20 Questions

Jaeger Stone (Starboard / Severne / SWOX / Shamal) made his debut way back in 2006 and quickly emerged as one of the world’s most radical sailors. Stone made his first podium in 2011 in Tenerife - with his dynamic wave riding doing much of the damage. After completing his studies and returning from injury, Stone, has again emerged as a serious contender for the world crown in years to come. You can read our interview with Jaeger below: 

1. Why are you so passionate about windsurfing? 

I’m passionate about windsurfing because it’s such a dynamic sport. It’s like surfing and motocross combined, you can go as hard as you want or just enjoy the simplicity of it all. 

2. What quality do you like most in other people? 

People that are funny and don’t take anything too seriously.

3. What annoys or frustrates you the most? 

People chewing food in my ear ha ha. (Agreed)

4. What do you most like in yourself? 

That I’m self-motivated and if I want to do something I’ll do it.

5. What do you dislike in yourself? 

When I’m too strict and feel guilty about enjoying an icecream or chocolate if I’m trying to eat healthy. Sometimes I stress over little things and overthink them too much when really it won’t make any difference at all. I just have to remind myself that it’s important to do the things I really enjoy otherwise what’s the point.

6. What has been your best moment on tour? 

Coming back from the 1st round of the double elimination in Pozo to 6th place in 2015 would be one of my best moments. It’s not the best result I’ve had but it was a huge mental battle for me and I had to face basically the majority of guys that I really look up to not only in Pozo but on the Tour in general.

7. What has been your worst moment on tour? 

Potentially doing the unintentional splits in Maui last year the day before the Aloha Classic started. That was annoying missing the contest but also missing the first 2 months of the season in Western Australia. Even the bad moments you can generally take a positive from though.

8. Knowing what you know now, what advice would you have given yourself when your career started? 

I kind of feel like my windsurfing career has only just started but I think just to relax more and make sure that I’m having fun with whatever I’m doing and not take it too seriously. Give priority to the things I really enjoy and the people I like being around.

9. What is the best advice you have ever been given?

I receive a lot of really good advice from people and always like to take it on board, try it out and see if it works for me or not. Over the last year I received some advice on sleep hygiene from a friend of mine who is a Psychologist and professional athlete. It’s been really useful so far when I’m on the road and leading up to events. 

10. What would be your perfect day? 

Waking up early and fitting in as much surfing, fishing or windsurfing as possible with my brother Hendy and a couple of other mates before smashing a huge bowl of icecream for dessert.

11. Do you have any superstitions? 

I would say I was previously a little superstitious. Over nothing specific really but I guess overthinking things sometimes is a bit like having superstitions so I’ve been trying to cut that out. Any negative superstition that presents itself now I just try and reverse that in to a positive.

12. Which living person do you most admire? 

My Mum and my Dad equally but for different things.

13. What is your greatest fear? 

Losing someone from my family.

14. What is your most treasured possession? 

My home in Western Australia.

15. If you weren’t a professional windsurfer, what would you like to be? 

I would love to be a fisherman, only problem is I get really seasick. 

16. Where would you most like to go to that you haven’t been to yet? 

To the snow. I’ve never actually been in the snow before so that’s on my list. 

17. Who would you most like to have as a dinner guest, dead or alive? 

Mick Fanning or Mark Matthews.

18. How would you like to be remembered? 

As a nice person and good friend. In regards to windsurfing I’d like to be remembered as someone that helped progress waveriding.

19. Most visited website? 

seabreeze.com.au when I’m home and windguru.com when I’m overseas.

20. A phrase you live by? 

“You win some, you lose some,” and I normally try and have a little laugh if I’ve just had a loss.