Maybe the world's best surfer doesn't win all the competitions?
August 2023: Director Portrait of Malte Øgelund, Surf instructor at Copenhagen Surf School.
Written by Steffen Neupert, Journalist and Surf Instructor.
Malte Øgelund has always struggled to become part of the world's elite, but on the rocky shores of South Africa he realized something.
There's an old saying that the best surfer isn't the one who can surf the fastest, jump the highest or land the wildest tricks. It's the one who has the most fun on the water. But since 21-year-old Malte Øgelund - also known as "Junior" - first stepped onto a surfboard, he has had a clear goal. "I wanted to be the best windsurfer in the world. That's really what has driven me for many years," he says. It was with this idea welded into his mind that he traveled to South Africa in the fall to train with the best, and really, the trip could only end in one of two ways: Either he would become part of the elite or he would get injured in the attempt. But when he returned home in the spring, he had a new goal.
"I've always been the little brother" Few people in the Danish windsurfing community don't know who the Øgelund family is. Malte's oldest brother, Rasmus, has not only been among the best surfers in the world since he was old enough to compete. He also founded Copenhagen Surf School with his partner Ole and is one of the driving forces in Danish surfing. The family's middle brother, Asger, was doing backloops at the age of 14 and has won several Danish championships. So as the youngest of the three brothers, Malte has always had a lot to live up to. "I remember going to the schoolyard and talking about how Rasmus was the Danish champion, and I thought it was the coolest thing in the world," he says. As Malte got on the board himself, it became clear that he took after his older brother. He surfed every single day if it was windy, and he developed faster than most of his peers. So when Malte went to his first national championship at the age of 16, he won gold in the junior division. But it wasn't enough for the youngest Øgelund brother to be the best in Denmark.
He wanted to be better than his older brother. "I've always been the little brother who has lagged behind, so it's really in me that I want to show that I can do it. It probably just comes from growing up with older brothers. But it's also in the name Øgelund. It's not a pressure, but a kind of pride that I would like to carry on my shoulders," Malte explains. But if Malte wanted to surpass his 10 years older brother, it would mean becoming one of the most skilled windsurfers in the world.
The best - whatever it takes It may sound like an almost unattainable dream. But already at the age of 19, Malte made it to the podium in the international world cups youth division, and in many ways his goal seemed within reach. "I remember standing next to world champion Philip Köster at a competition. It was really cool, because it was something I had always dreamed of," laughs Malte But there was still a long way to go before Malte could take his place in the absolute top. So in the fall of 2022, he raised his savings and traveled to South Africa in search of the right training conditions to take the next big step. "Now I had to become the best, no matter what it took." A nomadic life among the elite When you train windsurfing with the cream of the crop, it comes with great sacrifice and greater risks. You're on the water every single day, which means a precarious nomadic existence on beaches and parking lots next to some of the world's windiest coastlines. And the bigger and wilder the tricks get, the worse the damage when things go wrong.
"I think I've taken 20 ibuprofen in three days in South Africa, but I haven't suffered any of the bad injuries. And I'm actually quite impressed with that, because I've really given it my all," says Malte. But while he was taking several tiger leaps on the water, the 21-year-old talent was also surfing and living up close to some of the sport's biggest superheroes. This made him question whether a life as a professional windsurfer was really for him. "I started to realize that my idols are actually bums living in a van with nothing but their equipment, a gas stove and a PlayStation. Because they've reached that level by giving up everything but surfing for the last 10 years of their lives." Slowly, Malte realized that the best of the best don't live a glamorous life filled with fans, parties and the latest gear. In reality, he had already achieved the same lifestyle as the elite, so what exactly was he working so hard to achieve?
"I don't need to be a poster" On the rocky shores of South Africa, Malte made a difficult decision: he's not willing to sacrifice everything else in life to be the best of the best. But it's not for him to sit back and rest on his laurels either, because the urge to prove himself still lives deep inside him. So now Malte has set himself a new goal. "I don't have to hang as a poster in some kid's room, but I want to put my stamp on the sport." It is still important for Malte to be known and recognized on the international windsurfing scene, where he has spent the last years of his life. But it no longer has to be to win piles of titles and trophies. Instead, he wants to be known for bringing the sport to more people. And he wants to go out on the water on his own terms - without worrying about points and rankings. "I still want to be recognized for what I can do. But maybe the best windsurfer in the world isn't the one who wins all the competitions?"
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