MG Windsurfing

I have lived in quite a few different places by now. A decent place for windsurfing is usually one where you can get in a good after-work wave session. Hamburg is such a place and yesterday the sailing was just awesome. When we arrived at the spot, it was really chilly and the water turned out to be warmer than the air. After sailing for about half an hour in a flatwater lagoon, we headed for the wave spot. The sun came out, the waves were small but there were some solid ramps to be had - pure fun. My friend Valentin Böckler tried to capture the action and I was very keen on getting a backloop on camera. It turned out to be very difficult to do a half decent backloop close enough to the camera since the current was strong and with the changing tide, the spots where waves were actually breaking high enough to provide a steep ramp seemed to change all the time. However, Valentin did not only handle the cold but also the current quite well. We have had loads of fun and the new 85l Patrik...

After a very stormy week where 3.3 or 3.6 were the most used sails, I could get in a very relaxed day of racing at the local lake yesterday. I especially liked the clear weather which allowed for some nice moments on the water. The view was amazing and so was the calm out there. It's moments like this that remind me how versatile our sport of windsurfing is. You can battle some fierce winds and gloomy skies on one day and cruise around in a calm setting on another. I can also strongly recommend to frequently change the spots you sail at. Not only will it help you to sail well in different conditions but it will also give you a good impression of what the area you live in has to offer. Doing different windsurfing disciplines will also make you a stronger sailor who can fully appreciate windsurfing's potential.

Not really windy in Northern Germany but the Davidoff Cool Water Windsurf World Cup 2014 is taking place right now on Sylt. We took the opportunity and hopped on a train to Westerland, the island's biggest town, to check out the action. It was a classic Sylt day. The wind was straight onshore and seemed a lot stronger on the shore than it was on the water. Waves were quite chunky. So was the shorebreak. They run a slalom elimination after cancelling the freestyle. The atmosphere on the "beach", if you can still call it a real beach, was a bit too hectic for my taste. It was not easy to feel that "Sylt spirit", a state of mind defined by complete calmness in the middle of the rough elements. I could not even really feel it when going for a "sundowner surf session". (That expression is so full of kitsch!) I spent about 8 months of my life on Sylt and it was great to be back after more than three years. I also realised that I see things a lot differently...

We have been blessed with a rather exceptional pattern of wind these last couple of weeks. The month of August is known to be windless and flat but this year things have been quite different so far. There were just too many sessions to count in all kinds of conditions. This post is all about flatwater conditions but we also got some waves in. Check out the pictures and the video below: My windsurfing buddy Valentin Böckler made this great video: 

The northwestern tip of Denmark is often referred to as "Cold Hawaii". The spots do not always live up to the high expectations people have - but this time it all came together. The sun was out every single day. We had wind and waves. It was just magic! But I did not just drive up there without taking a look to the left or the right, like I did on my way back. On my way up north, I had several great days on the water in very different conditions. The one thing these sessions have had in common is that the sun was always out. The first session of the trip was in very light conditions but it was unbelievably flat. It made cruising around so easy. The first day in Denmark ended with a short session at Blavand. Nothing radical but great freestyle-wave conditions.  On the second day, I went to Hvide Sande as the forecast was for some northerly winds which produced rather clean condtions, especially in the evening when the wind turned NE. I met Steffi Wahl who took t...

After a little more than a year's work, I could finally finish a travel feature for the German SURF magazine. It sheds light on some hidden gems in Northern Germany. This region has more to offer than just the North and Baltic Sea. There are also numerous lakes that are great for windsurfing. They are often surrounded by deep forest and a lot less popular with tourists than seaside spots. But see for yourself and get a new copy of Germany's and probably Europe's biggest windsurfing magazine - SURF magazine. You can also watch a preview right here. (Footage on my travel report from 2:36min) http://tv.surf-magazin.de/video/Video-Vorschau-surf-5/9076ce1b8444d7fbf40c49b8e009dd16