Germany and surfing aren’t necessarily two words you would put together. While Munich is home to a community of river wave surfers and the city’s first wave pool is due to open this summer, it isn’t known to produce world class surfing talent – a fair comment given the fact the majority of its country is landlocked.
However, for the second successive games running, Germany will have a surfer representing them in the Olympics. Goofy-foot aerial specialist Leon Glatzer made headlines when he surfed under the German flag in Japan in 2020. In a couple of weeks, 20-year-old Tim Elter will be wearing the black, red and yellow at Chopes after he qualified through the ISA World Surfing Games.
Born to German parents, Timmy is no stranger to waves of consequence having grown up in the Canary Islands which is home to a number of the heaviest slabs in Europe. He has competed in the last three editions of the Queamao Class, held at a wave dubbed the European Pipeline, and got a third place in the comp when he was 18.
While it’s obvious he knows his way around a backside barrel, Elter had never surfed Chopes prior to Olympic qualification and has only competed in a small number of QS events. It’s quite the opposite to some of the CT veterans who will be going for gold in a couple of weeks time.
“If I’m being completely honest and look back in time, I haven’t cracked a round three QS heat so sometimes I think how the fuck am I in the Olympics?
“It was a bit of a shock for me, it all happened super quick and I didn’t actually see it coming. My goal was to qualify for the Olympics in 2028 and so to come 11th in the world and make the cut was a dream come true.”
Tim explained that he took inspiration from watching his German team mate Leon in 2020.
“When Leon qualified I was just finishing school and I watched all of his heats. I was tripping, I was like wow this is actually possible. He inspired me very much in that aspect.”
Since qualifying, Elter has travelled to Tahiti multiple times to start getting some practice rounds in at a wave he had only seen on TV and the Internet before.
“My first training camp at Chopes was super fun. It was mostly small and it surprised me how much it can change, you can have like five wind directions and all different types of weather in one day. I’ve probably had about 15 or 16 days of practice out there. I’ve got to feel how powerful and intimidating the wave is, it’s so heavy.”
As he prepares to fly out at Tahiti this week, the German surfer has set himself the goal of achieving a medal and podium position during the contest.
“I’ve proved myself against some of the best in the world at the ISA event and so I don’t think I should put a limit on my capabilities. I’d love to have surfed against Kelly in a heat out there but he isn’t in the Olympics. Surfing against John John would be really cool but to be honest it’s just an honour to have a heat against any of them.
“I’m excited for everything that’s going to happen. There’s been so much going on with surfing, training, press that I haven’t had that much time to think but I’m sure it will all sink in once I am there.”
With most of the Olympic competitors now in Tahiti and putting in the rounds, Tim will be able to assess himself against the world’s best out there and will be hoping to bring home the gold for Germany when the event kicks off on 28 July.
