Westerland is the venue for the las tour stop of the 2008 PWA Windsurf World Tour. Celebrating 25 years of competition since the birth of the seminal Sylt
World Cup, the 2008 season will reach its final destination on the
historic sands of Brandenburger Strand, from Sept 26 - Oct 05.
Nine
days of Super Grand Slam competition will witness the women's fleet
battling it out for the Wave Title, while the men's fleet engage in all
three PWA disciplines; Wave, Freestyle and Slalom. Besides a hefty prize purse, the Sylt World Cup is the final,
definitive stop that will determine the ultimate standings for the 2008
season.
Women's Wave
In the women's wave discipline, Daida
Moreno (North) tops the current standings after victory in Pozo,
however an uncharacteristic fifth place last year in Sylt may be
playing on her mind as the event draws ever closer. Hot on her heels is
sister Iballa (North), the 2007 World Champion and Sylt runner up last
year. The Moreno's are fiercely competitive and will throw everything
they have at this event to retain their reputation as the best female
wave sailors in the world.
Another heavy weight contender for
the 2008 Wave Title is last year's event winner Nayra Alonso (Fanatic,
Severne). Currently ranked 5th, Alonso adapts her sailing well to the
unpredictable Sylt conditions, and will be hungry to make this her
second year on the top of the podium.
Also in contention is
Karin Jaggi (F2, North). The Swiss sailor boasts a wealth of
competition experience, and has shown she's still very much a force to
be reckoned with after finishing 3rd in Pozo this year.
Out of
the running for the 2008 Wave Title, but
very much with a point to prove, Steffi Wahl (F2, Gaastra) is a wild
card that's capable of big things. After finishing 3rd in Sylt last
year, and backed by the local crowd, Wahl will be hell bent on climbing
higher up the podium this year.
Men's Wave
Entering Sylt, the top ten wave sailors sit
tantalizingly close to each other. Topping the ranks is 2007 World
Champion, Kauli Seadi (JP, NeilPryde, Mormaii, MFC). Seadi's sailing is
polished, fluid and dangerously creative, but a 3rd place in Pozo has
shown he is far from unbeatable.
Sitting in second place is Spanish
sensation, Victor Fernandez (Fanatic, Simmer, MFC). Fernandez was
runner up in the 2007 season having lost the title by just one heat,
however this certainly doesn't suggest he'll occupy the same spot this
year. Faultless execution of the Pozo crown in July sees Fernandez
enter Sylt on a high. A betting man would definitely fancy his chances
with this 24 year old all rounder.
Also in the running are the
likes of Josh Angulo (MauiSails, Dakine), Marcilio Browne (Mistral,
Gaastra), Robby Swift (JP, NeilPryde) and Ricardo Campello (JP,
NeilPryde, MFC). In fact, it could be argued that standards are so
high; anyone in the current top 20 could have a good shot at the podium.
The
ultimate event wild card has to be Jason Polakow (JP, NeilPryde). This
icon, big wave junkie and undisputed legend is something of a down the
line specialist, but flair never disappears, even if the conditions do.
Men's Freestyle
The battle for the 2008 Freestyle World
Title is very much a two horse race between Marcilio Browne and Jose
"Gollito" Estredo (Fanatic, North, MFC). Estredo lost out on the 2007 title to
Browne, in a nail biting double elimination that saw the title decided
on the result of a single heat. Estredo won the event, but Browne the
World Title.
This year the situation is equally close, but
somewhat more technical. For Browne to retain the World Title, he has
to win the event, and hope for Estredo to finish in fifth place or
lower. Should Browne finish in second, he'd lose out to Estredo.
On
the other hand, for Estredo to take the World Title, he has to place
fourth or above. Should Browne win the event, there's also potential
for the pair to tie on points, which would result in victory for Browne
since he won the last event, or a sail-off depending on the
circumstances. Technicality aside, it's going to be a mesmerizing
display to watch unfold.
Men's Slalom
Stella sailing and impeccable results have
already handed the 2008 World Title to Antoine Albeau (Starboard,
NeilPryde), after the Frenchman claimed three straight event victories
in the Costa Brava, Pozo and Fuerteventura.
Despite having
victory in the bag, the Frenchman is never one to back down from a
challenge, and will want to reaffirm his dominance after narrowly
missing out on his fourth straight event victory to Bjorn Dunkerbeck
(North) in Turkey.
The remaining podium positions are wide open
for the taking, with the likes of Björn Dunkerbeck, Kevin Pritchard
(Starboard, Gaastra, Dakine, MFC), Ross Williams (Tabou, Gaastra),
Finian Maynard (RRD, NeilPryde) and Ben Van Der Steen (Simmer, Exocet)
all in the running.
Each of these sailors is suited to
different wind strengths, sea states, temperatures and countless other
variables. To win this event, or take a place on the overall podium
will prove to be a massive challenge, and one hugely exciting to watch.
What to Expect
Massive crowds barely sum up what can be
expected at Sylt. In 2007, over 190,000 fans turned up to watch the
action, which saw in excess of 100 PWA stars competing. This year looks
set to be bigger and better.
On the water, the ferocious North
Sea can serve up a full spectrum of windsurfing conditions. Expect
anything from howling onshore storms, epic cross-shore jumping, sunny
slalom blasting and everything in between. Either way, with so much at
stake the action will be intense, in your face, and totally off the
hook.
Off the water, a multitude of activities will cater for
every possible taste. For beginners to the sport they'll be surf
simulators, and for the more experienced they'll be pro clinics, so you
can learn from the best. Throw in beach soccer, volleyball, the
'Quattro High Jump', autograph signings, endless awesome parties and
you'll begin to get an idea of just how spectacular this event will be.
Keep Your Finger On The Pulse
For more information on all the entrants, and to keep up to date with every piece of the action, click the PWA World Tour website, to check the live ticker, live elimination ladders, view results, read daily news summaries and browse for awesome action photos. There's also a dedicated Worldcup Sylt website for our German fans.
Check out our the current wind report, the 7-day forecast and the detailed 3-day super forecast for Westerland/Sylt at Windfinder.com
