NG:
I learned how to sail when I was 9 years old on the double-handed Laser 2. I continued sailing Laser 2’s until after the Youth Worlds. I then stopped sailing and started windsurfing, but just for fun. After graduating from university and working for a year, I quit my job to move to Maui to windsurf. I lived there for 1-1/2 years windsurfing. It was only after being asked to sail the 470 and do an Olympic Campaign that I decided I would give it a try and to put my windsurfing on hold, as going to the Olympics had always been a dream of mine. And now, I’ve once again reverted back to windsurfing taking on a new Olympic challenge. Whether I’m sailing or windsurfing…it’s all sailing. However, I’m addicted to the speed and the adrenaline rush I get from windsurfing. Windsurfings’ many disciplines: RSX, Formula, slalom, wave-sailing and free sailing allows me to windsurf in all types of conditions without getting bored.

What kind of support did you receive from Canadian government on your way to and including the Athens Olympics in the 470 class? How did you qualify for this support? What was the goal for Athens regatta?

NG:
Our team did not qualify for the 2004 National Team so we did not receive any Sport Canada funding for 2004. We did however get some funding assistance from the Canadian Yachting Association. When one is not on National Team, but is on the Canadian Olympic Team (which 25% of all Canadian Olympians were) one is granted an Olympic Card. We received 4 months worth of support after the Olympics, (funding for the period leading up to the Olympics). Our ultimate goal in Athens was a top three finish, but more realistically it was top eight.

The process of qualifying ourselves for funding from the CYA/Sport Canada Carding is a complicated one. Depending on which year in the Olympic Cycle we are in, different carding requirements apply. Generally events for Qualification occur in the year prior to the year in which the Carding will be received. The Senior Cards will be awarded first on the basis of performance at International events and if any cards remain then on the basis of high quality North American based events.

Starting on high note in the 470 with Jen Provan with and then dropping to 36th at 2003 Worlds – why was the change so sudden and how do you describe the sudden reaction from Canadian authorities by dropping your team from their ranks?

NG:
Burn-out! I think it had to do with us doing too much. We spent months on end in Europe with little breaks and it just got to be too much. We could go through the motions but our performance suffered.

Not making the cut and being dropped from the Sport Canada funding was a big surprise and a pretty big blow to our campaign. Unfortunately, CYA used a mathematical formula based on results to determine who gets carded. Since there weren’t many 470 women boats in the country, the equation didn’t work for us and we fell through the loophole. Officially we were still on the Canadian Sailing Team and we continued to receive funding from the CYA, just not from Sport Canada.

When did you come to this realization that top eight in Athens was a more realistic goal?

NG:
A 5th at the Europeans was the closest we’d ever gotten at cracking the Top 3 at any big international event. We’d been able to pull off top 10 finishes more in the year leading up to the Games, knowing where we went wrong during the races. Placing 10th at the Worlds right before the Olympics also gave us the confidence that a top 8 finish at the Games was possible.

In what areas did you end up saving the funds and allocating to which priority areas?

NG:
More money usually means you can buy more stuff. In our case we could’ve bought more equipment to test. We’d save money on everything that wasn’t essential, and didn’t go home quite as much.

What do you think was lacking in your preparation for Athens?

NG:
I think we didn’t peak at the appropriate time. Having not qualified at the earlier Olympic qualifiers, not making national team and having our funding cut had a huge impact on our campaign. In order to qualify for the Olympics we had to peak at our 2004 Worlds in May, only 3 months prior the Olympics. This did not give us enough time to recuperate and peak once again at the Games in August.

Throughout our campaign we also lacked the support and guidance that a mentor or manager could have provided. This meant that all of the campaign decisions and organizing was done by us, which took very much time and effort that could have been put towards training.

Where does the physical part end and psychological begins in sail racing? Or is it vice versa? How quickly did you manage to assess what went wrong with that 36th place finish? What did you determine were the problems that resulted in such finish?

NG:
Physical and mental preparation go hand in hand. Without one or the other, you might as well not bother. Before the dreaded and disastrous 2003 Worlds, I knew the regatta was over before we even started. It wasn’t the sailing, but the mental aspects that kept us back. It had already been a long summer and then our team decided to do an event prior to the Worlds instead of taking some much-needed time off. Too much sailing and over-focusing is not always a good thing. Burnout once again.

Where do you think lies the strength of the 470 class, where is the action in the class, why did it not gain ground in the USA?

NG:
Definitely in Europe. They have many sailors, a system for developing their juniors (they use the International 420 as a feeder-class to the 470), big teams, coaches and many high level regattas. Most of the 470 Olympic circuit takes place in Europe and when you grow up sailing at such a high level in your back yard, a local regatta could have 50 boats, you are bound to get good. Compared to North America, the most boats you’d see is 10, that is if all decided to drive the 50 hours it takes to go to one regatta.

Do you change your physical training exercises when switching between windsurfing and dinghy racing campaigns? What types of exercises do you do nowadays getting ready for Beijing?

NG:
As a 470 crew my optimal weight was about 70kgs, but as a windsurfer I am about 66kgs. The ideal weight for the new RSX class hasn’t really been determined yet, but pretty much the highest possible strength to weight ratio is best. I am doing a lot of cardio and interval training, running/swimming/biking, but for pumping there is no better exercise than pumping on the board. So, time on the water is key.

Have you had any serious injuries in competition?

NG:
Physical or psychological? Physically, luckily not. Outside of competition I’ve had some injuries but I’ve been able to fully recover and get on with it.

What is your experience with various windsurfing boards? Which one is your favorite? What are you impressions with the RSX board? Do you think now, after having sailed the board in competition, it is a step in the right direction to promote and develop the sport of windsurfing? Is it a step in the right direction to keeping windsurfing as an Olympic discipline in the long term?

NG:
All of my windsurfing experience is on short boards. I competed in slalom races and wave sailed on Maui. During my 470 Olympic campaign I hardly ever windsurfed and just this year I started on Formula gear to be able to train and race locally before getting my RSX. I love the speed in slalom, but nothing compares to freedom you experience while jumping and wave sailing.

I was never going to be the right size for the IMCO, so the RSX opened the door for me to Olympic windsurfing. With saying that, I think that the RSX will allow for a wider range of sizes of competitors. It has the pumping in light air component that the IMCO sailors are used to and the Formula side that formula racers are used to, which makes it a solid overall board, that can be used in all conditions.

I come from a background in WIND-surfing. I love high winds and have never ever sailed in sub-planing conditions. It’s something that I’m going to have to get used to about Olympic Windsurfing, simply it’s just another kind of yachting…it’s just that you are standing up instead of sitting down.

The gear is more current and has more versatility. It can be a great all around board for a recreational sailor, yet the one-design component ensures the highest level of competition for the Olympics based on the sailor and not the gear factor.

Did you have a chance to assess the sailing venue in Beijing, or did you have a chance to speak to anyone who actually went and sailed there?

NG:
I haven’t been to Beijing yet, but I’ve talked to some windsurfers that had a regatta there this September. They were more optimistic about the wind conditions than what all those nasty no-wind rumours say.

What does your RSX race program looks like for the next year? Who do you think you need to train with or compete against on your way to Beijing?

NG:
I’m planning on training and doing some of the regattas down under this winter and some of the RSX regattas in Europe this spring and summer. I need to train with as many girls as I can, and the racing will help me to monitor my progress. The guys and girls rigs are too different from each other to be able to tune properly, this is why I need to sail with girls.

How do you normally organize your windsurf training time on the water? Kim Birkenfeld used to sail long distance sessions between Miami and Ft. Lauderdale – do you do something like that? Any new tricks you came up with that are RSX specific?

NG:
I don’t do any crazy long distance stuff. If I’m sailing alone in Vancouver, I sail up and down the bay, from one beach to the next checking stuff out. On my own I am able to go at my own pace and practice the things I need to work on. If I am training in a group, the coach usually organizes our time on the water. No new tricks for the RSX yet…you might want to ask someone who’s been in the Olympic Windsurfing scene for longer.

Is it common in windsurfing to switch between the disciplines or do people tend to specialize in one area or another?

NG:
Lots of windsurfers switch between disciplines. It’s what keeps the sport new and exciting. It depends on where you do your sailing. Many of us aren’t privileged to have waves on our home turf, so people use raceboards or sail slalom if it’s windy enough. Freestyle is another component where plenty of wind or waves aren’t needed. Some professional windsurfers on the PWA specialize in freestyle, wave sailing or racing, but there the majority are very competent in all disciplines and compete for the overall title.

What is your wind speed cutoff point for windsurfing? Tell us about a particularly breezy race?

NG:
I guess it really depends on what type of windsurf gear you’re on. If you are on Formula gear, upwards of 25knots can get a bit much, but that’s when slalom starts getting to be really fun. I’ve raced slalom in 34-38knots on a 5.8m sail and a bigger board, (not the ideal equipment). I was fine during the race, but on my way coming to shore a huge gust hit me, catapulted me ripping my harness lines off the boom and blowing out the top of my sail. Needless to say, I was winded, got whiplash and hurt for days after.

How does the social life compare between windsurfing and dinghy competition, and what happens to it once you enter the end of the Olympic cycle?

NG:
Ha Ha! Well, we are all sailors but the windsurfer scene definitely has a more relaxed surf aura to it.

You’re bound to end the Olympic cycle with some great friends and wonderful memories. I think that re-uniting after the Olympic cycle is almost guaranteed…most windsurfers have an appreciation for great windsurfing/wavesailing spots around the world, even without planning we are bound to run into each other somewhere.

What does one learn when obtaining a degree in human kinetics like you do now?

NG:
Human Kinetics is the study of human movement from life/physical science, and a social/behavioral science.

Is snowboarding your hobby away from sailing or is it also a channel to funnel your competitive ambitions?

NG:
Once upon a time I thought about racing snowboards, but not now. Living on Maui 5 years ago got me hooked on surfing, I’d call that my passion. I would love to surf, surf and surf, maybe even in competitions but I can’t do everything. I’ve gotten to be a bit tentative in the sports I do cause I don’t want to injure myself for windsurfing.

What is your long-term ambition?

NG:
Once my competing days are over, I hope to continue doing the sports I love, travel the world and actually get to see it more so than just from the water, embark on a fulfilling career that’ll enable me to keep living the lifestyle I chose and to be satisfied in my accomplishments.

Thanks a lot and good luck, Nikola.

NG:
Would it be possible to mention my sponsors PLEASE:
Mercedes-Benz, Helly Hansen, Kaenon-Polarized, Ronstan and Velcoitek

That would be super if you could…most of them are sailors and in the industry…I’m sure they’d love to see their names mentioned!!!!