We sit down on the sunny beach in Łeba, at the Allegro Cup 2009. I ask about the backbone of each of the windsurfers lives, about their season, travels and if this summer has brought something new.

I wasn’t in Brazil – says Wojtek, mentioning the Grand Prix Event Formula Windsurfing event that took place at the end of last year. But I have spent two weeks in Egypt. It was extra cool! It was windy everyday! After that I was in South Korea. Firstly I tried to focus more on Slalom this year, but some difficulties connected with equipment made me return to Formula at the end of the season. Wojtek smiles.

What about your sponsors?

The financial crisis gave a lesson to the windsurfing branch as well. But Wojtek does not complain – I am sponsored by Neil Pryde and Starboard. I have a different situation than some of the other guys, as last year I didn’t have any support, so I didn’t have anything to lose, and the title of World Champion of Formula Windsurfing that I won in Portugal in 2008 has opened more sponsorship doors to me. One of my sponsors is NAVIA boats; a company producing luxury boats. NAVIA has a different value for me because it is also my own company.

We switch topics from windsurfing to more business. Wojtek talks about his boats – for me, running the company is not a matter of earning money but fun, and I really think that my boats are fun. I admit that my company has taken up a lot of my time, nevertheless, now it is a little bit easier as the structure of my company was extended to pass some of the responsibilities to others. Of course I have everything under control. I still switch between motor boats and windsurfing, but taking into account that it is my 24th season in this sport and my company has been occupying my time for only a short period, it is logical that windsurfing still stays my priority. It is very difficult to ditch the windsurfing lifestyle – Wojetk falls silent, then he continues again. – I was talking with Arnon today, and I said to him I would like to study a PHD to have better chances to get a job in the future. Arnon reacted by laughing. “Are you kidding me, you will never work as a standard person does”. – Nevertheless I would like to do the PHD also for my own personal and intellectual improvement. I feel the urge to develop my mind a little more. I would like to write about something that I believe in deeply. Something empirical, practical, and connected with the water, air and marketing. I wrote my master-thesis about sports marketing, but my PHD I would like to write about something new. Maybe about some tricks and ideas, that make marketing and PR campaigns work or fail. For example the phenomenal success of Allegro Cup; that might be an idea. I plan to start writing in autumn.

Life’s Philosophy.

What about during the days? – Wojtek doesn’t go to the movies much. He narrows his eyes as the sun burns down on us. He continues. In the time of the financial crisis social meetings and friends have been given a new meaning. People need to stop worrying, return to the old times, and social meetings. The crisis has ushered new processes. It is caused two things. Firstly, it has accomplished a new array of the professional life. Secondly, it has forced us to return to old contacts and people – Wojtek falls in his thoughts, but only for a moment. I ask him is there something sad about people drawing back to each other in a moment of crisis. Yes, from the one hand maybe, but from the other hand it is a kind of normal human reaction. That need for closeness and support in the worst times, it differenciates us from animals.

Zoo, Crowd, Women.

There are always two faces of Wojtek. One for the publicity and one for his close environment. Indeed there is some kind of division – says Wojtek – but it doesn’t go as deep as you suggest. But it does exist in some level. One side I call “the Zoo”. There are all those women, girls, that come to take photos with you and you are like a teddy bear for them. Of course the Zoo is nothing like the real reality. Nothing to the real building of contact with other people. Lately, at a party a girl came to me to to ask for a photo. I noticed she was trying to pick me up and there I was in my private time. And in my private time it is about talk, not about photos … as I said to her…