20 Questions

Maciek Rutkowski (I-99 / Challenger Sails) returned to the overall top 16 in the Men’s Slalom last season and is currently on course to repeat the same feat this time around having recorded 4 top 16 finishes from the 5 events completed so far, while the Pole is also ranked 12th in the quickly evolving Foil discipline. The 26-year-old won his first race on the Foil World Tour, while also showing he has the speed to mix with the best in the business in the Slalom when threatening to win an elimination in South Korea. After the first 5 Slalom events the Pole is currently ranked 14th and we recently caught up with Maciek for an interview:

1. Why are you so passionate about windsurfing?

It’s the best sport in the world, period. Show me another sport that combines such high technical skills with being out there in the element, almost Formula1-like gear development and then the difference of hero or zero being how your mind performs in the given moment. Windsurfing is super complex, has a bit of everything and I think its so easy to be so passionate about it. 

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

Honesty, realness, being themselves, positivity and stoke.

3. What annoys or frustrates you the most?

Losing. I f***ing hate losing. 

4. What do you most like in yourself?

Versatility as a windsurfer and these moments where I actually allow myself to enjoy 100%. 

5. What do you dislike in yourself?

My inability to focus for more than 5 sec, haha. 

6. What has been your best moment on tour?

The obvious would be winning a foil final and (almost) winning one in slalom this year. But there’s so many more, like meeting all my heroes: my first ever event on tour as an 11-year old kid was in Poland and I got to meet all the big guns. Then when I joined the tour in 2010 I ended up staying with KP [Kevin Pritchard] the first event and then at the party Peter Volwater grabbed me, lifted me up in the air and put me onto a subwoofer in between 2 hot chicks. I couldn’t believe it, haha! 

7. What has been your worst moment on tour?

Well I don’t really collect the bad memories, but there was nothing as bad as seeing the face of the policeman that broke into Alberto’s [Menegatti] apartment in Tenerife, after we couldn’t get in. Right there and then we knew and it was like all the positivity in the world just vanished. I will never forget that feeling and I hope I’ll never have to experienced anything like that again. 

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

Be on the best gear possible, otherwise you’re just wasting precious time. 

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

Life ain’t black or white. 

10. What would be your perfect day?

Wake up next to my hot girlfriend, have some fruit, get a few barrels at the empty beach 100metres from the house, have a proper breakfast, go do some 30+ knot slalom heats with the boys, have lunch, go ride perfect waves on my 4.7, food again, quick lifting session, snack, 3 on 3 basketball game with friends, dinner, edit a quick video from the day, post it, go to the studio work on some music, finish and still make it to the beachbar party with my best friends. Easy scheduling, isn’t it?  *Think you are going to need more than 24 hours for your perfect day Maciek!

11. Do you have any superstitions?

None, and I will definitely laugh at yours!! 

12. Which living person do you most admire?

Anyone that lives 100% to their vision and identity. 

13. What is your greatest fear? 

Eternal boredom. 

14. What is your most treasured possession?

I don’t really value things much I’d much rather invest in experiences. But I love waveboards and surfboards, especially my first custom board I ever designed and the first time I tried it, it won me the nationals. 

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

I’d like to be an athlete of a different sport: probably basketball, surfing or F1, but all 3 are as realistic as me going bald by the end of the year (sorry Basti)!. Maybe a bit more realistic is doing something creative, something to do with film, music or writing.

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

Maui, and I just booked my ticket, so I’m froothiinn!! 

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

Maybe Steve Jobs, Quentin Tarantino, Michael Jordan, Eddie Vedder and Lech Wałęsa. Could be a pretty interesting mix!! 

18. What App do you open first in the morning?

Instagram. As much as I love interacting with all my fans that way I’ve been trying to limit it a bit. You should still go follow me tho!!

19. Most visited website?

Windguru.cz

20. A phrase you live by?

Why not! 

Thanks, Maciek!