Sofia Hämäläinen can still remember that feeling: She’s a 9-year-old at summer camp, standing on a tiny windsurfing board. It’s summer: there’s the wind, the sun, and the sea. And a little girl on the brink of freedom.

– It was a beginner’s board and a sail that was maybe three square meters. I had no previous experience with the sport, and my first attempts weren’t very smooth, but the feeling was still incredible: I was out on the water, a warm breeze was blowing, and the board glided smoothly across the surface. I watched as the adults further out were going really fast — it was awesome!

Although Hämäläinen’s family had no background in sailing, the girl was immediately captivated by the new sport. Born in Helsinki but having spent most of her life traveling the world, the windsurfer had practiced figure skating, competitive acrobatics and soccer as a child.

– Windsurfing ended up winning out because it was the most challenging and the most fun. At its fastest, you can reach speeds of over 50 kilometers per hour on the board, and it feels like you’re flying low over the water’s surface. It’s an amazing feeling.

Hämäläinen, who represents HSK Helsinki on a club level, has lived most of his life in Tallinn, where the sea is just as close as it is in Helsinki.

– The sea has become a place that’s dear to me. Water is an element I know inside and out. It’s different in different places. Water can be fast or slow, and the feel of the foil varies from place to place. You have to be out on the water constantly so you don’t lose that connection to the sea.

Hämäläinen’s love for the sea and windsurfing has taken her a long way. In 2024, she won the bronze medal at the Junior World Championships, and her best finish in senior competitions is 25th place at the European Championships.  

Success requires top-of-the-line equipment

The new iQFoil class has made windsurfing even more spectacular and fast-paced. Hämäläinen made the switch to the new class in 2022.

– I switched to this class because it will be an Olympic class in the future. I definitely want to make it to the Olympics and do well there, too. In this class, the equipment and product development make for some really intense and spectacular racing, and the competitions are extremely fast-paced.

The great importance of equipment also presents challenges for the sport, both in terms of cost and from a technical standpoint.

– Top-of-the-line equipment is quite expensive. A high-quality board costs several thousand euros. A single sail can cost 1,000–1,500 euros, and you need 2–3 sails a year because you always have to get a new sail for major competitions. In addition, you need a high-quality foil mast and, of course, the most important piece of equipment, a top-of-the-line foil, which is also worth thousands of euros, Hämäläinen explains.

The purpose of the foil is to generate lift that raises the board and the surfer out of the water. The foil bears the entire weight, so its structure and stiffness are of critical importance. What makes this challenging is that every board, sail, and foil is a one-of-a-kind piece, even though they are, in principle, manufactured in the same way.

– An experienced athlete can definitely tell the difference between good and not-so-good equipment. To get the best quality, you’d have to go to the factory to test the equipment, but that’s only possible for the very best windsurfers. The rest of us have to order gear from the factory and hope that a top-notch piece will be included in the shipment sometime, Hämäläinen chuckles.

– Finding a front wing that’s good enough is particularly challenging. Different athletes need slightly different foils. You don’t stand a chance of making it into the world’s top 20 if you give your equipment even the slightest disadvantage, says Hämäläinen.

To enable goal-oriented training and participation in international competitive sports, Hämäläinen’s seasonal budget is approximately 60,000 euros. The budget covers equipment and competition expenses, coaching costs, and travel expenses for international training and competitions.

– Collaboration with the sports federation, the Next Generation program, and our own partners plays a crucial role in securing these resources. I am, in fact, extremely grateful for all the support.

It requires the mind of a mathematician and the physique of a high-performance athlete

At the top level, windsurfing is a sport of small margins. Competitions are often decided by two factors: the mental battle to stay focused at the start, and physical strength and endurance.

– In iQFoil, it basically comes down to who has the fastest equipment, who makes the best decisions at the start, and who can pump the most aggressively in the right spots, Hämäläinen sums up.

The start of the race is extremely tactical, fast-paced, and thrilling. The speed gained at the start makes a huge difference.

– There can be 60 skiers in the starting area, all looking for the best line and the fastest speed. Speeds can reach nearly 50 km/h when skiers approach intersecting runs. There’s constant action, and you have to keep everything in mind. It’s possible that 20 people are heading left and 40 are heading right at the same time. You have to dodge those coming from the right, but you still have to be aggressive. You have to be able to assess everyone’s racing lines and decide what to do in a split second. If you’re late off the start, it’s pretty much game over.

At the moment of departure, you are at the very heart of the sport. For Hämäläinen, that moment is exciting, inspiring, and exhilarating.

– Your heart rate is high: that’s the moment when everything comes together. Be strong, be fast, take a risk, and give it everything you’ve got! You’ll probably remember that feeling for the rest of your life.

– You have to be good at math and assess the courses, but there’s not much time — it all has to come from instinct. That’s when I stay in my own zone, find my own path, and just go for it!

Once the boats have picked up good speed right from the start, the physical battle begins on the open sea.

– A top-level windsurfer must have great strength and good core stability throughout the entire body. Their aerobic fitness must be up to par; a performance can include several continuous 20–30-second bursts of exertion during which the entire body is working at full capacity.

In iQFoil, competitors race in five-day regattas featuring approximately 20 races. Depending on the wind and the length of the course, each race lasts 5–20 minutes.

– Personally, I prefer stronger winds, where I can really showcase my strengths. But, of course, a top sailor has to be able to handle all wind conditions and all types of waves.

Hämäläinen has been seeking to improve her skills through international training groups for years.

– From the very beginning, I set out to train with people who were better than me; I’ve sought out top-level teams abroad because there aren’t any elite athletes in this sport in Finland.

– At the top level, there’s better equipment and better race strategies. The athletes are more experienced; they always know how to make the right choices. And they’re also better at getting off to a good start. Furthermore, in changing conditions, routine becomes even more important, and you have to keep building on it, Hämäläinen reflects.

Building Finnish Sports Culture

For Hämäläinen, sports are, above all, about that incredible feeling.

– The best part is when you realize you’re the fastest in the whole fleet. It doesn’t always mean a win, but it’s great when you can go faster than everyone else on the water.

According to Hämäläinen, when windsurfing is going well, it’s the perfect state of flow.

– It’s freedom; that’s when I’m full of energy, and my whole body knows instinctively what it needs to do. If I tried to put that feeling into words, it would go something like this: I knew I could do this! I’ve got this under control, and it’s easy!

Although the good days tend to stick in our minds the most, there are sometimes situations where even the best preparation isn’t enough.

– You can’t control everything. Unexpected and uncontrollable situations arise, and you just have to deal with them. Unfortunately, the oceans are full of trash. Plastic bags get caught on the board, or something might be floating in the water that the board hits. I’ve also had a dead fish get caught on the front fin of my board. It completely killed my speed, and that basically ruined my chances of success at this year’s European Championships.

– In situations like that, you just have to take it one race at a time. Focus on what I can control. Getting frustrated won’t help in the next race, says Hämäläinen.

This passionate surfer spends more than half the year out on the water. But once the board is carried ashore, there’s time for other things, too.

– It’s important to have more to life than just sports. It’s important to have friends and family who see me as a person, on both good days and bad. My mom has been my rock and has always been there for me. I’m grateful to my mom for so many things. I can always call her, and she always gives me good advice — both about sports and about life in general.

– I also have other important people in my life outside of windsurfing. It gives me perspective and a different point of view. In my free time, I hang out with friends, spend time with my loved ones, and enjoy moments when I don’t have to think about training or competitions. Even though sports are a big part of my life, it’s important to step away from it all for a little while sometimes. High-performance sports aren’t always easy or fun, but it’s my choice, and it’s so special that I want to enjoy it and experience it with all its ups and downs.

Although the 2028 and 2032 Olympics are already on the horizon, along with ambitious goals for success, Hämäläinen has one goal that stands out above all others in the big picture:

– It would be great if I could revive windsurfing in Finland. After Tuuli Petäjä-Siren, there was a long lull at the top level. Now I’m trying to find my own path to the top. It would be amazing if others were inspired to take up this sport by following our example.

Text translated with the help of AI.