Organisational and ceremonial matters were on the agenda for the first official day of the Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup Sylt. And that was perfectly fine, because there was no wind for competitions.
At lunchtime, the riders were able to register for the event in the equipment tent and received their lycra, stickers and some goodies. As a service for the spectators, everyone had their name printed on the lycra. On the event stage HiFly the comeback of the brand with a talk by team legends from the 80s and 90s.
Click through the highlights:
In the afternoon, the World Cup was opened in the Kurmuschel with the march-in of the nations. A total of 93 riders have registered, France is the strongest nation with 22 starters. Team Germany consists of 16 riders, four women and twelve men. Malte Reuscher was the flag bearer, but others took centre stage. Klaas Voget took centre stage after the Announcement of the end of his career once again reviewed its Sylt highlights at yesterday's press conference. The media team produced a great clip for this:
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Lina Erpenstein and Philip Köster were also asked about their chances at the World Championships. Lina Erpenstein's toughest rival is likely to be the current leader Sarah-Quita Offringa, while Philip Köster will have to hope that his rivals slip up. Marcilio Browne has the best starting position for the title. We have broken down all the World Cup scenarios for you here.
The mood among the riders is excellent: "I feel good. I'm ready and looking forward to the competition!" said Brawzinho. "It's nice to be back on Sylt. It feels even better because we haven't been here for so long. I have a lot of good memories here." Sarah-Quita Offringa, the world championship leader in women's wave riding, is also keen to get started: "I've won here the last two times, it kind of suits me here. I like that it's so unpredictable. There are no favourites, it's going to be very exciting!"
Amado Vrieswijk comes to Sylt as the defending freestyle champion. However, he has recently focussed on other things: "I'm happy, but I have to say that I can count on two hands how often I've been freestyling this year. I've focussed more on racing and foiling, which is why I've put on a lot of weight," reports the man from Bonaire. "The freestyle moves are still there, but it has to be windy."
In the evening, windsurfing legend Björn Dunkerbeck gave an insight into the documentary about his career in the Westerland cinema. The film "Born to Windsurf" will not be released in cinemas until spring 2023, but there was a one-off preview on Sylt.
The World Cup continues tomorrow
Sunday is the first official competition day, but the wind forecast is not too promising. The forecast is for 8 to 13 knots in the afternoon, so there could be plenty of light wind racing - probably on the foil. Skippers meeting is at 9.00 am, first possible start at 11.00 am. On Monday there should be a crisp 30 knots and more from the south/south-west, so there is a good chance of a start in wave riding or freestyle.
Tobias Frauen
Editor
