The young and talented Japanese windsurfer, Tomonori Anami, became the 2018 PWA Foil Youth Champion. He is 21 years old and studies Sports Science at the University of Kagoshima. We took a quick word with the young man about his windsurfing life.
How was your season?
This year, I became PWA Foil Youth World Champion. I was very surprised but really happy. I´m grateful to everyone who supported me to get the level I needed. Next year I will do my best again. My goal is to always challenge myself. Coming from Japan, I was wondering how far I could make it in the world of windsurfing. I´m happy to have challenged the windsurfing world. I´m proud that I finally got the best result winning the Youth Title.
Did you use the Starboard Foil 177L during the competition in Sylt?
Yes, I used the Starboard Foil 177 and the Race Foil. That set-up is very nice. I was super excited when I first used this board. It was easy to get speed and to foil upwind and downwind. A great feature is that the board is very stable. The waves were big in Sylt, which can make it difficult, but I feel I was saved by this board.
What is your next goal?
My next goal is to sail into a higher ranking in the men´s fleet. I will continue to challenge the world next year. I also want to help to make windsurfing bigger in Japan. Next year PWA and Defi Wind will be held here in Japan. I think this is a good trend. And I´m sure foil windsurfing will become very popular. Especially at the spots with light wind.
