PHILIP KÖSTER: LIFE OF A WINDSURFER!

PHILIP KÖSTER: LIFE OF A WINDSURFER!

Few athletes have reshaped the face of modern windsurfing like Philip Köster. Born on the wind-blasted shores of Gran Canaria in 1994, Köster grew up with the ocean as his playground and the trade winds as his constant companions. From the family home just meters from Vargas Beach, he learned to windsurf before most kids could ride a bike. What began as an after-school pastime soon transformed into an unstoppable passion…one that would make him the youngest wave world champion in history at just 17 years old.

With five PWA World Wave Titles to his name, Köster is one of the biggest names in windsurfing. Yet behind the spectacular double loops and towering jumps lies a grounded athlete, a devoted father and a personality who is as humble as he is hungry.

In this exclusive interview, Windsurf caught up with Philip Köster in Sylt, to talk about his early days on Vargas Beach, the highs and lows of his competitive career so far, injuries and comebacks, balancing family and competition and what still drives him to push higher, faster and harder more than a decade into his legendary career.

Photos: PWA/ Carter / John Carter…Click on any photo to enlarge and scroll!

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WINDSURF: Let’s start right back to your early days when you learned to windsurf.

PK: “Oh, if I can still remember. I think I have hit up my head too many times to remember too much (Laughs).

WINDSURF: You brought up in that one solitary house on the beach in Vargas just a stones throw from the water?

PK: “Yeah, I was born in Gran Canaria on March 5th 1994 and yeah, Vargas was actually the first house where I grew up. I spent my whole childhood until I was in my twenties there in that house on the beach! Yeah, the house was amazing! You have the windsurfing spot right in front.

I had all the sails rigged and everything ready, so after school and stuff! I never really had to prepare anything. I just went out straight on the water! It was a really cool childhood.

My parents introduced me to windsurfing when I was eight years old! My dad taught me how to windsurf on that beach.

He showed me tricks…how to hold the sail…and then I went out, I tried, kind of worked out. And if I was too far out, he always whistled and I had to turn around, so he always took care of me. But yeah, it was a great learning like that.”

WINDSURF: So, you were always used to the ocean and high winds then?

PK: “Gran Canaria is one of the windiest places in the world. So yeah, I was used to high winds. Obviously, I was also not the smallest kid. I had the power, so I was actually OK with holding the sails in strong winds…I did not know any different!”

WINDSURF: So, when did you start realizing that you had some natural talent?

PK: “Windsurfing started out just fun. But at 11 or 12, I started doing little contests…just the local ones…and then I got a wildcard for Pozo when I was 12. Yeah, it was just great to compete with the older ones for the first time.

I think the first heat I had was against Vidar Jensen. He crushed me, but it was a great experience. I really enjoyed it. I really felt the adrenaline from the feeling of competing and yeah, in the double elimination I had John Hibbard from the UK, I think I lost by half a point and he won, so I was like, “Oh damn it.” That fuelled my hunger for success!”

WINDSURF: You feel you were getting a bit competitive at 12?

PK: “Yeah, I got competitive I think because I was that close, but I still lost. And I didn’t like the feeling of losing, so I was like, I’ve got to win next time.”

WINDSURF: So were you mad crazy for windsurfing right back at 12 or 13…like just every day all day on the water?

PK: “Yeah, every day. It did not matter if there was wind or not. I was on the water. No wind days, I was just standing on the board, not moving, but still on the water. It was fun.

I was watching a lot of windsurfing movies, had all the DVDs and VHS tapes. I mean, there was not much else to do in Vargas…I couldn’t play football or basketball or anything, so my life was all about windsurfing.”

WINDSURF: Did you have any heroes back then?

PK: “Well, most people think always Bjorn or Robbie Naish, but they were kind of still finished competing before everything I saw! So, for me, it was more like Ricardo Campello doing doubles and going big. Of course, Bjorn was around, I mean he always jumped high, but I never really saw him jump that high in contests. I never saw his really good days.

Wave riding was everything for me, so my favourites were Ricardo Campello and Vidar Jensen! They were both sailing and doing amazing things in Pozo. And, also Antoine Albeau…I had a lot of heats against him that I always lost, but yeah, I was always seeing him sailing. He was also really inspiring as an athlete.”

WINDSURF: And when did you first get sponsored?

PK: “I got sponsored at 12 by Starboard! Back in the day they had the “Pro Kids” thing, and yeah, I was on the team and soon after that I got invited to Maui to be a part of the annual photo shoot.”

WINDSURF: So, you went to Maui at 12 years old?

PK: “Yeah, I think you should have some pictures, yeah. But yeah, that was fun and also a bit intimidating. The first day, I think with all the jet lag, I stayed in Kuau Plaza right next to Ho’okipa, and then right in the morning one guy (Ian Fox from Starboard) comes round and says, “You have to be part of this contest…there’s a kids’ contest in Ho’okipa. You have to go in the water.”

I had zero experience of Ho’okipa, didn’t talk English and didn’t know what big waves were. And it was starboard tack and yeah, I went straight out and got caught by the biggest wave, destroyed everything. And then I was like, “I don’t like it that much.” Those were little experiences, but I learned a lot from it.”

WINDSURF: When did you win your first Pozo?

PK: “I think it was 2009, when I was 15! I think I won the final against Victor Fernandez, with Ricardo Campello in 3rd”

WINDSURF: So, your level would have come on quite a bit because you were getting stronger, taller, and more experienced?

PK: “Yeah, I was stronger, taller, and I had some motivation from my parents. They told me if I did really well in windsurfing, I could kind of slow down with school…if it was really my big wish to windsurf. So, then obviously I had the biggest motivation ever.

When you’re 15, what do you want to do? Something fun of course. I decided to go for it, so I won the event and I kind of decided that windsurfing is great. I love it, I have fun and I got sponsors …why not see how far I can take it?

Then I came here to Sylt the same year. I had a heat against Gollito and I didn’t even make it out of the waves! I went on the rocks, got crushed. From feeling really good to last place. But then yeah, once again, I learned from it.”

WINDSURF: Your dad was always supporting you at events?

PK “Yeah, to have the support from parents is great. My dad always drove me everywhere, always when there was wind, he took me. That was a big plus. They also knew how it is to windsurf and that when there’s wind, you’ve got to be on the water.”

WINDSURF: And when did the first title come?

PK: “The first title came when I was 17, in 2011. That felt pretty amazing and pretty much changed my life. I won in Pozo and Tenerife and came third in Sylt! I was the youngest wave champion in history. Suddenly I was in the spotlight. In 2012 I was able to defend my title as men’s wave world champion again. The year 2013 wasn’t easy because there were only three PWA wave events with wind and at the last one on Maui I became sick and ended up in hospital. I could not defend the title and became 6th overall. In 2014 I won the World Cup Tenerife and finished 7th overall.

In 2015 I won the PWA wave men world title for the third time. 2016 again started well for me until I picked up a serious knee injury during a training session in Australia in September. The season was over for me due to the injury…I had to undergo a surgery and spent countless hours with rehab.

I would say that my high point was winning my fifth world title on Maui in 2019, it was such a relief when I heard I was officially world champion after waiting for a lot of days without wind and with conditions on the edge. My personal high point was finding out that I will have a little girl together with my girlfriend Manca.

The best event for me is Pozo since it is my home spot and I really like the challenge of doing high and tricky jumps. Also watching all the others go for it is amazing and really fun to experience.”

WINDSURF: When did you get Red Bull on board as a sponsor?

PK: “Quite early when I was 15. Almost 16, I think. At the first World Cup I won in Pozo, I didn’t have Red Bull yet, but then next year! I think Bjorn gave me my first Red Bull cap in Australia in January the next year after I won the title!”

WINDSURF: What about injuries…how tough have they been to deal with?

PK: “Injuries have been really tough, but not that negative. I learned how to prepare myself better and listen to my body more. Recovery isn’t always bad. The beginning was always tough, but later on you kind of get used to it and get motivated that you can come back stronger. I always came back better after injuries.”

WINDSURF: How tough is it to get the confidence to throw a double loop after a big injury?

PK: “Yeah, you’ve got to test the bones if they still hold, then be confident again. Normally I start slow, work up to some jumps, see if I have pain…if too much, I work with the physio. If not, I keep going.”

WINDSURF: During recovery, were you ever just forced to sit at home on the sofa?

PK: “Yeah, the thing with injuries…in the beginning, I don’t do anything. The physios say, “You’ve got to be active,” I try, but mentally it’s so hard that you just need time off. Normally that takes one or two weeks before I want to start moving again. In those times, I’m with family, watch TV, do emails, just relax. But during that time, you prepare yourself mentally to start again.

WINDSURF: Did you go to Fiji one year and realize you couldn’t compete?

PK: “Yeah, mentally I was there but it wasn’t possible to compete. That was tough, I had to fly back home with a broken foot and broken ligaments. The doctors in Spain didn’t see the ligament damage, just chipped bones, so I thought it wasn’t that bad. I tried to windsurf… I took two waves but couldn’t bottom turn. Six days of travel for two waves. But I wanted to try!”

I competed in Pozo with the broken ligament later. The bone had healed but the ligament was still torn… I still made it to sixth.”

WINDSURF: Now you are 31…14 years after your first title…are you still just as motivated to windsurf?

PK: “I think I still sail quite a lot, but not like before. It’s not possible to sail that much now. I still go out every time I see conditions, even for freestyle, but not the same amount as when I was in my teens!”

WINDSURF: Do you ever get bored of windsurfing?

PK: “Sometimes, yes. When it’s not that good, I sail one or two days, great, but if it’s flat again the next day…maybe I get bored. That’s why next year I might start with a bit of slalom again.”

WINDSURF: Do you feel you have a weak point in competition, like light wind?

PK: “Yeah, light wind is not my strongest side. I don’t enjoy it much…there is not much to enjoy about light wind. I like dynamic sailing, moving fast down the line. Pumping down the line isn’t it. Lighter sailors have the advantage, so I’ve tried to lose some weight for light-wind events.”

WINDSURF: How much weight have you lost?

PK: “Through injuries I gained weight…I was up to 100kg…now I’m 87kg. Being lighter feels much better on the water. With less weight, I make more tricks on the wave. It’s positive.”

WINDSURF: You notice it even walking about?

PK: “Yeah, carrying 13kg less…feels great. I hope I don’t gain it back!”

WINDSURF: And what about family now?

PK: “Family is a big change. I’m happy I didn’t wait longer. My kids are super happy always. My second daughter’s six months old. My wife’s very supportive…she’s a sports person, so she understands what I have to do. I can focus on both family and windsurfing. It’s nice to come home to family after events…the family gives me a balance. From competition to changing diapers… it is fun, different and never boring.”

WINDSURF: And what about Severne, how do you like being on the team?

PK: “Yeah, I give ideas, do testing, tell them what I like. They come up with so much cool equipment, we test together, it’s fun. Severne are a great team. Sometimes we test in the Canaries, but most of the stuff gets done in Australia. I love going there and sailing epic conditions with the team!”

WINDSURF: Your signature board is the Pyro?

PK: “Yes, that board’s amazing. We’ve made good changes. I am really happy with it… and having my name on it is great. I normally ride with thrusters and also a bit of quads, but thrusters are amazing now and work well for my style.

WINDSURF: And you like fast boards?

PK: Yeah, really fast. I like to move around…that’s why I don’t like light wind. For light wind days now, we have fast boards and light, strong sails…we have developed some amazing equipment for that. For Maui I even have the new boards from Jaeger Stone for down-the-line sailing…tried them in Lanzarote and they worked great.”

WINDSURF: You’ve got five world titles now…do you think this year it’s the hardest fleet there has ever been with the likes of Marc Pare, Brawzinho, Marino Gil and new guys like Miguel Chapuis?

PK: Yeah, it’s really hard now. Everyone trains a lot, everyone does everything, which  is great for windsurfing, but tough. I don’t like losing, so I like to have my conditions to show everything I can do.”

WINDSURF: “So you’re happy if it’s a fair fight — like strong wind in Pozo, best man wins?

PK: “Yeah, obviously that would be perfect.”

WINDSURF: Which sailors are pushing you the most now?

PK: I like sailing with Marcilio Browne a lot…he sails really, really strong. Marc Pare, Marino, they’re fun to sail with too…but Browne is motivating.

WINDSURF: Do you want to spend more time sailing at Ho’okipa?

PK: “I think so, but it gets crowded. I enjoy uncrowded places. But I’ll probably need to spend more time in Maui.”

WINDSURF: At 31, how much longer do you think you’ll compete?

PK: “I don’t want to drag myself around at the end…I still want to be at the top. I think I still have a few good years…hopefully ten more. We are starting to see guys like Swift calling it their last season. Yeah, but Swift still sails really good… he does push loops both tacks, only few people do that. You can compete at 40 and beyond if you stay in shape. That’s my mission!”

WINDSURF: And is it the competition that drives you, or would you rather do fun trips to epic waves?

PK: I like both. Contests pay the bills and I enjoy them. But a trip with friends is cool too…I feel that is needed at least once a year.

WINDSURF: Mentally, you always seem relaxed at the beach… are you actually chilled?

PK: “Well, I want to win, definitely. But I feel less pressure now than in the beginning. After a few titles, I don’t have to prove anything anymore, but I still want to achieve more. Maybe I’m mentally good for contests…I am normally a relaxed person and not having big pressure helps.

WINDSURF: This year the first super final in Gran Canaria went wrong…you bailed out on a jump, went on the rocks…how did you recover from that?

PK: “Yeah, I didn’t want to bail out, but the wind was so strong it ripped the sail out of my hands. Then I had to decide…go back to the gear on the rocks or grab new gear. I chose new gear but lost so much time there was no chance. The second final went well though…I  had to perform, and I did. I would have been devasted if I lost the second one, but it came out even better in the end.”

WINDSURF: What do you do in your spare time? Have you got any other sports or do you like watching movies? What do you do on a plane? Do you just sit and watch movies or do you just chill out? What’s your sort of spare time thing?

PK: Well, I watch movies and… I don’t really play computer games. Otherwise, I’m on the bike or doing stuff with the family. I don’t know, sometimes I just relax. Normally from windsurfing I’m so tired that anyway, I just chill out. I think I’m a very relaxed person.

WINDSURF: Are you the kind of guy at home who does all the work…the cooking and cleaning…do you chip in with all that?

PK: “Yeah, I chip in. I cook a meal sometimes, sometimes I order takeaway also, but yeah, most of the time my wife cooks. But all the cleaning, we both do it. And there’s a lot to do with the kids, so we’re both tired and we kind of do everything. It’s teamwork. We have a small dog too…it is not too much work with that dog. It’s a small one, not a big Labrador or anything, just a small toy dog.”

WINDSURF: Do you watch box sets or series or anything like that?

PK: “Yeah, some…I watch a lot of sports documentaries. If there’s MotoGP, we also watch that sometimes.”

WINDSURF: What about when you’re not at an event, like when you were injured…would you watch the livestream?

PK: “I watched a bit of the livestream sometimes, but at some events I don’t even tune in. You lose a little bit of interest in it when you are recovering. Sometimes, I have watched if there’s a good forecast. But then obviously I know how it is when it’s light wind…I know what everyone does and can do, and then there’s nothing that makes me go, “Oh yeah, I want to see that.”

I watched Tenerife for the first time when I was at home with my leg up, and you know, the livestream is actually pretty good. I think Ben Proffitt does a fabulous job…when he’s not there, something is missing. Whenever he does the commentary, it’s cool. Some heats are really nice to watch and I also think I can see what the others do and maybe learn something from it…if they do something different. It’s great to see how others improve during the season, what they worked on, their gear and all that. In that way, it’s fun to watch the livestream whenever you’re not there.”

WINDSURF: And what about your phone…are you on it a lot? Most people go back home and start scrolling through Instagram. Are you that guy, or not really?

PK: “Not really, maybe occasionally. I should be posting more on Instagram or Facebook and all that, but I think I’m too old for it already. The younger generation does it way better. I never really put my time into it.

The few videos I’ve posted are alright…I don’t really do funny challenges or trends or anything like that. I’m actually happy about that. I like the action videos. Everything I post is something I really like. If I’ve done a push loop and landed on the front of the wave that’s something I like to show. I don’t really like to show anything else. Everything I post is something that interests me!”

WINDSURF: You’ve got quite a lot of other tricks you can do in jumps, like one-handed tabletops and all that but you never do them in a contest?

PK: “There’s no point, I suppose. If there were better scores for that, I would love to do it. But now, for many years, it used to be three jumps and two waves. Now it’s stuck at two jumps and two waves. You just don’t see as many cool jumps like before. I’d love to have three scoring jumps in the contest…that would make everything more exciting.

I mean, what would you do after a double and a push forward…something else that’s cool? Excitement-wise, it would be much more interesting. I would prefer that and I think a lot of other good sailors in Gran Canaria would prefer it too.

They used to have the three jumps and two waves, but the waves were multiplied by something to keep it a bit fairer. But yeah, if there were three jumps again, then you’d see one-handed tabletops again. I’d love to show that jump. I really like it. It looks nice, and I like doing stuff that looks good!”

WINDSURF: So now your motivation is to win more world titles?

PK: “Yeah, I have not had much luck the past few seasons. Often light winds and I was too heavy. Also, some wrong calls from the judges…competing one day when the next day was amazing.

That’s why I’m looking into slalom a bit….it’s simple and the first to the finish wins.”

WINDSURF: Are you serious about that?

PK: “Yes, I would like to try fin slalom…not foiling though. Foiling is a different world, too technical. But for fin slalom, yeah, that’s more my thing, especially in the Canaries.

WINDSURF: Do you think you’re fast enough?

PK: “I think I can be. Everyone learns. I’ll take it as a fun challenge next year…if it’s fun, great. If not, it’ll be my last year of slalom. But yeah…why not? I can try it.

PWA World Championship victories (2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019)

 

 

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