MG Windsurfing

I had a great time on Lefkada sailing with some of Europe's top freestyle windsurfers. Although conditions were quite choppy and gusty there were some savage moves to be seen. I am happy with my result among the top 16 and am looking forward to some summer training on Crete this year. Here are some photos by Julian Robinet, who just released his new website .

My stay in France is over. I already miss the country and the people a lot. Here's our lates Rock-n-rohwurst production on the windsurfing I had in Southern France this winter: Mathias in France 2 – "The Winter Situation" from Johannes Neumann on Vimeo .

Turquoise waters, green hills, warm winds - that's what the Greek island of Lefkada offers its visitors. We really enjoy our stay down here although you have to get used to waiting for the wind until it finally fills in at around 3 in the afternoon. The place is famous with British windsurfers which is quite handy if you want to improve your English while on holidays. We had a nice session yesterday evening together with the like of Andy Chambers, Colin Dixon and Max Rowe among others. The wind was quite light and gusty closer to the shore but we pushed each other to show some moves.

While hanging around at the German SURF Festival in Pelzerhaken, Baltic Sea, a couple of Germany’s best freestyle windsurfers decided to run a pure freestyle competition. This idea came up because we found out that many freestyle windsurfers in Germany were very unhappy with the current situation during DWC competitions where the emphasis is put on racing and slalom leaving but little interest and budget for a real freestyle competition. It did not take long to find a photographer and a camera team as well as some brands to support the event. In the end, nearly all of Germany’s best freestyle riders came together on the beach of Großenbrode to run an elimination. The level on the water was quite high with some PWA sailors like Normen Günzlein and Adrian Beholz attending the competition. The riders judged themselves and we were all quite happy with the fair results even though there were some really close heats. I got fourth place in the end which is a result that I am really happy abo...

Beauduc is the name of a very remote beach in the Camargue in Southern France. As there is really nothing around apart from sand, water, flamingos and the odd fishing huts the wind is really steady. You can also find some nice spots for freestyle behind the sandbars. This spot is very popular with kitesurfers and very hard to get to. Be prepared to spend an hour on dirt tracks. This video captures a day in April where there was little wind anywhere else. On this particular day the wind was blowing for 4.5, the sun was shining and there were just the few of us out. Sailors are Rik and Pieter from Belgium and me. The video was captured with a rather simple camera and no tripod - no HD. Watch out for the next longer Rock-n-Rohwurst production to be released mid-May. A Day in Beauduc from Mathias Genkel on Vimeo .

As a matter of fact, windsurfing in Europe means driving around looking for a place with good conditions to sail in. Comparing forecasts on the internet, calculating fuel costs and driving time, calling friends to discuss about which spot works best - all these actions are common parts of a windsurfer's life. In the end, you can never be sure to have chosen the right spot. With all these forums on the internet where people write about the sessions they had, claiming to have had the best day ever you can easily get confused. Was it really that good on that particular day? Were the waves that big, the wind that strong? - No matter what - it's not about going where everybody else goes. It's all about enjoying your time on the water, be it a gusty 15 knots with loads of chop or a clean cross-off port-tack day with a 2 metre-swell. Sometimes it is better to relax. Some of the statements made in forums should be taken with a pinch of salt anyway. This is what my sessions look li...

Happy times in France!