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SYLT PWA 2022: SUPER SYLT

After a 3-year break due to Covid, PWA competition returned to the North Sea island of Sylt with a bang! With close calls and challenging conditions for all fleets, it was an event packed with drama and action. A selection of competitors tell us how it all went down.

Words – Amado Vrieswijk, Maciek Rutkowski, Philip Köster, Marc Pare, Robby Swift, Sarah-Quita Offringa, Justyna Sniady, Lina Erpenstein, Jacopo Testa. // Photos – John Carter / pwaworldtour.com

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AMADO VRIESWIJK – 1^st SLALOM

I am definitely happy with my victory in Sylt. I have put a lot of hours in training on these foils to get everything working. My gear is working amazing. The boards, the foils and the sails, they were all working perfectly. I am pleased with my sailing level also. I was very consistent. I made a few mistakes here and there. I know what to work on now. In general, my speed was good. I gained almost twelve kilos prior to Sylt in the last three months. My focus has really gone to the racing side, especially the iQFOiL and the slalom side of foil racing. As you could see, the freestyle was a bit light wind for my weight at the moment. I am sure next year I will be able to fight for the freestyle title as well. I have to find a balance there. With a bit of fine-tuning here and there I will be back.

I have an amazing fitness coach. I have been eating a lot and training hard in the gym. A lot of fitness hours. For sure there is some fat there. You cannot gain twelve kilos of muscle in three months. I wish I could. That is the aim for next year. To gain a lot more muscle and lose fat. I am in the beginning phase of the process.

The racing was fun. There was a lot of tension on the course and everybody is fast. You have to learn how to position yourself and know the possible situations. I was too eager at the beginning. I was too aggressive at every gap. The racing is more about timing and seeing who is around you and making sure you advance to that final. Then send it full power in the final. My feet are cut open all over the place from the shorebreak. That was lethal with the foils. The foils are so sharp and we are carrying a 9m sail and big board, which is definitely not easy, but we made it work!

I did not know I was in the lead until after the last race. I was trying not to look too much at the scores and just go for consistency. To win in Sylt is pretty special for me and now I have a chance to go for the title at the last race of the season in Japan.

MACIEK RUTKOWSKI – 2^nd SLALOM

If I look at the entirety of the event, I have a lot of things to be positive about and to be proud of. Of course when you lead for seven or eight days and you almost have the victory under your belt it hurts. It was a good lesson. I just let it slip. It is a lesson about mindset and psychology.

On that deciding day I wasn’t focused on the right things. I am happy to be in the title race heading into Japan and am definitely going to learn from the racing and decisions I made in Sylt. The racing was very tough in all ways, but I think that played to my advantage as I like challenging conditions. At the same time the racing was super fun. A lot of the guys are fast and I think we put on a good show.

Nico Goyard was not dominating anymore. We all caught up and he does not have a crazy speed advantage like before. Now it is down to racing. He had a big speed advantage for a period of time and was ahead of us all. Now it is not so easy for him to squeeze through heats, as we are all in the game. He likes to push one hundred percent but in those conditions it was not easy. He likes full power racing and nothing between.

We got better, with better gear and were prepared. He is still fast though, he has the speed to make the top three, but ten other guys were that fast too. Then you have to race for it.

WAVES

PHILIP KÖSTER – 1^st WAVE

The first wave day was probably the best day that I have ever had in Sylt.

You could actually perform in the way you have trained for the whole year round. Normally in Sylt you can never show what you have trained for. It was tricky but it was manageable. I was seriously trying to win of course, but I also tried to have some fun during my heats. I trained a lot this year and felt my sailing was at a decent level. It was good to go into the contest like that. I did not have any pressure for a title because I was out of the game after Cape Verde. There was just no wind or waves in my heats so I could not do anything at that event. My whole year was kind of trashed.

It was gone before it even started. So after that, this year I just sailed for myself. That is how it goes. I spent the first few minutes of each heat getting my jumps down and then I could go all out for the waves. Wave riding was the tricky side of it, whereas jumps I could find really fast. Wave riding just takes time. It worked out for me.  I am used to that style of shorebreak from Vargas. I like hitting the lip on that style of wave. You can get washed around a bit but otherwise it was fine. My gear was working amazing. I had every size board and sail on the beach as you do in Sylt.

I was prepared. My boards really helped in those conditions. The first heat I was on a 4.2m and then I switched to 4.5m and 4.7m. Normally in Sylt I am on a 5.7m, so this year was more my style. It was good to be back on Sylt after all these years but I am also looking forward to going home after all the media work I had to do!

MARC PARE – 2^nd WAVE

Building up to Sylt I was a bit doubtful and nervous as I know how tricky it can be, and I wanted to put up a good performance and result. I woke up early to get all the stuff down and get ready for the day. After the warm up session I went home to disconnect and chill.

Since the first heat I realized that my strategy would have to be going all in, as the shorebreak was really heavy and it was a make or break scenario. I was super happy to find the right mental space and just sail consistent heats, putting up good scores in each of them. After not being able to go through to the semis in Pozo, I felt really upset and I wanted to prove to myself and everybody that I had been training to be up in that top four and that I could be there.

So I was stoked to finally break through and make it to the finals! The heat against Brawzinho was special, as I didn’t think I made it after having a not so good heat on the jumps, but suddenly everyone started cheering and screaming while I was coming back to the beach. At that moment I realized that all my hard training and sacrifices had paid off and I just started crying. It was super emotional for me! As well in that heat, I had the highest scoring wave of the event with a 9.38.

Before the final I had to tell myself not to relax and not to slow down, as everything was still to play for. That was probably the toughest part. Sailing the final was an amazing feeling, but it got quite hard as the tide started dropping and the waves got harder to jump and to ride. There was that one wave during the final where I got a turn in the section and an air, after which unfortunately I lost my back hand and fell forward catching the rail, and probably if I would have made that wave I could have maybe edged in front of Philip. Losing that way left me even hungrier for that first place. Nevertheless I was really happy to take that 2nd place home (and to beat Philip in the jumps again too!). I think making my first final and podium in Sylt adds that extra value and reward for me, just because of how tricky it is and because it’s the biggest event on tour!

ROBBY SWIFT – 9^th WAVE

The first day was one of the most outstanding wave days I can remember in all the years I have been coming to Sylt. It was challenging. There was a heavy shorebreak and the wind was light right where the waves were breaking.

Out the back it was awesome for jumping. There were big running waves; it was decent sailing and exciting conditions to compete in. I was happy with my sailing. I crashed in the shorebreak a couple of times, but aside from that it was fun. It was not super scary, but you had to really time it well because the wind was sketchy where it mattered. I was not frightened of those waves, but I just wanted to make the moves. It was a fun steep wave. I like the waves in Sylt; it is a nice shape and has plenty of power. Köster and Brawzinho were both sailing like they do. They were both amazing. I thought the semi-final of Braw’s was a bit harsh because they kept making him do the table top double again when he had already done one, but it was just scored as a stalled double. He wasted a lot of time going for that when he could have been scoring more waves.

Marc Pare really impressed me all the way through as well. His overall performances, the wave scores and the variety of jumps he was doing were outstanding. It was nice to see him show what he has been working on for the past few years. He has stepped it up massively. I see Köster all the time on social media doing amazing stuff on the water. Him and Braw are another level really.

They are so consistent with the big moves. They make it look like it is easy, but it really isn’t. That skill sets them apart from everybody else. I was not surprised by Köster, but he was amazing. I think that will go down as an all-time Sylt. I have seen it like that back in 1996 and it was a rare treat for us, especially after the break with Covid.

SARAH-QUITA OFFRINGA – 1^st WAVE

I think that was about the best day ever you could get in Sylt. The thing with Sylt is that it is so unpredictable. You just never know what to expect on any day or any hour, right down to any minute. My brother told me to focus on the single elimination. It was intense. I had some great heats, but I also ended up washed down the beach beyond one of the submerged groynes. Honestly, when I was down there I panicked a little bit. Things were out of my control and the current was so strong. We experienced everything in that one day. It was a huge rollercoaster. I am happy to win. I finished third in Gran Canaria so I didn’t expect to come to Sylt and win the title. The Moreno twins were not here so that made it open for the rest of the girls. I had a very tough heat against Lina Erpenstien. She is kind of my toughest competitor in those conditions. We were matched up in the semi-finals. That was the heat that decided it for me. I am happy about this title, but I still want to keep pushing the boundaries for women. All the girls were ripping this year and we have a lot of young and exciting new girls coming in through the youths. We have a surge of new rippers joining the old guard. This is really cool and is a direct result of the junior events in Gran Canaria and Denmark. They can look up to Justyna, myself, Lina and the Moreno twins before us. Because of that, they are also pushing really hard. Amongst them there is also a lot of competition. The level is just being pushed a lot lately.

JUSTYNA SNIADY – 2^nd WAVE

I think we had epic Sylt, but I did not feel it was an epic day for myself and my sailing. I really found it hard to choose the right equipment. I was a little bit influenced by everyone else who were on bigger gear. I feel I would have been more comfortable on smaller stuff. In the end I am still happy to finish second. I am not happy about the final. That was the hardest heat for me. I really struggled with everything. It was just a typical Sylt experience. I think in the first heats I was on a 3.3m and my small board. It was port tack and super windy. I felt comfortable then.

Then I saw everybody getting bigger equipment and took a bigger board and I did not like that combo. In the final I think Sarah took 4.0m, so I took 3.7m and my big board. It was enough in the break, but outside I struggled to hold on. I was way overpowered. I had my moments, but I also felt under a lot of pressure. In 2019 I lost my lead on the tour in Sylt and this year I had another shot at the title. I was pretty stressed out. I tried to sail a lot in similar conditions in the Canary Islands. I am for the first time vice-world champion now and that is epic. In 2019 I was so excited about my first podium in a single event. That year I ended up having four finals and third overall. This year I felt I didn’t do my best in Gran Canaria, but to come to Sylt and take second I was beyond stoked. Sarah-Quita sailed very well, as did all the other ladies. Second overall for me, woop, woop!

LINA ERPENSTEIN – 3^rd WAVE

We had a bit of everything, but it was one of the best years we have ever had in Sylt for the waves. The sailing was super fun and very challenging, as we know from the past. Everyone had a good time on the water. I was stoked to get a third place. I had a few decent hits in the shorebreak. That was my goal for the day. I wanted to put some big hits into the bowls and stay on my feet. Some I won and some I lost.

That is how it goes. My attitude was to go for the riskier big hits and not hold back. Unfortunately in the semi-final that did not pay off. I would have liked to perform a bit better, but overall I gained some decent experience.

JACOPO TESTA – 2^nd FREESTYLE

It feels super good to be second overall in the PWA rankings for 2022! I was happy with my sailing and stoked, after many years of training and sacrifice. It is a huge satisfaction to become vice-world champion and as well a big motivation to continue with the hard work.

I gave the best I could. I wasn’t that ready physically or mentally. Twenty-five days before the event I suffered an injury to my right knee and the medial collateral got stretched. I was back on the water in Sylt before the time I needed to recover to be 100%. Using a knee brace and taking some painkillers helped me a lot. My equipment was working great, I have amazing gear and my body is at one with it. During the single elimination, I was riding my AV-Boards ‘The Turn’ 93-litre and a 4.0m, and in the double ‘The Turn’ 102-litre with a 5.2m.

Conditions were tricky! I sailed four heats on the finals day and every time just getting in and out of the water was a huge drain of energy, because of the combination of the onshore wind and the shorebreak, which was creating lots of current. The wind was unstable, changing in intensity between 18 and 25 knots. The sea was difficult to read and so choppy everywhere! It made all the ducking moves more difficult and moves like a Spock Culo were almost impossible!

Mentally it wasn’t that hard, even though there was a world title on the line. When I am sailing, the sea washes my mind from all the ‘thinking’. My focus goes on the feelings I get from all the natural elements surrounding me and from the board and the sail. I’m fully focused on the water, to spot where and when to throw the right move during that moment. That’s what I learned to do during my heats in competition, and it’s working fine, I think!