Josh Angulo is one of the greatest wave sailors in windsurfing and still has an amazing level despite less time on the water. During the past years he has been focusing more on Slalom discipline, almost won the final event on Sylt, but  he never forgot about his wave sailing skills. He almost made it in the final of the single elimination of the Aloha Classic and finished in 5th position. We caught up with Josh just a few hours before the double elimination got started. How cool is that. Read an interview with 38 year old Josh, who is ready for the double elimination.Â
Josh Angulo with a great one handed Aerial
C7: Is it like in the old days competing at the Aloha Classic?Â
Josh Angulo: It’s a different vibe. It’s still vety exciting. Across the board windsurfing was different back in the old days, but the event here on Maui has a lot of excitment stirring around it. Once I came down for the actual first day of competition I felt like it was a real thing happening on kind of a big scale. Â There’s definitely a big dynamic just by the fact that this event hasn’t happened in so long. But one thing that has never changed at the Aloha Classic is this is the event where the tour rankings are severly challenged due to all the rippers that sail on Maui.
C7: Did you feel as an underdog before the event started?Â
Josh Angulo: Well in one sense I felt a little out of place because there’s all the current “tour pros” and then you have the Maui day to day rippers and I’m not a part of either of those groups. However, I know at the end of the day it just comes down to you and your equipment and your peace of mind. I knew that my skill is quite high and I have a strong confidence in my equipment which I have tuned for years  and the peace of mind comes through my spiritual base in Jesus Christ.
C7: You live in Boston, sail a lot on wide fat Slalom boards, fight in 7 to 12 knots for positions, almost won Sylt and now this great performance on Maui? Aren’t you getting older man?Â
Josh Angulo: Dude, I’m totally getting older and my body felt it after that day of wave sailing. I sure am glad they took some days off, so I got to recuperate a bit. I’m definitely not in Ho’okipa shape.
C7: How can you preserve your fine technique through all the years. An Angulo in the 90ties looks great, an Angulo in 2000 looks radical and an Angulo in 2013 looks completely fresh? What’s the key?Â
Josh Angulo: Chris, you may get tired of this answer in the projects we do together, but having Jesus Christ in your life, heart, soul is a game-changer. So many amazing things can happen that you would never expect. So that is my only real substantial explanation. Obviously through my blessings I have been extremely well looked after by Gun Sails and I have for years sung praises about Renato’s wave designs.
C7: Your bro Mark is missing on the entry list. Are you disappointed about that as he is one of the most radical sailors at Ho’okipa?Â
Josh Angulo: Mark, might be missing physically, but his presence will always be felt at Ho’okipa. I honestly don’t think anybody would challenge the fact that he’s the greatest wavesailor that ever lived in Ho’okipa conditions. There’s always Mark Angulo story’s on the beach and most of the moves being done out there were invented or perfected first by him. I’m sure once he gets tired of farming pond snail in Florida, he’ll come spank everybody at Ho’okipa for a couple weeks before he goes back for the harvest.
Massive Aerial action during the single elimination
C7: You missed the final heat by almost nothing? Were you disappointed or is it possible for judges to see this minimal differences?Â
Josh Angulo: Every heat is really close. Actually not at all disappointed. I think I made the semi finals by only a tiny fraction in front of Camille. My brother was watching the live stream and he said it looked like they got pretty much every heat right except for Robby’s heat. So I believe that’s a good feedback in general and sounds like my heats were well judged. Those guys judging have a really difficult job and it looks like they did it well the first day.
C7: Do you still feel you can win the thing?Â
Josh Angulo: It would be really hard and some things would need to fall my way. But over the years , I have learned that in contests…… anything can happen!
C7: In the past there was this magic battle between you, Kauli and KP in down the line conditions. Now a few young rippers came up and give all of you a hard time. Who is the best?Â
Josh Angulo: Bernd is clearly the new kid on the block that’s just killing it at Ho’okipa. He will be a machine for years to come. Somebody  better make a phone call quick! Levi’s ripped for years, so no real surprise there. He has however continued to become more fluid, stylish and precise, which makes his act ever nicer to watch. I must say I was very impressed with Morgan, because I just remember him as this scrawny little blond kid that came to the beach and caught a few waves. He’s matured into a very well-timed solid Ho’okipa sailor and is a humble good guy, so lot’s of respect to him.
Bernd Roediger with stylish aerial action
C7: Is it possible to beat the new school fraction with classic wave sailing on classic boards?
Josh Angulo: Maybe I can better answer this afternoon  🙂  ,If you  get a young kid that does all the tricks and put him on a single fin and he’d still  do all the tricks, just bigger. I’m surprised how hard the young guys work to make windsurfing even more difficult by the equipment they ride. I see things in waveboard design that boggle my mind at how much it doesnt make sense and the crazier thing is the industry pushes it and then wonders why our sport is thinning out . Give me a board that palnes easy, cuts through chop, goes upwind, jumps well, and holds strong in waves……. does anything really beat a cleanly shaped single fin for overall windsurf performance?
C7: Will you stick to a specific tactics for the double?Â
Josh Angulo: I try to get the best waves and ride them well.
C7: What sort of conditions would you like to get for the double?Â
Josh Angulo: I like having some larger waves.
C7: How much gear did you bring to Ho’okipa and what sets did you use so far?Â
Josh Angulo:Â I brought 2 x Chango 88 production boards and a 4.7,5.3,5.7 Gun Transwave. I was here for Gun Sails photo shoot and I got a couple extra sails from the photo shoot, just in case…. all 5.3’s
C7: Thanks for the interview and good luck.
Josh Angulo: Thanks Guys and look forward to seeing everybody in Cabo Verde this winter for some great family time and waterworld www.angulocaboverde.com
©continentseven.com 2013, pics by PWA/Carter 2013
