Two of those faces include teammates Oda Brødholt (Starboard / Severne Sails / Maui Ultra Fins) and Maaike Huvermann (Severne / Severne Sails / Maui Ultra Fins) and they have just dropped their latest edit 'It's About FREEKing Time' - which features plenty of epic action from their freesailing in Naxos.

Intro: “Freestylers Maaike Huvermann and Oda Brødholt train together in Naxos, but Oda is late for their training... Prepare yourself to witness wild drifting with a Fiat Panda and powerful freestyle tricks! See you all on the water!"

You can see 'It's About FREEKing Time' here.

Iballa Moreno: “In the clinic we not only taught the technical aspects of the sport, but also how to become a better professional both on and off of the water. I want the girls to continue our legacy with - strength, illusion and imagination -  those are the three words our father taught us to fight strong for our dreams.

Apart from the refining the girls technique, we also taught them how to respond to interviews in front of the cameras, how to promote sponsors, how to correctly use social media and also raised ecological awareness through our beach cleaning. Further to that we also introduced the importance of nutrition, physical training and how to perform better in the competitions by knowing how the judging works... when there wasn’t enough wind to sail we also skated and even went whale watching, swimming etc. A complete week of fun with the girls ;).

Prior to mentoring the girl’s I studied for two years to become a surf, sailing and life saving trainer (coach) - adding to my vast knowledge that I have gained over the years on tour.”

With the event concluding on the 9th August 7Pixels have just released a nice round up of what looks a highly productive week with the girls all pushing themselves to new limits, which you can see here.

Sarah-Quita Offringa. “My initial plan was to travel to the Canaries because I badly wanted to wave sail and jump most of all. But with the travel advice changing a bit every now and then I decided to go to Greece where I saw Oda, Hakon, Maaike, Lina, Val, Balz and Eva ripping at Lennart’s home spot. It’s been a long time since I travelled to a totally new place, so I was very happy to book that ticket and come down here.”

“Quick Session at the lagoon a couple of days ago! Old school/new school tricks mix. It was so much fun :) Can’t wait for a proooooper smoke on the water type session!

Thanks Balz Müller for the edit and Igor for the filming!”

You can see Sarah-Quita Offringa's latest video @ https://youtu.be/bCOr1dJTP4o

If you were reborn in a new life, would you rather be alive in the past or future?

I would choose in the past, when I was younger hahaha!

Would you rather be free or be totally safe?

Free for sure.

Would you rather have free Wi-Fi wherever you go or have free coffee where/whenever you want?

Hard one, but I need coffee in the morning.

Would you rather lose the ability to read or lose the ability to speak?

Maybe lose the ability to read, I don’t need it to sail.

Would you rather spend the rest of your life with a sailboat as your home or an RV as your home?

Mmm hard one. Maybe a sailboat to be able to sail to amazing and deserted spots.

Would you rather have unlimited international first-class tickets or never have to pay for food at restaurants?

Really? 100% unlimited international first-class tickets.

Would you rather be forced to dance every time you heard music or be forced to sing along to any song you heard?

I am so bad in both, but I would choose to dance.

Would you rather travel the world for a year on a shoestring budget or stay in only one country for a year but live in luxury?

I would travel world on a shoestring budget, including the boardbags hihihi.

Would you rather have a horrible job, but be able to retire comfortably in 10 years or have your dream job, but have to work until the day you die?

If the job is to be a windsurfer, a dream job.

Would you rather be able to land every move in the world right now and never crash again or still be able to still learn new moves, but crash 10 times more frequently than it usually takes you to land a new move?

Love to learn, I don’t mind if I have to crash many times. Difficult things are more attractive for me.

Thanks, Pons!

You can see Arnon Dagan’s light hearted video @ youtu.be/eIaohFC7S-k

Adam Sims: "Epic conditions on Fuerteventura after 3 months lockdown. Early season with restricted travel meant that it was a ghost town. We scored awesome sessions with the local crew and friends. Enjoy the GoPro only edit!"

You can see Adam Sims’ latest edit from Fuerte @ youtu.be/XjzKSaDQKSk

If you were reborn in a new life, would you rather be alive in the past or future?

Past maybe… I mean it would probably be pretty cool to have a look at the future, but I think probably past would be pretty cool, less rules haha

Would you rather be free or be totally safe?

Free, totally safe is not to me at all. I don’t think I'm so nuts adrenaline junky but we’re designed to analyse risk and navigate dangerous situations… If we were all totally safe we’d have never left caves haha! 

Would you rather have free Wi-Fi wherever you go or have free coffee where/whenever you want?

Coffee all day… easy I’d happily have no wifi! 

Would you rather lose the ability to read or lose the ability to speak?

Ohhh that’s a tough one! I actually love to read, but I think it would be pretty frustrating to not be able to vocally communicate.. so perhaps lose reading.

Would you rather spend the rest of your life with a sailboat as your home or an RV as your home?

Sailboat…. Love it!

Would you rather have unlimited international first-class tickets or never have to pay for food at restaurants?

Actually, I think nowadays we should all be a little more careful with the amount of flights we take, bit rich coming from a professional windsurfer, but I’ve been really trying to only take multi-month trips and not flit about. However that said for sure the flights still…. Actually traveling about I’ve been pretty poor with cooking a lot and the best part of the lockdown has been cooking more! 

Would you rather be forced to dance every time you heard music or be forced to sing along to any song you heard?

Well I’m really not a dancer and honestly I love belting a couple of songs out in the shower…. So maybe the singing!

Would you rather travel the world for a year on a shoestring budget or stay in only one country for a year but live in luxury?

Umm well thats actually pretty difficult because I’d happily spend a year in Indo or Fiji for a year haha I don’t even need the luxury.
 
Would you rather have a horrible job, but be able to retire comfortably in 10 years or have your dream job, but have to work until the day you die?

Well I'm a pro windsurfer… what do you think haha I’m going to have to work everyday till I die already ahaha

Would you rather be able to land every move in the world right now and never crash again or still be able to still learn new moves, but crash 10 times more frequently than it usually takes you to land a new move?

Still crash, there is no fun if you know your going to land everything from now on….. 

Thanks, Adam!

Alessio Stillrich (Simmer / Simmer Sails), who suffered a horrific leg break in January 2018, looks as though he is back to full confidence and going massive in his latest short clip with trademark tweaked pushloops, double forwards and goiters all being stomped as well as some big rail turns! 

Alessio Stillrich (: “Unfortunately my foot got stuck in the foot strap this morning and I twisted my ankle! Hope to be back out there in one or two weeks and squeeze out the summer to the max! Here some clips from the session before the incident, thanks for filming @jessialm97 @simmerstyle_windsurfing.”

Everyone from the PWA wishes Alessio a quick recovery!

To see Alessio’s latest video visit @ https://www.instagram.com/p/CDMuQscojn7/

Photo Credit: Jose Piña

In order to get your fill of the best windsurfing action, from the best windsurfers on the planet.
 
Kind regards
 
The PWA

Surfing has since returned with the implementation of shark nets and shark lookout devices. 

Anyway, less of the sharks and more of the action… it’s over to Thomas who launches into aerials galore on this super fast, reeling reef break. You can see the highlights @ vimeo.com/441551296

You can see the full round up now @ youtu.be/7ljA6wHY9sA

If you were reborn in a new life, would you rather be alive in the past or future?

100% in the past. I like simple stuff and not that complicated. I feel that in the past everything was way simpler. I would also love to go back in history.

Would you rather be free or be totally safe?

Free! This is a difficult one, because I’m one of those type of people that like to calculate things before doing them. It always needs to be balanced - the risks with the safety.

Would you rather have free Wi-Fi wherever you go or have free coffee where/whenever you want?

For sure free Wi-Fi! I don’t drink coffee at all.
I’m more a chocolate milk guy.

Would you rather lose the ability to read or lose the ability to speak?

This is a difficult one. I think that I would choose ability to read.
Don’t ask me why.

Would you rather spend the rest of your life with a sailboat as your home or an RV as your home?

By far on a sailboat with all my windsurf equipment. Sailing around the world being totally free and fishing for food. What else do you want?

Would you rather have unlimited international first-class tickets or never have to pay for food at restaurants?

I guess this is an easy one. Unlimited international first-class tickets. Nothing beats that!
When you are a windsurfer you know how good this is after dragging all those heavy bags through the airport. 

Would you rather be forced to dance every time you heard music or be forced to sing along to any song you heard? 

Forced to dance. I danced for some years, so I'm good.  I can’t sing at all.

Would you rather travel the world for a year on a shoestring budget or stay in only one country for a year but live in luxury?

I can’t decide… If I would travel with a good friend/Girlfriend and have my windsurf gear with me then I would go with travel the world on a shoestring budget. Otherwise I would choose to live in luxury. 

Would you rather have a horrible job, but be able to retire comfortably in 10 years or have your dream job, but have to work until the day you die?

Have my dream job. If you love what you do you will never work a day in your life. 

Would you rather be able to land every move in the world right now and never crash again or still be able to still learn new moves, but crash 10 times more frequently than it usually takes you to land a new move?

Still be able to learn new moves. If I could do all the moves and never crash again I wouldn’t love the sport anymore. I need that challenge and excitement to try and fail.

Thanks, Ethan!

Fortunately, all is not lost for the next generation of girls as El Club Deportivo Daniel Bruch has been working in collaboration with Turismo de Granadilla and Turismo de Tenerife to organise a unique invitation only clinic in El Médano, which will take place between the 3rd-9th August.

In recent years, there has been a great influx of youthful talent, which has led to the level of the girl’s rapidly increasing as they push each other to the next level. Now, the select girls including - Maria Morales (Goya Windsurfing), Alexia Kiefer Quintana (Fanatic / Duotone), Alexa Escherich (JP / NeilPryde) and Maria Behren’s will be given the incredible opportunity of being coached for a week by none other than 10-time PWA Wave World Champion - Iballa Ruano Moreno (Severne / Severne Sails / Maui Ultra Fins).

The main objective of the clinic is to help nurture the talent of the girls, not only by improving their sailing, but also by helping them to better understand windsurfing as a professional sport, whilst Iballa’s team - consisting of a nutritionist, physical trainer and a head judge will help to outline other extremely important areas off of the water, which will benefit them greatly moving forwards.

We will try and bring you some updates via our Social Media Channels to show you how the girl’s progress under Iballa’s mentoring. 

Naish Windsurfing welcome Z to the team: “Say Aloha to the newest Naish International team rider, Z Schettewi!

We are proud to share Maui ripper Z Schettewi has officially joined the Naish International Windsurfing Team. The winner of the 2019 IWT Big Wave Award + the youngest person to ever sail the legendary wave, Jaws - Schettewi is determined to pursue his career in windsurfing, competing on the IWT and PWA, and becoming an all-around waterman.
Welcome to the team Z!

Edit by: Aerial Video Maui”

Z Schettewi (Naish / Naish Sails) on joining the International Naish Team: “I am very excited to be part of the Naish team! It’s great to be able to windsurf, kitesurf, wing, foil, and everything on the water with the Naish team everyday, it’s very special to live on Maui and be teamed up with such a great locally based company. Living here close to the beach gives me the resources to live a certain lifestyle and the ability to get out on the water whenever conditions allow, which ultimately is what taught me what it means to become an all-around waterman.”

You can see a short interview with Z @ youtu.be/wLEfKdyd2TM

Photo Credit: Fish Bowl Diaries

Freestyle World Champion - Yentel Caers (I-99 / Point-7) - spotted an epic last minute forecast for Sa Barra, Sardinia, and wasted little time in booking a ticket and making his way to the beautiful Italian island. You can now see the explosive highlights of Yentel’s latest trip via his YouTube channel @ youtu.be/LH2R4vsYDwA.

Yentel Caers (I-99 / Point-7): “Last minute trip to Sardinia, there was an epic forecast for 5 days so booked the boat and straight away left the next day! Once we arrived the wind was already pumping. Thanks for the hospitality Windsurfclub Sa Barra in Sant' Antioco! And many thanks for the great videos - Riccardo Locci, Stefi Fumagalli and Rossell Bertoldo.”

With the Meltemi trade winds in full swing the Suissman was able to enjoy Naxos at his best, while he also met up with fellow freestylers Lennart Neubauer (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins), Maaike Huvermann (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) and his girlfriend Eva Wyss.

Balz Müller: “Holidays at the ultimate freestyle windsurf spot in the Naxos Laguna! As there are no world cups this season I finally made it back to the place where I learned freestyle windsurfing 10 years ago! Great to sail together with youth of freestyling and watching them progressing session by session! The movie features Balz Müller, Lennart Neubauer, Maaike Huvermann, Eva Wyss, Felix Volkhardt :). Thank you for hosting us at the lagunabeachpark.gr Stam Promponas! - thanks Severne Sails, MB-Boards and Lake Silvaplana for making my dream come true.”

You can see the action packed Laguna Beach Park edit @ youtu.be/X15N1o_gXns

Hi Diony, can you take us back to the memory of your very first windsurf experience - where were you?

Well as we grew up in Bequia, a tiny Island, which belongs to St Vincent and the Grenadines chain, my father was a sailor and windsurfer, occasionally he would sail to Petit Nevis, a super small Island, right in front of where we lived in Friendship Bay, he use to drag my sister Colette Guadagnino (Freestyle PWA World Champion) and I to the Island on his windsurfing gear, it was almost impossible to learn back then in the mid-late 80’s - it was super heavy and almost impossible for us to learn at the age of 6. My dad had the famous windsurfers back in the days.

When was it? 

Shortly after living on Bequia Island, my parents decided to move further south to Playa El Yaque, Isla Margarita, Venezuela, we were very privileged to live literally on the sand, this is when I really fell in love with the sport in 1991 when I was 8 years old. 

Who were you with?

I started windsurfing at the same time together with my sister Colette and my older brother Amancio,  there was a young local kid at that time with huge talent called Alexis Carache, which motivated us a bunch as he was doing the sickest lay down jibes and huge stall forwards with almost no waves on slalom gear, he and other locals were helped by an amazing Canadian crew from Sharks club,  but there were also a lot of individuals that inspired us and helped us through that initiation path, for example our step father back then also got us into windsurfing, also Miguel Bruggemann (Key West) and the Kitts family (Hood River), they had one of the biggest windsurf centres called Carib Winds, I would work a couple hours a day after school pulling weed out of the clubs garden and other work to be able to use the gear, the gear they had back then was the sickest! I remember this clam sandwich boards and Rushwind sails from Columbia River Gorge like a pot of gold, you know how kids LOVE ice cream?? well I loved that gear and windsurfing on it.....there was not a better moment for me!!!, they really disciplined me also to the point that they hanged me with my harness from a tree in front of everyone and tied my hands, which I couldn't get down from for a while, because I did something wrong ;) jajaja! believe me I was not an angel...jajaja

What do you remember from that very first ‘session’? 

All I remember is that it was all so natural, I learned my first day how to tack and almost plane, I only remember watching the locals doing loops and that was my HUGE GOAL!  after watching all the famous videos from the 90's from Hawaii and the Gorge, I had it all in my mind (THE VISION!!! to become the best!, I was a total maniac and was hooked so bad to windsurfing you have no idea! It took me 12 months exactly to learn how to loop! At 10 I was already doing forwards and at 11 trying my first doubles!

Who was your local hero? And why? 

Definitely the Carache brother’s, Jonny and Alexis, they both had such a gangsta low ride style with long harness lines which I thought was the coolest thing, together with how fluid and stylish they would do there moves was a show to watch, they both had slalom gear as they knew with speed they would catch incredible air time and stalled forwards. 

What gear were you using? 

I had a few sails which I shared with my sister Colette, we had a 3.4m Gaastra Dacron, a 2.9m pink Rushwind with 2 cams, Gaastra 3.9m monofilm with 1 cam, we had a no nose Logozwork board - a Hi Per Tech Gorge hi-performance board and also an old 7'7 surf board which was converted to windsurf,  which was so cool. 

Describe your feeling when you were planing for the first time…

As an 8 year old kid I had no words, it was hallucinating, don't know if you guys ever dreamed of flying as a kid, like you had special powers, I dreamed that all the time, especially watching Peter Pan, windsurfing gave me a similar feeling, but I have to be honest, before even planing I wanted to do loops...

How did you realise you were becoming a professional windsurfer?

In our case we were so blessed living in one of the top 3 places on the planet to windsurf, by learning my first loop after 12 months and windsurfing every single day of the year, I only had windsurfing and surf posters in my room, ohhhh and a few of girls as well! hahaha, I also watched all my favourite windsurfing videos, for example spring loaded, KA1111 when Jason Polakow was using the famous yellow strapper boards with an eagle, The famous Gorge videos skyrocketing, Rig ’n’ Roll, Splash Back, Radical Attitude, I really watched so many videos every single day and that was my strive back then as there was no social media jeje, I learned all my moves by watching videos, watching magazines and dreaming of knowing my inspirational windsurf hero's one day as Josh Stone, Brian Talma, Robert Terihteau, Francisco Goya, Ian Boyd, Leon Belanger, Josh Angulo, Luke and Levi Siver, Robby Naish, I knew one day I was going to be windsurfing with them. in fact a few of them actually visited us here in El Yaque back in the day for photo shoots, I remember when the legend of all legends Robert Terihiteau came (photo attached), he was probably one of the most craziest and coolest windsurfers, also I remember when Brian Talma came and Josh Stone, Antoine Albeau and Eric Thieme! I was daydreaming!!

Give a tip for the next generation…

Never ever stop dreaming no matter what it is, as long as it's HEALTHY it's GOOD!! Surround yourself with good and healthy people, we are all born with a special gift (talent), it should come naturally, be patient, but when it comes do not let the train pass by, GO FOR IT 10,000,000% just do the GOOD in life and help each other and remember never forget your roots and where you come from, always be you and do not let anyone, fame or money change you! GOOD VIBES!! Diony Guadagnino V69!

Thanks, Diony! 

Women’s

Jenna Gibson (Fanatic / Duotone) was the clear standout sailor of the week in the Women’s fleet as the 22-year-old reeled off 13 consecutive bullets to claim a landslide victory in the Slalom, whilst she also produced an excellent comeback on the foil to claim the Foil event title. Gibson had trailed Alice Read (Patrik / Severne) by 0.7 of a point, but a victory in the last elimination of the week saw her pip Read to the title - with Read only managing to finish 3rd and eventually losing out by the same margin. 

The Women’s Slalom podium is completed by Palma Cargo and Alice Read, while the Women’s Foil podium is completed by Read and Adéla Rašková.

Men’s

With no wind on the final day, that means that Maciek Rutkowski (FMX Racing / Challenger Sails) walks away from the opening event of the year with a first victory on the world tour. As a one-star event, the points gained here won’t count towards the world title, but Rutkowski will be delighted to have carried his excellent form from last year into the new season. The Pole finishes the event with an impressive record of 7 victories from 12, whilst only finishing outside the top 3 to cap a dominant performance. 

The homegrown talent of - Enrico Marotti (JP / NeilPryde) - couldn’t quite find a way to overpower Rutkowski, so the Croat doesn’t walk away from his home event with the top spot, but he still claimed a solid second place, just ahead of Italy’s Bruno Martini (Future Fly / Challenger Sails / Starboard Foil), who completes the podium. Marotti and Martini were both able to win several eliminations each (3 for Marotti & 2 for Martini), but a few costly errors ultimately cost them a shot at the title. 

The top 5 is completed by last year’s PWA Youth Slalom World Champion - Basile Jacquin (I-99 / Point-7) - and Luka Mratovic (Fanatic / Duotone / Starboard Foil).

That concludes the first event of the 2020 PWA World Tour and we hope you enjoyed the return to action - congratulations to all the winners. A huge thanks to all the sponsors and everyone who helped out with the event - without you it wouldn’t be possible!

For more daily updates be sure to follow our Social Media Channels:

- Instagram: @pwaworldtour
- Facebook: @PWA.World.Tour.Windsurfing
 

Women's - Slalom

Jenna Gibson (Fanatic / Duotone) has been completely in a league of her own at this event. Coming into the penultimate day the Brit had won 8 out of 8 eliminations and at the end of the day, Gibson still boasts a perfect record after reeling off another 4 bullets in a row today. Gibson’s fantastic performance gives her an unassailable lead with her next closest challenger - Cargo - a massive 19.7 points behind in second place.

The top 3 is currently completed by - Alice Read (Patrik / Severne) - who still leads the Foil rankings with a day to go. The Brit holds an 8 point advantage over Tuesday-Loud Judd (I-99 / Phantom Sails) - who as steadily improved as the event progresses in her first contest since breaking her foot last September.

Men’s

At the end of the fourth day - Maciek Rutkowski (FMX Racing / Challenger Sails) - has built a commanding 9.6 point lead over Enrico Marotti (JP / NeilPryde). The Pole reeled off back-to-back bullets to start the day to complete a brilliant hat-trick but then went over early in the last Winners’ Final of the day. However, he instantly discards that result, and with another discard to come after the completion of Elimination 12, it looks a tall order for either Marotti or Bruno Martini (Future Fly / Challenger Sails) to be able to overturn the deficit. 

Martini is just 0.3 of a point behind Marotti, so he is still well in contention for second place, whilst still having an outside shot at the event title with Marotti. However, the Italian will need to be slightly wary of Basile Jacquin (I-99 / Point-7) after the Frenchman enjoyed a fine day with two second places and a 4th to close to within just 3.6 points of third place. 

The penultimate skippers’ meeting of the week will be held at 11am (CEST). As with the rest of the week you’ll be able to stay up to date with what’s happening from Croatia via our Social Media Channels:

- Instagram: @pwaworldtour
- Facebook: @PWA.World.Tour.Windsurfing

Maciek Rutkowski (FMX Racing / Challenger Sails) continues to be the man that everyone else to catch after the Pole claimed his 3rd bullet of the event in Elimination 7 to open up a 3.3 point advantage over both Bruno Martini (Future Fly / Challenger Sails) and Enrico Marotti (JP / NeilPryde), who slips into 3rd place after a disappointing 7th place in Elimination 7.

With the only Women’s races of the day being on Foil that means that Jenna Gibson (Fanatic / Duotone) continues to lead the Slalom rankings, but it is fellow Brit - Alice Read (Patrik / Severne) - who currently leads in the Foil after two second place finishes in races 3 and 4 - before she signed off the day with her second bullet of the event. Before the completion of Elimination 5 Gibson had manoeuvred herself into the event lead with back-to-back bullets in Eliminations 3 and 4, but a costly 7th place finish in the final race of the day means she now trails Read by 0.7 of a point. Adéla Rašková completes the top 3 - 3.9 points behind Gibson.

To stay up to date with all the latest from Croatia be sure to follow @pwaworldtour on both Instagram and Facebook!

At this event, the Men’s Foil and Slalom are combined as one discipline with competitors being given the choice whether to use fin or foil, while the Women’s Division Foil & Slalom are still being run as separate disciplines.

Maciek Rutkowski (FMX Racing / Challenger Sails) started the day as the overnight leader and at the close of play on day two, the Pole still heads the event ranking. The 28-year-old started the day strongly - notching up his second bullet in the opening three races to extend his lead, but over the remainder of the day - Enrico Marotti (JP / NeilPryde) - slowly reeled Rutkowski back in by claiming two bullets and a second place from the last four races to finish the day just two points behind Rutkowski.

Elsewhere, Bruno Martini (Future Fly / Challenger Sails) remains in contention with the Italian just another 2 points further back, but the top 3 are well clear of the rest of the pack with Basile Jacquin (I-99 / Point-7) being the next closest challenger - currently 10.4 points behind Martini.

With 4 more days of racing to go there’s still plenty of time for things to change, but it does seem as though the Men’s battle is developing into a three horse race for the title.

In the Women’s Slalom - Jenna Gibson (Fanatic / Duotone) - continues to dominate proceedings with the young Brit still holding a perfect record after the opening 8 races. The 22-year-old is yet to put a foot wrong on the slalom course and she claimed a clinical hat-trick on day 2 to extend her lead over Cargo & Alice Read (Patrik / Severne).

However, in the opening two Foil eliminations - Gibson - hasn’t had things all her own way with the Brit finishing 4th in the opener, while Read currently leads the Foil rankings after an excellent bullet and a second place. Adéla Rašková occupies second place after two solid second places, while Gibson moved back into the top 3 after winning the second elimination. After the first two Foil races just 3.3 points separate the top 4 - so there is all still to play for!

Updated results for the Men's & Women's fleets can be found here & here.

Highlights from day 2's racing can be seen @ https://youtu.be/HIqWHLfN1xk

If you don't follow us already then please be sure to follow our pages below:

- Instagram: @pwaworldtour 
- Facebook: @pwaworldtour 

Women’s

As predicted - Jenna Gibson (Fanatic / Duotone) - was the woman to beat, but on the opening day she was simply untouchable as the 22-year-old claimed 5 straight bullets to take a commanding lead of the event. 

The Brit’s next closest challenger was the home grown talent of Cargo, who claimed three second places, plus a 4th and a 5th to trail Gibson by 7.2 points at the end of proceedings

The current top 3 is completed by Alice Read (Patrik / Severne), who also sits on 10 points alongside Cargo, but trails due to her discard, which is a 10th from Elimination 3. Aside from that small mistake, Read enjoyed an excellent day with two second places and two thirds, which keeps her well in contention.

Men’s

As on the Women’s side of the draw, the top seed in the men’s division also finished the first day as the event leader with Maciek Rutkowski (FMX Racing / Challenger Sails) starting the event steadily with a second place in the opener, before claiming his first bullet in Elimination II to take the end of day lead. The Pole finished last season with a flourish and is looking to carry forward that momentum despite the prolonged break.

Bruno Martini (Future Fly / Challenger Sails), struck first in the opening race of 2020, but then finished 4th in the next race to finish day one in second place.

Meanwhile, local hero Enrico Marotti (JP / NeilPryde) had a slightly topsy turvy day with a 3rd and an eighth, which leaves him in third place but still within touch, whilst fellow Croat - Luka Mratovic (Fanatic / Duotone) - is one place further back in 4th. 

The second day of racing is currently underway, but we will bring you a round up of Tuesday’s action in a few hours time. To stay up to date with all the latest from Croatia be sure to follow @pwaworldtour on both Instagram and Facebook!

Updated results for the Men's & Women's fleets can be found here & here.

If you don't follow us already then please be sure to follow our pages below:

- Instagram: @pwaworldtour 
- Facebook: @pwaworldtour 

Whilst this is only a one star event, meaning that any points gained here will not count towards the world title, it is an opportunity to finally return to action and it has attracted plenty of big names who are chomping at the bit to return to the competitive scene for the first time since last November.

Maciek Rutkowski (FMX Racing / Challenger Sails) will be the top seed for the event having finished 7th overall on the PWA Slalom World Tour in 2019. The Pole not only recorded his first bullets on the world tour during last season but also earned his first podium in Denmark, so he will be the man to beat.

However, that won’t be easy with local hero - Enrico Marotti (JP / NeilPryde) - also taking to the course. The Croat finished 4th in the final event of the season in Noumea in 2019 - a person best - while he too recorded his first bullet on the tour last year, so the pedigree on offer is quite clear. Ahead of the event Enrico had this to say: “I am really happy to be back on the racing course again! The organisers have put a massive amount of work and effort into the event and I truly appreciate and respect that! Thanks to all the competitors who decided to come! I am looking forward to a beautiful week full of racing that is in front of us!”

Aside from that, there are several other high calibre racers in the field, such as Ingmar Daldorf (Tabou / GA Sails), Basile Jacquin (I-99 / Point-7), Bruno Martini (Future Fly / Challenger Sails / AL360), who also recorded his first bullet on the world tour in 2019, Malte Reuscher (Tabou / GA Sails), Vincent Langer (Fanatic / Duotone), plus the youthful talent of Francesco Scagliola (Patrik / Point-7). All of whom are more than capable of challenging for the top honours.

Meanwhile, in the women’s fleet Jenna Gibson (Fanatic / Duotone) is the likely favourite, having won eliminations on the world tour before, but the likes of Tuesday-Lou Judd (I-99 / Phantom Sails), who will be making her first appearance since breaking her foot in Denmark, and local girl Lara Bulić will be hoping to make an impact.

While the event may not be live streamed we will have our Social Media guru - Marije Elgersma - on the ground to bring you plenty of footage and interviews from both behind the scenes and on the race course. To not miss out on any of the action be sure to follow @pwaworldtour on Instagram and Facebook!

If you were reborn in a new life, would you rather be alive in the past or in the future?

The future fascinates me, yet I would be love to experience the windsurfing world in the 90’s.

Would you rather be free or totally safe?

I would rather be free! I love my freedom and especially now with the COVID-19 situation we all feel how important our freedom is! 

Would you rather have free Wi-Fi wherever you go or have free coffee where/whenever you want? 

Free coffee sounds great! But I am not a coffee drinker, so I would rather have free Wi-Fi please!

Would you rather lose the ability to read or ability to speak?

I would rather lose the ability to read, because I would still be able to communicate while speaking.

Would you rather spend the rest of your life with a sailboat as your home or an RV as your home?

I would rather spend the rest of my life on a sailboat because I love the ocean, plus if so my sailboat would be sailing through the Caribbean, surfing and catching fish.

Would you rather have unlimited international first-class tickets or never have to pay for food at restaurants?

I would rather have those unlimited international first-class tickets to keep on traveling the world. 

Would you rather be forced to dance every time you heard music or be forced to sing along to any song you heard?

I would rather sing along! I am not the number 1 dancer on the dance floor, just on the water dancing freestyle moves.

Would you rather travel the world for a year on a shoestring budget or stay in only one country for a year but live in luxury?

I would rather travel the world on a shoestring budget. Seeing new places and meeting new people is one of the best experiences you can have.

Would you rather have a horrible job, but be able to retire comfortably in 10 years or have your dream job, but have to work until the day you die?

I would rather have my dream job! I love to be busy and to be doing my thing.

Would you rather be able to land every move in the world right now and never crash again or still be able to still learn new moves, but crash 10 times more frequently than it usually takes you to land a new move?

I would rather keep learning and crashing, this is the most fun about windsurfing! 

THX guys!

Thanks to you also Youp!

Hey Caterina, take us back to the memory of your very first windsurf experience - where were you? 

Greece

When was it? 

Around 1997

Who were you with?

My parents and my brother.

What do you remember from that very first ‘session’? 

It was tiring and not really satisfying! 

Who was your local hero? 

My brother and his friends And why? They could all already plane.

What gear were you using? 

Old stuff from my parents.

Describe your feeling when you were planing for the first time…

From that first time planing I got hooked immediately, and I could finally understand the feeling of freedom from windsurfing.

How did you realise you were becoming a professional windsurfer? 

I decided to join the World Tour to improve my skills, and then I found myself dedicating most of my life to it for few years, but it's not really a profession.

Give a tip for the next generation…

Just have fun and the rest will eventually come!

Thanks, Caterina.

One of those sailors lucky enough to score those conditions was 17-year-old Marino Gil (Goya Windsurfing), and he’s just dropped a sick new edit, which you can see @ youtu.be/6JOHVbt7CC8

Marino Gil (Goya Windsurfing): “One of the best weekends of my life… epic sailing conditions and meeting new awesome people is always good!”

Graham Ezzy: "Often, windsurfing movies are a montage of quick cuts—all the best action moments jammed together. These surf-pornos are fun to watch but leave out a lot of what windsurfing is actually like. With traditional filming, a 4-minute movie consists of many days condensed down into their best moments, and you never see more that a few consecutive seconds at a time. This, of course, leaves out much of the actual experience.

“The Art of Waves” is a single shot, which means it is a window into an uninterrupted 4 minutes at Ho’okipa. My narration is inspired by and is at times a paraphrase or even direct quotation of John Ruskin’s analysis of Turner’s painting, which touches on the concepts of the individual’s place in the infinite."

Filmed by Wavetraveller

You can see 'The Art Of Waves' @ https://www.instagram.com/p/CBz4KvYD-9K/

Hi Jenna, take us back to the memory of your very first windsurf experience - where were you?

It was in Gümüslük, near Bodrum, Turkey.

When was it?

I was about ten years old.

Who were you with? 

I was on holiday with my family, but my mum and dad were teaching me.

What do you remember from this very first “session”? 

I hated windsurfing so much the first time that I walked off (see picture) but I also remember crashing into some pretty expensive yachts… no damage done! 

Who was your local hero? 

My parents.

What equipment did you use? 

It was on a Mistrial flow board and a 1.5m  sail.

Describe the feeling when you were planing for the first time…

I think I planed for the first time at a lake in Poznan, Poland, I spent  all day every day on the water for a week

How did you realise that you were becoming a professional windsurfer?

Weymouth harbour my first slalom event… I used the same size sail as the men and did better than expected...

Give advice to the next generation…

Try everything once, enjoy it, and it's ok to walk off on the first session (like me).

Thanks, Jenna.

If you were reborn in a new life, would you rather be alive in the past or future?

In the past! I think I am made to live the simple life… where families take care of each other, where the world is smaller and communities are more important. 

Would you rather be free or be totally safe?

Be FREE. Of course this pandemic makes us all aware and realise how lucky we are to normally feel so safe. To realise how important safety is and how terrible we feel when we don’t feel safe, when we don’t know what is happening and we are not in control. We took it for granted to have a government to build on, good health care and I think many of us did not realise  how fortunate we are with this. 

You only have one life, living out of fear is not what I would want. Being safe is super important, but totally safe also means never taking a big wave, going on an adventure etc. I think the balance between safety and freedom is the ultimate richdom. 

Would you rather have free Wi-Fi wherever you go or have free coffee where/whenever you want?

Haha, I would have said coffee but I stopped drinking coffee during my yoga education a few months ago and I actually feel so much better with it (still missing it sometimes though!) So free coffee would not help me with keeping that up… so, I go for free wifi.

Would you rather lose the ability to read or lose the ability to speak?

Wow, good questions! I rather lose my ability to read. Speaking is interaction and less lonely than reading. But I love reading :-) 

Would you rather spend the rest of your life with a sailboat as your home or an RV as your home?

I lived in a RV for half a year and loved it. A sailboat would be even better I think, except for the small fact that I get seasick (yes, even on my windsurf board sometimes.. embarrassing! ) So, I choose RV. 

Would you rather have unlimited international first-class tickets or never have to pay for food at restaurants?

Unlimited international tickets. Not that I go would travel more than I do now, but it would save a lot of money and I prefer to pay and show appreciation for a good dinner by paying them. 

Would you rather be forced to dance every time you heard music or be forced to sing along to any song you heard?

Dancing. I think I would hurt less people with that choice ;-) 

Would you rather travel the world for a year on a shoestring budget or stay in only one country for a year but live in luxury?

Travel the world on a shoestring.  I believe experiences are more valuable than money and luxury and it would help me grow as a person so much more. 

Would you rather have a horrible job, but be able to retire comfortably in 10 years or have your dream job, but have to work until the day you die?

Well, with the job I am having now I think I have to say the dream job (without any money,) but work until I die. I think you should always do what makes you happy in that moment. Of course safety (there it comes again) is important too, so a balance would be best. 

Would you rather be able to land every move in the world right now and never crash again or still be able to still learn new moves, but crash 10 times more frequently than it usually takes you to land a new move?

Well if it would take me even 10 times more time to land tricks than it already takes with freestyle I definitely go for being able to land everything! I would love to be able to do a goiter in a wave or a double forward. I don’t care not crashing again I think, if I can do everything I would have so much fun! 

Thanks, Arrianne :)

Hey Sarah, take us back to the memory of your very first windsurf experience - where were you?

Minorca –  an island off of Spain.
 
When was it? 

2005 – I was 7. 
 
Who were you with?

My family and brother. 
 
What do you remember from that very first ‘session’? 

We were on holiday and I remember my parents really wanted us to go dinghy sailing and I stood on the beach and said no, that looks way more fun (it was windsurfing). So they let us have a lesson and it was the first sport I was ever better than my brother at (he’s two years older and a very talented sportsman in hockey and cricket and when we were growing up he could do everything – it was so annoying!!). I loved it and carried on when on holidays and then eventually at home when I was old enough to join our local club. 
 
Who was your local hero? And why? 

When I started at home I idolised my coaches – they were amazing and I wouldn’t be where I am without them. Ali and Scotty you are awesome! 
 
What gear were you using? 

In the first session I don’t remember, but my first gear I owned was a Bic Techno293 and a 4.5 Tushingham Dino that was older than me! 
 
Describe your feeling when you were planing for the first time…

I don’t remember so much the first time planing, but I remember the first time shortboarding out in Dahab in Egypt and absolutely loving it! 
 
How did you realise you were becoming a professional windsurfer?

I think this summer I noticed it the most when I was working in Greece and people came up to me on the beach and recognised me – it was kind of surreal!
 
Give a tip for the next generation…

Stick at it and never give up! I took a break from windsurfing after quitting Techno293 and when I came back to it and found the fun again it was the best decision I ever made! 

Thanks, Sarah.