It's Wednesday, half past six. Lennart only has time for my call now, he was still at training. The connection is made... bang - there he is, Lennart arrives on time. But he still seems to be chewing. He greets me with his mouth full: "Sorry, I haven't had time to eat yet, it's been a long day." I thought he was injured and didn't know what to do with all his time on land. Young surf pros sometimes don't know what to do with themselves if they can't get out on the water. But not so Lennart. At the other end of the line is a calm, even-tempered young man, who nevertheless seems visibly enthusiastic about the current state of affairs. His white Red Bull cap pulled low over his face, he hangs casually on the sofa and finishes chewing with a grin. The curls that emerge from under the cap are dark and no longer bleached blonde by the sun and salt water.
No wonder, because Lennart is currently mainly training on land. As he swallows the last bite, he crumples up the wrapper of his snack, straightens up, takes a sip of water and now looks seriously into the camera: so straightforward, somehow. Deep behind the cap, I can still see the mischievous, windsurf-crazy, blond curly-haired man I met with his mum Iris as a 12-year-old at one of his first European Cups. But somehow he hasn't just matured, he seems like a really old, wise man who everyone wants to listen to - but who is in the body of a well-trained 18-year-old. I want to listen to him now and I'm curious to hear what he has to say.
How are you? Where can I reach you right now, Lennart?
All good so far, thank you. I'm currently back in Austria, in Thalgau near Salzburg. This is where the Red Bull Head Quarter and the APC, which stands for Athlete Performance Centre, are located.
You're currently in full-time rehab for a nasty, long-term knee injury and are training every day to get fit again, right?
Exactly. I finally want to get back on the water properly and I'm giving it my all right now. But training on land is really fun here at the moment, the daily progress feels really good. And I also feel very comfortable here surrounded by the professional coaches and all the other Red Bull athletes. One of my coaches is even a windsurfer himself - he can do a spock, no joke!
How can you imagine that? What does a day at the APC look like?
So, the alarm goes off at seven, then it's out of bed and off to breakfast. It starts around half past midnight. There's a super healthy, delicious breakfast. But I have to hurry, because the shuttle that takes the athletes to training arrives at half past nine sharp: so I quickly head back upstairs to get my training gear...
...Lennart, please don't be so precise.
(laughs) All right, but I'm telling you, the days here are so professionally structured. You couldn't be treated any better. And the great thing is that I've got into such a good routine that I almost feel at home here. Well, but it's already my third time here.
How long have you been there in total?
Over three months in total, with a few small interruptions.
So, the rough daily routine?
Ah yes, exactly. So, the three main daily training sessions are: mental training, weights room and physiotherapy with massages. Each session lasts between one and two hours.
Wow, so you don't get bored there?
No, not at all. I'm happy when I have some free time in the late afternoon (laughs). I also have sessions with the nutritionist three times a week. We even do cookery courses and things like that, we go to the supermarket together and he shows me what I should buy - and what I should stay away from. Sometimes it's not so easy to find your way around food-wise, especially when travelling. Or on long flights, just before a competition. He gives me super valuable tips.
When was the last time you were on the water?
Actually last Friday. Starboard and Severne spontaneously sent me some equipment here. My knee is now so good that the coaches have given me the go-ahead to let off steam in a session here on Lake Fuschl every Friday. But what do you mean by letting off steam, there's hardly any wind here and I'm not allowed to do a double-air culo or anything like that yet. We're not that far yet. But just holding a sail in my hand, hearing the water rushing beneath me and doing a little trick in the light wind gives me so much at the moment. Once I was even gliding briefly, for the first time in over five months. That was absolutely amazing. I can hardly wait until I'm allowed to jump manoeuvres again. Just a simple spock will certainly give me almost as much pleasure as the first one did.
How did it come about that you weren't gliding for five months? Your injury was quite a back and forth - with misdiagnoses until you finally had surgery five months ago.
After the original skate accident on the miniramp at the World Cup in Marseille last November, in which I suffered bone marrow oedema, everyone was actually relieved that it wasn't the cruciate ligaments - and therefore confident that I would be fit again quickly. The first diagnosis back in Greece was: take it easy for three weeks and then you can get back on the water. Now, almost a year later, I can only smile about it.
Are you really back on the water after just three weeks?
Yes, limping, and I can only smile about it today - how naive I was. I've simply learnt so much over the last few months.
What happened next?
I was in hellish pain after the session, took a break and went back for an MRI. The oedema had increased. But they didn't recognise it, it only became apparent months later. And that's what delayed everything. As we didn't know anything about the worsening of the bone, so to speak, I just kept giving the knee some time. I did physiotherapy - and occasionally went surfing carefully.
When did you get the final shocking news that you had contracted something worse?
After a three-day storm and a few hammer wave sessions on Naxos, I couldn't walk any more. So I went for another MRI, but this time we sent the image to a specialist. He then put a stop to it, as it can be really dangerous if a bone has oedema for that long. In the worst case scenario, the bone dies because the blood supply is too low. Only now did it become very serious.
Were you operated on immediately?
No, not until a few weeks later, when we realised that it wasn't going to get any better and wouldn't work without an operation. During the operation, the bone is drilled in various places to allow fresh blood and therefore oxygen to flow in. The healing process started all over again - but as it turned out, this was the only right decision. Well, and now I'm here: fit as a fiddle and, with the help of the Red Bull team, well on the way to getting my knee back to one hundred per cent. They are the best trainers and physiotherapists in the world and I have complete faith in them.
What do you think of the saying that you come back stronger than when you left?
In my case, that's not just an empty phrase! I come back twice as strong!
You must have hit rock bottom anyway, right?
Phew, not just one, there were several, but I can tell you that. I was often totally exhausted. Especially straight after the operation. For months beforehand, I was always somewhere around fifty per cent - sometimes more, sometimes less. And then I wake up in hospital and can't lift my leg - let alone put any weight on it or move it. I knew I was back to square one. There were moments when I thought to myself, how am I ever going to get better? How would I ever be able to double forward again? But giving up was still out of the question, I love windsurfing and competing too much for that. I still want to be at the top of the world and have a successful sporting career in windsurfing.
And things have only gone uphill since then?
Absolutely! Since the operation, I've really been able to walk a little more every day - that's a great feeling. This measurable process is good for the head. My 5.2 felt like a 4 sail on the lake the other day. I think I've also become a lot stronger in general. After all, we don't just train the knee here.
I think it's important to maintain a constant balance. And that doesn't just apply to training
You just mentioned the mental aspect. Are you sometimes distracted - and do you only think about windsurfing all the time during training?
No, not at all. I am now very focussed. That was sometimes not so easy at the beginning, before the operation. But the mental training sessions and the dialogue with other injured athletes here at the APC have helped me a lot. I would almost go so far as to say that the mental aspect is often more important than the physical after such an injury. Thoughts quickly start to circle: Why me? Why was I on the miniramp? What am I missing out on on the water? And then trying to distract yourself with social media and seeing that everyone else is out on the water celebrating new manoeuvres doesn't help at all. Visualising manoeuvres is a big part of the mental training sessions, but for a long time I didn't look at what the others were doing - so, really no social media at all, it doesn't help. Now I'm always much more focussed on what I'm doing - on what's going on. In hindsight, I now realise that I've really learned something for life. I think this mental strength will help me a lot in the future.
Speaking of brains: In the meantime, you also passed your A-levels in the spring. Congratulations! Was your mum happy that you were not only on the water but also forced to concentrate on school?
(laughs) No, the Abitur wasn't a problem. I would have done it without the injury - and my mum knows that too.
What happens now? Next up is the driving licence, right?
Yes, I'm flying home in a fortnight to get my licence. I'll be back in Austria in mid-October - then for the first time with my van and all my surfing equipment. Because in October it will be all about tickling out the last ten per cent. And getting completely fit again for the most extreme manoeuvres on the water and the subsequent winter training in Tarifa and South Africa.
I want to become freestyle world champion! I like to set myself high goals, so why not next year?
You're known to be an all-rounder: freestyle, wave, foil, tow-in, I've also caught you with the wing. What did you miss most during the break due to the injury? What did you dream about at night?
From freestyle! When I think of windsurfing, eighty per cent of the time I think of freestyle. And that's what I miss the most. Wave comes straight after that. Of course, I also enjoy foil and tow-in, but more on the side. I've lost sight of wings a bit at the moment. It didn't really grab me back then.
This leads me to conclude that you want to build your career on freestyle and wave first. What are your big goals for the near future? Are you going to put all your eggs in one basket and become a full pro?
I want to become freestyle world champion! I like to set myself high goals, so I say, why not next year? And yes, I will become a full professional. My studies can wait for now. Thanks to my athlete status in Greece, I have the opportunity to study at any university I want. So I have no pressure at all. For now, my sporting career is one hundred per cent my priority.
So the injury didn't change your mind? It just confirmed what you really want?
That's exactly how it is. I'm travelling a very straight line, with a clear goal in mind. Through the highs and lows of the past year, I've learnt not to get too excited when things go well. And also not to let myself get too down when things don't go so well. I think it's important to maintain this constant balance. That's what gets you the furthest in the long term - not just in professional sport, but in life in general.
Lennart, thank you very much for the interview. I wish you all the best and think you'll go very far with this attitude. Hopefully we'll see you somewhere on the water this winter.
Lennart Neubauer is now back on the water and showing off his first freestyle moves on Instagram:
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