Patrick Rousseau, Belgium-Chile ace, interviewed

April 3rd, 2010

Patrick Rousseau interviewed by Monty, Posada Punta de Los Lobos, Chile Feb 18 2010
(Patrick photo gallery below)

 

MS- Patrick, would you tell us about your recent competition results?
PR- “In 2009 I won the Chilean national Wave and Freestyle Championships, and I also participated in the South American Wave Championships at the end of November last year. I was eliminated in a semi-final, but I won the Super-session.”

 

MS- Are you specialized in wavesailing, or do you also practice slalom?
PR- “I never train in slalom, in fact I do not have any slalom gear, but I must admit that I enjoy very much racing in slalom competitions...  fighting at the starts, the jibes, all the way to the finish it is excellent training. 
In 2006 I won the Chile national slalom title with borrowed gear and no cams!  I missed the Chile Slalom Champs 2009 as there was a wave competition the same weekend- it happened that Monty won the 2009 event!  
Wave and slalom championships have been run in Chile for the past 10 years. When we have a wave event and the conditions are not ideal, we run slalom heats and/or long distance races with starts on the beach, everyone using whatever gear thay have.  You cannot imagine the spectacle when the fleet passes over sand bars with 3meter waves! The marks might be an island, or a windsurfer waiting in the sea, and the finish is a sprint to a flag on the beach...  these activities demonstrate that we all enjoy FUNboards!  We create an incredible ambiance between the racers and the public when we run events, and everyone wins!”

 

MS- How, where and why did you begin windsurfing?
PR- “Windsurfing had recently arrived in Europe, on vacation near a lake in France my father gave to the family a book about learning windsurfing.  At the lake I was too small to get the sail out of the water... when the board was idle, it became my boat- and the sail was my secret underwater cabin.   Once my older brother was able to go and return, he took me with him. Windsurfing became my favorite activity quickly, and I did not know how to do it!
At vacations end, my parents bought a windsurfer, and the sport became part of our family. For some windsurfing remains a family activity... for me, it quickly transformed into my passionate adventure.” 

 

MS- When did you leave Belgium?  Why Chile?  
PR- “I did not leave Belgium from one day to the next... I love all board sports, so I began to visit the mountains by winter, and to the beaches looking for good waves to surf, all the while windsurfing as much as possible.    Each year I was less time in Belgium, until 1998 when some friends offered to me work in a custom windsurf, surf and kiteboard builder on Tenerife, Islas Canarias.
I always had Chile in mind because it is one of the few places on Earth where one can find the ocean and tall mountains so close to eachother.  When I had the cash together I went to Chile for 3 weeks to discover this distant place, and when I arrived I could not believe it!   There were all kinds of waves including large and perfect!, with few people on the water (if any!), beautiful countryside & the sea full of pristine marine life.  Ontop of all that, strong winds almost all afternoons!
I decided to move to Chile the following year...  the best about Chile is my two sons Ignacio y Tituan!” 

 

MS- Patrick, what kept you busy when you arrived in Chile? 
PR- “Upon arrival I wanted to work building boards, as well instructing windswurfing, kiting and snow kiting in the winter!  In the end I opened a bar/restuarant and a sailing school on lake Vichuquen located next to the Pacific.  The village of Llico lies just between; one of the best jumping spots on the Pacific coast 250km SW of Santiago.I soon opened my own custom board worksop in Llico, but the market in Chile had not yet developed...  I guess I was ahead of my time!”

 

MS- Have you always been involved with windsurfing?  In what ways?
PR- “I began teaching windsurfing when I was 16.  At the same moment I started racing Div2.  Soon I was racing championships on raceboards, & slalom and freestyle.  Waves is what I was most excited for; I was the first in Belgium to complete forward loops!  :)  
When 22 I worked with the Belgian sailmaker “Ultra Sails”.  I supervised production and participated in design R&D.
At 25 I was responsible for windsurf, surf y snowboard activites for a large Belgian travel agency, & creating water sport reports for specialized magazines.
At 28 I produced boards in the Canaries, after in Chile.  
At 35 I directed sales and marketing (and events!) for Nauitsport, Chiles largest importer of windsurfing.”  www.nautisport.cl

 

MS- What are you doing now? 
PR- “Administration of a lovely surf lodge  http://www.posadapuntadelobos.cl/ingles/ 
next to the most famous break on the Chilean  Pacific, Punta de Lobos.  We are a few kms from Pichilemu, “la Capital del surf Chileno”.  As a reference, a Los Lobos wave was the largest surfed in 2006 (winner Billabong XXL).  Famous surfers from all points on the globe come here to enjoy our world-class waves.  
At the Posada Punta de Lobos we offer beginning, advanced and expert classes for surf, windsurf y kitesurf.  We also offer gear in our shop (velas Loftsails por ejemplo!!!).”

 

MS- Will you be competing this year?  Where?
PR- "Championships are not my priority, but as I can do well, I always look forward to them.  This year there are sadly very few events organized.   I may go for the South American Wave Championship that has 3 events: Peru, Brasil y Chile.  It might be difficult to find time, but if going, I will give it my all!”

 

...I interviewed Patrick at the Posada Los Lobos Feb 17, one week before the disaster quake of Feb 27.  Pasted in below an email exchange between Patrick and I...

Patrick and I windsurfed together at Llico and Matanzas during my 10 day February visit, my wife Roby and I staying at the Surazo hotel
www.surazo.clwww.windsurf.cl/content/view/147/67/
departing some days before the tsunami arrived
http://www.windsurfer.cl/2010/03/robby-swift-cuenta-como-vivio-el-terremoto-en-chile/
Monty

3/3/2010 8:49 PM
Hola Monty,
Aqui todo bien, familia y amigos estan ok. Hotel resistio muy bien, ningun vidrio quebrado, a parte de vasos, platos y botellas.  Recien volvio la luz y las comunicaciones. Casa Gonzalo en Matanzas esta ok. Hotel Surazo esta destruido, Puente Holandes de mi amigo holandes Marcel se cayo, restaurante Secreto resistio, Miramar en Llico sufrio mucho pero todavia hay olas perfectas! 
Gracias y buen viento
Patrick

> To: patrick.rousseau@hotmail.com
> Subject: Are you ok?
> Date: Sat, 27 Feb 2010 15:46:58 +0100
> From: monty@loftsails.com
> Patrick,
> Are you ok?
> Monty

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