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In an Olympic career spanning more than a decade, Paul Snow-Hansen was always vying for a spot near the front of the fleet.
But when the 33-year-old Aucklander lines up against the world’s leading wingfoilers - some almost half his age - at the Anoc World Beach Games in August, he’ll have a different approach.
“Honestly, I’ll be happy if anyone's behind me.”
It’s a big adjustment for someone who spent the best part of two decades chasing medals in the 470 class – missing out by the narrowest of margins with a fourth-place finish with partner Dan Willcox at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021.
Snow-Hansen and Aimee Bright, daughter of Kiwi Olympic windsurfing great Barbara Kendall, have just been selected as part of a 20-strong New Zealand squad to compete at the second Beach Games.
The event will run from August 5-12 with more than 1500 athletes from around the world competing across 14 disciplines, including beach football, beach wrestling, surfing and beach volleyball.
It will be Snow-Hansen’s first major international competition since last year stepping away from the double-handed dinghy he had so much success in.
“I'll be enjoying participating a bit more than during my Olympic career, where I was trying to be at the pointy end of the fleet. I'm a bit more realistic this time – it’s just a fun hobby that I spend a lot of time doing, and that I'm really into.”
Paul Snow-Hansen and Dan Willcox finished fourth in the 470 at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Photo / Anna Suslova
He first picked up a wing during one of Auckland’s many Covid-19 lockdowns.
“It was one of those things that really took off during the lockdown period. It was pretty much a new sport at that stage, and it was something you could do alone,” Snow-Hansen explained.
“A lot of the sailors were doing it at the time – the likes of Jo Aleh and Nathan Outteridge. I had been doing quite a bit of kitefoiling over the years and, in that sense, it was a natural progression for me.”
He’s spending as much time on the water as he can, juggling practice sessions with a career in design.
“I was fortunate enough, with High Performance Sport NZ, to get an internship with [clothing company] Luck.E and that’s been a key part of my wingfoiling campaign – having the flexibility to pursue graphic and product design with Luck. E at the same time as getting on the water and practising.
“It's so quick to get on the water – I can be out there in no time and my gear all fits in the car, already set up. It’s been a big part of what I've been doing but I'm still a sailor, so I can still get out there in other boats every now and then.”
His sailing background is an advantage, even if the speed of wingfoiling is something to get used to.
“Many of the skills can cross over, and once we're doing upwind, downwind, and lay lines, it helps. But a lot of the time you're just hooning around and learning 'cause it's still a very new sport.
“It’s about more than just the speed. I'm actually a bit gutted with how fast we're going now because when you get to my age, the crashes start to hurt a lot more!”
Not that he’s a slouch on the water – Snow-Hansen held a “very much unofficial” speed record on the wing after clocking 32.6kn - about 60km/h - on Lake Pupuke a few years ago.
“I think I held the record for at least a year, but I’m pretty sure someone’s got me now. Plenty of people have gone over 30kn since so someone would have beaten me,” he laughed.
“At least for a while there I’d like to think I was the king of the lake.”
Paul Snow-Hansen and Aimee Bright will represent New Zealand at the 2023 Anoc World Beach Games in Bali in August. Photo / Salty Shot Photography
Snow-Hansen had a rare taste of the quality of the international wingfoiling fleet at the GWA World Cup event in Tauranga in March.
“That was the first time I'd really winged against some of the very best guys in the world. It wasn't in a racing format, so I didn't have the advantage of my sailing knowledge, but the level of some of these young guys is just incredible,” he said.
“I’ll be doing my best to win every race in Bali, but I think some of these guys are almost on a professional circuit now.
“It's a total inspiration to me.”
For more information about the Anoc World Beach Games and the full schedule, click here.
