00:00This is Heidi Ulrich.
00:12The Swiss athlete is the fastest speed surfer in the world.
00:16She holds the world record over 500 meters and the nautical mile.
00:20Heidi has the need for speed, always aiming to go faster.
00:23Who is the woman behind the records?
00:26What motivates her?
00:28We dive into the life of a woman who has just one goal, to be the fastest on the surface
00:33of the water.
00:34It's about beating myself, going faster and set a real world record.
00:58Here, in the middle of the highest mountains in the Alps, Heidi Ulrich is at home.
01:02Speed surfing is all about the wind.
01:05Heidi lives with her partner, Chris Arnold, by the Uri Lake, home to constantly changing
01:09weather.
01:10Slowly I can feel the wind a little bit.
01:14What does the app say?
01:15Yeah, it looks like it's already 16 knots in Islet.
01:18Here looks good as well, it's even better than on the other side.
01:22So let's check outside.
01:2317 to 18 knots here.
01:24They're already surfing down there.
01:25Oh yeah, a lot of people are already out and you can see the whitecaps on the lake.
01:26So let's go down and have a session.
01:27Yes, let's go.
01:28Speed surfing is the Formula One of wind-powered water sports.
01:29Heidi has ideal training conditions living right by a lake.
01:30For her extreme sport, she needs good equipment and very high winds.
01:31Fear is not an option.
01:32At over 80 kilometers per hour, every wrong decision can be deadly.
01:33It's not just about speed.
01:34It's also about the wind.
01:35It's not just about speed.
01:36It's also about the wind.
01:37It's also about the wind.
01:38It's also about the wind.
01:39It's also about the wind.
01:40It's also about the wind.
01:41It's also about the wind.
01:42It's also about the wind.
01:43It's also about the wind.
01:55This time a storm is brewing, but Heidi loves the thrill of it.
02:04This was one of the most mystic sessions I ever had.
02:12In between a second can change and windy and wavy and everything.
02:16It was almost hailing, but the wind was nice.
02:19Today was around 20 minutes.
02:22Normally on a normal training day, around two to four hours.
02:26But then it's normally sunny and a bit warmer.
02:29Now it was just heavy rain and a little thunderstorm without lightning.
02:34That's why we went out, but it was fun anyway.
02:38In 2019, Heidi was aiming to break her 500-meter world record,
02:42but her efforts were to no avail.
02:44In 2019, I also had another profession.
02:47I was head of HR.
02:49I was responsible for a team of six people and it was for me super hard to focus.
02:54I was six weeks in Namibia and I had to work as well.
02:57So after six weeks of competing in the Speed Channel,
03:01I went home with no record.
03:03No record means I missed the world record by 0.3 kilometers per hour.
03:09And I also missed the Swiss woman record by 0.1 kilometers per hour.
03:14It was quite a hard time for me because I really had to think
03:17what I want to do and what I'm going to change in my life.
03:20Back in Switzerland, I decided to quit my job as an HR manager.
03:25My new role was not a manager anymore.
03:28And this was the best decision ever.
03:31Then COVID hit and Heidi had to wait three years to set another world record.
03:36After this big disaster for me in 2019 without any record,
03:41in 2022 on the second last day of the event,
03:45the wind was just perfect in the morning and we did this record.
03:49I collapsed because of happiness.
03:51It was such a big achievement for me really.
03:54And one of the special things in 2022 was also,
03:57I was the first woman ever who finished in the top ten of the men's ranking.
04:02That's insane.
04:05Her partner Chris has supported Heidi from the very first moment.
04:08A great love story in both sports and life.
04:12Without the support of Christian, nothing would happen like that.
04:15We came together seven years ago and I said to him,
04:19I have one goal in my life. I want to do this world record in Namibia.
04:22It was maybe after two weeks or something like that.
04:25And he said to me, well, I know you can do it.
04:28He learned to do speed surfing because of me,
04:30because he wanted to understand how it works.
04:33And then he teached me to do real speed surfing just by myself.
04:38I think it wouldn't have been possible to make this world record.
04:44It's really one of the biggest gifts to share mostly all of the passion together.
04:49We don't have to speak a lot with each other.
04:52We really have the same feeling and we just enjoy every single second
04:56when we are doing something outside.
04:58It doesn't matter if it's rainy or windy or snowy or whatever.
05:03Both have the motto, enjoy every single second of your life.
05:07I mean, do what you love as much as you can.
05:10That's one of the points why we are that happy.
05:14Competitions, training and work.
05:16Heidi's everyday life is filled to the brim.
05:19I start five or six o'clock in the morning.
05:22I go up the mountains, do some trail running around two to four hours.
05:27Afterwards I come back, I work until lunch.
05:30And in the afternoon, normally the thermical wind as now is blowing
05:34and we go out for a windsurfing training session.
05:36If there is no wind in the afternoon,
05:38we're going to do some mountain biking or climbing.
05:41And after dinner, normally I work again.
05:43I don't like training in the gym.
05:45I train my whole body always outside in the nature.
05:49If I don't do trail running in the morning,
05:51I go out on the beautiful lake on the glossy water
05:54with a stand-up paddle or a surfboard to train my upper body.
05:57The upper body is super important for windsurfing.
06:00My training looks like around 20 to 30 hours per week.
06:05Next to 100% of working.
06:07It's not always easy to put everything under one hat, like we say in German.
06:12But I really love my life, I really love what I do.
06:15And that's why I think it's everything so successful.
06:18Back in the day, Heidi had a tough time combining work and sport.
06:22Now she has found the right balance.
06:25My company is my biggest sponsor
06:27because they allowed me to work most of the time remote.
06:31It means I can combine working and doing my windsurfing
06:35like almost a professional.
06:37I'm working a lot early in the morning or late in the evening.
06:41This allowed me to do my practicing during the day.
06:45The long break during the COVID pandemic
06:47saw Christian and Heidi come up with alternative training exercises.
06:51Christian loved to build everything by himself,
06:54so he did this little slackline,
06:56especially made for our living room.
06:58We are not just doing outdoor sport,
07:00we also do a lot of outdoor activities.
07:02We do a lot of outdoor activities,
07:04we do a lot of outdoor activities,
07:06we do a lot of outdoor activities,
07:08we do a lot of outdoor activities,
07:10we do a lot of outdoor activities,
07:12We are not just doing outdoor sport,
07:14we also do a lot of core stabilization
07:16because being stable on the windsurf board is super important
07:19because the less movement we have,
07:21the faster we are,
07:23because as soon as we move the sail, we lose speed.
07:26That's why we train a lot on this thing here,
07:29this is a slackline,
07:31but also on this zip-over
07:33to really focus on the whole body stabilization.
07:36These two things are really perfect.
07:38The chance for her next world record attempt is getting closer.
07:41Heidi has trained hard,
07:43but there are many variables out of her control.
07:45So now the next goal is to go back to France
07:48for the world record attempt over the Nautical Mile,
07:51the long distance we say in speed surfing.
07:53But in 2019 we had to avoid a big sand bore,
07:57so it was not possible to go straight along the beach.
08:01That's why I know if everything around will be perfect,
08:05the wind, the angle, the beach,
08:07I know I can go faster than I was in 2019.
08:10It's about beating myself,
08:12going faster and setting a real world record.
08:29Hello, welcome to France.
08:31We are here at the world record attempt over the Nautical Mile.
08:34This place is called La Plage du Rue.
08:38It's the third windiest place on earth.
08:40And it's just perfect for speed sailing
08:42because here you have normally Tramontana.
08:45It's a very strong wind from the Pyrenees.
08:47And you have 90 degrees offshore wind
08:50and you can go close to the beach
08:52and try to go as fast as you can.
08:55For the world record attempt,
08:56we have some different kind of stuff which I am wearing,
09:00like two weight vests of them.
09:02Here inside I'm going to put some weights,
09:05two kilo plates of lead.
09:07I'm going to put this inside my weight vest.
09:10And if the wind is stronger blowing,
09:13then I'm going to put more lead.
09:15And I'm normally wearing two or three vests of this
09:19because the speed rule is
09:21it doesn't care how much additional weight you put in your vest,
09:25but you have to float.
09:27Speed surfing enthusiasts come from all over the world
09:30and are constantly attempting new world records.
09:32Sometimes they have to wait weeks
09:34until the wind conditions are just right.
09:36As soon as the wind is blowing properly,
09:38everything has to move very fast.
09:54Well, it's looking like the wind is picking up a little bit
09:57and the direction is not so bad.
09:59So I think as soon as he will open the race,
10:02then we go again.
10:03The wind is picking up, so let's go.
10:05Let's go.
10:07In order to set a world record,
10:08the average speed over a nautical mile is calculated.
10:11That's 1,852 kilometers exactly.
10:15The aim is to hit just over 70 kilometers per hour.
10:23Day one is over now.
10:24The wind was super gusty,
10:25means super unstable and super shifty
10:28and not so strong.
10:30I did around 15 runs
10:32and on my watch I was faster than the world record.
10:35But I think it's not enough
10:36in between the world record video gate.
10:39Let's wait until they check it this evening.
10:42Otherwise, tomorrow is another day.
10:44So let's go again.
10:47The next morning, she is down to surprise.
10:50Congratulations.
10:51Yesterday is a big number.
10:54She did the world record.
10:59But Heidi isn't satisfied quite yet.
11:02Today the conditions are optimal
11:04and she wants to go again.
11:07Not rolling.
11:08Millimeter chop just to go fast.
11:10And this is unbelievable.
11:12Forever speed.
11:13Let's go.
11:27I did it again.
11:2938.4 on a GPS.
11:31So that's a clear one.
11:35Heidi has broken her own record once more.
11:3871.4 kilometers per hour.
11:41Never has a woman been faster on the water.
11:43I did already the world record yesterday
11:45by a tiny, tiny little bit.
11:47And today I really set a new one
11:50by 38.45 on a GPS.
11:53Wow, I'm just stoked.
11:55I'm so proud of me
11:56and I'm super happy to share this
11:58with my partner in crime, Christian.
12:00And one of the key to achieve this goal
12:03is for sure just having fun on the water.
12:05I'm just enjoying every single second
12:07and I try to do each run with a big smile
12:09even if it's that hard.
12:10And I think that's really one of the key of my success.
12:14Just having fun and enjoy life
12:16and just do the best of it.
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