38 JULY 2019
BALZ MÜLLER
Balz is the man for foil freestyle.
STRAPLESS
Back in Australia Patrik Diethelm actually screwed the straps off my board
because I had such a swollen ankle. To be honest I don’t feel I have recovered
since then. Right now I also have pain in my knee. I feel like an old grandpa
in his seventies. My knees are not that smooth anymore, but when you are
doing what you love the pain does not feel so bad. In Australia they took the
straps off my board because I did not want to stop. I had to go strapless. It
was actually a lot of fun. I would not say sailing strapless is the future but it
was nice. I really think I should take a rest to allow my knees to recover but
I just can’t.
THE HELMET
The helmet started when we were kids. I have two brothers and we all were
on a similar level and by ten we were already trying forward loops. It got to a
point where my dad had to make us wear helmets otherwise he did not feel
safe. There were a few times he had to drag us out of the water after almost
passing out doing catapults or whatever. He was more relaxed when we all
wore helmets. He told us we were not allowed to windsurf without them
until we were 18. I have kept my helmet since then, the one I have is almost
twelve years old. As I have grown I have had to cut out some of the foam
inside so it will fit me. I feel so much more in control with the helmet on.
It makes me more comfortable, confident and able to risk more. In Cape
Town I lost my helmet in mast high waves. My gear and the helmet went
in different directions. My instant reaction was to swim for my helmet and
not the gear. That was Whitsands in mast high waves, the helmet came first!
I can’t use other helmets, I have become attached to this one. It is also good
to protect your ears.
WINDSURFING FUTURE
My goal is to have my own boards on which I am able to have the most
fun on the water. I am so happy to be in the sea surfing, windsurfing or
foiling. I have so much energy and I need to get rid of it all. Windsurfing
is one of the beSt ways to get rid of it and helps me stay fit too, and with
foiling I now get so many hours on the water. In the end for me it is also
like meditation being on the water. I don’t want to quit this. Competition
sailing is not the way I see myself sailing in the future. It does not suit me
and I want to travel the world rather than going to the same two or three
places which sucks. That takes up all my free time, which I could spend
travelling to other places. It would be nice to be world champion one day,
but for me I feel that would be almost impossible. I think for me it is more
important to go see the world and travel to new places. With foiling I can
explore almost anywhere. My goal is to be on a boat, having foils, surfboards
and everything with me and just jump off the boat and be able to have fun.“COMPETITION SAILING IS NOT
THE WAY I SEE MYSELF SAILING
IN THE FUTURE.”
Balz getting up close and personal
with his foil.