PWA Cold Hawaii World Cup - Of princes and champions

by Matthew Pryor on 16 Sep 2013 HRH Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark met the PWA windsurfing stars on Sunday evening in Klitmøller, Denmark on the eve of the 2013 KIA Cold Hawaii PWA World Cup which commences on Monday, September 16.

The Crown Prince met Germany’s Philip Köster, the 19-year-old double PWA world champion and windsurfing’s wunderkind, Spain’s Victor Fernandez Lopez, the 2010 world champion and world number two and former German champion, Klaas Voget.

A former Danish Navy Seal, accomplished sailor and iron man triathlete, the Crown Prince is the new event patron and spent the morning learning the sport in this windsurfing mecca. He was on Vandets Sø near Klitmøller, with 15 7-15 year-old children from Glyngøre school. He then took a jet ski out in Klitmøller to get a closer look at how the professionals do it.

'As a sailor, looking at the acrobatics and the techniques that they master is impressive, seeing what man has made to make it possible to defy the laws of gravity,' the Crown Prince said. 'To this part of Denmark it’s (the Cold Hawaii world cup) extremely important. The whole area has realised that this is something to be proud of but also to attract tourists from all over Europe, maybe even the world.'

Köster, intent on winning back the Cold Hawaii title he won in 2011 but lost in the final to France’s Thomas Traversa last year, welcomed the visit of the Crown Prince. 'He (the Crown Prince) was asking us about our equipment and how we do it,' Köster said. 'I think it’s good that he gets out there and does all these things. I live in Spain and I don’t think you see that so much there.'

World cup programme on Monday, September 16:

1000-1100hrs – Registration
12.30hrs – Skippers’ Briefing
1300hrs – First possible start

First three heats will see six out of 12 ‘trialling’ riders qualify for the final 32.

'The forecast is not particularly special for tomorrow, Tuesday is what we’re going for at the moment, there’s 27-28 knot south westerlies (offshore)' Rich Page, the PWA tour manager said. 'But you can’t tell, we weren’t expecting the wind we’ve had today. Thursday is the other day with lots of wind but that looks more onshore.'

Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark: 'It is amazing to witness the skills of the windsurfers, it made me a bit embarrassed that I have to use an engine and not the wind but that will be in my second life.

As a sailor, looking at the acrobatics and the techniques that they master is impressive, seeing what man has made to make it possible to defy the laws of gravity.

It really motivates me a lot, I wish I had kept on with windsurfing way back 30 years ago.

To this part of Denmark it’s (the Cold Hawaii world cup) extremely important for a lot of reasons. We have ideal surf and steady winds and as I’ve learned today from asking the pros this area is at the top of the list of the best spots in the world because supposedly as you can see it sort of goes out a bit in the ocean so you get winds from different angles, you can go and train in different areas.

It (the world cup) brings a lot of people, it’s an area that had it not had these ideal conditions would have had a harder time reinventing itself or at least to survive in many ways. But now the whole area has realised that this is something to be proud of but also to attract tourists from all over Europe, maybe even the world. At the same time the hospitality of the locals is second to none I’m very impressed.'

Philip Köster: 'He (the Crown Prince) was asking us about our equipment and how we do it. It looked like he had fun out there on the jetski. I think it’s good that he gets out there and does all these things. I live in Spain and I don’t think you see that so much there.

I’m feeling good. I don’t know how many times I’ve been here, I think it’s my fourth time and we’ve had a lot of luck with the conditions and I think this the forecast is also pretty good so I’m pretty excited.

I want to take it (the Cold Hawaii title) back this year. I love to compete, I love this competition and I always want to win.

The conditions change so many times a day that I don’t know what (equipment) to take, it’s hard. You can get perfect good waves sometimes, it’s pretty nice.

Tuesday looks good at the moment too. But it can be different when you look an hour later.

Normally here I take out (onto the beach) from my 4.2 metre sails and 82 litre board to 5.6 and 100 litre board, so, everything. Normally I wouldn’t do it, in the Canaries you see how windy it is in the morning and that’s how it will stay, so it’s a different challenge.'

Since (winning the PWA world cup event in) Tenerife (in August) I haven’t been windsurfing, not at all. I’ve in a race car in Germany.

I am getting closer (to doing the first ever triple forward loop), I want to do it and I can see myself doing it. I’ve got the height (for the jump) and that’s how I’m preparing Event website