Surfersblog

Since arriving on the international windsurfing scene back in 2013 - Oda Brødholt - has made quite a name for herself in the windsurfing world and on the PWA World Tour. The Norwegian is predominately a freestyler and during her journey, she has developed into one of the best Freestylers in the world. Together with Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins) and Maaike Huvermann (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) the three of them continue to lay the benchmark for women’s Freestyle. Brødholt herself has not finished outside of the overall top 3 for Freestyle since 2014 - just one year after making her debut on the world tour.

As we’ve seen in the past skills learned from Freestyle often transfer extremely well to other disciplines - particularly in waves - but up to now, Brødholt has made more of an impact on the racecourse after earning her first Slalom podium in Marignane, France, earlier this year, making her just one of a handful of sailors to have achieved podiums across multiple disciplines in recent years. The 30-year-old is well known for her upbeat, light-hearted attitude, but don't let that fool you as once the green flag is raised she switches her focus entirely and wants to win just as badly as anyone! We recently caught up with Oda to take our 20 Questions Interview:

1. Why are you so passionate about windsurfing?

It gives you the ultimate feeling of freedom and challenges you to the max quite often. Training hard for a move and then landing it is the best feeling! 
 
2. What quality do you like most in other people?

People who are real and not taking themselves too seriously. It’s also interesting to meet people with a special passion for something that is unusual. 
 
3. What annoys or frustrates you the most?

Batten tension conversations -no one really knows.
 
4. What do you most like in yourself?

I make things happen if I start on something. 
 
5. What do you dislike in yourself?

The view of myself in a yoga class #talentless.
 
6. What has been your best moment on tour?

Podium in slalom in France- that was just cool.
 
7. What has been your worst moment on tour?

Flying to Asia, doing one slalom race and getting plastic caught on my fin in the only counting race. I got over it pretty fast, but it just felt like a waste of time/life and sad to see so much plastic in the ocean.
 
8. Knowing what you know now, what advice would you have given yourself when your career started?

If people tell you some moves are too hard to learn, don’t listen to that. With the right technique and training, you can do it too! 
 
9. What is the best advice you have ever been given?

“Take your windsurf gear and discover the world.” from Svein Rasmussen, Starboard’s owner.
 
10. What would be your perfect day?

Have the van ready and packed, wake up, drive from Norway to Varberg in Sweden with proper loud music and sail a whole day of freestyle and wave sessions with my friends! I love that place so much! 

11. Do you have any superstitions?

I used to have many… it’s better now! Back in the days, I had plenty of things I had to do before a handball game... I would never play a game without the number 13 on my handball shirt and I had to wear two different socks during training and handball games. That would bring my team a lot of luck... I was convinced! 

Nowadays I’m more relaxed and don’t worry much about it… as long as I have my necklace while sailing (for the luck again), and I’m counting till 13 million times… that can be for different reasons… haha! 
 
12. Which living person do you most admire?

At the moment I admire skater Nyjah Huston. Skills from the hills!
 
13. What is your greatest fear?

Not being able to live the life I have now - windsurfing as much as I want.
 
14. What is your most treasured possession?

Must be my necklace shaped like a sail- it’s been with me my whole windsurf career.
 
15. If you weren’t a professional windsurfer, what would you like to be?

Probably extended my handball career and still play professional handball now and studied longer.
 
16. Where is the best place you’ve been?

Lofoten in Norway - epic place.
 
17. Where would you most like to go to that you haven’t been to yet?

Aruba, Peru and Dahkla!
 
18. Who would you most like to have as a dinner guest, dead or alive?

Petter Northug (former cross country skier from Norway) - I would like to tell him to start competing again. The sport died for me after he stopped competing last year. He is a human machine!
 
19. First App you open in the morning?

Windguru
 
20. A phrase you live by?

“Make sure to have less floor time than Sarah-Quita Offringa while doing burpees at the Crossfit trainings.”

Thanks, Oda.

You can stay up to date with all of Oda Brødholt’s latest news and adventures via her Social Media Channels:

Facebook: @odajohannewindsurfing
Instagram: @odajohanne_windsurfing

Caterina Stenta (RRD / RRD Sails / AL360 / Maui Ultra Fins) is currently ranked in 5th place on the 2019 Women’s PWA Wave World Tour at the halfway stage after a 7th in Gran Canaria and 5th in Tenerife.

After the completion of the Canaries leg of the tour the Italian stayed in El Médano, Tenerife, for a while longer to enjoy some more summer waves, which you can see @ vimeo.com/360256535

Caterina Stenta: “Wave after wave we enjoyed another summer in Tenerife together with my brother Ivano Stenta.
Filmed and edited by Bartek the7pixels.”

When you think of Tahiti you may mainly think of  tropical waters, palm trees, sun kissed beaches and waves, but that didn’t stop Julien Mas (GUNSAILS) and Sam Esteve (JP / NeilPryde) from deciding upon Tahiti as their next location for their latest installment of synchro tow-in freestyle.

“Windsurfshow is back! This time Julien and Sam ride in Tahiti on the island of Raiatea during the the Raiatea gliss festival.”

You can see Mas and Esteve exploding through their tow-in repertoire over some of Tahiti’s stunning lagoons @ https://youtu.be/QZScRnFosOQ