2007 Colgate World Cup Sylt, Germany

Sep. 21. - Sep. 30. 2007 ::: Grand SlamLocation: Westerland, Sylt, Germany

Der Worldcup Sylt mit über 180.000 Zuschauern letztes Jahr steht bevor, morgen geht es los. Waveriding Damen und Herren steht auf dem Programm, Freesytle Herren und Slalom 42 der Herren. http://www.worldcupsylt.de

Schaun wir mal, was da passiert...

The 2007 Colgate World Cup, Sylt - Event Preview

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.


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Gestern Nachmittag wurde noch die Wave Single Elimination gestartet...

The 2007 Colgate World Cup Sylt ? Registration Day

Word of an early start gets Sylt?s faithful masses flocking to the beach in their droves as the first round heats of the men?s wave contest kick off.

A positive forecast prompted the organizers to make an unusually early start to the competition on registration day to maximize the conditions available.

20-25 knots and up to head high surf got competition underway late in the afternoon. An 8-minute heat duration was set with just one jump and one ride to count from each competitor.

Even during the warm-ups the infamous Sylt shore dump claimed a bag full of masts.

Timing is everything at this bone-crunching, shallow bottomed beach break, and that skill was exactly what allowed those who made it into the second round to advance.

6 riders made it through to the second round before the wind shut down and competition was called off for the day.

Heat of the day was definitely between Welsh-based rider Phil Horrocks (JP / NeilPryde) and Tenerife ex-pat Dany Bruch (F2 / Gaastra) who proved popular with the local crowd.

Bruch notched the highest jump score of the day with a massive backloop whilst Horrocks brave and well-aimed hits on the inside sections earned him superior wave scores, and subsequently the victory.

Ben Van Der Steen (Exocet / Naish) also took a key victory over radical Gran Canarian rider Dario Ojeda in the difficult conditions towards the end of the day.

The heavyweight Dutchman made the most of the sketchy conditions to book a second round match against Levi Siver (Starboard / NeilPryde) who?s fresh off the podium in Brazil.

Also making the cut were Boujmaa Guilloul (Starboard / Severne), Martin Ten Hoeve (Fanatic / North), who edged out his compatriot Peter Volwater (F2 / North) with a solid one-handed, one-footed back loop, Yann Sorlut (Simmer) of France and freestyle and wave specialist Colin Sifferlen (Starboard / Simmer).

Forecasts suggest much lighter wind for the weekend and a switch of focus to Slalom racing. The first possible start tomorrow is at 10.30.

Anbei die Liste der Boards, die jeder Slalom Fahrer registriert hat...

Zitat

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.

Meanwhile the F2 and Fanatic teams were paraded on-stage to talk about their careers, products and life on tour.

All day long the party atmosphere built as hospitality tents served-up fine wine and fresh seafood to visitors here to witness this wave sailing, racing and freestyle fiesta.

Tonight fans and VIP’s alike will enjoy a movie theatre premiere of the sports latest showcase picture ‘The Windsurfing Movie’ which features PWA heroes of the past and present such as Robby Naish, Levi Siver (Starboard / NeilPryde), Kai Lenny (Naish /Naish) and Josh Angulo.

Tomorrow’s forecast gives hope for either slalom racing or freestyle action. The first possible start is at 10.30.

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The 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.

There was drama in the first semi when Bjorn Dunkerbeck (T1 / North), who was set to qualify easily, pumped out of the gybe at the first mark when his mast snapped and left him unable to complete the race.

The winner?s final was run in about as close as you can get to the minimum wind strength allowed, which really suited lightweight Arnon Dagan (Fanatic / NeilPryde) who won.

The 30-yr old talked us through the heat. ?Just before the start the wind dropped and that makes it even harder to time it right as you don?t want to have to slow down in light air and then try to accelerate away again late. I chose the pin-end ad timed it just right and from there I knew I?d be OK as somehow I have such unbelievable speed in low wind strengths.

I used my Falcon 125 and a 9.0 sail and was untouchable all the way around the track. Of course I?m happy to get off to a good start but I?m going to be cautious as this has happened before and then I?ve let things slip in the past. I always enjoy the crowds in Sylt and seem to perform well here including a podium finish last season. Let?s hope we get some more racing in soon!?

Dagan was pursued relentlessly by Formula racer Steve Allen (Tabou / Gaastra) of Australia who secured second place ahead of French rider Julien Quentel (Starboard / NeilPryde).

The Caribbean-based youth world champion?s third place proved that his remarkable debut slalom season is no fluke, and that he?s a force of the future who?s definitely set to stick around.

Sadly the loser?s final was abandoned and will have to be re-run as soon as conditions improve and slalom is back on the agenda.

Tomorrow?s forecast gives hope for both freestyle and wave sailing action, and the first possible start has been set at 08.30.

The 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 organizers 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).

Ruenes’ hometown team mate Thomas Traversa (Tabou / Gaastra), who’s currently ranked third overall, was next to fall at the hands of fellow Frenchman Leo Ray (Naish/ Naish).

But perhaps the day’s most critical heat was between Bonaire big-hitters Kiri Thode (Starboard / Gaastra), the current tour leader, and Tonky Frans (F2 / Gaastra).

Frans was on a roll and had to sail tough and ignore the implications a win would have on his young friends lead in the rankings to date.

Sure enough experience paid-off and Tonky sailed through to make the top 4 and eventually a final showdown with 2006 champ Gollito.

Frans’ path of destruction also dented the hopes of the last event’s winner Marcilio Browne (Mistral / Gaastra) from taking the lead in the rankings.

The Caribbean style master axed the young Brazilian in the semi-finals relegating him to the loser’s final.

Browne had full support in the driving rain on the beach from his mentor Nik Baker (Mistral / North) and the Mistral team boss, but suffered after slicing his foot, and now relies on a double elimination to repair his hopes after Ricardo Campello (JP / NeilPryde) defeated him in the loser’s final.

Another squall blew-up for the final to really test Estredo and Frans’ skills and stamina. In truth both riders crashed, burned and wrestled in the gnarly choppy conditions.

The die-hard Westerland spectators cheered when Tonky pulled a shuvit spock 540 right on the inside, and narrowly missed a stylish chacho – still one of the hardest moves to execute.

Typically though, the young Venezuelan, who was the youngest PWA champion in history last season, threw down to his trademark move, the one-handed burner, to leave Frans stunned and the judges in little doubt as to who’d won.

The title race is certainly tense now. If this single elimination remains as the only result here in Germany, then today’s dramatic twists will award Estredo a second successive crown to carry back to Margarita aged just 18.

But it’s tight between the top players and the trophy is still up for grabs to a number of competitors dependant on a double elimination being run or not.

Amongst the many scenarios possible the best chance of displacing Estredo rests with Kiri Thode who only needs to climb two positions to reclaim the trophy for Bonaire.

Who knows what the brooding Brandenburger Strand will throw up during the rest of the holding period? First possible start tomorrow is at 08.30 for the wave sailors and 10.30 for the racers and freestylers.

The 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.

From heat one it became apparent that Nayra Alonso (Fanatic / Severne) was reveling in the conditions and that Steffi Wahl (F2 / Gaastra) would also be a threat.

The first round 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 famous victory to make the German crowds truly proud.

The second round also saw Alonso take her first major scalp in the form of Karin Jaggi (F2 / North). Jaggi sailed to her normal high standards but on this occasion was simply outclassed by Alonso who looked untouchable with her aggressive approach.

To maximize time in the fading conditions, the organizers opted for a 4-women final between Junko Nagoshi (F2 /Simmer) - who?d accounted for experienced competitor Anne-Marie Reichmann (Naish / Naish) in the semis - the 2006 world champion Iballa Moreno (North), Alonso, and local favorite Wahl.

Alonso, aged 28, continued her good form in the final along with her fellow Gran Canarian rival Iballa Moreno.

Wahl was also looking dangerous but like Nagoshi her work rate was lower, and after Moreno fell a couple of times it wasn?t long before the onlookers were convinced they were seeing a well deserved victory.

Alonso?s vertical, destructive attack was unequalled and she took the win by a 6-1 verdict amongst the judges.

?It was like a dream come true for me? explained Alonso who arrived here ranked 5th overall. ?It?s everyone?s ambition to win a PWA event and I am so emotional that I have finally won an elimination ? in fact it?s the first time I even made a final. The forecasts look like we won?t be sailing waves again so I?ll be celebrating anyway as it?s my best result ever. Basically I tried to stay upwind and really work the peak, which a lot of the other girls didn?t. It really reminded me of my home break in Vargas and so I felt comfortable to really push my sailing as a result. I?m glad it was wave riding only as if there had been jumping I?m sure Iballa would?ve beaten me?

If there are no more suitable wind and waves for the women it looks likely that Iballa Moreno will take the world title for a second successive season.

But despite the forecasts the event is not over yet, and at Sylt anything can happen.

The men?s wave sailors were sent out a few times later in the day to try and make progress in their single elimination but the wind just kept denying them the chance to advance.

Tomorrow?s forecast gives hope for racing or perhaps even freestyle, and the first possible start has been set at 10.30

Wind ist wirklich mau bisher...

Zitat

Hi ,

Sylt has been slow so far, still hope to get some good wind before sunday "last day of the contest"
just renewed my web page, check it out!
www.dunkerbeck.com

hasta la vista!

Bjorn

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The 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.

The initial forecasts say there could be some cross-offshore wind early in the morning so the wave sailors have been summoned for an early skipper?s meeting to make the most of any surf that rocks up.

Later tomorrow the swell is predicted to back off and the wind swing around to become suitable for slalom racing.

Until then it?s an early night all-round for those hoping to hack into the daybreak waves and to possibly complete the first two rounds and gain an official result by defining a top-16

Am Ende ist er noch Zweiter geworden...

Zitat

hi , sylt is on , 3 place at the moment , still 2 days to go let's what the wind will do , more info pwaworldtour.com

saludos

Bjorn

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