Jannis Maus is an internationally successful kitesurfer – and a chemistry student. When he isn’t riding the tailwind towards his next title, he leads a surprisingly normal student life.
Whilst other students roll over on Sunday mornings and pull the duvet over their heads, Jannis Maus is already on his way to the coast. The 23-year-old uses every spare minute to shoot across the water on his kiteboard – a small surfboard pulled by a stunt kite. His dedication is paying off: last year, Jannis became German champion in the Race category; the year before that, he was even world champion. When he’s not training or competing, Jannis studies: he’s been studying chemistry for four semesters. Speaking about the Wechloy campus, he says: “It’s really relaxed here. Everything’s close by and you can work outdoors, in the courtyard or in the library’s outdoor seating areas.”
In the summer, when the season is in full swing, he sometimes has to improvise to juggle his studies and professional sport. “Fortunately, the competitions are often at the weekends, so I rarely miss lectures. If I do, I get the notes from fellow students,” he says. Jannis uses the car journeys to Hooksiel, Sylt or Fehmarn to prepare for and follow up on lectures or internships: “Whilst my dad’s driving, I can write up my notes on my laptop,” he explains. “I’m quite disciplined in that respect.” It’s paying off: so far, he hasn’t had to retake a single exam.
On the water, Jannis focuses above all on speed – racing, i.e. kitesurfing at the highest possible speed, is his speciality. Innovative boards, known as hydrofoils, have been making races even faster since last season. A hydrofoil is a normal board with a mast attached to the underside, which is one metre long and has two wings. “It looks like a model aeroplane,” jokes Jannis. As the kitesurfer picks up speed, the wings generate lift, lifting the board out of the water so it hovers a metre above the surface. “You’ve hardly any water resistance left and can get up to quite a speed.” He can reach speeds of up to 60 kilometres per hour on the hydrofoil. Thanks to the low water resistance, you can also ride well even in light winds. “Personally, I like riding in light winds. The water is as smooth as glass then. Unless there’s a competition on, you’re completely alone on the water.”
has tried his hand at many sports
For the past ten years, Jannis has had both feet firmly in the wind. His father – himself a self-taught kitesurfer – taught him the sport on the IJsselmeer in Holland. Jannis quickly got the hang of it with his board and kite. No wonder, as sport has always played a major part in his life: whether it’s kickboxing, tennis, judo, water skiing, skiing, snowboarding, squash or badminton – there’s hardly a sport that Jannis hasn’t tried. “I even did children’s ballet once,” he says with a laugh. At the age of 13, Jannis took part in his first kitesurfing competition, and things have gone from strength to strength ever since: sponsors came knocking, and with them came national and international competitions.
After completing the Abitur, Jannis spent a year travelling, exploring places such as the surfer’s paradise of Maui in Hawaii and working as a ski instructor. However, the Oldenburg native was eventually drawn back to his hometown to study. “At first, I wanted to become a pilot,” says Jannis. He’d already passed his first test when Lufthansa temporarily suspended its pilot training programme. He then toyed with the idea of bionics and sport, but ultimately decided to study chemistry in Oldenburg. “I find chemistry really interesting. You learn a lot about everyday life.” What’s more, the degree programme is relatively broad – which will open up plenty of opportunities for him to specialise after completing his bachelor’s degree.
However, Jannis would love nothing more than to turn kitesurfing into his career: “It’s looking quite likely that kitesurfing will become an Olympic sport in 2020 or 2024. I’d like to either work towards that myself or coach the next generation.” Inclusion in the Olympic programme is crucial in determining whether money is invested in a sport. At the moment, it’s not possible to make a living from kitesurfing alone, and prize money for athletes is rare. Consequently, Jannis faces similar worries to other students: “I try to keep a slot free during both the winter and summer holidays to earn a bit of money.”
Time on the water is like a holiday
Jannis has big plans for the lecture-free period: first, he’s heading to San Francisco with his sponsor’s team for a video shoot and a competition. Afterwards, he’d like to kite around Denmark with a friend: a 1,200-kilometre journey by water. “If we ride for five hours a day, we’ll be done in six to eight days,” says Jannis. For him, time on the water is like a holiday. “I’m someone who’s totally at one with nature. And you can’t get much closer to nature than when you’re kitesurfing. You’re completely on your own.”
If the Olympics don’t work out after all, the sports fan could imagine doing a Master’s degree in Oldenburg, perhaps in renewable energy or marine chemistry. Because he doesn’t really want to leave here. “The problem is that Oldenburg is such a great city. Kiel or Flensburg are more convenient for kitesurfing, but I don’t like either of them quite as much.” Should he go on to study after his bachelor’s degree, however, he could well imagine spending a semester abroad – in Chile, for example. He’s already made contacts there during his time on Maui.
When Jannis talks about his kitesurfing mates, he likes to refer to them as his ‘kitesurfing family’. He often meets the same people at competitions, and has been friends with many of them for years. “The cool thing about kitesurfing is that people aren’t so cut-throat. Sure, when it’s a competition, you’re fierce rivals. But when you’re not actually racing against each other, you help one another out. The spirit of sport itself is what matters most.” Jannis is delighted that his fellow students also occasionally come along to watch the competitions: “It’s important to me to bring friends and kitesurfing together. They shouldn’t remain two separate worlds.” That includes partying in the city centre – but he’ll still be back on his board the next day.
