Windfinder News

Windfinder Android App now includes Widgets!

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:41:13 +0200

We just released a new version of our Windfinder Android App. Besides some smaller bugfixes, we have filled a popular feature request: the Windfinder Pro app now also features a widget! Now you can see the conditions at your local spot right on your home screen.

You can download the new version of the Windfinder Android App on Google Play.

Mobile website www.windfinder.mobi is online!

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 13:40:04 +0100

After the launch of our main website, we are happy to show you our new website for smartphones: www.windfinder.mobi

On this website, you can easily find wind forecasts, superforecast and real-time measurements for over 30000 locations worldwide. Simply use the search box or use the “nearby” menu to find wind and weather forecasts close to your current location. The website works on all devices like iPhone, Android or Blackberry phones.

We are open for any feedback! Just send a mail to info@windfinder.com.

Today’s weather forecast: sunny and windy with a slight...

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 09:21:01 +0100

Today’s weather forecast: sunny and windy with a slight chance of meteor showers. In Russia a meteor hit the earth, causing a lot of explosions, damage and also hurt several people. We will watch the news to see updates and get more information about this.

Tom Hebert professional kiteboarder interview

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 13:19:00 +0100

We have interviewd professional kiteboarder Tom Hebert from New Caledonia. Tom is 24 years old and lives in Nouméa, New Caledonia. Tom was born on the island of La Réunion and grew up together with his sister and parents on a 14 m boat. They sailed around the coast of Africa and Tom discovered the joy of the ocean from a young age. At the age of 5 years his family decided to settle down in New Caledonia where Tom and his sister first learned windsurfing. A local kiteboarder jumped over Tom with his kite while Tom was windsurfing. This impressed him and made him want to get into the sport quickly. Tom has been kiting since the age of 13 and started competing in 2005. HHe finished 26th in 2007, 7th in 2008, 10th in 2009, 6th in 2010 and 5th in 2011 on the PKRA World Freestyle Tour. Tom is sponsored by North Kiteboarding.

Q: I guess, many people consider you to be very lucky to live in New Caledonia? What is it like to live there? What is the culture like? The mentality?

A: Yes I’m very happy to live there. It’s a big island but there is not many people living there (300000) so I know a lot of them. There is a mixture of a lot of cultures. There many Melanesians, Tahitians, French, Japanese, etc.
I love to be on the water or in the sea so it’s the perfect place to be: good surfing, good kiting, good fishing!

Q: Over the past few years you have continously progressed on the PKRA world cup. Last year you only did one event? How come? Are you tired of competitions?

A: Yes, I did a lot of competitions in the past and I got a bit tired of it. Now I prefer to ride for myself and try to push my own style. I don’t like to be judged by people who don’t know how to do a back roll!

Q: Do you still enjoy the professional kiteboarding career? Or ist it more like work?

A: Yes, I do Now I’m a free rider for North Kiteboarding.

Q: How much of your life is about kiteboarding? What do you do when you don’t kitesurf?

A: I go fishing or surfing, hunting…

Q: Who are your idols (in kiteboarding or in sport in general and why)?

A: I don’t really have any idols I try to get inspired by a lot of people and try to do a good mix with it.

Q: 2 years ago you switched from Airush to North Kiteboarding? What is it like to be on the North Kiteboarding team? How does the cooperation between NKB and you look like? I guess you visited the North headquarters near Munich. What do think of Munich and Germany?

A: It’s been a very good opportunity for me and my career. North is one of the biggest brands on the market or maybe even the largest. I really like the gear. Yes, I was able to visit the headquarters and the factory in Sri Lanka. The Germans are known as very good manufacturers and they realized that indeed it’s ture. When I was visited the factory I realized why the kites are that good, the building techniques are so hi tech and there are many quality checks.

Q: You just did a freestyle camp in New Caledonia? What was it like to touch riders that probably already have a very good level. Are you creating your own (local) competition?

A: Yes, it’s been very good. All the participants were very happy, they stayed one more week to practize. New Caledonia is just the perfect place to train and progress. The level of the riders was average but now they are ripping! I’m not into competitions anymore as I told you before. I prefer to organize a big free ride day and a have nice BBQ on the beach.

Q: What are your plans for 2013 and beyond?

A: In 2013 I will ride a lot again and start a new video project with North Kiteboarding. I will go to the North freestyle photo shoot as well. Making photos and videos are my primary goals for this year. I wanna make people dream!

Video of Tom Hebert:

Windfinder has been redesigned!

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 13:16:00 +0100

2013 will be an exciting new year for Windfinder with a lot of new products and new features for both our website and our apps. The first new release of this year is maybe the biggest one - we have completely redesigned our website with a new fresher and cleaner look and a lot of usability improvements.

There are some features that we want to point out specifically:

Use our new dynamic wind report maps to find wind and weather reports for over 13000 locations worldwide

Use our dynamic wind forecast and Superforecast maps to get a better picture of the general weather situation

Find out the real-time conditions at your spot with our new webcam features

Easily switch between spot and country level with just one click
Use our search menu on every page
Use the recent spot menu - this keeps track of your last visited locations, you can switch between these locations with just one click

Of course we are always looking for your feedback - just send us a mail to info@windfinder.com.

DWC Kühlungsborn finished

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 09:00:29 +0200

The German Windsurf Cup came to an at Kühlungsborn this weekend. Vincent Langer proved to be in a great shape for the 2012 season, winning this event.

On the first day slalom eliminations were held. In this discipline, Bernd Flessner did not miss any race and won this discipline. In racing, Vincent Langer won every race ahead of Helge Wilkens.

Thanks to the organizers for a great season - we are already looking forward to next year!

Discover Fanø - be free!

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 13:38:15 +0200

We have received a great trip report from Carsten from ewigkite.de. He joined kite- and landboard riders Emmanuel Norman and Pascal Lohmann on a trip to the danish island Fanø and finds a paradise for all kite-related sports. Here is their trip report - thanks Carsten, Emmanuel and Pascal for sharing this!

It is just before midnight. The ferry casts off for the last time today. We have left our workaday life behind us at the German-Danish border at least 150 km ago. After a 15 minutes ferry-trip and a short search in the dark we find our holiday home. A few other kitesurfers are already there. The BBQ is started once again. A good start! Altogether eight kite-enthusiasts share the summer cottage in the midst of the dunes at the south part of the island. During the normal course of life, every now and then, we all dream about distant kite destinations that promise the paradise on earth. This time though we are searching our luck right on the doorstep at our Danish neighbors. And we are going to find it!

Two kitesurfers with championship titles are on the way with us: Pascal Lohmann and Emmanuel Norman. The two of them want to practice. We others mostly want to spend some kite holidays together. The reason for our holiday at this time and place is the 28. International kite Fliers Meeting Fanø 2012. The biggest European single line kite festival takes place on the apparently endless beach of the North Sea Island once a year. Our thing is clearly powerkiting. Although it is impressive to watch thousands of delicate mostly handmade single line kites in the sky during the day.

For one week in the middle of June, the International kite-scene represents itself with a colorful hustle and bustle once again. It is quite amazing how many different figures the kite fans design and sew in their homes and cellars during the winter season to present them at Fanø: giant fish and octopuses, flying beer bottles and mega bowls and several other fantasy figures. Quite often kites with the size of 50 square meters hover through the sky.

We unpack our much smaller kites at the buggy-beach a few km further to the south. From 6 to 21 m² we have everything with us that can delight a kiters hearth. Every day we drive with our kite-mobiles and caravans to the round about one kilometer of beach where the powerkiters and sand yachts cavort. The firm beach of the west coast can be driven on by car from the north to the south. Along the dunes the cars mostly move at the required 30 km/h speed limit. Sometimes one can watch vehicles that are doing almost 80 km/h. The drivers obviously can’t bear to be overtaken by people like Pascal and Norman. When there is an onshore wind blowing the buggy drivers can go for about 5 km in one direction. Pascal screws together his buggy and unpacks his 19er speed de Luxe. Slowly he warms up to suddenly show how far his speed meter goes up. Speeding it up on best underground for kilometers is making Pascal apparently very happy. Seldom one sees him taking a break. He uses the days on Fanø for his personnel championship training. The broad and solid beach which is only sometimes interrupted by uneven sand drifts, guarantees him and us hobby buggy drivers ideal conditions for drifting and all sorts of turning maneuvers. We let our four buggies roll strongly and go to the limits of ours and the materials capacity. There are dozens of buggies on their way but it’s never cramped.

After a coffee at the beach some of us get ready for the water. Thankfully we have a tough fully-automatic-bean-to-cup-Coffey-maker that can abide the fluctuations of our generator. Usually the wind blows onshore, sometimes sideshore. During the week the wind gauge shows varying values. From 10 to 21 knots - it’s all there. Only on one day it is noticeable rough. Four of us are enthusiastic Kite surfers but Emanuel beats us all: before we have even rolled out our kites he is already working on his speed. He operates with passion in a distance of about 100 meters to the beach. The waves are more drawn-out further out than closer to the beach. Emanuel does well with that and pushes his kite hardly. Every now and then he interrupts his speed sessions for a skillful jump unit. By the standing out middle-finn one can see that Emanuel uses his “Flyrace”, even from the distance. Emanuel obviously doesn’t need any audience, today. He is just concentrated.

Kitesurfers that don’t do competitions and consider themselves as amateurs or advanced learners also get their money’s worth on Fanø. With incoming or outgoing tide, stretched patches of shallow waters develop off the coast for two to three hours. Beginners and flat-water-freaks find an ideal place: The water is knee-deep and very calm in spite of the wind. It wouldn’t take much for calling it as smooth as glass. One of us leaves for Fanø Bath in the North of the island. He does 15 knots and only needs to tack twice. Wind and tide mean particular well on that day: six kilometers of flat piste. Hundreds of single line kites turn the clear blue skies over Fanø into a fanciful tableau. The way back is even more relaxed - Just gliding-back. A kite surfer beaming with happiness arrives at the buggy beach after some time. And, since it was so nice and the water is still calm and smooth, he practices a few more tricks. Moves, tried in choppy water in vain are much easier in Fanø’s flat waters. If Emanuel, who watched a few jumps and tricks from the beach gives helpful advice it is even easier.

From 20 meters behind the shoreline there are stretched out, slowly building up waves, or – when the win rises, sometimes stronger waves that demand more skills. The kitesurf-area that extends for kilometers offers never-ending space and invites to a solid “downwinder” now and then. Fanø, there’s plenty of space on the water and plenty of freedom for kitesurfers!

Sometimes Pascal and Emanuel begin land sessions with parallel landboarding or buggying. Apparently they have lots of fun coming this close to another that at least their hands touch while they are driving and doing their moves and tricks. Fortunately there are no accidents. These two are just great! Afterwards one can see the two of them on their landboards for hours. They do tempo and slides or acrobatic moves and handlepasses and all the tricks which names the normal audience doesn’t know. Fanø means also freedom for landboarders!

Most nights our group is the last on the beach. After a last jaunt to the water, a last buggy drive, a last landboard session, we leave the beach at 10.30 pm at sunset. At the latest now the feeling of absolute freedom is so fulfilling that one wants to kite through the whole night. But tomorrow is another day. The next day Emanuel wants to “rock” the bunker. The concrete block is a reminder of the war. We found it the day before at the edge of the dunes. Before our expedition we have to find out if the bunker is in the fenced off sanctuary for breeding birds. The integrity of creation is a major issue on Fanø, which is good. The bunker is freely accessed. Emmanuel is very excited, unpacks his kite, puts the board under his feet and speeds it up for an hour: Up the bunker, down the bunker, upright and sidewise along the bunker, jumps between bunker and adjoining ramp. Quite impressive what one can do with a kite and a landboard on a bunker.

For one week Fanø represented itself as an island of unlimited opportunities for kiters. Furthermore, none of us forgot the message on the bunker, not even when we had already passed the Danish-German border and were heading back towards our everyday life:

“Be free!”

Sunny weekend at KTE Holland

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 08:59:35 +0200

Arriving for the first time in Holland, the MINI Kitesurf Tour Europe and its competitors passed by the dune landscape of Brouwersdam for a four days actionful event happening - the Kitegatta 2012. An amazing count of 101 total competitors in Freestyle and Race represented 15 countries. The best riders in Europe planed to create another great show on the water to showcase fastest speeds and tricky maneuvers, providing onlookers and participants with ultimate performances. According to the wind forecast, light wind was announced for the majority event. Racing participants made sure that their gear was properly registered, while freestyle riders could be seen broadcasted throughout the event site, catching up with friends and enjoying the warm and sunny days. Riders and fans, discussed the new movie « Hidden Lines » by Kevin Langeree and Youri Zoon. During the whole event, wind conditions were too light for any freestyle action, but still good enough for racings.

With positive energy, just close after the Olympic Summer Games in London, all racers were motivated and full of power to show perfect kitesurfing skills and fastest speeds on the water. After fourteen completed races throughout the event days with different conditions, Ricccardo Leccese (Columbia) and Stephanie Bridge (UK) rode very consistently throughout the whole dutch event, with strong and powered approach and a final success with first podium positions. Maxime Nocher (FRA) and Christine Bönniger (GER) achieving second, Florian Gruber (GER) and Katja Roose (NED) coming in third. On day four, the awards ceremony took place on the beach at the event site, where many spectators, friends, and fans gathered to see the final exposure of the official winners for racing. Proudly accepting their awards and the price money, each winner looked over the audience with big smiles and much appreciation. Unfortunately all 60 freestyle riders didn’t get any chance to hit the water. They were chilling on the beach or in the event village, where kite brand companies displayed their 2013 gear and play host to lounging and relaxation. DJ booths and animation made up a large portion of the area as well.

In all, the event in Holland was well received. Next up on tour, the MINI Kitesurf Tour Europe will take part in the Derby Kites of La Baule, France. Featuring racing and freestyle performances as well as a great event village with a trainer kite area, MINI showroom and MINI test rides. The french tour stop will host all European rider from 27th to 30th of september 2012.

Kitesurf Tour Europe heading to Netherlands / Brouwersdam!

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 16:43:00 +0200

The MINI Kitesurf Tour Europe prepares for its halftime in Netherlands/ Brouwersdam. The third tour location, which is becoming one of the most anticipated kitesurfing spots, will take competitors to the North Sea at Beware Beach/ Brouwersdam, Netherlands. Featuring a Freestyle and Course Racings exhibition with the best kitemasters, the 3rd tour stop promises to dish out the european’s best in racing and freestyle action.

The third tour stop at Brouwersdam will take place from August 16th to August 19th. Defending currently championship leader Mario Rodwald (GER) will surely stay motivated to win for the third time in a row, while local top riders Jerrie van de Kop (NED) and Johnno Schulte (NED) as well as female rider Annelouse Lammerts (NED) and Jalou Langeree (NED) look to break the leaders streaks, hopefully claiming the home title and gain dutch medals.

With regards to the Course Racing discipline, the best riders will come to showcase their skills for top placements. For the first time course racing’s acceptance as an Olympic sport, the MINI KTE competitor’s fleet will battle on the North Sea, to raise up the level of this ever-growing sport. Surely, the top-ranked, including Rolf van der Vlugt (NED), Julien Kerneur (FRA) and Bruno Sroka (FRA) as well as leading racers, Florian Gruber (GER), will offer up some of the most incredible racing action. Furthermore, female frontrunners Katja Roose (NED), Christine Bönniger (GER) and Stephanie Bridge (UK) are also in attendance, and plan to make their strongest showing yet, while others will fight to rise through the ranks and claim top titles. After the Olympic Games in London, kitesurfing will awake concentrated attention regarding to the next Olympics in 2016.

The wind forecast for Brouwersdam is looking quite light at the moment, but of course it will be enough for racing.

German Kitesurf Trophy champions 2012 crowned

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 13:03:05 +0200

The German Kitesurf Trophy finished last weekend on the island Fehmarn. After three tour stops at Damp, Holnis and Fehmarn-Südstrand the champions 2012 were crowed.

With not enough wind to complete the freestyle elimination, the championship title this year is basically based on the results from the tour stop at Holnis. The men’s freestyle title goes to Mario Rodwald for the seventh time in a row, finishing ahead of Nils Wesch and Christian Brill. Christian’s sister Susanne Brill won the women’s title ahead of Christine Bönniger and last year’s champion Sabrina Lutz. The junior’s title went to Linus Erdmann.

In racing the discipline was dominated by three persons: Florian Gruber, Christine Bönniger and Jannis Maus won their fleets with a big margin to their competitors. They are already looking forward to the next international events and of course the Olympics 2016.

Thanks a lot to the organizers, the riders and the spectators for a great series of events in 2012 - we are already looking forward to see you at the Kitesurf Trophy stops next year!

German Windsurf Cup in Eckernförde finished

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 12:13:11 +0200

The German Windsurf Cup 2012 took place in Eckernförde at the Baltic Sea last weekend. With nine races and a complete slalom elimination held in thermal easterly winds, this was a very nice weekend for all competitors and spectators.

Vincent Langer won seven out of nine races and dominated the whole fleet. He also won the Slalom elimination. Helge Wilkens returned from an injury with great success, he came in in 3rd and 2nd position in race and slalom. Eckernförde local Oliver-Tom Schliemann made his first appearance in racing, coming in in 3rd place.

The next DWC event will take place in Kühlungsborn from 7th to 9th September.

Windfinder start page redesigned

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 18:24:39 +0200

Today we have released a redesigned version of the Windfinder start page. This version should make it much easier to find wind forecasts and reports for your preferred location. Here is a small introduction on what we have done:

The main navigation point is a big map. You can find all of our 30000 forecast locations on there. If you allow your browser to tell us your location, we can even zoom directly to your place and you can find forecasts near your place! You can find an explanation of the different marker types by clicking on the help icon on the top right side of the map.

The second big new feature is our improved search function. While you type, you already get the first matching results to your query directly from our database. This makes it much faster to find the location you are looking for. By selecting the entry with your keyboard or by clicking on it the map automatically zooms to this location.

And if we don’t have a forecast for your specific location (yet), no problem - just enter the full location name, hit the search button and we show you the location on the map. You can select forecast locations around this place afterward.

The third big new feature is the “Past locations”. Whenever you visit a forecast or report page on Windfinder, we store this information for you like a bookmark. When you get back to the start page, you can find these locations with a special marker on the map or in the dropdown menu on top of the map. If you use forecasts for only some locations very frequently, this will be a massive time-saver.

Tell us what you think about this - just send a mail to info@windfinder.com or write us on our Facebook page! If you have any problems, just let us know!

Sebastian Kördel crowned German Windsurfing champion 2012!

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 10:25:47 +0200

This weekend, the final event of the German Windsurf Cup season 2011/12 was held on the island Sylt. 125000 spectators watched the windsurfers fight for the last points for the German rankings for this season.

The overall German Champion for this year is Sebastian Kördel, breaking the winning streak of Bernd Flessner. Second and third place went to Vincent Langer and Gunnar Asmussen. Langer also won the German Championships in Racing discipline. The best slalom rider this year was Bernd Flessner after a great catch-up race. The waveriding discipline was won by Holger Beer.

Thanks to the organizers for this great season. The next event - already counting for next year’s championships will be held in Eckernförde between August 10th and 12th.

Kitesurf World Cup Skt. Peter-Ording finished

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 09:15:42 +0200

The final day of the Beetle Kitesurf World Cup carried out with suspenseful racing action and more podium finishes for the top riders in the world. With freestyle and airstyle disciplines completed, racing became the one and only focus. Competitors welcomed this last day, as it boasted plenty of onshore wind, which increased into the afternoon.

The first race of the day – race nine – began with 21 racers in the fleet. In 10-13 knots of wind, which began to switch further north, Riccardo Leccese (COL) took an early lead along with Olivier Dansin (FRA) not far behind. The course retained a very long and challenging first tack, and by its end Adam Koch (USA) had pulled ahead, with Leccese, Dansin, and Bryan Lake (USA) trailing. The first four racers were evenly spread apart until the first leeward mark, at which time, Koch and Leccese raced closer together. John Heineken trailed further back than usual, while Koch improved his winning distance after the second to last mark. Meanwhile, Katja Roose (NED) and Christine Bönniger (GER) took part in an incredibly close race. Both made minor mistakes; however, Bönniger came out ahead in the end. Closing in on the finish line first, Koch crossed first, while Lake gained on Leccese, crossing second, followed by Leccese and Dansin.

Race ten continued with consistent wind and fairly choppy conditions. Koch pulled into a clear first place after the first windward mark and was followed by Dansin, Leccese, and Heineken. Towards the first leeward buoy, Koch increased his speed and gained an even greater lead. Throughout the middle of the race, Dansin made a steady climb, while Leccese and Heineken battled very closely. In fact, for the entire second lap, these two racers were nearly side-by-side in an all out battle for the better position. While lake gained ground in the second lap, he eventually fell further back than usual, and Koch remained in first. In the final moments, Koch crossed first with ease; however, Heineken and Leccese had a photo finish just inches apart – Heineken just barely earning second place before the feisty Columbian.

The eleventh official race was characterized by another early lead by Koch, who had commented earlier that he had spent the entire night prior tuning his gear. Obviously benefiting from whatever changes he made, Koch stayed strong in this position for some time, until succumbing to Lake after the first leeward mark. On the second lap, first, second, and third place racers stayed very close up through the windward mark, wherein Lake and Koch separated from the rest of the fleet with substantial distance. Bönniger and Roose also fought closely once again, racing incredibly well and challenging each other around every buoy. Once the end was near, Lake and Koch turned out to be extremely far ahead, followed by Heineken and Dansin. Bönniger earned first place in this race, with Roose and Goma behind.

Race twelve carried on with similar results, yet interestingly enough, no single racer dominated completely as Lake did on the previous competition day. In this battle, Lake remained in first from the beginning. Somewhat expectedly, Heineken, and Koch trailed just after. By the time the first racers entered into the second lap, Heineken gained a closer proximity to Lake, while Dansin and Florian Gruber (GER) stayed consistently just behind Leccese. With little time to spare, Koch pulled ahead of Heineken just before the second to last mark, finishing second behind lake and in front of Heineken. This also stood out as one of the closest women’s races of the day as Katja won for the third time since the morning began.

Finally, the last race of the entire competition was on deck. For many of the top racers, including the women, this race would decide final placement. Many competitors remained just points away from their fellow racers. As such, some different strategies and tactics made this race the most interesting so far. Leccese and Heineken led the fleet in the beginning, while Gruber and Roose took a different approach on the port tack. Most other racers took a very late tack, sticking together. Surprisingly, around the first windward mark, Gruber took the lead, as did Katja Roose, while Lake moved into second at the leeward buoy. Dansin also moved steadily up in the fleet, ultimately finishing third, while Gruber achieved his first, first place finish of the event, with Leccese in second and Dansin in third.

In recalling the last great days of highly competitive course racing, both Florian and Katja had much to say. Gruber commented, “The conditions were good at this event – not too strong and not too light. In the future it could be fun to add a slalom element to the course, but I was pleased with the racing here in St. Peter-Ording and I look forward to coming back next year.”

Katjya also revealed that this event was quite a challenge for her, as she had a strong competitor and on the first day, her gear wasn’t quite where she wanted it too be. Going on, she said, “Christine and I raced so close together that the last race was the one that decided the ultimate winner. Because of this, I took a big risk and started on port, along with Gruber, and it ended up paying off! Sometimes, if you start on port and the fleet comes too early, you are stuck in a very bad position, but this time it worked and I am really happy about it.”

Overall, the Beetle Kitesurf World Cup proved to be a giant success, with major wins and amazing on-water battles. In every discipline, the best of the best showcased their incredible talent, eventually revealing the deserving champions and podium placers. After yet another year in the ideal location of St. Peter-Ording, and after crowning the winners at the giant village stage, one might be tempted to ask – who will win next year?

Racing Men:

Bryan Lake (USA)
Riccardo Leccese (COL)
John Heineken (USA)

Racing Women:

Katja Roose (NED)
Christine Bonniger (GER)
Nuria Goma (ESP)

Big Wins at the Beetle Kitesurf World Cup

Sun, 15 Jul 2012 09:46:21 +0200

The eighth day of competition at the Beetle Kitesurf World Cup brought on the continuation of the men’s and women’s freestyle and airstyle double eliminations. With only two days of competition left, remaining competitors welcomed the day as the ultimate opportunity to showcase their best skills with as much consistency as possible. After their much-needed day off, all competitors returned to the event village, eager for what was to come.

The day began with side shore winds, which later shifted to more on-shore in the later heats of the day. Measuring around 11-25 knots, the conditions proved challenging, yet well-suited to the continuation and completion of both disciplines – allowing for the crowning of the official champions at the Beetle Kitesurf World Cup.

Starting off with face-offs between Christophe Tack (BEL) and Reno Romeu (BRA), as well as Hannah Whiteley (GBR) and Therese Taabel (DEN), onlookers were treated to a full array of on-the-water action. Tack pulled off a Front Blind Mobe and Back Mobe in the middle of his heat, while Romeu’s highest scoring trick was a 6.44 KGB. Going on to compete against Patrick Blanc (ESP), Tack advanced once again with a higher score of 39.3 to Blanc’s 35.43. For the women, Bruna Kajiya (BRA) did incredibly well in her heat against Karolina Winkowska (POL) in the semi-finals, wherein she executed a well-scored Blind Judge 3 and an Loop 1. In the women’s final, Kajiya and Pulido battled once again in a very close heat. Bruna’s best tricks proved to be a strong 313 and S3, which she completed in the middle of her heat, while Gisela’s top scoring moves included a Blind Judge 3 and 313. Eventually, Pulido came out on top, with less crashes and a higher overall score.

By the time the last four men’s heats were in sight, the bulk of the beach gathered to the shore to watch the excitement unfold. Alex Pastor (ESP) emanated confidence and near perfect wake-style technique in his high performance heat against Stefan Spiessberger (AUT), and advanced with a solid lead. Pastor then went up against Youri Zoon (NED), the defending 2011 champion of this event, eventually losing in the last minutes of the heat. Finally, Kevin Langeree (NED), the winner of the single eliminations, and Zoon met up again in the final freestyle heats of the Beetle Kitesurf World Cup. With the ominous feel of the dark clouds moving overhead, and rain beginning to dot the huge windows of the elevated judging tower, Zoon and Langeree entered the water for the final showdown. All of the anticipation of the event culminated in the following minutes of this battle. For Kevin, a win would mean a return to his former glory as the three-time champion of this event, while for Zoon, it could mark the continuation of his winning streak with the PKRA.

In heat #47, Zoon took his 10-meter straight into a powered SH5, while Langeree initially threw down a Back Mobe. As the winds began to increase with the front pushing through, each competitor gained more speed and power in the tricks they executed. At first, Langeree was in the lead, with a high-scoring Slim, Blind Judge 3, and KGB; however, Zoon came from behind with a very powerful S3 and Slim to win the heat.

As Zoon defeated the singles winner, the two went head to head once more. This would be the final deciding heat. Amazingly, both of the competitors stepped it up once again, and earned the highest heat scores of the day. Zoon started off with a huge Front Mobe, which gained a gasp from the judging tower, while Langeree solidly executed a Late to Back Mobe and big Slim, among other tricks. Zoon, however, may have sealed the deal with the highest scoring trick of the day, an 8.13 Blind Judge 5. This put him over the edge into the winning position, which he held onto until the very end.

When asked about the day and his solid heats, Youri commented, “It has been an amazing day. The conditions were pretty hard to ride but I made it into the final after a challenging heat with Alex. I really wanted to win the doubles, so I pushed it and rode with lots of power and took some risks, which paid off.”

After announcing the freestyle champions with much applause and excitement, the Airstyle World Championship double eliminations began. Top placers in the single eliminations such as Alvaro Onieva (ESP) and Gisela Pulido returned to hold onto their singles titles. Throughout the late afternoon, a myriad of big air moves, board offs, and even can-cans were showcased, leaving many to smile and watch in amazement at this new yet different discipline. Perhaps most impressively, Reno Romeu (BRA) was able to climb up through the ladder the ladder, consistently exhibiting crowd-pleasing moves such as the YMCA and Triple Board-Offs. In the end, the winners of the singles – Onieva and Pulido – remained victorious, gaining the 2012 Airstyle World Championship for the first time ever. Reno Romeo, Ariel Corniel (DR), Kristin Boese (GER), and Katja Roose (NED) earned podium placements as well (respectively).

Freestyle Men:

Youri Zoon (NED)
Kevin Langeree (NED)
Alex Pastor (ESP)

Freestyle Women:

Gisela Pulido (ESP)
Bruna Kajiya (BRA)
Karolina Winkowska (POL)

Airstyle Men:

Alvaro Onieva (ESP)
Reno Romeu (BRA)
Ariel Corniel (DR)

Airstyle Women:

Gisela Pulido
Kristin Boese
Katja Roose

Kitesurf Course Racing action in Skt. Peter-Ording

Sat, 14 Jul 2012 11:01:30 +0200

Focusing solely on racing, the seventh day of competition proved to fit well with the conditions, as wind was light, yet perfectly suitable for the continuation of course racing. With 8-14 knots of wind, racers entered the water in the early morning, hungry for a day full of racing action. At this point, Riccardo Leccese (COL) and Christine Bönniger (GER) held first place positioning, and hoped to keep it that way. For the third racing day in the competition, the best racers on the planet gathered around the starting line for the fifth race of the Beetle Kitesurf World Cup.

On this fifth race, Leccese, Bryan Lake (USA), and Olivier Dansin (FRA) pulled out to the lead first. Lake and Leccese quickly gained top positioning and widened their distance from the rest of the fleet within several minutes. While John Heineken pushed past his competitors toward the front around the windward mark, Blazeg Ozog (POL) and Florian Gruber (GER) battled in fourth and fifth place. On their second lap, Lake continued to hold his lead with Leccese staying strong in second. Many competitors took different lines, which greatly separated the fleet. Minutes before the finish line, Adam Koch gained some ground, which put him in fourth, and the end result turned out to be Lake in first, with Leccese, Gruber, and Koch behind.

The second race of the day – race six – proved to be just as exciting and suspenseful to watch, as the varied strategies and tactics became more clear. Adam Koch crossed the start early, which disqualified him, while Lake immediately traveled further upwind than his fellow competitors. Heineken and Leccese fought interchangeably for top positioning at the front of the fleet, while Gruber once again moved ahead past Olivier Dansin (FRA) and Julien Kerneur (FRA). Lake then took a faster line from the first windward to leeward tack, locking into serious speed, as he barely had to work his kite to gain power. Taking a big risk, Lake then short-tacked and Koch continued to hold his placement in front. With Leccese close behind, Lake overtook Gruber and sped over the finish line, followed by Gruber and the disqualified Koch.

Race seven stood out as an interesting battle as well, as all racers took off on the same tack, allowing for an impressive viewing perspective from the beach. Lake tacked quickly, as did Heineken; however, Heineken came in too tight and missed his first mark. By the windward buoy, Lake had gained an impressive lead. Heineken and Leccese then battled for second and third place. Amazingly, by the leeward mark on the second lap, Lake was 35 seconds ahead of the rest of the fleet. By the end, racers were very spread out and Lake happily took another “bullet”, in what would be his best racing day yet. Christine Bönniger (GER) went on to earn first as well, continuing her winning streak for the majority of the races so far and making her German fans very proud.

In the last race of the day, competitors continued on the square-shaped course that took approximately 13-15 minutes for the first racers to complete, with marks roughly 1 kilometer apart. The wind shifted and picked up briefly for this race, so many riders switched to smaller kites. This was the best race of the day for Katja Roose (NED) who raced incredibly well, earning 15th overall against the men, and first for the women. For the men, Koch led in the beginning of the race, as Leccese, Heineken, and Lake kept close at his heels. Gruber also held strong in the front of the pack. After pulling around the first windward mark, Lake claimed the lead again, leaving Koch and Leccese to battle it out. Heineken, on the other hand, took a very different tack, hoping this would improve his ranking. Lake continued pushing forward at remarkable speeds, causing some to comment that it seemed as if he was in a different race. Lake then finished first and Heineken’s tactics worked enough to put him in second, with Dansin in third.

When asked about his successful day of racing, Lake commented “It was nice ‘big kite’ racing today on a good course. I was able to do pretty well and am really happy with my wins. I just feel honored to race with all these guys and am stoked to take the lead at this point.” Overall, the morning and afternoon proved to be an incredible day of racing. Tomorrow, winds of 11-21 knots are expected, which may allow for any and all disciplines to take center stage.

Big Action at the Beetle Kitesurf World Cup

Fri, 13 Jul 2012 10:44:23 +0200

The sixth day of competition in St. Peter-Ording, Germany, stood out as a landmark day for two major disciplines at this event. As Freestyle and Airstyle took center stage on this windy morning and afternoon, both onlookers and competitors observed that it was an ideal day considering conditions – the wind strong and consistent at 15-23-knots throughout. The sun even managed to show through at times, giving riders the opportunity to bask in brief moments of summer.

Airstyle kicked off the day early on and began with competitors such as Ariel Corniel (DR), Alvaro Onieva (ESP), and Gisela Pulido (ESP) who showed off their big airs and best board-off maneuvers. Oneiva contributed a lighthearted touch to the event, wearing a costume bull’s head in his heat that he eventually won. At the end of the final heats, Onieva and Pulido proved victorious.

The much-anticipated double elimination also began after a full day prior, wherein Kevin Langeree (NED) and Gisela Pulido (ESP) claimed first place positioning. The top ranking riders new they had earned the day off and would not be riding for some time, yet they still could be seen at the event village, very much keeping in ‘competition mode’. The remaining riders - some of the most talented in the world - went on to compete in all out battles with the championship title in their sites.

Beginning heats between skilled riders like Paul Serin (FRA) and Christophe Tack (BEL) proved to be a great show, as Serin threw down s nice Slim 5 and Blind Judge 3, while Tack executed a Front Mobe and BM5, among other powered tricks. Patrick Blanc (ESP) and Stefan Permien (GER) also put their skills to the test, with a mixture of S3s, Slims, and KGBs. For Blanc, the KGB proved to be his best of this early heat. Interestingly, Johnno Scholte (NED) and Ariel Corniel (DR) engaged in perhaps the closest heat of the day, exhibiting huge power and speed as well as amazing execution and style. Scholte earned advancement in this tough heat.

Later on, the women joined in and demonstrated their most complicated maneuvers to the best of their ability. One official judge revealed that possibly the best female heat of the day occurred between Hannah Whiteley (GBR) and Clementine Bonsom (FRA). This battle ended with an advancement by Whiteley, who executed a Blind Judge 3 and Raley. Highlights later in the afternoon included a close heat between Sebastian Garat and Christophe Tack, as well as an incredible heat featuring Marc Jacobs and Reno Romeu. Looking over his scores after losing his last heat, Sebastian retained a look of disappointment as he realized he had only succumbed to his adversary by one point. Commenting on his defeat, Garat commented, “I would have only needed one trick to have won because we each did six tricks out of the total seven tricks allowed – I wish I would have done one more!”

For the seventh day of competition, lighter wind is expected to prevail at 10-20 knots in the south/southeast direction. In light of this forecast, racing will take priority and possibly up to five races will be run. Freestyle double eliminations will not reconvene until Saturday (Day 9).

Langeree and Pulido win Single Elimination at Skt. Peter-Ording Kitesurf World Cup

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 23:25:53 +0200

With the Kitesurf World Cup in Skt. Peter-Ording about half way completed, day five proved to be incredibly busy and action packed. The wind began in the perfect range for freestyle competition, and riders arrived early to the event to kick off the first heats of the single eliminations. Choppy conditions and 16-21 knots of winds allowed for big tricks, powered maneuvers, and even some remarkable crashes.

The first heats certainly offered a hint at what the day would bring as talented riders such as Johnno Scholte (NED) and Alvaro Onieva (ESP) took to the water with a wide range of varied tricks, including KGBs, Back to Blinds, and Blind Judges. Ariel Corniel (DR) also impressed with a nice Back Mobe 5, while Mario Rodwald (GER) won an early heat with a well-executed Double S-Bend, among other big tricks.

Throughout the day, the clouds and rain came and went, barely ever hinting at the possibility of sunshine. This was classic German weather as many have come to experience, and local rider Mario Rodwald joked that it “sometimes” doesn’t rain. Regardless of this stormier weather at the Beetle Kitesurf World Cup, it remained clear that St. Peter-Ording is a great spot for such a large scale and important event. In fact, the spectators and onlookers hardly seemed phased by the passing inclement weather and watched in fascination every moment of each heat.

Into the afternoon the single eliminations progressed, with several pauses due to rain and light wind. Sebastian Garat (FRA) and Alex Pastor (ESP) enthralled many beachgoers with their high-scoring heat, wherein Pastor earned a solid 8.13 for his Blind Judge 5. The women proved just as strong in their competitive convictions, and handled their heats well. A great semi-final heat between Karolina Winkowska (POL) and top-ranked Bruna Kajiya (BRA) proved to be a suspenseful one, Winkowska eventually earning the advancing position with her 6.4 Back to Blind. Stefan Spiessberger (AUT) and Youri Zoon (NED) also took part in an incredible heat as dark storm clouds filled in close behind them. Zoon executed a high scoring S-Mobe and Slim 5, while Spiessberger answered back with a powered 7.2 Back Mobe and others.

During these last heats, more and more onlookers crowded the beach in order to take in the action and watch the very best in the world compete against each other at this near perfect German kiting destination. While racers had been released from competition early in the day, they still remained at the event village, watching and waiting to see who would earn the all-important single elimination titles.

The final battles came down to Winkowska against Pulido and Langeree against Zoon. Pulido and Winkowska rode in a quickly rising tide and winds that required 7 and 8-meter kites. Both competitors pulled off extraordinary moves, giving the crowd plenty to cheer for. With a mix of a Slim, 313, and a Blind Judge, Pulido eventually came out victorious with 24.54 points compared to Winkowska’s total of 21.49.

Shortly after, and with the look of complete focus, the two male competitors instantly began at the sound of the horn. Not surprisingly, it seems the top competitors have now gained a good grasp of what the new scoring system requires, and have adjusted their competition repertoire accordingly. Riders such as Langeree and Zoon have determined what tricks they want to execute and even in what order. If a trick is missed, they often tack back and try it again, hoping for a perfect execution. In this specific heat, the battle was close. The judges scored very consistently on all of the maneuvers, including a Grabbed 313 and Front Mobe. Ultimately, Langeree took the win with 43.15 points compared to Zoon’s 42.50.

Speaking about his big win of the day, Kevin revealed, “St. Peter-Ording is always really special for me. I’m of course very happy with my results. I had a really good heat against Alex and was hoping to go up against Youri in the finals, so that was great. My goal now is to win the championship, which would make it the 4th time I’ve won here in Germany at this event.” Langeree also emanated excitement over his major trick of the day – the 8.6 Front Mobe - explaining that his kite pulled a little strong to one side, but that he came out of it with a solid landing and heard the crowd going crazy, at which time he knew it was a good one.

The end of the day came to a close with an hour of Airstyle trial heats. This discipline will likely continue tomorrow, as will the freestyle double eliminations and racing. The conditions are looking suitable for all three of these categories, with 13-28 knots expected from the west and southwest direction.

Freestyle Men:

Kevin Langeree (NED)
Youri Zoon (NED)
Stefan Spiessberger (AUT)
Alex Pastor (ESP)

Freestyle Women:

Gisela Pulido (ESP)
Karolina Winkowska (POL)
Bruna Kajiya (BRA)
Asia Litwin (POL)

Action at Beetle Kitesurf World Cup

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 11:24:11 +0200

The 4th day of the Beetle Kitesurf World Cup began early, with many riders eager to get on the water after the day prior’s extreme weather and intense conditions. With wind measuring an average of 15 knots, competitors readied their gear with a sense of relief, considering that they would not be battling it out in 40+ knots.

The freestyle trials heats carried on with success and came to eventual completion in the afternoon. With four riders on the water at each heat, the show proved to be especially impressive. Riders including Alvaro Onieva (ESP) and Eudazio Da Silva (BRA) advanced early on with KGBs and 317s (respectively), while Ariel Corniel (DR), and Jerrie Van Der Kop (NED) took first in their heats in the later part of the day. In recalling the day’s action, Onieva revealed that he was very pleased with the event so far, saying, “I feel very grateful and happy that wind was good today and not as strong as yesterday. Yesterday was too much, but now we are able to compete and move forward.” For the women, Hannah Whiteley (UK) and Clementine Bonsom (FRA) did very well, winning their heats and thus moving onto the main event (among others).

During the trials, top riders such as Alberto Rondina, Bruna Kajiya, and Alex Pastor watched and sized up the competition, very much looking forward to continued action in the days to come. While these competitors knew it was unlikely they would compete today, they still remained happy to support the local competitors and trial participants by watching the competition and spending their day at the event site.

After a brief break, racing took to the water’s stage. In winds measuring 8-12 knots, competitors sent up their bigger kites (15-17 meters) and lined up for the same course that was run on the previous racing day. Right off of the start, Bryan Lake (USA) pulled out in the lead with John Heineken (USA) not far behind. In the light wind and choppy conditions, racers took longer to round each mark and make every tack. Several minutes into the course, Adam Koch (USA) moved into the leading position as Riccardo Leccese (COL) pulled up as well and held strong in second. Lake, on the other hand, fell back into fifth as Heineken lost ground as well. Rolf Van Der Vlugt (NED) took this opportunity to progress ahead in the fleet, as did Julien Kerneur (FRA).

During this time, Katja Roose (NED) held onto her consistent lead, while her main competitor of the event so far, Christine Bönniger (GER), kept secure in her second place until the very end. Eventually, Leccese gained a lead ahead of Koch just before the second to last mark. He achieved first place, and Koch, Heineken, and Van Der Vlugt finished shortly thereafter. First-time PKRA racer Morten Hansen (DEN) later commented, “I think it’s very nice here with good wind. It’s really great to race for the first time at this event and I hope the next days will bring consistent conditions that are not too strong or light.”

The fifth day of competition is expected to be a full one, with the likely beginning of the freestyle single eliminations, racing, and possibly Airstyle as well. The live stream will also continue to bring the action to viewers around the world. Wind forecasts predict 13-21 knots.

Extreme Winds hit Kitesurf World Cup Skt. Peter-Ording

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 10:05:38 +0200

Yesterday, the Kitesurf World Cup in St. Peter-Ording experienced wind gusts of over 45 mph mixed with rain and rising tides in the afternoon. The weather early on allowed for the beginning of trial heats, which ran through heat #13. After this point, winds were simply too strong to safely carry on competition.

The trials that did take place were incredibly impressive, as the wind was clearly gusty and highly unpredictable. Most riders were over-powered on their 6 and 7-meter kites, as they kept barely enough control to execute some stellar maneuvers and complicated tricks. With considerably more wind swell than the day prior, freestylers battled the rough waters and choppy conditions with both bravery and grace. Johnno Scholte (NED), Tijn Van Esch (NED), Reno Romeu (BRA), Finn Behrens (GER), and Antoine Fermon (FRA) all did especially well, throwing down a myriad of powered tricks, each placing first in their respective heats. Other top finishers included Christophe Tack (BEL), Ariel Cornial (DR), and Ben Bowd (UK), among others.

Aside from the absence of competition, the beach and event site still proved to be an entertaining spectacle, with downed flags, flooded tents, and wind-blown faces everywhere. As the sand hissed over the beach from around 9am on, competitors kept up their hopeful attitudes and willingness to stay huddled inside the massive wind-battered tents for the majority of the day, until it was officially called off at 2pm.

Today, the wind is expected to ease up, with probable measurements of 15-20 knots. These conditions will likely be ideal for the continuation and completion of trial heats as well as the possible start of single elimination heats. Racing may also take place, depending on the wind levels.