Hello there! My name is Oda Sverre and I love windsurfing! I am a 16-year-old windsurfer located in Oslo, Norway. Cruising around the sea is an indescribable feeling. Full power in the sail and my hair blowing in the wind. It is just me out there and it makes me feel so free and alive. I absolutely love it. I also love the feeling when I see improvements in my technique. I always strive to become a better windsurfer. Below you can read more about my windsurfing life.
STARTED WINDSURFING 5 YEARS AGO
I started windsurfing five years ago. Every summer I used to go to a summer camp at my local sailing club. I was always excited about the last day because then we were going to windsurf. Windsurfing was so much more fun than all the other activities. I started windsurfing in 2015 and I have never looked back. I think I windsurfed every day that first summer and at the beginning of autumn, I was planing and sailing in both foot straps.
During these five years, I have traveled a lot for both competitions and training. For the first three years, competitions and organized training were all about Bic Techno, and slalom was just for fun. In 2018 I attended my first IFCA slalom championship and from 2019 it has been all about slalom and no more Bic. This year I also started foiling, which I love. It feels like flying like a bird high over the water.
Today my whole life is about windsurfing and school. The list of possible competitions this season was long, with IFCA events, PWA slalom/foil events, and foiling course events. But with the global pandemic, it has been all about training so far. I still have some small hope that the PWA in Marignane and iQFoil Worlds at lake Garda will take place as planned.
BECOMING STRONGER WITH TRAINING
I go to athletics school and I have physical training every day. The training is a mix of running, strength, coordination, or gymnastics. I also started CrossFit this winter to become stronger and fitter. After windsurfing this is the training I like the most. I am very privileged to have parents who drive me to training and competition. My windsurfing training is usually very varied depending on the wind. I either train foil course, foil downwind or slalom. We have great coaches at my local sailing club KNS. If it is no wind in Oslo, we usually drive further out the fjord.
I have had a few weeks of winter training in El Medano in Tenerife, for the last four years. In the last two years, I joined the TWS pro slalom training. The training in El Medano is really good since the conditions are tricky and varied. It prepares you for almost all conditions. In Norway, I sail when the conditions allow it. Last season ended in November and the first time on the water this season was in January.
FAVORITE GEAR
My favorite slalom set up is when I sail my Starboard iSonic carbon reflex 77 with my 8.6 Severne Mach 3. I love how fast it is and how good it feels.
When it comes to foiling I have not tried too many combinations yet, but I am really happy with the iQFoil set up from Starboard and Severne. I am also happy with my Starboard Foil Race 177 and the Severne Hyperglide 8.
FAVORITE DISCIPLINE
It is hard to choose a favorite discipline. I must say that I have really fallen in love with foiling. Just the feeling of flying high over the water is indescribable. On the other hand, I love the speed on slalom and how fast the iSonic glides through the water. The intensity of the slalom competitions is also amazing.
ODA`S GOALS
I have just started my windsurfing career and right now I am just focusing on having as much fun and learn as much as possible. My short-term goals are to achieve a top-three result in the IFCA Slalom Worlds/Europeans and to make it to the A-finals in PWA slalom/foil. In the long term, my goal is a top three in PWA slalom/foil. It would be really cool to qualify for the Olympics too. With these goals, I should have enough to strive for the next years!
