Beast Mode
With a reputation as the so called ‘Beast’ you might think that that comes with some added weight and pressure to deliver, but you’d be hard-pressed to tell if that’s the case for Johan Søe (PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / PATRIK Foils) as the 22-year-old has put together quite the resume so far in his fledgling PWA World Tour career. Having been stripped of a maiden world title in 2023, the Dane has not been able to complete the full racing World Tour calendar, but he boasts a 100 percent winning record since then having won the last four events he has attended. Two apiece in both 2024 and ’25.
However, it’s not just Søe’s winning record that is impressive, it is the manner in which he is winning them. In half of those events he has ended the event with a perfect record - in Japan last year he won all four eliminations, while he won 77% of the Eliminations he raced in during 2025. Søe is calm, calculated and deadly on the race course - boasting a formidable confidence - without being arrogant. We recently caught up with Johan for an interview, which you can read below:
Hey Johan, congrats on dominant victories in Germany and Japan. How pleased were you with your performance at both events?
“I was super pleased with how both events went. It’s always exciting showing up for the first time in a season and lining up against the other guys, and getting on the water in the days before to see where you’re at. Even more so this year, as it was my first time competing on the PWA with my new PATRIK gear.”
You attended two events last year and won seven of the eleven eliminations you competed in, finishing outside the top two just once. What do you put that phenomenal consistency — and killer instinct — down to?
“First of all, I think I was in really good sync with all of my equipment. Before the events I spent a lot of time setting everything up and understanding how the gear works, and how to best combine the different sails, wings, fuselages and so on. That gives me a lot of confidence going into competitions. At every event I also try to find a small extra edge compared to the last one. Once racing starts, I just take it race by race — and of course, I always go for the win.”
You’ve also been focusing heavily on iQFOiL, which has ruled you out of the world title race for the past two seasons. Yet you’ve now won the last four PWA events you’ve entered. Are world titles not your main motivation?
“It’s definitely something I think about. Over the last two seasons I’ve been very motivated for iQFOiL — and I still am — which has taken up a lot of my time with training and major events like the Olympics and World Championships. Unfortunately, that has made it impossible to compete on the full PWA World Tour. But I believe it will happen sooner or later.”
You’re consistently the first man on the water — why is that?
“I like to follow my own routines and do what makes me feel as prepared as possible. There are many things to check before a day of racing: which gear to use, how the water feels, what setup works best for the conditions, and also making sure I’m properly warmed up.”
You changed sponsors this season — did it take long to adapt? And how are you finding life on the PATRIK team?
“To be honest, the switch felt pretty easy. During the transition from 2024 to 2025, I went to Australia to test the PATRIK gear before signing the deal, to make sure I felt I could perform on it. In the end it was an easy choice — I almost instantly felt really good on the gear, and I had a great time testing together with Patrik and Alex Cousin.”
Which do you prefer competing in — Foil Slalom or iQFOiL?
"So far I’ve been really happy having the variety of both disciplines. I feel like each of them gives me something I can use in the other. It’s also been important for staying motivated and not getting bored by focusing on just one discipline.”
Including iQFOiL, you have a very busy schedule. What does a typical training week look like for you?
“There isn’t really a “normal” week for me since I travel a lot and am often out of my usual routines. That said, I try to keep a solid baseline with physical training — strength and cardio — around four to five times a week on average. Besides that, I spend a lot of time on the water throughout most of the year. During intense periods I can be on the water twice a day for weeks in a row, while during the winter months at home in Denmark things are a bit more relaxed.”
What are your goals for 2026, and could we see you compete on the full PWA World Tour next year?
“My dream would be to be able to make a full PWA Foil World Tour work alongside my iQFOiL calendar — and to win the title.”
Finally, what are your thoughts on the rule changes for 2026?
“I was quite happy with how the rules were in 2025. In general, I don’t think it’s good to make rule changes every year. Reducing the biggest sail from 9.0 to 8.0m² will increase the minimum racing wind, which in my opinion is already too high.”
Thanks, Johan. Hopefully see you on the full World Tour in 2026.