The 2007 Super-Season heads to Sylt on the German Island of Westerland for its Annual Autumn Festival of Windsurfing.
From September 21st through 30th the biggest hitters in Men’s and Women’s Wave sailing, Men’s Freestyle and Men’s Slalom racing will converge to take on the brutal North Sea wind and waves and fight it out for vital end-of-season rankings points and their share of the €105K prize purse.
Sylt’s hosted professional windsurfing to its sandy beaches for over 20 years, and each season faithful spectators flock in foul or fine weather to witness unparalleled action.
2006 was a record year for visitors to Westerland with 180,000 spectators making their way to the event site to watch spectacular action from the stylish hospitality area.
Men’s Slalom
The final event of 2007. Last season’s winner Antoine Albeau (Starboard / NeilPryde) has already wrapped-up the 2007 crown, and Kevin Pritchard (Starboard / MauiSails) has sealed second overall, but the fight for the final podium position is intense. In the frame still are Bjorn Dunkerbeck (T1 / North), 2006 runner-up Micah Buzianis (JP / NeilPryde) and Finian Maynard (F2 / NeilPryde).
The host nations hopes rest with German National Champion Bernd Flessner (F2 / NeilPryde), European youth champion Oliver-Tom Schliemann (Starboard / Naish), and top wave sailor Klaas Voget’s (Fanatic / NeilPryde) first slalom outing of the year.
Men’s Freestyle
The Freestyle tour also reaches it’s conclusion in Sylt. Will the current tour leader Kiri Thode (Starboard / Gaastra) take the title? Or will the winner of the last event Marcilio Browne (Mistral / Gaastra) carry his form from the Canaries leg?
The race is still wide open with Frenchman Thomas Traversa (Tabou / Gaastra), and Venezuelans Jose ‘Gollito’ Estredo’ (Fanatic / North), the 2006 Champion, and 3 times world champion Ricardo Campello all in the running.
Young German freestylers, 22-yr old Norman Gunzlein (JP / NeilPryde), who’s ranked 10th overall right now, and Andre Paskowski (F2 / North), ranked 11th, will also be a major threat.
Women’s Wavesailing
Just as the sun can shine for freestyle and racing, the North Sea can batter the Seafront at Sylt. This season the women will decide who’s won the wave title with an all-out display of surfing and aerial skills.
Leading the tour right now is Gran Canarian multiple world champ Daida Moreno (North) – a full-on force in pushing the women’s level beyond belief. She’s being pressured hard by runner-up Karin Jaggi of Switzerland (F2 / North), and her twin sister Iballa Moreno (North), the 2006 World Wavesailing champ.
There’s more danger in the form of Hawaiian-based Japanese pro Junko Nagoshi (F2 / Simmer) and Spanish firecracker Nayra Alonso (Fanatic / Severne) in a contest that is far from over.
Local fans will be pleased to cheer for former German youth champion Andrea Hausberg and storm chasing PWA regular Steffi Wahl (F2 / Gaastra).
Men’s Wavesailing
Fresh from the most recent event in South America, the men’s title race is hotting up nicely as the tour hits Europe once again.
Brazilian Kauli Seadi (Quatro / Naish) leads the tour after one event discard by a narrow margin after a famous victory on his home patch in Ibiraquera.
But Spanish stylist Victor Fernandez (Fanatic / Simmer) is piling the pressure on hard from second overall. The 23-yr old has won 2 events already this season and is anxious to deny Seadi, the 2005 world champion, the opportunity of a second title.
2007 has seen a lot of hype around more young sailors but the top 10 is stacked with old hands. Josh Angulo, who won the opening event of the year, Nik Baker (Mistral / North), who recently placed second in Brazil, and Kevin Pritchard, the 2006 world champion all have the podium in their sights.
There’s a strong German contingent in the waves but the form player would have to be Klaas Voget, who placed 7th in Brazil and will use his local knowledge of Westerland to make a push for this season’s top 10 overall.
Home advantage has played a massive part in this year’s tour and Voget will go all-out to exploit his intimate familiarity with the Westerland swell. One thing’s for sure - with just one event to follow Sylt, the conflict will be crazy.
Stay Informed
For more information on all the entrants and to keep up to date with every piece of the action click on www.pwaworldtour.com
Here you can use our:
• Live ticker service for heat-by-heat bulletins
• Check live elimination ladders
• View results
• Read daily news summaries
• Browse awesome action photo galleries
There’s also a dedicated event website for our German fans at www.worldcupsylt.de
Or, for more information please contact the PWA office via info(at)pwaworldtour.com
© PWA / Brian McDowell
The 2007 Colgate World Cup Sylt – Day 1
The Sun bursts out in Sylt as the PWA stars shine in front of massive weekend crowds.
A lack of wind didn’t prevent windsurfing’s biggest personalities from showing off to a packed beach on the Island of Westerland today.
Massive queues for autographs from the legends of the sport such as Bjorn Dunkerbeck (T1 / North) stretched down the seafront.
Excited onlookers also enjoyed the sight of Nik Baker (Mistral / North), Antoine Albeau (Starboard / NeilPryde), Baptiste Gossein (JP / NeilPryde) and top Polish ladies wave sailor Justyna Sniady revving-up their super bikes courtesy of event sponsor Ducati.
2007 Colgate World Cup Sylt – Day 2
Team Fanatic’s furious featherweight Arnon Dagan takes the first bullet on a frustrating days racing for the big guns. Light wind specialists Australian Steve Allen and youngster Julien Quentel also drive home their advantage as the opening volleys of the slalom shooting match begin.
The lower end of the wind limits really tested both the competitors and race crew today as conditions on the edge of suitability kept everyone on their toes.
Breeze between just 5 and 13 knots meant disruptive lulls forced many heats to be cancelled.
In between the racing the freestylers pumped onto the plane to perform for the crowds, and it wasn’t long before 2006 world champ Jose Estredo had won over the beachside fans with his extensive bag of tricks.
Meanwhile a fair amount of racing heavyweights struggled in the early heats and many failed to advance to the semi-finals.
2007 Colgate World Cup Sylt – Day 3
Jose Estredo storms back into the freestyle title hunt as a volatile North Sea flicks the switch to turn on a raging tempest.
In a day of stark contrasts bright sunshine turned to howling winds and showers after a frustrating morning of gusty unsuitable conditions.
To entertain the crowds the organisers resorted to a fun freestyle contest won by Jose Estredo (Fanatic / North) to regain his taste for victory.
But the patient were eventually rewarded when a gentle day at the beach suddenly turned into a furious freestyle conflict as the wind kicked-in and the head judge gave the nod for official freestyle competition.
All the top seeds advanced through the first couple of rounds and the first upsets occurred when world number 6 Anthony Ruenes (Tabou / Gaastra) was knocked-out by Taty Frans (Starboard / MauiSails).
2007 Colgate World Cup Sylt – Day 4
Flaming-hot Fanatic rider Nayra Alonso helps her team take a valuable triple discipline lead at Sylt with a famous victory over world champion Iballa Moreno in the waves.
A narrow window of wind and waves allowed the women a valuable chance to complete their wave sailing single elimination this morning.
It was apparent from the early heats that careful wave selection would prove critical for success.
Cross to cross onshore wind from the left and punchy head high shore break waves gave the ladies the perfect canvass to showcase their skills.
RIght from the start it became apparent that Nayra Alonso (Fanatic / Severne) was revelling in the conditions and that Steffi Wahl (F2 / Gaastra) would also be a threat.
The early heats progressed without drama until Wahl caused a major upset when she defeated tour leader Daida Moreno (North) in round 2.
Wahl displayed superior timing and rhythm to tear the chunky swell to pieces and take a critical victory to make the German crowds truly proud.
2007 Colgate World Cup Sylt – Day 5
A bonus pulse of swell brightens a sunny day at Sylt. Both hope and pressure build as an early start’s called for a sunrise wavesailing session tomorrow.
Blazing sunshine, clear skies but sadly no wind denied the PWA’s finest competitors the chance to show off to the crowds today.
True to the forecast not even the slalom racers were close to being scrambled into action.
Far from disappointed the spectators settled down on the sandy beach and hospitality areas to enjoy watching some free surfing sessions and a stand-up paddling race won by The Starboard team of former wave sailing champ Scott McKercher (Starboard / Severne), slalom world champ Antoine Albeau (Starboard / NeilPryde) and Aruban freestyle sensation Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde).
Over the afternoon a fresh groundswell started to show on the sandbanks of Westerland’s Brandenburger Strand, and many of the pros grabbed surfboards to limber up for some possible action tomorrow.
2007 Colgate World Cup Sylt – Day 6
Patience And Persistence Pay Dividends For The Race Crew And Loser’s Finalists After A Long And Testing Day At The Beach.
An early start to capitalize on an upbeat swell and wind forecast led to disappointment for the wave sailors today.
The predicted surf just didn’t show at all and a total lack of wind compounded the situation for the men waiting to progress in their single elimination.
A long day at the busy event site followed and it looked certain that there would be no competition at all.
But right at the last the race director decided to that there was enough wind to run the pending loser’s final from race 1.
2007 Colgate World Cup Sylt – Day 7
Marcilio Browne seizes the Freestyle world title as 2006 champ Jose Estredo and tour leader Kiri Thode’s hopes fade into the twilight. A long day of tension and drama also saw 2007 slalom champ Antoine Albeau demolish the opposition with a stunning hat of race wins.
An early meet for the freestylers came to no avail and the call was made to switch to slalom racing as soon as a few early heats of the double elimination were abandoned.
2007 Colgate World Cup Sylt – Day 8
The Sylt seafront swells with spectators as a lack of wind fails to spoil the Party
After the dramatic events of yesterday’s freestyle conclusion, massive Saturday crowds flocked to the Island of Westerland’s Brandenburger Strand at Sylt to mingle with windsurfing’s top names and biggest celebrities.
Sylt’s fine wine and quality seafood attract crowds regardless and the chance to get an autograph and meet and greet some of the best windsurfers on the planet is the icing on the cake.
New article
Sylt goes out with a bang. Champagne corks pop and champions are crowned after a day rammed full of insane freestyle, wild surf slalom and an all-out wave sailing expression session.
Men’s Freestyle Double Elimination
The action-packed day kicked off with the completion of the men’s freestyle double elimination.
On Friday 18-yr old Brazilian star Marcilio Browne (Mistral / Gaastra) had already finished high enough in the rankings to seal the 2007 title, but the event crown was still to be decided.
Browne faced Bonaire trick specialist Tonky Frans (F2 / Gaastra) for a shot at the final against single elimination winner Jose Estredo (Fanatic / North).
In difficult choppy conditions Frans’ score sheets marked him down for repetition but his technical skill and style impressed the judges enough for him to defeat the new world champ.
Frans came out in the final super fired-up but the conditions limited both him and Estredo’s ability to pull off their top drawer tricks.
Eventually a stylish, one-handed regular stance chacho, right under the crowd’s noses gave the Caribbean stylist the win and so, under the double elimination format, a re-sail to settle the event title was necessary.
This time Estredo was not settling for second. Immediately the youngster floated an amazingly high and tweaked shaka in very marginal winds. ‘Gollito’ then killed off Frans’ hopes completely when he bust out his signature move, the ‘Burner’, and a perfect one-handed chacho of his own.
Freestyle Results after 1 Double Elimination:
1. Jose Estredo
2. Tonky Frans
3. Marcilio Browne