Q&A With Pro Wind Surfer Youp Smit

How did you get involved in the sport of windsurfing?


I got involved with the sport windsurfing since a very young age, I always loved extreme sports and the water, as a little boy at the age of 9 on one windy day at the beach I saw windsurfers jumping around and spinning around tricks. From that moment on I completely fell in love with the sport, a few years later I started to compete in national competitions and enjoyed it very much. Later on I started to reach the level of going to international competitions and by the age of 15 I was off to my first World Cup Freestyle Windsurfing ever. I was by way the youngest boy coming on tour and preformed very well against the men. I started to be seen by major brands in the windsurfing industry and my career as a professional windsurfer kicked off. But! I still had to be going to school! I did my ultimate best to finish off my economic and administration degree as soon as possible and started off with my dream of traveling around the world for my sport.

How long have you been windsurfing for?


I have been windsurfing for over 12 years now, and competing professionally 6 years

How many hours of training go into your sport every week, and does this training differ in style between seasons?


Endless hours! Training never stops. Plus once your having so much fun on the water, you completely forget about the time and hours fly by! But it’s not just training on the water that I need for my sport, power training exercises, stretching and mobility also plays a big role. The level on the World Tour is extremely high, so every tiny detail counts to be on form.

Where is your favorite location to windsurfing?

I have traveled all around the world and have seen many beautiful places, but I have to say for windsurfing my favourite location would be Sorobon Bay on my home island in the Caribbean ‘Bonaire’.

Which Spinnaker model is your favorite and why?

My favourite model must be the ‘Overboard’ model. It’s big, strong, and perfectly waterproof to 1000m! I feel comfortable and strong wearing this watch, it’s the number 1 watch in bag on tour.