Interviewing Matthew (MC) Yeates, wave series winner from ULU.

Q: You attended most of the events this year, which event did you enjoy the most?

It goes without saying all the events were awesome but Aussie Kiss definitely stands out as having had that X factor this year. It is a great event to catch up with the people that you haven’t seen all summer so the party factor is always guaranteed. This year that combined with a real festival vibe and some wind made it one epic weekend that stands out for me!!

Q: You won the wave series off the back of one event, and had some decent freestyle results as well. Which result meant the most to you?

I spent some time in the canaries last summer concentrating on my wave sailing so its especially nice to see that transfer into a result. Of course though it is good to still be mixing it up in the freestyle too, despite getting very little time on the water on my freestyle gear in the last year.

The results which meant the most to me though was probably the most unexpected; at Aussie Kiss I got the “Severne Awesomeness Award” for getting involved and helping during the party on the DJ side of things and making the freestyle final at the same time. This for me is exactly what the SWA is all about, windsurfing hard in what is an increasingly competitive field but at the same time absolutely sending it on an evening for the parties!!

Q: What are you looking forward to most about next year?

Hopefully getting some windier conditions in the wave series. I think the depth of talent amongst the field now means that if we have a really windy wave event it will highlight for everyone just how good the standard is in the SWA.

Q: What would you like to see added to changed in the series for next year?

I would love to see Rhossy back on the wave tour again. The spot seems to serve up the goods more often than most in the UK and the last event we had there in 2010/2011 goes down as probably the best conditions I’ve ever seen at a SWA event in my time.

Q: What do you like most about the SWA?

The feeling I get every single Sunday evening after an SWA event when I realize all the driving, organization and expense was worth it.

Q: What are your plans for the summer? Any holidays or competitions?

I have just started working in London so probably a lot less time on the water for me this summer. However in August I will definitely go to Naxos and potentially El Medano for a bit as well.

Q: You are joining the media team for next year, what prompted the decision and what do you hope to bring to the team?

I like writing and wanted to help more people find out about the SWA and encourage them to get involved. I think it really has the potential to continue getting bigger and better in the way it has since I started, to help contribute to that is an opportunity I didn’t want to miss out on.