Ross Williams: Have Board, Will Travel

Ross Williams stands in front of the camera on the second floor of an old and decrepit abandoned building. Someone, somewhere had started to build this construction but over the years had never finished. The open concrete floors are full of rubble and dust, but the background Ross looks out over is of the clear blue sky overlooking the sunny and warm beach, giving this old building a sense of hope. Ross is correcting his long brown hair and is narrowing his blue eyes from the sun. He is always with a smile and stands before the camera patiently, waiting for the interview to start. Here we go…

“The Windsurfing Lifestyle is travel, seeing new cultures, great beaches, warm weather and of course, just a lot of windsurfing” - begins Ross.
Ross, standing here in front of us at 28 years of age, says about himself that he has finally grown up. Known once for his huge temperament - some might say, a temperament that is typically English – today Ross could be described as a very calm, warm and kind personality. His shaggy brown hair and wide smile, give away no other possible meaning.

Ross is an Englishmen with an Argentinian heart. Straight up and funny as the typical English are, and very familiar and warm as we certainly associate with South Americans. Ross seems to be carefree or at least keeping his cares for himself. He was born on Isle of Wight, an island on the south of England. On this beautiful island scientists discovered plenty of dinosaurs’ remains. When the tide is out on the southern beaches you can see these remains very clearly. This Ancient Island is also famous for incredible nature. Among the amazing views of the rocky cliffs grew up Ross Williams, in an environment of wind and the water.

Sport was always a tradition in his family. His father, Ceri, opened a Sport Centre in 1984 on the Isle of Wight which is still active these days. Ceri’s pro-windsurfing activity (currently he is the Chairman of the ’Formula Windsurfing Class’) inspired Ross to follow this sport. Ross grew up at the beach.

Whenever I was hanging around anywhere, water and sport were always near me. I took it natural that these two factors are and always will be part of my life…

…says Ross with convenience. The decision to start professional windsurfing is always a hard decision. You’re leaving your family and friends and time for your private life disappears immediately. You miss everybody all the time that you’re on the road; kilometers from home. And then you have to be strongly aware that it is worth it to make this choice. With these risks involved, probably that’s the reason windsurfing requires courage. But finally enjoying the windsurfing lifestyle is worth that devotion. – touches on Ross.

That’s why when Ross turned 17, he decided that windsurfing is what he was going to do for the rest of his life. The quiet and charming life on the Isle of Wight and all his friends who Ross describes as “some of important things in the world” had to be partly left behind for a chance to explore the World.

Friends.

I love my friends, they are such great people! – says Ross expressively. He is talking about his school friends who still are living on the Isle of Wight. While this Englishman talks about his mates you can really notice the regret and nostalgic roots in his eyes. We did so many crazy things together – mentions Ross with warm smile.

Ross’ friends supported him in his decision to start a professional career in windsurfing. They just accepted his different choice of lifestyle. He took some of them once on a trip to South Africa.

I was windsurfing and my friends were just enjoying the sun. But I was happy to have them with me. I wanted just show them what I am doing in my life.

Keeping with important traditions, Ross attended school until he was 18. He took Art and Geography as his main majors for the last two years of school. I tried also a Technology Design Course, but it didn’t suit me that much. I left it after two weeks - he mentions with an ironical smile. When Ross started to think seriously about his windsurfing career he couldn’t devote that much time for school.

But my teachers were fine with that, they knew that I was made for flowing on the waves!

Over the years enjoying the windsurfing lifestyle Ross has become friends with many other windsurfers. They are not only friends from windsurfing, we also care about each other, speak to each other about things besides windsurfing. Well, you are just stuck with them so you have no other choice I suppose than getting to know them better! – he adds with a smile. That is very typical and a very positive side of the windsurfing world. Competitors are visiting each other in their own countries and even training together and learning from each other. As Ross said in secret (not so big a secret now!) his girlfriend is a friend of the ex-girlfriend of one of his main rivals; Gonzalo Costa-Hoevel, an Argentinian rider, one of the best in the World and also a close friend of Ross’.

Summer Jobs. On the Way to Being a Pro.

As most teenagers will do, Ross was working in a multitude of summer jobs. He was once a bodyguard, picking tomatoes and sweet corn on a farm… I was working like everybody - he points out with a smile. Today he is the 2008 Formula Windsurfing European Champion.

The Argentinian Dream.

Nowadays Ross is based in Argentina with his Argentinian girlfriend. Ross moved to this new country for her. This seems to destroy the myth about pro-windsurfers who are partying all the time through every beach in the world. As the stereotype goes, they are not supposed to be interested in serious relationships. They do party – as all riders will confirm – but this partying is only to a point; that point has been found for Ross.
At the end of the day – we all are looking for love, aren’t we? – Ross starts, seriously. Argentina is far, far away from England in both distance and in the culture.

As a windsurfer I learned to live among another cultures. I guess with proper person I could live everywhere as I am doing now.

Ross’ perception about his future life is connected with South America. He wants to buy a house in Argentina, and raise a family there. For that reason he is currently learning Spanish, the national language of Argentina. The best option for future – as Ross suggests - would be to own two houses; one would be in Argentina and the second one would be at home in England. Argentina appears to have conquered Ross’ heart. Argentinians are very welcoming people, so warm and nice – he says - In my family we all are very busy and we always have been. For my girlfriend’s family it is important to spend some time together each day, and I find this very positive. For example it is almost a rule that Sundays we spend all day together.
Ross is also impressed by Indonesia. People are extremely humble there; they don’t do things just to get ahead like in other parts of the world. They are not expecting, they just are good and smiling a lot, says Ross. But the most wonderful place Ross finds for windsurfing is Hawaii.

A Typical Day. Breakfast & Checking Emails.

A day in the life of Ross Williams can be different depending on what part of the year we are taking into account. Holiday time is one thing and the racing season is another. The main difference I have to other people that you can recognize is that on my holidays I am not moving anywhere; just staying at home. That’s my kind of holiday, because my normal life starts while I am on the road. That is a kind of paradox – says Ross.

My day is normal, I stand up, eat breakfast, check my emails. After if it’s not windy I am going to play tennis with friends or just go to the gym. I like to spend time with my girlfriend, friends, watching movies! Yeap! I definitely like to watch movies!

Transporting, Layer Cake, are a few of his favourites he admits. Every week I watch 15 – 16 movies. I even like crap movies! (laughter). Aside from movies, Ross also enjoys to go out with his friends. Whenever he is back home in England he is doing crazy stuff with them, because I miss them so much that I want to use every moment which I can spend with them.

Competition time goes differently. Still at home windsurfers have to prepare their cars to drive to most of the events road (within Europe it’s usually easier to drive to an event, rather than fly - with the amount of gear needed to compete). Mostly they drive in big vans. At a typical Pro Windsurfing Event, the riders arrive and have to register their details and the equipment they wish to use on the first day. Afterwards, they can store their equipment inside a designated ‘gear-tent’ usually at the beach. This can sometimes be quite a process and take the whole day … During the next days of a competition, the riders will be waiting for wind, and ready to race when it comes.

A few more quick points from Ross …

Priorities in Life:
1. Doing something that you can enjoy
2. Being with people who you love
3. Playing sport
Important things: trust, kindest, being nice, funny.

Windsurfing as a Way of Being.

What is a typical characteristic for a windsurfer? – thinks Ross – we all are very helpful people. – Ross draws a comparison:

If someone would fall down in the middle of the street, a windsurfer would be first person who might come to that person and help. From where such a behavior comes, one could ask? –

To be like that we have learned this mainly through traveling. Firstly, you are all the time on the road, so you need to learn for yourself how to cooperate with other people. How to take or ask for help but also how to give it.

If you can imagine that Ross is at a competition in South America and he forgot to take one part of his gear from Europe, he could not compete unless another competitor would help him. Normally, this happens a lot. Windsurfers can sometimes forget something or gear can be destroyed during the travel or during the races. That’s why windsurfers have learned to be helpful; to share their equipment and tools if it’s needed.
Windsurfers are firstly very happy people and secondly easy going. It is very difficult to find an aggressive or angry person among our environment. I am not sure that such feelings exist in our world. – underlines Ross.
Ross is living the windsurfing dream and following what makes him feel happy. He is constantly smiling during this talk. Windsurfing opens your eyes a lot, you cannot be narrow minded anymore. - touches Ross.