Leo Richter from Kiel has been an integral part of the California Windsurf Cup since 2019 and, like his brother Anton, Leo regularly competes in both wave riding and slalom. While studying dentistry has now taken priority, windsurfing remains his great passion - as it is for the entire Richter family, Leo explains in an interview with the DWC.
Shared equipment with brother Anton
Alongside his father Philipp, who was one of the best German riders in the nineties, his brother Anton is his most important training partner. According to Richter, the fact that the two of them share a set of sails works "surprisingly well". Only some of the wave sails are doubled, so that both can go out on the water with the most important sail sizes at the same time. As Anton spent a lot of time in the Canary Islands this year and Leo had to study for exams when he returned, their schedules complemented each other particularly well this year.
But what is it like to have to compete against your little brother? "There are definitely two sides to it," admits Leo. "One of us is always happy, the other is unhappy. Nobody likes losing to their brother. But it's also a huge motivation and a great feeling to fight together!"
While Anton has taken part in several Wave World Cups and Just missed out on the U21 World Championship title is, Leo is finding it increasingly difficult to combine studying dentistry and surfing. While he still regularly finds time for free surfing, the 2025 regattas were "all right before exams and exams". He still took part in some competitions, but also had to skip one or two regattas. When asked whether he would rather miss an exam or come last in the heat, Richter's answer is clear: "I'd rather miss an exam".
Good placings thanks to optimum setup
Despite less water time than in previous years, Leo Richter improved his performance in 2025. He reports that he "paid more active attention to my equipment and its settings". This focussed attention led to some set-ups that were perfectly tailored to him and compensated for his reduced training time.
When asked about his favourite training partners, Richter replies: "My favourite thing is to go on the water with my family. Being on the water with Anton and dad is still the best thing." He also appreciates the training sessions with "slalom cracks like Justus (Schott) or Keno (Recke)!"
You can read the complete interview at windsurfcup.ee read!
