PWA World Windsurfing Tour

Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt

Sat, 01 Oct 2022 19:33:56 +0200

The pre-crack of dawn skippers’ meeting didn’t really pay off on Day 8 of the Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt as only marginal conditions greeted the competitors left by the time light broke with the main brunt of the storm passing through Sylt during the night. In the end, only a couple of wave heats were able to be completed, but a late flurry of wind provided the crowd on the beach a show from the world’s best Freestylers.

Men’s

Wave

Double Elimination

In the first heat of the second round, Jules Denel (JP / NeilPryde) just edged out compatriot Antony Ruenes (Tabou / GA Sails). Very little separated the two sailors, but Denel was able to connect one aggressive frontside snap to earn 6.12 points to progress. On the b-panel, a double forward by Takuma Sugi (Tabou / GA Sails) proved to be decisive as he dispatched of Miguel Chapuis (JP / NeilPryde).

Heat 23 proved to be another tight heat and with not much scoring potential on the waves the difference would be made in the air once again. This time around Marino Gil (Goya Windsurfing) came out on top against Liam Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne Sails), whilst Josep Pons (CS Custom Boards / Point-7) negotiated his way past Graham Ezzy (Tabou / GA Sails).

Freestyle

The torrential rain from the morning was eventually replaced by glorious sunshine in the afternoon, and after multiple breaks, the wind eventually filled in during the early evening to provide the crowd on the beach with a flurry of Freestyle to finish the day, which leaves only the top 8 sailors left standing in the Double Elimination and a world title still on the line.

As usual, Sylt provided an extremely tough test for the contortionists of the windsurfing world with a strong inside rip making just getting out tricky, whilst conditions remained unbelievably choppy!

The French duo of Nicolas Akgazciyan (JP / NeilPryde) and Antony Ruenes (Tabou / GA Sails) both staged the comebacks of the Double Elimination thus far with each of them winning 3 consecutive heats to book their places in Heat 30a - where they will now face each other for a place in the top 6 and beyond.

Akgazciyan got the ball rolling by defeating, Lucas Nebelung (JP / NeilPryde) and Ezri Heijmans. before he ended the reign of Amado Vrieswijk (Future Fly / Severne Sails) as the Freestyle World Champion to advance into the top 7.

Vrieswijk, who currently leads the Men’s Slalom, eluded at the start of the event that his focus is now shifting more towards racing, which has paid off handsomely, but having to pack on the extra pounds to be competitive in that discipline ultimately played a deciding factor in his exit today as he struggled in the lighter and patchier winds to fully express himself, whilst the other sailors in the heat were able to plane around happily and fill their scoresheets. Akgazciyan sailed a solid heat to deservedly advance to cap an excellent day for the Frenchman.

Meanwhile, Ruenes, who had earlier dispatched of Gilbert Bimbi and Taty Frans (Future Fly / Point-7), would face teammate - Youp Schmit (Tabou / GA Sails) - in what would turn out to be the closest heat of the day. At one stage just 0.1 of a point separated them, but Ruenes would eventually just edge it by the closest of margins - 1.29 points - in a tie that could’ve gone either way.

Dieter Van der Eyken (Severne / Severne Sails) and Sam Esteve (JP / NeilPryde), who were involved in the last heat of the day against - Takuma Sugi (Tabou / GA Sails / Black Project Fins) and Antoine Albert (Goya Windsurfing) - set up a mouthwatering tie in the bottom half of the draw.

Van der Eyken linked together an explosive performance to post the highest scoring heat of the day - 110.30 points - whilst Esteve would set the second highest heat of the day with a score of 103.46 points. They will now face off in Heat 30b.

With the light fading and wind forecast for the remaining two days of the event the contest was called off at about 6:45pm. The Wave and Freestyle fleets will meet again at 9am (GMT+2) tomorrow morning with the action commencing from 9:30am onwards - if conditions are suitable - whilst the Slalom fleet will meet at 10am with a first possible start at 11am.

You can stay up to date with all the latest developments from Sylt— including elimination ladders, entry list, images and live ticker simply by clicking HERE and scrolling to the bottom of the page.

Also if you don’t already, follow us on our Social Media Channels:

- Facebook: @PWAWorldTourWindsurfing
- Instagram: @pwaworldtour
- Twitter: @pwaworldtour

Current Ranking 2022 Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt - Men’s Slalom
*After 10 Eliminations

1st Amado Vrieswijk (NB | Future Fly / Severne Sails)
2nd Maciek Rutkowski (POL | FMX Racing / Challenger Sails)
3rd Matteo Iachino (ITA | Starboard / Severne Sails / Starboard Foil)
4th Pierre Mortefon (FRA | Fanatic / Duotone / Chopper Fins / Phantom Foils)
5th Mateus Isaac (BRA | Severne / Severne Sails)
6th Johan Soe (DEN | FMX Racing / Point-7)
7th Enrico Marotti (CRO | JP / NeilPryde)
8th Sebastian Kördel (GER | Starboard / Severne Sails / Starboard Foil)
9th Nicolas Goyard | FRA (Phantom / Phantom Sails / Phantom Foils)
10th Jordy Vonk | NED (Fanatic / Duotone)

Result 2022 Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt - Women’s Wave
*Single Elimination

1st Sarah-Quita Offringa | ARU (Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins)
2nd Justyna Sniady | POL (North Sails / Maui Ultra Fins)
3rd Lina Erpenstein | GER (Severne / Severne Sails)
4th Steffi Wahl | GER (Windflüchter Surfboards / Sailloft Hamburg)
5th Maria Morales | ESP (Goya Windsurfing)
5th Maaike Huvermann | NED (Severne / Severne Sails)
5th Marine Hunter | FRA (KA Sail)
5th Isabel Trivino Delgado | ESP (Severne / Severne Sails)

Result 2022 Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt - Men’s Wave
*Single Elimination

1st Philip Köster | GER (Severne / Severne Sails / Black Project Fins)
2nd Marc Paré | ESP (Fanatic / Duotone)
3rd Marcilio Browne | BRA (Goya Windsurfing)
4th Victor Fernandez | ESP (Fanatic / Duotone / SWOX)
5th Ricardo Campello | VEN/BRA (Naish / Naish Sails)
5th Thomas Traversa | FRA (Tabou / GA Sails)
5th Antoine Martin | FRA (Starboard / North Sails)
5th Leon Jamaer | GER (Flikka / NeilPryde)

Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 19:20:17 +0200

Foil Slalom continued to provide the entertainment on Day 7 of the Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt as winds of 10-20 knots once again had the foilers reaching for their medium equipment, whilst a few sailors elected for the fin - namely Ingmar Daldorf (Tabou / GA Sails) - who made the Winners’ Final of Elimination 10. The end of the day couldn't have been any more dramatic with the last heat deciding who would head up the overnight rankings heading into the final few days of the event…

Men’s

Slalom

After the completion of Elimination 9, Maciek Rutkowski (FMX Racing / Challenger Sails) looked to be in a healthy position as he extended his overnight lead from 1.3 points to 5 points. However, Elimination 10 would take a dramatic turn as Rutkowski suffered a catapult on the second reach of the opening semifinal to be eliminated, which presented an opportunity for Amado Vrieswijk (Future Fly / Severne Sails) and Pierre Mortefon (Fanatic / Duotone / Chopper Fins / Phantom Sails) to potentially challenge for the event lead.

Vrieswijk would soon be the only man with that opportunity as Mortefon suffered the same fate as Rutkowski after finding himself on the wrong side of a photo finish with teammate - William Huppert (Fanatic / Duotone / Phantom Foils).

As things stood, Vrieswijk would require a minimum of a top 2 finish to snatch the event lead and that’s exactly what the Bonairean would proceed to do. Vrieswijk chased - Enrico Marotti (JP / NeilPryde) - home in the final to move into a slender one-point lead over Rutkowski. There are still 3 days to go in the contest, so Vrieswijk will face a nervous wait, whilst Rutkowski will hope for an opportunity to race again.

Vrieswijk deservedly heads to the top of the rankings after producing his most consistent performance of the event with 2 second places and a third, whilst Rutkowski had a day to forget. At the start of the day the 30-year-old was the only sailor to boast a 100% qualifying record for the top 8 in every race, but today he crucially only qualified for one Winners’ Final.

Elsewhere, Matteo Iachino (Starboard / Severne Sails) jumps back into the top 3 at the expense of Pierre Mortefon, who slips from second to fourth. Neither sailor sailed badly today, with each of them qualifying for two out of three Winners’ Finals, but crucially the Italian was able to record a second and a third place compared to two 6 places for Mortefon. At the close of play just 1.7 points separate the two former world champions.

Mateus Isaac (Severne / Severne Sails) has been one of the most consistent sailors of the event thus far and he enjoyed another solid day with two 4th places and a 9th, which sees the Brazilian maintain 5th place in the rankings.

However, Isaac now has Enrico Marotti just 1.4 points behind him after the Croat produced the performance of the day, which saw the 31-year-old record back-to-back bullets in Eliminations 9 and 10 to climb two places into 6th, whilst also deservedly being awarded the Sailor of the Day award.

Johan Soe (FMX Racing / Point-7) remains on course for an overall top 10 finish after another excellent day of racing, which saw the 18-year-old qualify for all 3 Winners’ Finals.

Meanwhile, Sebastian Kördel (Starboard / Severne Sails / Starboard Foil) will remember today for a while as the German finally notched his first bullet on the World Tour having come so close before on several occasions. Kördel actually slips one place to 8th, but will be delighted to have finally claimed that all important win.

Reigning World Champion - Nicolas Goyard (Phantom / Phantom Sails / Phantom Foils) - finished 5th in the opener today, but then made a couple of small mistakes in the next two eliminations to miss out on the Winners’ Finals. The Frenchman remains in 9th, whilst Jordy Vonk (Fanatic / Duotone) continues to complete the top 10.

For tomorrow there is a contrast between the Danish forecast and WindGuru, so we will have to wait and see what happens, but with the potential for strong winds, first thing in the morning the Wave & Freestyle fleets will meet bright and early at 7am with a first possible start at 7:15am (GMT+2). Meanwhile, the Slalom fleet will meet again at 10am with a first possible start at 11am.

Also if you don’t already, follow us on our Social Media Channels:

- Facebook: @PWAWorldTourWindsurfing
- Instagram: @pwaworldtour
- Twitter: @pwaworldtour

Current Ranking 2022 Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt - Men’s Slalom
*After 10 Eliminations

Result 2022 Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt - Women’s Wave
*Single Elimination

Result 2022 Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt - Men’s Wave
*Single Elimination

Result 2022 Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt - Men’s Freestyle
*Single Elimination 

1st Adrien Bosson | FRA (Fanatic / Duotone / Maui Ultra Fins)
2nd Steven Van Broeckhoven | BEL (Starboard / GUNSAILS)
3rd Jacopo Testa | ITA (AV Boards / Point-7 / AL360)
4th Yentel Caers | BEL (JP / NeilPryde)
5th Sam Esteve | FRA (JP / NeilPryde)
5th Dieter Van der Eyken | BEL (Severne / Severne Sails)
5th Youp Schmit | NB (Tabou / GA Sails)
5th Amado Vrieswijk | NB (Future Fly / Severne Sails)

Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt

Thu, 29 Sep 2022 19:10:12 +0200

Day 6 of the Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt produced the best racing conditions of the week thus far as winds from 15-20 knots saw the world’s best racers reaching for their medium setups, whilst a few sailors decided to opt for the fin, rather than the foil. With several strong gusts, and tricky water conditions, there were also some massive wipeouts, but thankfully the sailors survived unscathed.

Men’s

Slalom

Maciek Rutkowski (FMX Racing / Challenger Sails) enjoyed another solid day of racing as the 30-year-old qualified for all three Winners’ Finals today to maintain his 100% qualifying rate - meaning he is now the only sailor to have made every final. The Pole recorded two third places and an 8th today, which he discards, to maintain his lead at the top of the event rankings.

However, whilst Rutkowski still leads, he has seen his advantage cut from 3.3 points at the start of the day to just 1.3 points by the close of play as Pierre Mortefon (Fanatic / Duotone / Chopper Fins / Phantom Foils) closes in. The 2019 World Champion had dropped to third after Elimination 6, but with the second discard coming into play the Frenchman is able to discard a 9th place finish from that race to put himself firmly in contention for the title. Mortefon finished second in the other two eliminations today.

Amado Vrieswijk (Future Fly / Severne Sails) climbs into the top 3 after the completion of Elimination 7 to keep his podium aspirations on track. The Bonairean bounced back brilliantly after missing out on the opening Winners’ Final of the day after dropping his gybe when in the lead of the semifinal, by earning his second bullet of the event in Elimination 6 with a brilliant performance. The 26-year-old finished 6th in Elimination 7 to leapfrog Matteo Iachino (Starboard / Severne Sails / Starboard Foil) into third.

Iachino slips one place to fourth, but still remains firmly in the hunt for the podium, whilst he still has an outside shot at the event title. The Italian qualified for all three Winners’ Finals, but couldn’t really capitalise on the opportunity - being disqualified from the opening final for a premature start and then getting slightly unlucky in Elimination 7 as he fell on the opening reach when prominently placed, whilst he recorded a solid second in Elimination 6.

Mateus Isaac (Severne / Severne Sails) remains in fifth place, whilst Johan Soe (FMX Racing / Point-7) continues to lay down the gauntlet against his more experienced peers. The 18-year-old claimed a quite brilliant bullet in the opening race of the day to earn his first victory on the World Tour, whilst finishing 4th in the next race, which sees the young Dane climb one place into 6th. After a landmark victory today, Soe is deservedly awarded sailor of the day!

Sebastian Kördel (Starboard / Severne Sails / Starboard Foil) qualified for every Winners’ Final on the opening day of racing, but he couldn’t maintain that record today as the German qualified for the top 8 once today, whilst finishing 12th and 14th, which he discards, in the other eliminations. Kördel remains 7th in the event rankings.

Elsewhere, Enrico Marotti climbs one place to 8th, whilst reigning world champion - Nicolas Goyard (Phantom / Phantom Sails / Phantom Foils) - breaks into the top 10 - 9th - after gaining 7 places from the start of the day. Goyard signed off the day in style as he won Elimination 7, which was also his first Winners’ Final of the event.

The top 10 is currently completed by Jordy Vonk (Fanatic / Duotone), who relegates Sebastian Kornum (JP / NeilPryde) to 12th, whilst Alexandre Cousin (Patrik / Patrik Sails / Phantom Foils) gains 3 places to 11th after claiming 4th in Elimination 6.

Meanwhile, Taty Frans (Future Fly / Point-7) became the first sailor of the week to qualify for a Winners’ Final on a fin as the Bonairean finished 7th in Elimination 6, whilst Luuc Van Opzeeland (Severne / Severne Sails), had a day to forget as he drops from 8th to 15th. Rytis Jasiunas (Future Fly / Point-7) qualified for his second Winners’ Final of the week today - currently occupying 13th - whilst France’s - Pierre Macquaert (JP / NeilPryde) qualified for his first Winners’ Final of the event in Elimination 6.

Tomorrow looks as though the day will start with light winds, but by the evening the forecast suggests that there should be winds of 15-22 knots from the south-south-west, which may allow for the Men’s Freestyle Double Elimination to begin. All fleets will meet tomorrow morning at 10am (GMT+2) for the skippers’ meeting with the action commencing from 10:30am for the Wave & Freestyle, and 11am for the Slalom.

Also if you don’t already, follow us on our Social Media Channels:

- Facebook: @PWAWorldTourWindsurfing
- Instagram: @pwaworldtour
- Twitter: @pwaworldtour

Current Ranking 2022 Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt - Men’s Slalom
*After 7 Eliminations

1st Maciek Rutkowski (POL | FMX Racing / Challenger Sails)
2nd Pierre Mortefon (FRA | Fanatic / Duotone / Chopper Fins / Phantom Foils)
3rd Amado Vrieswijk (NB | Future Fly / Severne Sails)
4th Matteo Iachino (ITA | Starboard / Severne Sails / Starboard Foil)
5th Mateus Isaac (BRA | Severne / Severne Sails)
6th Johan Soe (DEN | FMX Racing / Point-7)
7th Sebastian Kördel (GER | Starboard / Severne Sails / Starboard Foil)
8th Enrico Marotti (CRO | JP / NeilPryde)
9th Nicolas Goyard | FRA (Phantom / Phantom Sails / Phantom Foils)
10th Jordy Vonk | NED (Fanatic / Duotone)

Result 2022 Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt - Women’s Wave
*Single Elimination

Result 2022 Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt - Men’s Wave
*Single Elimination

Result 2022 Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt - Men’s Freestyle
*Single Elimination

1st Adrien Bosson | FRA (Fanatic / Duotone / Maui Ultra Fins)
2nd Steven Van Broeckhoven | BEL (Starboard / GUNSAILS)
3rd Jacopo Testa | ITA (AV Boards / Point-7 / AL360)
4th Yentel Caers | BEL (JP / NeilPryde)
5th Sam Esteve | FRA (JP / NeilPryde)
5th Dieter Van der Eyken | BEL (Severne / Severne Sails)
5th Youp Schmit | NB (Tabou / GA Sails)
5th Amado Vrieswijk | NB (Future Fly / Severne Sails)

Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 16:06:11 +0200

Wall-to-wall sunshine and almost no wind greeted competitors on Day 5 of the 2022 Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt and as forecast the wind remained light throughout meaning that the contest remained on hold for another day.

After having a little bit of time for the news to slightly settle in we managed to catch up with the newly crowned Men’s PWA Wave World Champion - Marcilio Browne (Goya Windsurfing) - who adds to his previous world titles from 2007 and 2013:

Hey Braw, congrats on becoming world champion - how does it feel to win your third world title 9 years on from your last?

It feels surreal actually, something that has been my main goal for so long finally becoming reality.

You’ve had some close calls in the past - did you ever start to doubt whether you would get your hands on another world title?

In 2019 it was extra hard, losing it by 1 position really hurt, and at that point it was hard thinking of starting all over again. For a few months i felt really mentally tired of it all, and didn't even want to think about contests, but as time went by I slowly got the motivation to compete again and by not having events due to covid it made me miss those more.

How does winning your third world title compare to your first or second world crowns?

They all felt soo different from each other. This one felt the best by far as i feel like I trained a lot smarter over the past 3 years and by doing that I could balance other things in my life a lot better, I had plenty of family time and everything felt in the right place. I think this was the most important, to feel like I was always there for my family, but also training super hard. Also I put a lot more energy into developing my gear and I felt a lot more dialled in on that aspect - especially for onshore conditions, so i never wasted any energy second guessing my gear choices.

It seemed like you had no idea that you would be world champion if you won the heat against Ricardo… did you deliberately try not to find out what you needed to win?

Yes, when I received the PWA email I stopped reading it as soon as I realized they were going to mention the title calculations. I didn't want to know about any of that, I just wanted to focus on myself and my sailing until it was all said and done, I think thats why so much emotion came out at that moment.

The conditions looked pretty sick and heavy Monday - how was your day and what gear were you on?

The conditions were incredible, probably the best Sylt I’ve seen in 15 years. My day was loooong. I was at the beach at 5:45am as we knew the skippers was at 6:45am. I was trying to see what the waves looked like as I was bringing my gear down in the dark. As soon as they called for Freestyle I quickly got into my wetsuit and went for a 30 min warm up at 7am. After that I took a break until 10, then it was on competing until about 5pm I think. I feel totally exhausted today, really tired and sore. It’s nice to have a couple days rest before the double resumes.

Thanks, Marcilio and congratulations once again!

The outlook for tomorrow has improved slightly overnight and there now looks to be the possibility of some more racing with 9-14 knots from the north-north-east currently being predicted. All fleets will meet at 10am tomorrow morning for their skippers’ meetings with a first possible start for Wave & Freestyle at 10:30am, whilst the first possible start for Slalom is 11am.

Also if you don’t already, follow us on our Social Media Channels:

- Facebook: @PWAWorldTourWindsurfing
- Instagram: @pwaworldtour
- Twitter: @pwaworldtour

Result 2022 Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt - Women’s Wave  
*Single Elimination

Result 2022 Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt - Men’s Wave  
*Single Elimination

Result 2022 Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt - Men’s Freestyle
*Single Elimination

1st Adrien Bosson | FRA (Fanatic / Duotone / Maui Ultra Fins)
2nd Steven Van Broeckhoven | BEL (Starboard / GUNSAILS)
3rd Jacopo Testa | ITA (AV Boards / Point-7 / AL360)
4th Yentel Caers | BEL (JP / NeilPryde)
5th Sam Esteve | FRA (JP / NeilPryde)
5th Dieter Van der Eyken | BEL (Severne / Severne Sails)
5th Youp Schmit | NB (Tabou / GA Sails)
5th Amado Vrieswijk | NB (Future Fly / Severne Sails)

Current Ranking 2022 Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt - Men’s Slalom
*After 4 Eliminations

1st Maciek Rutkowski (POL | FMX Racing / Challenger Sails)
2nd Pierre Mortefon (FRA | Fanatic / Duotone / Chopper Fins / Phantom Foils)
3rd Matteo Iachino (ITA | Starboard / Severne Sails / Starboard Foil)
4th Amado Vrieswijk (NB | Future Fly / Severne Sails)
5th Mateus Isaac (BRA | Severne / Severne Sails)
6th Sebastian Kördel (GER | Starboard / Severne Sails / Starboard Foil)
7th Johan Soe (DEN | FMX Racing / Point-7)
8th Luuc Van Opzeeland (NED | Severne / Severne Sails)
9th Enrico Marotti (CRO | JP / NeilPryde)
10th Sebastian Kornum (DEN | JP / NeilPryde)

Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 17:16:12 +0200

After yesterday's mammoth day of competition, Day 4 of the Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt proved to be a much more relaxed affair with the wind remaining light throughout the day. Although Graham Ezzy (Tabou / Ezzy Sails) and Marine Hunter (KA Sail) were tempted out midmorning for some float and ride as there was still plenty of swell on offer. However, despite being able to catch some waves the wind remained too light to be able compete and that was about as good as the wind got today.

Throughout the day several sailors were tempted out on to the water to pull into some of Sylt’s infamous dredging shorebreak waves.

After a massive day of competition yesterday, which saw results gained in the Men’s & Women’s Wave and Men’s Freestyle here are some reactions from a few sailors:

Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins), who won the Women’s Wave Single Elimination: “What a day yesterday! It was challenging but fun! Thanks to Oda Brødholt (Starboard / Severne Sails) & Maaike Huvermann (Severne / Severne Sails) for caddying me! Awesome to see the guru Steffi Wahl back in action and big congrats to Justyna Sniady (North Windsurfing / Maui Ultra Fins) & Lina Erpenstein (Severne / Severne Sails) finishing in the top 3.”

Marcilio Browne (Goya Windsurfing), who became the 2022 Men’s PWA Wave World Champion yesterday: “Hard to put this feeling into words. But all I can say is that it really feels like a dream.

It’s been 9 years since my second world title and since then it’s been a lot of fun, but also some close calls and mistakes that cost me the title a couple of times. To be totally honest by the end of the tour in 2019 i got the feeling that it just wouldn’t happen for me again and also felt burnt out from contests. Having those 2 years off gave me a fresh outlook on traveling, competing and the exciting feeling to go give it my all again.

I would never have accomplished this without the unconditional support of my wife, kids, family, friends and sponsors! Feeling so much gratitude for you all.

Thanks also for the windsurf community and everyone who made this possible.”

Justyna Sniady: “Rough seas and strong winds made for classic Sylt day yesterday! Super happy to make the final and get second in the single elimination with everyone ripping out there. Big congrats to all. Massive thank you goes to @dr_windsurf and Rena for helping me through the heats and to everyone cheering me on. I’m looking forward to the double elimination later this week.”

Lina Erpenstein: “What an amazing day yesterday! Finished 3rd in the single elimination in some epic North Sea conditions. Also it was pretty fun to watch world class sailing from all the girls and boys out there. Excited for what the rest of the week will bring!”

Steven Van Broeckhoven (Starboard / GUNSAILS): “Second place in the single elimination yesterday. Super happy with the result so far! Big congrats to Adrien Bosson for taking the deserved victory. Let’s what rest of the week will bring us, looks like on the weekend getting some crazy onshore conditions.”

Adrien Bosson (Fanatic / Duotone / Maui Ultra Fins): “Winner of the single elimination - starting the contest at 7:30am with 30+ knots, ramps and cold weather. Crazy conditions! Stacked on 4.0m, but so much fun! One more week to go finish the contest. Let’s GO.”

Philip Köster (Severne / Severne Sails / Black Project Fins): “Really happy to win the single elimination in sick conditions and best support on the beach.”

Robby Swift (JP / NeilPryde / SWOX): “Congratulations Marcilio Browne. What a pleasure to finally see you realise what you have come so close to so many times over the past 9 years since your last world title. I think all your competitors and rivals are happy to see you win the title this year. Its hard to comprehend just how many thousands of hours went into this and I hope that you enjoy every moment of what you have worked so hard for!! We are all proud of you and inspired by the motivation, dedication and the boundaries you push in every aspect of this sport!! Enjoy.”

Steffi Wahl (Windflüchter Surfboards / Sailloft Hamburg): “Yesterday was stunning. Good vibes on the beach, a nice semifinal and unfortunately a losers final against my friend Lina Erpenstein. Podium for her and a 4th place in the single elimination here on Sylt for myself. Competition fun in unbelievable conditions for Sylt.”

Tomorrow realistically looks like a lay day with little to no wind currently on the forecast, but with Sylt’s unpredictability you never know. All fleets will meet again tomorrow morning at 10am (GMT+2) for the skippers’ meeting - first possible start for Waves and Freestyle 10:30am, Slalom 11am.

Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt

Mon, 26 Sep 2022 17:06:28 +0200

The third day of the Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt turned into an absolute classic with about 11 hours of competition being completed by the end of the day. The competitors met at the beach in the pitch black and driving rain, before the Men’s Freestyle Single Elimination began promptly at 7:15am. Once a result had been gained in the Freestyle, little to no time was wasted in beginning the Men’s and Women’s Wave contests. Conditions continued to improve with the tide on the push and for a few hours the conditions were exceptional with strong winds and excellent waves providing ample scoring opportunities, whilst the infamous, heavy and thick Sylt shorebreak claimed more than its fair share of victims.

Women’s

Wave

Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins) moved a step closer to defending her event and wave world title after the Aruban claimed a convincing victory in the Single Elimination. Offringa can still be denied, but in order for that to happen either Justyna Sniady (North Sails / Maui Ultra Fins) or Lina Erpenstein (Severne / Severne Sails) must now defeat Offringa twice in the Double Elimination. Put simply, whoever wins the event from here will become the 2022 Women’s PWA Wave World Champion.

Sniady currently occupies second place after battling her way into the Winners’ Final. The Pole left it late in the semifinals to overturn the deficit against Steffi Wahl (Windflüchter Surfboards / Sailloft Hamburg), but pulled it out of the bag by landing a backloop in the dying minutes. Sniady must now try and muster up a performance to take down Offringa as she goes in search of a first world title.

Lina Erpenstein faced Steffi Wahl in the battle for third and fourth and the world title hopeful was able to come out on top - inflicting most of the damage with her jumping, which included a 6.12 point pushloop. Wahl, whose strength has always been her wave riding, didn’t disappoint in that department as she dropped the highest individual wave score of the day - 7.38 points - but it wasn’t enough to deny Erpenstein, who will now look to gather momentum in the double as she too bids for a maiden world title.

Men’s

Wave

Marcilio Browne (Goya Windsurfing) came into Sylt requiring a top 4 finish in the Single Elimination to guarantee himself a second wave world title. The Brazilian, who last won the wave world title in 2013, has been in title contention several times since then, but a third world crown - Browne also won the Freestyle world title in 2007 - had remained elusive until now.

Having had so many close calls in the past, the Brazilian would’ve been forgiven for showing signs of cracking under the pressure due to nerves, but that was not the case at all as he cruised through his first round heat before really turning on the style as he posted the highest heat totals back-to-back in the second and third round. Against Takuma Sugi (Tabou / GA Sails / Black Project Fins), Browne posted a total score of 30.37 points, before bettering that against - Ricardo Campello (Naish / Naish Sails) - who still harboured faint world title hopes of his own - with Browne earning 31.74 points, which included the highest single jump score - 9.62 points for an insane tabletop double forward. Browne clearly had no idea of the title race implications at the beginning of the day as he was left speechless upon hearing the news that he had just become world champion for a third time. Later on had this to say: “It’s one of the best days of my life. If you’d have told me that when I was 11 years old would win 3 world titles I wouldn’t have believed it. It’s more than anything I could’ve dreamed of. I’m beyond words… it’s a dream come true.”

The home crowd were desperate to see Philip Köster (Severne / Severne Sails / Black Project Fins) come out on top and the 5-time world champion did not disappoint as he claimed a hard fought victory against - Marc Paré (Fanatic / Duotone) - who was making his first appearance in the finals. Köster kicked things off with another perfect double forward, whilst he used a variety of turns and aerials to edge out Paré by a couple of points.

Paré will be absolutely delighted with his efforts today as the Spaniard moves into uncharted territory - advancing not only into the top 4, but also the top 2. Paré just missed out on the top 4 of the Single Elimination in Gran Canaria, but didn’t have to contend with that disappointment again today. The 24-year-old produced a brilliant display to down the newly crowned world champion - Browne, who out jumped his rival, but Paré responded by posting the highest single wave score of the day - 9.38 points - to deservedly advance. As well as being guaranteed his first PWA podium, Paré also picked up the sailor of the day award.

Browne, still riding the high from becoming world champion, would go on to secure third place ahead of Victor Fernandez (Fanatic / Duotone / SWOX), who currently sits in 4th.

Ricardo Campello, Thomas Traversa (Tabou / GA Sails), Antoine Martin (Starboard / North Sails) and Leon Jamaer (Flikka / NeilPryde) all currently share 5th place at the close of play.

Freestyle

Adrien Bosson (Fanatic / Duotone / Maui Ultra Fins) has fallen one hurdle short of becoming Freestyle World Champion on two occasions thus far (2018 and ’21), but the Frenchman took a big step towards going one better this time around with a terrific victory in the Single Elimination earlier today. The current vice-world champion tamed Sylt’s typically tricky freestyle conditions throughout, whilst he saved his best performance until the Winners’ Final against - Steven Van Broeckhoven (Starboard / GUNSAILS) - where he posted a total heat score of 164.1 points, which was the second highest score of the day.

Van Broeckhoven still has an excellent chance at the title in the Double Elimination, but unfortunately for the Belgian, the final didn’t go quite his way as he failed to complete his scoresheet for the first time in the day. Van Broeckhoven last won the world title in 2011, but still has every chance.

Jacopo Testa (AV Boards / Point-7 / AL360) posted the highest heat score of the day in the b-final - 165.1 points - to prove that he remains a serious threat for the title. If anyone wants to overhaul Bosson, then they will have to beat the Frenchman twice, but that remains a real possibility. Testa showed he possesses all the moves required to come out on top and it’ll be interesting to see if he can mount a comeback.

2019 World Champion - Yentel Caers (JP / NeilPryde) - was uncharacteristically out of sorts in the b-final, but still remains very much in the world title picture. The Belgian failed to complete his scoresheet in Heat 16, but if he can start to gain a bit of momentum in the double then anything can happen.

Slightly further back are Sam Esteve (JP / NeilPryde), Dieter Van der Eyken (Severne / Severne Sails), Youp Schmit (Tabou / GA Sails) and reigning world champion Amado Vrieswijk (Future Fly / Severne Sails), all of whom occupy equal 5th place.

With the possibility of a long period 16 second swell @ 1.9 metre waves and 13-20 knot north-north-west winds predicted for the morning, the wave fleets will meet again at 8:30am (GMT+2) for their skippers’ meeting with the action commencing from 9am onwards - if conditions are suitable. Meanwhile, the Slalom and Freestyle fleets will meet at 10am.

Also if you don’t already, follow us on our Social Media Channels:

- Facebook: @PWAWorldTourWindsurfing
- Instagram: @pwaworldtour
- Twitter: @pwaworldtour

Result 2022 Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt - Women’s Wave  
*Single Elimination

Result 2022 Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt - Men’s Wave  
*Single Elimination

Result 2022 Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt - Men’s Freestyle
*Single Elimination

Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt

Sun, 25 Sep 2022 19:55:50 +0200

Day two always looked like it had the potential to produce some light wind racing and that’s exactly how things played out with winds of 6-12 knots throughout the day, which provided just over 6 hours of excellent foil racing. By the close of play 4 eliminations were able to be completed - meaning 1 discard has been achieved already - whilst Maciek Rutkowski (FMX Racing / Challenger Sails) heads up the overnight rankings of the Men’s Slalom at the Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt.

Men’s

Slalom

Maciek Rutkowski enjoyed a brilliant first day of racing to take the early initiative in the Men’s Slalom. The Pole looked blisteringly fast throughout and he used that speed to great effect as he notched up back-to-back bullets in Eliminations 2 and 3 to gain a stranglehold over the event. The 30-year-old barely put a foot wrong all day - recording a second place in the opener and 3rd in the last, which he currently discards, to hold a 3.3 point advantage over Pierre Mortefon (Fanatic / Duotone / Chopper Fins / Phantom Foils) at the top of the rankings.

Mortefon made the perfect start as he claimed the opening bullet of the event, however, after a dream start, the 2019 world champion was eliminated in the semifinals of Elimination 2 which saw him drop from first to fourth. The 33-year-old bounced back strongly in the last two races as he recorded a second and a fourth to climb into second place and is within striking distance of the top.

Matteo Iachino (Starboard / Severne Sails / Starboard Foil) is just 0.3 of a point further back as things remain tight at the top. The Italian also missed out on one Winners’ Final, but was able to discard a 10th place finish in Elimination 3 to keep himself firmly in contention for the event title with counting results of two seconds and a third.

Having made a solid start to the racing with a 5th place - Amado Vrieswijk (Future Fly / Severne Sails) - made a costly mistake in Elimination 2 to be eliminated in the quarterfinals after missing his boom on the rig flip of the second gybe. However, like Mortefon and Iachino, the Bonairean bounced back brilliantly - claiming third place in Elimination 3, before signing off the day in style as he clinched victory in Elimination 4 to climb from 8th to 4th. Vrieswijk stated that he’s aiming for a podium by the end of the event and he’s prominently placed at the end of the first days racing.

In the opening 3 eliminations - Mateus Isaac (Severne / Severne Sails) - didn’t finish outside the top 4, which left him occupying second place. However, the Brazilian couldn’t quite maintain that position at the close of play. Isaac was involved in an incredibly tight finish in the semifinal of Elimination 4, but just lost out to Maciek Rutkowski and Luuc Van Opzeeland (Severne / Severne Sails). Isaac would go on to win the b-final - securing 9th - which he currently discards to finish the day sat in 5th.

Sebastian Kördel (Starboard / Severne Sails / Starboard Foils) is the only other sailor alongside Rutkowski to boast a 100% qualifying record for the Winners’ Finals. The German was extremely consistent throughout recording 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th place finishes, which sees Kördel currently sitting in 6th place.

Johan Soe (FMX Racing / Point-7) produced one of the performances of the day as the 18-year-old raced with a maturity beyond his years. The young Dane has already recorded some eye-catching results - 9th at the Défi Wind earlier this year and 7th in Croatia, and proved that it wasn’t just a fluke again today by not finishing outside the top 13, whilst recording excellent 4th and 6th place finishes in Eliminations 2 and 3 respectively to deservedly earn his place in the top 10 - 7th.

The top 10 is currently completed by Luuc Van Opzeeland, who bounced back from a disappointing first race with two fifth places and an 11th, Croatia’s Enrico Marotti (JP / NeilPryde) and Denmark’s Sebastian Kornum (JP / NeilPryde), who is just half a point ahead of Rytis Jasiunas (FMX Racing / Point-7) and Jordy Vonk (Fanatic / Duotone).

Tomorrow looks set to see an exciting day of action, which is likely to see both the Freestyle and Wave fleets in action throughout the day. The forecast currently promises winds of 20-40 knots from the southwest accompanied by waves of up to 2.4 metres, so there should be another excellent day of sailing to come. A call will be made at 6:45am (GMT+2) tomorrow morning with regards as to whether to run Waves or Freestyle. A skippers’ meeting for either fleet will then be held at 7am with a first possible start at 7:15am. The Slalom fleet will have a skippers’ meeting at 10am.

Also if you don’t already, follow us on our Social Media Channels:

- Facebook: @PWAWorldTourWindsurfing
- Instagram: @pwaworldtour
- Twitter: @pwaworldtour

Current Ranking 2022 Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt - Men’s Slalom
*After 4 Eliminations

Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt

Sat, 24 Sep 2022 16:52:59 +0200

The inaugural day of the 2022 Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt saw 103 sailors registering for the upcoming competition between 11:30am to 1:30pm before they made their final preparations before the contest begins. Later in the afternoon - 4pm - the Opening Ceremony was held in front of a packed out beach.

With 3 world titles set to be decided over the next 10 days we caught up with a few of the world title contenders:

Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins) on being top seed in the absence of the Moreno Twins: “I think it actually makes it a bit tougher for me. In wave sailing I’ve never been the first seed and somehow for me it feels better for me to have something to work towards. I know this feeling of being at the top and being hunted by the others, so it’s tough position to be in I think. Over the past few years I’ve had really good results here though. I think I won the last two events here (2018 & ’19), so somehow it works for me here. I also like the fact that it’s so unpredictable, so anything really can happen here. There are no favourites. It’s going to be exciting.”

How does it feel to be back in Sylt?

“It’s great to be back. I’m happy to be here. There’s a good vibe and this is the biggest event we go to, so it’s great to be able to see all the sailors again and to compete.”

Marcilio Browne (Goya Windsurfing), who currently leads the Men’s PWA Wave World Tour and is aiming to win his second wave world title : “I feel good, I had a nice break after Pozo, spending a lot time in Brazil where I was able to sail quite a bit. I’m good, I’m ready and I’m excited to compete again.

Before the event I was in England as some family was having a wedding there. I had some gear with me, so I was able to sail for a couple of days as well, which helped me adjust with the jet lag and the colder weather.

It’s nice to be back in Sylt. It feels more fresh as we haven’t been here for so long. I have a lot of memories from here, so it’s good to be back.”

Amado Vrieswijk (Future Fly / Severne Sails) won his first world title in 2021 and is looking to defend both his event and world title over the next 10 days: “I’m excited, but I must say that I haven’t been focusing on Freestyle at all. I can count on two hands how many times I’ve freestyle this year. I’ve been focusing more on the racing/foiling, so I’ve gained a lot of weight. The freestyle moves are still there, it’s just it needs to be windy and then hopefully I can put on a good show."

You had a good result in Croatia - finishing 5th - do you have an aim for the racing this week?

“The speed is there. I had some ups and downs in Croatia, but if I connect everything then I think there’s a good possibility of a podium here.”

So, for the future you see yourself focusing more on racing than freestyle?

“Definitely, yeah. We don’t have a lot of events at the moment, so it doesn’t make so much sense to train the whole year for freestyle.”

How’s it to be back in Sylt? It’s been a few years…

“It’s been a few years, but it feels like I left yesterday… It’s good to see everybody again and the forecast looks okay!”

The forecast for tomorrow look relatively light, but the afternoon may allow for some light wind racing with the forecast currently predicting 8-13 knots in the afternoon. Skippers’ meeting times for tomorrow as follows:

- Slalom Skippers' Meeting - 9am - first possible start 11am (GMT+2)
- Freestyle Skippers' Meeting - 10:15am
- Wave Skippers' Meeting - 10:30am

Also if you don’t already, follow us on our Social Media Channels:

- Facebook: @PWAWorldTourWindsurfing
- Instagram: @pwaworldtour
- Twitter: @pwaworldtour

Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 08:29:16 +0200

After a 3 year COVID-induced hiatus, the Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt makes a welcome return to the PWA World Tour calendar in what will be its 37th anniversary. As usual, there is plenty on the line in Sylt with 3 world titles set to be decided over the next 10 days - Women’s & Men’s Wave as well as the Men’s Freestyle.

Westerland is Germany’s northernmost town, located 186km northwest of Hamburg, and is situated on the beautiful North Sea Island of Sylt. Thanks to its affluent, glamorous lifestyle and thriving tourism industry, Westerland, has earned the reputation of being the ‘Beverly Hills’ of Germany.

Sylt rarely disappoints such are the variety of conditions that this wonderful island can produce and the next 10 days promise to be no different as the world’s best sailors prepare to have their mettle tested. In strong onshore winds, a colossal shore break develops - ready to crush the hopes of any unsuspecting competitors - whilst powerful waves of up to 3-4 meters in size, can provide spectacular wave sailing, whilst posing some of the trickiest racing and freestyle conditions on the planet. However, as Sylt has many faces, it can also produce great freestyle and racing conditions, especially when the wind swings offshore, however, the sailors then often have another element to contend with as it is usually bitterly cold from this direction.

Women’s

Wave

The big news ahead of the 2022 Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt is that World No.1 & No.2 - Daida Ruano Moreno (Severne / Severne Sails / Maui Ultra Fins) and her sister - Iballa Ruano Moreno (Severne / Severne Sails / Maui Ultra Fins) - will unfortunately both be absent from proceedings, which throws the title race in the favour of defending world champion - Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins) - who is the highest ranked sailor coming into Sylt having finished 3rd in Gran Canaria.

However, Offringa will be taking nothing for granted as she looks to add a second wave world title to her name, and 20th overall, as she will be all too aware of the threat that Lina Erpenstein (Severne / Severne Sails) and Justyna Sniady (North Sails / Maui Ultra Fins) pose.

Title Race Connotations

- As Offringa has her destiny in her own hands victory guarantees her the title.
- However, if Offringa were to finish second, then a victory for either Erpenstein or Sniady would see them pip Offringa to the world title.
- If Offringa were to finish 3rd, then as long as Sniady did not win the event a second place finish would be enough for Erpenstein to win. Sniady would be required to win the event to claim a maiden world title.

Whilst it looks like a three-horse race for the title, both Maaike Huvermann (Severne / Severne Sails / Maui Ultra Fins) and Steffi Wahl (Windflüchter / Sailloft Hamburg), who are making welcome returns having missed the opening event in Gran Canaria in July, could play a pivotal role in deciding the title as they are more than capable of throwing a spanner in the works for one of the title contenders.

Elsewhere, the youthful talent of Maria Morales Navarro (Goya Windsurfing), who claimed the U17 Wave World title in Denmark earlier this month will be hoping to make a challenge for the top 5, whilst Sol Degrieck (Severne / Severne Sails), who caused one of the upsets of the Single Elimination in Gran Canaria will gain more valuable competition experience at the age of just 12.

Men’s

Wave

Marcilio Browne (Goya Windsurfing) enters Sylt with a healthy 3,745 point lead over his closest rival - Thomas Traversa (Tabou / GA Sails) - which stands the Brazilian in excellent stead as he looks to add to his previous wave world title from 2013. Browne produced the comeback of the Double Elimination in Gran Canaria as he recovered from joint 5th to second to put himself in pole position.

Title Race Connotations

As points vary between the Single Elimination and Double Elimination we have broken down both scenarios:

Single Elimination

- A 4th place or better finish in the Single Elimination guarantees Browne the world title as he would earn a minimum of 6,885 points, which puts him out of reach no matter what happens, even in the event of a Double Elimination.
- If Browne was to finish joint 5th (5,718 points), either Thomas Traversa or Victor Fernandez (Fanatic / Duotone) would have to win the Single Elimination to deny Browne.
- If Browne was to finish joint 9th (4,061 points), that would also open the door for Philip Köster (Severne / Severne Sails / Black Project Fins) and Ricardo Campello (Naish / Naish Sails). In this scenario, a victory for Köster would move him to the top of the rankings, whilst if Campello was to win the Single Elimination he would require Traversa and Fernandez to finish 3rd or worse.

Double Elimination

- A 5th place finish (6,370 points) or better in the Double Elimination would guarantee Browne a second wave world title.
- If Browne were to finish 6th (5,930 points), Traversa or Fernandez would have to win the event to deny Browne and snatch the world title.
- If Browne were to finish joint 7th (5,285 points), Traversa or Fernandez would still be required to win the event in order to deny Browne.
- If Browne were to finish joint 9th (4,476 points), Köster could still win the world title if he were to win the event. If Köster were not to win the event, Traversa or Fernandez must finish at least second to deny Browne.
- If Browne were to finish joint 9th (4,476 points) and Campello was to win the event, then Traversa or Fernandez must finish second to win the world title, otherwise, Campello would win his first wave world title.

Slalom

The racing promises to provide another thrilling spectacle as the foils prepare to battle against the fins in the season opener once again. Almost 12 months on from the last 5-star racing event it’s going to be intriguing to see if the foils still hold the upper hand. Nicolas Goyard (Phantom / Phantom Sails / Phantom Foils) - won last year's Slalom world title after dominating on the foil in Israel, so it will be interesting to see which of the other top sailors have closed the gap 12 months on.

Whilst Goyard will start as the top seed there is going to be nothing easy about his title defence with the Slalom tour continuing to become ever more competitive. At the 2-star event in Croatia earlier in the year, Goyard could ‘only’ manage to finish in 6th place just to give you a slight indication of the strength in depth of the field.

With the fleet currently being so competitive, it’s hard to narrow Goyard’s main rivals down to just a handful as so many sailors are now capable of winning eliminations and challenging for top honours. Of course, you can never overlook the illustrious Big Top 3 - Antoine Albeau (JP / NeilPryde), who continues to show no signs of slowing down, Pierre Mortefon (Fanatic / Duotone / Chopper Fins / Phantom Foils) & Matteo Iachino (Starboard / Severne Sails / Starboard Foil).

However, there are a crop of hungry sailors chomping at their ankles to finally overhaul them. Namely, Bruno Martini (JP / NeilPryde), who won the event in Croatia earlier this year ahead of Mortefon, Enrico Marotti (JP / NeilPryde), Maciek Rutkowski (FMX Racing / Challenger Sails), Jordy Vonk (Fanatic / Duotone), Basile Jacquin (FMX Racing / Point-7 / Phantom Foils), William Huppert (Fanatic / Duotone / Phantom Foils), who finished 3rd in the world in 2021, Mateus Isaac (Severne / Severne Sails), Sebastian Kördel (Starboard / Severne Sails) etc. The list goes on, so your guess is as good as anyone’s with this contest is wide open!

Freestyle

Amado Vrieswijk (Future Fly / Severne Sails) will prepare to defend his world title over the next 10 days and the 26-year-old should stand an excellent chance of doing just that - just under a year on from clinching his maiden world title. The Bonairean won the last event here in 2019, whilst he has a record of two second places and a third in Sylt since 2016. Vrieswijk is known for his powerful approach to Freestyle and you can expect to see more crazy double air manoeuvres as he tries to successfully defend both his event and world title.

However, Vrieswijk, will face a stern test to accomplish that feat as there are a plethora of sailors who are ready to take a crack at this opportunity where one event will decide it all. Adrien Bosson (Fanatic / Duotone / Maui Ultra Fins) came agonisingly close in 2021, just missing out to Vrieswijk in France and you would expect to see the vice-world champion go close again. Meanwhile, Yentel Caers (JP / NeilPryde) will be looking to regain his world crown from 2019, whilst fellow Belgians and former world champions - Steven Van Broeckhoven (Starboard / GUNSAILS) (2011) and Dieter van der Eyken (Severne / Severne Sails) (2015), are likely to throw their names into the hat too.

Other likely candidates include the likes of Italy’s Jacopo Testa (AV Board / Point-7 / AL360), who currently leads the European Freestyle Pro Tour, Bonaire’s Youp Schmit (Tabou / GA Sails) and the French contingent of Antony Ruenes (Tabou / GA Sails), Sam Esteve (JP / NeilPryde) and Antoine Albert (Goya Windsurfing) all of whom are all capable of beating anyone on their day.

The forecast currently looks quite promising for the opening half of the event with a variety of conditions on the menu, so we should hopefully get the opportunity to see all the fleets in action at some stage during the event.

Also if you don’t already, follow us on our Social Media Channels:

- Facebook: @PWAWorldTourWindsurfing

- Instagram: @pwaworldtour

- Twitter: @pwaworldtour

Schedule For Day 1: (All Times GMT+2)

Registration: 11:30 - 13:30

Tenerife 2022

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 18:52:20 +0200

There may not have been a wave event in Tenerife this summer, but that didn't stop Victor Fernandez (Fanatic / Duotone / SWOX) from spending a bit of time out there after the contest in Gran Canaria.

The Spaniard has enjoyed plenty of success in Tenerife over the years and his latest clip highlights why with a great array of jumping and wave riding, whilst there are a variety of angles portrayed to capture the action.

You can see Victor Fernandez's summer Tenerife edit @ https://youtu.be/j3r9V6h5pBY

Tarifa Style

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 21:38:58 +0200

Jacopo Testa (AV Board / Point-7 / AL360) is one of the many freestylers who will be hoping to walk away from the 2022 Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt as the Freestyle World Champion.

The Italian possesses all the moves necessary to do just that and you can see his explosive power in his latest video, which was shot in Tarfia @ https://youtu.be/WTETiJjTzlE

Better Late Than Never

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 16:10:30 +0200

Ricardo Campello (Naish / Naish Sails): "It took a while, but here you can see all my best shots from Gran Canaria 2022, shots are from before, during and after the PWA competition, where I ended up 4th place!

At the beginning of the trip I wasn't really happy with my perfomance and it was really hard to adapt to my new gear on super strong wind.
This is the first time I competed with Naish Equipment in Pozo, but by the time it was passing I was feeling better and better!

For the first time in my career we used a sail bigger than 4.5 during the competition in Pozo. The conditions during the event were not the best and it was lottery for everyone, but for the last two days pozo conditions came back !

This is the First Part and soon there will be a 2nd Part

Hope you Enjoy it !
Thanks once again for my Sponsors :
@Naish Windsurfing
@Furia
Brunotti

Filmed and Edited by : Rafa Soul Art"

You can see the first part of Ricardo Campello's summer in Gran Canaria @ https://youtu.be/3qhxPCnOKis

Best Pushloop Tip

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 05:52:45 +0200

Have you been considering to learn to pushloop, but don't have the courage to throw yourself into your first rotations? Well, don't worry, Ben Proffitt is on hand to break this move down for you into bite sized chunks, so that you can try your first pushloops and eventually progress to landing them!

Ben Proffitt: "The Best Push Loop tip

The push loop scared me for ages and I couldn’t find the balls to hold on and ‘go over the top’

In the end in crazy overpowered 3.3 weather I finally managed it… but not in a normal way... I did it one handed!!"

You can see Ben Proffitt's top tip for learning to pushloop @ https://youtu.be/5mLUdvGcDMI

Cold Hawaii Youth PWA Windsurf World Cup

Sat, 17 Sep 2022 06:32:44 +0200

We made it. The last competition on the Youth PWA World Tour is officially finished. Everybody went through the fire and the flames in the Cold Hawaii Junior PWA. It was incredible to watch from the shore how all of the amazing athletes shot off all of their firepower. But today we will only shoot fireworks to mark the ending of a chapter in the legendary PWA. Scroll down to find out to see the winners

A huge salute to the volunteers, the sponsors, the community and Cold Hawaii Games for making dreams become a part of the ocean

Result 2022 Cold Hawaii Youth PWA World Cup - Girl’s U20

Result 2022 Cold Hawaii Youth PWA World Cup - Boy's U15

Result 2022 Cold Hawaii Youth PWA World Cup - Boy’s U17

Result 2022 Cold Hawaii Youth PWA World Cup - Boy’s U20

Girls’s Wave World Title - Under 17

1st Maria Morales Navarro | ESP (Goya Windsurfing)
2nd Sol Degrieck | BEL (Severne / Severne Sails)
3rd Annagiulia Piccaglia | ESP (Fanatic/Goya / Duotone/Goya Windsurfing)

Girls’s Wave World Title - Under 20

1st Isabel Trivino Delgado | ESP (Severne / Severne Sails)
2nd Julia Pasquale | ESP (Fanatic / Duotone)
3rd Lucia Trivino Delgado | ESP (Severne / Severne Sails)

Boy’s Wave World Title - Under 15

1st Peter Gobisch | GER (Fanatic / Duotone)
2nd Arthur Van Den Brande | BEL (RRD / RRD Sails)
3rd Javier Escribano Toribio | | ESP (Goya Windsurfing)

Boy’s Wave World Title - Under 17

1st Tobias Bjornaa | DEN (Fanatic / Duotone)
2nd Anton Richter | GER (JP / NeilPryde)
3rd Luca Buhler | GER (Severne / Severne Sails)

Men’s Wave World Title - U20

1st Liam Dunkerbeck | ESP (Starboard / Severne Sails / Black Project Fins)
2nd Nick Spangenberg | GER (JP / GUNSAILS)
3rd Samuele Ferraro

By: Frederik Steinfath
Photos: PWA/John Carter

Cold Hawaii Youth PWA Windsurf World Cup

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 08:37:43 +0200

Watch out! Iceberg ahead - or is it just the rock submerged in front of the fish factory which once again snatched the front row seats for the show. The finals of Under 17 and Under 20 were held in a strong gale that allowed the sailors to go mad. They tore the already torn ocean apart. And due to a little more power than yesterday we got some massive waves that invited the surfers to catapult themselves in the air like they didn’t care.

In the Under 17s Tobias Bjørnå (Fanatic / Duotone) and Anton Richter (JP / NeilPryde) had the pleasure of going head to head. They are mates on land, but enemies in the water. Tobias took the first blow and won the 1st final heat, forcing Anton in to a Super Final. Then Tobias with all in stake, took the win of the 2nd final heat. This is the drama we’re always looking for. A super final which would determine everything. Mads Bjørnå, mathematician, counted 11 jumps in 15 minutes by Anton. Tobias also had his air game on lock today. They went blow to blow. But in the end Tobias’s performance overall was just better, but only by a few inches. Congratulations with the W at the Boy’s Under 17.

In Under 20 Liam Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne Sails / Black Project Fins) met Samuele Ferraro. Samuele did all his best manoeuvres and really fought his heart out, but today was dedicated to Liam Dunkerbeck. He was all over the place. Space is the place. Liam almost launched himself to the moon and back. He was incomparable today. He double flipped the script. Samuele did all he could, but the force was too strong in this one. Congratulations on your victory Mr. Dunkerbeck.

Hope to see you all tomorrow for the prize ceremony where we will announce the results of the whole PWA tour and figure out where we will celebrate all of you crazy athletes. F’ing legends

By: Frederik Steinfath

Result Boy's Under 17 2022 Cold Hawaii Youth PWA World Cup

1. Tobias Bjornaa | DEN (Fanatic / Duotone)
2. Anton Richter | GER (JP / NeilPryde)
3. Luca Buhler | GER (Severne / Severne Sails)

Result Boy’s Under 20 2022 Cold Hawaii Youth PWA World Cup

1. Liam Dunkerbeck | ESP (Starboard / Severne Sails / Black Project Fins)
2. Samuele Ferraro | ITA
3. Nick Spangenberg | GER (JP / GUNSAILS)

Cold Hawaii PWA Youth Windsurf World Cup

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 08:34:29 +0200

If you pulled up at the former fish powder factory in Hanstholm you could see some smooth sailing today. Due to the drop in the wind, Mother Nature encouraged the sailors to show us some wave riding. cowabunga. The sun also arrived for the show.

Expert, Mads Bjørnå (Fanatic / Duotone), explained that the tactic of the day was to wait for the big sets and not to force it too much. But if you decided to go for a smaller wave you had to pull a rabbit out from the hat to impress the judges. No easy task unless you were the future of the sport, hehe.

Today was another display of dominance from Maria Morales (Goya Windsurfing), who proved why she is the best. The young Spaniard finished numero uno in the Women’s Under 20, but the young Sol Degrieck (Severne / Severne Sails) was certainly putting up a fight as she sailed all the way to 3rd place. Phenomenal sailing. Another solid and undoubtedly very inspiring surfer today was Lucia Trivino (Severne / Severne Sails), who controlled the ocean like she was the daughter of Nord. Keep threading the needle. She nailed the 2nd place.

Javier Escribano (Goya Windsurfing) was a true force of nature today in the Boy’s Under 15. Yesterday he got stuck at the bottom of the bracket, but today he redeemed himself and sailed all the way to earn bronze. And that was not due to the sun. The battle for silver and gold was fought between Peter Gobisch (Fanatic / Duotone) and Arthur Van Den Brande (RRD / RRD Sails). Rumour has it that Arthur mis-selected a wave, which Gobisch was already riding, which ruined Arthur’s best score and Peter sealed the deal in the 2nd final heat, which meant that Peter Gobisch shouldn’t dig more for gold. Peter grabbed first place. Arthur Van Den Brande had to accept that he had to eat with silverware tonight. He ended 2nd.

It was a nice and warm summer day, says Mads Bjørnå. See you tomorrow for the last bit of the Boy’s Under 17 and Under 20 ordinary competition. The winds will pick up again and we expect to reach 20 m/s. Be there or be triangular.

by: Frederik Steinfath

Boy's U15 Double Elimination Result

1st Peter Gobisch | GER (Fanatic / Duotone)
2nd Arthur Van den Brande | BEL (RRD / RRD Sails)
3rd Javier Escribano Toribio | ESP (Goya Windsurfing)

Girl's U20 Double Elimination Result

1st Maria Morales Navarro | ESP (Goya Windsurfing)
2nd Isabel Trivino Delgado | ESP (Severne / Severne Sails)
3rd Sol Degrieck | BEL (Severne / Severne Sails)
4th Julia Pasquale | ESP (Fanatic / Duotone)
5th Lucia Trivino Delgado | ESP (Severne / Severne Sails)

Current Results 2022 Cold Hawaii PWA Youth Windsurf World Cup

Boy's Under 17 Single Elimination

1. Anton Richter | GER (JP / NeilPryde)
2. Tobias Bjornaa | DEN (Fanatic / Duotone)
3. Hannes Gobisch | GER (Fanatic / Duotone)

Boy’s Under 20 Single Elimination

1. Liam Dunkerbeck | ESP (Starboard / Severne Sails)
2. Samuele Ferraro | ITA
3. Nick Spangenberg | GER (JP / GUNSAILS)

Cold Hawaii PWA Youth Windsurf World Cup

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 08:19:00 +0200

The competition kicked off around midday on Tuesday. The location was a true Danish classic, middles. Middles is the place where the hills are rolling, where nature is as pure as a new dawn, but today it was not only the hills that were rolling, the waves were most definitely also rolling.

The waves reached heights of 6 metres. Some of the athletes decided to take a look at the waves from above by launching themselves into the sky.

Mads Bjørnå estimates they surpassed the 10 metre mark. Imagine jumping from a cliff of 10 metres, now consider doing that in 40 knot winds with a lot of equipment while trying to stomp and plan the board when landing.

A few people stood out, Bjørn Oleson (Fanatic / Severne Sails), from the small not so wavy town of Greve, secured 3rd place today. He just turned 12 and competed in the Under 15 category. Something or someone is brewing. Look out below.

Another outstanding performance was the phenomenal Maria Morales (Goya Windsurfing), she proved why she is not to be reckoned with and secured the 1st place of the Under 20 category for women. A worthy mention is Sol Degrieck (Severne Windsurfing), she proved that she belongs among the best. Not to spill the beans: But she is only 12 years old and is improving by the hour. Watch out.

We also saw a lot of gnar-gnar double rotations, which is quite the view. But nobody went down in flames today because everybody will be sailing tomorrow again. Today was the opportunity for the athletes to see who was in good shape and on top of their game. See you tomorrow for the final part of the competition. May the best surfer bring home the gold.

Words by: Frederik Steinfath

Current Results 2022 Cold Hawaii PWA Youth Windsurf World Cup

Girl’s Under 20

1. Maria Morales Navarro | ESP (Goya Windsurfing)
2. Isabel Trivino Delgado | ESP (Severne / Severne Sails)
3. Julia Pasquale | ESP (Fanatic / Duotone)

Boy’s Under 15

1. Arthur Van den Brande | BEL (RRD / RRD Sails)
2. Peter Gobisch | GER (Fanatic / Duotone)
3. Bjorn Olesen | DEN (Fanatic / Severne Sails)

Boy's Under 17

1. Anton Richter | GER (JP / NeilPryde)
2. Tobias Bjornaa | DEN (Fanatic / Duotone)
3. Hannes Gobisch | GER (Fanatic / Duotone)

Boy’s Under 20

1. Liam Dunkerbeck | ESP (Starboard / Severne Sails)
2. Samuele Ferraro | ITA
3. Nick Spangenberg | GER (JP / GUNSAILS)

Cold Hawaii PWA Youth Windsurf World Cup

Tue, 13 Sep 2022 05:19:24 +0200

After a slow and relaxing couple of days to start the 2022 Cold Hawaii PWA Youth Windsurf World Cup, which has allowed the Youth's to settle in, the contest is expected to burst into life on Tuesday 13th September with an excellent forecast now on the cards.

Current forecasts are predicting 25-40 knot winds accompanied with waves up to almost 4 metres, so there should be an epic day of action ahead. With the wind expected to be west-north-west the contest will most likely relocate to Hanstholm, although that will be confirmed in the morning at the skippers' meeting, which will be held at 8:30am (GMT+2) - first possible start 9:30am.

Stay up to date with the latest developments from Denmark @:

- facebook.com/nasa.coldhawaii
- instagram.com/coldhawaiiwindsurfworldcup

South Africa

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 05:08:36 +0200

If you've been missing a bit of freestyle action this next clip is sure to settle all of your needs as 2019 Freestyle World Champion - Yentel Caers (JP / NeilPryde) and his teammates - Marco Lufen (JP / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins) and Sam Esteve (JP / NeilPryde) explode through an incredible array of moves in South Africa.

JP: “Yentel Caers, Marco Lufen and Sam Esteve join forces with master videographer Adam Sims to create one of the most radical freestyle edits we have seen, made even more special by some close proximity FPV drone cinematography.

So many insane moves are packed into this clip, it’s sure to get your head spinning and leave you itching to hit the water for your next freestyle session! Showcasing our 2022 JP-Australia Freestyle and Neilpryde Wizard Pro.
Video: @adamsims / @aalvamedia”

You can see Caers, Lufen & Esteve in action @ https://youtu.be/_sOXSSvOAF4

Vintage Boards | Part II

Thu, 08 Sep 2022 09:53:57 +0200

Thomas Traversa (Tabou / GA Sails) is back with the second part of his Vintage Boards series, which sees the Frenchman select some of his old boards to see how thye compare to their modern equivalents.

Thomas Traversa: "Last year i decided to dig out some of my old favourite waveboards from Tabou, and try them again!

here is the second video, more to come

music by Ali Farka touré
camera by Pierre Bouras."

You can see the second part of Thomas Traversa's vintage boards @ https://youtu.be/fCPQSFvINTM

Friendly Rivalry

Wed, 07 Sep 2022 15:11:46 +0200

There's nothing like a little bit of friendly rivalry to help push your level even higher and that's what Windsurfing.TV have been up to recently we a few different challenges. The latest one sees Baptiste Cloarec (RRD / RRD Sails) take on fellow countryman Nicolas Quéméner (Flikka / Hot Sails Maui) in a double forward challenge...

Windsurfing.TV: "20min Challenge - 40knots of wind
2 x French riders go head-to-head in a Double Loop off!!
Baptiste Cloarec vs Nicolas Quéméner
Location: Pozo, Gran Canaria
You pick the winner... tell us in the comments below"

You can see how the Double Loop Challenge went down @ https://youtu.be/mHEWcNf3O0c

Tenerife, Tenerife, Tenerife

Tue, 06 Sep 2022 17:39:07 +0200

Maciek Rutkowski: "This is exactly why I love coming the Tenerife. Oh, not the brothels! The fact that whenever you're not training you can do something totally different and pretty much whatever you're into you can find it there. That day the Medano wind machine was off so we went surfing to the beautiful North and then went up to the mountains to watch one of the most beautiful sunsets in the world (and froze our assess). Sounds pretty standard? Well, we film better then we write so dive in, give it a watch!"

You can see why Maciek Rutkowski spends the majority of his time in Tenerife @ https://youtu.be/mq5E22K_0K4

RAW Ho'okipa

Fri, 02 Sep 2022 10:34:01 +0200

Graham Ezzy (Tabou / Ezzy Sails) has been scoring some great conditions at Ho'okipa, Maui, Hawaii. Enjoy this pure wave riding clip in it's purest form @ https://youtu.be/5_fEMcx28G4

Windsurf RAW Files: "First of all thanks a lot to Graham for providing the RAW clips.

Please remember to subscribe, it doesn't cost you anything, but helps us to continue providing you with the best RAW footage possible.
Who else do you want to see? Which spots?
Comment down below

- Ho’okipa, Maui
- 4.5 Ezzy Wave : www.ezzy.com/ezzy-wave/
- 84L Tabou Custom
- 3-5 Meter Waves
- 20-25 Knots
- Dropping high tide
- Wind ENE
- Swell: N

Additional riders:
- Ricardo Campello (Naish / Naish Sails)
- Robby Swift (JP / NeilPryde / SWOX)
- Morgan Noireaux (JP / NeilPryde)"

10 X CARBON POSITIVE:

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 15:04:43 +0200

The PWA and SOMWR have been experimenting with the reduction of CO2 emissions and plastic pollution.

Take a look at the environmental highlights from the latest SOMWR 10 x PWA event in Gran Canaria.

PWA and SOMWR have now signed an agreement to make all main PWA events 10 times Carbon Positive until Paris 2024 through natural climate solutions, as reduction only is not enough.

SOMWR and the PWA share the 10 X Carbon Positive approach with the sports community. Increasing in their aspirational method of making sports events 10 X Carbon Positive, whilst also retrieving significant amounts of beach/ocean plastic through the Plastic Offset Program.

Action From the Word Go!

The action began in France back in November 2021, then again in Cape Verde in February 2022 and has continued through the recent Gran Canaria event, but it doesn’t stop there. From now on, all major PWA events will be taking part in the program, from now until the end of 2023 at the earliest.

Both the PWA and SOMWR are eager to get the ball moving and have made a commitment to the minimum of planting 1 mangroves per every 336 kg CO2 identified in calculations for athlete, staff member and volunteer travel; electricity usage; fuel from boats and jet skis.
Why 336 kg CO2?

According the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), the mangroves planted in Myanmar with Worldview International Foundation sequester 673 kg CO2 over the first 25 years of their life. 50% of this amount, 336 kg CO2, is allocated to offsetting the emissions released organisations such as SOMWR and the PWA. The other 50% is traded in the form of carbon credits, providing vital funding to local communities and livelihood projects in Myanmar.

But can we do more?

For each PWA rider, staff member, media crew and volunteer. 11 KG of shoreline plastic waste will be picked up by the Plastic Offset Program. 1.1 KG is the equivalent that each individual is accountable for reaching the oceans per year. As part of the 10 x movement, SOMWR will collect 10 times the annual amount per person.

Why Mangroves?

Mangroves are also called sea trees and help our planet's biodiversity thrive. They also protect shorelines, act as a natural sea defence and most of all they are a 'blue carbon' store. According to many scientists, blue carbon is the most efficient at sequestering carbon dioxide. They account for up to 50% of the world carbon stores, whilst only covering 2% of the planet. Types of blue carbon sinks include; seagrass, mangroves, salt marshes and kelp forests. They are normally found in intertidal zones, where saltwater meets sweet water. More can be read on the ICUN page.

As the PWA events are listed as World Sailing 'Special events' it is important for us to hear from the World Sailing President and other leaders in this partnership.

QUOTE FROM WORLD SAILING HEAD OF SUSTAINABILITY
From World Sailing / Alexandra Rickham

It is always exciting for us to see World Sailing’s Special Events creating new and innovative collaborations to produce positive outcomes. In this case 10 times positive in turns out! Climate change and plastic pollution are very clear realities in the global sailing and watersports community and it is inspiring to see the community come together to tackle them. When international tours and events like the PWA, take action and responsibility not only are they key to changing sport delivery but also the hearts and minds of the athletes and fans.

QUOTE FROM JIMMY Diaz, President of the PWA

We’re really excited to continue this fantastic team effort with SOMWR to protect the planet into the long term. Having launched the collaboration with 2 great events at Marignane and Cape Verde, we know that SOMWR is the right partner to provide both the environmental support we need to make the tour positive on an environmental basis, but to guide us and help us shape new ways to further improve how we protect and give back to the planet.

QUOTE FROM TIMO, CEO of SOMWR

It's just great! It's great to grow into things. Once you start, a lot is achievable. Pollution started small and so did our counter-movement. With the knowledge of today and the technical possibilities, we can reverse the mistakes of the past. Without giving up the fun. This development makes me confident for the future.

QUOTE FROM MATTHIAS NEUMANN, Blue Life / Sylt

Certainly, the cooperation between PWA and SOMWR also includes the largest event of the PWA World Tour, the PWA Windsurf World Cup Sylt. As this event is considered a pioneer in the field of water sports and sustainability, special standards are set for the reduction of CO2 emissions, as well as climate neutrality and carbon offset, which are to be exemplary for other sporting events. These standards are currently being developed by the NPO blue life in cooperation with a team of leading scientists. blue life and SOMWR are united by the same mission; to place nature-based solutions in the foreground of their actions and, in particular, to make mangroves known as the most effective system for the natural mitigation of CO2 to promote their protection and reforestation.

ABOUT PWA

The PWA strives to bring top-level windsurfing competition to the world and to develop and enhance the sport for everyone involved from pro athletes, to recreational windsurfers, the windsurfing industry or just the armchair enthusiast indulging in the lifestyle from the comfort of their own home.

The ocean is our theatre, our pitch and our playground. As such, more than ever, it is imperative that our enjoyment of our seas, lakes and beaches does not come at a cost to the planet that gives us life.
By partnering with SOMWR in this way, we can ensure that we not only take nothing away but actually give back to the future of the natural world that permits us so much enjoyment.

ABOUT SOMWR

More than clothing: The environmentally-focused fashion label SOMWR is committed to a livable future for all. The company with watersports heritage sees itself not only as a brand but also as a pioneering movement - towards sustainability. 10 x climate positive: With every garment sold, the company plants mangrove trees in Myanmar. Thus offsetting the emissions created 10-fold.

They also remove and dispose of plastic waste on Thailand's beaches are part of the Plastic Offset Program. A project launched by water sports brand Starboard, SOMWR's sister company. Thailand HQ is fully solar-powered from its very own roof!

All of SOMWR's pieces are 100% certified organic. The collection is manufactured fairly and transparently in Portugal. Among other things, SOMWR is a certified member of the B Corporation and in the onboarding process with The Fair Labor Association. The mission is clear: to use its own platform to help sustainably shape the world. The future is SOMWR.

Bolonia

Tue, 30 Aug 2022 06:28:24 +0200

Miguel Chapuis (JP / NeilPryde) enjoyed some fun looking down-the-line conditions in Bolonia, Spain, a little earlier in the year. You can see the raw results of one of those sessions @ https://youtu.be/euRGRyshNuo. The 21-year-old is currently ranked in 26th place on the PWA Wave World Tour after finishing 29th and 17th in Cabo Verde and Pozo, Gran Canaria.

Miguel Chapuis:"One of the most fun sessions I had this season! Thanks a lot to Philippe Chapuis for filming."

Germany to Denmark

Fri, 26 Aug 2022 10:11:25 +0200

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to sail from one country to another? Well, Nico Prien (Starboard / NeilPryde) didn't just think about as he recently undertook the mission, along with Gunnar Asmussen (Starboard / Severne Sails), to sail from Germany to Denmark, whilst documenting all of it and lets just say it wasn't all plain sailing...

Nico Prien: "Baltic Sea Crossing. Another tick on my bucket list.

Since so many years, whenever I would go sailing in my home spot, I couldn’t help, but imagine to keep sailing until you arrive at the other side. You can’t see it, but a look on the map shows that Denmark is not too far.

The wind forecast aligned (well, sort of) and a couple of phone calls & a day later we found ourselves in Kiel to launch over to Denmark.

We sailed a total of 110km, which in itself is not a lot but Gunnar Asmussen and I faced a couple of challenges, which made the trip an unforgettable memory. Sometimes childhood dreams do come true – this was one of them.

0:00 Intro
0:34 Planning the Adventure
2:33 Tuning and Preparation
3:10 Meet the Speed Champ Gunnar
4:08 Getting Ready
5:22 The Journey Starts
7:25 Off to Denmark
8:30 Challenge #1… the Wind.
10:10 Breaking my Board
10:50 Finally flying across the Baltic Sea
11:45 Challenge #2… Finding the right Beach.
13:25 Denmark in Sight
15:07 Waterproof Cases (ad) + Giveaway
16:02 Back to Germany
16:50 Struggles of the Crew
17:40 We made it!!
19:23 About the Adventure
20:10 What’s next?”

You can see Nico Prien’s latest adventure @ https://youtu.be/DvNYlKpVp0Q

Vintage Boards

Wed, 24 Aug 2022 12:51:01 +0200

Thomas Traversa (Tabou / GA Sails) doesn't get rid of his previous old favourites, instead the 2014 world champion stashes them in his board shed and last year he came up with the idea to bring them out of storage and put them through their paces again to see how they perform.

Thomas Traversa : "Last year I decided to dig out some of my old favourite waveboards from Tabou, and try them again!

Here is the first video, more to come.

music by Ali Farka touré
camera by Pierre Bouras.

You can see part 1 of Thomas Traversa's vintage board test @ https://youtu.be/_XvUz_v0c8E

Rehab Life

Tue, 23 Aug 2022 10:43:36 +0200

No-one likes to be injured, but the only way to get back on the water as quickly as possible is to put in the hard yards back on the land. Oda Brødhot (Starboard / Severne Sails) unfortunately broke her foot in July, which ruled her out of the 2022 Gran Canaria PWA Windsurfing World Cup. The Norwegian has just shared some of her rehab journey @ https://youtu.be/T7EBP5mWRIE

Oda Brødholt: "When you break your foot 3 days before the World Cup, there is only one thing to do... Do the work to get back on the water again.

Filmed by Rafa Soul Art and Maio Arias
Edit by Rafa Sould Art"

Negotiating Waves

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 08:52:20 +0200

Whether you're just getting into wave sailing or you are a seasoned pro there's downside to improving your skills when it comes to navigating your way out through the waves... Florian Jung (Starboard / GUNSAILS / Maui Ultra Fins) shares his top tops for making it through the waves.

Starboard Windsurfing: "Dream Team rider Flo Jung talks you through how to cross big waves with windsurfing gear. In order to ride waves you first have to get to them. In the end it comes down to timing, patience and commitment. Here are some helpful tips to get out there. Enjoy the ride!

Filmed by Sam Tomé."

You can see Florian Jung's top tips @ https://youtu.be/sU9QFl7HAP0

Spray of the Day

Fri, 19 Aug 2022 15:55:19 +0200

When it comes to wave riding there's not much better than seeing a sweet rail turn, which throws a shed load of spray at the same time. Recently, reigning world champion - Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins), Pauline Katz (Severne / Severne Sails) & Lina Erpenstein (Severne / Severne Sails) partook in a 20 minute 'heat' to see who could throw the biggest spray of the day...

Windsurfing.TV: "Who’s got the Biggest Spray??
The girls take on the 20min challenge to see who’s got the Biggest spray!

Who is it.. Sarah? Pauline? or Lina?"

You can see how the 20 minute challenge went @ https://youtu.be/tgmTkhmwRNY