We have always wanted to interview Germany's most successful freestyler of the last
few years, Andre Paskowski from Hamburg. And now
we did! Andre is 27 years old. He won several German championship titles and the European
Freestyle Tour twice in 2006 and 2007. He finished the German Windsurf
Cup tour 1st twice and had top ten results in several PWA World Cups. This year he ranks 2nd in the European Freestyle Tour and at the PWA Windsurf World Cup in Sylt he released his new windsurfing movie "Four Dimensions" featuring some of the best windsurfers in the world like Victor Fernandez, Gollito Estredo, Marcilio Browne.
I tried to find more info about you on the web, but your website is down and the latest blog entry is from April 2009. What happened?
Yes true. My website is down. I need the space on my server to transfer big movie files from Brazil to Sweden because we had serious time trouble in the final phase of "Four dimensions". Also my blog is not up to date. I concentrated a lot this year to keep the "Four dimensions" blog and facebook page up to date. There you could follow my year pretty much live.
You are 27 years old, a biblical age for a freestyler. Be honest, have you already passed your peak? What is your strategy to stay competitive and hold off the young guns?
Yes I am the oldest of all the PWA riders. But it is not only age what matters. Maybe I can't do the newest moves but I have done 16 years of competition and that helps in critical situations. I am sure that I am still on a world class level which this years result's showed (vice European Champion and 7th World Ranking). But clearly the days are counted and I have to push my level to keep up with the guys for the next couple of years. But surely nowadays competing is just one thing. The activities on land become more important day by day. And here age does not matter at all!
Or are you shifting your focus away from competition to other projects like movies, etc.?
I would not say I switched focus. I am still a competitor and love to do competitions and I will do that for many more years. But I obviously try to invest a big amount of time also in "land work". I try to give my sponsors a good feedback! And contest results alone - I believe - is not enough. So I work in different sectors like photo, magazines, video and coaching and maybe one day these things will be my main focus. But that's going to take some time.
You released the movie "Four dimensions" at the World Cup Sylt this year? How was the feedback? How much of your time you put into this project? Isn't it very difficult to do a movie with your competitors like Gollito and Marcilio?
The feedback was just great. It felt so nice inside me. Peter [Svensson] and I have had this idea. We went for it. I took the financial risk and a lot few people told us that we are crazy and the market is too small for a high price production like this one. Eventually having one cinema room with all seats sold out and most of the PWA pro riders inside (my heros, the guys I used to watch myself on TV) and getting standing ovations...! Wow, that was great and it released all the fear and pressure in 1 sec...
Sure it was difficult. But more so because we had just a 3 men team. Our budget was privately financed and I was supposed to organise all the flights, money, hotels, helicopters etc. was travelling from event to event with 3 Brazilian guys (I coached them this year and travelled with them around Europe for 4 months). So there were some moments when I thought: "Andre this is too much..." But in the end it worked out and I like the result ;-)
Gollito and Marcilio :-) Latin Americans! Not easy but always funny. I like them a lot! They are fantastic windsurfers and my goal was to show the world in a good way what great talents the sport has produced! It was time to have a high budget production which is based around young riders with hugh potential (and not another video about the icons from the older days).
Your windsurf career allowed you to see many places in the world? What was your most fascinating experience? Which spot has impressed you most?
Yes I am very happy about that. First I wanted to just windsurf and almost forgot to watch and enjoy the travel and places. Now it is different. I enjoy seeing new places, new people. I feel very honoured to have this chance. Right now I am writing these ansers to your quetions in the garden of our house in Jericoacoara / Brazil. This place, I think... is the place of places. It is magic! It has a vibe which can't be described in words. The people, the beach, roads of sand, palm, the food, never ending wind... I feel very very happy to be here and I will be sad the day I leave.
Looks like you have a very busy schedule! Do you still have time for your family, friends and other hobbies? Does everything in your life revolve around windsurfing or do you also have other interests and hobbies?
It's all about windsurfing. Non stop. The sport caught me and I could never leave it. Every second is aabout windsurfing. I am sad about not seeing my family and friends. But it is the only disadvantage of my lifestyle. And sooner or later I will be back in Hamburg spending more time with them.
Are you going to be a professional producer or will we still see you at the competitions? What are your plans for the future?
I don't know actually. I am thinking in many directions and I am trying all sorts of things. I like producing movies but I like many other things as well. I see my strength in marketing and public relations. So I believe somehow I will go this way.
I stopped having long term plans because they make you inflexible. I believe - be flexible and try things out and the right opportunity for you will come up.
What are you going to do 10 years from now?
I might work in an office, I might have a family myself, I might live in Hamburg or maybe in Brazil - who knows. But one thing I know for sure: I will still be enjoying my time on the water!
If anyone needs a good X-mas present, check out Four Dimensions.
