Whether it’s dealing with plastics, organising competitions, having a knack for finding sponsors, or applying just the right amount of pressure when performing a power jibe at the regatta buoy – we have nearly 50 years of experience to draw on.
Your career in a nutshell. Please start at the beginning.
After my first attempts using boards belonging to adult members of the sailing club, I swapped my sailing boat for a Mistral Competition – my very first board. But I’d already started my first attempts at building boards whilst still at school; following the instructions in Surf magazine, I once shortened a board by 80 centimetres, and soon after that began shaping them from solid blocks of material. In Rosenheim, I began studying plastics engineering, which is where I first came into contact with the ‘Klepper’ board brand. Before that, however, I had already designed a thermoforming machine on which the outer shells of the Klepper boards were produced. Alongside this, I competed in my first regattas on longboards and, after graduating, joined ‘Alpha’ in process development. Around 1990, together with a few mates, I founded Windsurfing Austria, a class association for all boards and disciplines. Through my work, I joined the Supervisory Board of the Austrian Sailing Association around 1991 and also served on the Executive Committee for five years from 2012. In the late 1980s, I trained as a race director and have organised around 200 regattas to date. I have been on the board of the Seekirchen-Wallersee Sailing Club since the mid-1980s; I have organised a European Championship for the IFCA on Lake Neusiedl and, this year, together with the Union Yacht Club Attersee, the European Championship for the Windsurfer LT.
So how many hours are there in a day for you?
I do a lot of windsurfing; as well as working at my own company, I spend a good one or two days a week doing it.
Regatta windsurfing used to be very popular in Austria, with many successes for Thomas Wallner and Björn Eybl in the 1980s; in 2000, Christoph Sieber even won Olympic gold in Sydney on the Mistral One Design. After that, things went quiet in Austria, apart from the Freestyle World Cup on Lake Neusiedl. Now we’re hearing about some activity again.
Well – ‘quiet’ is relative. We regularly host IFCA championships, such as the Youth European Championships or the Formula World Championships. Marco Lang’s successes in the PWA World Cup are also quite impressive for a small landlocked country. Despite the decline in windsurfing as a whole and the setback caused by the coronavirus, we have around 140 participants in WSA regattas per season, including around 20 young people, five of whom are competing in the iQFOiL Youth class alone.
What are your main responsibilities at the WSA?
Setting the direction together with the Executive Board, coordinating schedules, national and international networking, and youth work. We receive excellent support from Anita Eder and Gerald Böhm with our social media and website.
Windsurfing Austria is affiliated with the Austrian Sailing Association (OeSV). You’re also part of the Sailing Forum Austria. What are the benefits of this for windsurfers?
Windsurfing has been relatively well integrated into the OeSV for decades; given the Olympic appearances in 1984 by Björn Eybl, in 1988 by Thomas Wallner, and in 1992 and 2000 by Christoph Sieber – including the gold medal – that was only to be expected. It was never entirely straightforward, because – as is the case everywhere – there are differing interests, but it always worked out fine. Windsurfing Austria’s status as a member club within the OeSV was a trial run by the sailing association in 2013. It’s all about being open to new ideas. In 2022, there was another push to give windsurfing a boost, and things are progressing quite well. Theo Peter recently won his first race at the iQFOiL Games and is establishing himself in the mid-table, whilst in the U19 category, Georg Böckl made it into the medal race. So we’re heading in the right direction – the federation recognises that too. Communication channels are short, everyone knows one another, and cooperation is a priority. The coaching situation is constantly being improved. Of course, there’s always room for more, but we must naturally take budgetary constraints into account.
With the LT Windsurfing European Championships, you’ve even managed to bring an international competition to Lake Attersee for the end of May 2026. To a sailing club, no less. How did you manage that?
How it all came about – sitting together by the lake and daydreaming (laughs) – and when you’re sitting with the president of Austria’s biggest club, that’s the sort of thing that comes out. Following on from the above, WSA wanted to organise another major event. We’d already held an IFCA Championship on Lake Neusiedl, but unfortunately the water depth there largely rules out windfoil events. On the deeper lakes, it’s either difficult to guarantee consistent wind or there aren’t any large clubs. The windsurfing LT scene is growing very strongly; we’ve been organising championships since 2019, and the Austrian community is stable and well-connected. The Union Yacht Club Attersee wants to ‘modernise’ and is big enough – so we’ve got a win-win situation there. We submitted a joint bid, were awarded the contract, and were all delighted to be able to deliver something new.
Freestyle, which was once the domain of the Austrians in the early 90s, has quietened down somewhat in the meantime. Now, a very young group of up-and-coming riders is making a comeback in the EFPT. Are you and the WSA involved in that as well?
Not really.
Foil and fin slalom regattas are the main focus of your organisational work. Even now on Lake Garda?
My heart lies with slalom sailing. As we have very few suitable venues in Austria, I’ve secured a partnership with Circolo Surf Torbole on Lake Garda, which organises two races per season in collaboration with Windsurfing Austria (WSA). These form part of the Austrian Championship and attract huge crowds. Here, too, it’s all about cooperation between clubs run by volunteers.
Is that where you go surfing yourself, too?
It’s not just there – I’m competing in the entire Austrian Slalom Championship in the Finn class. Twice in Italy on Lake Como, on Lake Neusiedl, twice in Switzerland on Lake Walen and on Lake Silvaplana. I’m also taking part in the Defi Wind and the One Hour Gardasee on the Finn.
“I’m competing in the entire Austrian Slalom Championship in the Finn class.”
A dual role like yours – as both a driver and an official – is sometimes viewed with a degree of scepticism, particularly in critical situations such as the interpretation of rules or protests. Do you have that under control?
No problem at all. It’s been a long time since I’ve been treated with hostility. I actually think this is seen as an advantage. The participants know I’ve got practical experience; I know what I’m talking about. It’s only at larger competitions that I separate the organising from the competition itself – otherwise I just can’t cope mentally.
You’ve worked on the production side before, haven’t you? The windsurfing industry isn’t doing particularly well at the moment. Where do you see opportunities for companies to recover in the future?
I look at the situation with amazement; I’m not happy with some aspects of it. In my opinion, the industry went into decline back in the last millennium. Nevertheless, windsurfing has developed into a well-established sport.
Will wing foiling dominate the future? Insiders are already saying that wing foiling is set to become an Olympic sport in 2032.
I’m very positive about wing surfing; it gets people out on the water. It’s cooler than kitesurfing and has lots of advantages over it. I’m absolutely certain this sport will become an Olympic discipline.
You yourself prefer windsurfing on boards with fins. You’re a keen participant in the Defi Wind in the south of France. What is it about it that fascinates you so much?
That feeling of hanging from the trapeze when the board glides over the water on its fin – I haven’t found that on the foil. I’ve loved and needed that feeling for almost 50 years now.
What do you love about the Defi Wind? You’ve taken part loads of times.
The scenery, the long course, the community, the atmosphere in the village – all the locals were proud of this event, and as a participant you could really feel that. That said, I’ve noticed that the event hasn’t developed quite so positively in recent years. With kitesurfing and wing foiling added to windsurfing – and, above all, the large number of participants – the event has almost become too big.
At present, the World Cup slalom is split into races using a fin and those using a foil. By 2026, there will only be two in each discipline, meaning the fields are getting smaller and smaller. Could this be the future?
The PWA faces a difficult future. I believe that, as things stand, it is no longer in step with the times. They are now trying, with the IFCA (International Funboard Class Association, Editor’s note.) to cooperate. There is no budget to organise a professional future, and there is no major tour sponsor. That is why they are asking for too much money from the local organisers. On top of that, the rules lack transparency, and there is too little information available on the PWA website. Furthermore, the PWA faces stiff competition from the Olympic iQFOiL Class, where, in my view, elite sport is run in a far more professional manner.
Fins or foils in the PWA – what do you think?
In my opinion, this is also counterproductive, which is why the events in question are getting smaller and smaller. A lot of effort goes into training, travel and equipment, and then there are very few competitions – this will lead to fewer and fewer participants.
What would your regatta world look like if you could take the necessary steps?
Firstly, it might make sense to bring together the regional class associations. For example, we are planning an IFCA Alpine Cup for 2027, with two regattas each in Switzerland, on Lake Garda in Italy, and two in Austria, all with a joint ranking. The races will alternate between fin and foil, so you’ll get enough races for both on your scorecard. The IFCA is also introducing a global ranking from 2026 – which is also a good move. Having different disciplines at a single event – that’s working better and better.
One last question: How much longer are you going to put yourself through this double burden?
It does take a while, depending on how much certain things get on my nerves. But as soon as I’m allowed out on the water, I’m fully committed – and it doesn’t really matter whether I’m a competitor, race officer or organiser.
Here’s to continued success with the organisation and on the water – thank you very much for the interview.
Facts about Christian Bratsch
- Age: 63 years
- Born: 19 February 1963
- Place of residence: Salzburg, Austria
- Occupation: Entrepreneur (Graduate Engineer in Plastics Technology)
- Dimensions/Weight: 169 cm/73 kg
- Sail number: AUT-161
- Has been surfing since: 1977
- Achievements: Defi Wind has finished in the points on several occasions.
- Favourite spots: Lake Garda, Gruissan, Vada (Tuscany)
- Hobbies: Winter sports in deep snow