At 19 years old and already in his third semester at university - at first glance, that sounds more like a nerd than an easy-going freestyle freak. Yet Niclas Nebelung, who was born in Magdeburg, already has two World Cup participations to his name. This combination gives the impression of determination. The entire Nebelung family has fallen in love with windsurfing and Niclas' 16-year-old brother Lucas is already in the starting blocks as the next freestyle talent.
Where are you originally from? I'm actually from Magdeburg, where I was born on 13 November 1997.
So you're only 19 and yet you're already so cool on the water? Yes, exactly. But I'll soon be 20, which feels really old.
And where do you currently live? I've been back in Kiel from Fuerteventura for a few weeks now. Unfortunately! Last year, I moved from Duisburg to the Baltic Sea to study business informatics and, of course, to get out on the water as often as possible. The conditions can be really good and I only need ten minutes to get to my home spot.
Where and when did you start windsurfing? I started windsurfing in 2007, on small lakes in Germany and the Netherlands. My parents are really enthusiastic windsurfers - my father even built his own boards in the 80s - and they were keen to teach me. I was hooked on windsurfing right from the start. And I'm even more addicted now!
You are a real windsurfing family. Tell us a bit more about it! Everyone in our family really loves windsurfing. So it's always very easy for us to choose our next travel destination. My younger brother Lucas (16) is a damn good freestyler and so we usually travel to the spots together. A lot of things wouldn't be possible without him! Our parents support us as much as they can. Our mum has driven us to Holland a hell of a lot after school, even though the nearest spot is over two hours away. And it was not uncommon for my dad to decide to extend our accommodation for another week during our stay so that we could get even more windy days in the holidays. I think my family is really unique in that respect, in a really special way.
Are there any moments you remember that really connected you to windsurfing and made you feel how much windsurfing stoked you? Windsurfing is an extreme sport for me and I love the adrenaline rush. There's nothing better than feeling the adrenaline pumping through your body during a big air skopu or an air funnell burner. To be honest, there really was one best moment, when I landed a Skopu for the first time! It was such an incredible moment and I just couldn't go to sleep the next night because I was so excited. It was honestly a better moment than when I finished school.
Why freestyle in particular? Did you focus on this form of windsurfing right from the start? Yeah, I focussed on freestyle right from the start. Freeride quickly became too boring for me after a few months and I wanted to practise new moves. "My dad was also mainly to blame for this development. He didn't want me to ride around in waves, so he bought me a freestyle board. I think he was worried about safety and health. I don't know exactly. I'll have to ask him. But you could say that my dad decided that I would become a freestyler. Good decision Dad!
Nevertheless, you've already competed twice at the PWA Freestyle World Cup on Fuerteventura, in 2016 and 2017. How was it? It was great! Of course it was a big goal for me to be at the start of PWA events. And when it came true, I naturally felt this certain hunger for more. The atmosphere at the World Cups was great and I felt welcome right from the start. Everyone was friendly and helped me to understand the rules quickly. A big thank you goes to Valentin Böckler, Marco Lufen, Julian Wiemar, Balz Müller and Adrian Beholz, who explained and taught me so much!
Where do you see yourself in five years? Balz Müller, for example, is convinced of your talent! My dream would be to make it into the top ten on the PWA Freestyle World Tour. I also really want to finish my studies. Then I want a job with flexible working hours so that I can go windsurfing when there's wind. Life is so short and that's why I want to make the most of every wind!
INFO
Age: 19 yearsBorn: 13 November 1997Place of residencekeelProfessionStudent of business informaticsSiblingsSven (30) and Lucas (16)Surfing since: 2007
SuccessesYoung Guns Camp Rhodes 2013 1st place; Young Guns Camp Rhodes 2014 1st place; GFB Fehmarn 2016 9th place PWA Worldcup Fuerteventura 2016 and 2017 both 33rd place
Favourite spotsRisco el Paso (Fuerteventura), Bonaire (Caribbean), Sao Vicente (Cape Verde)Favourite foodPizza and spaghetti bologneseMusicVarious, mostly Linkin Park, Eminem, Twenty One Pilots, Kontra KLife motto: oloren tiones voloren tionesHobbiesFootball, tennis, swimmingSponsors: Starboard, Severne Sails, Maui Ultra Fins, FamilyWebpage: www.instagram.com/niclasnebelung/
