There is Liverpool's "The Kop" in football, there is "Hell North" in handball - and there is Brandenburg Beach in windsurfing. In other words, there are places where fans and spectators can spur their "own" athletes on to unimagined peak performances thanks to the atmosphere. The Sylt audience has proven often enough that it can do more than destroy champagne and shellfish: Way back in the day with Robby Naish, in 2009 with Klaas Voget's second place in wave riding or in recent years when Philip Köster has competed for the title.
But in 2023, the schauinsland-reisen Windsurf World Cup Sylt presented by got2be had a special magic. Lots of sunshine, often enough wind, but still unusual conditions. It was the year of surprise winners, underdogs and great sporting moments.
Becker, Neubauer, Behrens - the faces of the World Cup Sylt 2023
There was Michele Becker, who made a strong start to his first PWA season and realised a childhood dream on the very first day on Sylt in the first race: he won the first elimination and couldn't hold back the tears of joy on the beach. He later came within touching distance of a second "bullet" with thrilling battles against Nicolas Goyard and Pierre Mortefon. Thrilling racing, spectacularly captured by the drones - more of this!
Then, of course, there was Lennart Neubauer: mega-talent on the rise, then a serious injury and the long road back. After a less than ideal start to the season on Fuerte, the German competing for Greece came up against world championship leader Yentel Caers in the very first round. The victory against the Belgian gave him the momentum to drive all the way to the front. Caers in turn produced a brilliant comeback in the double elimination and worked his way through nine heats to the final - where he again met Lennart Neubauer. The fact that Yentel took the World Championship title and Lennart was able to celebrate his first World Cup victory at the same time turned the men's freestyle into an almost cheesy sports fairytale.
And there was Maria Behrens: before the women's wave riding, everyone was looking towards Lina Erpenstein, the great hope for a top place. Instead of onshore chaos, this year Sylt offered float-and-ride conditions with wind from the left. And right in the first round, Behrens took the best score of the day against Lina with outstanding wave rides. The first surprise was perfect, the second came a little later: Marine Hunter from France also benefited from the unusual conditions, winning against Sarah-Quita Offringa and then meeting Behrens in the final. Another sporting fairytale, and even though the Frenchwoman eventually won - in the early hours of the next morning and then again with an onshore wind - Maria Behrens is guaranteed a place in Sylt history.
Drones deliver great images for the livestream
Three great stories that characterised the 2023 event. The fact that, for once, it wasn't the men's wave, but the other disciplines were also able to fully realise their fascination, shows the diversity of our sport. The men's wave riding didn't make it past the first round due to a lack of wind, but for most of the week many starters played in the Sylt swell away from the official races and still provided plenty of great pictures! Speaking of pictures: The livestream with double drone accompaniment, live scoring, replays and interviews directly from the beach was once again absolutely worth seeing - and sometimes offered better perspectives than from the beach!
The new World Cup organisers from the MMP agency can therefore be satisfied. Numerous discussions are already underway behind the scenes with many new ideas for next year. The next World Cup Sylt has been announced for the period from 27 September to 6 October 2024 - this will be the 40th edition!
Here you can read about the sporting highlights in the daily reports:
- Opening and sundowner session
- Michele Becker wins his first elimination, Johan Søe leads
- Lennart Neubauer wins his first freestyle final
- Yentel Caers is freestyle world champion, Lennart Neubauer wins the event
- Michele Becker scratches at the top, Vrieswijk leads
- Maria Behrens surfs sensationally into the wave final
- Marine Hunter wins, men run out of wind in wave riding
