1) Name, age, home sailing spot, sponsors etc?
Philip Soltysiak
27 years old
I live in Toronto, and my home spots are on the Great Lakes.
Sponsors: Starboard, Sailworks, Dakine, Streamlined, Camaro Wetsuits, Makani Fins, Nolimitz.
2) Unlike many you have been able to carve out a Pro career in windsurfing, can you tell us your secret?
There’s no secret, I just love windsurfing and try my best to improve every day I’m on the water. I’m also really lucky to have such great sponsors working together with me.
3) What recommendations do you have for freestylers who want to get into wave sailing / competition?
I don’t know, perhaps I should be the one asking Marcilio and Ricardo a question like this. 😉 Personally I think it’s very similar to freestyle where you need to feel your equipment very well, you have to be focused, you need good timing and most importantly you have to be relaxed and find your flow.
I would also recommend that a freestyler has their ponchs, shakas, flakas and grubbies dialed in as those are all also wave moves: goiter, backside 360, taka and reverse.
4) What attracts you to the AWT?
I enjoy wave sailing on Starboard tack, and the Santa Cruz and Pistol River events are starboard tack events. The west coast is also a beautiful place, and it’s a pleasure just to cruise on highway 101 and visit the beaches there. It’s an added bonus to do so with windsurfing gear and a crew of dedicated windsurfers.
5) What is your travel schedule for this year?
After the Pistol River event I will fly home to Toronto for a week, and get ready for my trip to Europe and to the Canary Islands for July, where I will compete on the European Freestyle Pro Tour and the PWA World Tour Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. In August I will be back in the US in Hood River, and in mid-September through to October back in Europe for more contests. Some sailing at home on the Great Lakes between trips and then off to Brazil to windsurf in the late fall and early winter.
6) What are your tips for traveling with gear?
Know your excess luggage fees and rules before you book any flights. That’s the most important one. There’s also a lot of sneaky ways to try and get your bags to weigh less on the scale…but those are top secret! You can try to smile at the check-in ladies?
7) Anything else you want to say?
Ya! If you want to follow my AWT adventure add me on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. As an added bonus you’ll be following me on all my other adventures. I have a new website under construction, so don’t go to my site until it’s finished… 🙂
www.instagram.com/philipsoltysiak
www.facebook.com/philipsoltysiak
www.twitter.com/philipsoltysiak
