? Or did you perhaps feel less under pressure, as in the doubles there was almost only something to gain and not too much to lose?
At first, I felt as though the pressure had lifted, but as soon as the doubles began, it came back – though in a positive way: I simply wanted to prove, or perhaps just to find out for myself, that I could pull off a comeback.
Did you have a specific match plan for the double-elimination tournament?
This year, I didn’t want to hold back on my moves and wanted to ride as well as I could, which worked out well in the first few rounds in both the singles and the doubles. But in the final heat, just as I was on the verge of winning the title, I got off to a really good start and that actually made me really nervous – partly because the conditions were so wild that it was hard to land anything! I started playing it safe and couldn’t quite land my tricks towards the end, but I’d started my heat strongly, and that was enough, to secure victory!
You decided not to take part in Slalom X in Fuerte this year – do you think that ultimately helped you to defend your title in Tenerife?
I think it helped me go into the event feeling much more relaxed and with far greater self-confidence, as I had about 10 days to get used to my wave gear, rather than coming straight from freestyle and slalom and then having to readjust to the wave equipment all over again. In my opinion, it was the right decision, especially for my mental state!
Your Victory in Tenerife This puts you in a strong position heading into the second half of the Wave Tour – how do you see the second half of the year shaping up?
Yes! I’m really happy about that! Well, anything can happen on Sylt – it’s really hard to predict – but that’s exactly what I love about it! I’m really looking forward to competing on Maui, as that’s my favourite discipline, and then finishing off the season in Chile will be an absolute highlight. So all I can say is that I’m really looking forward to the last three events of the year.
How did you celebrate after your holiday in the Canary Islands?
Oh! I’m not sure if I actually went out and partied, haha! After Fuerte, I spent a few hours in bed to recover from the conditions, and it was the same after Tenerife, haha. I’ll definitely be partying a bit when I meet up with my friends.
A little birdie has told me that you’re at the Gorge – have you been there before, and what do you think of it so far?
Yes! We’re in the Gorge now – it’s incredible here. For some reason, I’d never really thought about coming here, and I just had this image in my head of these really massive jumps. I thought there was only one spot, but it turns out it’s an absolutely fantastic town, area and setting for outdoor activities, and there are COUNTLESS spots along the river depending on the wind direction. It really is a special place to be out on the water, and you can really feel how vibrant windsurfing and water sports are here. The community has been incredibly welcoming, and although I’ve only been here for a week, I can definitely see myself spending much more time here.