Ambitious, determined, well-trained. Meiky Wieczorek from Munich surfs at an incredibly high level and trains every day as if he has to win a freestyle contest tomorrow, as if everything depends on his next result. The paradox is that the 29-year-old doesn't enter any competitions. How can that be? This question is not only buzzing around in my head, but is omnipresent within the scene. Comments such as "Find this guy a sponsor!" or "Time for PWA!" keep popping up under his radical videos, in which he celebrates double-sided jumps at absolute World Cup level - even in January, at three degrees, before sunrise in Malcesine, if need be.
However, I met Meiky at the height of summer in a stuffy taverna on Karpathos, the island where he has spent the summer months for years and works for the Meltemi windsurfing centre. In autumn, he always heads back to Lago, which he has called home for the past two years - and these are basically the only two spots where the freestyle freak can be found. He likes to operate under the radar - contests, world trips to exotic freestyle spots and the lifestyle surrounding them seem to interest him less. For him, it's all about continuously improving - regardless of the spot. In principle, his whole life is geared towards this. But what for again? He doesn't do anything with it ... or does he?
Meiky does his thing
Tattooed forearms as wide as my thighs, tattered, sleeveless Motörhead frock, slight undercut and black clip-on earrings: Meiky and his sporty, blonde girlfriend stroll into the Greek taverna where we have arranged to meet for lunch. Is this the windsurfer who double and triple jumped everything in Devils Bay this morning at sunrise on his free Thursday? He's got a powerful style: "Joa, it was okay this morning. I went out extra early so I could take it easy. The conditions were good, but I still need to work on my double burner," he says, almost a little frustrated. Meiky is so competitive with himself that he is dissatisfied with his performance after almost every session. Maybe you have to be in that mood to be that good when you surf almost exclusively for and with yourself, I think.
"I know it doesn't really make sense to be so hard on myself. Especially as I'm not even training specifically for anything. But that's just the way I am - it spurs me on," he explains. "Finally standing a new move gives me a feeling like in no other area of life. For me, having fun windsurfing goes hand in hand with learning." Anyone who sees Meiky on the water immediately recognises that the man with the small Severne sails isn't just surfing along, no, he always has a clear goal in mind and knows exactly what he's doing: "It's easy for me to recognise mistakes and eradicate them. Mistakes must not become ingrained. It helps a lot to analyse videos to identify mistakes early on," he advises. Compared to some other freestylers, he takes a more analytical approach: "It stresses me out to know that there are manoeuvres that I haven't mastered - I can't just tick them off until I know where the mistake is," he explains with a laugh and takes a big bite of the chicken souflaki skewer that has just been brought in.
Origin
Meiky's real name is Michael and he is a true Bavarian who grew up on the outskirts of Munich. His father, who is also called Michael and is also a really good windsurfer, realised at some point that it is bureaucratically impractical if his son and he have exactly the same name. Since then, his son has been called Meiky, and I couldn't think of a better name for the often mischievously grinning powerhouse. Visually and on the water, he is a Mike, but when you talk to the likeable Bavarian, you automatically want to add the friendly ending with the "y" to the evil Mike. The talented youngster has been on the board since he was five years old, but he never really had his sights set on becoming a professional windsurfer.
Contests
"I mean, everyone dreams of going pro in some way when they're young, don't they? But it was just too far away from my reality back then, while I was at school and studying in Munich. It wasn't even within reach for me to even consider it. And even though I was always highly motivated and made continuous progress in freestyle thanks to the constant trips to the lake, I was never really convinced of my level. I always thought I wasn't good enough to ride on the tour. I'm very, very critical of myself," he says thoughtfully and very self-reflectively.
It almost seems as if today, in his late twenties, he regrets not having really tried. But it's not too late, I think. Even though he has suffered a few injuries over the years - including a nasty knee injury - he currently looks in top shape: "I'm currently at my best level, but the competition train has somehow passed me by. I underestimated myself and just didn't see it for a long time. I've only been surfing all year round for a few years now, I used to have eternal winter breaks - that didn't feel right because the guys on the tour were training at perfect spots all winter. On top of that, nobody took me by the hand and gave me a lift, I was never really introduced to the contest scene. I wasn't prepared to take the risk of just trying it on my own back then," he recalls.
Even if the shy youngster lacked a bit of structure back then to get him started, as is common in many other sports, he is by no means a contest critic these days, constantly following the action on the tour from afar: "When I watch the live stream from Fuerte today, for example, it hurts me a bit, I have to say, because I see my lost opportunity in it," he says slightly sadly, looking out at the water for a long time. "That's a sensitive point in my personality," he continues. "I'd like to be on the podium like the top guys, but I'm not. Maybe I would have preferred to jump in at the deep end ... But I have to say, I'm not a competition type at all. In the two or three contests I've entered in my life, I was far too nervous. I'm only competitive with myself. I should have got into the routine - now that I'm a career changer, I don't think I'd have any chance of getting to the top."
Other ways
But when a camera is pointing at him, he can do more and better moves than when he surfs alone without a camera, claims Meiky. Anyone who knows his clips will not doubt this statement for long, as they often consist of a firework display of the finest moves, edited together from a single session: "Filming a session, analysing moves, editing them together and putting music underneath - that's really fun!" he confirms. But he hasn't become famous with his radical freestyle clips yet: "I haven't found the secret recipe for becoming a "freesurf pro" who doesn't have to compete, otherwise I'd probably give it a go," he says with a laugh. "I've thankfully moved on from the misconception that better moves equal more fame and more reach. I also used to think that things would come to you automatically if you earned them. In other words, better moves meant that you would become a pro at some point. Unfortunately, that's no longer the case, especially not in windsurfing. Now, in my late twenties, I'm wiser in this respect, but I'm running out of time a bit," he muses.
I wonder what Meiky's goals are in windsurfing. He is extremely motivated, disciplined and at such a high level. He focusses his whole life on it. It seems as if he's always been on the verge of a breakthrough, on the verge of turning pro, in inverted commas. Is it perhaps his tunnel vision for raw freestyling and learning new moves that prevents him from looking left and right for further opportunities and taking the next step? You have to remember: Meiky is a total freak - he's downright addicted to windsurfing, but is once again in a different league to most other junkies: "I could, for example, surf three hundred days a year in Malcesine in the bus car park without getting bored for a second," he claims clumsily. His girlfriend shakes her head with a grin - and then Socrates, our waiter, arrives and places three shots on the table: "Is that ouzo or raki?" Socrates: "Ouzo!"
Future and goals
Meiky knows what question is still buzzing around in my head and what I'm getting at. It doesn't seem to me that he's actually on the verge of trying to make a big career, in whatever form, out of his talent and all the hard training work: "You know, I think the most professional level I can reach in windsurfing is exactly where I am right now: working at a windsurfing centre and teaching there professionally, as well as doing advertising for my equipment sponsors, editing videos and just being able to be on the water all year round. The latter in particular is actually the only thing I've ever wanted. And I'm totally happy with that at the moment. Everything else is an illusion!" he sums it up, tipping away his ouzo and slamming the empty glass on the table.
There we have it! So that's what he does with his incredible passion for windsurfing. Meiky does his thing - he knows exactly what he wants and what makes him happy at the moment. For him, it's simply about getting out on the water, full stop. Competitions, being a pro or not. "I don't want windsurfing to take over from my job, I want it to be a constant, fixed part of my life. I don't just want to rely on weekends. And I can't stand the long winter breaks like I used to, it's not good for me," he adds. "I know a lot of people who don't mind the fact that they slowly get out on the water less and less over time due to their job - but that's not the case for me at all, I'm still the same as I was when I was ten," he says with a laugh.
And now he looks out at the water again for a long time, this time a little more impatiently, because there are now whitecaps everywhere in the small bay in front of the tavern. It's time for the second session of the day! But he's already been here on this damn windy island for three months ... doesn't he need an afternoon off on his only day off? Meiky doesn't understand the question. We pay and drive off.
Facts Meiky Wieczorek
- Age: 29 years
- Place of residence: Malcesine/Lake Garda
- Occupation: Marketing and Sales/Assistant Manager at Meltemi Windsurfing Karpathos
- Height/weight: 178 cm/78 kilos
- Has been surfing since: the age of 5
- Discipline: Freestyle
- Favourite spots: Lake Garda and Karpathos
- Favourite moves: Big Kono
- Hobbies: Gym and football
- Sponsors: Starboard, Severne Sails, Prolimit, Irom Fins, Windsurfing Tricktionary
- Social media: meiky_wieczorek on Instagram
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