After the heat came the wind: it's blowing almost everywhere these days, after the first midsummer day of the year was recorded at the weekend. Rare but often legendary days on the water with just a shorty fully powered up at the home spot. This is also the case in Leipzig's Neuseenland region, which is home to windsurfing youtuber Mario Kümpel and his father Philipp Kümpel, among others.
Philipp sent us a few pictures of Lake Zwenkau and wrote: "The wind really picked up again today. It got up to force 8!" There was a wave of about one metre on the lake, which produces steep ramps for jumping in strong winds due to its funnel shape. "A rare natural spectacle!"
Lake Zwenkau and Leipzig New Lake District
Lake Zwenkau is part of Leipzig's Neuseenland region, which consists of flooded open-cast mining depressions. While surfing spots are disappearing elsewhere, new areas have been regularly added here in recent years. The lakes have gradually been flooded and opened up as recreational areas. With an area of 9.7 km², Lake Zwenkau is the largest lake in Leipzig's New Lake District, making it larger than Lake Tegernsee. The greatest depth of the lake at the sites of the last coal mining is 48.5 metres, but there are also shallow water spots on some of the banks.
The local surf scene around Leipzig is very active. Yesterday, both racers and talented freestylers were on the water at Lake Zwenkau. Lake Cospuden, a little further north, is often the spot of choice. Between Dresden and Berlin, in the Lusatian Lake District, old open-cast mining pits have also been turned into small and larger lakes, some of which are excellent for surfing:
