Dario Ojeda is a core wave windsurfer and a waterman. You can put him on any board, windsurfboard, SUP, shortboard, longboard… Dario cuts a fine figure. Dario is one of the few guys, who knows every rock at Pozo Izquierdo, who rides the waves almost on the bunker and who places his jumps, where other riders just try to escape from the rocks and sea urchins.
This year, after the wave events on the Canaries, Dario decided to stop competing for the rest of the year. He travelled to Indonesia and focused more on his other passion Jiu Jitsu. “In Windsurfing”, Dario says, “he has nothing to prove anymore”. This is actually true, he shared podiums with Victor Fernandez and Philip Köster at Pozo more than once. On the one hand Dario loves windsurfing, it is one of his passions, but on the other hand some things in professional windsurfing started to frustrate him, that’s why he decided to stop competing after to events last year.
Dario at his club and at at his home spot Pozo (Pic: Ojeda; Carter/PWA)
Dario escapes the white water with an Aerial
Dario Ojeda, wave windsurfer from Gran Canaria, in an interview 2015
Continentseven: Hola Dario, how are you doing? What happened since July 2014, after we had met for the last time on Gran Canaria?
Dario Ojeda: I’m doing well. At the moment I just spend time at home right now. I am actually a lot of time in the water surfing, windsurfing, SUP and also spending a lot of time running my academy plus training and competing in some international events. We just had another bad summer at Pozo. It’s the second year that the conditions didn’t match with the dates of the event. So unfortunately they decided to run the events with poor conditions making it a lottery for everybody pretty much. Then at Tenerife the conditions were really difficult as the tides and wind have to match, too and things weren’t that good for me. So I stopped competing after Tenerife and travelled to Southeast-Asia and just used the time for other things.
Dario in a Tabletop Forward rotation (Pic: PWA/Carter 2014)
Continentseven: But in the meanwhile you were already back on the water with your windsurfing gear. How was it?
Dario Ojeda: I had a break after Tenerife. I didn’t feel like windsurfing so much for many reasons. One of them was that we had not so good conditions at the events. Then I was a bit frustrated with my personal results at Pozo and El Cabezo, but I guess it was just bad luck that we had no conditions for the second year in a row in Pozo. Instead I travelled to Indonesia, spent some time there then returned and spent a lot of time training Jiu Jitsu and started to compete as I wanted to try competing in another sport. I guess I felt more attracted by Jiu Jitsu as it’s a new thing for me as a competitor and it brings me more joy than windsurfing at this moment. So every time I passed by the beach I didn’t feel like I want to windsurf unless it was a pretty good day. So I guess it was a good day when I returned on the water the other day. I saw nice breaking waves and excellent wind. So I went to the water, felt great as I nailed several good moves like Goiters, plenty of Backside 360s and all the hardest moves. I am very happy to be back windsurfing at that level.
Surfing a little tube
Continentseven: You stopped competing after the events on the Canaries this season. Why?
Dario Ojeda: To be honest, there are many reasons, why I stopped competing or not followed the next events of the tour. I love windsurfing and it means a lot to me, but I see so many things that are wrong in this sport that we could change to bring it back to what it was. Now I will talk as a professional and this is my opinion and hope many people will understand my point of view. We were not able to compete in proper Pozo conditions for the last two years. The last 2 times when we had good conditions in 2011 and 2012 I finished in 3rd and together with a good performance on Tenerife I was able to fix a good overall ranking. Then I had enough support from sponsors to be able to attend the other events.
It’s also frustrating, as you know, it’s really hard to make a living out of the sport nowadays and I don’t feel it’s attractive going to a world class event and see that a judge earns more money than a windsurfer unless you get into top 6 or we get thrown to compete with no wind or no suitable conditions just because the organizer decided so. At that moment I don’t see that the sport is attractive, when they start competing at Sylt in totally onshore conditions on a no wind day, where they can even hardly do a loop. I think it’s not the kind of windsurfing we do or want to show in a world class event. So, things like this push me away of this competition scene, but I will continue windsurfing, because it’s a great sport and you may see me on some events hopefully. If I will get some support from a sponsor, I will do them for sure.
Dario goes for a huge Forward in 2012 (Pic: PWA/Carter 2012)
Continentseven: Are you disappointed with your results this year?
Dario Ojeda: I’m not disappointed at all. I don’t need to prove myself as a great windsurfer in a competition. I prove it every day when I go sailing. I push my limits every time. Competition is a great thing, but many people are doing good in competitions when there are tricky conditions and get a lucky heat and they win. It doesn’t mean that they are better windsurfers. So saying this I know how I’m doing in the water and how my level is.
Continentseven: What means windsurfing to you at the moment?
Dario Ojeda: Windsurfing is one of my passions and my way to disconnect from everything while I am out on the water. It makes me a better person when I get out. It’s the place where I find peace. But I also have some other passions that I kind of have similar feelings so far and you start to set priorities as your life goes on and your life is placed.
Continentseven: Will you return on tour in 2015 or will you follow your own tracks?
Dario Ojeda: I will return to do some events like Pozo or Tenerife and some others if I find a sponsor as I have no sponsors right now. Hopefully 2015 will be a good year for Pozo and I manage to be on that podium again plus I will continue to focus on my academy training as I will continue competing on this sport swell.
Dario surfs waves at Pozo Izquierdo
Maui action
Continentseven: Did you follow the events and the victory of Thomas Traversa?
Dario Ojeda: I am really happy for him to win the world title. He deserved it as he is really good rider and a good person. I think everything comes at the right moment. You only have to be patient and continue working hard. For some it comes earlier and for some other later.
Continentseven: You are 34 years-old. Do you still have the motivation to give it all to get results like in 2012, when you finished in 3rd at Pozo?
Dario Ojeda: I am 34, but I am in a better shape than I was at the age of 18. I train 6 hours a day Brazilian Jiu Jitsu plus an hour at the gym and I still have plenty of time to spend in the water. So I think I still have some energy for being an old man.
Continentseven: Will you stay on the Canaries during the whole winter?
Dario Ojeda: It’s been really good starting with a lot of swell. I’ve been spending a lot of time in the water lately. So I may stay around here, but I planned to go to Cape Verde (e.n. the first AWT event of the year will be held on Cape Verde in February 2015) and move around to other islands here as we have really good waves.
Continentseven: Thanks for the interview and we wish only the best for your future!
Dario fights Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
Dario with a nice Aerial at Punta Preta (Pic: PWA/Carter)
©continentseven 2015
Gary S is right. Better live 5 exciting years in the top 10 pro wave fleet than 10 years like a small creep. If it depends on me I will make pro windsurfers millionaires and football players live on 100 pounds a week (only the best,though).
i think the whole discussion has become unfair to Dario. its like everybody feels he needs to mock Dario, i do regret now to have started this criticism, its good give some criticism,and in my opinion some comments had a point here, but now… comments like “he should quit now,sport does not need him” and alike? what is that? mocking is the last thing one needs in situation where one scored results far below ones skills,and that under (as we all know) unfavorable conditions and rules, come on guys… Dario hopefully keeps strong anyway, and ignores the mocking…
You miss a point: When he is interviewed on continentseven he speaks as a professional and in particular always representing the professional windsurfing world. Possibly Dario is also not aware – which would not be good. Lack of professionalism is certainly one of the reasons for the decline in windsurfing.
But what is professionalism? Professional in sports means getting paid. I have just as much respect for good amateur surfers that do it for the love than for pros. Also, it’s easy to be humble and support the system for the guys that win. So don’t compare Dario to guys like Browne and Traversa in that respect. Dario is a big talent in the sport of windsurfing who speaks honestly about the way the competition world works. I personally find this very interesting and would never think less of a person for speaking honestly. Politics and luck are part of… Read more »
True, no doubt. This is not meant to be a rude critisim, not everybody is meant to go to the top and that’s good.
Being professional, talking out your thoughts without thinking too much or being succesfull are correlated. There is a good reason why people like Traversa and Brawzinho eventually made it to the top – they were looking for their chances and found them! Such people are inspiring.
But at the same time, the public memory is short for those who win. Traversa has been one of the most out spoken riders against the system. Even here in the comments of continentseven he has talked trash about the way things are. But he is an epic surfer and maybe that makes it easier to view him in a positive light. The question is that if Dario was next year world champion, what would he say about the tour? And what would the comments say about him? These are questions we dont’ know the answers obviously. But would answer… Read more »
Depends on what they have in mind… There are enough sport clubs that keep fighting verbally and produce a lot of interest by doing so, right? Clearly a bad comparison though…
Most of the so-called professional windsurfers, are actually amateurs in terms of salary and they do it for the love of the sport. I am not sure for how many windsurfers the term “professional” is still correct, maybe for the top 5 (maybe 10) in each discipline?
Does the “professional windsurfer” still exist nowadays? In my opinion, professional windsurfing has become a hobby for most of the competitors and the tour is only existing, because many of the windsurfers invest own (parents/earned) money. I am waiting until this “professional competition bubble” explodes…
Actually @medea, you are not so correct. Just looking at the wave sailing pro riders. I count at least 20 guys that make a living just from windsurfing. For fun, I put some names below for guys that make a living. And I try to guess the amounts these get. On the highest level with 100.000++ a year: Jason Polakow Philip Koster Marcilio Browne Then on the next level with between 30.000 and 100.000 salary would be: Kevin Pritchard Victor Fernandez Ricardo Campello Kauli Seadi Alex Mussolini Thomas Traversa Graham Ezzy Flo Jung Camille Juban Robby Swift Klaas Voget Levi… Read more »
I think he is just frustrated because it is very hard for him to get overall results in a full tour that includes starboard tack events…
some riders looked so consistent just because the only wave events were in pozo, tenerfie and some times sylt…
There is a lack of humility here. Some guys worked really hard to progress in there weakneses and are windsurfing amazing.
Well, i guess its called discussion then… Whats your opinion Kerstin? I absolutely see his point focusing on other Sports and things, as hes been doing it for so Long and having great results. But lets say in General, do you think its professional to quit because you dont like the format? We all know that there are improvements to be made, some simple, some tough, but still – its the same rules for everybody and as long you call yourself a professional windsurfer: that should be your stage.
Again: Not meant personally, i’m a big Fan of E-211!!
Schlendergang, im with you on this one. Besides, being a professional means more than being good in comps. Most of the guys, just like Dario, dont even have a website, apparently its on continentseven etc. to ask them for interviews and so on. Its not a big sport so nobody gets attention just by doing big backloops. From the pozo kids its just eleazar alonso who frequently posts stuff, the rest is just surfing their homespot and no one will ever notice, plus the spanish market is so small it makes everybody getting german sailnumbers (like Köster, stillrich, mauch) Dario… Read more »
Why does this happen so often? As soon as someone says, “I don’t like …a, b or whatever” in windsurfing, he gets called a whiner. It is allowed to say what you think and what you feel. Other people don’t speak out loudly, but they maybe think the same.
I thought the same when reading and stopped before the end shaking my head. This was actually very similar with Ceballos’ interview when he quit.
There are all those not super talented slalom riders that do the tour for fun with no chance of getting any close to a podium. Great!