Foehn storm on the edge of the Alps: Surfers review the natural spectacle
Lake Constance
Bernd Neuschütz & Simon Hils: The Easter weekend was approaching and excitement was building on Lake Constance. The weather forecasts were unanimous that the rarely occurring southerly foehn wind would blow through with gale force. So the small sails and, above all, the waveboard were packed into the van and we set off for Wasserburg near Lindau full of anticipation.
As far as the southerly foehn is concerned, there are many meteorological conditions that need to be met for the downslope wind from the Alps to penetrate across Lake Constance to the spots there. So we were also put to the test of patience on this day, as the foehn wind did not break through until around twelve o'clock. The readings from the known foehn spots, such as Lake Lucerne, showed record gusts of 65 knots in the early hours of the morning.
The foehn quickly picked up so that sails between 3.7 and 4.2 could be surfed. The waves quickly got higher and Wasserburg turned into a small onshore wave spot with good jump ramps. However, with constantly changing wind strength, the spot is very challenging to surf and sapped our energy after a short time.
Nevertheless, we persevered into the evening hours that day and experienced how the Sahara dust cloud lay in front of the sun in the afternoon, bathing everything in a divus-yellow colour. In the meantime, we could no longer see the other side of the lake, which reinforced the impression that we were by the sea. We learnt from the media that the Sahara dust cloud would spread far beyond Germany on Saturday.
In the meantime, we could no longer see the other side of the lake due to the Sahara dust cloud, which reinforced the impression that we were by the sea.
Although the southerly current remained, the wind didn't make it as far as Wasserburg the next day. Physically completely exhausted, we were not angry and had time to reminisce about the memories, supported by the pictures of the previous day with a big grin.
- Stay tuned for the HOT SHOT of this special session in the upcoming surf issue (05-2024).
Lake of Uri
Balz Müller: The absolute standstill! The storm swept around my sail on the Urnersee to such an extent that I had the impression that I could neither go forwards nor backwards. 130kmh! I always thought there wasn't too much wind for windsurfing. But I've been doubting that since the last foehn storm, because in these gusts the limit of the functional inflow effect of my 3.3 sail was definitely reached.
The wild, beautiful Föhn storm!
Oh, how I love this beautiful game with the wild force of nature. In the game against the well-known Alpine inhabitant called Föhn, however, the surfer is and remains without a chance. So after two intense hours of forearm cramps, I lost out.
It's always an adventure when Yentel Caers takes a little "break" here on his way to his adopted home on Lake Como! For me, there's nothing better than pushing my comfort zone with good, testosterone-fuelled mates. And so it sometimes happens that we jump over each other.
The limit of the functional inflow effect of my 3.3 sail had definitely been reached.
I had been wondering for some time whether the oxygen was being blown out of the air in strong winds, especially in combination with the constantly flying spray. So, after a nasty catapult, I found myself in the middle of Lake Uri and this white veil of water appeared around me. Fortunately, my worries had not materialised and I was able to breathe easily.
But I decided to ask ChatGPT instead:
In extreme cases, the spray can cause breathing problems in strong winds and in combination with other factors such as high humidity and allergic reactions, especially in people with respiratory diseases such as asthma. The fine water droplets in the spray can irritate the airways and lead to symptoms such as coughing or shortness of breath. It is advisable to move to safer areas in strong winds and spray, especially for people with respiratory problems.
Booooooaaaaaa!!! What a turbulent spring, we'd love it to keep blowing through the year like this.
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