This is how Karsten Krongaard sits and laughs cheerfully when he is asked the question, who is the superman Karsten Krongaard? In front of him is only a glass of water. Despite the 50 years, Karsten has never learned to drink coffee. "I am in many ways an overgrown child who has never really grown up," says Karsten and smiles at his girlfriend of ten years, Elin. "I've always seen Karsten a bit like Peter Pan - a guy who flies around Ønskeøen and has a lot of young people around him who are impressed by his abilities on the water" adds Elin and smiles back.
It started with windsurfing
Water sports veteran Karsten Krongaard was born and raised on Fyn and has pretty much been on the water all his life. "I started windsurfing with my older brother when I was 10 years old. We got a Bic Teen beginner board with 4.2 rig with a sloppy boom, and we could then frolic on that equipment at Kertinge Nor, which is the north-west end of Kerteminde Fjord”; says Karsten. They were both quickly taken by the water sport and the internal competition also meant that the equipment had to be upgraded quickly, and Fyn's Windsurfing club became a regular haunt in their youth.
Up through the teenage years they competed on a national level in the various windsurfing race competitions around the country, but due to Karsten's size he found it difficult to be at the front of the field and as the winning type that is deeply rooted in his DNA, he looked at alternative windsurfing genre. He began to explore the wave conditions around the Fyn island sea, to be one of the best in that field instead. "I have always wanted to be the best at what I do, and this has probably also meant that I have explored many more individual sports instead of team sports"; says Karsten, who has also practiced badminton, tennis, mountain biking and vaulting at a high level. "With a brother who was two years older than me and such a strong competitive gene over the years, I have always had to make extreme efforts and make high demands on myself"; continues Karsten.
Being the best at what you do has probably always been a fundamental driving force in the things Karsten throws himself into. That is why work has also always been secondary. "My leisure interests have always taken up so much that work has always been secondary. It has not been important for me to build up a career where you constantly have to rank. On the contrary, I have always had work where flexible working hours have been the most important factor”; says Karsten and continues "So when the conditions look good in the late afternoon, it's great to have the opportunity to start the working day earlier and get on the water when the conditions work."
Karsten is trained as a ship fitter at the former Lindø Shipyard, and as a 21-year-old he crossed the Little Belt Bridge back in 1995 and drove north with the final destination Klitmøller. Here he settled, got a job at a local blacksmith, and then the years passed with windsurfing, starting a family and SUP adventures. Among other things, Karsten participated in the SUP national team, where he highlights the WC in Peru 2013 as one of the greatest experiences in his professional career.
"This is future"
Many in the water sports camp today know Karsten Krongaard as the uncrowned king of the SUPfoil, and interest in this particular category arose when Kai Lenny posted the first clip on YouTube back in 2016. "I think it kick-started the foiling adventure for many when Kai Lenny threw a cut up with a foil on an oversawed or reduced raceboard", says Karsten, who remembers thinking that "That - it's going to be BIG".
There weren't many about the bid to start with, and especially not on the European market, so Karsten wrote directly to Go Foil, which was one of the first brands to start series production of foils. “I was sent a Kai Iwa kit and there were no boards at the time, so I made one myself and remember thinking – how big does one have to be? I remember that the dimensions were 5'10×24, and it was super small" Elin bursts in laughing: "It was pretty ugly", and Karsten smiles back; "But it was GOOD".
At the beginning of 2018, Karsten jumped on the water for the first time on the homemade board, and it was a hit. "I immediately started calculating the placement of the footstraps when I knew I wanted to do air tricks". In the last few years, the foiling adventure has really taken off and overshadowed Karsten's other water sports interests.
Mr. Ambassador
Today, Karsten lives with his girlfriend Elin in Nors, a small area almost the same distance from Klitmøller and Hanstholm. Together they have four children, and although the body and leisure activities do not reflect this, Karsten can also call himself a grandfather. Neither age nor the title of grandfather seems to affect the little water sportsman. On the contrary, the former fynbo relies heavily on its abilities on the water. “Age really is just a number and I've never had a hard time getting older or being different; Karsten smiles shyly.
And the wish that the little granddaughter Emily should also find joy in being on the water has already been initiated. Between all the impressive pictures and video posts on both Facebook and Instagram of tricks and skills, a small value-laden post also appears with granddaughter Emily in front of Karsten on a surfboard: "Couple of years ago I took my Granddaughter out for her first wave. It's funny – After all the gazillion waves I've ridden in my life so far, it's a knee high wave that sticks out the most. The stoke is real”.
The role of ambassador for the various water sports suits Karsten incredibly well. "All the joys and fantastic experiences I have experienced, I want to pass on and inspire others with. When people ask for advice, I'm happy to answer based on my many years of experience, and I'm happy to take people on both the downwind trips or give my input for a good start on the foil adventure", replies Karsten, who somehow has always found its identity on the water. "Right back to my youth, it was the love of the water that was the dominant factor in my choices," says Karsten reflectively; "I often stayed home from the youth parties, as I would rather get up early the next morning to be the first on the water." Karsten has carried this attitude to life and sport with him throughout his life and ironically enough, Elin and Karsten's first date was also on the water. "I forgot to tell Karsten that I'm actually not that fond of water, so we both remember our first date in Klitmøller, where Karsten had of course invited me on a little SUP trip, and I suddenly fell into the water". says Elin, who otherwise takes a large part in Karsten's water sports trips both as photographer and driver. "I see it as my investment in the relationship, because if I want to spend time with Karsten, I also have to go with him," says Elin smiling and looking lovingly at Karsten while adding "Karsten is also good at showing off his gratitude for it and I am very HAPPY for flowers”.
Double Backflip
Halfway towards 100 years, Karsten still keeps his body agile and with an activity level somewhat above the average Dane, so the journey continues. Ambitions are not influenced by age. "The goal is a double backflip. Now I've done several backflips, so I think it must be doable”; Karsten smiles and Elin ends the interview: "Yes, so hopefully it's a day when I'm not with you that you try."
We keep our fingers crossed and thank you for many worthwhile sessions in the waves and postings on social media. Find Karsten on Instagram; @krongaard .
