PKRA Germany
03.09.08

Who would have thought that: a kite event in Germany with 8 out of 9 windy days... A little too much for me, especially as I was the only rider competing in all 3 disciplines - simply impossible at a PKRA event.

Even though I am normally competing in the KPWT tour there is this one PKRA stop a year that I attend: the Colgate World Cup / St. Peter Ording in my home country Germany. I think already last year I think I was the only rider competing in all disciplines as the PKRA tour really is more a one discipline competition than an overall. With 4 days of wind in 2007 that was no problem for me though and I had a great time with podium spots in all disciplines. This year however I really started realizing that the variety of the sport does not count in this tour which I think really is a shame. Not only did this fact make me ride to the total exhaustion and made me get worse and worse results towards the end of the 9 days, but also don't I think it is as exciting for the public (and Germany really is one of the very few events with lots of visitors) to have two or 3 separate small starter groups. Anyways, I am still alive, feeling as if I just finished building a whole house (insider) and will have to choose only one discipline for next years event in case...

Otherwise the Act Agency and 9pm Media ones more put together the biggest and most professional kite event with big side events, lots of action at the beach, huge concerts and great media. Again I very much enjoyed working together with them and with many of the German TV stations and other media. Even if this is not an event that is important for my ranking it still is the events that is most important for me and kiteboarding in Germany and I am super happy that those guys are doing such a great job! They even brought Wladimir Klitschkow, Roby Naish and BEN (famous singer in Germany) to the beach and while Wladimir and Roby went kiting together I was able to teach BEN kiting for a TV show and he even managed to get on the board for a few meters! (another famouse kite-star!!!). So I can say, I really did have a great time and am already looking for next years event in St. Peter Ording - maybe just with a little more sunshine and a few days with no wind...? ;)

Infos and Podcast at:  http://www.kitesurfworldcup.de/