Discover Fanø - be free!
We have received a great trip report from Carsten from ewigkite.de. He joined kite- and landboard riders Emmanuel Norman and Pascal Lohmann on a trip to the danish island Fanø and finds a paradise for all kite-related sports. Here is their trip report - thanks Carsten, Emmanuel and Pascal for sharing this!
It is just before midnight. The ferry casts off for the last time today. We have left our workaday life behind us at the German-Danish border at least 150 km ago. After a 15 minutes ferry-trip and a short search in the dark we find our holiday home. A few other kitesurfers are already there. The BBQ is started once again. A good start! Altogether eight kite-enthusiasts share the summer cottage in the midst of the dunes at the south part of the island. During the normal course of life, every now and then, we all dream about distant kite destinations that promise the paradise on earth. This time though we are searching our luck right on the doorstep at our Danish neighbors. And we are going to find it!
Two kitesurfers with championship titles are on the way with us: Pascal Lohmann and Emmanuel Norman. The two of them want to practice. We others mostly want to spend some kite holidays together. The reason for our holiday at this time and place is the 28. International kite Fliers Meeting Fanø 2012. The biggest European single line kite festival takes place on the apparently endless beach of the North Sea Island once a year. Our thing is clearly powerkiting. Although it is impressive to watch thousands of delicate mostly handmade single line kites in the sky during the day.
For one week in the middle of June, the International kite-scene represents itself with a colorful hustle and bustle once again. It is quite amazing how many different figures the kite fans design and sew in their homes and cellars during the winter season to present them at Fanø: giant fish and octopuses, flying beer bottles and mega bowls and several other fantasy figures. Quite often kites with the size of 50 square meters hover through the sky.
We unpack our much smaller kites at the buggy-beach a few km further to the south. From 6 to 21 m² we have everything with us that can delight a kiters hearth. Every day we drive with our kite-mobiles and caravans to the round about one kilometer of beach where the powerkiters and sand yachts cavort. The firm beach of the west coast can be driven on by car from the north to the south. Along the dunes the cars mostly move at the required 30 km/h speed limit. Sometimes one can watch vehicles that are doing almost 80 km/h. The drivers obviously can’t bear to be overtaken by people like Pascal and Norman. When there is an onshore wind blowing the buggy drivers can go for about 5 km in one direction. Pascal screws together his buggy and unpacks his 19er speed de Luxe. Slowly he warms up to suddenly show how far his speed meter goes up. Speeding it up on best underground for kilometers is making Pascal apparently very happy. Seldom one sees him taking a break. He uses the days on Fanø for his personnel championship training. The broad and solid beach which is only sometimes interrupted by uneven sand drifts, guarantees him and us hobby buggy drivers ideal conditions for drifting and all sorts of turning maneuvers. We let our four buggies roll strongly and go to the limits of ours and the materials capacity. There are dozens of buggies on their way but it’s never cramped.
After a coffee at the beach some of us get ready for the water. Thankfully we have a tough fully-automatic-bean-to-cup-Coffey-maker that can abide the fluctuations of our generator. Usually the wind blows onshore, sometimes sideshore. During the week the wind gauge shows varying values. From 10 to 21 knots - it’s all there. Only on one day it is noticeable rough. Four of us are enthusiastic Kite surfers but Emanuel beats us all: before we have even rolled out our kites he is already working on his speed. He operates with passion in a distance of about 100 meters to the beach. The waves are more drawn-out further out than closer to the beach. Emanuel does well with that and pushes his kite hardly. Every now and then he interrupts his speed sessions for a skillful jump unit. By the standing out middle-finn one can see that Emanuel uses his “Flyrace”, even from the distance. Emanuel obviously doesn’t need any audience, today. He is just concentrated.
Kitesurfers that don’t do competitions and consider themselves as amateurs or advanced learners also get their money’s worth on Fanø. With incoming or outgoing tide, stretched patches of shallow waters develop off the coast for two to three hours. Beginners and flat-water-freaks find an ideal place: The water is knee-deep and very calm in spite of the wind. It wouldn’t take much for calling it as smooth as glass. One of us leaves for Fanø Bath in the North of the island. He does 15 knots and only needs to tack twice. Wind and tide mean particular well on that day: six kilometers of flat piste. Hundreds of single line kites turn the clear blue skies over Fanø into a fanciful tableau. The way back is even more relaxed - Just gliding-back. A kite surfer beaming with happiness arrives at the buggy beach after some time. And, since it was so nice and the water is still calm and smooth, he practices a few more tricks. Moves, tried in choppy water in vain are much easier in Fanø’s flat waters. If Emanuel, who watched a few jumps and tricks from the beach gives helpful advice it is even easier.
From 20 meters behind the shoreline there are stretched out, slowly building up waves, or – when the win rises, sometimes stronger waves that demand more skills. The kitesurf-area that extends for kilometers offers never-ending space and invites to a solid “downwinder” now and then. Fanø, there’s plenty of space on the water and plenty of freedom for kitesurfers!
Sometimes Pascal and Emanuel begin land sessions with parallel landboarding or buggying. Apparently they have lots of fun coming this close to another that at least their hands touch while they are driving and doing their moves and tricks. Fortunately there are no accidents. These two are just great! Afterwards one can see the two of them on their landboards for hours. They do tempo and slides or acrobatic moves and handlepasses and all the tricks which names the normal audience doesn’t know. Fanø means also freedom for landboarders!
Most nights our group is the last on the beach. After a last jaunt to the water, a last buggy drive, a last landboard session, we leave the beach at 10.30 pm at sunset. At the latest now the feeling of absolute freedom is so fulfilling that one wants to kite through the whole night. But tomorrow is another day. The next day Emanuel wants to “rock” the bunker. The concrete block is a reminder of the war. We found it the day before at the edge of the dunes. Before our expedition we have to find out if the bunker is in the fenced off sanctuary for breeding birds. The integrity of creation is a major issue on Fanø, which is good. The bunker is freely accessed. Emmanuel is very excited, unpacks his kite, puts the board under his feet and speeds it up for an hour: Up the bunker, down the bunker, upright and sidewise along the bunker, jumps between bunker and adjoining ramp. Quite impressive what one can do with a kite and a landboard on a bunker.
For one week Fanø represented itself as an island of unlimited opportunities for kiters. Furthermore, none of us forgot the message on the bunker, not even when we had already passed the Danish-German border and were heading back towards our everyday life:
“Be free!”
Sunny weekend at KTE Holland
Arriving for the first time in Holland, the MINI Kitesurf Tour Europe and its competitors passed by the dune landscape of Brouwersdam for a four days actionful event happening - the Kitegatta 2012. An amazing count of 101 total competitors in Freestyle and Race represented 15 countries. The best riders in Europe planed to create another great show on the water to showcase fastest speeds and tricky maneuvers, providing onlookers and participants with ultimate performances. According to the wind forecast, light wind was announced for the majority event. Racing participants made sure that their gear was properly registered, while freestyle riders could be seen broadcasted throughout the event site, catching up with friends and enjoying the warm and sunny days. Riders and fans, discussed the new movie « Hidden Lines » by Kevin Langeree and Youri Zoon. During the whole event, wind conditions were too light for any freestyle action, but still good enough for racings.
With positive energy, just close after the Olympic Summer Games in London, all racers were motivated and full of power to show perfect kitesurfing skills and fastest speeds on the water. After fourteen completed races throughout the event days with different conditions, Ricccardo Leccese (Columbia) and Stephanie Bridge (UK) rode very consistently throughout the whole dutch event, with strong and powered approach and a final success with first podium positions. Maxime Nocher (FRA) and Christine Bönniger (GER) achieving second, Florian Gruber (GER) and Katja Roose (NED) coming in third. On day four, the awards ceremony took place on the beach at the event site, where many spectators, friends, and fans gathered to see the final exposure of the official winners for racing. Proudly accepting their awards and the price money, each winner looked over the audience with big smiles and much appreciation. Unfortunately all 60 freestyle riders didn’t get any chance to hit the water. They were chilling on the beach or in the event village, where kite brand companies displayed their 2013 gear and play host to lounging and relaxation. DJ booths and animation made up a large portion of the area as well.
In all, the event in Holland was well received. Next up on tour, the MINI Kitesurf Tour Europe will take part in the Derby Kites of La Baule, France. Featuring racing and freestyle performances as well as a great event village with a trainer kite area, MINI showroom and MINI test rides. The french tour stop will host all European rider from 27th to 30th of september 2012.
Kitesurf Tour Europe heading to Netherlands / Brouwersdam!
The MINI Kitesurf Tour Europe prepares for its halftime in Netherlands/ Brouwersdam. The third tour location, which is becoming one of the most anticipated kitesurfing spots, will take competitors to the North Sea at Beware Beach/ Brouwersdam, Netherlands. Featuring a Freestyle and Course Racings exhibition with the best kitemasters, the 3rd tour stop promises to dish out the european’s best in racing and freestyle action.
The third tour stop at Brouwersdam will take place from August 16th to August 19th. Defending currently championship leader Mario Rodwald (GER) will surely stay motivated to win for the third time in a row, while local top riders Jerrie van de Kop (NED) and Johnno Schulte (NED) as well as female rider Annelouse Lammerts (NED) and Jalou Langeree (NED) look to break the leaders streaks, hopefully claiming the home title and gain dutch medals.
With regards to the Course Racing discipline, the best riders will come to showcase their skills for top placements. For the first time course racing’s acceptance as an Olympic sport, the MINI KTE competitor’s fleet will battle on the North Sea, to raise up the level of this ever-growing sport. Surely, the top-ranked, including Rolf van der Vlugt (NED), Julien Kerneur (FRA) and Bruno Sroka (FRA) as well as leading racers, Florian Gruber (GER), will offer up some of the most incredible racing action. Furthermore, female frontrunners Katja Roose (NED), Christine Bönniger (GER) and Stephanie Bridge (UK) are also in attendance, and plan to make their strongest showing yet, while others will fight to rise through the ranks and claim top titles. After the Olympic Games in London, kitesurfing will awake concentrated attention regarding to the next Olympics in 2016.
The wind forecast for Brouwersdam is looking quite light at the moment, but of course it will be enough for racing.
German Kitesurf Trophy champions 2012 crowned
The German Kitesurf Trophy finished last weekend on the island Fehmarn. After three tour stops at Damp, Holnis and Fehmarn-Südstrand the champions 2012 were crowed.
With not enough wind to complete the freestyle elimination, the championship title this year is basically based on the results from the tour stop at Holnis. The men’s freestyle title goes to Mario Rodwald for the seventh time in a row, finishing ahead of Nils Wesch and Christian Brill. Christian’s sister Susanne Brill won the women’s title ahead of Christine Bönniger and last year’s champion Sabrina Lutz. The junior’s title went to Linus Erdmann.
In racing the discipline was dominated by three persons: Florian Gruber, Christine Bönniger and Jannis Maus won their fleets with a big margin to their competitors. They are already looking forward to the next international events and of course the Olympics 2016.
Thanks a lot to the organizers, the riders and the spectators for a great series of events in 2012 - we are already looking forward to see you at the Kitesurf Trophy stops next year!
German Windsurf Cup in Eckernförde finished
The German Windsurf Cup 2012 took place in Eckernförde at the Baltic Sea last weekend. With nine races and a complete slalom elimination held in thermal easterly winds, this was a very nice weekend for all competitors and spectators.
Vincent Langer won seven out of nine races and dominated the whole fleet. He also won the Slalom elimination. Helge Wilkens returned from an injury with great success, he came in in 3rd and 2nd position in race and slalom. Eckernförde local Oliver-Tom Schliemann made his first appearance in racing, coming in in 3rd place.
The next DWC event will take place in Kühlungsborn from 7th to 9th September.
