Windsurfer Fanny Baumann – Next up Worlds!

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Photo Zai Aragon

 

Fanny Baumann is a truly inspiring athlete who we had the pleasure chatting with. The topics ranged from growing up in Sweden, sailing and taking it to the next level competitively in windsurfing. She’s now training for World Championships and the Olympics in windsurfing class RS:X.

 

Spending the summers at Sandhamn in the Stockholm archipelago Fanny began sailing at an early age. The plan was to continue competing in sailing but after trying windsurfing with her close friend Adam Holm she was hooked. Fanny started sailing KONA, a ”longboard” which requires a different sailing style than smaller freeride boards. We asked her what she thinks about sailing bigger boards and why the KONA class is becoming more and more popular.

 

”I think it’s a great for young athletes to start racing. Also, the people working with KONA are really motivated to make it grow bigger both in Sweden and internationally.”

 

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Malcolm Hanes Photography

 

It was through KONA Fanny began competing more seriously and after attending a windsurfing training camp with the Polish national team she knew she was ready to take her training to the next level.

 

”I was shocked by the intensity of their training and the level of ambition they all showed. I didn’t even know it existed in the sport.”

 

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Malcolm Hanes Photography

 

The inspiring training lead to the formation of a RS:X team in Sweden and with backing from KSSS (The Royal Swedish Yachting Association), the team was able to travel and train with some of the best athletes in Europe.

 

Even though many of her fellow athletes sailed RS:X for many years, Fanny tells us there’s a huge advantage to having a background in sailing and windsurfing other classes.

 

”The biggest change in sailing RS:X from other classes is the number of details that need to be perfectly adjusted on the board, while being on the water. Even though the boards are the same, the setup can be really different which can be a deciding factor when racing.”

 

We asked Fanny what her current and future goals are. Simply put: the goal is to improve. She’s already competing with the top athletes in windsurfing, people who put all of their time and effort into training. Fanny is motivated and inspired by their competition, their performance and the ability to push themselves through the challenges that come with the sport.

 

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Malcolm Hanes Photography

 

What does a day in your life look like?

A regular day when training usually includes two water sessions and one rehab session to balance the static training that comes with windsurfing. The day finishes off with a evening run and dinner.

 

What’s your favorite surf spot?

Tarifa is an all time favorite. You have the flat-water surf but also waves just a few minutes away. Also, it’s a great place to hang out with other wind and kite surfers, although it can be a bit crowded out on the water.

 

What’s the biggest challenge today when training and preparing for the World Championships and the Olympics?

It’s really important to take care of yourself while training. You have to plan your training to strengthen all of your body. You have to push yourself when you feel tired but still be aware of when you really need the rest. It’s hard to find balance.