Hi Matteo! It’s been a different year! A year without any PWA racing! How do you stay active and motivated?
One year without PWA racing has been weird. My whole life has been based on racing and competitions for the last 10 years. At the same time, it gave me time to focus on other stuff. I could travel a bit and also focus a bit on myself. I stay motivated because I love windsurfing, surfing and just living on the beach. I need the extra push to train for racing and stuff, but I did have more time to also have sessions in the waves surfing and windsurfing.
We see you spend a lot of your training months in Tenerife. Tell us about a normal day there.
Tenerife became my 2nd home throughout the last 7-8 years because I came here for training in the winter. The island life here is good. It’s windy, wavy, with great food and people. The island can offer so much with its nature. Mountain biking, hiking, anything! A normal day would be waking up at 7.30 am. Eat breakfast, check the forecast, get a message from Robin who tells us the training schedule of the day. Prepare lunch and a second breakfast. Go to the beach, check the conditions. Visit my SurfHub center. Rig up and get the iSonic and Foil Slalom boards ready. And then everything is good to go for a day on the water. Normally we do 3 sessions of 5 starts each. One session is around 1 hour and 15 minutes. In-between the sessions we have some time to eat. After the training, I pack up my gear, go home and rest. We either stay home or meet up for a beer with the other riders.
Looking back, do you think it was good with a year break from the PWA tour?
Looking back I don’t think it was nice to have a break. It’s been fun and less stress, but when you are at the apex of your career you just want to keep going and compete. When we say it’s been good I think it´s just a way for us to see things differently. In the end, if we want to slow down and take a break, then it would be better to do that for ourselves instead of a pandemic deciding it. I don’t think it´s been good, it’s just been different and you try to adapt to the situation.
What was the best and the worst for you during these corona times?
The best was that I have time during the season to do different stuff. I could go on a road trip in June/July when I normally would be really busy. I visited places I have never been to. I was so relaxed for a month. Normally I’m never relaxed when I have time off as I would worry about being too tired, losing weight… So I got a month of vacation where I could relax. As I said the worst has been that I feel I´m at the apex of my career. It can last long, but having a forced break slowing down at this time has not been the best for me.
Without any PWA Slalom and Foil events, are you curious about the level after a year without competitions?
I’m really curious about the level after a year without contests. Everything can change and some guys stopped also. Other riders are coming stronger I think. Hopefully, we will compete in some months, and there is a lot of time to improve your performance or lose your skills. Let’s see what will happen!
Who do you see as your biggest competitors on tour?
There are many guys coming up, but from last year I would mention two riders: Pierre Mortefon and Antoine Albeau. Pierre is my age and he will probably be in the game as long as I have my career. And Antoine is really strong and fit with a lot of experience.
Can you mention the best moments in 2020 for you?
Yes, there are especially three really good memories that I can look back on. One was when I went with my girlfriend Blanca around Spain in a van. I would mention being in Tenerife in November. It was really good for wave sailing and surfing. And last I think it was special to be able to be home for a month during the summertime without any stress. It was amazing.
Matteo lachino has spent the last 12 years always on the road. Competing, training and working hard to be the best in the world. When Covid put a stop to competition season he took some time out to enjoy what he loves most: spending time with friends and riding waves. Check out a great video made my Franz Orsi where they explore Galicia.
