Andy "Bubble" Chambers

2005/2006/2007 UK Freestyle Champion

Age: 22
Sail Number: K-540
Sponsors: Club Vass, Gaastra, Tabou, Boardwise, Sola
No of years windsurfing: 8 (Although I first started windsurfing when I was 12 but was too scared to actually go on the water until I was 14)!
Hardest move ever learned: Vulcan! It took me a whole season of sailing nearly everyday at Vass!
How many competitions have you done so far? Not many! I have done a few Whiteair contests, 3 UKWA events last year and Bonaire (no wind), Hove and PWA Lanzarote this year.
Are you surprised to do so well this year? I was surprised last year at coming 4th on the UKWA tour but this year I have worked really hard to learn lots of new moves, so I hoped to do well, particularly at the Freestyle champs. I have also been trying to learn all my moves on both tacks. I have always been a bit one sided, but this year I spent the winter in Margarita learning everything on Starboard tack and then went to Vass in the summer to learn on Port!! I think this is a big advantage and certainly gave me more confidence.
How have you got so good? Teaching has really helped me. Not because I necessarily teach the moves, but more because as an instructor you learn to break moves down and identify the key parts which is really important for fast progress. The other factor is that I have been teaching at Club Vass since 2002 which means plenty of sailing time and mixing with all the other instructors who have such a high level of sailing over there!!
How much training vs work have you done this year? To be honest I have done loads of training because I spent a lot of time in Margarita! In Margarita, the wind blows all the time so you can sail whenever you aren't teaching, which gives you plenty of practice time. In other places such as Vass, the wind doesn't come until later in the day and can drop in the evenings so you have less time for free sailing before/after work.
How have you made the step from instructor to semi-pro windsurfer? It mainly comes down to Tony at Club Vass who is such a good guy to work for! He has really helped me this year. Boardwise have also been really helpful over the past couple of years. I think a lot of other centres would never have been as accommodating as Tony has been with myself and Simon, so we are pretty lucky in that respect.
What are your plans for next year? I want to do all the PWA freestyle events and try some Super X as well. My main aim however is to do well at the London Boat Show - that's the one event I really would like to do well at. I have never sailed indoors, but I'm pretty light and would like to think I could be competitive.
What's the best thing about competition? Competition makes you sail better because it pushes you more to learn stuff. You see someone else do something and you automatically think 'I've got to do that'! Its awesome, I love it!
What's the worst thing about competition? The lows are really low - when u get knocked out its awful! How does competition differ to free sailing? Competition used to make me sail worse. I would watch all the top sailors and get psyched out, never managing to sail to my full ability. Now I try never to watch anyone, I just get on and sail a heat like I am free-sailing!
Will this result make a difference for you for next year? I bloody hope so! I would like to get some better sponsorship now which will let me do more events next year.