Jamie Hancock produced a nice, short clip featuring UK’s top pro Ross Williams at Niton on the island of Wight. They filmed the clip in November 2013 and shows, that windsurfing is fun in the UK in late autumn. You just need booties and a warm wetsuit. Niton is located nearby the most southern cape on the Isle of Wight. 

 

“When I read my first Windsurf magazine there was a shot of Ross mid back loop on an old blue board and yellow Gaastra sail beautifully shot from the water by John Carter. There was this stunning steep backdrop and I remember not being to work out in my head how you could be jumping so close to a cliff and that England even had places like this. It was basically where my obsession with windsurfing all started. That picture was cut out and stayed on my bedroom wall for years.

A couple of days ago I went over as a foot passenger on the hover craft from my home town Portsmouth with one board bag, a tripod and my camera stuff to score a day at Niton. I filmed for 2 hours with one battery then went for a sail. The conditions aren’t exactly classic Niton and was a bit onshore, but nevertheless I like the clip and is one that’s a bit special to me.” Jamie Hancock

 

Additionally to the video, we have hooked up with Ross for an interview about his 2013 windsurfing season, his foot injury and his plans for next year.

 

Watch the great video and read the interview below

Filmed: Jamie Hancock
Location: Niton, Isle of Wight
Date: November 2013

 

 

C7: What’s up Ross. The competition season came to an end for 2013. Happy about that? 

Ross Williams: Yeah, I think it was a pretty low session for me. There were a lot of other things going on that took away my attention. I put a 100% effort into every event, but it seemed to never really come together. I had a few bad races and a few mistakes. 

 

C7: Wasn’t it a very busy year for you, with being UK agent for Tabou/Gaastra, too?

Ross Williams: I was super busy all year, with everything in the UK taking up lots of my time. It’s just another part of my story as a prowindsurfer. I had a really enjoyable year connecting with sailors and shops in the UK. I also had some great trips wave sailing and competing in slalom and waves. 

 

C7: Happy about the 2013 season?

Ross Williams: I am happy with what I have achieved because I know I put 100% into it. So the results at a contest are not going to get me down when I did make such big changes in my life. I am happier now then I have been for a long time. 

 

C7: You sailed much more at your home spots and you participated a lot in local events! Was it a good experience and did you enjoy it? 

Ross Williams: Yeah sailing and competing in the UK is great. Everyone is very nice and I feel I can give back to the sport and young kids that I interact with.

 

C7: You have won a PWA Slalom in your career, you became Formula World Champion, what will come next? On what will you put the focus?

Ross Williams: I think I will finally take 1 year to focus just on slalom on the PWA. I think I owe myself that.

 

C7: Do you have any winter dreams?

Ross Williams: My winter dreams are of training in the UK, sailing as much as I can. Spend some time with my family and friends and get charged up ready to bring it on next season.

 

C7: Jamie produced a compact nice atmospheric clip about you sailing at Niton, Isle of WIght? When was that? 

Ross Williams: Jamie is really doing some nice clips and it came together quite nicely I think. The clip is from Niton which is one of my home spots. It was filmed in about 2 hours, most of which I was falling in the water, it was really on shore but you can’t tell that from the film. In the end I had about 20 minutes that I just started to get into the swing of the place again and thats what you see in the clip. Just a normal day sailing in the UK.

 

C7: Do you like the spot?

Ross Williams: It’s one of the spots that can be really good on the island. I haven’t sailed much in the UK and the Island for years, but that is changing again and I am loving it all over again. My family lives on the island, it’s a pretty big place. But maybe it’s special to me because its where my windsurfing began.

 

C7: You are one of few sailors, who can score in all disciplines and are one of the most versatile sailors. That needs a lot of training? Do you still find enough time for all disciplines and will you compete in waves on the PWA tour next season again?

Ross Williams: It’s very nice to hear that people think of me in this way, but really I just enjoy sailing and it doesn’t matter what I am riding. It’s really hard to compete these days in more than one discipline so for the coming years I will focus on one and then maybe change the next year and focus on the next one. The level is getting really high in each discipline and also it’s money and it’s harder to find the right support that will allow you to do this.

 

C7: Would you like to have an overall title back again?

Ross Williams: I don’t think a lot about that. It’s enough just to be able to keep sailing and spending my days the way I want to.

 

C7: R&D for Tabou/Gaastra is something you are involved, too. Ho much time takes that?

Ross Williams: I will help with the R&D as much as I can, I want to make the best products for every sailor to use. When they need me I try my hardest to do a good job along with the rest of the team. We are all very committed to these brands.

 

C7: You had an injury, bone fracture,  earlier the year. Did you recover 100%?

Ross Williams: Yeah I had a fractured talus (ankle bone) it was from kitesurfing….. very poorly hahaha….. It’s better again now and doesn’t restrict me at all.

 

C7: One last question: Windsurfing will be an Olympic discipline in 2020 again. Happy about that or would you prefer to see a different discipline (class) instead of.

Ross Williams: I am happy to see windsurfing in the Olympics and I also hope one day kitesurfing will find the way into it, too, along side windsurfing.

 

C7: We wish you a great winter, enjoy the time on the water and off the water, too and see you in 2014!!

 

©continentseven.com 2013

Share