As the final competition of the 2009 PWA World Tour draws ever closer, the pressure rises amongst the sailors, and Sylt’s iconic Westerland beach gears up for what promises to be a dramatic conclusion to the season.
photo PWA Carter
From September 25th through to October 4th the Worlds best wave sailors, freestylers, and slalom sailors will battle it out for their final end of year rankings, and a share of the €105,000 prize purse at the prestigious German windsurfing location on Brandenburger Strand. Not only will they be earning points, but the wave sailors and freestylers will also be gunning for the most coveted prize of all, the PWA World Championship titles!
Sylt has played host to the World Tour for more than 25 years now, so a win here will mean the rider gets their name inscribed in the history books.
Women’s Waves Leading the charge right now for the women is the Spanish wave sailing legend, and many times World Champion, Daida Ruano Moreno (North) from Gran Canaria. Having won the first event of the tour at her home spot in Pozo, she now has to prove her worth in the unpredictable conditions of the North Sea. She managed to lay to rest any demons that she might have had for Sylt last year by finishing joint first with her twin sister Iballa Ruano Moreno (North). Daida will surely be the one to watch if the conditions turn nuclear. Iballa is currently lying just behind Daida in second place in the overall rankings for the year, and the fearless Karin Jaggi (F2, Severne) is close behind in third with a wealth of competition experience to boot. Also in contention for the event and the overall title is 2007 Sylt Women’s Wave Champion Nayra Alonso (Fanatic, Severne). She has the ability to adapt to all manner of conditions and has the mental advantage that she knows she can be victorious here as she has been in the past. A win for any of these women could see them topping the overall rankings.
Super Sylt The weather in this part of the North Sea can be anything from absolutely brutal with huge shore break and rough seas to flat calm freestyle heaven, making it an event not to be missed. With so many disciplines competing in the same place, there’s bound to be some sort of action on the water everyday. And remember, no competitors are guaranteed the win – Sylt is a true test of all round abilities. Expect to see huge crowds arriving at the event site over the next day or so, in 2008 over 190,000 people turned up to watch the action unfold right in front of their very eyes. You too could be a part of it, so if you get the chance, book that flight, ferry, train, or helicopter and feast your eyes on the September spectacular here in Sylt. 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 [email protected]
