From: PWA / Paul Griffiths…
Gear up for some explosive action as the PWA’s finest freestylers pile in to Podersdorf for the opening event of the 2010 Windsurfing World Tour…
From April 30th through to May 5th the world’s best freestylers will congregate on the shores of Austria’s Neusiedler See to show off all of the latest sail spinning and board sliding trickery in front of the huge crowds, world media, and of course the international judging panel.
Movers and shakers We’ve heard via the grapevine that the current PWA freestyle world champion of Jose ‘Gollito’ Estredo (Fanatic, North) has been putting in the hours on the water this winter and is firing on all cylinders. Hailing from the so-called ‘freestyle capital of the world’, a.k.a Margarita, Venezuela, he’s a born and bred styler, and also a serious contender having claimed the overall world title on numerous occasions now. The boys from Bonaire will also be snapping at Estredo’s heels, and making the most of every opportunity they can in order to gain some points and take the overall title back to the Caribbean at the end of the year. Taty Frans (Starboard, MauiSails), Kiri Thode (Starboard, Gaastra), and Tonky Frans (F2, Gaastra) made it a 1,2,3 at the final event of 2009, where Thode very nearly stole the overall show from Estredo. All three of the sailors can pull off the latest moves on demand, and often throw them with a unique style that wins over both the crowds and the judges. Another name to watch is Steven Van Broeckhoven (F2, Gaastra). He put in a great performance last year, and is feared by the very best of his peers. He’s also got the advantage of being used to sailing in the cold, so we could see the young Belgian step it up a notch here. The only top 20 ranked sailor missing from the scene is the extremely talented 2007 PWA freestyle world champion, Marcilio Browne (Fanatic, North, MFC). After injuring his foot this winter he’s decided to concentrate solely on the wave tour.
In it to win it With a €30,000 prize purse up for grabs, expect the very best sailors to be pushing the limits with as yet, unseen in competition, combination moves that’ll blow both the pros and rookies off the water.With a slight change to the PWA rule book, this season competitors will only be allowed to compete on models of production board that have been registered with the PWA.
Shore side World renowned for its huge parties, and beach side activities, the Surf World Cup Podersdorf is bound to set the tour alight, and get the season going with a bang. If you’re looking for a festival atmosphere, mixed in with some extreme windsurfing competition at the highest level, this really is an event not to be missed. We guarantee you’ll be psyched up for the season after watching these guys strut their stuff.
Keeping in the groove For more information on all the entrants, and to keep up to date with every piece of the action, click on www.pwaworldtour.com Here you can use our:• Live ticker service for heat-by-heat bulletins• Check live elimination ladders• View results• Read daily news summaries• Browse awesome action photo galleries There’s also a dedicated event website for fans at www.surfworldcup.at Or for more information, please contact the PWA office via [email protected]
