What can you expect from a young guy who can walk to Klitmøller's mussel reef and whose father is one of Denmark's best wave surfers? Without question, the conditions for Tobias Bjørnaa are pretty ideal - but you have to make something of it.
Tobias, you're a real Klitmøller local, I'm sure many people envy you for that, don't you?
Yes, there are worse places for a windsurfer. The fact that I can grow up here is because my parents moved here before I was born. My dad (Mads Bjørnaa, the ed.) was already competing back then and really wanted to live up here so he could get out on the water more. Now, of course, we're out together a lot, as I don't have a licence yet. This winter in particular has been amazing, I've never experienced as much wind as I have recently. It felt like my whole winter had the same rhythm: school, lunch, surfing, sleeping. I stopped counting the days on the water.
With so much water time, your steep learning curve is no surprise, is it?
Yes, it's getting better. I was in Pozo for four weeks in the summer and my aim was to finally learn the delayed front loop - which I would say worked out in the end. I did my first taka just a few days ago. But of course there are still lots of moves I want to learn: safe push loops, wave 360s and one day the double loop.
Parents often push their children to do the same as them. Sometimes that works well, sometimes the result is a completely different path. What was it like for you?
My father put me on a board when I was five years old, here on a fjord. I enjoyed it right from the start. At some point, I went out on the North Sea on a day with small waves. Since then, wave surfing has kind of been my thing, and of course I spend a lot of time on the water with my dad. We were once in a heat together at the Danish Championships. Of course he won, but it would be fun to beat him one day. He can of course give me lots of good tips, not just for moves but also for contests.
Which driver do you learn the most from?
I love the style of the Spaniard Marc Paré, who has been living up here for some time and who I often see on the water. I also really like Victor Fernandez, he's a real role model.
Although Denmark has an infinite number of good spots, windsurfing doesn't seem to be very popular among young people in Denmark. Why do you think that is?
Hmm, there are windsurfers everywhere and a few young locals here too. In the slalom or foil area, there are quite a few young riders in some regions, but that's probably because windsurfing isn't football. Of course, you need a lot of equipment, time and you can't just get started like with other sports. What's more, it's gloomy and cold here for half the year. That's not for everyone, of course. Cold Hawaii can be a pretty uncomfortable place in the winter months.
Are you often travelling alone on the North Sea in winter?
Hardly. In recent years, more and more people have started going out on the water even in the depths of winter. The neos have simply got better and better and the cold is usually no longer a problem. Also because many people couldn't travel, there was always a bit going on here.
Keyword "travelling" - what does it look like in your family, where not everyone shares the same passion?
(Laughs) That works quite well. We also split up sometimes. Sometimes my sister complains that my dad and I only want to go into the waves and she'd rather go into the flat water.
With Duotone and Fanatic you already have well-known sponsors...
The first contact came about through my dad, of course, and in the beginning he organised material for me. But now I'm old enough to take care of it myself.
What are your plans for the future?
Of course I will finish school, but after that I want to try to become a professional windsurfer and go on the PWA World Tour. Of course, I still need to get better and practise more when the wind is from the right. For now, I want to compete in the Youth World Cups and see what happens.
How do your parents see these plans?
I'm sure I'll do something and study or something like that. But overall, of course, I get a lot of support because my dad did a lot of the same things.
FACTS onTobias Bjørnaa
Age: 15 years
Born: 31 March 2006
Place of residence: Klitmøller/Denmark
Profession: Student
Height/weight: 187cm/65kg
Surfing since: 2011
Successes: 1st place Danish Wave Open Wave & Freestyle (2018); PWA World Champion Wave U13 (2018); PWA Vice World Champion Wave U15 (2019); Danish Junior Champ U20 (2019); 1st place Danish Open Junior Wave U20 (2021)
Favourite spots: My favourite spots in
Cold Hawaii & Canary Islands
Favourite moves: Stalled Forward
Hobbies: Mainly on the water, if necessary I also do freestyle sometimes
Sponsors: Fanatic, Duotone, ION, Noerstick, K4-Fins
Sail number: D-36
