2004 Leucate PWA Super X World Cup Preview
After the huge success of the first ever PWA demonstration event in Fuerteventura, the exciting new discipline of Super-X will be featured as the main competition format in Leucate, France. Commencing on the 9th of April and running through until the 15th, sailors will be competing at one of France’s most popular windsurf venues for a €25,000 prize fund.<PHOTO1>
Leucate on the south west coast of France is one of the windiest windsurfing locations in France or even Europe. It is situated on the Mediterranean Sea at about 80 km from the Spanish frontier in the region known as the Languedoc-Roussillon. It is an extremely windy region boasting statistics of over 300 days a year with a wind over force four. The dominant wind is the Tramontana and no other wind has really stands a chance against it. The Tramontana is a brutal north-westerly wind is created by an anticyclone over the south west of France and a depression over the Mediterranean. The Tramontana is associated with good weather since the force of the wind blows all the clouds away. After a few days of on-shore wind from the sea there are normally lots of clouds, but when the Tramontana rises, it clears the skies in a few hours.<PHOTO2>
The prevailing direction on the beaches of Leucate is cross offshore, ideal for speed, slalom and freestyle sailing. Super-X combines all three in a high-octane mixture of racing and tricks around strategically placed marks and obstacles to produce a breathtaking format of exciting competition. Super-X Racing in Leucate will feature le mans style beach starts, spocks, forward loops and duck gybes, with all the action taking place as close to the beach as possible for maximum crowd interaction.
Kauli Seadi (Naish, AHD) of Brazil stole the show at the first ever demonstration event in Fuerteventura last year, narrowly defeating French all rounder Antoine Albeau (Neil Pryde, AHD) on the very last day of competition. With Tramontana winds expected to be in full force when the competition takes place fast and furious action is expected, so stay tuned to the PWA web site for all the news, pictures and results when the event kicks off! <PHOTO3>
More information about the event can be found on