Interview: Is Amado Vrieswijk the current all-round champion of windsurfing?
SURF Redaktion
· 03.09.2025
While most windsurfers nowadays specialise in one discipline, Amado Vrieswijk from Bonaire is breaking this trend. With his recent podium finish in Slalom X, the 29-year-old has now reached the podium in three different disciplines in the World Cup - a remarkable achievement in the modern era of windsurfing. The former freestyle world champion, who was also runner-up in the foil slalom in 2023, demonstrates a versatility that has become rare in today's specialised competitive environment. If the title of best all-round windsurfer still existed, Vrieswijk would be a hot contender. Incidentally, his passion for racing is not limited to the water - when he's not on the board, he often spends time on the Formula 1 simulator.
Interview: Chris Yates
Hey Amado, congratulations on your latest podium in Tenerife, which means you've now stood on the podium in three different disciplines. (Freestyle, Foil Slalom and now Slalom X.) How does that feel?
I don't think there are many riders who can say that, so I'm very proud of that. Now I just need to start riding in the wave and who knows if I can get a podium there too.
So far you've focussed more on foil than on Finn races - did you spend more time preparing for Slalom X this year than usual, or did it just click?
Yeah, it's funny actually, because I don't quite understand where the speed comes from either... It's not that I've been slow in previous years, but last year I was very ill with corona during the event in Pozo, which obviously didn't help. In Fuerteventura, I still hadn't fully recovered from the virus, but I still took part in the freestyle before the slalom, which obviously wasn't the smartest decision. After the foil event in Guadeloupe, I didn't foil any more, but went home and got to grips with the new Point 7 equipment. So I rode a bit with Taty (Frans) Fin, which really helped me as he's one of the fastest guys out there.
You and Taty are obviously both from Bonaire - how much time do you spend testing together? It must be quite useful if you both use the same equipment, both boards and sails for tuning... And what do you think of racing on the fin compared to foiling?
It's definitely helpful that Taty has been around for so long and knows his way around the equipment. He helped me with the set-up and getting back into it, because in my first three training sessions on the fin I really felt like a beginner again. Fin and foil racing are very different and require a different approach. For me, fin racing is much more physical, while foil racing is more mental. On the fin you have to really push and jump through the chop, whereas in foiling you are firmly in the saddle but have to stay focussed and ready for every little movement. Also, there are fewer lines to go around a marker or other riders in Finn racing, but in foiling there are so many different ways to attack.
How much more strenuous is it to ride a fin than a foil?
An hour on the fin compared to an hour foiling is a very big difference. With the fin you're bouncing on the waves and you really have to fight with the equipment to be fast, whereas with the foil you're floating in the air and not feeling any of those bumps but trying to keep the board in the air and stabilise it. With all the bouncing and pushing the board on the rail, it gets physically exhausting, but on the other hand, when you're propelled on the foil and trying to squeeze out every drop of speed, the concentration is insane, because with every chop you have to calculate that the front wing won't come out of the water, while on the other hand you can't touch down with the board either, because 90% of the time that leads to a violent crash.
Sylt starts in just over three weeks, are you looking forward to starting foiling again?
Yes, it's time to get the foil gear back out and start sorting the equipment again and generally spending a few hours on the water. So yes, I'm looking forward to racing again and pushing the limits.
How are you preparing for Sylt and what is your goal?
At the moment I'm in Holland, surfing with some of the Dutch guys and trying to organise buoys for jibing and hopefully find someone to train with us, which will be very useful. At this level it also comes down to a lot of tuning, so it will take time and a lot of testing to find the best settings for Sylt. My goal is always to win, but I also have to be realistic. At the moment it's not easy to fight against the PATRIK foils while I'm on the Z Foil, but that's another challenge that makes a good result even more satisfying.
