PWA Gran Canaria 2025: World Cup as a family outing - the Gobisch family in Pozo

From U15 to over 45, the name Gobisch appears in the rankings of the Pozo World Cup. The inspiring windsurfing family of six from Kiel won't miss out on the big Canary Islands event. Even though it is not always logistically straightforward to get everyone together in the right place at the right time due to school and work commitments, five of the six family members were there. Only the eldest brother Hannes, who is currently doing an internship in Austria, had to cheer on via the live stream. While mum Jule coordinated the gang after her extensive morning sessions on the beach, Trine (12) took first place in the girls U15, Anton (12) fifth place in the boys U15, Peter (16) second place in the boys U18 and dad Lars showed the masters how it's done with a second place in the over 45s. Unfortunately, Lars and Anton had to leave early and were unable to defend their even better placings from the single elimination because work and school got in the way. But that's not the end of the world, because Pozo is much more to them than contests and placings, as they reveal in the interview.

For the first few days, only the Pro Men and Woman raced at 50 to 60 knots. Was it so spectacular that you watched the whole time?

Peter: Yes, we watched a lot because it was so exciting.
Jule: And Trine even took part in the women's competition this year, so we had to be on standby. But the contest doesn't start until around ten or eleven o'clock. That means you can easily go out on the water before then. There's also often a little less wind in the morning.

Did you stay directly at the spot in Pozo?

Lars: Yes, we always live directly in Pozo, so you can carry your equipment from the storage facility to the water on foot. Everyone gets their boom, mast and sail pack in the morning, the board under the other arm, and then we walk to the water. We call it the pozo pack (laughs).

Do you share material with each other or does everyone have their own full range?

Lars: No, we basically just have a range of sails with a few double sizes. With the differences in size and weight, this currently works pretty well so that everyone has the right sail size.
Hannes: That's right, Trine and Anton share the small "NOW's" and the rest of us manage the "Super Heros" with a few back-up sizes such as the popular 4.2. Although the most popular sizes in Pozo tend to be 3.0 and 3.4 (laughs).

How many boardbags do you travel with as a family to an event like Pozo?

LarsNevertheless, with at least six. It's rare for us to travel anywhere with less than 200 kilos of luggage.

Trine and Anton, what sail sizes do you use in such strong winds as this year?

Trine: I usually ride 2.4 square metres. When the wind drops a little, I go to 2.8 and my board has 60 litres.
AntonI also drive the 2.4 and 2.8 with my 52-litre board.
Lars: These are the smallest sails in the Duotone range. You always wonder how it works when the water flies and I'm sailing 3.4, then the youngest kids, not just ours, are sailing around with just one square metre less.

Do you like events like Pozo with the big mix of Pros, Youth and Masters better than the pure Youth events like in Denmark, for example?

Anton: I think Denmark is cool because you don't have to wait so long and you're on more often. But in Pozo it's great that you can learn from the really good ones all the time.
HannesI would say that the advantage of the Youth World Cups for the younger age groups is that they get to compete in better conditions. In Pozo, of course, the smaller age groups are always pushed to the days when there might not be any good waves because the best conditions are saved for the pros. But the atmosphere is simply completely different, it's much more professional. And when there are pros on site that you know from the magazines, for example, then that's even more reason to push yourself. That's why I would say I find "real" World Cups better and they motivate me more.
Lars: At big World Cups like the one in Pozo, the media presence is also higher and the youngsters get a lot of exposure. And Pozo is simply a real hotbed of talent - there's nothing else there. You can maybe go for an ice cream in the shop in between and otherwise you're on the water or preparing for the next session. The kids push each other on the water and learn moves from the pros. Everyone speaks a bit of English, a bit of Spanish ... It's just a great community there.

The kids push each other on the water and learn moves from the pros. Everyone speaks a bit of English, a bit of Spanish ... It's just a great community!" (Lars Gobisch)

Do you arrange to meet up with the other young people outside of the contest for joint sessions?

Anton: Yes, we always liaise. Often with the Gonzalez family from Cadiz.
Lars: They have three super windsurfing guys who were also on the podium.
Anton: And one of them is always driving behind me and shouting that I should do a front loop.

Jule, are you on the beach all the time as a caddy and supporter or do you go out on the water yourself?

Jule: I like being there and I'm a mixture of caddy, food supervisor and also have to comfort people from time to time. I go surfing in the morning or sometimes with the kids in Vargas when there's no contest.

I like being there and am a mixture of caddy, catering officer and also have to comfort people from time to time." (Jule Gobisch)

You all did more than solidly. Podium places in three different categories ...

Lars: Yes, but we don't go there for the rankings. It's about the surroundings, the friendships with the other children and families and having a good time on the water.
Peter: It was pretty close for me in the U18 super final, for example. Of course I would have liked to have won. You're disappointed for a little while, but it's not the end of the world for us.

Does a windsurfing family of six like yours revolve around surfing all day long?

Hannes: On holiday yes, but not necessarily in everyday life at home.
Jule: Yes, when there's no wind, we sometimes do our homework (laughs).