Jaeger Stones interview

If anyone has been at any of the recent PWA wave events there has been one sailor that has been turning a lot of heads and causing a lot of attention. Jaeger Stone from Australia has been traveling around and really making a mark on the PWA circuit. We caught up with him with one event to go the PWA Grand Slam in Sylt.

Jaeger are you happy with your performance so far in the PWA events?

I was actually really disappointed with my result in Pozo. I was really fit, my gear was tuned well and I could have, and should have done a lot better than 17th, but I just stuffed up, and have to gain more competition experience and learn how to sail them properly. The only real pressure I feel is from myself too, so I need to learn how to control that factor a bit more.

There have been many articles mentioning how good your looking on the water at the minute how have you prepared for the events this year?

I get pretty motivated before events so I do a lot of other training, things like swimming, bike riding, surfing, a lot of stretching and occasionally some light weights. Also try and watch what I eat, drink lots of water and get out windsurfing whenever I can. I like to go to the event a few weeks earlier, tune my gear, sort out the spot, and get use to the conditions too.

What boards have you been competing with? How have you found them?

I’ve been competing with custom made thrusters. They are going really well for me, and I prefer them waveriding to any other board. I felt that my 68l board in Pozo could have had a bit thinner rails, as it was harder to bury the rail in the stronger winds. I had my smaller 60l board, but unfortunately in one of my heats I ripped out the footstrap plug. I ended up sailing the rest of my heat with one of Boujmaa’s biggest boards, overpowered on a 3.3, with my feet barely able to fit in the straps and luckily I got through.

I was really looking forward to Brazil and Scotland this year, because both those places have similar conditions to home, which I do most of my testing and training in.

I’ve just had a new board shaped now, similar to my previous big board but thinner rails. Had a few sails on it here, in very light winds and it feels really good. Also testing a new twin fin which feels pretty good too.

How are you preparing for the PWA event in Sylt?

Just doing most of the stuff I mentioned above, stretching, eating well and getting out whenever I can in all sorts of conditions. Also just making sure I’m comfortable with all my gear and it’s all tuned correctly.

Out of the competitors you are a lot younger than most of the guys out there what is like competing with the likes of Kevin Pritchard and josh Angulo?

It’s pretty cool going up against those older guys. The pressure’s not really on me, because I’m just starting out, and there’s no shame losing to former world champs who have been on tour for years. The pressure’s on them, they would hate to lose to a 17 year old kid.

Great to hear and see Jaeger doing his thing on the PWA.
Jaeger, any chance you could up-date to an "AUS" sail number?

All the best...