Rick Jendrusch: A Lifetime of Freestyle at Brouwersdam
September 25, 2026
Few places in European freestyle windsurfing carry the history of Brouwersdam. For generations of riders, the waters here have been a training ground, a meeting point and a stage for some of the sport’s most memorable sessions and competitions.
Few people are better placed to tell that story than Rick Jendrusch. A lifelong Brouwersdam local, former EFPT competitor, Junior World Champion and current co-owner of Zeil- & Surfcentrum Brouwersdam, Rick has experienced the spot from almost every possible angle.
With the FPT returning to Brouwersdam this October for the tenth edition of DAM-X, we sat down with Rick to look back at his competitive career, the evolution of freestyle, the generations of riders who have called Brouwersdam home, and what makes this place so special to him.
FPT: For those who don’t know, tell us a bit about who you are; tell us a bit about yourself, and your connection to Brouwersdam and to Freestyle.
Rick Jendrusch: My name is Rick Jendrusch, and I am co-owner of Zeil- & Surfcentrum Brouwersdam. I grew up here at the centre and have spent almost my entire life on these waters, so I know Brouwersdam like few others do.
Windsurfing has always been a major part of my life, especially freestyle. I was inspired by riders such as Tonky Frans and by seeing moves like Forward Loops. When I was around eleven years old, I really started taking the sport seriously. I went on to compete on both the PWA World Tour and the EFPT for several years, became Junior World Champion, reached the top ten of the PWA rankings and the top five on the EFPT.
My connection to freestyle and windsurfing has always been driven by a genuine love for the sport. Today, watersports and windsurfing are still part of my everyday life through my work. I want to help more people discover the sport, get out on the water and make use of the wind.
FPT: You yourself were a competitor on the EFPT. What was that period of your career like, and what do you remember most fondly about being part of competitive freestyle? Any events, moments or memories that stand out when you think back to your time competing?
RJ: I look back on that period as an incredible time in my life. I was able to travel around the world because of windsurfing, visit amazing places and compete in some of the best conditions. It honestly felt like living a dream: travelling and windsurfing with friends while doing exactly what we had always dreamed of doing.
It was also very special to be able to turn the sport I loved into my profession. In a way, I still have that today through the family business, although my role is now very different. Some of my strongest memories are from the competitions we had here at Brouwersdam. Having a home event was the ultimate experience for me. I knew the spot, my friends and family were there, and I could compete in front of a home crowd. That made those events incredibly special.
I also remember having a very strong competition in Weymouth, England, where I achieved my best result ever. That is definitely one of the highlights of my competitive career. And, of course, I will always have great memories of the events in Podersdorf. It was such an iconic stop on the tour and always had an amazing atmosphere.
FPT: What was it like competing at Brouwersdam as a local rider, with a spot you knew so well becoming an event venue?
RJ: It was an amazing experience. As I mentioned, everyone you know comes to watch and the support from the home crowd is huge. That gives you an incredible amount of motivation. Knowing the spot so well was definitely an advantage. I knew the water, the wind and exactly where the best places were to perform certain moves. I had trained there for years, so I understood how to make the most of the conditions.
At the same time, competing at home also brought extra pressure. People expected more from me, and I put more pressure on myself because I wanted to perform well on my own waters and in front of my home crowd. Despite that pressure, the Brouwersdam events were probably my favourite competitions. Being able to help bring an international event to your home spot and then compete in it yourself was something very special.
FPT: Competitive Freestyle has evolved since we last saw you on tour. What are some of the biggest changes you’ve noticed in the sport, both in terms of the sailing and the competitive scene?
RJ: The level at the top has changed enormously. When you see what the best riders are doing now: Double Air Culos, Triple Culos and incredibly technical combos – it is almost unbelievable. The power they generate, the height they reach and the way they link multiple rotations together are on a completely different level. We simply could not achieve that in my time.
At the same time, I also feel that the foundations of freestyle have remained quite similar. Of course, new moves and variations have been invented, but many of them are still built around the same core movements, such as the Culo, the Burner and ducking the sail. The biggest progression has come from adding more rotations, more height, more power and increasingly difficult combinations.
So although the basic DNA of freestyle is still recognisable, today’s top riders have taken those foundations to an extreme level. The jumping moves in particular are so high and powerful that they are incredible to watch.
FPT: Throughout all this time, Brouwersdam has remained one of the key freestyle spots in Europe. What is it about this place that makes it so special for freestyle?
RJ: I think one of the main reasons is that so many European freestylers started and developed their sailing here. We regularly have good wind, it is a safe place to sail and you can train here in almost every wind direction. It does not really matter where the wind comes from; there is usually somewhere at Brouwersdam where you can get on the water.
The facilities around the spot are also excellent. There is plenty of free parking, Zeil- & Surfcentrum Brouwersdam is open throughout the year, and you have everything you need close to the water, including Restaurant Eat & See, warm showers and lockers. That makes it very easy to spend an entire day here, both on and off the water.
Then, of course, there is the small lagoon – the famous “Poeltje” – which has become a real freestyle mecca. The water is flat and shallow, and it is perfect for taking photos and filming. Riders can take turns doing runs, watch each other closely and constantly push one another. That atmosphere helps everyone progress more quickly. It attracts more good riders, which raises the level even further and makes it an incredibly exciting place to sail.
FPT: For someone who has never sailed here before, how would you describe a really good Brouwersdam freestyle day? What are the conditions like when the spot is firing at it’s best?
RJ: For me, the perfect Brouwersdam freestyle day has a south-westerly wind of around 25 to 30 knots – strong enough for a 4.4 or sometimes even a 4.0 sail.
The best sessions are usually during spring or autumn, when the spot is less crowded. You have flat water, plenty of power and a few good friends on the water to share the session with. The small waves rolling into the lagoon can be used as ramps for big aerial moves and forward loops. On the flatter sections, you can go into your moves with full power and try to land big double combinations. Add a little sunshine, a few good riders pushing each other and some big dreams – that is Brouwersdam at its best.
FPT: You’ve seen and experienced Brouwersdam from so many different perspectives: as a local rider, as a competitor, and now as someone running the centre and hosting events. Has your perception of the spot itself changed over the years?
RJ: Of course. The business has grown enormously over the years. In 2017, we took a major step forward and created what you could call Brouwersdam 2.0. I have experienced this place during so many different stages of my life. As a young child, Brouwersdam was my playground. Later, it became my training ground and a professional centre where I could develop and practise my sport at the highest possible level. Today, it is also my work and almost my second home – I probably spend more time here than I do at home.
It is very special to be able to turn your passion for windsurfing into your everyday work. We can organise events that help grow the sport and provide young boys and girls with opportunities to compete, train and develop themselves. Those are opportunities I sometimes missed when I was younger, so being able to create them for the next generation is something I find incredibly rewarding.
At the same time, freestyle has become more challenging from a business and event perspective. The sport is changing, as are the wider trends within watersports. As a centre and as an event organiser, we have to recognise those changes, continue to adapt and think carefully about how we can keep freestyle moving forward.
FPT: You’ve watched several generations of riders come through here. Legends like Davy Scheffers and Steven van Broeckhoven, riders who are currently considered some of the world’s absolute best, like Yentel Caers and Maaike Huvermann, to riders like Tigo Kort and Bodhi Kempen who are making a name for themselves in recent years.
What has it been like watching and sailing with generations of top-level freestylers on these waters?
RJ: It has been incredible. When you look back at all the riders who have trained and progressed here over the years, it is quite remarkable. I have seen all these different generations pass through Brouwersdam, and I have also had the opportunity to train and sail alongside many of them. That has always been very special.
This tradition has continued for many years, and I hope it will carry on long into the future. Attracting a new generation of freestylers is more challenging today, so I think it is important that all of us – riders, centres, brands and event organisers – keep encouraging young people to discover freestyle.
It would be amazing to see another generation of riders develop here, inspire one another and continue the freestyle legacy of Brouwersdam.
FPT: When you watch the younger riders who call Brouwersdam home today, do you see anything that reminds you of yourself or the riders you looked up to when you were coming through?
RJ: Freestyle is no longer the main priority for as many young riders as it was when I was growing up. Disciplines such as iQFOiL have become very popular and attract a lot of talented boys and girls. Because of that, I sometimes miss having a large group of really young freestylers in the lagoon, constantly training and pushing one another in the way we used to.
However, we do have our rookies and a Rookie Class, and what I see in those young riders definitely reminds me of my own childhood. They are friends, they arrange to go windsurfing together and, above all, they have a huge amount of fun on the water.
At that stage, it is not yet about results, rankings or what they are expected to achieve. It is simply about windsurfing together and spending as many hours on the water as possible. I recognise that feeling very well. Looking back, those carefree years were probably some of the best and most enjoyable times of my windsurfing life.
FPT: The FPT is returning to Brouwersdam this October after several years away. How does it feel to see the tour coming back to a place that has played such a big role in the sport’s history?
RJ: I think it is fantastic. Organising an event like this is not easy. Securing the necessary funding and sponsorship is challenging, especially at the moment. What makes it even more special that, for the tenth anniversary of DAM-X, we are able to bring the tour back to Brouwersdam and welcome the world’s best freestyle windsurfers here again.
It will be great for the fans, the visitors and everyone connected to the sport. I think we can all be very happy that the FPT is returning, and I am excited to see how the public responds to it.
Most of all, I hope the event will inspire a new generation of freestylers. I want young riders to see what freestyle is all about, discover what is possible on a windsurf board and feel motivated to try it themselves. If this event helps attract new people to freestyle, that would be one of the best possible outcomes.
FPT: The question everyone is asking themselves ahead of this event – are we going to see a Rick Jendrusch competition comeback?!
RJ: That is a good question! At the moment, I would probably say no. I am usually extremely busy behind the scenes during DAM-X, so I would need quite a lot of convincing to enter the competition as well.
But you never know. If the wind conditions are good, perhaps I will decide to enter at the last minute. I would definitely enjoy it, but I am not ready to make any promises yet – I already have plenty to do during the event.
I did compete in the tow-in last year and had a lot of fun. Maybe Nick van Ingen, who is a good friend and someone I used to windsurf with a lot, can push me to enter again. So perhaps you will still see me in action. You have certainly made me think about it, although I would need to start training first – I have not been windsurfing enough recently!
FPT: 12. After your years competing, your time on the EFPT, and everything you’ve seen happen here before, throughout and since, what is Brouwersdam to you today? Has that changed over the years?
RJ: Brouwersdam is my life and my home. My friends are here, along with the best team I could wish for. It is a beautiful place where I can still practise the sport I love, while also putting my passion into the business and my work every day.
What makes it even more special is that this is a family business. Being able to work here together as a family, and to continue building such a special watersports centre, means a great deal to me.
Over the years, my role and my perspective have changed, but my connection to Brouwersdam has only grown stronger. Today, one of the things I value most is being able to introduce other people to watersports and help them experience the same freedom, enjoyment and passion that windsurfing has given me. For me, there is nothing better than that.
For Rick, Brouwersdam has been home, playground, training ground and competition venue. Now, the spot gets ready to welcome the FPT and the world’s best freestyle windsurfers once again, with a new fleet of riders ready to add their own chapter to its long history.
The FPT returns to Brouwersdam on October 7th.
