English version follows.
“Only when the water is cold and the night temperature drops below -7 ° C do not go into the water.” Talking and not’ an old sea dog but a young Dutch athlete looks docile and polite but’ suggests a strong motivation and determination to progress in the practice of windsurfing. ours “talent scout” Michele Tagliafico has interviewed for RIWmag this new promise of freestyle: Maaike Huvermann. We are sure that in the future, hear more about her.
Scorecard
Name: Maaike Huvermann
Birth date: 25 November 1997
Nationality: Dutch
Where do you live: Ridderkerk (a town of 45.000 inhabitants near Rotterdam in the Netherlands)
Favorite discipline: Freestyle! 
Favorite maneuvers: Eslider
Table: Starboard Flare 88 liters 2011
Sails: Severne S-1 3.7 of 2011 and Severne Freek 4.4 and 4.8 of 2013
RIW: Hi Maaike, tell us how you started your adventure with windsurf.
M.H.: My father used to go every once in windsurfing, I thought it was very nice and so I tried for the first time with a table Starboard great for beginners. Then during the summer I attended a sailing course to learn the basics of the wind, that was very useful because it made me realize how to navigate and avoid being on the wrong side of the sail and how to avoid many stupid mistakes. After the course went on a windsurf shop and bought my first equipment. Was a table Starboard Tufskin 127 and a sail 2,5. I started well and I really enjoyed.
RIW: What was the moment he realized that this was your sport and why you like?
M.H.: In the summer of 2009 I learned how to glide, Since then my father started taking me with the wind getting stronger. I saw guys like Rick Jendrusch, Nick van Ingen, Dieter van der Eycken and Steven van Broeckhoven win do all kinds of maneuvers impossible and I completely fell in love with the sport. From that moment I started to surf more and more frequently until the arrival of winter. Then, due to the harsh temperatures of our parties, the enthusiasm has dropped and I stopped for a year. Until we went to France for the summer holidays of 2011, in a beautiful and warm Lake, where I cycle all over to go on the table. Since then I began to train seriously for freestyle. I participated in the Dutch League in October 2011, I could jump but I have seen so many people make impressive maneuvers that I was encouraged to resume workouts with conviction, to become as good as their.
RIW: We can say that windsurfing is a sport dominated by men, What is your thoughts about it?
M.H.: It is true that most practitioners are male but that does not mean that is dominated by men, There are only less girls doing windsurfing. I think this depends on many reasons, Firstly the materials that are designed for men, for example the boma should be finer for girls, as we normally have smaller hands. This is a problem I had too. The second reason is that the image of windsurfing wasn't really nice; When I said I was surfing some have asked me: It's the one with the wooden board and sailing very heavy? Since Dorian van Rijsselberghe-won the Olympic Games has changed so much, now I saw the kids at school show interest in the windsurfing and saw even more girls on the table last summer.
RIW: You have some girlfriends peers who share your same passion in Holland?
M.H.: I don't know other girls my age who train in freestyle or in wave, as far as I know. But given that in Holland there are many spots are not sure. However, there are many girls ranging in slalom or techno.
RIW: What about you, He already tried going into the slalom or wave?
M.H.: I tried the slalom during the Mission XL at Browersdam (in Holland) This year. I came second in the category Under 15 and I was very happy. Nevertheless, I find that it's a little boring. I haven't tried the wave but I have to attend a course which will be organized this year by Eva Oude Ophuis (H99) and Hester Anderiesen (H82), in Holland.
RIW: What is the spot where you train usually?
M.H.: My local spot is within Browersdam, I like it because it's perfect for your workout. You can train in flat water to test the new maneuvers, then you can go to the area with little chop to continue practicing, or in the area of chop larger to prepare for competitions. When you finish you can take a shower in the locker room and while you are surfing your my parents can rest quietly sitting in a restaurant.
RIW: What is the best place where you surfed so far and where you'd like to go?
M.H.: For me the best place I ever surfed is Browersdam. I'd love to go to the Caribbean, Brazil and Fuerteventura.
RIW: How are your results at school and how do you get organized with your workouts?
M.H.: I am now in 11th grade and I am doing very well, my results are good. I try to stay as much time as possible with her homework when there is no wind and plan my tasks so you can practice windsurfing on weekends, When it is windy. In summer I go to make windsurfing even after school to spend more time in the water.
RIW: What are your strengths and weaknesses in water?
M.H.: My strengths emerge in flat water conditions with wind around 25 nodes. I like to use small sails so you have full control, Since I am still young and not strong enough to handle the big sails. I'm also trying to train much in terms of sea choppato, Since all the freestyle competitions are held in the chop.
RIW: We imagine that winter temperatures in your country does not train during the winter season. How you spend your time in that period?
M.H.: I train all year round, even when it's cold or snowing, but I need to get out every half hour to warm me up. Only when the water is cold and the night temperature drops below -7 ° C do not go in the water. When there is no wind I watch many videos of Pro, for fun but also to learn the technique of the rigging. I watch the videos that my parents do it every time I go out, so I can analyze my mistakes and try to improve the next time.
RIW: Do you like some other sports?
M.H.: I love snowboarding and during the days of calm in winter and in summer I like to go mountain biking or doing any other sport. Or simply relax and enjoy the summer.
RIW: What are the figures of windsurfing that inspired you?
M.H.: At the beginning definetly my father. Later, When my father arrived to the point I couldn't teach anything new, the figures were the guys from Browersdam as Rick Jendrusch, Nick van Ingen, Davy Scheffers and many others. Since I started seeing the PWA to live streaming and I got a chance to see them, Sarah-Quita Offringa and Laure Teboux made me a desire to participate in the PWA.
RIW: Come vedi il tuo futuro nel windsurf?
M.H.: I intend to participate in the PWA Fuerteventura and Browersdam this year, I hope to get some good results and experience. I want to compete in the PWA in the coming years and I hope to travel around the world to surf at all the commercials. I hope to become world champion one day.
RIW: We know that you have what it takes and the determination to succeed and we wish him all the best for your future as a Pro.
M.H.: Thank you for the interview and my parents that I carry myself in water whenever there is wind and at my school that gives me’ the ability to slip away to participate in competitions. A big thanks also to Zeil&Surfcentrum Brouwersdam Beach, Maui Ultra Fins e Prolimit, che mi stanno dando una mano.
L’ultimo video di Maaike:
Il Blog di Maaike: http://maaike-h108.webs.com
Intervista: Michele Tagliafico – www.RIWmag.com
Photographs: Michele Tagliafico; Photo courtesy Maaike Huvermann
VERSIONE ITALIANA
Name: Maaike Huvermann
Date of birth: November 25th, 1997
Nationality: Dutch
Where do you live: Ridderkerk (near Rotterdam)
What is your favorite discipline: Freestyle!
What are your best moves: Eslider
Your Board: Starboard flare 88 2011
Your sails: Severne S-1 3.7 2011 and Severne Freek 4.4/4.8 2013
RIW: How did you get into windsurfing ?
M.H.: My father was windsurfing some day, I thought it looked very nice and tried it on a big Starboard start. Later in the summer I did a normal sailing course to learn basics about the wind, which was very handy because you know how to sail without being at the wrong site of the sail or other stupid mistakes. After the course we went to a surf shop and bought me a Starboard Tufskin 127 and a 2.5 starter sail. I started surfing and I liked it pretty much.
RIW: Which has been the moment you realized that this was your sport and why do you love it?
M.H.: In the summer of 2009 I learned how to plane, this was the moment my father took me with more wind too, I saw people like Rick Jendrusch, Nick van Ingen, Dieter van der Eycken and Steven van Broeckhoven doing all sorts of crazy moves. From this moment on I totally loved it. I started surfing more often until the winter, but because of these temperatures I didn’t liked it any more and stopped for a year. Until, we went on summer holidays to France in 2011 with a very nice warm lake. I started windsurfing again and from there on I started training on freestyle. I competed in the Dutch championships in October 2011, I could only jump but I saw lots of people doing even more crazy moves and since than I’m training really hard to become just as good as them.
RIW: We would say windsurfing is a men dominated sport, what’s your personal feeling about that?
M.H.: It is indeed for the biggest part done by man but that doesn’t mean it’s dominated by man, there are just less girls who do windsurfing, I think that has several reasons, at first the materials are made for man, like the booms should be tinier for girls because they have smaller hands, that’s a problem I have too. The second reason is that the image in windsurfing wasn’t quiet good, when I told at school I was doing windsurfing some said to me: is that with the wooden board and a sail which is really heavy. Since Dorian van Rijsselberghe won the Olympic games it’s changed and I saw people at school getting some interest in windsurfing and also I saw more girls windsurfing this summer.
RIW: Have you got any friends who share the same passion with you in the Netherlands ?
M.H.: There aren’t any other girls around my age training in Freestyle or wave in Holland , as far as I know, but since there are lots of different spots around Holland I’m not sure. Allthough there are a lot of slalom/big techno girls in Holland.
RIW: Have you already tried slalom or wave?
M.H.: I tried slalom during the Mission XL on Brouwersdam this year, I got second U15 and was pretty happy with that, but I find slalom is a bit boring, I haven’t been trying wave yet, but I’m going to compete in a wave course from Eva Oude Ophuis and Hester Anderiesen in holland this year.
RIW: What is your local spot and why do you like it?
M.H.: My local spot is at the inside of Brouwersdam, I like it because it perfect for training. You can train in the flat for new moves, than go to the small chop to train some further and later on go to the bigger chop to train for competitions. When I’m finished I can get a shower in the dressing rooms and while I’m surfing my parents can sit in the Restaurant.
RIW:Which is the best place where you windsurfed so far and where would you like to go?
M.H.: The best place I have ever surfed is Brouwersdam and I would really love to go to the Caribbean, Brazil and Fuerteventura.
RIW: What are your school results and how do you manage to keep up with studies and training?
M.H.: I’m now in third grade of high school and it’s going very well, my results are good, I try to spend as much as I can doing homework when there is no wind and plan my homework so I can go windsurfing in weekends when there is wind and in the summer I go windsurfing after school to get more time on the water.
RIW: Which are your strong and weak points in the water?
M.H.: My strong points are in the flat conditions when there is around 25 knots, I like to have a small sail because I can have full control over it, since I’m still young and not strong enough to fully control the big sails. I’m also trying to train a lot in the chop as all freestyle competitions are in the chop.
RIW: We guess the winter temperatures in your country do not allow you to train during the winter. How do you spend your time in that season?
M.H.: I’m surfing all year long even when it’s cold or it’s snowing, but than I need to go inside every 30 minutes to warm up. Only when there is ice on the water and the night temperatures are lower than -7 I don’t surf. When there’s no wind I’m watching lots of movies of the pro’s, for the fun but also to learn about the techniques for moves. I also watch the movies my parents made during the last surf sessions, than I can analyze what I did wrong and try to do it better next time.
RIW: Do you feel any interest to other sports, which one?
M.H.: I like to snowboard when there is no wind in the winter and in the summer I like to mountain bike or to do any other sport or just chill out and enjoy summer.
RIW: Who has inspired you in windsurfing?
M.H.: At first my father for sure, and later on when I was on the point that my dad couldn’t teach me anything new I was inspired by the guys from Brouwersdam, like Rick Jendrusch, Nick van Ingen, Davy Scheffers and many more. And since I’m watching the PWA live stream and got to know about it, Sarah-Quita Offringa and Laure Treboux inspired me to compete in the PWA.
RIW: How do you see your future in windsurfing?
M.H.: I am going to compete at the PWA in Fuerteventura and Brouwersdam this year, I hope to get some nice results and experiences out of that. I want to compete in PWA next years too and hope to travel around the world surfing at any spot I want to. I would hope to get World Champion some day.
RIW: We know that you have the makings and the determination to succeed and we do our best wishes for your future as a Pro windsurfer.
M.H.: Thanks a lot for the interview and my parents who are bringing me to the water every time there is wind and my school, which is giving me off to compete in competition. Also a big thanks to Zeil&Surfcentrum Brouwersdam Beach, Maui Ultra Fins and Prolimit for supporting me.
LINK TO MAAIKE’S LAST VIDEO:
LINK TO MAAIKE BLOG: http://maaike-h108.webs.com
Interview: Michele Tagliafico – www.RIWmag.com
Photo: Michele Tagliafico; Photo courtesy Maaike Huvermann
