Wojtek means enthusiasm. Literally. You can feel it when you talk with him. His enthusiasm is strong and infectious. It just overtakes you in the first moment and keeps you in until he walks away from you. He is a winner. He knows how the job needs to be done and that’s it! For him everything is simple. The world appears straight and easy to understand. He loves reality, he adapts himself to it. For Wojtek the Windsurfing Lifestyle is nothing more than a part of the huge machine whereas most others treat the sport as a kind of escape. For him, windsurfing is about being part of the system and working within the system. As I write this, Wojtek is being crowned the 2008 FW World Champion. Before the first race even started there was never a doubt in his mind that the title would be anyone else’s but his.

Wojtek, the tall guy from Poland, has short blond hair, a childish (maybe I could say charming) and very honest smile. Even in his blue eyes you can find something from the fondness of a 5 year old child. That is one trait which you cannot easily be described by one word. Children look in to your eyes without shame; they are used to saying things very straight and openly and react naturally towards any new environment. Children do not think “what to say” or “ what people will think”, they just act. This is a trait we could associate with Wojtek. He looks into your eyes and his eyes just tell you everything. If he doesn’t like your idea you will see it and hear it but told to you in a very nice and polite way. He answers the questions I give him, but he also creates new ones which everyone might find a little more. He answers but he also asks! His energy is just bursting in front of me. “Well, I will go out and win today” – you have the impression that Wojtek thinks like that before each race! Simply said and simply done!

Wojtek was supposed to be a musician. His mother saw music talent in him at an early age, prompting him to join the Polish music group “Gawęda”. For 4 years he learnt the piano but when it came to the entrance exam for music school he was very unprepared; and could not pass. Of course he did not want to pass! By this time he was already windsurfing and in the deepness on his heart he knew that this passion would overtake his time and energy more than music ever could.

Around this time Wojtek had also tried his skills in skiing. Till this day it is his second passion after windsurfing. He is even a qualified ski instructor.

Wojtek was introduced to windsurfing by his father, also a keen windsurfer. “Windsurfing is just pretty” – says Wojtek.

“It is charming and bewitching. And when you are on the water by yourself, windsurfing gives you a huge sense of freedom and independence. If you are in the windsurfing world once you will never get out from there!”

“Windsurfing is about a positive attitude to life, and caring about the environment” – he continues – “windsurfing taught us also how to trust people. In our sport you have no feelings such as anger or envy like you can find in other sports” – Wojtek smiles. As many windsurfers mention, windsurfers who normally are fierce competitors on the water are great friends back on the beach. Visiting each other after events in their own homes. That is usually untypical for any other sport. Because of that, as Wojtek tells us, windsurfers obey very well the rules of ‘Fair Play’. “This sport is very gallant, sunny, and affable!”

A Soul Sport

Wojtek begins to talk about the Soul. “The Windsurfing Lifestyle relates to Soul. It is a soul sport” – he thinks Wojtek for a little while – “it is full of emotions and feelings. Windsurfers have deep souls. The whole Windsurfing Lifestyle relies on friendship and trust. You are also in an agreement with nature. It is the best way to play with nature. You use elements in an aggressive and dynamic way, but you still play with them as part of one team! – that is just amazing!”

Windsurfing & Civilisation

You can meet very different opinions and ideas about attitude of windsurfing lifestyle to civilization. It depends on understanding and feeling every each windsurfer has to the popularly – understood globalization and industrialization. Some of them treats windsurfing as a protest, personal fight against the world of Mac Donald’s and mass production. Some of them treats it as a supplement of XXI. In that way windsurfing is taken by Wojciech – I think that windsurfing is a sport based on technology. We cannot reject it either ditch the meaning of the progress. We can say – enunciates Wojtek – that windsurfing is a place where technology and nature meet with each other. They both develop each other and help each other. We, windsurfers are very close to nature through civilization. Windsurfing Lifestyle is a COME BACK TO NATURE – Wojtek goes further – technology is not against globalization everything has to have adjusted balance. We have to know about globalization but also be aware of our existence. Unity, understanding of world, and agreement for that that we live in the nature - Wojtek says his point of view very expressively, he just knows his truths, and he has no question’s marks in his concept of life – Windsurfing – he starts again – it is a tool to understanding first world and secondly yourself! Windsurfing it is a tool to develop your own personality and your surroundings. You have to use it to live in a happiness!

Culture

Yes. Windsurfing is an amazing sport because of the cultural mixing it promotes. Firstly, because so many different countries compete in windsurfing (which is quite normal for many sports), but also because of the very close interrelations between the competitors. Relations which do not end when an event is finished. “We all are very tolerant” – says Wojtek – “we have learned how to understand other cultures, and their needs. But you cannot find such big culture shocks there, because in the windsurfing world everybody is more open. It is different when you look into a normal society. That is for sure. Windsurfers are just a little bit different and more open minded for other cultures, because of our constant correlations with them, but when you go outside the event. Well then you can just feel the cultural differences more” – Wojtek talks with energy and passion – “we can see this in societies” – he continuous – “by traveling”. What is quite common for them, they are always full of hospitality, good. What I have noticed what is common for people they want to care about you and want to be cared, I met a lot of bias. People are good! And we leave in a GOOD WORLD!” – he underlines strongly!

Cervantes – You Would Stop Breathing!

A place that left a great impression on Wojtek is Australia. Specifically, Cervantes, a small place on the Western Coast. Wojtek takes a breath, “when I saw this place… I have never ever seen such colors! The sky! Such emerald water! Sand so white! In Cervantes there is nothing more than this beautiful view! This place is completely wild! Amazing; awesome! You would stop breathing to see it!”

The Good In Humans

“That was unbelievable! How come they can behave like this? That was so positive! Human is good!” Wojtek starts to tell a story about a trip to South Africa. Him and his other Polish windsurfers friends rented a small flat from a very polite and nice South African woman. After spending an entire day to find the flat, they had left their windsurfing gear in another city and on informing this nice old lady that it would take another day on the bus to go and retrieve it this woman offered them her car! Her kindness went beyond their wildest dreams as they had known this lady all of a few minutes before her offer. It left a great impression on Wojtek.

“She gave us so much trust, with so much heart and politeness and she just gave us the keys to her car! I think that even the worst person in the world wouldn’t ever hurt her, she was such a good person. Human is good!”

Where Does He Feel The Best?

Wojtek loves the entire world. It is his playground. Asking him about different places; it doesn’t matter where, he underlines. It doesn’t matter with who, he just feels good everywhere. “Everywhere I feel great. I think that the Republic of South Africa is very Polish. Australia – wonderful! Europe is also very cool and I’m proud to be Polish. Maybe its not so good to live in the North however… but only because of the weather” – he thinks a little before making this joke.

Wojtek’s Boats

“These boats are my children” – says Wojtek with a proud smile. “I take care about everything that is connected with them; the project, construction, marketing and selling of them. My goal is to create a great name for myself in the international market” – he adds. Boats have been passion and dream of Wojtek for quite a few years. His company, Navia Boats offer a range of luxury powerboats for leisure and fun. A company he built himself and even designed the boats. “For me, boats are supplement for windsurfing. You can sail on it; get a tan; have fun with wakeboards; or even just relax. And they are also able to take you to the nature, water, sun and wind”. It is quite an innovative idea. Wojtek has a lot of energy inside and creativity. “You have to dream, you have to put up the challenge for yourself. “You cannot be scared!” – he adds – “I can win because I am not afraid to take a risk. Windsurfers are followers of idealism I guess”.

A Windsurfer’s Heart is Selective

Asked about women he has (as usual) a ready and firm, answer. Windsurfers are often accused of being extremely wanton. But it is not true, as Wojtek points out. “To gain the heart of a windsurfer is very difficult. To have a relationship with them, it has to be a special girl”. For Wojtek, the perfect woman has to be full of charm, charitable, tender, intelligent and beautiful. These are traits he thinks that are most valuable. But for just people in general (Wojtek begins to point out with some energy) traits such as: honesty, a positive attitude to life, hardworking, consistency wisdom and knowledge are also very important.

The Windsurfing Lifestyle For All

“People should follow the Windsurfing Lifestyle because it shows you that you can believe in your dreams without any doubts that they can be achieved. Belief and a positive attitude to everything; windsurfing also teaches you this. Everything is possible, with a positive attitude even to bad people and to bad things which might happen to you”.

You could wonder, how is it possible to have such positive attitudes toward bad things? You may think that it is crazy, but when you see Wojtek, whose smile is so happy and whose energy is simply bursting out of him, you may simply start to believe that this guy, who treats everything and everybody as a company and an ally – will get everything he dreams of. If he favors the whole world, the whole world probably favors him.