Last season Lina Erpenstein (Severne Windsurfing) suffered a serious foot injury in Chile, where she was the defending event champion at the time, which left the 29-year-old with a long road to full recovery. Remarkably Erpenstein still managed to compete in Tenerife and Sylt in the same season, while she somehow finished second here last year just five months after fracturing her Lisfranc. Now a year later down the line, Erpenstein enters Sylt as the Women’s Wave Tour leader after an excellent second place in Tenerife in August, which marks her best result to date in 2026. With Sylt now just a couple of days away we caught up with Lina for an interview:
Hey Lina, you lead the Wave rankings at about the halfway stage of the season, recording your best result for 2026 in Tenerife with a second place - how has the season been for you up to this stage?
“Honestly, it’s been really exciting to be fully back on tour. Starting the year differently on Maui this time, then Pozo and most recently Tenerife. Especially the last World Cup on Tenerife made me really happy. We had some amazing conditions and I’m really happy to show some of my best sailing. Especially after last year I’m more than excited that my sailing is back at its best.”
Last year you suffered a serious Lisfranc fracture in Chile - do you now feel as though you are 100 percent recovered from that - both mentally and physically?
“Honestly, I still feel it in every single session in every single turn and it’s definitely the injury that’s taken the most from me until now. It has really been quite a journey to recover both the body and also the mind from this. I really underestimated the impact an injury can have on the trust you have in your body. I’d say by now I’m almost back to normal. That’s why Tenerife meant so much to me, showing it to the world.”
Sylt starts in just a couple of days - do you like competing in your home nation or does it bring a certain added extra pressure? How would you describe the challenge of competing in Sylt
“I think for all those years [that I’ve been] competing, Sylt has been the most challenging for me, because you never know what’s gonna wait for you. I figured out over the years, that I also feel more pressure there if I’m higher up in the rankings as I receive a lot of media attention, which brings extra responsibility in it’s own right.”
Thanks, Lina. Glad you feeling almost feeling back to full fitness. All the best for whatever lies ahead in Sylt.