Windsurf – August 2019

70 AUGUST 2019

DORIAN VAN RIJSSELBERGHE

MONEY
We definitely do not make big money, even after two golds. I think I earn
similar to the top PWA riders. We are fortunate enough to have government
funding so we have a base salary we can count on. On top of that we need
to also pick up sponsors to do a proper job at it. I always tell people I am
not buying big houses all over the world, I am just a regular guy who loves
windsurfing and why would I quit something that I love to do.

DORIAN FOUNDATION
This is a foundation on the island of Texel where I grew up to help talented
athletes participate in bigger events not only on the island but also on the
mainland. It is not just giving them money to help them out but more
finding out what they need and using my contacts to aid them. So I am
using all the connections that I have built up over the years with the people
around me and putting them to good use to make shortcuts for all the kids.

FARM IDEAS
My dad has some radical salt farming ideas. He is growing vegetables for
salt water conditions. A lot of the world has a problem with rising seawater
levels, which obviously contains salt water and that makes a lot of land
unusable. There are a not a lot of crops that can grow in these areas. He has
been developing with some Dutch universities new plants and rediscovering
old plants that have resistance to salt water.

WAVES FESTIVAL
WAVES is a sports and music festival on Texel that I created. In the last three
or four years we have had a windsurf race around the island. It is a super cool
event. This year we will also have a foil grand prix and the idea behind that
is to do as much foiling as possible with different formats. There will be lots
of music to make it a bit like Sylt. I really wanted to have an event like that.

CALIFORNIA

I moved to California because of my wife who is Canadian. She started a

cosmetic company and the main laboratory that they use for all their skin

care products and lipsticks is based in Los Angeles. I hardly windsurf over

there as it is not a super windy place, but for surfing and surf foiling it is very

good. As for the future, in recent years I have only looked four years ahead at

a time and then it is just a countdown to the next Olympics and then again

to the next one. After that I have no idea to be honest!

“I AM JUST A REGULAR GUY WHO

LOVES WINDSURFING.”

Dorian on the fly!

Dorian is one of our most

decorated Olympic readers!