Flash Gordan on a surfski quest for more global success

Just like comic-strip space hero Flash Gordon, Germany’s Gordan Harbrecht is a man on a mission. Nicknamed “Flash Gordan” after the iconic science fiction character, Harbrecht is not somebody who enjoys resting on their laurels. While some paddlers may choose to put their feet up after a long, hard season, Herbrecht just keeps paddling. “I am not a big off-season fan, probably because I enjoy kayaking,” said Harbrecht. “I make sure that I don’t train too hard, so I basically don’t need to stop at a certain time to let my body recover.” Harbrecht says life has changed since the arrival of his son and daughter, now aged two and five respectively. But Harbrecht insists that he is still keen to keep him and his young family active in between races and training having recently spent time on the Swiss snow where his kids got their first experiences on skis. “I enjoy an active lifestyle,” said Harbrecht. A post shared by Flash Gordan ⚡️ (@gordanharbrecht) “One of my favourites is to take my family out for short weekend trips with the camper van along the beautiful coastline of the Baltic Sea. “Before kids I enjoyed all kind of watersports, bicycling and fishing. “Now I am definitely less flexible, but I wouldn’t want it any other way.” Harbrecht said he got the “Flash Gordan” nickname from Jürgen Brinks, the man who helped to transfer him from sprint kayaking to ocean paddling. It is a moniker that has grown on Harbrecht over the years, and he says it is in “recognition of my speed and I wear it with pride”. In the comic-strip series, Flash Gordon was dubbed “King of the Impossible” as he constantly fought against evil. Harbrecht produced his own heroic act last year when he did what no other man from Europe had achieved before. Ever since the International Canoe Federation Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships had been inaugurated in 2013, only men from Australia and South Africa had captured the senior surfski title. That was the case until Germany’s Harbrecht swooped...

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