KPWT Wave Masters Guincho / Portugal
10.09.07

First of all there is to say that I always had to listened to all those crazy stories about huge waves and strong, strong winds in Guincho. It started back then when I was still windsurfing

...and all my windsurfing friends that loved the waves when to Guincho, the European Wave Mecca every year… it continued true all my years of Kiteboarding. And also Guincho (like a few more places) was one of those places where I really wanted to go one day. Now I went, for the KPWT Wave Masters number two of the year. When I got there I loved it straight, a beautiful big bay with very pretty looking rocks in the background. And the first 2 days of our trip we got to kite in not huge, but still fun waves and had a great time. We stayed in a cheap little bungalow next to a horse stable and it was nice an relaxing. Just what I needed after the busy days at the PKRA in Germany… We arrived 4 days before the event even started and enjoyed the time. Then the time was up, the registration day was at the same time the first day of the competition and it was nuking! I rode on my 7 and was pretty powerde. I really enjoyed the heat I had that day but as there were soooo many competitors ( I think in total we were about 45 or so) we did not even make it true the first round of the guys. The next few days there was no wind at al – really untypical for this place where it normally blows like hell… but still unlucky for us. There were some nice waves and most of the competitors went surfing. They even started a fun surfing competition one day to keep us happy. I was happy… I got a little time to relax and really enjoyed it!
Unfortunately also for the rest of the week the wind never came back with its normal force. We rode 2 more days, always in really light winds and with small waves, but at least we rode. We all very much wished for conditions to finish the competition… but in the end it was not enough… for the girls we could ride it out up until the final, but did not get any wind to actually ride the finals. So Kirsty and I ended up both in first place and were happy about that anyways…
I guess the guys were not too stoked as the ended up with 12 people in the first position, not so great for the price money and the points, but still fair and just unlucky… what can you do…I guess in the end we all had a great time anyway and just hope for better conditions for next year! Because it actually gets super good in Guincho and the wind and wave god will be with us the next time!