Taty Frans (27) is one of the worldbest freestyle windsurfers living on the Caribbean island of Bonaire. After winning the last event on Sylt in 2009, he could as well win the first event this year, the Surf Worldcup Podersdorf at Lake Neusiedl in Austria. For 2010 he had the plan to get the Freestyle title. But a not perfect heat stopped his plans on Lanzarote. Currently he is ranked 6th on the PWA tour and the Sylt event could bring a discard and he could still make it on the overall podium.
Shaka - Pic: Maui Sails
C7: A bit more than two days are left before the big final will be on in Sylt. Are you excited already?
Taty: I am excited to go back to Sylt as the conditions can be anything from 10-50 knots. For sure it will be cold but I still love Sylt for everything. This place can offer food, great crowds watching the world of windsurfing, which we need to grow this sport.
C7: You can not win the worldtitle in freestyle anymore this season, but there is a good chance to make it on the podium. Are you going for the podium or what´s your plan?
Taty: My plan for the year was to win the title, if I may tell the truth, but then a small injury with my foot changed my whole mind and I lost the focus. But as for now I am looking for a podium finish! And more I am want to go heat by heat and do the best I can.
C7: How did you prepare? Any new tricks? You dominated the 2009 event!
Taty: Hurricane season really affected the wind this year on the Caribbean island, so after Fuerteventura I still haven’t been out on the water. There’s litterly no wind. So I guess new tricks are not in the pocket. Yes I did surprise everyone last year by winning the event at Sylt! And I am hoping to do good this year as well.
Taty Frans winning in Sylt last year - Pic: PWA/John Carter
C7: Will you show up with the 2011 Maui Sails Loco Freestyle sails at Westerland?
Taty: Yes I will use the 2011 Loco in Westerland!
C7: Tell us a bit more. What are the news for 2011? It is the 5th generation of the sail and two new small sizes are added!
Taty: Well, we add the 4.0 and the 4.4 for the ladies and also for guys, who want a freestyle sail, which is more suitable for windy sailing days. It was my plan to come up with these sizes as I believe that kids who are coming up also would like to have a lighter possible rig for freestyling and to be good in a short time. The future is what we should all look for.
C7: How much are you involved in the development of the Loco?
Taty: I am 100% involved in the development of the Loco’s together with Barry and Art. We work to bring you a great freestyle performance sail! Plus it’s also great in a light wave days. I love the 4.8 for wave sailing.
C7: The Loco is a pure Freestyle sail. Not many other brands offer a pure freestyle sail. Is that an advantage for you?
Taty: I guess Gaastra still have the ECHO sail, which is also a pure freestyle sail. Mauisails has the Loco, which is also a pure freestyle sail.
In my opinion these two sail brands have the best freestyle sail in the world you can get your hands on.
Taty with Gianna
C7: You are competing for 12 years now and you have a daughter. You are a real family on Bonaire. Is it harder now for you to travel around or to find the motivation to leave your family?
Taty: Windsurfing will always be my motivation to leave the island. It’s not harder for me to leave now, because I have a baby. At the age of 15 I left bonaire for a month to travel for the youth olympics in the US and Canada and France. At that moment it was hard for me, but as time goes by I got used to it. So it don’t affect me now.
C7: The freestyle tour is an exciting one in 2010. You could win the first event in Austria, but lost against your teammate Björn Saragoza on Lanzarote early in the elimination! Got the level much higher and is it now harder to get through the first rounds?
Taty: Bjorn is a great sailor and I gave him a hand to finish in the top 5 on Lanzarote. Great guy! He deserves it. As for me I got disturbed before going to Lanzarote and because of that reason I lost it all. Going through the heats it no longer easy for the last 2 years. A small mistake can make you suffer bad.
Taty with the 2011 Loco sails - Pic: Maui Sails
C7: You are 26 years old now. How long will you continue to compete in the freestyle discipline and when will you be back on the Slalom kit? Is wavesailing also interesting for you or perhaps formula, which you are training a lot at Bonaire?
Taty: I feel that I still have the potential to do another 2 years of freestyle. Wave sailing was always a way I wanted to go long time ago, but as I can’t really ride the waves on Bonaire this will be a weak point. But in jumping I can do most of the moves. Slalom will be a great way to go. I love racing! I will add 5 kilos and then it will be perfect for slalom discipline. I love Formula. If there’s a formula event in the area, where I can have easy access for my gear I will attend one formula event. I have two formula boards a 2009 and 2010LWR. So I am testing and I am training Formula as well.
C7: Are there places on our planet earth you would like to travel to windsurf!
Taty: Egypt, Dahab and Holland, Brouwersdam
Thanks for the interview and good luck on Sylt!
Interview © continentseven.com 2010
Good luck taty,remember We love u a lot…….
Remember you have a COLGATE SMILE 🙂 so this event is especially for you!
Good Luck in Sylt!
May the wind blow to take our kisses to you (also to make it possible for sailing of coarse …hihi)
Good luck, Taty. Great you got a signature fin by Maui Ultra Fin now. It looks really great!