Live Chat: Ross Williams
Name: Ross Williams
Ross Williams
Sail number: GBR83
Country: England
Residence: The World
Disciplines: Slalom, formula, waves, sup and surfing
Results: 3rd PWA SLALOM KOREA 2012
EUROPEAN FORMULA CHAMPION 2012
10TH OVERALL PWA WAVE 2011
14th OVERALL PWA SLALOM 2011
3rd FORMULA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
1st PWA SLALOM AUSTRIA 2009
2nd PWA SLALOM COSTA BRAVA 2009
5TH PWAOVERALL SLALOM 2009
3RD PWA SLALOM TURKEY
4TH PWA OVERALL SLALOM 2008
Sponsors: GAASTRA. TABOU. ONEILL
Role: International team rider and R&D tester.
Current favourite equipment set up: 8.6m vapour and 71 manta
Current favourite windsurfing spot: Anywhere there is waves
My last windsurfing session was: at the formula european championships
My windsurfing hero is: Robby Naish, JP, KP and Matt Pritchard.
My perfect day on the water would be: at Cape Verde, the conditions would be mast high waves down the line on a 5.0m Manic and I would be with all my friends.
Three things you didn’t know about Ross: Everyone knows everything about me, the good and the bad!
OK. Live Chat closed for questions. Ross Will remain online to answer the remaining questions. See you all soon for the next Live Chat very soon.
Your favourite move jump? and ideal day not envolving windsurfing??
favourite jump would probably be push loop forward that i cannot do!
You should check out brawzinhos video as he almost overrotates them!!!!
and my perfect day without windsurfing would be going surfing and getting barrels and then going home and making sweet love to my hot girlfriend
One more minute guys, get your last questions in! Ross will answer the last few questions before he heads off.
How you find working with your sponsors. Gaastra and Tabou are probably great as so closely conected with windsurfing! but O’Neill? Aren’t their focus more surf orientated, even recently in kitesurf products? Are you helping them design a new windsurfing suit?
I actually just wear the suits they give me.
i love wearing their surf suits as i also spend a lot of time surfing. but i also wear them for windsurfing
working with gaastra and tabou is great. every year i learn more and intern i feel they listen a lot to my input. it is kind of like a family now for me as we work together for a long time now.
Any comments on waveboards and development? Will we see more people on 3 fins soon? or are quads the way to go forward
i just changed to the new tabou pocket thruster. for the uk conditions i think they are the best.
i think 3 fins for real wave conditions is best. a quad is maybe more suited for super perfect down the line.
What is more important in racing good equipment or a good racer? Will the best racer always win or do they need the best gear too?
Both. The best racer on the best equipment will win.
Are you in the country 7-9 Sept…. If so are you available to visit the NWF?
Yes! I will be there!
Hi Ross, what developments have been made in Slalom fins over the last year or so, seems to me they are smaller in comparison to older shapes but more powerful and soft stiffness, bit like the technoligy used on formula fins? Carpenter and z fins seem to be popular so what are you using yourself?
The new slalom fins have better profiles, materials and stiffnesses
what i use i wrote a few questions earlier
Hi Ross,
Any plans to come over to the uk any time soon? Would be good to see you at a BWA or BSA event again!
Yes! Some time this year i will be around.
I actually have no idea when the next event does take place!
http://ukwindsurfing.com/events/
Hi Ross what’s your favourite cheese?
BELL CHEESE!!!
10 minutes to get all your questions in…
What fins are you using now? For slalom and waves?
Slalom – Kashy and Z
Waves – my production Tabou fins
Hi Ross,
any thoughts on trying some gps speedsailing? It seems like a lot of the PWA racing guys could absolutely kick ass at this.
i did my first speed event this year. i am ordering some boards. lets see how it goes for me!
Do you think for the first time in a while we could have a new Slalom world champion?
Sure- why not. There are many potential world champions.
your bet is on ??
Who do you think it could be?
Well – apart from myself? haha
van der Steen, Cyril, Quentel, Menegatti, Toselli, Mortefon, Dagan, Costa Hoevel… who knows. we will see!
In your opinion, is Antoine losing the edge? or has everyone else started to up their game more?
Everyone is up in their game but Antoine is still a king. you dont hve to win competitions to win an overall title. a second and a fourth and he is still leading. it does make it more exciting though.
With the recent OLYMPIC news what a person who is so closely involved in racing thinks on this controversial decision? Where does it leave all those athletes now with no goal to achieve? Do you think they could become challengers on the PWA Tour?
Hey JLZ
it is a shit decision. everyone knows that. i guess ISAF needed to get kiting their umbrella. Money makes the world go round! and as we know – idiots can be blinded by money
i am sure our talented olympic sailors would have no trouble jumping onto a kite and kicking some ass!
when it comes to the PWA – yeah for sure they could compete. its just a matter of time and practice.
Hey JLZ
it is a stupid decision. everyone knows that. i guess ISAF needed to get kiting their umbrella. Money makes the world go round! and as we know – idiots can be blinded by money
i am sure our talented olympic sailors would have no trouble jumping onto a kite and kicking some ass!
when it comes to the PWA – yeah for sure they could compete. its just a matter of time and practice.
If you could get a world title in one discipline which would it be?
in my dreams it would be an overall for waves, slalom and racing (formula).
but as this does no longer exist i would settle for anything!!!! (but wave would be for sure the coolest!!!
)
Hey Ross,
just a general thought about Slalom gear these days – was wondering what your take on it is…
Back in the day, lightwind Slalom gear was considered to be around 7.0m to 7.5m sails on 120l boards for an average sized guy, yet these days we see you guys on 9.5s for slalom with huge fins.
I know the wind limit is lower now on PWA, but a couple of a couple of questions about this:
Do the newer slalom sails have less power compared to their older siblings, and are they now only about top end?
As you are practically on formula gear, is this type of slalom racing with massive fins actually any fun? or would you prefer the slalom as it used to be?
the new slalom sails have a load of power and more control. our top speeds are much higher – even in the lighter winds than back in the days.
racing in light winds can be just as exciting as high winds.
nowadays the equipment is much lighter and easier to throw around – so sailing on a 9.5 from today is actually feeling much nicer than a 7.5 from the past.
hey,
I have got a question about the boddy lenght and weight: Ross, in your pwa profile stands that you are 188cm and 82 kg. That is not so much for a slalom rider. Do you think you would be faster if you would be heavier (like björn 105 kg´s) and what do you think is the perfect bodylenght/weight for slalom.
Thanks
hey waver,
i could possibly be a little faster in the very strong wind if i was heavier but think weight is not so important when you are above 80 kilos. it is more about finding the right size equipment to fit you. when you look at the big guys they can be much slower out of the marks and this is were a light guy will always have an advantage.
the perfect length/weight combination is whatever you can make work for yourself.
You said your ideal day would be in Cape Verde, do you think we’ll see a competition back there again? how do you find the PWA Wave being mosty PORT TACK? How do you train to be good on both, as we know so many sailors going large only on port…
Looking unlikely for us to go back to cape verde at the moment.
it sucks that the tour is only port tack. there are some great sailors that only sail starboard tack and it would be sick who is the best allrounder. i was lucky. i grew up one the island so i got a mixture of conditions – both port and starboard.
How many times did you get kicked out of youth camp??
never Ben… i think that was you!
Hi Ross congrats on Sylt dude! What are your thoughts on the Olympic decision?
Cheers
bubble
its shit!!!!! ISFA ARE A BUNCH OF OLD FARTS AND MONKEYS!!! I have nothing but respect for the guys that choose the Olympic route and i wish Nick and Briany for very best for the competition.
First of all they wanted windsurfing to be a one design class and with kites they are having a opened class. Secondly now the kites have to be plaining otherwise they will sink.
Lets see how this is going to work out for them.
ISAF ARE A BUNCH OF OLD FARTS AND MONKEYS!!! I have nothing but respect for the guys that choose the Olympic route and i wish Nick and Briany for very best for the competition.
First of all they wanted windsurfing to be a one design class and with kites they are having a opened class. Secondly now the kites have to be plaining otherwise they will sink.
Lets see how this is going to work out for them.
HI
Waves or Slalom? How are you going to combine training to both disciplines? This also means a lot of kit!! How do you get your head around traveling, and staying on top of all that!?
Waves….. its pretty hard traveling with everything, but i hate to miss a day of sailing just because i didn’t pack something. Best thing is to give yourself time to do both, but that means early mornings and lots of excess baggage.
What about your wave skills, will u push that hard too that like u do with slalom?
I hope you are ride Double D johnson.. mine arms are long enouff!!
yes i always try my hardest in waves but as i am getting older it is hurting more haha
Hi Ross,
How much time do you give to wave sailing and why has the tour got so few wave events it doesn’t seem worth it compared to slalom?
I try to sail everyday and if its windy i go wave sailing as much as i can. Just being out on the water is the most important thing. Its a shame we have no real wave tour at the moment, its just a hard time to find events, i am sure we would all love to see a really tour again with some starboard tack events too.
WOW, so would you say that anyone on the right kit has a great chance of winning? Would you say that average John, who is a well skilled windsurfer – not a pro, could take a part in a Slalom comp and do well if only he had a right equipment???
average johns? probably not.
a professional? yes!
Hi Ross! Great job Korea!!
How well are your slalom sails working this year? What have you changed in their development this year? how big influance in your opinion equipment has on the overall result during the competition?
Thanks
I love my slalom set up this year!!! i think the blue colour makes a big difference. Equipment is 90% of getting a good result.
WOW, so would you say that anyone on the right kit has a great chance of winning? Would you say that average John, who is a well skilled windsurfer – not a pro, could take a part in a Slalom comp and do well if only he had a right equipment???
Hello Ross
Studies have shown that people with proportionally longer under arms can become champion windsurfers. Have you heard of this before, and Do you have particularly longer under arms compared to rest of your body, or have you been training your under arms to become longer during your career?
If so, do you have any tips for a weekend disco windsurfer?
Thanks
I have not heard of this study before, but yes i train my arms quite a lot, I think the best way would be to hang off of bars and do pull up’s. I have a friend on tour with terribly short arms and he has an interesting technique to lengthen his upper arms, but it only seems to give him cramp in his forearms…… !!!!!
What do you prefer racing formula or slalom? Why do you think a lot of the guys have stopped racing formula nowadays, and why do you still do it?
I like all disciplines of windsurfing. Formula is really cool because the race isn’t just all about the start (like slalom can be) i wish we still had a big international formula tour and i am sure that there would be lot of guys that would enjoy the racing. I still formula sail because, i love competing and beating other sailors.
Hi Sean.
Hows it going, Sylt was super good for me. I felt my sails and board were the best on the water, so i was able to focus on my racing, and i think i raced as good as i could. My lay lines were tight and my tactics were spot on!!!!
Live Chat now open!
Rossco, so probably the one thing everyone wants to ask you is why you were DESTROYING everyone by so far in Sylt last week. New Gaastra board is that good??
It had been a while since i had done anything on the formula equipment, but now i cant wait for the worlds!!!
Hi Guys, Ross will be here in 5 minutes or so to answer all your questions…
cool, i am looking forward to it
Hey Ross.
Hey big guy, you are a bit early. Come back at 19.30pm.
aloha
I am early – and so are you!
Congrats to your success during the last weeks. Awesome job! Back on the podium – must feel good!
Its great to be back on the podium again, it had been a tough couple of years but you have to sometimes take the the rough with the smooth.