FRANEK DEBOWSKI is our youth talent from North Poland. Sailing often in the polish windsurf paradise peninsula of Hel. Supported also by our local Windsurf Dealer Hydrosfera, Franek is ready for another exciting racing season. Meet him in these 10 questions.
Can you tell us how you first got into windsurfing and what inspired you to pursue it at such a high level? I was windsurfing for the first time when I was around 10 years old. I tried it during summer holidays. I used to go windsurfing every summer for about first 4 years of my journey, only during the summer and after that I joined the windsurfing club here in Poland.
I think the best motivating factor that made me pursue it is the feeling of becoming a better windsurfer, pushing the gear and myself to the maximum and fighting on the slalom course with the other guys.
Windsurfing is known to be physically demanding. What kind of training regimen do you follow to stay at the top of your game? I train couple of times in a week in the gym with my Coach that has been with me from the very beginning. He understands how tough windsurfing could be and prepares me for the upcoming seasons. Besides that I try to windsurf as much as I can, on the weekends, after university and whenever there are windy conditions.
As a young athlete, how do you balance school, social life, and your commitment to windsurfing? Is it a challenge? I believe it is a bit challenging, especially when It comes to the time of the exams. It is when there is a lot of learning, windy days and opportunities to hang out with friends from the University. But I think if you manage to set it all up wisely, everything should be all right. Till now it works for me so I am very happy with that.
What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your windsurfing journey so far, and how did you overcome it? By far the hardest challenge to beat was the injury of my leg. I torn my ACL and broke both of my meniscus. After the surgery it took me around 8 months to come back to windsurfing. Firstly, I had to walk with walking crutches for a month. Which was the hardest part of the comeback. Every movement caused extreme pain in my leg and the workouts to restore the gone muscles was tough. Then there was 7 months of constant workouts and hard work. At the end it all end well and I am in my full health. A thing that helped me a lot during that time was positive thinking and a fact that if I work harder I would come back on the water sooner.
Windsurfing requires not just physical skill, but mental toughness as well. How do you prepare mentally for a competition, especially when there’s pressure on you to perform well? Mental preparation for a windsurfing competition involves focus, confidence, and resilience. I use visualization techniques to imagine myself successfully navigating the course and handling different conditions. Deep breathing and mindfulness help me stay calm under pressure and maintain a clear mind. I also remind myself of past successes to boost my confidence. Lastly, I embrace the challenge, viewing pressure as motivation rather than a burden.
What kind of support system do you have from your family, coaches, or sponsors? How important has that been in helping you get to where you are today? Family helps me the most, especially my mom who supports me in every possible way which I am very grateful for. The sponsors support me with the gear and many other ways. Especially Point – 7 and Andrea who saw a talent in me and made me a part of the Point – 7 international team. My first sponsor was HYDROSFERA shop in Poland who helped me persuade my dream from the very beginning. My coach helps me to prepare my body and mind for the upcoming events. He puts a lot of work in my trainings and rests.
I believe that all these things where very important to me and without them I would not be here today. I am very happy with them and glad I have people around me and brands that support me, believe in my dreams and what I do.
Now that you’ve reached the podium, what are your goals for the future in windsurfing? Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years? I would like to focus on the slalom x and speed windsurfing in upcoming years. I love to see myself in the TOP 16 of the slalom X PWA and that is one of my goals. Second is to become faster in speed windsurfing every year. I would like to see myself on the podium of the world speed championships in my age category. Additionally I want to set a new fastest ever speed in Polish ranking and be again a Polish speed champion.
There are always younger, talented athletes coming up in the windsurfing world. What advice would you give to kids who are just starting out and want to follow in your footsteps? I would tell young windsurfers to be patient and enjoy the learning process, as progress takes time. Focus on mastering the basics first, because a strong foundation will make advanced skills easier later. Stay persistent and don’t get discouraged by setbacks—every mistake is a chance to improve. Surround yourself with supportive coaches and teammates who push you to be better. Most importantly, have fun and keep your passion for the sport alive, because loving what you do is the key to long-term success.
Finally, what is your ultimate dream in windsurfing? Is your goal to make it to the professional circuit full-time and perhaps compete in the World Tour as a career? My ultimate dream in windsurfing is to stand on the PWA Slalom podium and claim a world title. I also aim to become the first Polish windsurfer to break the 50-knot speed barrier. Competing at the highest level and making windsurfing my full-time career is my ultimate goal. I want to push my limits, inspire others, and represent my country on the world stage. Every training session and competition brings me one step closer to making this dream a reality.
