Windsurfing is all about imagery; capturing the perfect moment on the water is something truly special. In this new series Boardseeker catches up with a few of the World’s top windsurfing photographers as they share their favourite shots and explain the stories behind them.

We start of with Pozo based photographer Dani Miquel.

All images © Dani Miquel.

Pozo Izquierdo, Agust 10th, 2009

Alessio Stillrich

That’s one of the average morning sessions at Pozo Izquierdo, usually I tell the guys to jump in front of me or just by my side, but not later because then we are in backlight (like in this case), but sometimes that can be ok, in this case the black and white finished the work.

Sometimes, not controlling the elements in the picture, helps to increase the sensation of action, like here, the contrast is too strong because of the backlight. There’s drops and small reflections everywhere, all that stuff can ruin your best shot, but in this case I love it, I think it makes you feel the action better.

Pozo Izquierdo, December 11th, 2006

Javi Espin, windsurfing teacher, co-owner of the local shop Pozo Winds

We usually don’t have sunsets like this with wind in Gran Canaria, but the high clouds that afternoon made me think we could have a nice sunset, so I prepared the housing with the 50mm f:1,4 to be ready for low light. This time of the year there were just friends sailing by the bunker and Javi was the one nailing the picture.

The special about this picture is of course the lighting and the colours and that brief moment of stillness when you are at the top of a backloop.

Pozo Izquierdo, December 9th, 2006 (yes, two days after the previous pic)

Jonas Ceballos

You can’t appreciate this from the picture, but this day Pozo was big, mast high with some sets closing out the bay. Days like this there’s not much setting up, I tell the guys I’ll be there and I try my best against the current and not drowning. I remember that session, it was a short one, the second time I was caught inside by one of the bigger sets and washed to the shore I was done.

I care a lot about the light and the colour in my pictures, in this case both are pretty bad,but the action is so good; one of the best backloops I’ve ever seen, by the backloop master himself Jonas Ceballos, and from this angle you can really appreciate the jump.

Pozo Izquierdo, August 10th, 2009

Jose Romoreo, one of the Pozo Izquierdo young talents.

When I go for a morning watershoot session in Pozo, especially if it’s with the wide angle, I really need to trust the rider, because I want him to jump really close to me, and that’s not that easy. Fortunately a few of my friends are really good and Jose is one of them, so depending on the light and the conditions we have a small talk before going in the
water to tell them what I want.

A good picture for me is always about the sensations, the feelings, and when I watch this one I feel as I was there, in a perfect morning at Pozo Izquierdo just relaxing and having fun.

Pozo Izquierdo, August 12th, 2009

Moritz Mauch, he was 13 when I took this picture.

When I know the next day is going to be windy and the sky blue (usually the sky is not that blue in this island) I always try to set a shooting early morning the next day, and in this case was with the kids. I like shooting with the kids, because they have a lot of fun, it’s like if they are just playing.

This picture absolutely shows what windsurfing is for me, I don’t need to do loops or ride huge waves, as soon as I’m in the footstraps with good planing, I’m just happy, and you can see in Moritz’s face, he is just happy in that picture, with the hair still dry flying in the wind and a smile that big that barely fits in his face.

Pozo Izquierdo, April 20th, 2012

Pablo Ramirez BolaÒos, another one of the Pozo young talents.

I was watching the conditions at noon with some of the guys, and looked like by mid afternoon could be good for waveriding just in front of the rock, so I told them I would be there at 5.00pm with the fisheye, so I wanted them to do everything really really close to me (but not killing me).

You can feel the tension in this one, he is so close to me you can see his eyes, you can nearly feel the power of the wave and the tension of being almost too close to the photographer. I also like the detail of seeing the houses in the background. I’ve just used a few times the fisheye to shoot windsurf and I haven’t seen too many pictures from other photographers either, but I think there’s a lot of potential in it, so it’s one of the directions I really want to go.

Pozo Izquierdo, January 23rd, 2010

Iballa and Daida

The Twins had just signed with Starboard-Severne, they needed a picture sailing and despite being flat, the light was perfect, so we went for the
freeride just fun shot that I always love.

It’s all about the beauty and the fun in this picture, I love it!

Pozo Izquierdo, July 12th, 2012

Victor Fernandez

Victor is a good friend, so when he just won the event in Pozo Izquierdo
and was looking so confident to become world champion (which he ended up
being that year) I asked him to do a portait shot. We waited a couple days
because I wanted calima (sand from the Sahara in the air) wich gives the
kind of light I wanted to do the shot.

I like the picture because I think it shows how is Victor and the moment
in his life he was going trough.

Secret spot, Gran Canaria, June 6th, 2012

Victor Fernandez

That was a day with no wind in Pozo Izquierdo, but as VÌctor was in town,
we decided to try “somewhere else”, the wind was light and gusty but waves
were nice, so we gave it a try and of course Victor delivered, it’s always
a pleasure to work with athletes at such level.

To me, this is one of thesse pictues that feels like being there, that
makes you want to go saling; I can’t ask for more in a picture.

Next up in the Next Generation series is the young German making a name for himself on the PWA tour. Alessio Stillrich, who’s particularly dangerous on his home break of Pozo speaks with fellow Fanatic rider for this instalment.

Name: Alessio Stillrich
Age:17
Nationality: German
Residence: San Agustin, Gran Canaria, Spain
Years windsurfing: since 2004
Best personal results: 3 x Spanish Wave Junior Champion 13th Pozo and Tenerife PWA Wave World Tour 2012

Photos by: PWA/ Carter

You started windsurfing pretty young, who introduced you to the sport?

When I was about nine, Moritz Mauch’s dad, who runs the Club Mistral Windsurfing Centre, gave me some gear to learn with, so I started a bit there in San Agustin. Soon after I decided I wanted to learn more and joined the Hullon school in Pozo Izquierdo.

Were you pushed to learn and train, like they do with some other little kids in other sports?

No, no, not at all, nobody pushed me. I really enjoyed it since the beginning. I used to go sailing with a friend of my mum, Marco, and I really loved it.

What motivated you when you were little?

To go planing! It was insane, I still remember the day I first planed, I was so stoked!!.

And what keeps you motivated now?

To jump really REALLY high. I love super high backloops and also doing all the moves on the waves: high shakas, one handed goiters, takas, etc… For some reason simply pure riding doesn’t motivate me as much as making moves.

So, what are your best moves then?

I think the Pushloop-table top, and also I have already done some Pushloop-forwards. Also, on the wave I have already under control the one handed goiters and shakas, double-shakas, takas, etc…

At only 17 and with already a World Cup level, are you still keeping up with your studies?

Yes, yes… I am still at school; I still have two more years to finish high school.

And then, are you planning to go to Uni?

Yes, I think I will go to Uni, I think I will do Sports Science, but I am thinking about taking one year off before that and do the whole Tour, see how it goes and try to get a good overall result.

How do you manage to keep up with both, studies and training? Can you train during the work week?

When it’s windy I come to Pozo after school and I sail until seven or eight in the evening, then I go back home and do my homework then. If there is no wind then I try to make the most of that time and study more

(He laughs a bit and looks at his mum, she is laughing too. You can see this is a bit of a tension point!!)

Why the cheeky laugh?

Because this year I am not doing very well at school. I was very good when I was a bit younger, but this year is not going SO well. Not too bad though. And I also have a good excuse, I have been pretty busy getting a diploma on chiro-massage too, like this I have a diploma already and on my year off I can work with massages and make some money for the trips etc…

Wow, impressive actually…. How do you see the professional side of windsurfing, how does an up-and-coming see the life of a pro?

It is true that compared to other sports a windsurfing career doesn’t seem SO professional, but still I would love to become professional, and I think -I hope- I will get there one day.

So, do you have a plan to become professional?

Ufff… I know it is really difficult, and now that Philip is dominating it will be even more difficult to be at the top, but I want, in about five years time, to be a regular in the top three. I know it is difficult, and my only plan is to train as hard as possible to become one of the best.

And do you see yourself as a World Champion one day?

You never know what is going to happen in ten years, but I hope I can get there and I will aim to get there for sure.

Growing up with windsurfing, what do you think you have gained from the sport that other kids haven’t got?

I think I would have been very bored if I had a “normal” life. Windsurfing keeps me busy and motivated.

Which are your strong and weak points on the water?

My strong point I think is my jumping and my weakness point I think it is just the pure riding, cut-backs and things like that, when I see myself in videos I am not very happy with the way I look.

And off the water?

My weak point… (he laughs a bit nervous and looks at his mum again, I think they both know what this is about…) my weak point I think is my perseverance in other things apart from windsurfing. I start doing something and I give up or I lose interest pretty quickly. And my strong point I think is that I am a good person I think, I think I get on well with people.

Check out the rest of the New Generation series:

• Pablo Ramirez
• Fiona Wylde
• Dan Couchman
• Bernd Roediger
• Kimo Brown