A westerly wind with gusts exceeding 30 knots blowing onshore characterised the opening of the 2026 Rügen Island Games on the island of Ummanz. Last weekend, 17 windsurfers gathered at the UMMAII surf station in Suhrendorf for the Freestyle Battle. The conditions delivered exactly what the scene had been hoping for: out on the sandbank, small chop ramps formed for loops and shakas, whilst the Bodden on the inner side offered the flat water typical of Suhrendorf. Sail sizes ranged from 3.6 to 4.4 square metres. On Saturday, heavy rain showers swept through the area, causing the wind strength to increase significantly within a matter of minutes. Sunday proved somewhat more forgiving, with more consistent conditions of around 25 knots. Co-organiser Philipp Grzybowski reports.
An easier introduction to the world of competition
In sporting terms, the event was contested using a single and a double elimination format. In addition, there was the now well-established B-Fleet, which is designed to make it easier for freestylers with little competitive experience in particular to get started in competitive sport. The division is not based on age or gender, but on riding ability: anyone who has not yet mastered manoeuvres beyond the air jibe competes in the B-Fleet. It is precisely this concept that has made the Island Games a special competition within the German freestyle scene since their debut in 2021. A total of 17 windsurfers took to the water. Many of them were competing at the Island Games Rügen for the first time. For some, it was even their very first windsurfing competition, including Lars Rumberg, Silvio Finke and Kurt Rosenow.
New judging system
Whilst in the early years sheets of paper and ballpoint pens were still the norm at the judges’ table, 2026 saw the debut of a digital judging system developed by the organising team themselves. Scores were recorded live on two laptops, whilst a large screen displayed the scores in real time for everyone present. This not only made the heats more transparent, but also gave the Island Games a touch of that professional competition atmosphere.
An exciting duel between local favourite Markus Marsand and Foivos Tsoupras from Kiel
Right from the Single Elimination stage, favourite Foivos Tsoupras made a strong impression in the A-Fleet. The Kiel-based rider has been one of Germany’s strongest freestylers for years and was able to confirm this status at Ummanz. With technically demanding power moves and a high level of consistency, he worked his way to the top of the field and secured victory in the single elimination ahead of Markus Marsand and Mathias Genkel. But that was by no means the end of the weekend’s action.
Markus Marsand made an impressive comeback in the double elimination. The Rostock native, who has already won the Island Games three times, managed to defend his second place and got his revenge against Foivos. An exciting duel unfolded between the two in the final. Whilst Foivos initially opted for a 4.0-square-metre sail in the double elimination final, he occasionally lacked the power needed to showcase his full repertoire. In the subsequent super final, both riders eventually took to the water with 4.4-square-metre sails. The standard was correspondingly high. Power moves, double-move combinations and clean execution set the tone. In the end, Markus prevailed by a margin of just 2.5 points, thereby securing his fourth Island Games title overall.
Leirbag causes a surprise as a debutant
Behind the leading trio of Markus Marsand, Foivos Tsoupras and Mathias Genkel, it was Gabriel Leirbag in particular who caused a stir. The Island Games debutant put in one of the strongest performances of the weekend. On his way to fourth place, he defeated, amongst others, Leon Struppeck, who had been tipped by many as a contender for a podium place ahead of the event. Gabriel then went on to beat Suhrendorf’s local hero Pascal Mikolajski, who had previously finished third at the Island Games. It was only against Mathias Genkel that his impressive run came to an end. “It was incredibly fun to compete again after such a long time. The result far exceeded my expectations and has really motivated me to take part in more competitions. The atmosphere there was great, especially for connecting with new people from outside Kiel,” said Gabriel Leirbag.
For Leon Struppeck, however, the weekend did not go as he had hoped. Following a mistake in the single elimination, his campaign came to a halt early on. Despite his undoubted high standard of riding, he ultimately had to settle for seventh place.
B-Fleet is showing signs of improvement
Just as interesting as the A-Fleet this year was the progress made by the B-Fleet. Fiona Jendrzi from Leipzig won the competition, confirming the strong progress she has made in recent years. Having already stood on the B-Fleet podium on several occasions, she secured victory this time round. Particularly noteworthy: in several heats, Fiona was already pulling off clean Spocks. In terms of her riding ability, she’s actually already verging on A-Fleet level. “I’m obviously really happy with my performance this year. But the focus is more on having fun together on the water and picking up some really valuable tips from others. I’d obviously be delighted if there were even more girls taking part next time,” says Fiona Jendrzi. The same goes for Kurt Rosenow. The surf instructor at the UMMAII Surf Station – clearly surprised by his own performance – also pulled off several impressive Spocks and made it clear that the level of competition within the B-Fleet is steadily rising.
The duel between Kurt Rosenow and Tim Julier in the double elimination round generated further excitement. Both riders surprised spectators and rivals alike with some impressive semi-esliders – a manoeuvre that wasn’t necessarily on anyone’s radar in the B Fleet, but which is sure to have inspired the competition. Fiona Jendrzi won the B-Fleet ahead of Kurt Rosenow and Tim Julier: “You’re immediately made to feel welcome at the Island Games. The B-Fleet is just the right place to gain competitive experience. It’s really motivated me and I’m happy that I can now land air jibes and semi-esliders in the heats too.”
In fact, a remarkable development was evident across the entire field of competitors. In the B Fleet, riders were regularly pulling off stylish hand-washes in the duck jibe; air jibes were increasingly turning into Spocks; and the first attempts at flakas were also on display. But the A-Fleet were also up for it and refused to concede defeat to the top trio without a fight. Alongside Gabriel’s comeback, Thies Romig was particularly delighted to reach a personal milestone: he pulled off a ‘burner’ in the heat – a manoeuvre he had rarely managed in freesailing until then.
It is precisely moments like these that define the spirit of the Island Games – when the participants spur each other on and push themselves to new heights. (Philipp Grzybowski)
A relaxed atmosphere despite the rain
The combination of a friendly atmosphere, low barriers to entry and, at the same time, challenging sporting conditions has, in recent years, motivated numerous participants to continually expand their repertoire of tricks and take part in freestyle competitions. The partnership with the German Freestyle Battles further reinforces this effect. Participants not only gain valuable competition experience, but also earn points towards the GFB series’ annual rankings. This benefits both established competitors and surfers looking to compete in their first heats in equal measure.
On land, too, the atmosphere remained true to the spirit of the event. Despite changeable weather with recurring rain showers, a relaxed and friendly atmosphere prevailed throughout the weekend. Many participants helped out with judging, photography or organisational tasks. On Saturday evening, everyone enjoyed a barbecue together, shared experiences and partied late into the night to live music and a DJ set.
A hectic pit stop
Loris Vietoris provided what was probably the most frantic moment of the weekend. Shortly before his second heat, his fin came loose from the board. Whilst his opponent was already out on the water, he ran to the surf shop, bought a replacement fin and, under immense pressure, tried to get his equipment ready to go again. But the new fin wouldn’t fit – the shaft of the old one was still stuck in the fin box. What followed was more reminiscent of a Formula 1 pit stop than a windsurfing competition: Within seconds, numerous helping hands arrived armed with pliers, screwdrivers and plenty of improvisational skill. Together, they screwed, pulled and swore until the board was finally ready to go again. And despite losing four minutes, the GFB veteran actually managed to win the heat after all.
More women are wanted on the starting line-up
There was one fly in the ointment, however: Fiona Jendrzi was the only woman on the starting line this year. This made her performance all the more impressive. At the same time, she demonstrates that freestyle windsurfing is by no means exclusively a male domain. The organisers would be delighted to see significantly more women in the starting line-up in the coming years. The door is open – and Fiona has impressively shown that anyone can simply give it a go.
One of the coolest things about the Island Games is that I’ve already met quite a few other female windsurfers. That alone makes it worth signing up! It would be really great if, at some point, there were enough of us to form our own category. (Swantje Romig)
A look ahead to the Wave event
Following the successful freestyle weekend, attention is now turning to the second part of the Island Games. Should a suitable wind pattern arrive in the coming weeks, the planned wave event will take place before the end of this year. Otherwise, the second standby phase in September offers another chance for a second round of freestyle competitions and a possible wave event.
Results: Iceland Games Rügen X German Freestyle Battle Suhrendorf 2026
A-Fleet
1. Markus Marsand
2. Foivos Tsoupras
3. Mathias Genkel
4. Gabriel Leirbag
5. Pascal Mikolajski
6. Roman Handke
7. Leon Struppeck
8. Loris Vietoris
9. Thies Romig
10. Philipp Grzybowski
11. Lars Rumberg
12. Fiona Jendrzi
13. Silvio Finke
14. Kurt Rosenow
15. Tim Julier
16. Manuel Tröster
17. Herrmann Behrndt
B-Fleet
1. Fiona Jendrzi
2. Kurt Rosenow
3. Tim Julier
4. Herrmann Behrndt
