Hey Curac, 2 events does suck but I am really enjoying the number of slalom events, there was a lack(or no) of slalom a few years ago when everything was formula. Hopefully after the GFC eases sponsors will free up more cash to get the wave tour back on track.

Well I suppose it's more like 3 because Scotland is yet to be confirmed.
Still only really has 1 wave event pozo and sylt don't really have waves.

No I haven't been there.
Have you? Let me guess there are epic waves at the locations they hold the pwa contests and they just don't show any pics or video of good waves because they don't want too many people there right??

Which is why all the pros are always so stoked to go there every year

Good for jumps. Bad for wave sailing

Gnaraloo = waves
Pozo = slop

Man you nsw guys sure do love these events in places with **** conditions. Just like home I suppose.

Those poor germans imagine how many people there would be if they had real waves.

I don't know what you are on about stehgleher the amount of people that show up doesn't change the quality of the waves. Also what's this about 250k for an event in oz I must of missed that topic.

How's about we all go to YouTube and type in pwa cabo verde windsurfing and watch the videos
Then type in pwa sylt or pozo windsurfing for what ever year, and then we can all see the difference.

i think its fair to say that the fact that windsurfing is much bigger in europe is at least partly due to the fact that they don't have many places with very good surf. wind and small waves IS what the european market knows, expects and likes. If they had good surf chances are windsurfing wouldn't be popular.

i agree though, PWA wave series does kinda suck this year. To look on the bright side the slalom guys are getting more coverage this year though.

stehsegler said...

Sylt obviously sucks so much that only 140,000 spectators make the annual pilgrimage to the event. Oh and since it sucks so much German TV decided it was only worth a daily 30 minute summary and 4 hour live segment on Sunday afternoon...

Sylt and Pozo are obviously very well run and profitable (at least in windsurfing terms), so are important until something better comes along.
But in terms of wave sailing, they are both sloppy crap holes.
Windy? yes (although Sylt comps seem to rarely blow).
Wave riding? doesn't exist.

To see the best wave sailors in the world "carving" on a flat piece of swell is embarassing.
Pozo can stay because it usually blows, and I must admit watching 1000ft backloops in 1000 knots is pretty cool. But that should be the extent of the on-shore comps.
Turn Sylt into a PWA "festival", not a comp. Same pros can turn up (as part of their contracts), put on an expression session, or simply sit on the beach with no wind and sign autographs like they do every year anyway. Or make it a PWA freestyle event at most. they'll like the slop more and they don't need as much wind.
I'm sure the crowds will still turn up. Not bagging them, or the town or the country, just this sailing spot that has absolutely zero appeal to anyone who has ever seen a proper wave break at least once in their life (even if its only on the TV). Not even talking an epic Indo wave. Just a half-decent beach break will do. anything!

Someone show me 1 single picture of Sylt that isn't either dead flat or a sloppy brown shore break.

And to the pointless questions that will be thrown back at me as well....
* Can I do any better? No
* Are the PWA organisers doing the best they can? Probably
* Have I been to Sylt? Why would I bother?
* Is the PWA Wave Tour sh1t? Yes

I know but you could at least try.

curac said...I used to dream of going on tour but now who would bother, except to get paid to windsurf which would be awesome.

Ha, dream on man, no one is going to pay to watch you sail.

ma said...

curac said...I used to dream of going on tour but now who would bother, except to get paid to windsurf which would be awesome.

Ha, dream on man, no one is going to pay to watch you sail.

Yeah they probably won't but I'd have a better chance than you I reckon.

We all need dreams, I used to dream of being a pro just like ma used to dream of not being such a pussy, but I suppose something will always be just a dream

Haha I was thinking the same of your post.
I didn't want to be to insulting because I try not to suffer from Internet f uckwad syndrome, which is anomimity + audience = abussive f uckwad

Obviously it costs money to bring events out to these places, but the sponsors will never be interested if they're only ever shown sloppy onshore crap.

So why is it that the Sylt PWA comp has the highest level of sponsorship of all events? Sponsors honestly don't give a rats ass as to what the conditions are like. What they want to see is eye balls looking at their product promotion. If they get 4 hours of live coverage on a Sunday afternoon with their logo plastered all over the screen that seems pretty attractive to me.

If you ask the average punter on the street in Germany they are more likely to know who Robby Naish is then Kelly Slater or Towny Hawk (statement based on actual research).

BTW, last years Sylt World cup had an estimated 210.000 spectators on site. Most people come for the parties. The windsurfing is a nice add-on during the day.

The biggest event we currently have here in OZ is the Lanceline Ocean Classic. I don't ever remember seeing results from this event mentioned in the national newspapers let alone any footage shown on TV.

Now don't get me wrong, there are better wave sailing spots elsewhere in Europe (as a matter of fact Klitmoeller 300km North is awesome) and the rest of the world. But the fact remains that you need money aka sponsors, media exposure and public interest to make an event viable. Great conditions consistent conditions are a nice to have but not necessary...

Curac,
Here is a great suggestion. If you think the current line up sucks why not be part of the solution. Get the ball rolling and organize an event here in OZ. I'm sure with sufficient sponsorship you'd be able to get the PWA guys to move their circus down this way.

Or of course you could just join the other Gen Y whiners and just complain how **** everything is.

stehsegler said...

Obviously it costs money to bring events out to these places, but the sponsors will never be interested if they're only ever shown sloppy onshore crap.

If you ask the average punter on the street in Germany they are more likely to know who Robby Naish is then Kelly Slater or Towny Hawk (statement based on actual research).

Do they know who Curac is?

stehsegler said...

BTW, last years Sylt World cup had an estimated 210.000 spectators on site. Most people come for the parties. The windsurfing is a nice add-on during the day.

Which is why it's more suited to be a festival than a proper competition. I'm all for the hyped up events to draw the crowds in, but a World Title event shouldn't be a "nice add-on". What the argument here is that the quality of the wave tour is way below average. All the sponsorship dollars and crowds don't change crap conditions. Distracting them with jumping castles and clowns that make balloon animals is not going to solve this problem.

Half the problem with promoting the sport is when there are such sh1t conditions at any given location, the locals continually see sailors bobbing about in 5 knots or struggling to waterstart and think that is the norm for windsurfing. No wonder they aren't interested. They need to have their mind blown by Polakow, etc ripping apart proper conditions.

Agree that they are obviously doing something right with the event promotion, sponsorship, etc for the Sylt comp. The PWA just needs to think how they can translate that exposure to other locations. Surely it has to be possible somewhere other than Sylt. It doesn't exactly look like a tropical paradise there.

I don't know how people got the idea I want an event in oz. All I was saying is the conditions in these places like pozo and sylt suck for wave events.

And I would like to see more quality wave events to choose the champ from
Much like the asp dream tour.

I understand the reason why pozo and shot exist is because of their visabilty and they can get funding.

Also according to your equation cabo verde event shouldn't work.

Also let it be known I do not want an event held at gnaraloo

Curac..some of the people on this forum you think less of, have more than likely met you, seen you sail and had a beer with you. SF was not that long ago. I went to both of them. I know who you are and so does MA (who infact rips and ranked very high at the last SF - where did you come on the standings?). Tone it down. Who gives a fck what the PWA are doing, are you gona change it..NO. So who cares. Relax and continue to sail the awesome conditions you get in Tas. Or is it too cold, thats why you're on the net so much now.