CANARIES

 
Riders
Jonas Ceballos, Antxon Otaegui, Russel Groves, Alessio Stillrich

Spots:
Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura

Interviews:
1. Question: What do you think about the idea/concept of the DVD?
Jonas: The concept is just perfect i think it is good to see new faces ripping with soo much talent in new spots and not much people knows about them i think it is cool you have really good stuff for really low price that it would be easier and would be a good choice for windsurfers for sure...
Antxon: I think is a great idea, something new and fresh, good footage, good quality and good editting.
Russell: I think your concept is what is needed, as you have said there are to many videos out there that are just showing the same spots and just hard core. Creating a nice blend of images that show what it's like to be a 
windsurfer is what is needed. There are so many sides to windsurfing which should be shown. The easy part is showing the high adrenaline side but this is only a very small part of windsurfing. If this is what drives you in windsurfing, you will give it up, as it gets harder and harder to find that fix. No rider parts is a good idea as the ridder is really not so important as the image is what is needed. So there will be new faces, new spots etc.
Ok I may buy a DVD because of a location, ridder or discipline but it will be watched when it is new and never looked at again. A DVD that has the correct blend of action, lifestyle, locations, nature will be watch forever.
Alessio: The concept is really good, as it includes new spots that other windsurf DVD´s dont show. In the movie are aswell new riders that sail really impressive.

2. Question: How did you get into the sport windsurfing and what are your biggest achievements?
Jonas: With my father 10 years ago in Las Palmas. He bought me a Tiga 250 and I was able to sail some days in Las Canteras Beach when he could come with me. I couldn´t sail alone, as I was still too young and small! I could only really start to sail by myself when I was fourteen. Then I thought I´m young and live in the best place for practising windsurfing, why not try to be a pro? I went to Pozo every day for training and got to a good level. Later I started to do some Spanish contests in 1999, where I was very successful straight away untill now i got in 2008 the 3 place in wave world tour overall.
Antxon: I started sailing because my neighboard gave me a board and a sail and from there on I sailed everyday during the summer at Lanzarote. My biggest achievement so far are becoming european champion, winning a pwa event (Sylt), and just being on the top of the freestyle for some years already.
Russell: I come from a seafaring family so the sea is in my blood. When I was young I lived for surfing and sailing and I started helping in a sailing school in the school holidays when I was 13 years old. Now a little story. In 1977 I was working in a sailing school where they started a windsurf section. I had never seen it before and thought it was stupid as all they did was fall off. Sailing you stay dry. The instructor one evening said we should have a try, so first he explained it on land and we tried it on the simulator. Well I even fell of that, so I said I would not try it on the water and just drove the rescue boat. Well after an hour of watching everyone just falling off, I said it can't be that hard. I had a try at standing on the board without a sail. Didn't fall in so asked for the sail, I picked up the sail and just sailed around for half an hour without falling in. Why did people have so much trouble doing windsurfing? Well the instructor gave me the largest sail he had which changed everything, I spent more time in the water than on the board but the speed got me hooked. Within 6 months I had changed over to teaching windsurfing. Well biggest achievements has to be that I have stayed up to date with the development off windsurfing over 30 years. It has changed so much since the beginning. Each development has been so much fun sending you down so many roads from racing, old school freestyle to speed and my passion ridding waves. Things have changed a lot from the days of reaching down and having to take the daggerboard out to ride waves but then again we now have 12' stand up paddle boards to play on.
Alessio: I got into the sport because my mom windsurfes and also because of a friend of her - he motivated me to start aswell. My biggest achievement happened 2008 when I got 2. of the world in the Juniors cathegory.

3. Question:  What would you do to make the sport windsurfing more popular?
Jonas: If i would can do something, i would bring the sport more to the tv media this is the best way to make the sport bigger we have soo much action going on that will be a very good show for the people 100%.
Windsurfing is about being close to nature, having fun and being with 
friends.
Russell: The overall image of windsurfing must change. Yes you need the hard core, music, big waves, high speed, crazy freestyle for people to dream about doing it and to see what is possible. The problem is that 90% off people who windsurf will never get to that level. So every effort must be made by the industry to get new people into windsurfing and to keep the ones that do. Windsurfing must be in the media more. in the early days windsurfing 
was a lifestyle that interested people. Now it has been split into many independent lifestyle which do not mix. (wave sailor on the beach, no waves, light wind, this place sucks, never coming back here again. Fellow windsurfer says, hey take my board out, 8.2m and freeride board, wave sailor, you wouldn't see me dead on that thing it's not  windsurfing.) Image has to change. Schools and clubs must get more help so they can offer cheaper deals 
so the whole family will participate, like in the early days. Windsurfing must be made more visible and appealing to more people. It has to be made to look easy and fun where you can take it to the level you want. Does a video or article of big waves or crazy freestyle give this image? Encourage people to become watermen not just windsurfers. You don't just have to windsurf to be a windsurfer. I hope the DVD will start this change in image. Hope this helps.
Alessio: Its a pitty that Windsurfing is not that popular as for example football or basketball, because it is such a nice sport and people should watch it much more! What I wolud make to make it more popular is just putting windsurfing as much as posible in the TV, caurse many people watch TV and like that they can dicover how wonderfull windsurfing is.