Hello Flo, first of all how is the situation in South Africa at the moment?

At the moment everything is the same here. Of course the covid numbers have increased a bit due to the mutation and a 4th wave is also likely here but at the moment there are 2000-3000 cases per day, so much more relaxed than in Germany at the moment. I currently have a wave camp here and therefore the situation was a bit confusing because some participants could not fly and others had their return flight canceled. But at the moment there are a few airlines flying daily and so everything seems to normalize.
I try to focus on what I can control and stay positive even in this situation. I am on the water a lot and try to concentrate on the essentials.

How were the last weeks in Cape Town?

It's spring here at the moment and the constant South Easter wind is starting to kick in nicely. Due to a foot injury I had to take it easy at the beginning of November but now I can go full power again after many hours in the gym. We have shot the new 2022 Wave sails here in mid-November in fantastic conditions and now I am happy about every session I have here on the water before I go back to cold Germany in a few days - of course with a 2 week quarantine.

How is your daily routine in Cape Town?

Similar to Hawaii, I get up very early and go to bed early. A day usually starts for me at 5:30 with a short morning run and some workouts on the beach. After that I drive my son to the kindergarden and then go on the water from 9-11am. Lunch break is usually with my family and then another session in the afternoon. Every day is different here because you always have to adapt to the conditions. I live near the Cape of Good Hope and so I have a lot of spots on my doorstep. In addition, I always have something to do as I and my wife also run a non-profit organization called "Mon Coeur" (www.moncoeur.de) where we initiate projects and produce products in the townships in order to provide access to good education for as many children as possible.

Cape Town is for me one of the most beautiful places in the world but in many ways there is also a big gap between rich and poor and as a result many problems. But it also reflects a reality as it looks in many countries of this world and I think it is important also for my children that we become aware of our privileges and can make a difference with small means.

You have also been involved in protecting the oceans for years and were recently on the evening news with an action against oil exploration on the South African coast? What is that all about?

The protest is against Shell, which is going to explore the seabed here in the next few months. A ship will use airguns to create a three-dimensional image of the seabed. To be able to show deeper layers, a lot of noise is made and the echo is measured. Over a period of months, these airguns generate sound waves every 10 to 12 seconds that sound like explosions underwater. This maximum sonication usually takes place 24 hours a day during such explorations. This will affect thousands of animals such as whales and will damage a wild coastal region of 6000 km.

Together with thousands of other supporters I wanted to fight against this and prevent this with all means.I wanted to make a difference, so I made a fish with my son and strapped it to my back. I went out to sea at six in the morning and welcomed the ship in front of the harbor entrance to draw attention to the extent of this test. There have been demonstrations all over the country and many surfers have taken to the streets. Whether we can prevent it is questionable but millions of people have been sensitized. I hope that we will finally start to find new ways to avoid these actions through new technologies. We have all the resources and all the know-how. Now we have to find quick solutions how to apply this knowledge. Not only we as windsurfers need the ocean. We are all in the same boat.