Nick Spangenberg: "Hey Nick, tell me, would you like to come to Sankt Peter-Ording tomorrow late afternoon? I've got a really good idea," said Axel on the phone at 9pm. As I wanted to get up north a little earlier anyway to train a little before the World Cup start on Sylt, I didn't hesitate for long. The first autumn storm was coming, and Axel had already told me about a cool idea during a photo shoot in Egypt at the beginning of March. When there is a lot of wind and high tide, the beach at Sankt Peter-Ording often washes over, creating a freestyle playground. The aim was to transform the places where cars normally park, children play football or swing and people sit in beach chairs into a windsurfing playground. After an early morning radio interview, we set off in the car towards the North Sea. Fallen trees at the side of the road signalled a good chance for our project.
Just a short slot with the right conditions
The beach crossing was already closed and the clock was ticking. We only had a short time slot at high tide to go windsurfing at the right spots on the large flooded beach car park before the beach was visible again. I quickly set up a small storm sail, screwed the smallest fin I could find under my freestyle board and was "ready" for an exciting experience. While most holidaymakers quickly ran to their flats to avoid getting their feet wet, the fun really began for us. The tide was getting higher and higher and the associated current was getting stronger and stronger, making it almost impossible to walk upstream. We soon had some good shots in the can. However, we still had our sights set on a spot at the 54-degree pile dwelling restaurant. The wind was quite gusty downwind of the stilts, buoys were floating in the water and, with respect, I took a run-up to make a jump just a few metres from the café, right next to the pile dwelling.
Completely knocked out in the car, I had to internalise the session again in my head and in retrospect found it crazy how, with a bit of imagination, a precise forecast check and the right timing, you could transform the usual playground into a windsurfing playground! Early the next morning, the wind died down and I could see the large beach car park on the main beach in Ording in normal condition again, i.e. relatively dry. I took the car all the way to the front of the beach, where I'd had fun with a 3.7 the day before. Then I was able to kick on the gate that I had been windsurfing around 14 hours earlier. A truly unique feeling. I'm grateful to have been part of this project, because this story has opened my eyes to finding a different playground more often."
When the sun, moon and earth are aligned, a spring tide occurs
Axel Reese: This photo shoot had been on my mind for a while, but the conditions to actually be able to do it don't come around too often. In fact, we need a spring tide, usually also referred to as a spring tide. A spring tide is caused by tidal forces at high tide when the sun, moon and earth are aligned, which is the case at full and new moon. "This spring tide occurs in the German Bight, particularly in the first few days after this full and new moon, because the effect on the tide is delayed," says Jannes Ahlers, SPO local and 1st chairman of the local board sports club, narrowing it down even further.
The stronger and more onshore the wind blows on these days, the higher the water level will be at high tide, which is also predicted by the BSH in addition to the generally known wind forecasts: "At least 0.75 metres above normal, there is a high probability that the beach car park in St. Peter-Ording will be flooded," adds Jannes, "such spring tides are usually when the tide is high in the early afternoon."
The conditions in St. Peter-Ording are constantly changing
On such days, drivers are not allowed onto the beach for hours before high tide. A warning light at the crossing alerts everyone that the water will be very high. However, it is not uncommon for drivers to park on the beach at low tide and then be surprised by the high tide and their car is "suddenly" under water. However, it is not only windsurfers who are unfamiliar with the area who experience waves crashing against their licence plate. This is because the water comes in much faster on such days than on normal rising water, and the car is quickly up to the doors in water and gets a salty underbody wash. The tide table, which is available at the beach crossing, is also a good guide to prevent this material damage to the car body.
The water conditions for windsurfing on Ordingen's main beach can never be accurately predicted. In addition to the tide and the strength and direction of the wind, the tidal creeks further out to sea also play a role. These natural watercourses are constantly changing in St. Peter-Ording and influence the conditions for windsurfing. You never know exactly how they will be on the water tomorrow. How will the waves be when the water is rising, will it be choppier or smoother even when the water is rising? In addition, the North Sea reclaims around six to eight metres of Ordingen's main beach every year, while the Böhl beach further south is gaining ground.
Yes, the waves on Rømø are more organised and have more "punch", but at least there is now a local surf scene(!) in SPO with probably the best-known face Tobias Seemeier from the surf shop and Café Good Times. If the surfers go out directly at the 54-degree pile, the best waves for windsurfing can be found north of the large piles on the nudist beach. Many windsurfers can usually be found on the water when the wind is coming from the south to south-west and the water is running out again, i.e. the current is pointing south again. As a booster for more windsurfers on the water, there are also the wind forecasts, where no reasonable wind is forecast for the Baltic Sea and it only blows decently on the North Sea coast.
And our photo shoot?
It was an exciting adventure to take the action shots with Nick on the large beach car park, the children's playground and around the various pile dwellings.
And a passage from the beach car park towards the water may normally only be used by rescue and supply vehicles or by Nick during this special session on the freestyle board! The tourists stop to watch him and are amazed by his acrobatics on the windsurf board.
14 hours later
The next morning at low tide, all the children's play equipment, the football goals and the beach chairs are free of water again, and holidaymakers often don't even notice that everything was still under water a few hours earlier. Nick, who has only ever known this beach from his participation in the Windsurf Cup, is visibly fascinated."
SPO is more!
Peace, quiet, the almost endless expanse, the horizon, the flat land, unspoilt nature, sunsets, light moods, the roaring North Sea - all this is St. Peter. Put your feet up and enjoy a glass of wine in a beach chair or in a VW campervan - it's hard to get enough! Thousands of tourists bask in the sun when the weather is fine, and there is hardly a soul on the beach when the weather is "shitty". The atmosphere at the Westerhever lighthouse makes it onto the front page of the news from time to time - and into millions of living rooms.
SPO is changing!
In the 90s, it was the popular "Surfakademie" and the series "Gegen den Wind". Today, there are hotels such as Strandgut and Urban Nature, which invite German songwriters such as Johannes Oerding and Philipp Dittberner for small concerts. And the Beach Motel and the Zweite Heimat can be found in the front row on the dyke of Ordingen beach. There is also a cool rooftop bar in the Bad district and dancing to salsa music in the village or the hip Tamatsu restaurant with an excellent range of sushi in the Dorf district. Once a month there is a party at the Gosch restaurant. Solo artists perform at Good Times from time to time. In June, a skate park was completed directly on the dyke. And, and, and!
Spot information St. Peter-Ording
Wind and water level forecasts
Local surf club
Shops
- Good Times Surfshop, @goodtimesspo
- Kite-Power-Shop, directly on the Ordinger dyke, kite-power-shop.com
