I suppose if you look at the participation level of other sports like say golf (millions) and then the number of players earning a living PLAYING, i.e doing what they love and enjoy, windsurfing is not much different.
SeanAUS120 was talking about this (pretty very slick dude):
seanobrien.com.au/
It's a good point. Professionals really, truly are getting paid to sell not sail.
Perhaps Jonas, if you are reading this, you might like to approach a sponsor and suggest you become the first (I think) soul-windsurfer. There are a number of surfers who get paid to do not much more than surf in exotic places for photo shoots. You've nothing to lose.
Failing that you really should consider a name change ; )
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonah#Jonah_in_sailors.27_superstition
Select to expand quoteslalomfreak said...
I suppose if you look at the participation level of other sports like say golf (millions) and then the number of players earning a living PLAYING, i.e doing what they love and enjoy, windsurfing is not much different.
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Even the golf pros do it hard on the PGA Tour. They tell stories of sleeping in their cars at events because they dont make enough money. They do it because they love golf and are just happy to be on the best tour in the world for golf. Maybe This windsurf guy has just lost his passion after 8 years on the tour. Or maybe he is doing something wrong because i have never heard of him and i read magazines, watch some videos and search the internet about windsurfing. He just needs a PR rep or maybve he should just date Liz Hurley or try to almost get caught for wave fixing 
bad PR works to just ask Brendan fevola or Jonothan Thurston 
I worked it out along time ago ...........get a job and a life and an income at/in a place where you wont miss out on anytime on the water. Where contitions suit your life style and water sport expectations.
There are sacrifices...........to achieve this, but as the conditions are there on tap and you can co exist with other **** in your life .............. but at the end of the day where all 6feet under.
Why chase setting up some one elses dreams , there will be people who can achieve this goal together and good on them,as they develop products we use.
Watch the pros come and go, just enjoy busting it out on the water and put on your own show. (Actions speak loader than words)
In saying this i watched many people go pro over the last 30years doing PWA events to support the small majority whom really benifited from being able to obtain international exposure and sponsorship,but these people had input into revolutionising the sport to progress further, and made there mark .
In the early days 70 80 90 Windsurfing invented so much stuff which was and has been widly used one example is footstraps for surfing etc etc etc etc now kite fagging etc etc
The surf brands were building on there empires, there were winners and lossers through the 70, 80 90s and limited money for sponsorship ,,,,but again there were people provided support even back then with accessories and some cash .
So where is it at today ..has it really change 
....... i agree the young guns with exeptional tallent have taken it to a new level and derserve the support of now stock listed Australian companies.
Come on Aussie companies ,,,,,,,,,,,keep aussie windsurfers on the water
Has windsurfing really invented much stuff? Even the footstraps you mention were around in a primitive form on the gunwales of racing dinghies of the early '70s (before windsurfing arrived in Oz and before straps arrived in windsurfing) to keep trapeze hands aboard.
Yes, there is a new level of performance today in some areas of the sport - but there's always been a new level of performance every day in one area or the other.
None of this is meant to knock anyone, it's more to keep things in perspective.
