World Cup Sylt: Bittersweet start - wave riding with sensations and disappointment

"Just Sylt..." said Nick Spangenberg, shrugging his shoulders at the conditions that awaited the riders on Brandenburg beach early in the morning. After the cream day yesterday (here are the best pictures) the wind had shifted to almost flat onshore, the few degrees north that some people thought they recognised were at times wishful thinking.

The wave riders were sent out onto the water at eight o'clock in the morning, as the competition organisers were determined to make the most of the day. As the week progresses, the wind will shift to the east, so whether there will be another day with wave-worthy conditions is pure luck according to the current forecast.

Early exit for Julian Salmonn

Everything went according to plan in the first round, with the favourites progressing, which also meant the end for Nick Spangenberg, Laurin Schmuth and Anton Richter. Leon Jamaer was also unable to prevail against Miguel Chapuis. Henri Kolberg caused a minor surprise by beating Julian Salmonn - a bitter setback for Salmonn after a very successful season so far.

Before Kolberg could finish his second-round heat against Robby Swift, he had to wait. Rain fronts moved through again and again, causing the wind to rise and fall. Once you had parked in front of the Brandenburg beach, it was hard to get out again and the current carried you towards Miramar as if on a conveyor belt. At times, jumps were possible on both sides, but only the best got enough speed for double loops. Most of the athletes also had to work hard for the wave scores, which remained relatively low overall. Only Marcilio Browne, Marc Paré and Miguel Chapuis managed to break the 20-point mark.

Perfect day for Marc Paré, disappointment for Köster

Philip Köster also had his work cut out for him. After a solid start, he only just made it through to the second round, ending up with just 9.76 points on his score sheet. The fact that he was initially told he had been eliminated after a technical problem and the result was only corrected almost 20 minutes later certainly didn't help him relax. In the quarter-final against Antoine Martin, Köster then drifted hundreds of metres towards Hörnum, and even a sprint along the beach to windward didn't help. His frustration was clear to see.

In the other quarter-final, an all-Spanish heat, former champion Victor Fernandez won against Marino Gil Gheradi. This was not only a duel between the generations, but also between the world championship leader and the runner-up, with the corresponding significance. Fernandez then had to let his compatriot Marc Paré into the final, where he met Marcilio Browne. Brawzinho had worked his way through the heats with aplomb, but in the semi-final against Antoine Martin, the Brazilian pulled a muscle, ran out of round and kept grabbing his thigh. Handicapped in this way, he had no chance against Marc Paré, who emphasised his impressive comeback once again. "I was tense at the start, but then I focussed on myself and enjoyed every heat," he said happily after his victory. The PWA is planning a full double elimination if conditions permit, so there is still room for improvement at the top.

Alexia Kiefer marches through - and despairs in the final

In the women's event, all eyes were on Lina Erpenstein, who as the world championship leader is naturally the absolute crowd favourite at her home event. Before she entered the action in round two, Alexia Kiefer won against Steffi Wahl and Maria Behrens prevailed against Lisa Wermeister. Last year's winner Marine Hunter was eliminated early, as were Pauline Katz and Sybille Bode. There were no surprises in the quarter-finals, with Erpenstein, Offringa, Sol Degrieck and Alexia Kiefer advancing as the riders who coped best with the challenging conditions.

But with the water running out, the only reasonably good waves were to be found outside on the sandbank, and Lina spent a lot of time far out in the semi-final against Alexia Kiefer. Unfortunately without success, Alexia was able to prevail and progressed to the final. The heat for third place did not go according to Lina's plan either, again she was defeated and had to settle for fourth place behind Sol Degrieck for the time being. The young Belgian had only lost her semi-final to Sarah-Quita Offringa by a wafer-thin margin and was even ahead for a long time.

The defending champion therefore faced Alexia Kiefer. While Offringa struggled to collect points on the outside, Alexia despaired at the shore break. She repeatedly got caught in the washing machine and was unable to get out of the white water in the windward jam in front of the promenade. Even a spirited sprint to the north didn't help, meaning that she ended up with zero points on her scoresheet. A bitter disappointment that can hopefully be somewhat alleviated by an excellent second place. "You can come first or last here, anything is possible," said winner Sarah-Quita Offringa, acknowledging the challenging conditions.

The forecast predicts significantly less wind for tomorrow, at best the foilers will be able to get out on the water. It will start late in the morning at the earliest!

In addition to the action on the water, there was also plenty to discover on land at the Windsurf World Cup Sylt: The new camper van from title sponsor Citroën, the cuddly Stadtmobil Ami, hands-on activities from Ehrmann, autograph sessions and legend talk with Björn Dunkerbeck, Bernd Flessner and Andrea Hoeppner, chic clothing from HiFly and much more!