PLAYLISTS OF THE PROS!PLAYLISTS OF THE PROS!Youre sitting on the beach, anxiously waiting for your next heat. The suns blazing, your adrenalines pumping, and your headphones are on. Nows the time to rock out. But the big question is Whats on your playlist? Is it a chill track to calm your nerves, some soothing opera, dance beats or a head banging anthem to get you hyped enough to pull off something totally insane?We got curious and asked a spicy variety of top pro windsurfers this burning question:What tracks do you normally blast, and why? Get ready to rock!Photos: John Carter, Sailing Energy and Fish Bowl Diaries.BERND ROEDIGEROh, it is a ritual to listen for and find the right song that will unlock that secret hidden superpower innate in every moment of the day. And thats not just a wuwu surfer thing, thats an audiophile thing, thats a compulsive Spotify playlist maker thing, where a list of songs for washing dishes is as critical as the study beats and the workout tunes and the road trip discography.There might be that one song from Sinead OConnor that somehow occupies the same space in your life as Kanyes Runaway: theyre both songs for running the long cold shores of Omaezaki in full moon light, dead calm seas, wind exhausted after long days of epic conditions, another contest in the books, another seemingly impossible mess of emotions circumambulated in haphazard heats when reality was a pressure-cooker. Ritual is habit, is pattern, is music. The sequence of satisfying sessions and days follows the meter of the music you love, not necessarily the song but the sound and style, and so you listen to whatever music makes you feel like life is a passionate affair with the melodious unfolding of its own eternal beat.That love can be fiery arid flare, it can be dripping with sensuality and oozing style, it can rise to the highest ideal and shatter the darkest doubt. Ill often times spam the shuffle button until the most unexpected but totally fitting emotion washes over the world in front of me, within me. I am the only sailor on tour taking his music with him into training and competition, so far.So the song that flew across the radio while I was speeding home the night before might find its way into my downloads and becomes the anthem I take with me in my drybag for that critical heat, and I think thats just my way of experimenting with the multitude of influencing factors and exposures we soak up in our lives, how we cannot censor or suppress them but can embrace/harness/focus them into our actions! And we can also curate them, so for the next session, itll be Whipping Post (At Fillmore East 1971) by the Allman Brothers and Pulsar from LImperatrice!KAI LENNYHere is my playlist ahead of the Maui Pro/Am:Perry Mason Ozzy OsbourneEveryday is Exactly the Same Nine Inch Nails Almost Over Limp BizkitNo Excuses Alice In ChainsBeat it Micheal JacksonBetter Living Through Chemistry Queens of the Stone AgeHeavy Is The Crown Linkin ParkOblivion Thirty Seconds To MarsCollie Man Slightly StoopidEMMA WILSONBeautiful things Benson Boone.. It reminds me of 2024 Worlds! I think it was going viral around that time and I guess it reminds me of what I achieved that week even if the ending wasnt what I wanted.Sweet Caroline It just puts me in a good mood! Good energy!Honey Honey from Mamma Mia from my favourite movie!!!Then I think anything chill, I like listening to chill music before I race, I have enough adrenaline already!!LENNART NEUBAUERThese are my top five tracks right now!1 LAX by Division of Laura lee. This song is played in one of the first Windsurf Movies I watched when I started windsurfing, so it has a lot of meaning to it.2 Anasana. A Greek rap song Ive been listening to a lot before sessions lately!3 Funeral by the Band of Horses. This song played in Minds Wide Open and is one of my favourites of all time to get me into the mood for a session.4 When Im small by Phantorgram. Another track from Minds Wide Open I think, really worth a listen!!5 Bobby by Johnossi, probably also from the Minds Wide Open movie and my favourite song for in the car.SARAH (SWIFTY) JACKSONSo obviously as a massive Taylor Swift fan, there is normally some T-Swift in the mix mostly it depends on whether I want to hype up or relax or if I just need to get some nerves out of my system before I start the day. Starting with the later, if I need a therapeutic scream (normally because Im nervous) then it has to be The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived- the bridge is just magical and Im a whole new person after Ive belted this one out in the car on the way to the beach!!On a similar level is Dont Blame Me and this was my go-to before The Tortured Poets Department Album was released. Depending on how long my journey to the beach is, All Too Well (10-minute version of course) can also be thrown in as I find it really snaps me out of whatever headspace Ive been in before!If I want something just to feel good then normally its just a mix of the Red (TV), 1989 (TV) and Midnights albums and nowadays thats normally whats in my headphones if Im just going to the beach for a session.However, if were talking hype for racing then Jordy Vonk was the guy who told me that listening to Taylor Swift wasnt going to get me in the mood to race properly and aggressively we were in Croatia in 2022 for the 3* Foil event and I was having a SHOCKER! Over earlies, dropped jibes and I was falling apart completely. On the morning of Day 3 we were rigging up next to each other and I was pretty grumpy and he asked what was on my playlist and I showed him my pop mix lets just say he wasnt a fan! He said something along the lines of well your racing cant get any worse than it currently is (the truth hurts) so maybe lets spice things up and he put on some Dutch Dance / Electronic music and it fully worked! I finally got myself together and put out some solid races, including a win on the last race of the contest! So, when I want hype, normally I just ask Jordy to put on a playlist of some Dutch music and go from there!JORDY VONKWhen Im on tour, Amado Vrieswijk and I are known for loving rough electronic music. We dont just listenwe play it full power! On tour stops we turn on our van speakers with subwoofers sometimes, and at some events in Holland, our after-parties have even become a thing!For me, rough electronic music gets me hyped for racing. Since I do No-Rules racing, that high-energy, no-limits sound is the perfect match for going full speed.But I dont just listen to crazy hard musicIve put together five songs I really like, and theyre all a bit different:Bass Modulators ImagineMelodic hardstyle with a singalong vibe (if you know the song). It has a higher BPM, so it keeps the energy up but still has some feeling in it.Dither We Always RiseThis one is just full gas! I get that some people dont even call this music anymore, but for me, its pure energy. It makes me want to go full speed all the time!Headhunterz Live ForeverA bit slower but still has that rough, powerful energy. A solid track that keeps the mood going.Martin Garrix High on LifeYes, peopleI do listen to normal music too! This is still dance music, but more like what most people know. DJs like Martin Garrix, Hardwell, Avicii, and David Guetta always bring good vibes.Linkin Park The Emptiness MachineSomething completely different rock! I love electronic music, but sometimes, I just need a change. Linkin Park has that raw energy that fits perfectly in my playlist.So, whether its Hardcore, hardstyle, Rock, or normal Dance music, its all about getting me pumped before I hit the racecourse. Loud music, fast racingno rules, just pure adrenaline!BALZ MLLERThese songs playing in my head while surfingTake a Ride, Al CampbellOpen Your Eyes, Guano ApesNew Skin, IncubusMy Own Summer, DeftonesShould I Stay or Should I Go, The ClashSARAH QUITA OFFRINGAI always listen to music to get in the mood for a windsurf session.Its so important to me to get this hyped up feeling before getting on the water.So usually when I rig up, I blast the speakers of my car to get in the mood.For competition Ive had the same playlist since 2019. Its called Hype up.Its a playlist of Soca and Power Soca songs.There were some epic tracks produced around that time,and theystill get me going a few years later!Soca is carnival music from the Caribbean and its all aboutgood vibes, good times with friends and enjoying life. Having been to Soca events with friends I get a really euphoric feeling listening to these songs, and thats how I want to feel on the water as well. I try to remind myself that even though Im nervous for the contest, I cant let it get the best of me. Its such a privilege that I get to do this for a living and that above everything I just love to be on the water.So, playing these songs, I get into this happy zone quickly!Dont worry! Im not bouncing around all the time. I listen to very chill music most of the time.But for competition Im really looking for that high energy feeling!These are some of my favourite hype-up songs from that playlist:Famalay- Machel MontanoBuss head Machel Montano & Bunji GarlinRun wid it- Mr. KillaSoca Kingdom- Machel Montano, super blueYear for love-VoiceFeteland-Kerwin du BoisMARCILIO BROWNEIt is very rare for me to wear headphones these days before heats. I tend to already have so much adrenaline that I just try and calm myself down as much as possible.I used to do it when I was younger, used to listen to Offspring, Foo Fighters, Metallica, Tool, Dire Straits, Men at Work, Bob Marley the list goes on ha-ha so many different ones. But it was often just on shuffle mixing it up with everything. I was never the one to be organizing playlists. I still listen to those bands from time to time, just not before heats.Last but definitely not least we have Polish racer Maciek Rutkowski who has gone to town and given us a full detailed run down of important music that has relevance to many of his windsurfing highs and lows!MACIEK RUTKOWSKIIm one of those guys that have a few (or even one!) songs on repeat for a few weeks at a time play the hell out of them on one trip or one situation and then the next trip or next month is a new set, so looking back I really remember which song I was binging at which contest and have some pretty strong associations the music really makes me remember the vibe of the place and moment in time and what happened at that given trip, event or time of my life!Rob Zombie Dragula (around 2000)This is the soundtrack to probably the best windsurfing video part of all time. Thats 4th gear flat out says Polakow, proceeds to jump a 50 meter gap on his dirt bike and from there the action only gets better.. Insane tail throws, massive jumps, big bails, just the absolute essence of windsurfing. This movie is still soo relevant today, that style is super timeless and will never be outdone + the editing is fast and really fits the music. I like Tonix, I like Taylor Steele I like a bunch of winter stuff but growing up Chili Video was the shit! It wouldve been the best windsurfing video part soundtrack if it wasnt for(https://youtu.be/SEejUnl07q0?si=k3HHkBg2-qwa4ed7&t=1618)Phantogram When Im small (2011)This song is insane. You can play it loud and get absolutely pumped on it, you can play it in the background and chill out to it. Plus, that part of Minds Wide Open with the guys absolutely ripping Cabo Verde must be one of the best of all time. Its a vibe by itself. The only song that could ever possibly beat it for a windsurfing video is(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozNR9G32fyw)Pendulum The Tempest (2011)This song has everything a slow-paced intro for some impressive scenic shots, a powerful guitar section for some insane action and then that drum n bass-ish finish for a crash part! When I listen to songs that I would use for a windsurfing edit I can see the shots before my eyes. And for this one I feel like I simply dont have big enough action yet, so Im saving it for a time when I sail good/strong enough to match that intensity. Chile could be the place, Id really love to go back there! Hope nobody steals the song before though, now that Ive put it out there haha! Actually, its been out there for years, the teaser of All I Can, a pretty sick ski film has it, so maybe thats why nobody touched it afterwards(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmxLE9RDPk4)Pearl Jam Deep (Tenerife, 2014)This is from probably my first edit that I can still watch without cringing haha! Some of the turns are actually pretty good for a Polish guy ha-ha! Super powerful song; would love to see it live and still blast it once in a while. Pearl Jam Twenty is a pretty great documentary as well!(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUinUKIPj-E)Eddie Vedder Into the Wild OST (South Africa, 2014)Before we move into the rap phase of my life, this is the album I had on repeat while driving around South Africa with Timo Mullen in 2014. Luckily in separate cars, cause Into the Wild is a pretty great film, gets me quite emotional and somehow this album really connects me to that pure, emotional, flow-y part of self. Great to calm down but not recommended before a big day of battling 100kg slalom guys in Pozo!(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39A7vRFfO6U)UNDADASEA Jaszczur (Poland, 2018)I love music but cant sing for shit. But I love words and storytelling, so Ive been writing raps since high school, not really showing them to anyone except the occasional freestyle with my beatboxing friend in history class when things got super boring. But in October 2018, right after sailing some pretty epic conditions in Poland I was meant to record a voiceover for a commercial for one of my sponsors. So, I went to my friends studio in Gdynia, did the voiceover quickly and before I knew it, it turned into a bit of a rap party. Everyone was playing beats, we finally decided to use this one super hard beat and write some words to it. Few hours later the song was ready and few weeks later it had a million views on YouTube. Thanks to that I got to perform in front of a few thousand people which is something I will absolutely never forgetP.S. This might be the most viewed windsurf video of all time ha-ha? If you count those 3 little clips of me windsurfing cut into the music video that is!(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f4OZRI3ujc)Eminem Lose Yourself (Denmark, 2019, first PWA podium and bullet)I mean thats pretty obvious Is there a better hype-up, motivational, me-against-the-world song then this?In 2019 I was slowly starting to find my stride. In Fuerte I came 6th after an up and down performance but it was my best PWA Slalom result to date. Next up was Denmark. The second day served us 40-knot winds, big chops and even bigger rain squalls. I was pretty much the only guy to be consistent that day and climbed up into the top three. We had a lot more racing, but I managed to stay in 3rd util the last day, tied in points with the magician Julien Quentel and one point ahead Mr. podium himself, Ross Williams. Last day came, they announced it will be one elimination, the conditions were light, by far my least favourite. But somehow, with the help of this song I managed to get myself into the mindset of: put it all on the line and whatever happens, happens and truly put myself in the moment. Ben Proffitt came for an interview, asked me about the song and I rapped the whole thing on the PWA livestream, so safe to say I was pretty pumped. Ross lost on the semi, so it was me and Quentel in the final. I sat on him before the start, not caring about anything else but beating him. He knew exactly what was going on and went slightly early. In the last second, he slammed on the breaks, but I had a feeling we were not over early and went for it. It was a perfect start, I came down the first reach first, won the final and got the podium! All thanks to some moms spaghetti(https://youtu.be/6AOtp3dmHu4?si=HovyAP4a2LFnws8u&t=668)Taco Hemingway W.N.P (Croatia 2021, probably best PWA event win)Taco Hemingway is probably my favourite polish artist. The lyrics are quite often super insightful, clever and totally about things specific to my generation. Here where it gets weird. This song is about the fact that my generation generally had a normal upbringing, mostly 2 loving parents, yet sexual stuff was still super taboo, and nobody really spoke about it. Everyone secretly watched porn and at every school there was guys that somehow had it, sold it on CDs and then everybody kept it on their computers in folders like Baldurs Gate or biology presentation. The song is not like the best song ever but I got hooked on these 2 lines that go like When a guy watches the Matrix he wont go around jumping buildings, but when a guy watches step sisters hell start dreaming of his cousins. Sounds way better in Polish and I just had that verse in my head every race, every first reach. I was flying that event, won 5 eliminations in a row across 3 days and won the event with a day to spare. Great memories with a very weird soundtrack!(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtYLfO08GiY)Queen I Want it All (Japan 2022, PWA World Title)In 2022 I was leading the Sylt event for 9 days, just to lose it on the very last one to Amado. I was a little bit tentative on the last day, trying my best not too loose and I lost. Coming into the title showdown in Japan I was looking for a similar mindset like in Denmark 2019. Do your best, be greedy for it, but dont care what happens if you lose.I needed something for that greed part. I was going through some old rock playlist on Spotify and that song showed up. I want it all perfect! That Japan event was one of my best performances compared to the guys I was fighting I was quite slow. But I kept finding ways to overtake people and pass heats. I kept choosing the right gear, the right settings and despite missing top speed I managed to bring the title home in some crazy circumstances!(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4x5V6VaYXIU)Nicholas Britell Succession (Garda 2023, event win)The 2023 season opener was in Garda. Normally May there is sunny, windy, amazing. We got super unlucky, and the temperature never really got above 12 degrees, we had a lot of rain and very little wind. A lot of waiting, in and out of a never-drying wetsuit, super easy to get into a negative, nagging mood and not wanting to go racing. I had something to prove though I won a world title without winning an event and of course I wasnt the first one to do it that way but people tend to have short memories. In racing to perform sometimes one has to find that inner motherfucker, that bastard that doesnt let up, that fights for every centimeter, is (again) greedy and doesnt care what anyone else thinks. And who embodies that more then Logan Roy? So I was playing that on repeat before racing and it put me into exactly that ruthless motherfucker mood. And again I wasnt even close to the fastest guy out there but I managed to find a way to win the event, which was nice statement coming off of a world title.(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0WzqanwlG0)Central Cee & Dave Sprinter (Pozo 2024)Since this is a British magazine, I figured I gotta put some UK sound in. Bonus points for saying SUVs are too small and one needs a Sprinter van. I guess we need it for different reasons, but still I had this on repeat during Pozo 2024, the first ever event of Slalom X it was mega fun!Kendrick Lamar man at the garden (Currently..)Since this latest GNX album came out in November Ive had it pretty much on repeat. Theres at least like 8 great songs on there and I pretty much have a new favourite every week. Its gloria feat. SZA if Im driving and wanna sing and dance, reincarnated if Im working out, but man at the garden hits home every time. Being a pro windsurfer, having this amazing life, its quite easy to suffer from something like impostor syndrome. The verse I deserve it all clears that up pretty good. On the other hand it helped endure the long, gnarly contract negotiations of 2025 when at time you really think Am I really worth that little?So Tell me why you think you deserve the greatest of all time, motha.?!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiALRpD0ZtgThe post PLAYLISTS OF THE PROS! appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.