FANATIC WINTER TALES – JORDY VONK
Next up in our Fanatic Winter Tales is our Dutch Slalom Rocket Jordy Vonk. Jordy is on the Fanatic team for one year now and already improved his PWA ranking by 17 places from 2015 to 2016. With place 13 in the overall Slalom ranking, he just missed the Top Ten. Jordy is also part of the TWS Windsurf Solution/Slalom Stages in Tenerife, so spends most of his time there during the winter months. Read more about what he is is up to hereafter!
Fanatic: What are you up to this winter?
JV: After the PWA in La Torche I took exactly five weeks off, it was spending time at home seeing family and friends that I didn’t see for a while. The first half of December I started preparing for the 2017 season starting in April. In December I was back on the board and worked the ‘lazy sweat’ off my body in the gym. Now I’m for the first time working with a personal trainer that’s telling me what´s the best balance between windsurf training, gym, running/biking, etc.. I think there’s still a lot to gain this way and I try to take is professional!
Fanatic: Which destinations will you be visiting?
JV: I’ll be on Tenerife for 3,5 months and then will leave to France in Spring to do some product R&D and training before competing in the first PWA Slalom event there.
Fanatic: What are you goals?
JV: Top 10 and a podium! Last year I managed to come super close to a podium once, this year I would like to be on it!
Fanatic: What keeps you motivated throughout the winter?
JV: In Tenerife there are many PWA riders passing by, everybody is pushing each other and this keeps us motivated to train and to achieve our goal during the season. As so many people are going for it and are able to do it you got to work hard to make the difference!
Fanatic: What is your main move(s) you want to improve over the winter?
JV: My starts and jibes, does this for a Slalom sailor counts as a move?:-) In terms of wavesailing I like to improve/land my backloops!
Fanatic: What other sports do you do?
JV: I like to do many other sports: Crossfit, fitness, running, cycling, mountainbiking, surf, SUP and so on – probably I’m forgetting a few! I’m happy to be able to do all of them here on the island of Tenerife!
Fanatic: Do these sports help your riding and translate into your sport Windsurf?
JV: Every sport is helping me in windsurfing in a way, when it’s either gaining power in Crossfit/fitness, getting a good condition through running/cycling/mountainbiking or gain stability and learn to ride waves while SUPing/Surfing.
Fanatic: Can you tell us a bit about your fitness and nutrition programme?
JV: I just started off a new fitness program. Honestly I don’t know too much about it yet as my trainer is simply just telling me the things to do a few days ahead. It’s pretty hard to plan further due the wind that’s hard to forecast. But in the upcoming period we gonna work on the fact that I have to get stronger, so it will be mostly weightlifting. Combined with running/cycling/rowing for endurance. Nutrition was a weak point of me so far! But I’m lucky to have a room mate that’s cooking very healthy and makes sure I’m getting the right food. Especially because we’re using A LOT of calories during the day on the water it’s important to eat A LOT and also the right stuff. It’s too easy to loose weight here (so if you’re too heavy, sign up for the TWS Pro Slalom Training!! Haha). Basically I’m drinking a lot of water now instead of sometimes a Coke in the evening. No more ‘‘I’m super hungry so it doesn’t matter what it is snacks’’ but only healthy snacks. Much more vegetables in a dish and a lot of protein. So far I never had a really muscular body, so let’s see if this works!
Fanatic: Does it change over the winter?
JV: It should not!
Fanatic: What gear are you riding?
JV: A lot:-):
– Fanatic Falcon 99, 114 or 136 for Slalom in combination with the 5.2 up to 9.0 NorthSails Warp
– Fanatic FreeWave STB 85 for Wave with 4.2, 4.7 or 5.3 NorthSails Hero
– Fanatic AllWave 8’9’’ for SUP
– McKnee Firefly 6’2’’ for Surfing
Represented all the way!
Fanatic: How does your chosen gear suit your style?
JV: As I’m 90kg I decided to take the 99, 114, 136 litres range like I did last year. For me it’s important that my small board can take the 7.0 sail, as it’s a combination that’s used a lot. But the same board you want to use in highwind conditions on Fuerteventura. Maybe the 89l would be better if it’s firing there like last year every single day, but in the end the 99l was showing great control so I choose it again. The 114l is the perfect medium size which I think will be the medium board for everybody. Then the 136l is the absolut light wind killer. A 85cm board is for 90kg really necessary with the current wind limit, probably if the wind limit would be higher I would still take it, as it’s got great control too!
Fanatic: What would Fanatic customers like about your favourite board?
JV: I used all boards only just a few times, but I think my favorite board is the Falcon 114! So super allround, I love it. From 8.4 to 7.0 it’s great with every sail, the jibing is super smooth and the control is amazing. If you don’t like it you can contact me and I’ll tell you how to trim it ! ?
Fanatic: Are you linking up with any of your Fanatic Team riders this winter?
JV: Pretty much with all of the Slalom riders! Marco Lang, Laurence Carey and our new team mate Max Loncrini from Italy are already here, Vincent Langer is coming soon. Pierre Mortefon is passing by in February and also many other national riders will visit Tenerife, so great team spirit!
Fanatic: What has been your highlight of 2016?
JV: Fuerteventura! The 4th place in Costa Brava was great, but I really enjoyed life so much in Fuerteventura. It was super windy, sailing in Boardshorts, amazing action, blue waters, people watching on the beach and my results were improving day by day. At that moment I couldn’t wish for more!
Thanx Jordy and enjoy your time on Tenerife!
More about Jordy here: http://www.fanatic.com/de/team/jordy-vonk-2/
More about TWS Slalom Stages here: http://www2.tws-windsurf.com/tws-slalom-stages/
