PHILIP KOESTER HIGHS
I would say that my high point was getting the world title on Maui, it was such a relief when I heard I was officially world champion after waiting for a lot of days without wind and with conditions on the edge. My personal high point was finding out that I will have a little girl together with my girlfriend Manca.
LOWS
My low point of 2019 was probably the final of the Pozo event where I was totally beaten up from quite a few hard crashes. The level of jumps is getting very high and the landings are very painful. In the final I forgot to do one last easy jump which would have given me the win, but I totally forgot about it because I was so exhausted. I don’t think I really had any personal low points in 2019, I have been travelling a lot and doing what I love.
BEST EVENT
Best event for me was Pozo since it is my home spot and I really like the challenge of doing high and tricky jumps. Also watching all the others go for it is amazing and really fun to experience. Maui is also at the top of the list since we had a great swell, unfortunately, the wind was missing a bit and made it very hard, but there were really nice moments too.
WORST EVENT
I tried to compete at the IFCA Wave European Championships in Denmark. There were amazing conditions, if they would’ve started a few hours earlier and not had two registrations. One was a day earlier in the evening where it could have been finished and then unfortunately another one on the day of the contest. Start was at midday and the brilliant 35 knots of wind and waves had already gone and we had to compete in very light non-planing conditions. For this sport it is already hard enough to get lucky with the conditions for a contest! I appreciate that in the PWA they are a bit more flexible and start as early as possible to get good sailing done.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
New School
Slingshot’s windsurfing brand manager, Wyatt Miller, has noticed that kids are drawn to playing with wings and puts forward an interesting case as to why he thinks this could help entice them and others into windsurfing.
Changes
Wave sailor Flo Jung reflects on our changed world during his lockdown in Germany.
THE LAST WAVE
Lockdown stirred the creative juices of reader Björn Alfthan, who peers into the future to present a fictional story set in the wild waves of Norway, five years from now.
STILL IN THE GAME
After a horrific fracture in his leg from a crashed aerial in 2018, Alessio Stillrich is back! John Carter talks to the highflyer from Gran Canaria about his move to the Simmer team, recovering from injury and how he learned to windsurf in Gran Canaria!
MOVE ON UP - GET ON THE FRONT FOOT
This month we look at how our front foot weighting can affect and improve different aspects of our main windsurfing moves.
SOUTH' KIPA
Nik tweaking it over home waters.
A NEW NORMAL
On a trip to La Tranche-sur-Mer in France last year, Tris Best estimated over 80% of the windsurfers were foiling. This summer in Portland Harbour, foiling activity has increased dramatically too he reports. With the market offering plenty of choice to recreational windfoilers, our test team check out some of the latest foil offerings.
TACKING – THE SEQUEL
Having given you time to practice, Harty concludes his tacking series by critiquing various tacking options, including the carve tack, as well as offering solutions to common slip-ups.
‘NO VAPOUR TRAILS TO SCAR THE SKY' *
Realising we may be about to enter an extraordinary period in our lives, Harty decided to keep a windsurf-centric lockdown diary. Here are some of his choice excerpts.
REDEMPTION DAY!
Renowned for its windsurfing and variety of spots to sail at, Kimmerdige Bay is a wave sailing jewel on the south coast of England. Timo Mullen gives a guide to its shores while reflecting on why a recent session there was a reminder that there is no place like home!