The slalom fork in his right hand and a waveboard from another brand in his left hand, which is still being tested on the side, "I'm in a hurry, the first Slalom-X training session starts in an hour!" There's no question that the World Cup pro, surf shop owner, Youtuber and new president of the professional riders' association PWA is very busy.
Three days later, at 07.30 in the morning, we want to meet on Cabezo beach to take a few pictures together with Michele Becker, but who is still missing? Nico! With his mobile phone pressed to his ear and carrying the foil board at the same time, he signals to us that he is calling his boss Manfred Rassweiler (Managing Director of the Pryde Group, the ed.), and you can't just leave it on the left. Well, after half an hour he's at our disposal.
Nico, congratulations once again on your new position! What are your tasks in detail?
I am the chairman of the board, so I chair the board meetings of the management board, with three members elected by the industry and three members elected by the riders. I am the chairperson, who always has to be a rider so that the four of us always have a majority. My job is to have a Heli perspective on the issues, categorise topics, summarise arguments and steer the discussions in a direction that moves us forward.
How much decision-making power do you have?
That depends on how much trust is placed in me. I can't decide anything on my own, all decisions are made by the Board. As President, I am the ambassador for the World Tour, the face to the outside world, so to speak. I give speeches at the opening and closing of the World Cups. I also represent the riders to the sponsors, and when our tour manager Rich Page meets with the sponsors, I can come along, but I don't have to.
We all work in the interests of the PWA as a non-profit organisation, the motivation is different to that of the wingfoilers and kitesurfers. My position is voluntary, we want to have a healthy tour, everything is open at the top and I can help Rich as much as I want. I can do sponsor acquisition, I can contact sponsors, but in reality it's a voluntary position. In the PWA, a lot of things are done by one person.
What goals have you set yourself?
My primary goal is to make windsurfing more popular so that more people are encouraged to take part in our sport and the industry and riders can make a good living from it. And that includes a healthy competition tour with around eight to ten World Cups in the wave, freestyle and slalom disciplines.
What are the challenges?
It's a chicken and egg problem. Because of course we have to invest in media work to emotionalise riders and generate more coverage. And that costs money, but we only get it when we find sponsors and event organisers.
The organisers of the GKA Kitesurf World Cup have signed a three-year contract with Qatar Airways, while the FC Bayern Munich footballers have not extended their sponsorship contract with this airline due to pressure from the fan scene. Where do you draw the line when selecting potential partners?
That's a tricky question. But for me the answer is clear, we don't have the resources to find sponsors ourselves, the organisers of the events find the sponsors. We would like to change that, in the best case scenario we have a tour sponsor so that we can organise events regardless of whether the organiser finds a sponsor or not.
We are in a situation where we should take the money, almost regardless of where it comes from."
We are in a situation where we should take the money, almost regardless of where it comes from. And why shouldn't we take the money if the footballers don't want it? We want to create something great, but of course there are also clear red lines.
Are there synergies with Wingfoil World Cups?
Yes and no. Of course there are synergies, we use the same playing field, but everyone is fighting to get as much as possible from the organisers. There is competition between us. But in Cape Verde it can be a good approach and in Fuerteventura the organiser uses the same set-up.
How much additional time is involved in your new position?
About three to five hours per week, with ups and downs.
Anything else you'd like to say at the end?
No, I don't have to make such a big deal out of it, I see myself more as a rider.
