Interview

Henri Kolberg

“Who's that guy with the orange sail?!” The photographer next to me has his sights firmly set on the rider with sail number G-45; his performance promises some great shots. Henri does a double forward and jumps high - extremely high. He disappears from the frame - it feels like an eternity - then he’s back and lands the trick. No coincidence - it’s the result of intense training after recovering from an injury.

Henri Kolberg recently won the wavesailing event at the Windsurf Cup on Sylt. Shortly before that, we had interviewed the surfer from Schuby - and this wasn’t the first time; we first noticed Henri on the water a good eight years ago, when he was just 14 years old.

The turns on the wave looked pretty good. What board were you riding that day?

My favorite board is the Naish Custom Quad 78. Paired with the new Maui Ultra Fins, this board is perfect for riding waves. In the past, I always focused heavily on jumping. I basically only used the ride back to shore to gain height so I could paddle out again and jump. Since I’ve been riding Naish boards, that’s completely changed. For the first time, I’m really enjoying riding waves in onshore conditions. I spent five weeks in Cape Town over Christmas and New Year’s and was able to work on my turns there as well.

Do you mainly ride this board, or do you switch to a different shape depending on the wind force and conditions?

I really enjoy riding fairly radical shapes, and in light winds or poor conditions, I just go up a size or two. That’s what works best for me right now. This year, Naish is releasing an “Europe” version of their current Quad. It’s been slightly modified for the conditions we have in Germany and, especially, Denmark. I’m really looking forward to this board and am curious to see which shape I’ll choose for which conditions.

Double forwards always look brutal - have you ever hurt yourself doing them?

A double doesn't really hurt. But your head might ache a bit afterward. Usually it goes away after a few minutes, but every now and then it can last a few days. My goal, of course, is to land it so cleanly that I don't get any headaches. Unfortunately, my doubles have gotten a little worse since my injury a year ago. But I'm slowly getting back into the rhythm of trying them regularly.

You had a long injury layoff last year - what exactly happened?

A year ago, my good buddy Jake from Hawaii came to visit me for the weekend, and I wanted to show him Cold Hawaii. That day, we had the best waves I’ve ever seen in Denmark. It felt more like a reef in the Pacific than the North Sea. At the end of that long day, I went for a big aerial and landed super flat and way in front of the wave. That’s when my ankle just gave out. I’m familiar with that feeling by now, and I knew right away that I’d broken something. The following week, I was supposed to be on a plane to Cape Verde. Instead, I was in the hospital and had surgery. After my next trip, I’ll probably have another surgery to have the screws removed.

Henri Kolberg - wave riding in Weissenhaus

How did you get back into surfing after that?

Through a contact at Naish, I found a really great physical therapy center in Hamburg. They helped me a lot, and with Ralph, the doctor there, I was able to train in a very personalized way. We even met up a few times in the evenings after the clinic had closed and trained for a couple more hours until the middle of the night. That was really ideal. That way, we could also use ultrasound before the training session to see how far along the healing process was and train exactly according to my current condition. On the day I was allowed to walk fully again, I flew to Bali to get back in the water and take my first steps on a surfboard. It took a few more weeks before I could windsurf again, though, and I didn’t really get back into it until right before the World Cup in the Canary Islands. I still feel the injury even now. But since the ankle had already been broken on both sides and I’ve had surgery there a total of four times, that was to be expected.

Do you still go freestyle when the wind isn't strong enough for wave riding?

Actually, I was out freestyling on the Schlei again just the other day. Ever since I got my driver’s license, though, I’ve always tried to get out into the waves. These days I also kitesurf quite a bit, and that’s kind of replaced freestyle windsurfing here at my home spot when the wind is too light for windsurfing anyway.

Do you participate in other sports with the same level of intensity as windsurfing?

I don’t do any other sport as intensely as windsurfing. But I’m generally really into water sports. I kitesurf a lot, and whenever I travel, I always enjoy going surfing. I’m really trying to get better and work on my turns. I’d also love to be really good at surfing. I also think that would help my windsurfing a lot.

What about your professional career?

I’m studying media design online on the side, and I can do it from anywhere. As a windsurfer, photography, filming, editing, photo shoots, and everything related to marketing are all part of the experience, so I’ve started moving in that direction as well. The more I delve into media design, the more I realize it’s a passion of mine, and I’m excited to explore it further.

What are your plans for this season and the coming years?

I really want to go all out on the PWA Tour again. In the youth category, my goal was always clear. I wanted to be the best and reach the top. In a way, I actually managed to do that and finished my last year in the U20 class as number 1, even though it wasn’t an official world championship title that year due to COVID-19. Because of COVID-19, the transition to the men’s division wasn’t easy either, and I was kind of thrown in at the deep end last year. In the men’s division, the goal is naturally a little different. In any case, I want to go all out in the coming years and hope that I’ll get another chance to compete at the top without any injuries. On the side, I’ll continue with my studies and work and hope that I’ll be able to make my way there over the next few years as well.

Henri Kolberg - windsurfing in the Baltic Sea in winter

You've already competed in the PWA/IWT event in Chile this year. Where are you headed next?

The next big event for me is Gran Canaria this summer. I always like having a goal to work toward. Whether I’m training in the water or on land, knowing what I’m training for motivates me even more.

We wish you the best of luck! Below is a 30-second clip featuring Henri Kolberg in Weissenhaus, Baltic Sea, Germany (filmed in February 2023).