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Original source: RIWmag
This video from RIWmag covered a lot of ground. Streamed.News selected 6 key moments and summarises them here. Everything below links directly to the timestamp in the original video.
Robby Naish's reflections offer a powerful counter-narrative to the common athlete's struggle with retirement, suggesting that true passion can lead to an even richer career beyond competitive circuits. How might other sports adopt this philosophy to retain their legends?
Robby Naish Reflects on Post-PWA Career: Freedom Beyond Competition
Windsurfing legend Robby Naish describes his gradual departure from PWA competition as a liberating experience, allowing his career to evolve to a new level focused on enjoyment, development, and sharing the sport. Unlike many athletes who struggle post-retirement, Naish found renewed purpose in windsurfing and related water sports, which he views as free activities where competition is merely a "sidebar."
Naish emphasizes that competition constitutes a small fraction of windsurfing's essence. This perspective highlights a unique aspect of action sports compared to more traditional professional sports, where retirement often signals a definitive end to an athlete's career. For Naish, at 57, the transition has meant continuing as a full-time professional athlete, driven by passion rather than points.
"Competition is a sidebar. It's a way to get paid, but it's not the principle of the sport. These are free sports. These are things people do for fun."
Robby Naish Criticizes Windsurfing Specialization, Advocates for Simpler Days
Windsurfing icon Robby Naish expressed a strong preference for the sport's earlier days when athletes competed across all disciplines, lamenting the shift towards increasing specialization. He argued that specialized disciplines, along with the rising equipment demands and the use of weight jackets, diminished the sport's fun and accessibility, despite acknowledging the resultant higher performance levels.
Naish pointed out the impracticality of professional windsurfers needing to carry "300 kilos of gear" to be competitive across multiple highly specialized categories. This critique highlights a tension between peak athletic performance and the broader appeal and recreational spirit of a sport, raising questions about how governing bodies balance these competing values.
"The more specialized the disciplines got, the less I enjoyed it… But the pure fun of the sport, I think it was better when we did everything."
Robby Naish Endorses Wingfoiling for Accessibility and Growth
Robby Naish strongly advocates for wingfoiling, or "wing-surfing," highlighting its immense potential as a simple, accessible, and rewarding water sport. He views it as a complementary activity that attracts more people to the water, rather than a competitor to windsurfing or kiteboarding, and notes its significant positive impact on his business.
Naish emphasizes wingfoiling's ease of learning and minimal equipment requirements, contrasting it with the higher costs and complexities of high-performance windsurfing. He observes a surge in young people adopting wingfoiling, suggesting it offers a crucial entry point for new generations into board sports, an area where traditional windsurfing has faced challenges due to its cost and difficulty.
"To me, it's not a competition against win-surfing. It's a compliment. ... It's bringing more people on the water. It's another option."
▶ Watch this segment — 1:06:01
Robby Naish Criticizes IQ Foil One-Design for Olympics, Advocates Measurement Class
Robby Naish critiqued the new IQ foil class for the Olympic Games, particularly its one-design equipment approach, predicting it will quickly become outdated and limit its adoption outside of the Olympic cycle. He argued that previous Olympic windsurfing classes suffered the same fate, with equipment only used by those specifically training for the Games.
Naish believes a measurement class would be a superior choice, allowing for continuous equipment evolution and encouraging broader participation and innovation within the PWA and other professional circuits. His stance highlights a fundamental disagreement within the sport about the best way to integrate windsurfing into the Olympics while maintaining its relevance and development.
"I unfortunately think that's going to be the same with the current spec, because they went with a one design again. I think they should have gone with a measurement class."
▶ Watch this segment — 1:21:24
PWA Overall Title Discontinued in 2000 Amid Rising Specialization
Bjorn Dunkerbeck explained that the overall PWA windsurfing title was discontinued in 2000, 18 years after its inception, due to increasing athlete specialization across disciplines. While he won 12 consecutive overall titles and Robby Naish won 15, the shift towards individual discipline titles reflected rising skill levels and the emergence of athletes focusing solely on waves, freestyle, or racing.
Dunkerbeck noted that the overall title was easier for the public to understand, but specialization has led to higher professional levels in each category. He also highlighted the recent resurgence of light wind windsurfing, with modern, consumer-friendly boards echoing designs from the 1970s and 80s, emphasizing its importance for accessibility.
"From the first work I had in 1983, there was 18 overall titles to be won… After 2000, they took away the overall titles and there was only individual discipline titles."
Bjorn Dunkerbeck Launches Global GPS Speed Challenge
Bjorn Dunkerbeck highlighted the "Prince of Speed" event, which has seen numerous speed records broken, including his own, and announced an upcoming global GPS speed challenge. This summer-long initiative aims to promote windsurfing by allowing participants worldwide to submit their speed times from any location using GPS technology.
Dunkerbeck emphasized the exhilarating sensation of speed in windsurfing, describing it as safe yet intensely adrenaline-pumping, even at moderate speeds. The global challenge, accessible through GPS-speedsurfing.com, seeks to motivate thousands of windsurfers, making the sport more engaging and widely available for all ages and weights.
"We actually bring back the grand can area, don't have a speed challenge. Global…Anyone from everyone that can post times all the time, and you're going to make a real win serving speed promoting to the whole summer."
Also mentioned in this video
- Robby Naish and Bjorn Dunkerbeck discuss a photo from 1983, with Robby… (6:54)
- His early windsurfing memories, viewing Robby as an idol rather than a… (13:04)
- His progression from getting Robby's autograph as a child to becoming a strong… (15:04)
- Robby Naish reflects on his friendship with Bjorn Dunkerbeck, explaining that… (16:53)
- The simple origin of his US1111 sail number (22:04)
- Bjorn Dunkerbeck reveals that the origin of his E11 sail number is simply that… (23:50)
- Questions from the public, beginning with one about the impact of high minimum… (25:42)
- Funboarding initially fueled the growth of windsurfing but ultimately limited… (27:01)
- Bjorn Dunkerbeck provides an update on his health after hip replacement surgery… (29:32)
- To both athletes about how their approach to windsurfing and life has changed… (32:09)
- After leaving the PWA, he focused on speed windsurfing, achieving a top speed… (32:31)
- A question from the audience regarding the specialization of windsurfing… (38:51)
- He doesn't desire any of Bjorn's qualities, emphasizing his contentment with… (48:49)
- Bjorn Dunkerbeck praises Robby's ability to be kind to people and promote… (51:17)
- Robby clarifies that 'Custom Pig' likely refers to the 'Flying Pig', a… (53:11)
- Windsurfing, highlighting its accessibility and potential for engaging many… (59:56)
- Bjorn about his recent collaboration with AV boards and whether a signature… (1:01:42)
- Bjorn Dunkerbeck confirms he is working on a signature board line with AV… (1:02:47)
- The host asks Robby Naish about the new discipline of wingfoiling (Wincoyne),… (1:05:13)
- Robby's points about the significant potential of wingfoiling for business and… (1:10:23)
- His documentary, 'Dunkerbeck (1:12:18)
- His film, 'The Longest Wave', which is a deeply personal journey about life,… (1:13:55)
- A question for both guests about the presence of windsurfing in the Olympic… (1:17:15)
- Bjorn Dunkerbeck believes it's very important to have windsurfing in the… (1:19:18)
- Robby's and Bjorn's shared view that past Olympic windsurfing classes quickly… (1:23:01)
- Bjorn Dunkerbeck declines the idea of windsurfing in the Amazon, stating he… (1:24:45)
- Robby Naish expresses surprise about good windsurfing conditions in the Amazon,… (1:25:39)
Summarised from RIWmag · 1:32:05. All credit belongs to the original creators. Streamed.News summarises publicly available video content.
