"Sylt is always something special" say many professionals about the World Cup off Westerland. And not only experiences on land, but also the conditions on the water are unrivalled. How else can you explain the fact that even seasoned pros, who normally ride mast-high waves or shine at 50 knots in Pozo, end up in the Sylt washing machine?
Strong winds push large masses of water onto the island, with Westerland lying right in the centre and at a slight bend in the coastline. Added to this are the tides, which combine to create a river-like current close to the shore. The rest of the groynes, which should stop the loss of sand, then do the rest and pose an additional danger.
The shorebreak is particularly treacherous on Sylt
Just off the coast, the ground rises relatively steeply, so that the waves that have travelled across the North Sea build up and break relatively quickly. Depending on the tide, this is sometimes further out, sometimes closer to the beach. The profile of the sandbanks changes with every storm, so the shorebreak is often difficult to calculate.
Added to this are the difficult wind conditions off Westerland. The more onshore the wind, the more it is "slowed down" and swirled by the promenade and the buildings (windward jam). What then feels like a good wind hardly creates any pressure in the sail on the water. The riders therefore have to get through the white water without any real propulsion and not only somehow overcome the breakers, but also master the current. Almost everyone has the misfortune of getting caught in the Sylt washing machine...
Click through the most spectacular crash images of recent years above!
