birthday:17/01/76 (capricorn)

hobbys: All kind of sports. I like to pass my limits and getting into adventures. I like working for myself, like doing the public relations with companies and magazines.

sponsors: My sponsors at this time are F2-Arrows, Red Bull, Reef, Oakley and soon I will know about Quiksilver.

profession: I just finished school and in the one year of thinking about what to do in the future, windsurfing came into my life!
This doesn't mean I will not do anything else in future. I don't worry at all, because I know I can work and during all this travelling and races my mind is open for anything else. I take ideas and connections which I can use for my future life.

music: First of all I want to mention that I have to listen to music the whole time. Life seems to me more beautiful and at the same time positive things come into my mind. The kind of music has to fit with how I feel, so most of the time I need to relax, which is very difficult for me. I prefer slow, black music then. After that rock, techno, latin, dance music in general. I don't like jazz.

film: Action movies are the best for me. I like the strong guys in the jungles and so on! A movie I liked a lot was "Private Jane" with Demi Moore.

place to go: The place everybody has to visit once are the greek islands. Maybe I say how good it is sailing in Maui and just flying to Australia and the Canaries, but in the end I'm always more happy when the moment comes and I go to the island of Paros (and it is not only because it is my country). Life is easy going there and it is just the way everything should be. Where owners of a taverna are giving you out drinks without knowing you? And help is always offered with no need of any return! After this travelling I love and respect more my country, the way it is... I hope the war is not going to change anything.

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"Sometimes I forget how lucky I am"

Antonia Frey about vulcanos, the beauty of Greece and the difference between men and women. An exclusive windgirls-interview.

 

? Tony, you compete for Greece, but you have roots in Germany?

! Yes and no! My mother is greek and the last 20 years I lived here in Greece. But on the other hand my father is German and I went  to the German school here in Greece. It is a totally mixed thing, but how I feel is the most important thing: GREEK!!


? What is your favourite windsurfing-spot? Worldwide and in Greece?

! This year I came to Maui for the first time and I think this was one of the best places I've ever been. But when the August comes I can't wait for the moment to go to Greece, to the island of Paros to sail there with my friends. Greece has also other very good places to sail, but unfortunatly these days are seldom there, so this doesn't help me to what I want to do.

? Which Greek spots do you prefer besides Paros? ! Good places are also in the "three fingers" (Pelopones). Big waves are coming out over there in wintertime. Also other islands are good like Rhodos, Mykonos(!!!) and Naxos.

? If you have the choice: Do you prefer the Canaries or Maui? Why?

! I like Maui more, because it has just many other things to do. Just windsurfing is not always good. But the Canaries have their different way of being good, for example strong winds, almost every day. Every place is good for something. (Now about the rocks on the beach I can't imagine what this could be good for...)


? Have you ever felt to be in the men's shade? Do you have the impression that the girls performance is not given proper attention and if yes, how do you deal with that?

! Maybe there are some girls or generally people who think the girls are in the shade of the men, but me personal, I have never been and will never be in the shade of anybody. If I succeed 100 percent in what I'm doing, then it is going to be me who makes the success happen. The personality of each person counts a lot at this windsurfing world, and the image is going to follow. Man or woman is not going to make the difference.


? Some people don't think that the girls windsurfing provides radical action. What do you answer such people?

! Maybe till now it was like that, some girls just didn't want to get to the limits and give in waves the same radical moves like the men. This is going to change!!!

I would not have chosen windsurfing, if I wanted to earn money

? You said in an interview "A new (windgirls-)generation is coming up". What did you mean by that?

! Five years ago I just had a look to the generation before and I really admired them. Then I decided to do the same and follow the same life. It was very difficult for me to get close to this girls, and I never felt welcome.
I don't know exactly why, maybe because I was different and still not "SOMETHING". Now this generation is slowly leaving the tour and new girls are coming. All the lifestyle of them is different and they just have a lot of fun living this life. (Watch their eyes and you will see!) Maybe one more thing will make you understand even better:

I would not have chosen windsurfing, if I wanted to earn money!


? Which move is – at the moment – the biggest challenge for you? Which move do you train right now?

! This what I will train is not only one, but all the moves I can think about: The vulcano, back-  and pushloops and a lot of freestyle!!!


? Freestyle seems to be the most dynamic discipline at the moment. Is freestyle the future of windsurfing?
If possible - would you like to freestyle at the Austrian event next year?

! Yes I believe that freestyle is the future of the sport, for men and women.
At the events where we could not do an official competition, freestyle saved us giving to the people a taste of windsurfing.
For sure I would like to come to Austria, just choose a date where it is going to be warmer then 5°C! (remark: we had 27°C this year...)

? This year it looks like there will be a freestyle-event also for the women at Sotaveno, Fuerteventura and you already did very well in the Barbados- and Zandvoort- freestyle-fun-events this year. So who are the favorites for Fuerte? ! This year there will be an Freestyle event in Fuerte for sure. I train a lot like the other girls also. The best one is going to win. Who could this be? Just watch us and you will find out!

? Did you have special freestyle training? Which moves are your best freestyle jumps/tricks? Which move do you train next?

! I realy don't have done something special for the freestyle events. The only thing is I don't like going just up and down on the water, especially in my place where I sail and it's flat. So I just do tricks to enjoy sailing.
Now I've learned some tricks and jumps, but for sure I need more training to get constant. I prefer doing tricks on the wave turning the sail around. My weak point is jumping on light wind, but soon this won't be a problem anymore.
Next move: Willy Skipper and Vulcano, and the others will follow!


? I was told you are the best one in doing sail tricks and moves like that! Have you done these tricks forever or just started since the new discipline was born? What is your opinion on the girl's freestyle in general?

! I tried in past doing some of them, but I didn't worry of not succeeding them, because there was no point of doing them. After the raise of the new discipline of course I tried more and they got more important for me. Now about the girls, I think Fuerte will not be easy to win!


? Which move do you consider to be more difficult? A high forward in the waves or a "Spock" on flat water?

! For me it is a spock... Difficult!


? Just for fun: Do blondes have more fun?

! Hey listen, these jokes are only for girls, who put blond colour in their hair. I'm natural ALSO there, so I'm NOT mad now!


? Every sportsman/woman wants to get well known for his/her performance: What are your aims in windsurfing?

! What I really want is getting very good in wavesailing. I want to control everything, like in my life also. I like trying and fighting for what I choose, if it is too easy I give up and leave it. In windsurfing there is never an end of learning. Now about getting well know this is the only thing I don't give attention to. Whether you like it or not, it's going to come out anyway... Live every day of your life, like it's your last!

? Our readers are really curious: Which are your best friends at the tour? And: Do you have a boyfriend at the moment or are you too busy?

! My best friends are Daida and Iballa not only in the tour, but in general. Each time I see them I love them more and I don't want to leave them.
We share a lot of good moments together and we laugh a lot. What else could be nicer finding the same girls living the same life and having the same meaning of life.

Now about Boyfriends there would be always time. This excuse not having time I don't use in my vocabulary, it is too old and doesn't work anymore. So back to your question: "SOMETIMES" if I get time!!!


? Many of the men on the PWA-tour have lots of "adventures" with female groupies. Many people wonder if it's similar for the women: Do you have male groupies? Can you imagine to enjoy an affair now and then or is it nothing you can imagine?

! The difference between the men in PWA and the women is one:
Men can do these things and they are considered to be really cool. When women are doing this is has a very bad image. The women can't do this in front of the eyes of anybody, only if the relationship is going to be more serious. But we are free people and from my point of few we can do what ever we feel like doing.
Our lifestyle is travelling around the world, so how is it possible not having small affairs with guys? If I would say no "I can't imagine having affairs", then I would lie. And you know what, I can't imagine anybody on tour who doesn't, the only difference is some people talk about it and some don't. So however: One Is The LIFE!

Greece is the last paradise

? Tony, what does life mean to you?

! Life and health means a lot for me, that's why I follow my feelings and windsurfing professionally, but unfortunatly sometimes I forget how lucky I am. Of course things don't work well all the time, like to anybody. Then I get really depressed and I think the world is going to break in two peaces. I admire all the people, who fight and succeed in what they put for a goal, this could be ANYBODY. I just wish that people could stay theirselves and not pretend to be somebody else they perhaps would like to be.

? Tourists all over Europe know the advertisment-slogan "The gods could have chosen any place in the world, but the gods chose Greece!" Concerning the Meltemi - the gods must have been windsurfers?

! Do you think so? I never saw one over here. Maybe many years before people were more active, but now I see there are not like this anymore. So much clean water and good places for learning this sport (and not only this kind of sport). Greek people are more for enjoying time in relaxing on a chair and this is one thing I don't like at all. I need people around me to push me doing things.
Now for the MELTEMI, I guess it is just a thermic wind that helps Greece to breath in summer, wakes up spirits and helps windsurfers to enjoy life more. Greece is the last PARADISE!