Eksklusivt interview med Gonzalo Gosta Hoevel

Name: Gonzalo Costa Hoevel

Age: 28

Height: 1.81

Weight: 79

Goals for 2008: formula world champion, top 5 pwa ranks

Sponsors: neilpryde, maui fin company, F2

Gonzalo, how have you prepared the 2008 season? And how have you trained during the first half year of 2008?

I spent a lot of time at the gym on the months of january, february and march. On this period of time i sail on whatever i can, most of the time i go on formula gear to be quite tune for the midwinters (march) that i won this year.

Aftter that i went to maui to the photoshoots and i spent a lot of time on slalom gear. Almost two months training with Finian Maynard on slalom.

After that i went to the national spanish formula event that happened to be a week before the first grand prix at portugal. This gave me some good racing training and last tuning before the grand prix.

Any new initiatives from you in the 2008 season? (Equipment, your way of training etc.)

i actually took it more easy than normal years. Last years i would train like a machine just after coming back from the tour but this year i took a period to rest…then went to maui with my girldfriend..i took it seriously but more relaxed..

Which events do we get to see you in this season?

i did the midwinters on USA (1st), then Spanish Nationals (1st), Grand Prix Portugal (1st), Poland Grand Prix (2nd), Costa Brava PWA (5th), Fuerteventura PWA, Poland Formula Nationals, Formula Europeans, Turkey PWA, Formula Worlds, Sylt PWA, Southamerican Formula and Slalom, all three Grand Prix Brasil.

One of the big questions – who do you think will be your worst competitors in slalom and formula?

Slalom Antoine and Formula Antoine too..

I spook with you in Torbole, Italy, where you were doing some testing. I suppose you are a lot “on the road” travelling around the world for events. Can you tell a bit about how hard that actually is?

Well is actually really hard for me because i am from ARG so i dont have a base in europe. Right now i am going to fuerte with my lightwind slalom gear that i won’t use there, formula gear because i am going to poland afterwards..so having so much gear to travel it makes it hard sometimes.

But there are many good moments that are the events..!

Now you are a professional windsurfer and that is your job. Do you have some good advices to the young people, who are trying to become a professional to? (how/what to train, where to go for the winter etc).

I would suggest to young guys to come more to events during the european summer and try to beat the big names..that makes you improve a lot.

At your local places i suggest to work as a team with some more guys and go out sailng with them..this will encourage you to improve as well. Test and get to know your gear with them.

Winter??? maui if you want to go for the slalom..for formula AUS and STHA are good places to go.

When i started i went to my first important international event (US Open) with some sails that a shop would be sponsoring me, but with masts that were not the recomended one..no fins, yes no fins..so i borrow one from Jimy Diaz there..ha, funy story if i think about it now. Phil Mgain, Kevin Prithcard, Jimmy Diaz were the pros at this event but i lead the event until the last day. They would come to me and tell me who the fu..! are you???!!!!

I finished 4th there, after that i got many sponsorship offers..so guys go for it!

I am not a 190 guy with 90 kgs..i am pretty small compare to most of the guys but i still do good, i won many formula races and i won some slalom finals aswell…so size doesn’t matter…haha..

If you want to thank somebody you can do it now:

There are a lot of guys that i would like to thank that always helped me…from the first guy that sponsored me in ARG to my family..and all my friends that this fantastic sport gave me.

Thanks a lot for this interview and Riders.dk wish you all the best!