Team rider Oda Johanne went on a Greek Escape to the windy island Naxos to train freestyle. She made a clip with PWA freestyler Maaike Huvermann. Check out their training session where Oda is late for training. We asked Oda some questions about the 2020 season and what her plan is for the upcoming weeks:
Hi Oda! Looks like you have been sailing a lot this year. 2020 has been different for all of us, how has it been for you?
Hi all! Despite the really hard times for people around the world, I have been lucky to be healthy and sail a lot. I started the year with a trip to Australia for 6 weeks. It was an amazing trip where I could really focus on wave sailing. Just a different kind of trip. Vanlifing in the desert riding wave after wave in Gnaraloo was probably the highlight. After Australia, I went to Aruba to train with Sarah-Quita at her home spots. And due to Corona, I was stuck on the island for more than 3 months. We were super lucky with the wind those months. I was almost every day powered on my 4.4 and iGnite 87L. When flights started flying again, I was home in Norway for a few weeks. And now I´m on a training trip to Naxos in Greece. It´s been refreshing and really motivating to sail and train at completely new spots so far in 2020!
How do you stay motivated without any 2020 world cups to look forward to?
It´s really not hard, as windsurfing is also my hobby! If I had another job, windsurfing would be the main thing I would try to do as much as possible. I´m mixing between freestyle, wave, slalom, and foil. I do it all, but the main sessions have been freestyle. Freestyle is, and probably forever will be my biggest passion. I have mainly traveled with team rider Sarah-Quita and we have just been putting in countless hours on the water on our iGnite boards in 2020. We have had so many epic sessions together. Even though we don´t compete for this year the motivation is bigger than ever. I guess that´s just what windsurfing is all about. Just learning new skills and wanting to improve every session. I was also lucky to sail with my friend Maaike Huvermann for two weeks in Naxos. We made this little clip that sums up some of the sessions we had together in fun conditions. Right in front of Laguna Beach Park, you have this perfect chop pretty close to the rocks on starboard tack. When you hit it right you fly high. It´s just like a skate park!
What are your plans after your trip to Naxos?
I really wanted to go to Pozo and train more in the waves, but it was harder to go there for us Norwegians due to COVID-19 rules. Greece is still a green country, so I thought it´s better to focus on freestyle these weeks. I have been loving it here. I have about a week left before I´m heading home to Norway for some windsurfing clinics. But I will not be home for too long. I will fly to Karpathos in Greece to host a windsurfing clinic from the 7th of September with Sarah-Quita. Really looking forward to a week full of coaching and great times with the group joining this clinic. Here you can read more about the clinic for intermediate windsurfers.
Hope to see you all on the water!
