Andy Brown began windsurfing on Loch Insh, now he's world champion

The National

2 days ago

But it's the latter where Glaswegian Andy Brown began a windsurfing journey that's seen him sail all the way to the top of the world.
Earlier this month, Brown made history by becoming iQFOiL windsurfing world champion. It was a remarkable achievement for someone who was up against men who hail from nations in which windsurfing is a far more mainstream sport than in Scotland and his victory has, he hopes, set him on a path that will lead all the way to Olympic gold.
Brown has long been a fan of what he calls 'niche sports'.
His first love was not football which so dominates his home city but trapezing over water, which he spent most of his afternoons as a child practicing at the Western Baths in Drumchapel.
With opportunities to make a career out of trapezing unsurprisingly limited in his home country, Brown's attentions soon turned to windsurfing, for which he'd found a love after trying it at a summer camp aged just 10.
In the early days, Brown may have been operating on a relatively low level but he quickly became aware of quite how thrilling a sport windsurfing can be as one's abilities progress and that, he admits, was a major attraction for him.
'When you're 10 years old, you're not going super-fast but I saw the older guys doing tricks and at the top level, you can reach about 31 knots (over 35mph) which is pretty fast and I really liked the look of that,' the 25-year-old says.
"It's a great sport in that you're out on the water all day and at my local club, there was a good bunch of guys and a great coach so I just really enjoyed it right from the start.'
Brown progressed through the ranks, going from club competitions through to Scottish, British and then international events. Silverware at the Youth World Championships highlighted his potential and although his early years as a professional brought him considerable success, it wasn't a patch on what he achieved earlier this month at the World Championships.
After a competitive battle with Frenchman Tom Arnoux, Brown came out on top to take the world title and the Dorset-based Scot admits that although his hopes had been relatively high going into the World Championships in Aarhus in Denmark, becoming world champion was well beyond what he'd ever imagined achieving.
Andy Brown won his world title in Aarhus (Image: Sailing Energy / iQfoil Class)
'Going into the Worlds, my confidence was pretty high and I was hoping for a top five performance. Top five would have been a bit of a dream so to actually win was just incredible,' says Brown, whose celebrations for becoming world champion have been relatively tame - merely a few trips to the pub.
'Anyone in the top 15 in the world could probably win these major competitions because it's very small margins in this sport. It's about doing everything perfectly in the build-up and then everything going your way on the day.
'It's my best World Champs result ever by far - I was fifth in 2021, but last year I finished in the 30s so when I realised I'd won this one, my main feeling initially was shock. It felt pretty surreal and I didn't really believe it.'
Andy Brown with his gold medal (Image: Sailing Energy / iQfoil Class)
Brown has been a full-time windsurfer since 2017 and his career trajectory has not, he admits, been smooth. But throughout even his greatest disappointments, there was one thing that kept him going and the bank of experience he's accumulated over the years went a considerable way to helping him claim his maiden world title, and will, he hopes, help him successfully defend it on home waters when the 2026 World Championships are held in Weymouth and Portland on the south coast of England next summer.
'I've definitely not had the smoothest path to this point. I've had some good results but I've also had some pretty bad results along the way as well, so it's been quite a journey,' he says.
'But what has always kept me going is how much I love doing what I'm doing. If I didn't love it as much as I do, I would have stopped a long time ago.
'The struggles are all part of the journey and to consistently perform at the top level in this sport, you do need to go through years and years of struggling and figuring things out before you figure it out.'
Brown (left) is now targeting the 2028 Olympics (Image: Sailing Energy / iQfoil Class)
Brown's discipline, the iQFOiL class, became an Olympic event for the first time last summer, in Paris. Brown was forced to face the disappointment of missing out on a place in Team GB but that blow of failing to become an Olympian only served to strengthen his will to not only be at the LA Olympics in 2028, but emerge as Olympic champion.
'Missing out on Paris was tough, but I didn't really deserve to be there because I wasn't at the required level at the right time. I feel like I only want to go to the Olympics when I'm in a position to contend for a medal, and I wasn't ready for that,' he says.
'I feel like I've learned from it, though, and I've used it to drive me on.
'I'm at the point now where I've made a lot of the mistakes and so I'm much more aware of what to do and what not to do and that hopefully will help me when I get to the Olympics in 2028.'