Martin's Windsurf Blog: Back In Cape Town where it all start it for me...

Friday, January 14, 2011

Back In Cape Town where it all start it for me...

It’s allready three years ago that i went for the last time to SA. This came through few things.
That last 6th year I chrased my ankle two times prety nasty in those 3 months and next to that was the wind wind season pretty bad too.

Sa did not felt as the ride place to go in the last three years..

In those three years i started to train more on low wind wave riding.. What really work out well.

With making the plan for this winter i knew i had to start foccus again on the jumping part..
SA been alway one off the constant places fort that, so i gave my self a present by bying a in my eyes a pretty expensive ticket..

SA here we come…

Turkies airlines was one off the only airlines what seem to be still okay priced and easy with gear.
For the 30th we booked or ticket with a stop in Istanbul, Johannesburg and Cape Town.

The Checkin at Schiphol went pretty easy and after a bit off talking the gear came for free with us..

With a nice two day stop in istanbul we celebrate New Years by one off Marc friends who life there..
The city is so nice.. Sultan’s Building’s from back in the day with nice stylisch design’s were still standing there with more than proud..
People on the streets down here are so nice and helpfull, Market with nice cossy shops, just a good invirement to be in.

In the night we stept on a boat what was cruising through the cannal of the city with the thousand lights as back ground off the city. That was my best Celebration ever with New years..

With Landing on the airport of Cape Town i was so seprised how much the airport has changed.. Football has left some good things behind i guess..

Slowly all memories from those 6 years came back to me while driving to or place..

The First day’s were quit easy and low wind Sailing what felt more than convertible to me..
The last few days been more hacktick with strong gusty wind and prety powerfull waves..
Yesterday i really improfe my swimming skills and crashes, i guess i was not my day. Hhhehhehe..

With still three weeks to go i am currious what cape town will bring to me this time.. Time will Tell.

Next Pica's are made By Marc S

See U out there,

The Lamp

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Biografie Martin ten Hoeve

Biografie Martin ten Hoeve
Picture a sunny day in 1988, a seventies windsurfboard, a red old fashioned triangle sail and a little eastern breeze at the beach of Egmond aan Zee, the Netherlands...the ideal ingredients to learn windsurfing!

That’s how it all started for me. Every Summer me and my family spent our holidays at the beach where we have a little caravan. My friends and I started windsurfing and my passion was born! In those years my nickname was Flow: all the other windsurfers couldn’t surf with just a little breeze while I ‘ cause of my age and weight was flowing around the water like a mad man! At a certain moment I realized that I wanted to make more out of windsurfing than just a hobby. So when I turned 16 I bought a motorbike so I could go surfing whenever I wanted in Wijk aan Zee, a kick ass surfspot just 15 km away from home.

In the Winter 2000/2001 I made my first surftrip to South Africa, I stayed there for three months. Because of the fantastic weather conditions; steady wind all the time my surfskills grew very much. Nowadays I make this trip every year, I work as a furniture specialist to finance the trips.

In the Summer of 2003 my first sponsor deal came along with Van Someren Consultancy, an enterprise that’s specialized in groundwater research.
In the same year I started to enter big surfing competitions, my first victory was in 2004: I won the Naish Wave Challenge that was held in my favourite homespot with my dearest friends and family to support me. I was one of the only amateurs that entered the competition, so it was quite an achievement.

During Wintertime I went to South Africa again to improve my skills and to get ready for the competition season in Summer of 2005.
My first Worldcup competition was in May in Pozo (Gran Canaria) in Spain. Because of my good results I was about to get a wildcard to enter the main event. When I finally got to Pozo after a tiring trip the organisation told me that the only way to get a wildcard was by winning the pre rounds. So I entered the pre rounds and I won! I entered the main event and was very impressed by the level the surfers had. Also I was amazed by the fact that I could surf along with those professionals without being a lot less than them.

2006 was a exciting year where I came 25de during the PWA event in Pozo Gran Ganaria. Later that year I became vice champion by beating Peter Volwater in the final off the Dutch Champion ships, due to my overall impression and strong jumping skills that charmed the jury at that time.

In 2007 new sponsor deals came up and I signed a contract by Fanatic and North Sails.
I worked hard to improve my skills but most important I wanted to learn to be a good overall sailor. I got the change to enter the slalom discipline at world cup events.
I performed pretty well and I did like it, although I never felt like this was my cup of tea.

I decided to put full attention and focus on the Wave that made my heart beat faster. I wanted to improve my surfing skills, prepare mentally and put more effort into training.

In 2009 everything came together and fell in the right place. I was invited to the PWA competition in Cape Verde in Western Africa to surf with the world top 32 wave sailors.
Later that year I beat Jason Polakow in a heat on the famous windsurf Island Sylt in Germany. I felt super strong and I achieved the 17th Place.

2010 Really started off well by signing a sponsor deal with Mistral boards and Aeron booms. Together with the sponsors that I could rely on for many years I feel very confident to perform well in competitions and find the well known flow again.

Face your fears life your dreams.

The Lamp