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NICO PRIEN: THE MEDIA MAN

Nico Prien has not only carved out a remarkable career on the water as a professional windsurfer, but he has also made waves online, recognizing the potential of digital media to reach and inspire through his incredibly successful YouTube channel which now boasts an impressive 70,000 subscribers. Nico tells us how he balances his roles as a professional windsurfer, YouTube content creator, shop owner and coach!
Photos: John Carter / Pwaworldtour.com

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BACKGROUND

I’m from a small village near Kiel in Germany, just a two-minute drive from the Baltic Sea. I went to school like any other kid in my area. I started windsurfing when I was about thirteen, my parents got me into it. My father was a windsurfer, probably one of the first in Germany, but he stopped due to work commitments. One day, they thought it would be a good idea to get me on a board and give it a try. At first, I hated it. My first windsurfing experience was pretty bad, so I didn’t continue for a while. But thankfully, they encouraged me to try again, and that time I had my first planing experience just a few days in. After that, I absolutely fell in love with windsurfing.

Once I got into it, I just tried to get on the water every day. My parents supported me and took me to the beach as often as possible; they helped me rig my gear and everything. After finishing school, I decided to focus on windsurfing for at least a year…just to see where it would go. The rest, as they say, is history.

Most of the guys I sailed with early on were wave sailors. That’s how I started…I saw them doing jumps and tricks, and that’s where I wanted to be. As I progressed, I was able to use smaller boards. My first board was a wave/freestyle board, so initially, I was a wave sailor.

I also went to the gym a lot and started getting taller and heavier. A lot of people told me I had the right size for slalom racing. I started with BIC Techno, a one-design class, but I hated it. The boards were too big and clumsy. Then I tried slalom sailing, and I really enjoyed it, especially when I started racing. In the beginning, I didn’t even train; I’d go wave sailing for fun, then just show up at competitions and race slalom.

FIRST PWA

My first PWA event was in Sylt since it’s reasonably close to where I live. We also have a few German Cup events there, so it felt natural for Sylt to be my first World Cup. That was about twelve years ago. Initially, I focused mostly on the national circuit in Germany to gain experience and get started.

FIRST VIDEOS

Early in my career, I was studying online while windsurfing and traveling. I started with psychology, then switched to marketing. I taught myself YouTube production as I went, figuring it could help with my promotion as a sailor. I learned whatever I could online.

At the start of my windsurfing career, I had a few sponsors, and I wanted to give back to them; to provide some return on what they invested in me. Creating content felt like the right way to do that. I’d always been interested in video editing. Even before I windsurfed, I used to edit random videos. My father helped film me, and I got more into it. I watched a lot of YouTube tutorials and started producing content because I enjoyed it and wanted to create real value for my sponsors.

At first, I was very uncomfortable in front of the camera. If you watch my early videos, they’re pretty awkward. But like anything, you get better the more you do it. I took it seriously, and over time I improved. I still don’t feel perfect at it, and I still feel a bit awkward when filming in public, but I’ve learned to manage it.

Initially, I vlogged myself, holding a action camera and talking to the camera. It felt awkward in public, and I’d often look for quiet places. Action footage was partly done with the GoPro, but eventually, I needed someone else to film. Luckily, my girlfriend filmed a lot at the start, and I asked others to help too.

YOUTUBE

We’re now just over to 70,000 followers on YouTube, which still surprises me. I’ve always taken it seriously. I was inspired by mainstream YouTubers, studied how they grew, and tried to make each video entertaining. The key is consistency, regularly showing people what you’re doing so they get immersed in your story. Like a movie, they start to care about the character.

After each video, we’d attract new viewers. Ideally, they’d stay because they connected with the story. I always tried to give people reasons to subscribe; competitions, giveaways, and ways to give back. At the same time, those incentives helped us grow the channel.

YouTube is almost a separate job now. I have a full-time cameraman, Lars Wichmann, who films with drones and better equipment. In the beginning, it was more ‘run-and-gun.’ Now it’s more structured…we script, plan the direction, and polish the edits. We release a video a week, aiming for quality over quantity. Lars and I are a team, both passionate and dedicated.

There’s always a story to tell on a trip or at an event. We’ve filmed more content than we can publish. If we had two more editors, we could release a video every other day! Windsurfing will always be a part of the videos, but I want to use it to reach a broader audience.

Nico Prien – YouTube

THE GOAL

I think when people chase numbers too hard, it can backfire. I’m not aiming for millions of subscribers. I want to branch out a bit into other sports, maybe collaborate with high-performance athletes and link it back to windsurfing.

Windsurfing is niche, so compared to mainstream creators, our numbers are low. What YouTube pays in ad revenue doesn’t cover a cameraman or travel costs. That’s why we find other ways, like sponsorships and clinics. YouTube helps me grow Surfcenter, promote clinics, and get better sponsor deals. It’s a great platform for advertising, but only if you stay honest. Once people stop trusting you, your reach has no value. It all comes down to trust and delivering real value.

ADVICE

If you’re starting YouTube, it depends on your goal, but don’t do it for money or fame. Enjoy the process. You can work really hard and still not know where it’s going to go. You need to enjoy creating videos, telling stories, and everything in between. That’s what makes it worthwhile.

When I started, I had no idea where it would lead. I was ambitious, sure, but I didn’t set high expectations. That helped. In the end, it worked out better than I expected.

RACING

Balancing sailing with YouTube, Surfcenter, clinics, and for a while being PWA Chairman was a challenge. Sometimes training suffers because I’m juggling so many roles. I prefer to do things properly, so windsurfing sometimes takes a backseat. Still, I try to maximize my water time. I have a lot of experience now, so even a week or two of focused training can be enough before an event. I still love racing and believe I can achieve more. Now that things are running smoothly with Lars and the Surfcenter, I’m finding more time to focus on racing…that’s definitely a goal.

SLALOM X

The 2024 Gran Canaria event was the most fun I’ve had competing in years. I wasn’t completely happy with my performance, but the event brought back great memories, sanding boards and prepping fins, just like when I started.

It was windy and choppy, real hardcore conditions, which I like. I think I’m a good jumper, so I enjoyed the “sausage” section of the course. The jumps required real skill, not luck, which I appreciated. You had to perform in the moment, like wave sailing. Watching the live stream, it looked exciting, and I’m glad we brought that energy to the audience.

NP7 EXPERIENCE

The clinics are growing. It’s part coaching, part experience. Some people want tips to improve; others just want to share great sessions with like-minded people. I love both aspects, helping people improve and sharing the stoke. At the moment, demand is higher than I can fulfil, which is a great problem to have. It’s something I definitely want to keep expanding.

PWA CHAIRMAN

Becoming PWA Chairman wasn’t planned. When Jimmy Diaz stepped down, several people asked me to step in. I saw it as a chance to give back to the sport that made everything possible for me. I accepted the role.

People think I had more power than I actually did! There are a lot of politics and collaboration involved. But I enjoyed the role. My ultimate goal is to help more people make a living from professional windsurfing and promote the sport to a wider audience. After a year in the role, I stepped back as it was never my long-term plan to stay at the head of the management board. We achieved a lot in that one year at a crucial an important time for the PWA. That was always my plan in the first place so now I can concentrate on my job as a sailor. I remain as the President of the PWA which I am happy to do as I think I can add value there. It is not as extensive a role as the head of the management board and full PWA Chairman.

COVID

During COVID, I spent two years working for Starboard, moving from rider to brand-side. Aside from that period, I’ve been with NeilPryde and JP for about ten years. It’s a strong partnership, and I love their gear. Robert Stroj designs incredible sails, and our team is showing great speed on JP boards.

Working for Starboard wasn’t in my plan. But during COVID, the opportunity felt like a smart pivot. I learned a lot from Svein Rasmussen and am grateful for that time. Eventually, though, I realized I preferred working for myself; being on the water and making videos. The audience was growing, and I felt I had more to share with them.

SURFCENTER

I met the owners of Surfcenter during a shop visit and immediately clicked with them. It made sense to collaborate, we share a vision of revitalizing windsurfing and bringing the sport back to the glory of when the shop opened in 1976. It’s a natural partnership driven by mutual passion.

Surf-center.com – The surf shop for all your windsurfing, sup and foil equipment! – Surfcenter; Thé specialist windssurf, wingfoil, windfoil & SUP.

FUTURE

In five to ten years, I’ll definitely still be windsurfing, no question. I want to do more extreme projects, test myself in harsh conditions and long distances, and keep telling stories. Windsurfing and video-making will always be part of what I do. Exactly where I’ll be in ten years? We’ll see!

NeilPryde

Windsurf Boards – JP Australia