What’s up fellow windsurfers !!

Just got back from the freestyle Worldcup at Brouwersdam, Holland.
This event was super nervewracking for me, So claiming that first spot and with that my 6th freestyle world title in a row was all the more satisfying.

I was really looking forward to this event because I have seen so many clips of the Dutch and Belgian sailors ripping at Brouwersdam. Until last week I had only sailed there once or twice with minimal winds. But last week I experienced Brouwersdam in all its forms sunny, rainy, super windy, light, wind from the south, North and the west. I loved it.
On the first day I competed in the EFPT tow-in competition with the boys. I used my 4,4 Pure. At first I didn’t feel like it because I was worried I would hurt myself. But in the end it was a great experience. I managed to do 2 air funnels and at the end I crashed a burner. These 3 runs had me fully exhausted by the end of the day because of the adrenaline rush I got from being pulled by the jet ski at high speed. My whole body was shaking after every run. It was epic.

The 3rd day of the event was some of the most hardcore conditions I’ve ever competed in. The wind kicked in in the morning and kept increasing in force for the rest of the day to the point that around 7-8 PM the wind was gusting between 45-50 knots. My first heat was the best heat of the competition I think as I landed double flaka, shaka, kono, switch kono, funnel, culo. Super happy with that! I was already overpowered on my 4,4 so I quickly moved down to my 4,0 sail for the next heats. I was struggling to keep my energy up during the heat. Because of the wind I needed to hold on so much stronger so my arms would start cramping. By the time I made it to the final to sail against Yoli, the wind was so strong that the water was flying off of the water if you understand what I mean hehehe. I was super focused though and sailed my heat so I could land my moves safely. I was happy with my pure’s because Eventhough it was crazy windy the sail stays stable and I was still able to duck my 4,0 safely. A Funnel, punjeta, shaka, switch kono,double flaka, and spocks finally got me that victory!

In the double elimination the next day, arrianne had fought her way up to 2nd and was my challenge in the final. Just when I got in my wetsuit at 8PM they cancelled for the day as it was too dark. The next day again there was some wind to sail the finals. They had just finished the men’s in really light conditions and when Arrianne and I got on the water the wind dropped completely. So they had to cancel again. From Thursday to Saturday morning we were the first heat on standby for wind. I really didn’t enjoy that as it made me really nervous. I really just wanted to get it over with already. Finally on Saturday there was enough wind and we started sailing straight away at 9am. During the heat the wind slightly dropped so I was underpowered on my 5,2 and 91l Flare. But at this point I was super fed up from waiting and determined to win that final. I knew because of the relatively flat water Arrianne and I were going to perform similar moves so I made sure to duck my sail at the end of every move to get some extra points. I landed funnel Diablo, grubby Diablo, e-slider Diablo, double flaka, spocks and a kono. I was quite satisfied with this heat! When I heard I won I was super relieved.
The plan for the rest of the day was to finish a single and a double for the ladies. The wind dropped pretty much straight after that first final, switched about 180 degrees and kicked in strong enough from the North-west for me to sail 4,4.
At this point I had friends and family over for support and I was really enjoying sailing my heats ! The wind was so unpredictable I was happy my brother was there to help me rig and switch sails when needed. In the final against Arrianne again the wind had become really light again. Luckily I switched to 4,8 right before but even then I was struggling. This was a pretty safe heat for me but it was enough to win the second single elimination.
For the double elimination the wind never really kicked in and after cancelling and resailing the first heats several times the PWA crew finally called it off which marked the end of the event and another title for me.

People keep on asking me whether or not I get bored? I haven’t yet. Every year is a new year and the competitors have changed a lot over the past 8 years. Every year for me is a new challenge. So winning that title still means a lot to me! It was great to have so many (16) ladies competing at this event and really hope their as motivated as I am for next year.

All in all I thought The Dam7 festival was a very well organized event with loads of activities besides windsurfing. I’m really happy I could have been a part of it and I’m hoping we can return again next year. Now my windsurfing filled summer is really over and I’m back in my study books. If all goes well I should finish my bachelor’s in April. After that I’m planning on focusing on al 3 disciplines for the tour next year. Exciting future prospects !
Big thank you to my sponsors, Starboard, Gaastra, Mystic and Chris Benz.