Fresh off a 2nd place finish in Tenerife’s Slalom X and wrapping up the PWA tour ranked 5th overall, Amado Vrieswijk has once again proven he’s not just a foil specialist. In his first year on Point-7 gear, Amado jumped back onto the fin and showed the world he can fight at the very top in both disciplines. We caught up with him to talk about his season highlights, the transition back to slalom, and what’s next for 2026.
First of all, congrats on your 2nd place in Tenerife! How does it feel to finish on the podium in Slalom X, especially in a discipline that isn’t your main focus?
It feels really good. I must say I was very surprised by my sailing in Fuerteventura. After the first day I felt more confident, but then a lot of things happened that you could call “racing”… just not in my favor. That’s why I wanted to prove what I can do in Tenerife, and it worked out really well. Before Fuerteventura I had about 10 sessions on the fin, training together with Taty, who is one of the fastest guys on the fin, and that definitely helped a lot.
You’ve wrapped up the PWA Slalom tour 5th overall. Did you expect this result coming into the season, or did it surprise even you?
Going into the Slalom X events, I thought a top 10 finish should definitely be within reach. But already after the first day in Fuerteventura, seeing how I was going against the rest, I started to think that even a podium was possible. So yes, it definitely surprised me!
This was your first year riding on Point-7 gear. How did the transition go, and how much of an impact do you think it had on your performance this season?
I think it really shows how good the gear is straight out of the bag. I had the same amount of preparation as in previous years, but this time I was much more competitive. That’s exactly what Fuerteventura and Tenerife proved for me.
You’ve primarily focused on foil racing in recent years. How challenging was it to shift your attention back to fin slalom, and what were the biggest adjustments?
I’m not gonna lie — during the first session, after spending the past year sailing only on foil, my stance and the way I was sailing made me feel like a beginner for the first two hours back on the fin. Luckily, I had some good winds in Bonaire, and training with Taty, who helped me set up the gear and put in the hours, I got comfortable very quickly. For me, it was mostly about adjusting my stance. Going back to shorter lines means you don’t have to force the gear to make it go — it’s more about letting the gear work for you.
Tenerife was a unique Slalom X format — lots of action, tight racing. Do you enjoy this format, and do you think it plays to your strengths?
I really enjoy it, especially in stronger and more challenging conditions. It makes racing so much fun. I think it plays to my advantage with the jumps because of my freestyle background, and in general, I just love racing.
Looking at your progression over the season, was there a particular event or breakthrough moment that gave you the confidence to push harder?
For me, it was Fuerteventura. After seeing that I could fight for a podium, I felt much more motivated to properly start training for the fin next year.
How do you compare the intensity and tactics of foil versus fin slalom? Does one push you more mentally or physically?
The fin is 100% more physical, as you are pushing the gear to the max and bouncing over all the chop. Foiling, on the other hand, is 100% mental because it requires complete focus with the chop and gusts all around you.
What’s your biggest takeaway from this slalom season, especially after ending so strong in Tenerife?
I know I still need to find a bit more top speed on the first reach to really fight for an event win. Other than that, I felt the racing was really strong, especially with the jibes, as that was my biggest gain during the race. Knowing this, I understand that I need to train and tune the gear to gain that extra bit of speed, and that will definitely help.
Looking ahead, will you be focusing more on fin slalom next season, or will foil still be your primary discipline?
Yes, I will definitely start training much earlier and more intensely for the next Slalom X season. Being on the team and knowing the sails much better will also help, as I needed some time to get the foil sails tuned for the first foil event. Next year, everything will be more fluid and easier for sure. To answer your question, foil will remain my main discipline, as it requires more tuning and has more events. But I’ll take fin slalom more seriously as well.
Lastly, what are your personal goals going into next year — both for racing and your own development as a windsurfer?
The goal has been the same for the past year — to win the title. It’s easier said than done. I believe it’s the small details I need to focus on, because all the main aspects are already there. It’s just about executing everything perfectly in every race.
