A laid-back student life, months of training at the world's top spots and parents in the background who finance it all - some young surfers enjoy this privilege. For Malte Kuny, things are different. Training at 16, full-time job at 21, but the Kieler-by-choice has nevertheless acquired an impressive repertoire in the waves. How does he do it? We asked him for an interview.
Malte, there's noise in the microphone, where are we catching you?
I'm still in Denmark. It was quite good today. One and a half metre waves at the bunker and a cross-offshore wind from the right. But I'm going back tomorrow because I have to work again on Monday.
Most 21-year-olds with windsurfing ambitions enjoy student life and are able to get out on the water a lot. What about you?
I have a "normal" job working 40 hours a week. I work as a CNC milling cutter at a company in Felm near Kiel. I started my apprenticeship when I was 16, so I never really got to know what life was like at school.
Was the job the reason for you to move from Wilster to Kiel?
Exactly. I used to invest all my money in petrol to go to the Baltic Sea after work. Now I'm much closer and can get out on the water a lot more. When it's right, I can get out on the water every day. I start at 6.00 a.m. and am therefore ready early.
You're originally from Wilster, in Schleswig-Holstein. St. Peter-Ording is not far away. Did you have to become a wave surfer?
My father's whole family windsurfs. To be honest, I never really felt like it at the beginning. I was very small for a long time and didn't have much strength. So windsurfing never suited me. Then one day we were on holiday on Föhr. I was really gliding once and that moment got me, I was 14. Even today, I still often go windsurfing with my dad, he often accompanies me on a trip to Hanstholm.
Was wave your thing right from the start? Or were there other priorities?
No, from then on I mostly surfed flat water on the Elbe with my father. I only really started surfing in the waves three years ago, when I finally got my driving licence and was able to set off on my own towards St. Peter-Ording or Denmark. I can still remember my first surf day very well. It was in Langholz on the Baltic Sea when I was 16 and I got pretty spanked and had to swim after my stuff.
You've only been surfing the wave for such a short time? That's frightening...
I think I learn very quickly. I watch videos and can then transfer this directly to my own surfing. My first pushloop attempt in Denmark, for example, I landed cleanly straight away. I'm a good learner.
What are your current construction sites on the water?
I really want to get to grips with the double forward and also the push forward.
Why don't you encourage everyone who has to practise their moves for years to get better: Which moves do you find difficult?
Of course, there are many things where you need experience, especially when it comes to timing. I find tricks like goiters or 360s difficult. The technique as such works quite well, but getting it right at the right point on the wave and at exactly the right moment is another matter. I still bite my teeth out a lot on that.
Around Kiel, good wave days are not that frequent either. How do you use days with little wind?
I also like to heat up a round with slalom equipment. I really enjoy foiling, it's simply the best alternative for getting out on the water in light winds. But I definitely have the urge to get better in the wave discipline.
With people at your level, the question inevitably arises: do you want to make it as a professional?
I would love to ride contests. But at the moment there are still reasons why I can't do it.
What's stopping you?
At the moment, I'm still lacking sponsorship and the budget to spend months travelling the world. My parents support me wherever they can, but that doesn't mean they pay for everything. I definitely want to ride the PWA one day and, of course, the German events or De Slag op Domburg (wave contest in the Netherlands, editor's note). But this season hasn't been very busy due to the coronavirus.
With KA Sails and Sailboards Tarifa, you have two sponsors that are rather unusual in Germany. How did that come about?
I simply wrote to them and applied and then it was a done deal.
Thanks, Malte, for the interview and see you soon on the water!
FACTS
- Age: 21 years
- Born: 11 November 1999
- Place of residence: Kiel
- Occupation: Cutting machine operator/CNC milling cutter
- Height/weight: 178 cm/72 kilos
- Surfing since: end of 2014
- Regatta debut: DWC Kühlungsborn 2018
- Successes: 3rd place DWC Kühlungsborn 2018; 1st place in the B-Fleet at the Danish Open 2018
- Favourite spots: Hanstholm, Wijk an Zee, Wissant
- Favourite moves: Preferably just classic wave riding
- Hobbies: travelling, surfing, SUPing
- Sponsors: KA Sails Australia, Sailboards Tarifa
Manuel Vogel
Editor surf