Welcome back Björn Dunkerbeck, 42 x World Champion!
After a couple of years, Björn Dunkerbeck is back on Starboard’s Dream Team. Having this legendary athlete return once again to ride on our iSonic and Ultrakode’s makes us proud. In 2008 Björn signed with Starboard for the first time and won his final PWA Slalom world title on our iSonics in 2011. For 2022, we are stoked to sign Björn for the second time.
After retiring from the PWA World Cup, Björn has started his own Speed Sailing Events, the DUNKERBECK GPS SPEED CHALLENGE and is mentoring his 17-year-old son Liam, who’s just starting his career on the PWA World Tour. We caught up with Svein and Björn to bring you all the latest juice about this transfer.
@Björn welcome back!! What made you want to come back to Starboard?
Having Liam and myself on the same boards and sails makes a lot of sense to promote windsurfing strongly. I love working on the development side of things, and having worked with Starboard’s Dream Team for eleven years previously, I am sure there will be no problem getting back to business fluidly!
@Svein what made you want to have Björn back on the Team?
Well, Björn and I actually go way back! We were, in fact for a number of years teammates at F2 as far back as the ’80s. There I learned that besides being a good winner, Bjoern also is a good loser! In life and sports that are key elements to build true respect and legacy! To now work with both Liam and Bjoern is a fairy tale story for me and I very much look forward to developing loads of Watersports gear that will set new benchmarks in several different ways! Bjoern is the first athlete to join our Natural Provident Fund, a part of our task force to make live eco systems more valuable than dead ones! Thanks also to Eugen and Ulla, Bjoern’s parents who have paved the path for Bjoern and now see Bjoern do the same for Liam.
@Björn your son Liam is now one of the most promising young talents on the wave scene and on our Dream Team. How does it feel to be on the same Team as your son?
It’s great to be back with this focus and motivation for now and the future. This is for sure! Liam has improved a lot in the last years and has grown up and still has a lot to learn in the near future ,-)
How is your relationship with Liam? Are you properly mentoring him and passing on all your knowledge?
It’s excellent we always have a lot of action! We train a lot together in the water and off the water. Gym, bike, surf, sup, windsurf, wave, slalom speed and foil. Power on!
Björn and Liam during the Lüderitz Speed Challenge
@Svein what’s your favourite story from the times of sailing together with Björn?
Great question, I remember clearly that day in Omeazaki, Japan 1986: It’s blowing a little storm and Bjoern is for the very first time just about to win the World Cup final in slalom. 40meters before the finish line he falls and finishes last. Back in the team tent Bjoern just packs up his gear and goes about all as usual. At the closing ceremony, I stand beside another legend, Jerry Lopez that built the Surf Engineering fins for Bjoern. Jerry asks Bjoern what happened at the finish, Bjoern just says this: “Jerry, please build the fins a bit stronger next time”
@Björn what are your most exciting projects for 2022, and do you have any new years resolutions?
Defi Wind, Dunkerbeck Speed Challenge, Speed Worlds and Lüderitz Challenge. And the Dunkerbeck Documentary 90 min movie will also be ready for showing on Sylt during the World Cup at the end of September in the Cinema! Keep doing what I love.
@Svein what are you most excited about for the next year?
I think together with our board designer Remi Vila I am most excited about building boards for the 110 km mark, faster than cars are allowed to drive in Norway!
@Björn wave, speed, slalom, family fun or even freestyle, you do it all! Starboard has the right boards for all occasions, but what is your absolute favorite board model at the moment?
I can’t decide on just one model, I still enjoy it all and believe that’s one-off windsurfing most essential aspects and also the way it never gets dull combo. My favorite Starboards are the iSonic, Speed iSonic, Kode, Futura and iQFOiL and the Windsurfer LT!
Thanks Björn and Svein for those insights.
Would you like to find out more about Björn? Visit his website here.
