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1983: Bubble Bath
The very first World Cup on Sylt was actually a Euro Funboard Cup. However, it was already clear that it would develop into something more; the sponsoring brewery had already pledged a significant increase in the prize money, and even the sceptical Sylt tourist board was won over after the inaugural event. The event also marked the first wave riding competition in a European venue; the young Frenchman Eric Thieme won the wave event. Germany’s top star, Jürgen Hönscheid, finished only fifth but secured the overall victory. A particular challenge was the carpet of foam, up to two metres high, which had formed in the surf zone due to an algal bloom. Much to the amusement of the spectators, the riders had to repeatedly search through the foam for their equipment.
1984: Totally Nailed It
Robby Naish is the undisputed superstar (as is the title of a book by Delius Klasing published at the same time) at the 1984 Sylt World Cup. He wins all five course races and engages in a thrilling duel with Pete Cabrinha in the wave riding event. In the process, Cabrinha made history: in the final, he performed a barrel roll – a precursor to the backloop – for the first time in Europe. After lengthy deliberation by the judges, it was confirmed: he had won the wave category!
But history is also being made in the course race: Robby’s sail sponsor, Gaastra, is sending its riders to the start with a new invention. Small clips on the batten press against the mast, ensuring a stable sail profile – the camber is born. And Robby, whilst out on the water, goes and invents the ‘close the gap’ technique. With this, he leaves everyone else in his wake and wins, at times with a lead of up to a kilometre. Even the expensive profiled masts stand no chance against this comparatively inexpensive tuning measure.
Meanwhile, there was criticism – even from *Der Spiegel* and ARD – of the poor organisation. Haphazard race management, a lack of press coverage and a completely inadequate public address system caused discontent.
1985: A Long Saturday
There’s hardly any wind on Sylt, and most of the pros are finding the bar at the “American” a much tougher challenge than the beach. But, somewhat surprisingly, on the second Saturday, 20 knots of wind suddenly materialise out of nowhere, and some pros head straight from the party out onto the water. Jürgen Hönscheid, who was actually the favourite, suffered a surprise defeat at the hands of a young New Caledonian named Robert Teriitehau. To everyone’s surprise, Robby Naish went on to win the final against Pete Cabrinha – on slalom boards with six-metre sails. “They’re obviously already awarding points for swimming and pumping here,” Cabrinha grumbles in the direction of the judges.
In the course race, which gets underway on the same day, two surprise contenders take centre stage: Axel Ohm stays with the leading group for a long time, raising hopes of a German victory, whilst Sweden’s Anders Bringdal finishes third in his very first World Cup. Meanwhile, criticism of the race committee and the organisation is once again being voiced this year (incorrect flags, faulty timekeeping and no supporting programme in the event of a lull).
1986: An upward trend
The World Cup is really taking off; more and more spectators are flocking to Brandenburger Strand to watch the action up close, and there’s a large press contingent on site. But at first they can’t see a thing – the first course races are taking place in thick fog far out to sea. The spotlight is particularly on Björn Schrader, who is locked in close battles with Robby Naish and newcomer Anders Bringdal. At the same time, the 1986 World Cup also marked a leap forward in development: F2 shaper Peter Thommen has brought along new, triple-concave boards, and the sails feature a cut-away design.
After a few days of calm, things are back on track; by the second weekend, with winds of 12 to 14 knots, wave riding can get underway. But Jürgen Hönscheid grumbles: “You can’t surf properly in these conditions. It’s far too cold – at all the World Cups, the temperatures are such that you’ll ruin your health!” And the Sylt groynes are causing quite a bit of damage too; loads of boards fall victim to the sharp piles of stones as the water ebbs, until the brand representatives protest and the race organisers change the course. A certain Björn Dunkerbeck reaches a wave final for the first time, but stands no chance against Robby Naish.
1987: Naishville
In 1987, Robby was still the king of Sylt; he won the wave final on the first weekend – almost behind closed doors, as a complaint from a local resident meant that commentary was no longer permitted between 1 pm and 3 pm. Most of the spectators had gone home, thinking the races were over. Dunkerbeck and Teriitehau were knocked out in the semi-finals because, after being washed ashore, they had to take a long walk along the beach. Whilst Naish, according to the report at the time, attempted a double loop, the single rotation was also gaining popularity among the women. The reigning world champion, Natalie Siebel, however, had to settle for third place in front of her home crowd.
Just in time for the second weekend, Robby Naish is featured in a 45-minute profile on ZDF, which attracts record viewing figures. In the programme, he is described as a perfectionist, yet the very next day he falls well behind, of all things, because of a mast sheet that wasn’t properly secured. This plays into the hands of the young Frenchman Patrice Belbeoc’h, from whom Naish subsequently manages to snatch the overall victory by the narrowest of margins. A new talent also emerges in the women’s event: Jutta Müller wins two course races and finishes second in the overall standings.
1988: Cold shock
April instead of autumn: Unusually early on the calendar, the 1988 World Cup turned into a nail-biting affair: With the water at six degrees and air temperatures between three and six degrees, Hawaiian fingers – accustomed to the warmth – were freezing left, right and centre; even Robby Naish was wearing those much-hated surf shoes. “After just a few minutes on the water, you lose all feeling for the board and rig,” said Naish, explaining why he’d surfed “like an idiot”. The reason for bringing the event forward was the organisers’ fear that the Olympic Games might poach the sponsors. In sporting terms, however, there were hardly any highlights; as soon as a result had been recorded in all disciplines and the press had their photos, the race committee decided it was, after all, too cold to surf – even demonstration sessions were not permitted.
The overall winner was Anders Bringdal, who won the course race. In the slalom, however, Björn Dunkerbeck was unbeatable. Robby Naish was only able to take the lead in wave riding – two clean loops and a few wave rides were enough for him, as most of the others could barely get their fins out of the water because of the cold. Jutta Müller won the course race in the women’s event, whilst Britt Dunkerbeck triumphed in the wave riding.
1989: The new Naish
Others may be winning, but he remains the superstar: on Sylt, Robby Naish is surrounded more than ever by fans young and old, and even has to sign autographs on photos of Dunkerbeck (!). “The immense pressure to win is gone,” says surf magazine writer Rainer Thide, analysing Naish’s newfound composure. Dunkerbeck, on the other hand, takes a very different view: “Second place is worth nothing. Only victory counts!” The two face off in the wave final and thrill the spectators with a synchronised forward loop.
In the course race, with wind speeds of up to force eight, the riders are faced with a dilemma: a long race board or a short slalom board? Whilst Bernd Flessner takes to the water on production-series slalom boards, Björn Schrader and Axel Ohm opt for race boards and finish just ahead of Flessner. The women struggle with the challenging conditions, with many falling victim to the shorebreak. Whilst Natalie Siebel wins the wave riding event, Britt Dunkerbeck comes out on top in the slalom and course racing.
1990: Robby’s big comeback
With a new girlfriend and renewed motivation, Naish arrived on Sylt in 1990. Once again, the wave final saw a clash of the titans with Björn Dunkerbeck, but this time Robby came out on top. Björn, on the other hand, wrecks his kit in the shorebreak and, after a strong start, fails to get back into his stride. Robby Seeger moves up to third place, whilst in the women’s event, Jutta Müller wins one of the finals against Britt Dunkerbeck. Natalie Siebel, still recovering from a serious head injury, competed wearing a helmet and with short hair, and went on to win the second heat. In the slalom, the up-and-coming German riders Bernd Flessner, Andy Laufer and Philipp Richter showed their potential, but even a Dunkerbeck stood no chance against the outstanding Anders Bringdal.
When it comes to organisation, the World Cup on Sylt is now setting the standard: “If all World Cups were organised as professionally as the one on Sylt, windsurfing would have been a global sport long ago!”, enthuses PBA President Christian Herles. With strong TV coverage (Jutta Müller on ‘Sportstudio’), Surf Radio on the beach (featuring ‘young reporter’ Ingo Meyer), skateboarding shows and plenty of media buzz surrounding Team Germany, the event is going from strength to strength.
1991: Sylt Figure Skating Gala
Things went even further a year later: a tent village costing 600,000 marks, 40 hours of TV coverage, live broadcasts on NDR and much more attracted a great deal of attention. However, the tents had to be evacuated several times for safety reasons; on a Wednesday, a storm raged with wind speeds of 11 on the Beaufort scale, making it impossible to hold any official competitions.
Once again, the crowd’s favourite was Robby Naish, who, with perfect tactics, secured victory in the ‘eternal final’ against a Dunkerbeck who had once again been beaten. But someone else also sparked frenetic cheering on the beach: Bernd Flessner almost knocked Björn Dunkerbeck out in the semi-final with some massive jumps: “At the apex [...] I suddenly heard the crowd screaming. It’s as intoxicating as a drug,” Flessi revealed afterwards. Things went even better in the slalom, where he fought his way up to third place – finishing fourth overall. “I know now that I can beat anyone!” In the women’s event, Nathalie Siebel won the wave and slalom, whilst Jutta Müller was overwhelmed by the media frenzy.
1992: “The most beautiful moment since I was born”
The year 1992 stands out in the 40-year history of the World Cup: Ralf Bachschuster became the first German to win the home event. It was also the only time the event was not held at Brandenburger Strand. Persistent weather conditions brought an unpredictable easterly wind of 10 to 18 knots. Apart from a few training runs on the horizon, there was nothing to be done on the water. Overnight, the World Cup therefore moves to List, to Königshafen. There, Ralf Bachschuster wins the only slalom race with outstanding speed and sound tactics. Like many others, top favourite Dunkerbeck struggled with the short, choppy waves in the hip-deep Königshafen (Björn Schrader: “You’re constantly riding against a kerb.”), whilst Bachschuster seized his chance and clinched the much-celebrated victory!
In Westerland, on the other hand, the World Cup has once again gone the extra mile: an impressive set-up featuring a skate ramp, a TV editing suite, a helicopter and plenty of sponsors’ tents is once again attracting tens of thousands of spectators. The sporting fiasco was only just averted by the move to List, but the debate over the wind limit raged throughout the week!
You can browse through all the Sylt stories from 1983 to 1992 in the gallery above!
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Tobias Frauen
Editor