20 Questions
Next up in our 20 Questions line up is Amanda Beenen (99NoveNove / Point-7), who made her debut on the PWA Wave World Tour in 2011 - since then Beenen has gone on to become an established member of the top 4 - having finished 4th overall each season since 2014. The 30-year-old is well known for her aggressive, often fearless attitude on the water and can be a fiery character at times - read what she had to say below:
Why are you so passionate about windsurfing?
It's a sport that keeps challenging me and is always changing. I can be in nature, alone or with friends and it never gets boring!
What quality do you like most in other people?
I love people who have a genuine passion in life and that can be anything, from surfing to collecting stamps, I just admire people who do what they love to do! I also love to surround myself with positive optimistic people who don't take themselves too seriously - making fun of yourself is an art!
What annoys or frustrates you the most?
Waiting, waiting on flights, busses, trains or people, basically everything that can be waited on. I also really dislike people that constantly judge others. Oh wait I REALLY HATE people that steal… ohhhhh this really, really winds me up! Get a job!
What do you most like in yourself?
My optimism and ability to always see a silver lining and make the best out of whatever life throws at me!
What do you dislike in yourself?
My restlessness, disorganisation/chaos and my hair.
What has been your best moment on tour?
Getting 3rd place in Tenerife was mind blowing!
What has been your worst moment on tour?
Losing my 3rd overall when I thought I had it in the bag. I was so sad!
Knowing what you know now, what advice would you have given yourself when your career started?
"Acknowledge you are not there yet, you are still learning and that's totally fine! Accept the help, tips and advice you get given and be able to say: "Oh yeah you're right, I do suck at this!" And also I would have told myself to not be so nervous during competitions, just have fun instead! You'll never get better if you get frustrated, nervous or angry at yourself!
What is the best advice you have ever been given?
"Don't worry about what people see and think, just go out and have fun! (Marcilio [Browne] & Boujmaa [Guilloul]) "Get out there, take your time, you have 20minutes you only need two waves, take the biggest ones you can find even if it means you'll end up swimming for 15minutes you only need those two big ones!" (Robby Naish)
What would be your perfect day?
Waking up at 5.30 am, making a nice espresso, eat some eggs and fruit, go out and surf some glassy head high waves with my boyfriend! Go home for second breakfast get some windsurf gear, go for a windsurf session with Arrianne [Aukes], SQ [Offringa], Maria [Andrés], Lena [Erdil], Alice [Arutkin] and whoever else is there! Catch some bombs, have fun, laugh a lot! Go grab lunch (come on, food is important!). Grab a SUP and go for a sunset paddle with some whales around me, then go home, have dinner and sleep at 9:30pm to do the same thing all over again.”
Do you have any superstitions?
Not really but I do absolutely need to listen to a good song right before I go into my heat! If I don't, I won't perform as well as I could! So in a way that became a bit of a superstition as I get a bit paranoid if I don't bring music to the beach on the day of my competition!
Which living person do you most admire?
A few actually! Girls such as Paige Alms who absolutely charge and push the limits of women in sports! I also quite like Obama haha!
What is your greatest fear?
To be old, look back at my life and say: "I wish I would have done this or that" but I am also worried my children will never get to see the beauty of the earth, coral reefs, snow and Ice, whales and dolphins because we are well on the way to destroying it all!
What is your most treasured possession?
My hard-disks with all my memories! I also have a little book in which I let all my friends write something. Everyone got really creative and it now became a collection of photos, stories and random memories!
If you weren’t a professional windsurfer, what would you like to be?
Professional WSL surfer, I would have made some big bucks in the process too haha! Or a big wave surfer just for the love! If it would be a non-surfing thing, i'd be riding horses!
Where would you most like to go to that you haven’t been to yet?
Tahiti by boat — hands down!
Who would you most like to have as a dinner guest, dead or alive?
Casey Neistat or Adele (I just think we'd get along and have a blast).
How would you like to be remembered?
As a person who lived a really wonderful and happy life, did what she loved and was kind to other people!
Most visited website?
I actually don't have a goto website but I do tend to waste loads of time on YouTube watching ab-so-lu-te-lay a-ny-thing!
A phrase you live by?
“Love without trying, die without knowing!”