RTL Interview with Freddy Olander

RTL Interview: Big Wave Surfing in Nazare

RTL, one of Germany’s most-watched television networks, interviewed Freddy Olander about his life as a professional big wave surfer in Nazare, Portugal. The interview gives a German prime-time television audience a rare inside look at what it means to surf some of the most powerful waves in the world.

Big wave surfing at Nazare has captured global attention since Garrett McNamara first surfed there in 2011. Since then, wave records have been broken repeatedly, and the location has attracted the world’s best big wave surfers, documentary crews and major media outlets every winter. RTL’s decision to feature Freddy Olander reflects both the growing mainstream interest in big wave surfing and Freddy’s position as one of the most recognisable German athletes in the sport.

What the Interview Covers

The RTL interview explores Freddy’s background, his journey from Berlin to Nazare, and what drives him to chase waves that most people would find terrifying from the beach, let alone from the water. He talks about the preparation required, the team that makes it possible to operate safely in such extreme conditions, and the mental approach he has developed over 20 years of progressively bigger and more demanding surf.

The interview also touches on the Big Wave Experience, Freddy’s program that gives individuals and groups the chance to get close to the action at Nazare through guided jet ski tours and on-water experiences at Praia do Norte.

Big Wave Surfing on German Television

Appearances on major German television networks like RTL play an important role in bringing big wave surfing to a broad German-speaking audience. Most viewers are encountering the sport for the first time through these segments, and Freddy’s ability to communicate clearly and authentically about what big wave surfing involves is one of the reasons he has become a sought-after media subject.

The combination of his German background, his professional credibility at Nazare and his ability to articulate the intersection of extreme sport and performance thinking makes him a natural fit for television formats that want to go beyond the obvious.