A good start in to the New Year!! There is hope!!!

Hi,

I see, I am getting a bit lazy here....
But time flies!! Maybe the working life (or the age ;-)) might be the reason for this.

Now I am the 5th month of my rotation in the internal medicine at the LKH in Salzburg. Still liking it. Beginning of May I most probably will change the field and rotate to another departement of the hospital. Let´s see, hope I am lucky again with my colleagues and bosses..

But most important for me in this new year- my injured leg FINALLY shows some good rehabilitation progress!!!!
This was such a hard year, or better say 14 months. I wasn´t able to enjoy this amazing winter, which was a biig lession for me... and the pain made me sometimes really desperate.

Trying to cross-country ski at Zürs, Arlberg in January...

But after terrible doubts if I´ll ever come back to sports I finally know that I´ll be able to ski, surf, sail, kite and even maybe snowboard again!!! It might take some more time and I´ll force myself to stay patient...but I WILL!!
In february I had a 10 days holiday in the Caribbean. I was able to start to surf again very carefully, and the ocean did it´s best to speed up the healing process......

Always most happy at the Ocean;-), Barbados....

After those days the terrible painful situation improved considerably. You cannot image how happy I was being finally able to walk down stairs again!!

Now I can hike up the mountain with the skies, super easily ski down on an easy slope, enjoy the spring sun....still a lot of snow out there :-))
Yes,- life is good!!

And well, guess I have to admit that many of my friends were right...
It is important to see an injury as a chance!
You always come out of a crisis as a stronger and happier person!!!
I hope I´ll never forget how estimable it is just to be able to walk!!

Especially because I know how incredible lucky I was to survive my crash down this 400hm couloir last year!

Sometimes it gets very important to lower your limits and learn to be happy with small things..maybe it was really the time for me to learn that...

Not only an over masthigh wave can make you feel alive and happy..;-))

Easy ski-touring in Tyrol

So long,

Enjoy the sun!!

Yours,

ULi

Merry X-Mas everyone and a Happy New Year!!

Merry Christmas to all of you!!!
- Wherever you are - out there on the mountains, in the ocean, with your families, in the cities, still in bed,......!!

Remember- Christmas shouldn´t be only on the 24th of december but every day. Spend time with your loved ones as often as possible, have an open ear for your friends, be generous to the poor, and show hospitality to strangers and keep your heart warm and open!!!

I wish you a peaceful day!
ULI

For sale!

Hi!

Before the upcoming next year I want to sell some stuff:

Ezzy Panther Wavesails 2010, all in good condition:
- 4.7m2
- 4.2m2
- 3.3m2 NEW!!

Lorch Oxygen Waveboards 2008 Models:
- 68L
- 75L

Dakine Wave-Harness T4, Women, 2011, Size S

Camaro Wetsuits Women, 2011 collection, NEW, Size 38
longarm 3-4-5mm, short arm 3-4mm, Shorty

If you are interested, please contact me via my e-mail.
Thanks,
ULI

New reality

Hi everybody!

Sorry, for a long time I didn´t update my blog..but the last time was pretty stressful and full of new impressions.
September and october I finished my traineeship in the pharmacy with a big exam. So now I am a pharmacist as well...;-)) And I will never ever work in a pharmacy, because it is too deadly boring for me!! ;-)



End of october I finally found the time and was fit enough to celebrate my finished medical studies (in the meantime nearly one year ago) and had my graduation party in Innsbruck. This was as well kind of a goodbye party in Innsbruck as I soon after moved.



So it was time to decide when and where to start with my clinical rotations and work as a doctor. My injuries still gave me a hard time, but I decided to just jump into real life, ignore the pain and start working to focus my thoughts somewhere else.
So I moved to Salzburg and started the "Turnus" - the internship beginning of november.
For now I can say that this didn´t especially help my knee but my soul.
I like my work as a doctor and I think that´s really the thing I want to do in my life. At the moment I am for half a year at the department of Internal Medicine, then I will see where I´m going to continue and hopefully I´ll soon know which speciality I am going for...I already have an idea, but let´s see what will be possible..
At the moment I am very lucky with my colleagues-funny cordial people, had a really good start, and I learn a lot. For sure nightshifts are hard and sometimes I have to do some work I cannot find any sense in , but I guess that´s normal. Compared with my life before- two studies and professional sports at one time- it is not that hard ;-)..Never believe people to much if they complain..;-)
At the moment my knee and ancle show improvement, but I´m still far away from real "interesting" sports. Thanks to that beautiful fall- sunny for 6 weeks in a row- I could cycle and mountainbike a lot and till end of november I was on the mountains in Tyrol and Salzburg in the sun in t-shirts :-))))




Now the winter is coming and I guess the next 2 months I will suffer a bit, before I can at least start to hike up the mountains with skies...
For now that´s fine for me, as I can focus on work and it doesnt stress me not to have so much sparetime anymore. For the future I will have to find a solution how to combine medicine and my love for the ocean and the mountains.. Comes time - come answers...


Salzburg by dawn and rising fog from the Gaisberg



Salzburg town

I wish you all a merry merry christmas time- don´t drink too much hot wine---;-)
Yours,
ULi

Gaining Grounds Movie released!!

Hi!

BIG NEWS!!!!
The Austrian Windsurfing Movie " GAINING GROUNDS" is released!!!!! Wuhuuuu!!
We had the first Premiere in Vienna last Saturday and it was a big success.
The responsible guys Stefan Csaky and Manuel Grafenauer did a great job. Thanks guys!!
The movie is about 7 austrian windsurfers travelling to different spots in the world.
I finally got my own part from my trip to Madagascar last year.
You should check that movie out. It´s great! Good quality, professional cuts and amazing music!!
This weekend is the next premiere in Kiel, Germany.
The DVD will be distributed for free with the German " Windsurfing Journal". The issue is coming out right now!!!





For now you can watch the Tailer online on:
http://vimeo.com/18724869






Personally it was very important for me to have some good feedback from my last years trips and to awaken those memories again.
This gives me power to come back to my level where I was.
I had a difficult year until now, with many injuries and operations and personal changes...university finished, looking for the right job, etc...
The last knee operation was 5 weeks ago.
It was painfull and pretty hard for me mentally, but everything went as planned and reha goes well so far.
Thanks to the docs!!
Now I am on my way back...I can go in the water...with my "therapy boards" ;-))
During those hot days in Austria "water is my therapy" ( as usual ;-)) !!!

I hope you can enjoy your summer, wherever you are!
All the best! Stay healthy and happy!!

ULi

Impressions from Reunion and my " Rehab Holiday".

Hi,
In July I went once more to the Indian Ocean. The last months I was working in the pharmacy, doing a lot of rehabilitation for my broken ankle, so I need to reload my batteries a bit before the next upcoming knee operation....
I could spent time on the water, but really carefully and far away from my 100%, so I decided to travel to Reunion and visit some good friends over there.
Reunion is totally different from Mauritius. It belongs to FRance and the EU and therefore everything is pretty Europe like, busy and expensive.
But the landscape is marvellous!! We did a lot of hiking,- to the Vulcano- the most active one in the world. Last eruption 2004. Some more hikes in the " cirque de Salazie" and "Cirque de Mafate".
For surfing you find a lot of spots, mostly unfortunately crowded and besides that there is a big shark problem on Reunion. But they are really good and working nearly every day!! The windsurfspots like " Ravine blanche", Point du Sel, St. Leu, etc...are a bit hardcore, rocks everywhere...Unfortunately I didn´t see them working as there was no wind.
I spent one week there and that time was hardly enough to see everything.
In Mauritius a had some good surfing days in Tamarin, some easy kting and windsurfing. One good day in One Eye....the smooth, clean wave in One eye was still the best for me foot.... ;-)
So I got some energy for my LASt knee operation.....
I really hope all is going to be fine!!
HAve a nice summer!
ULi




Vulcano " Piton de la Fournaise"



"Piton de Neige" 3004 Hm


Some nice surfing sessions at " les trois bassins"



Three days after I surfed this spot " St. Gilles" once more a shark attack happened there- this time fortunately nothing serious happened..

Podersdorf SWC2011-2nd weekend

Hi everybody!
Hope you are all enjoying the upcoming summer!
Podersdorf was once again THE real Summer opening. After a succesfull PWA Freestyle Worldcup the weather was also delivering great conditions for the kiters.
For the Kite competition the organizers tried a very promising new competition format. Teams ( brands, shops, etc..) consisting of three persons were competing against each other. One man showing New school tricks, one man old school and one girl presenting Old School Style as well. There was a great spirit in the teams and for the spectators it was very interesting as well. They could observe not only those fast and difficult to understand new school tricks, they also could enjoy seeing the kiters flying HIIIGH!
I was for the first time on the other side of the competition- judging the girls. I have to admit that judging is not an easy job. you have to concentrate hard to see every trick, to observe every rider well and to decide fair! My big respect goes out to all the judges who are working all day long for a week in a competition- no matter if windsurfing, kiting or snowboarding!!!!

We had two days of good wind- combined with sunshine- and the athmosphere on the beach was amazing!
The winner of this kite competition was the team Kiteboarding EU. (The Worldchampion girl Pulido, - Rondina, - Tobi Bräuer),
Second- and very happy with their result- the team from the local Surfshop UpSideDOwn!
Congratulations!!!

I big thank you goes out as well to Gerhard Polak the organiser of this event. He made a great week happen once again!!
and well....the parties were not to bad either...;-) The Royal Captains were providing the best sound and made everybody dance and party until the morning!1

thanks for everybody for great ten days!!!

all the best,
Uli