Surfmedizin x PWA Collab

The PWA are delighted to unveil a brand new collaboration with Surfmedizin, who will be offering first class medical support to PWA athletes for free. To learn more about this new collaboration we recently caught up with one of the founders of Surfmedizin - Thomas Gangl, which you can read below:

Hi Thomas, Surfmedizin is run by a team of watersports enthusiasts… maybe you could introduce yourselves a little bit and also tell us more about Surfmedizin?

“Absolutely!

Surfmedizin” is a non-profit association founded by doctors and medical professionals who are not only passionate about medicine – but also about watersports. All of us are active windsurfers, kitesurfers, surfers or sailors ourselves, so we truly understand the demands of the sport, the travel, the competition pressure and of course the typical injuries that can come with it.

Our goal is simple: to provide sports-focused, practical and accessible medical support specifically tailored to watersports athletes – from ambitious amateurs all the way to World Tour professionals. We combine medical expertise with real-world experience on the water. That makes a big difference.”

Can you tell us a little bit more about how exactly this new collaboration will work for PWA athletes? How can they sign up and what details do they need to provide?

“Through our cooperation with the PWA, all registered PWA athletes will have direct access to our medical support network.

The idea is straightforward: Athletes can contact us directly via email / social media. After a short initial intake – including basic details such as their name, discipline, current location, medical issue, and any relevant medical history – we connect them with the appropriate specialist from our network.

There’s no complicated process. No bureaucracy. The focus is fast, practical help – whether they’re at an event venue or somewhere remote between stops.”

The service is being offered 365 days a year with no costs or contracts. What was the main motivation behind making this so accessible to the sailors?

“Our motivation is rooted in our background as athletes ourselves. We know how difficult it can be to access high-quality, sports-specific medical advice when you’re constantly travelling. Especially in international competition settings.

By offering this free support, we want to remove barriers. If an athlete hesitates to seek help because of cost, complexity or uncertainty, that’s already a problem. We want it to be simple: if something feels wrong, reach out.

Early advice often prevents long-term issues.”

What are the primary ways PWA athletes can utilise your expertise? Is it strictly for injury recovery, or can they reach out for preventative care?

“Definitely not just for injury recovery.

Of course, we help with acute injuries, rehabilitation strategies, return-to-sport decisions and second opinions. But prevention is just as important to us.

The earlier we’re involved, the better. Prevention is always more effective than rehab.”

If a sailor needs help or advice outside of events (remotely), what is the best way they should contact you?

“The best way is simply via email, through our official website contact form or via Instagram (@surfmedizin_official). From there, we triage the request and respond quickly – usually within a very short timeframe."

Will you/your team be present at all World Tour events moving forwards?

“We plan to be present at selected World Tour events in person whenever possible.

However, regardless of physical presence, our remote medical support will always be available – at every event and between events. Even if we’re not standing on the beach that day, we’re just one message away…”

Prevention is better than cure – what would be some of the simplest advice to help windsurfers avoid injuries? And as watersports specialists, what are the most common problems you see?

“You’re absolutely right – prevention is key.

Some of the simplest but most effective advice:
Proper warm-up – especially for shoulders and lower back.
Strength training for stabilisation (shoulder girdle, core).
Recovery matters – sleep, hydration, structured rest days and appropriate nutrition.

Listen to early warning signs – pain is information, not weakness.

The most common issues we see in windsurfers include:
Shoulder overuse injuries (muscle strains) and instability
Lower back pain
Knee strains
Acute impact injuries during crashes, especially injuries of the mid-foot (“Lisfranc”).”

Great, thanks a lot Thomas. It’s fantastic to have you on board.