Three years ago, Stam (my coach Stamatis Promponas) and I had the idea of building a windsurfing ramp. Back then it was made from driftwood and used water pipes, but the whole thing was put together very quickly. We put the ramp into the water for the first time in October three years ago and were amazed at how well it worked. After a few ramp sessions back in October, we lost sight of the project again. When I joined the Red Bull team, we then had the idea for a project to build a complete ramp park, just like a skate park, only in the water.
Together with Stam and my boardshaper and repairer, Yiannis Maritsis from Patras, we then designed five ramps and built them together. Again made of wood and again with rubber pipes on top. The ramps vary in height, with the highest ramp measuring 2.10 metres on land. The distance between the individual rubber tubes is 2.5 centimetres so that the fin has enough space to slide in the groove between the tubes when jumping off. Starboard provided me with a special ramp board (Ignite with 93 litres). Maui Ultra Fins built me a special ramp fin, similar to a seagrass fin. Unfortunately, it didn't fit into the fin box. In the end, Stam produced a suitable fin together with Yiannis Maritsis.
Everything had been planned for a relatively long time and the ramps were already finished in December 2020. However, we wanted to wait for warmer weather, as it's more pleasant for the body when you're in the water for a long time. With the first good forecast after Easter, we put the ramps in the water for the first time and set them up the way I wanted to jump them. At first I was really scared of the height of the ramps, especially the highest one. But also of the two rails that look like boxes. But after the first few attempts, the fear was gone. A good dose of adrenalin probably helped too. I was now confident that I could land jumps and freestyle moves over the ramps.
The Red Bull project manager then came up with a story for a short film that not only shows the spectacular jumps over the ramps, but also shows something of the island. You can see the whole clip on the Red Bull homepage, but also in the link in my bio on my Instagram account. (And of course in the Digital edition of surf magazine .) I think the three-minute film is really successful, it describes the whole idea of the ramp park as well as the Greek island of Naxos very well.
When we started the project, we filmed for five days, six to eight hours at a time. The Red Bull camera team consisted of seven people - that was really cool. I really had a lot of fun, also because I had to overcome my fear several times. I'm sure that will also help me in normal windsurfing. It's important to face your fears and then overcome them. The feeling is indescribable once you've done it.
I could imagine that many windsurfers would like to try it out, it would be so cool if such a ramp park could be used at an EFPT competition, for example. Adam Sims, the tour director of the EFPT, is also very enthusiastic about the idea. However, we only had permission from the harbour police to install the park for the duration of the shoot, after which we had to take the ramps out of the water again, of course. However, we can get this authorisation to put the ramps back in the water for an agreed period of time, such as for a competition.
I believe that this project is a record-breaker, because as far as I know no windsurfer has ever jumped these freestyle tricks on such high ramps, but even without freestyle action, just jumping or looping over the ramps is great fun, according to the motto "no wave, no problem" - the ramp makes it possible.
