Fuerte part 2

Hello Everybody

 It’s been almost a week since my last update about Fuerteventura. In one week we had a lot of conditions of really strong winds, sometimes flat and sometimes with some nice waves at low tide. Also everybody is arriving for the competition and the level on the water got a lot higher since I arrived, everybody is ripping! We also had 2 days of sandstorm where the wind would just turn full offshore and get so strong it was pretty much impossible to sail (if Steven already says he’s fully overpowered on a 3.8 you can imagine how windy it has been).

The first days the wind was still nice NE which gives the best wind here at Sotavento as it’s the most consistent then, how more offshore how more gusty is the rule here in Fuerteventura. During those days we got some really nice waves at low tide to go for some big backloops  while being fully powered up on a 3.7, it was pretty hard to do anything else as I had way to much fun jumping one backloop after the other. On the way in it was perfect to go for skopus, Burners and all the other freestyle moves, it would be sick to get a day like this during the competition but so far the forecast for than doesn’t look the best but still long time away so everything still can change!

After the days of NE the waves disappeared and the wind turned more offshore, one day it was still nice but after that day the sandstorms started to come which forced everybody to take a break or their smallest sail and try to survive. Both days I tried and both days it wasn’t too much of a success, it was just TOO windy lucky I still have a 3.3 in my bag for the case we get these winds for the competition so that I have at least a bit of control in as far as that’s possible with a 3.3, but as a said before, the forecast doesn’t give the most wind..

As of today the Slalom starts which means we can’t really train in the competition area and we will have to wait for evening session or go downwind in-between the 2 centres to go sailing. With 5 more days to the competition the countdown has started! Can’t wait!

Cheers Dieter

Fuerteventura part 1

Hello Everybody

So like every year we are on Fuerte again, this is my 3^rd time here and I have to say you really need to get used to this spot. Windy like hell, gusty and choppy means a typical day at centre 1. I’ve been sailing for the last 4 days and already 2 of them were on 3.7. It’s the first time I freestyle on such a small sail since.. last year Fuerte!! The only place where I do take smaller than 4.0 to freestyle.

 My first day here was still on 4.0 but I really had the feeling I had to learn to sail again.

The first half hour I almost couldn’t do anything and had one of the better catapult in my life. After that I got a bit more into it again but still not as it needed to be but there is still enough time for that. Also it has been pretty wavy for Fuerte the last days which makes it great for jumping, perfect time to get my back loops sorted out again in more offshore winds and get the landing, which is a bit different, perfect again. Besides that it’s been trying to survive on my smallest sail and making the best out of it, which isn’t going too bad.

On the second day I also did one short session at Matas blancas which gives perfect flat water in gusty offshore wind but great fun and a bit less wind than centre 1. It’s the perfect place to try some new moves before you go and try them one session later in the choppy conditions of Sotavento.

Yesterday we decided to make a trip up North where the wind is always a bit less making it possible to sail really relaxed on a 4.4 when everybody is flying away in Sotavento on their smallest sails. It wasn’t the best wind still gusty but a lot of fun. In the beginning there were ramps a bit deeper which were perfect to do some big back loops on and on the way in it was pretty similar to Centre 1. It’s a good place to try out some new stuff in choppy conditions without being out of control. Today I take a break I think as after 16 days of sailing in a row my body is getting pretty tiered!

From of tomorrow the wind should get a little bit less again and we can start to train full on again, still 12 days left till the event starts for the Freestyle which still gives a lot of time to train!!

For more pictures check my Fanpage on facebook: Dieter B35

Also take a look to my new movie which I just got online after 2 weeks trying, kind of hard to find good internet to upload movies!

https://vimeo.com/45688249

Cheers Dieter

Trip to Lanzarote

Hello everybody

picture by Jonas Roosens

The past 2 weeks just have been sick. The day before I left to lanzarote we got a really strong southwester at home and I finally made it out on sea again for a short session before I had to go back home and pack up again. I was pretty overpowered on my 3.7 S-1 and Quad 69 but just managed to hold on. It weren’t the biggest waves but there were some good ramps to do some big backloops and a few turns on the way in. After that it was fast packing up and of to the airport the next day.

picture by Jonas Roosens

In Lanzarote the king of style Tonky Frans came to pick me up and we went straight to the beach but unfortunately the wind wasn’t the best anymore and it was better to unpack everything a bit less stressed and go for a session the next day. The next day the wind was nice for a 4.8 session and there were still some waves left to do some jumping on which makes sailing more fun as you can do big shakas, backloops and airflakas on the way out and all the new school moves on the way in. In my second session of that day Tonky joined me and made me push my shovit spocks much more tweaked than before and I have to be honest they are not as good as his yet but I did some of my best shovit spocks of my live that session!!

pictures by Tom Brendt

The next few days the wind dropped and I had to wait (actually just 2 days) to Wednesday to get back on the water again it started with a nice session on 4.8 and was promissing for the next days. After that we got some really nice strong wind days with 4.4 and 4.0. Sometimes pretty flat but other times there were nice waves on to get some nice jumps. Don’t think I ever went that high with my freestyle board but it’s still in one piece so all good, don’t know to much about my knees sometimes but so far they are still allright. All by all I have been sailing every single day since Wednesday so about 11 days in a row and there are still a lot to come!!

pictures by Tom Brendt

I just been having great fun here on the water together with Tonky, But also with Yoli de Brendt and Tom  Brendt who are also here for 2 weeks to train and enjoy the conditions. Besides the nice sailing sessions it was great to see Anxton Otegui again who still has the best restaurant/bar “Mi piace” of the whole island making me eat way to much pizza and drink to many nice beers while watching Spain become European Champion in soccer.

I’ll be sad to leave Lanzarote but can’t wait to get to Fuerte, stronger winds and flat water let it come!!

pictures by Tom Brendt

Cheers Dieter