TIM VAN DAM NOW POINT-7

Fresh from competing at the WWT Gran Canaria Windsurf World Cup, Tim Van Dam is ready for an exciting new chapter as he joins the Point-7 Black Team.

Born and raised in Tenerife, Tim has built his reputation through years of dedication to wave sailing, coaching and continuous progression. Combining his experience in international competition with a strong passion for helping other windsurfers improve, he represents the new generation of riders who truly live and breathe the sport.

At Point-7, we are very happy to welcome another strong wave rider to our team. Tim will play an important role in the ongoing testing and development of the SALT Pro, working alongside the rest of our international wave team: Josep Pons from Gran Canaria, Flo Jung and Luca Mazzoli from Fuerteventura. Their experience across the demanding and varied conditions of the Canary Islands will provide valuable feedback as we continue pushing the performance and development of our wave sails.

In this interview, Tim talks about growing up in the challenging waters of El Médano, his ambitions as both a competitor and coach, his TVD Coaching project, and why joining Point-7 is the perfect next step in his career.

Let’s start with your background. Where are you from, and how did your journey into
windsurfing begin?
I come from Tenerife, I was born in the island. My father is Dutch and my mother is from
Tenerife. So I’m half dutch, half spanish. I learned windsurfing at the beach of El Medano. I lived
in the north of the island as a kid but always visited El Médano with my parents. My father, uncle
and step father are windsurfers, so I gravitated naturally towards the sport, and became very
curious about it from a young age. I got on a windsurf board for the first time when I was 7 but I
only tried once a year and I really fell in love with the sport at the age of 11. Since then I
windsurfed a lot and at the age of 13 I did my first junior event at the PWA Tenerife World Cup
2013. That’s when I met a lot of other riders from my age and it felt straight away like a family, in
a way. I learned my waterstart in the beach of Sotavento in Fuerteventura. As you know, there
are offshore winds, so I had to do waterstart no matter what to come back to the beach. I think
that gave me the push to learn it relatively quickly, and got rescued a few times though haha.

You are now based in Tenerife. What made you choose the island, and what does it give
you as a rider?
Like I mentioned, I was born here, and it was a hard and frustrating experience to learn here in
a way, as it’s generally wavy when it’s windy, but it also made me progress a lot faster because
of the harder conditions, so I’m happy I learned here.
Riders who have never experienced the ocean or waves often struggle at the beginning of a
clinic, and some may feel that the conditions aren’t productive for their level. However, the
reality is quite the opposite. Like many things in life, the more challenging the environment, the
faster and deeper the learning process becomes. By stepping outside their comfort zone and
facing conditions they initially believed were beyond their abilities, riders not only improve their
skills significantly but also return home with much greater confidence in their sailing.

How does living in Tenerife influence your training routine and your progression in
wave?
I think both Tenerife and Gran Canaria are both very good destinations to live and to train the
wave discipline because of its weather and because of the high rate of windy days we get per
year. There are also very nice spots in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura and I can’t wait to start
going there more often as well.

Coaching has become an important part of your life. What do you enjoy most about
teaching and sharing your experience?
Coaching really brings me joy. Like most people practicing this sport, I’m passionate about
everything about it. I have been doing private coachings for the last few years now and in
general I have over 7 years of coaching watersports experience, and it’s my passion. I love
helping people achieve their goals and having feedback from them is what I value the most,
that’s how I’ve been also capable of improving my methods over time. If you feel windsurfing like
I feel it. If you enjoy it like I enjoy it, I did my job and I’m the happiest person.
Plus as a coach, you become more and more analytic by coaching others and spotting small
mistakes daily and that translates a lot in your own progression afterwards

What does joining the Point-7 Black Team mean to you?
Joining the Point-7 Black Team means a lot to me. It means becoming part of a brand that truly
lives and breathes windsurfing, with a strong identity and a good connection to the riders and
the community. Point-7 represents passion, performance and personality, and that aligns
perfectly with the way I approach the sport.
This opportunity pushes me to raise my level on and off the water, to keep progressing as a
rider and as a coach, and to share that energy with others. I’m proud to join the Black Team and
very excited about this new chapter ahead!
What are your first impressions of the Point-7?
Unfortunately, I have not tried them. I’m still recovering from a foot injury earlier this year, but Im
feeling great and the rehab is going good. I’m on my way back to the water! I have seen the
sails over the years and I’ve always liked them. I remember when Adam Lewis was riding them
and I always looked up to him as a kid. He was ripping on the gear!
I can’t wait to sail it!

You are planning to develop coaching and training camps. What kind of riders are you
looking to work with?
I divide clinics and groups of riders depending on their goals and level. I always make sure it’s
as productive experience for the students as possible and that they can learn from each other at
the same time that we are all having a blast. I am developing my personal brand, TVD
Coaching, which I’m very proud of and will focus on building it over the next few years. I’m
deeply focused in Clinics on the Canaries and private coachings whether it is at the beach or
online sessions, as most maneuvers start at home working on muscle memory, simulation and
visualizing, something that a lot of windsurfers forget about.

How do you balance your own training and competition goals with coaching others?
That’s always a difficult one to manage to be honest. As a windsurf coach, when it’s windy it’s
time to work but also to train, so it’s sometimes hard to have energy for both day after day. But I
believe passion is what keeps us going in this sport and as a coach you learn a lot from
coaching others, analyzing becomes your way of thinking and processing new information like
learning a new move.
But yes, it’s sometimes not the easiest to combine as they both require a lot of time!
Good thing this year, is that the first event I’ll be doing is Gran Canaria in July, as the calendar
changed a little bit for this 2026 season, so I have a lot of time for Clinics and training both at
home and in Gran Canaria and also to fully recover from my injury!

I am text What plans do you have this season for both coaching and competitions?
This year, my main focus is on continuing to grow both my coaching and competitive career. I’ve
already completed three windsurf clinics, with six more currently scheduled. In addition to these,
I regularly work with private groups outside the calendar, so the total number of clinics will likely
exceed what is currently planned.
Most of my clinics will take place in Tenerife, which remains my main training base. I also have a
clinic scheduled in Pozo this May, and there is potential to expand to additional destinations
later in the year.
On the competition side, I will be competing in Tenerife and Gran Canaria. At the moment, I’m
focused on preparing my return to the water, building back my rhythm and performance level.
Following Tenerife, I plan to continue the season with events in Sylt and Chile.
Overall, the goal for this year is to maintain a strong balance between coaching and
competition, while continuing to perform at a high level and stay closely connected to the
windsurf community.

How can people contact you for Clinics or find you in Social Media?
You can easily get in contact via my instagram, which is @timvandamwindsurf or via my website
which is https://timvandam-coaching.com/ Reach out and I will answer shortly with further
information! This year I am including a Free gift with every purchase! Come join me on any of
the dates of this year to improve like never before and have a blast all together. You will not
regret it! First Clinic will happen in Pozo Izquierdo (Gran Canaria) from 22nd to 28th of May.

I am text What are your main personal goals for the coming seasons, both on the water and
professionally?
My personal goals in the sport are mainly to make a great impact in as many windsurfers as
possible through my coaching.
Competition wise I would like to prove myself that there is a lot still to be done and I can’t wait to
give it all this year with this new opportunity to join the Black Team, super happy and excited
about this new chapter. 2025 I got 38th in the ranking. I expect to do better this year, let’s see
what this year has to offer. Excited about it!

What motivates you to keep pushing your limits in windsurfing?
I just love the sport so much and there is always something to learn and now with this change of
sponsor for this season I think it’s happening in the right time to come fresh into this season
ready to give it all both in coaching and competitions. It is a never ending learning curve, that is
what keeps me hooked, there is always a move you look forward to learning or do better!

Do you have a favorite windsurf spot or memory from your career so far?
I think my favorite spot will always be El Cabezo in good conditions – good waves and strong
wind. It’s where it all started and where I enjoy the most, as I know the spot very well. But there
are magic places like Matanzas in Chile, or Witsands in South Africa. My best memory would be
maybe last year in the PWA in Tenerife, where I ended in 17th place in the double elimination
where I felt close to making my first top 10 result. I made some mistakes and I will make sure to
have them in mind this year.

Favorite conditions? 4.2 and 88 L with good waves in El Cabezo.
Favorite wind range? 35 knots
Onshore or side-shore? Side shore for wave riding, onshore for jumping!
Big waves or big jumps? Big waves

Dream windsurf trip?
I have still never been to Hawaii, that would be an awesome trip, but to be honest, going every
year to Chile already feels like a dream trip each time. I also look forward to going to Cape
Verde. It is a place I have always dreamed of, watching the top riders sailing Punta Preta, Little
Hookipa and Ali Baba.