Spotlight on a Pro - Tine Slabe
| Name: |
Tine Slabe (SLO-6) |
| Age: |
26yrs |
| From: |
Koper, Slovenia |
Weight/height: |
90kg/196 cm |
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Local Sailing spot: what are the conditions like & how did you get into windsurfing?
A friend invited me to try a new sport even though at that time I was still training for basketball. I went to our local |
windsurfing club in Koper. The club is only 10 minutes walk from my home and since then I was there almost every day in spring, summer and autumn. In winter I was sailing only when I was young as our local Bora wind is really cold.
I would say that we have about 40 to 60 days a year with more than a force 4 at my local spot. If you drive around a bit you can always find more wind. The worst thing about my local spot is that we never have waves. As the Slovenian coast is only 43 km long and it is situated in the north of the Adriatic Sea so is closed off from all sides. When you are sailing on the sea you have a feeling that you are sailing on a big salty lake!
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How long have you been windsurfing?
Since I was thirteen so 13 years.
Coming from Slovenia, has it been more difficult to make a name for yourself in the industry?
Definitely! I would say that still today I have a much harder time because I come from Slovenia. Anyone who is not from one of the big windsurf countries have a hard time too. The markets behind us are not so big and therefore the importers are not so strong, so they can not help and the industry is also not so interested. But of course there are also some advantages as I was the first pro windsurfer in our still very young country (since 1991).
How many of your fellow countrymen are into windsurfing?
The Slovenian windsurfing scene is growing. I would say that there are really a lot of windsurfers in comparison to the whole population of 2 million people. The internet has helped to unite the windsurfers as well as some great parties! When it is windy all the best spots are full. I would like to think my achievements on an international level have helped a bit to develope the windsurfing scene in Slovenia.
Currently you compete on the EFPT and PWA. What have been your best results to date?
Last year I finished 21st in the PWA freestyle ranking. I was 5th in the PWA wave qualifier in Israel last year and I finished 9th in last year’s EFPT overall ranking but that wasn’t as good as in 2004 when I finished 4th. I also hold the Slovenian speed record and I was 11th overall at the Walvis Bay ISA Speed surfing event in 2005. I am also three times Slovenian freestyle champion.
And which event is your favourite?
I would say the event in Podersdorf on Neusidler See in Austria. The conditions are not so good, but the event attracts a lot of spectators and I love to compete in front of the crowd. However, if I would have to choose an event by the conditions I would take Fuerteventura. But I have to mention also the final of the EFPT in Premantura, Croatia as it is always nice to compete near home (a mere 100km away).
How do you think the standard on the EFPT tour compares to the PWA Freestyle circuit?
I have been competing on the EFPT since the first event. At that time I had no chance to earn enough money to compete in PWA events as they were just too far away and too expensive. The idea of the EFPT was (and still is) to have a European tour that would allow new guys into windsurfing competitions and this is exactly what I did. Without the EFPT I would never have made it. The organization of the events is on much smaller budgets so it is understandable that the organization level is still lower, but it is getting better and with a new owner the future is even more promising.
In terms of sailing level, the European riders are getting closer and closer to the top of the PWA rankings which says it all.
Some people say freestyle is too complicated and beyond the understanding of most windsurfers and it all starts to look the same. What do you think about this?
As you maybe know I also do freestyle and freeride camps, and when I speak with my clients they all tell me the same- we don’t understand it! So although they can do moves like spocks, they don’t know what a switch chachoo is for example. I must agree that it is complicated, but compare it to say figure skating where the jumps are complicated and people like to watch it even though the jumps look similar. I believe that this complication is not bad for the discipline but maybe the way we compete in freestyle needs to change. Introducing set runs where you have to do certain moves and make your routine more choreographed. I know the PWA is thinking along these lines.
How do you see the future of freestyle?
Freestyle has done so much for our sport! It has brought so many new young powers to play on the water, so I am not worried for the future of it. The new generation will come and do things that we still can not imagine. But as I said before I believe that the way of competing has to change to make it more attractive for spectators that do not understand the complicated moves and do not know which of them is more difficult. An interesting idea and maybe one of the ways where freestyle could go is the “park style” that they tried last fall in Austria. They put different slides and made areas where you have to do moves, so that you make a run and they score it a bit like skateboarding.
What is your main ambition in windsurfing?
When I started to windsurf my main dream was to sail at many different places around the globe, but the problem was I could not travel because I did not have any money! But slowly I started to combine competitions and photoshoots to see new places. Nowadays I forget about my main dream as I have to concentrate on competitions where I have to do good if I want my sponsorships and the money to travel. I also want to pass the 45 knots barrier on the speed course!
Who inspires you?
When I started my idol was the showman Josh Stone who was always so positive and knew how to entertain people. I think we miss personalities like him today in the sport. However, I think the thing that inspires me the most to be a pro windsurfer is still the adventure of seeing new places.
Your favourite sailor?
Me only joking! If I look out there on the water still the most stylish and the nicest person is Tonky Frans.
Your nearest rival?
Hard to say as I think I have no real rivals. But if I have to choose one I would say a very good friend of mine Andreas Olandersson; since the beginning we fight on the water! |
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Who do you like sailing with?
My brother is the first one on the list! Andrew Erban, Tom Hartmann, Toni Zupancic and many others.
Being such a big guy, have you found it a disadvantage in freestyle?
At the beginning not so much, but now with the double things and so many moves in the heats I would say it is definitely not an advantage.
You also compete in speed events? Tell us a bit about that.
Yes, I started with speed in 2005. I was really successful on my first event where with one sail and one board I finished 11th and 3rd in production boards in the Walvis Bay ISA event. To be honest my body size is made more for race disciplines so in the future years I will try to do more speed and slalom events. I like to go fast and I am getting too old for freestyle!
For more of Tine go to: www.tineslabe.com
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