Max Matissek goes windsurfing in a rooftop pool

November 29, 2016 | Windsurfing
Max Matissek: windsurfing at Vienna's Alt Erlaa rooftop pool | Photo: Matissek

Max Matissek continues his unusual windsurfing experiences in Vienna. This time, he took his windsurfer to a rooftop pool located in the heart of Austria's capital.

When Matissek started his "True Wind" windsurf-and-art project series, he imagined a world where his abstract fantasies became crystal-clear realities.

Last year, Max took his windsurfing equipment to a large underground rainwater reservoir located in Simmering, Vienna.

Now, the Austrian freestyler literally stepped up his game by pulling a few tricks in the rooftop pool of Vienna's Alt Erlaa, a residential complex built between 1973 to 1986 with a surprising motto: "the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people."

"My 'True Wind' Series is all about creating different windsurfing pictures - to windsurf in impossible environments. After 16 years of windsurfing, I have realized that the classic photos of windsurfers in Hawaii or Cape Town simply repeat themselves. The action is great, but the only thing that changes is the color of the sail and the rider," explained Max Matissek.

"Don't get me wrong - Maui and Cape Town are windsurfing Meccas and deliver grandiose windsurfing conditions. I travel every winter to South Africa and shoot pictures and videos but, with time, it grew in me the desire to make something different. I wanted in my photos more than just beach and palm trees."

The "verboten" (forbidden) stunt will certainly result in a stunning photograph that will later be mounted on canvas and painted over.

Where will "True Wind 3" take us?

  • It's official. The World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC) ratified two new outstanding accomplishments in windsurfing and kiteboarding.
  • Dutch environmental activist and windsurfer Merijn Tinga, also known as the "Plastic Soup Surfer," has made an audacious journey from Oslo to London, braving the North Sea's currents and winds, to call attention to the pervasive problem of plastic pollution.
  • Imagine gliding across a frozen lake, your sail catching the wind, and skis slicing through the ice and snow. Meet the sport that blends the thrill of windsurfing with the crisp, cold beauty of winter landscapes.

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