With the celebration of our 40th anniversary, we caught up with some of our Fanatic legends: Meet one of our first riders and German windsurfing legend Ralf Bachschuster!

Ralf (Ralle) Bachschuster was one of the best German World Cup riders of the 90s and with Fanatic from 1990 till 1994. Together with some other German legends like Axel Ohm, Björn Schrader and our shaper Sebastian Wenzel, he was one of the main stars then. Before the Kite virus caught him in 1997, Ralf was competing in Wave, Slalom and Course Racing windsurfing competitions and he liked it all. He is also known for clear words and clean decisions. At the end of the 90s he moved from Germany to Cape Town to live close by the sea and build his own kiteboards. But he is still eternally thankful for his windsurfing years. When our team is there, they love to share waves together!

 

 

 

 

 

Some facts about Ralle:

 

Career/Relation to Fanatic: Team Rider

With Fanatic when:  1990 - 1994

Windsurfing since:  1978

Highlights:  Jumping the ramp at the Indoor Bercy in front of the crowds, Top 10 Wave Internationally

Favourite board (back in the days when with Fanatic): We only used protos back then. I am glad production boards got equal to prototypes of even better a few years later and now.

Favourite discipline: Wave, Slalom, Course Racing ... I liked it all!

Besides windsurfing: Kiting and now also Wing Foiling!

Anything else? I always had a good relation to the Fanatic team and still have a lot of respect from what they do!

 

Enjoy watching the interview!