A Different Approach – Arriving Before the Crowds
Most of my friends head to Brazil in November, but by then, Jericoacoara is packed. This year, my schedule lined up perfectly for an early-season trip, so I landed in mid-September. What awaited me? Perfect conditions, insane wind, and barely any crowds.
The wind was absolutely cranking in the beginning. My 4.4 stayed in the bag the entire time, and I didn’t even bother pumping up the wing. After a few days of getting dialed in, I started spending more time in the lagoon, which was firing on port tack and still solid on starboard.
Jeri at Its Best – Low Tide, Perfect Waves
What can I say about Jeri? When it’s low tide, it delivers some of my favorite conditions on the planet. The waves max out around head-high, with beautiful flat sections in between—perfect for technical freestyle and high-speed transitions. These were golden weeks, pure fun sessions with a small crew before the big crowds arrived.
A Shift in Focus – Airinside and a Trip Back to Europe
After weeks of pure windsurfing, it was time to switch gears. I started working intensely on the Airinside launch material, finalizing content and testing setups. But then, my trip took a temporary detour—I flew back to Europe for a week to cover Porsche Motorsport’s preseason testing. The break from the water was intense, but the contrast between high-tech racing and raw windsurfing energy always fascinates me.
Back in Brazil, it was straight into a hardcore Duotone shooting, another high-energy, high-focus project before shifting into full windsurf mode again.
Facing My Fear – Three Weeks in Maceió
After all the intensity, I moved to Maceió for almost three weeks—a place that held a deep mental challenge for me. Back in 2017, I broke my hand attempting a Pasko, and a few years later, I shattered my foot on the same move. Ever since, I had a mental block.
I knew it was time to face the fear head-on. No excuses. No waiting for perfect conditions. I took the Max Brinnich approach—no hesitation, just full commitment.
The first attempts were brutal—hard crashes, near misses, pure frustration. One session turned into two hours of non-stop wipeouts. At one point, I crashed so many times that I started questioning if it was even possible anymore. But then, as the wind backed off slightly, I finally started sticking them—five in a row (though my own style police wouldn’t count them as perfect).
The next day, my foot was in serious pain, but I knew I had to finish what I started. First run—landed. Within 20 minutes, I had five solid ones on video. Some were clean, some sketchy, but it didn’t matter—I had finally overcome the block.
Back to Jeri – Sending It Before Formula E in São Paulo
As my time in Maceió wrapped up, I headed back to Jeri for two full-send days in the lagoon. Then, it was straight to São Paulo for the Formula E race, flying out of Jeri’s tiny Narcos-style airstrip. The contrast between endless windsurf sessions and the intensity of motorsport never ceases to amaze me.
After a week in São Paulo, I returned to Jeri one last time. The wind had dropped, and rain showers rolled through occasionally, but with so many friends around, every session was still a blast. The lagoon was our playground, and I checked off a few more Spock combos from my list before wrapping up the trip.
The Takeaway – A Defining Chapter
In total, I spent 87 days in Brazil, and the trip was nothing short of a massive success. It reignited my passion for filmmaking in windsurfing, reminded me how much mental resilience this sport demands, and made me realize that progress at this level comes at a price—moves are now so difficult that fear is part of the process.
Next stop? Cape Town or back to the lake. See you soon on the water.
