Liam, your switch to Duotone was the big news last week. What is your first impression of the material?
I've already tried out the equipment, I've just come back from Cape Verde. We had a fantastic trip with Victor Fernandez. The waves are incredible, the material feels really good. I still have to get used to it, but I really like the equipment. Looks like it's going to be a really exciting year!
How did the change come about? Did they approach you or did you look for another partner?
I would say it was a mixture of both. I'm really grateful for all the years I've been supported by my previous brands, everything has been great! But now it's time to become part of the Duotone family and I'm looking forward to going full throttle with them for the next few years!
Was it a short-term decision or did it develop over a longer period of time?
It was a quick decision, and I made it, and now we're here.
Will you also be involved in the development?
Yes, I will also be active in R&D because I spend so much time on Maui and the Duotone material is designed there. I'll be designing boards and sails there together with Kai Hopf, Marco Lang and Victor when he's there.
What about the team? Does Victor lead you a bit?
Well, Victor has of course been with the team his whole life. The respect Victor has within the brand is incredible. In Spain he's the hero of wave riding, he's one of the best. I admire the way he surfs. He can ride anything in any conditions and for me he's still one of the really best guys out there.
At the end of the trip, I didn't want to leave, I didn't want to give up these conditions."
And your goal is to become world champion too, I assume...?
This year I'm no longer a junior, and last year I finished ninth overall. I have the feeling that I'm getting better every day. Of course, my biggest dream and goal now is to become world champion one day, and I will give it my all.
You've just come back from Cape Verde. What were the conditions like? How were you introduced to the team?
Adrien Bosson was travelling there with a friend and Victor is of course spending the whole winter with his family in Cape Verde. I saw the swell in the forecast and booked a flight, there's now a direct connection from Gran Canaria and you can be there in two hours. I already know Victor and Bosson, it was great to be on the water with them every day. The conditions were incredible. I was on the water seven days out of seven. At the end of the trip I didn't want to leave, I didn't want to give up these conditions. So it was an incredible trip for me!
Surprise and breakthrough at the Aloha Classic
What meant more to you last season, third place in the Aloha Classic with the pros or the Junior World Championship title?
Well, I have to say that coming third in the Aloha Classic is my biggest achievement in my career at the moment! I've been to Maui four times and everyone says that you have to get used to surfing there, it's not an easy spot. And since I was there for the first time, I really liked the island. I had a feeling it was going to be one of my favourite spots. At the Aloha Classic, I simply enjoyed every heat as much as possible. And suddenly I was in the semi-finals, it was really close, but I made it to the final. I couldn't believe it. So I told myself to go out there, enjoy it and give it my all! It was great to be on the podium at the end!
Was it a surprise to you and others that you achieved your first professional podium in Hookipa and not in Pozo?
I think it was a surprise for everyone. Everyone came up to me and said that no one would have bet on me. I wouldn't have, because Pozo is my home spot and I go there every day. But at some point I realised that I can also surf really well in Hookipa. I trained there a lot and destroyed a lot of material in the rocks. I always hoped that Hookipa would give it back to me at some point. And that's what happened.
Did it mean anything to you that it's a place where your father had a hard time as a European, and now you have your first professional podium at this spot?
Of course, it's very hard to beat the guys in Hookipa, the Maui locals like Kai Lenny, Levi Siver and Bernd Roediger, because they're probably out there 300 days out of 365 days a year. It's a spot where you get better and better the more you go out there. To go straight from Pozo to Hookipa and finish on the podium was incredible.
We all saw the 360 at the Aloha Classic compared to your father's. Did you realise that your styles were so similar?
No, people thought I was seeing my dad's 360 at home every day. I have to be honest, of course I've seen a few, but I didn't realise it was like this. I just practised the 360 a lot with Marino last year, and that's how it developed. It's not that I saw my father and tried to copy him. But at some point I did an exact copy of his 360. So it's quite funny.
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Are there any other things in which you recognise a similarity?
People say that my style is generally similar to my father. So if you look at my style and my father's, you can see a lot of similarities. But I also want to find my own style and realise it in my own way.
You surf a lot. How does that affect your windsurfing?
I think it helps a lot to understand the wave, for example. I also spend a lot of time surfing in Hookipa, so I get to know the wave. I love surfing, and in my early days I was fully focussed on it. But at some point I also wanted to compete in windsurfing events and I got good results. So I made surfing my hobby because I really love surfing and I didn't want to get tired of it. In Cape Verde, I also went surfing for a few hours every day.
I want to find my own style and realise it in my own way."
You've also done some wingfoiling and SUP competitions...
I love water sports, I do SUP, wingfoiling, kitesurfing, I do it all. It's about spending time on the water with everything I can. If I have the time and I'm in the neighbourhood, then I'll certainly take part in contests from time to time. But my main focus in competitions at the moment is windsurfing in the waves.
Will we see you on a podium again in 2025?
A podium is now possible at every event, because the level is there. I will give it my all from the first event in Chile and I hope that this will be a good season for me.
Which events do you like more, the big waves and down-the-line or jumping in strong winds like in Pozo?
I like strong winds and high jumps, as high as the board and the material allow. But I also like getting under the lip of the wave and surfing the wave as radically as possible. I think I just love windsurfing.
What does a typical day at home in Gran Canaria look like for you? Do you have a schedule for when you train and when you're on the water?
When I wake up, I usually have a coffee with my dad before he drives my brother and sister to school. Then I go to our little gym at home and do a bit of spinning to warm up for the day. Then I go straight to Pozo, surf for a few hours in the morning when there aren't so many tourists around, and then I usually wait for the right tides, good wind and good waves. Then I go out again and then once more before it gets dark. We usually try to be out on the water with as many friends as possible. I'm mainly out with Marino, but also with Mike Friedl and Alessio, now that he's recovering from his foot injury. But now in winter there's also a lot of surfing. Then I try to wake up early, go up north, surf and when I get home, eat and then go windsurfing. We have so many good conditions on Gran Canaria, I just love spending time on the water.
Do you also have ambitions in other disciplines such as slalom, freestyle or foiling?
At the moment, I'm focussing on the wave. But of course one day, when I have a bit more mass, I might try another discipline. But that's not in my plans at the moment.
Personal recognition, additional motivation
And is Björn still trying to train you?
Yes, definitely! My father is the perfect example because he wants everything. So he knows a lot of tricks and always tries to explain them to me. In the end, I learnt a lot of things from him and put them into practice. But there are also a lot of things I try to do my own way and I think that works.
We sometimes see footage of your younger brother Daniel, who also likes windsurfing. Do you teach him anything or give him a few tips?
Now he's starting to windsurf a lot more. And now he listens more too. I can actually go out with him and he tries to do what I tell him. Because before he was trying to do everything on his own. It's fun with him, he just needs to grow a bit more.
The next Dunkerbeck is sure to come!"
Is he as ambitious as you?
Yes, he doesn't like to lose. The next Dunkerbeck is sure to come!
We saw in your father's film that you spent some time at the Red Bull medical centre in Salzburg. Is that something you do regularly?
Perfect question, because I'm flying there tomorrow. I'm going to spend a few days there to have my body checked out before the start of the season. If anything is wrong, I can get it treated and just train a bit and meet the Red Bull boss. I think the support from Red Bull is a perfect example of what an athlete should get from any brand. They try to offer the best possible support. And they are always there to help.
A interview we conducted with you a few years ago was entitled "Out of the shadows". Do you have the feeling that you are coming out of your father's shadow, or does that not bother you at all?
I don't mind being in my dad's shadow, because I think absolutely every windsurfer is in my dad's shadow. But I'm slowly getting my own name and starting to be recognised as Liam, not just as "the son of...". Of course, that also gives me extra motivation. But my dad is the perfect role model and I'm glad to have him as a coach!
