PKRA Germany Day 8

Countless amounts of people were out and about today exploring the natural treasures of St. Peter-Ording, enjoying the warm sunny weather with temperatures reaching a high of 22° Celsius.

Race director, Olaf Van Tol announced to the riders this morning that the boarder cross competition will be called off for today due to the lighter wind conditions but the course racers would have yet another chance to get out onto the water.

The weather here is so unpredictable that there is a variety of action for everyone to enjoy.

At 12:00 pm a total of 30 racers were at the start line waiting for the signal to make their way to the finish line.

Once again, Portimao KiteMasters Racing champ Bruno Sroka (Cabrinha, FRA) powered his way through the finish line during 3 of the 4 races that were held today. French rider Olivier Dansin (North) proved that he had a couple tricks up his sleeve as he outran Sroka in the first race of the day. Dansin finished in second place overall today with a total of 20.7 points, while Sroka remains the leader of the scoreboard. German rider Dirk Hanel (North) finished third with a total of 20.9 points nearly tying Dansin for second place.

In the women’s division, racing queen Steph Bridge (North, GBR) fired herself across the finish line ahead of the other women putting her in lead position with 7.6 points overall. Kristin Boese (Best, GER) remains in second place while Portimao Kitemasters race runner-up Fabienne D’Ortoli (Cabrinha, FRA) finished in third with a total of 21.7 points. The day’s result did not change the overall standings as Bridge still maintains the leader.

The races concluded at 4:00 pm this afternoon due to the diminishing winds.

Freestyle double winner Joanna “Asia” Litwin (Nobile, POL) as well as fellow Polish competitor and 3rd place winner Karolina Winkowska (Naish, POL) were out enjoying the sun today. In a quick interview these pleasant girls explained how they trained in various locations around the world such as Venezuela, Brazil, and Greece. Training in these locations gives you the best of everything from strong winds to light winds, choppy as well as flat water giving them a variety of conditions to prepare them for whatever weather conditions are thrown their way at each PKRA tour stop. Doing lots of strength training in the off-season as well as Yoga to enhance flexibility and mobility.

EETV asked Asia (Nobile, POL) how does it feel to be on top of the world at this event?

“It was extremely hard to compete against Bruna Kajiya (Flexifoil, BRA), I feel a bit strange, excited, I am very, very happy, I tried my best and I did it!“ – Asia Litwin

It is obvious that hard work and determination pays off such is the case for Joanna Litwin (Nobile, POL) as shined like a star, taking her much deserved position at the top of the podium at the 2009 Palmolive for Men Kitesurf World Cup in St. Peter-Ording, Germany.

Palmolive for Men Kitesurf World Cup 2009 is sponsored in part by TV14.

Tomorrow’s mandatory riders’ meeting is set for 10:00 am with the first possible start at 10:30 am.

Course Racing Results

Men:
1. Bruno Sroka (Cabrinha, FRA) - 7.6 points
2. Olivier Dansin (North, FRA) – 20.7 points
3. Dirk Hanel (North, GER) – 20.9 points

Women:
1. Steph Bridge (North, GRB) – 7.6 points
2. Kristin Boese (Best, GER) -17.4 points
3. Fabienne D’Ortoli (Cabrinha, FRA) – 21.7 points