Today we would like to feature the young talent Christian Andersen from Denmark in our “In The Spotlight” series. Christian came in our team with the age of 13 and keeps on growing. In 2017 he has showed some great results and for sure has the potential for more. Read hereafter what he is up to!

Let`s rewind to the start of 2017 – how are you looking back on the season? It`s been my best season so far! It has been awesome to try some of the events on the Euro Tour, APP, European Championship and the ISA World Championships which was one of the best events i have been to and then in my home country Denmark!

Highs and Lows? One of the highs this year was to represent and be part of Team Denmark at the ISA World Championships. The biggest low was that I didn´t get the results that I wanted to at this event. But I always try to learn as much as possible from my mistakes and hopefully next time I can have a better race.

Did you do anything different in terms of training and did it make a difference? This year I followed a special training programme from Tiago Silva (functional paddling). It really helped me understand how my body works and how to train best to get the results I want to achieve.

What is your favorite board in your portfolio you would never toss? I have been loving the Stylemaster lately, it`s just perfect for all kinds of conditions. But the Falcon 12’6″×24.75″ is my absolute favourite for racing.

Who do you look up to and why for inspiration in Stand Up Paddling and outside of the sport? I have been looking up to a lot of the good Stand Up Paddle athletes, but in the last couple of years when I have been meeting, traveling, training and competing with them they feel more like friends. One of the other athletes I look up to is the swimmer Michael Phelps, it´s just amazing what he has done in his sport.

What advice would you give to young groms? Have fun, enjoy what you do and never give up on your dreams! Every day on the water, is a good day on the water!

Who do you credit as part of your success? I credit my family and friends as a big part of my success, they help and support me in anything I do. I also credit my sponsors for all the support, which helped me a lot.

Where do you see your future in the sport/immediate and long term plans? I would like to keep travelling the world to compete in different events, it´s amazing to see so many different cultures and places around the world. One of my other goals is to win a world title. And if Stand Up Paddling makes it to the olympics, it would be a dream to be a part of that as well.

Funniest moment on tour from 2017? There have been so many fun moments this year, I think one the funniest moments was when we finished the Red Bull Heavy Water event and everyone was telling crazy stories about that race. I am so proud I made it there!

Flatwater or waves? WAVES!

Home or Hawaii? Home. I haven´t been to Hawaii, but it seems like a nice place. The place where I live is called Cold Hawaii anyway:-)

Open Ocean or lake? Open Ocean, it´s just always a different experience out there.

Big winds or big waves? Big waves, the last couple of years I have tried to surf some bigger waves and it`s been really fun.

What do you expect from your winter training and what skills do you want to improve? I wanna get stronger and in better shape than this year. I also want to improve my sprinting and downwind skills.

Finally, what are you looking forward to in 2018? I`m looking forward to everything and I think it´s gonna be a great year. But especially going to Brazil for the first time, where I will be competing in the ISA World Championships will be one oft he highlights!

More about Christian:https://www.fanatic.com/de/team/christian-andersen/