In Rhodos already

11 June 2007

We arrived last Thursday here in Trianda in Rhodos/Greece.
The first day (Friday) was pretty windy already - in the afternoon on 4,7 and quite some waves. Kevin Mevissen did some backloops! Tine Slabe and Fabian Weber were also here already and we had some nice sessions. No wind during the weekend - and today there was something again - some pix from Fabi and me from the session today below.

Well - Trianda is a nice place, there are bars and restaurants all around the village. We stay in a nice appartement pretty near the beach. The surfcenter at Forum Beach Hotel isn't ready yet as they just moved there from another place, but like this we, the riders for the EFPT Event which is starting in a few days already, have the whole center for ourselves and some locals.
The wind usually kicks in by miday and picks up around 3pm. Today unfortunately it dropped again after around half an hour and the current was very strong (was difficult to stay upwind). Most of the guys were on sails around 5.0 and 100 liter boards - however, 5.8 probably would had been a better choice...

One of the guys which is renting umbrellas on the beach around 100 meters downwind was going crazy and started throwing stones on Fabi - luckily he didn't hit him...

We hope for the next days to get some wind and serious action!
keep you updated
greets from Rhodos
Rossi

Again windy at home

02 June 2007

There was Föhn (strong southwind) last week - Föhn goes up to 120km/h in the strongest valleys and on the mountains (especially around Innsbruck). Sounds good so far - but it is very very very gusty at Lake Achen, as there are mountains everywhere around and the wind has to hit the lake in the right angle.
Well the weatherreport said the Föhn would break down (Föhn usually keeps up nice, warm weather) and a coldfront comes during the day (not in the night this time :) ). Lot of windsurfers were at the lake. It was cooling down from around 23°C to 8°C!!!
So i had a nice session on my 5,2 360Free and my I-Style94 with north wind, which is just great, pretty constant and strong. I was out 5 hours until almost nobody else was there anymore, because it was really cold already...
.... later (in the night) they had to close some roads cause of heavy snowfall!!!

here some nice pix - all by www.skyart.at

In France - Le Defi

20 May 2007

Le Defi Wind - 700 Racers - distance 40 Km - crazy!!

First day we've been in Gruissan, there was Tramontana - approximately 58 knots - there was a Slalom race with the pro's as it was definitely to dangerous to do the long distance race with 700 starters and 58 knots offshore wind!!!
check the pix below!

The following day provided sunshine and 5 bft - perfect to do 3 races - i was not competing as there was no more starting place and i am not a racer anyway... incredible event, the biggest in the world!!

Föhn Lake Achen

20 May 2007

Föhnsession (Strong south wind in the alps) at Lake Achen - last week (13.5.07)
5,2 360Free and I-Style 94 - the combination i like most!

EFPT Neusiedlersee - Podersdorf - Austria

01 May 2007

Michael Rossmeier with a fourth place best Austrian!!
 
Although a very bad windforecast, on Sunday 30th of April, approximately 13 knots of northerly wind came through to the event-site and let the freestyle windsurfers show their skills on the water. Almost a complete single elimination was held on this day. 
As one of the 38 riders from 9 nations, i was set against my good friend and very good sailor Tom Hartmann, also from Austria, in the first round. The conditions were pretty light as expected - i was using my 5,8 m² Loft 360 Free and my I-Style 94. Through a larger amount of moves and less crashes i took the advantage and won this heat, which put me against last years third in the overall ranking, Andreas Olandersson from Sweden. It was on the border between 5,8 and 5,2 meters - i decided to go with my 5,8 and it was the right choice. I had a pretty good heat and some difficult moves like Flaka diablo, Funnell and Eslider and Andy crashing more times, i could advance into the third round. Here i met Andrea rosati from Italy, one of the most experienced riders on the tour - we've met several times in the past years already. We had a tough heat, the super light wind conditions helped me as my setup 5,8 and I-Style 94 is planing very early and Andrea is a bit heavier than me. Again i had some pretty difficult moves and could advance into the final!!
I was super stoked already and had to go against Nicolas Akgazcyan from France now. He showed very good moves throughout the whole competition and was planing even earlier than me on his 6,3 m² sail. I lost this heat and was set into the loosers final for the fight about the third and fourth place against European Champion 2006 Andre Paskowski from Germany. With the wind dropping even more and more, it was very difficult for all us finalists to get a fair result, but we did our best. Andre won the heat and put me onto the 4th place in the single ellimination.
Later this day the wind allowed a supersession, also using a 2 meter high jump-ramp which was placed right into the event area, allowing some nice and high forwardloops.
 
I am very happy to be best austrian with a great 4th place on this -biggest EFPT Event of the year - in my homecountry Austria. As i missed the first Event in Tarifa / Spain, this sets me to a 9th place in the current overall ranking. The tour continues to Lefkas and Rhodos in Greece and Alacati in Turkey.
Keep you updated!
 
 

More Articles...