Venezuelan freestyle legend Yoli de Brendt (Fanatic / North) is one of the major driving forces behind women's freestyle. She has placed within the top five for a number of years and in 2011 she claimed third place on the podium. At each competition she wows the judges with her vast repertoire of tricks, to blitz her way through each heat. We caught up with Yoli to find out a little more.

PWA: Firstly, what are your thoughts on the 2011 season and how would you rate your result?

De Brendt: I am happy with my result in 2011, because it was not my best winter training, the wind at my home spot was not perfect, only rain and light wind and with these condition I couldn?t really improve as much as I wanted. The PWA tour was in different conditions to what I am used to sailing in, with flat water and the wind a bit up and down like Bonaire and Aruba, but it was a great experience in two beautiful places and I learned a lot in these conditions, now I can prepare for the next season 2012.

PWA: How long have you been windsurfing?

De Brendt: I started in 2003; I have been windsurfing 9 year.

PWA: Who has been you biggest influence on your sailing?

De Brendt: All the guys who practice here in El Yaque, Gollito Estredo, Ricardo Campello, Remko de Weerd, Andre Paskowski, the Moreno Twins and many more, but my first biggest influence was my dream to be one of the best windsurfer in the world of freestyle.

PWA: What would you be doing if you weren't windsurfing?

De Brendt: The ocean is my life and I always wanted to practice sports in the water, maybe if I wasn't a windsurfer I would have been a surfer...but windsurfing is my passion.

PWA: Where is your favorite place to windsurf and why?

De Brendt: I have visited many places in the world for windsurfing and all are different and special, but my favorite place is my home spot El Yaque, because I can spend hours in the water, but Tarifa, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and Bonaire are places that I like too.

PWA: What is your favorite move and why?

De Brendt: My favorite move that I can do is a shaka, because it is a move you can do in waves or flat water and there is a moment with lots adrenaline when you go high into the wind and finish the rotation with full energy.

PWA: What move did you find the hardest to learn and why?

De Brendt: The hardest move that I found to learn was the switch chacho because when I was learning my arm was always in the way and stopped the move which was painful, now I can do switch chachos as I figured out how to do it.