<p>(Wetiz) Hi Tim, it was a pleasure to meet you at the lifesaving worlds this year (The Netherlands, Nordwijk) and congrats to your World Champ Medal. It was a very dramatic race. Did you planned this success or what are your thoughts after you reached the finish line?</p>
<p><strong><em>(Tim Burdiak) Thanks Emanuel, it was nice to meet you and the Weitz team on the beach as well. I definitely could not have planned a race like that. Since this was my first World Championships I was not sure what the field would be like. Heading into the event I was hoping for a top 5 finish, and I was fortunate enough to work my way up towards the front on the way out to the cans and get the best of a very close finish at the end. </em></strong></p>
<p>(Wetiz) Tell us something about you. Where are you from and what are you doing if you don't compete in lifesaving events?</p>
<p><strong><em>(Tim Burdiak) I am 25 years old, I currently live and grew up in Los Angeles California. Besides lifesaving events I compete in distance ocean surf ski racing, flatwater kayak sprint and work for as an engineer for a solar company.</em></strong></p>
<p>(Wetiz) Tell us something about the beginning of your lifesaving career. Why did you join this kind of sport and why do you love it/and when do you hate it<span></span>?</p>
<p><strong><em>(Tim Burdiak) I grew up playing water polo and transitioned to lifesaving because of a shoulder injury. I became a lifeguard in Los Angeles while in college. I love the sport because there is no better place to race than at the beach and with so many great people. There’s nothing to hate about it, I just wish we could continue to grow the sport bigger out here and have more people on the water every session.</em></strong></p>
<p>(Wetiz) Why do you paddle on a Fenn ski?</p>
<p><strong><em>(Tim Burdiak) The Fenn ski has been my boat of choice for the past 3 years. The Fenn dealer out here, Ocean Paddlesports, owned by Patrick and Deanne Hemmen’s has been very supportive of me and helping me grow as a paddler.</em></strong></p>
<p>(Wetiz) Can you tell us some great places for paddling in the US?</p>
<p><strong><em>(Tim Burdiak) There’s many great places to paddle out in California year round. My favorites would be Marina Del Ray, Newport Beach, and San Diego, to name a few.</em></strong></p>
<p>(Wetiz) Which Fenn ski do you prefer in varying conditions or do you use for all times the same ski?</p>
<p><strong><em>(Tim Burdiak) </em></strong><span><strong><em>Most of the summer I spend on my Fenn LS spec ski with a lot of time in the surf getting used to the heavier ski, once the summer is over I get back on my Elite SL and have done a little racing on the Glide. A lot of our races out here in California are on flatter water where I prefer the Glide to the SL. I haven't had the chance to try out the Elite S yet, but have heard great things and it is on my list to paddle this winter.</em></strong></span></p>
<p>(Wetiz) Which lifesaving athlete do you want to beat the next time?</p>
<p><strong><em>(Tim Burdiak) There are too many paddlers to list that I look forward to racing at some point in my career. I hope to go race the ski race at Aussies in the near future and see if I can get through a few rounds!</em></strong></p>
<p>(Wetiz) What do you think about the development in lifesaving if you look into the future?</p>
<p><strong><em>(Tim Burdiak) I look forward to the growth of the sport worldwide, it means more people to meet and more places to go. I can’t speak for other countries internationally but it is great to see the USA youth really start to grow in the past couple years and I hope that we begin to make a name for ourselves as the years go on.</em></strong></p>
<p>(Wetiz) Tell us some stupid things you love?</p>
<p><strong><em>(Tim Burdiak) I think my bad jokes that no one else thinks are funny would top this category …</em></strong></p>
<p>Thank you Tim – the whole Wetiz-Team wishes you a great and successful year 2017.</p>