Despite his young age, athlete Nick Spangenberg from Kassel is already one of Germany's biggest names in windsurfing. He became known for sending his first windsurfing travel reports to magazines when he was only twelve. He regularly excites his followers on social media with photos and videos of competitions and practice sessions.
For me as a professional windsurfer, says Spangenberg, it is very important to have pictures and videos of myself to see afterwards what I could have done better during various maneuvers. But this is just one of many reasons why he uses an action cam for windsurfing. As a young, tech-savvy, and travel-loving athlete, he had the opportunity to test the action cam in practice at the launch of the new Rollei action one.
First impressions of the new top action cam
Nick Spangenberg wanted to find out for himself and even traveled to Morocco for the test to catch perfect winds and waves. He tested the Rollei action one for its robustness and for its use from various perspectives, from which film and photo recordings were to be made afterwards.
Even before the tough test off the coast of Morocco, Spangenberg was impressed by the extensive accessories included in the delivery. The camera came with everything needed to dive straight into the fun. To fully utilize the application possibilities of the Rollei action one, the professional windsurfer also opted for the Actioncam Accessory Set Sport XL from Rollei. This then provided him with additional mounts, a SelfieStick, and much more to create videos and photos from previously unknown perspectives.
Spangenberg was also impressed by the recording quality on land. Both the image and video recordings were flawless and stunningly clear. Thanks to 4K video recordings at 60 frames per second, he captured moments that appeared particularly high-quality and "colorful." All colors, he noticed particularly with very colorful objects, were reproduced exactly as they were seen in nature.
Morocco – a paradise for windsurfers
Year after year, and for decades now, the windsurfing community has been heading out to ride the waves of Morocco's Atlantic coast. As an experienced professional athlete who has had the opportunity to get to know numerous spots, Nick Spangenberg identified Morocco as the perfect location for the test. Whether in the disciplines of wave, slalom, or freestyle: Morocco offers everything a surfer's heart desires and, in conjunction with the new action cam, enables spectacular shots.
Right from the start of the recordings, the Rollei action one impressed the athlete with further features. Among other things, the battery life was convincing. With the powerful 1,300 milliampere-hours, he was able to record content for up to approximately two hours without recharging the battery. Recharging a completely empty battery was also very quick. For this, he used his short breaks.
Especially the integrated front display of the Rollei action one was a great advantage for Nick Spangenberg. This allowed him to directly check the perspectives and adjust them if necessary, even without test shots.
The Rollei action one stands for flexible use, making it easy for the athlete to find new perspectives.
In the following, the athlete explains in more detail why these four chosen perspectives were particularly special for him.
Attachment to the sail: Bird's-eye view and boom perspective
For the first two perspectives, the athlete attached the Rollei action one to the sail using accessories. Starting with the bird's-eye view, where the action cam was mounted high on the sail, allowing a view of the surfer themselves and the water. Thanks to the wide 170-degree recording angle, the shots were particularly impressive as the athlete raced with other marine creatures.
For the boom perspective, Spangenberg attached the camera to the boom of the sail. The position was close to the athlete, thus capturing every emotion. Furthermore, with the recordings from this perspective, he could also easily check his technique afterwards and improve it if necessary.
In the thick of it: The chest or head perspective
These two perspectives are excellent for giving the viewer the feeling of being right in the middle of the action. Spangenberg says: "As a viewer, this perspective gives you the best impressions of the athletes' performance. You practically exchange places with the wave rider." The straps included in the accessory set made it particularly easy for the athlete to attach the Rollei action one in such a way that it could securely and precisely record during the ride.
He also emphasizes that this perspective would be an exciting viewpoint not only for windsurfers but also in mountain biking, skating, and much more. This way, athletes have the opportunity, with the "onboard perspective," to capture tricks or descents from their own perspective and then give the viewer the best possible feeling of having been right there.
Spangenberg's favorite: The spectator perspective
For fantastic photo and video recordings, Spangenberg recommends the spectator perspective. Here, the athlete is viewed from the outside. A disadvantage from the windsurfer's point of view: a second person is needed to get as close as possible to the athlete and make the corresponding recordings. For a better recording situation, the athlete advises using a selfie stick or similar. This gives the photographer or filmmaker more leeway and can better "reach" the athlete being filmed.
Of course, there are many other perspectives, but these four perspectives are, in Nick Spangenberg's opinion, the best for capturing all different angles and viewpoints. So there are no limits to creativity, says Spangenberg.
The windsurfer's conclusion on the action one!
In summary, Nick Spangenberg is very impressed with the new Rollei action one! The camera performed very well in all criteria important for the athlete in use. The Rollei action one shone with its long battery life, high image quality, and also with the many possibilities to record different angles. This is also evident in another use of the action cam in his hometown of Kassel, where the following video was created.
Also advantageous are the large 2.33-inch IPS touchscreen and the 1.3-inch front display. With the touchscreen, recordings can be viewed and directly analyzed in the photo and video gallery. All settings can be quickly edited and changed. Spangenberg recommends that all athletes who choose the excellent Rollei action one also order the accessory set for the action cam. This way, you are perfectly prepared to realize all possible recording angles.
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