Storm has Passed

The recovery period was emotionally tough; it felt like I was in a dream. I had never had surgery before and it was a very intense time. Plans fell apart and I had to start over. Luckily, from the start, my sponsors said, “Don’t worry, we’re here for you”. And they still are. People are curious about what I’ll do next – I can’t wait for the, “How’s your knee?” questions to be over – I hear it twenty times a day! I need to regain confidence, train well to get back to my old level, and I will participate in events without setting myself any big challenges, putting pressure on myself, or expecting too much from myself. I’m scared to do certain tricks because I haven’t done them yet. But I also find it cool to take on such things again. It’s mainly about having fun right now. Next year, I’ll go all out and shift my mindset to winning everything. Right now, I’m still in the mindset of recovery, squatting a hundred kilos again and running up mountains, without thinking, oh, I have to consider my knee.

My life is all about kiting right now. I hardly do anything else, although I do enjoy other sports when I can like padel, mountain biking, wakeboarding, surfing and windsurfing. There are downsides to a life so focused on kiting. I’ve often had to cancel family stuff at home. I used to skip birthdays if it was windy because I had to train. I don’t see my parents often and I see my friends in the Netherlands even less – maintaining friendships is difficult. Last year, I was home for only four weeks; sometimes I go places for only three days, sometimes for two weeks, sometimes two months or more, like South Africa where I stayed for five months. My routines change often because I travel frequently. When I’m away for shorter periods, I focus on work, such as doing photoshoots or recording videos. When I’m somewhere longer, like in Tarifa, I try to have a daily routine – I get a gym membership and go to the gym as much as possible – for mobility exercises not necessarily weightlifting. It all depends on the trip, the destination and the circumstances, so I have to adjust my routine.

I am in Tarifa partly for the Full Power competition and also because the Netherlands isn’t very windy over summer. Tarifa is also centrally located for me and close to France for the Lords of Tram event. But perhaps most importantly Tarifa is the kite mecca where everyone gathers to train. We can kite, chill and spend time with friends from all over the world. It’s a tight-knit family with a lot of craziness and unique personalities. Everyone knows each other and supports each other, especially during competitions. It’s not an issue competing against friends. We’re all good friends, though in competition you just want to beat each other. But it’s very respectful, you’ll notice if someone crashes, the other will hand back their lost board. We really don’t have any drama. It’s also great to hang out with other kiters who are inspiring. Giel Vlugt for instance, started kiting at 24 but has achieved a lot – he shows that age doesn’t matter – it’s all about your mindset and effort. I see all these young kids coming up, but if I want to do well and I go for it, I’ll still make it. It doesn’t matter how old you are, it’s all in your head. If you train harder and ride more hours, you can make it.

My next challenge is to do well at the Red Bull competitions in Europe and South Africa and I would love to get more sponsors. This year, I also want to focus more on self-marketing alongside competitions. It is important to market yourself as an athlete. There are athletes who make money without ever having reached a podium. Being creative and daring to seize opportunities is crucial. There are many possibilities in kiting where you can make money or be valuable through arranging photoshoots and promoting products. So keep an eye out for my coming projects. And long-term, well let’s see…