3rd place in Sylt and 2012 Freestyle vice World Champ!
9-Oct-2012
So that's it for this year. The tour is over. It's always a bit of an emotional time, with too many good friends that I won't see for a few months. But it's also full of positive emotion with all the champs being crowned and the sudden realization that the season has ended and the results are there.
I'm freestyle vice world champion for the second time in a row and I just got my first podium finish in waves. Enough reasons to celebrate - and celebrate we did!
Sylt was great. Cold, but windy and wavey. Wave sailors, freestylers and racers got their share of action out there.
We got so lucky for the waves straight from the start: cross shore with head high waves! I was up against Steffi Wahl in my first heat... Not an easy start. I sailed a good heat and managed to go through though. The following day we ran the finals and I was against Karin for 3rd and 4th. For the first time in my wave career the wind was light so only 2 waves were counting, no jump. Riding waves is what I love most and what I'm good at, and I went out there pretty relaxed and caught some good waves. And finished 3rd!
We still had to run the double elimination which means nothing's decided. You can always drop to 4th if you lose your heat. The conditions weren't good enough until the last few hours of the event. We went out in dead onshore wind, messy waves and heaps of current (I had to battle to stand in the water and not get knocked off my feet). Karin made it and I had to sail with her again. Except this time I wasn't quite as relaxed as the conditions were anything but what I'm comfortable in. Anyway, I did what I could and came out of the water pretty disappointed with myself, thinking I had lost. I'd even brought my gear all the way back up, ready to just go away with 4th... But then I heard a familiar voice shouting from the top "Treboooooouuuuxxx!!!! Awessooooome!!". That was the ever excited Sarah-Quita telling me I had won my heat. She went to double check, came back with a big smile, and off I ran back down for the next heat. I was up against Daida, sailed a bad heat, couldn't get any jump or descent ride. Daida threw some amazing jumps (for a change) and got it. Fair enough!
So that was the story of my first podium in the waves and I'm telling ya, it feels good!
The prize giving ceremony on Sunday afternoon saw a lot of world champions being crowned. Good moments.
It was really good to catch up with a lot of good friends. I hadn't giggled so much in a week in a while with my favourite Sylt flatmates Fanny and Alice, always on form. We ended the week with a massive Sunday night, a proper end of event and straight to the airport party. It wasn't the easiest journey home but the party was worth the pain.
There are so many people I want to thank. The ones who support me, the ones who believe in me, the ones who coach me, the ones who make me happy and inspire me. You are all part of this and I will never forget any of it. Thank you.
I would also like to mention and congratulate again my amazing friend Sarah-Quita who just got her 5th Freestyle World Title - 6th including her slalom title. Thanks for the great moments on and off the water.
