During a Cape Town-On these trips, Maria Behrens is accompanied by a camera crew and talks about her career and her plans; her mother is also along for the ride, not only joining Maria out on the water but also exploring the South African metropolis. Windsurfing with the family is part of Maria’s life; her grandfather introduced the family to the surfing bug, and her father later met Maria’s mother in Tarifa. They would often head to the beach together, and at some point Maria grew tired of sitting in the caravan and took to the water herself. A competition in Denmark then gave her the motivation to throw herself into it wholeheartedly.
Maria estimates that she now divides her time on the water roughly 60 per cent on windsurfing and 40 per cent on wing foiling. When asked how she would describe windsurfing in one word, Maria replies: “Powerful”. Big waves appeal to her; flat water holds far less appeal. The ideal conditions, she says, are 30 knots and good waves. For a long time, jumps were her weak point, but she’s been able to improve on that with a lot of training, she says.
Speaking of training: Maria emphasises the importance of mental training. She says it is just as important to her as physical training, and helps her cope not only with the pressure of competition but also with setbacks.
Self-image and public perception
Another key theme of the video is Maria’s approach to her public image. She smiles a lot and often comes across as relaxed and cheerful – which, she believes, leads some people to conclude that she isn’t serious or particularly determined. She wants to be seen as a strong athlete and finds it problematic when people reduce her work primarily to modelling or photo shoots. Her aim is to highlight her sporting identity, showcase other sports and, in particular, get women and girls excited about windsurfing.
Maria has a big goal for the future: she wants to become world champion one day. At the same time, she wants to encourage more people – and especially more girls – to take up windsurfing, and to raise the profile of the sport. She is also studying online marketing at a German online university, so that she has a Plan B up her sleeve.
