Dieter Van der Eyken (Starboard / Severne) stormed into the PWA competition scene in 2010 and since then he has grown from strength to strength on the water. 2011 was a particularly successful year for Van der Eyken as he finished the year in eighth position and made it into the top ten at every event on the freestyle series. His high precision style is a delight to watch and often scores particularly highly with the judges. We managed to track down Van der Eyken in-between trips abroad and studying for exams to find out a little bit more.

PWA: Firstly, what are your thoughts on the 2011 season and how would you rate your result?

Van der Eyken: "2011 was a great season for me, I made it into the top 8 with a top 10 result at every event with my best in Vietnam scoring a 5^th place. At the beginning of the season I never expected this as I didn't have any winter training at all, I just went to Vietnam three weeks before the competition but besides that I was just home. So I would give my season an 8/10 considering the training."

PWA: How long have you been windsurfing?

Van der Eyken: "I've been windsurfing since I was seven so already twelve years. Actually I wanted to learn when I was four but my father couldn't find the proper gear back then so I had to wait till I was seven, but I was addicted from the first second."

PWA: Who has been you biggest influence on your sailing?

Van der Eyken: "I think that has to be Kiri because he has so much control in his maneuvers and has the best technique in the whole freestyle fleet."

PWA: What would you be doing if you weren't windsurfing?

Van der Eyken: "I have no idea, windsurfing has always been in my life. But I guess I would have been doing cycling as when I was young I was riding my bike day in day out."

PWA: Where is your favorite place to windsurf and why?
Van der Eyken: "I've sailed lots of places and it's hard to choose a favorite one but if I have to choose it would be Coronation (Geraldton) in Western-Australia, in November I did a trip there and loved that place as I could freestyle in the front where it was flat and wave sail 300 meters out where the waves where breaking.

PWA: What is your favorite move and why?
Van der Eyken: "Shaka definitely, I just love the feeling of flying through the air. You can do the move on flat water, in big chop and even off waves. The higher the better!

PWA: What move did you find the hardest to learn and why?
Van der Eyken: "Shaka, it took me a year to land my first one and another year to learn them with my eyes closed but it's definitely worth it, maybe that's why it became my favorite move because it took so long to learn."