MG Windsurfing

January is usually that time of the year when things get a lot more quiet when it comes to windsurfing. But this year, it was quite different. I could find the perfect work-life balance and was on the water at least once a week. This keeps me motivated for the warmer sessions that we will hopefully get quite soon. Tomorrow looks good - strong foehn winds and warm temperatures. But let me get back to the beginnning of this month when I headed up north after one or two mild sessions on the local lake. I had a great session at the Baltic. After a whole week off the water, well, five days that is, I could get in a good session today. But things went crazy in the beginning. I checked the webcams and Walchensee looked good. But the picture was really deceiving and it just looked like that in real time:  Nice water colours but not windy enough. Snow on the shore Getting from this spot to the spot that works with south winds was quite a mission. But in the end, it really ...

Early morning winds were gusty and hard to sail in today. I was on 4.4 and the wind kept changing directions and strength. The chop was all over the place. It was still nice somehow. I then had lunch, worked a bit and went for another session. It was so warm here in the afternoon that it didn't feel like winter at all - no hoodie, no gloves. I managed to catch some great gusts in which I did among other moves a double spock. Here are some photos and a double spock sequence. Bob Chachoo attempt Today was a public holiday in Bavaria celebrating the 3 Holy Kings.

The nearest lake is only a 7-minute drive from where I live. That's even better than when I lived in Rostock where it would take about 20 minutes to the nearest spot. Conditions are not the same however. It is so difficult to sail consistent here. Chop, gusts and ice-cold water - this is a mix that you have to get used to. But once you really get in the right mood, it can be great. Today was my first session in 2014. A great start to the new year with 4.4 and 90l Freestyle. Thanks to Jonas for the pics!

Spontaneous trip to the Marseille area… Nostalgic feelings - this is where I used to work as a language assistant about 5 years ago. What can I say about the trip? It was simply amazing. The sun was out most of the time. We scored great conditions, mostly for 4.0 and the 90 litre freestyle board. We did some sightseeing in Marseille and had some great French food. I also rediscovered my love for French culture and the French language. Even listening to the traffic report on the radio makes me happy when it's in French. We did a lot of filming and got some interesting shots. So a Happy New Year 2014 to all of you. Watch this space for the new clip.

Super windy in Bavaria over the Christmas. Snow blowing off the mountain tops, water flying, really gusty but all worth it. Now off to Southern France for a couple of days. Hoping to meet some old friends… Photos by Oliver Brecht Nägele and Egbert Kraus. shaka by myself ponch by Quirin jump by Quirin Achensee

The burner is a move that everybody can learn! You should go for it, too. Here is some advice on how to do it: 1. Sail at full speed 2. Go switch stance 3. Duck the sail 4. Keep the speed. 5. Carve a bit upwind 6. Throw your sail around (but not too hard towards the water) 7. Now, everything happens really fast and automatically. 8. You land and sail on… Thanks to Roger for the pictures! You can add some more style by letting one or both hands go. Here is a short clip of a burner I did in Pozo. A longer video will follow. Burner from Mathias Genkel on Vimeo .

This trip brought me to places I have never been to before. Weather forecasts announced good Bora winds mixed with clouds and rain. This so called "Black Bora" is not as perfect for windsurfing as the so called "White Bora" , where the bad weather - clouds and rain or snow - stays in the Alps. On the way to Premantura we had to cross the Alps. It was the second time in my life that I crossed the Alps without taking the Brenner route. On my way to the EFPT event in Six-Fours/ France last year, I decided to give the San Bernadino pass a try which was fine on the way there but kind of an adrenaline rush on the way back home with lots of snow and icy roads. The way to Croatia is quite different. You have to cross not only Austria but also Slovenia. You have to cross several tunnels: Tauern and Karawanken Tunnel, you have to buy a toll sticker for Austria and Slovenia and you have to pay a toll for the new motorway leading to Istria in Croatia. When you take a look ...