International Snowkite Open Reschensee 2022
Next year I win both… I said three years ago..
International Snowkite Open Reschensee 2022
For more than 3 years (!) – also the first time snowkiting competitions for me – we didn`t have any snowkiting competitions: cancelled, replaced, relocated, political situations…Just like that in this three years, I have been snowkiting just one day when the covid regulations let us escape a day to the neighbours Belgium – with some more snow than we get at home. More chances of snowkiting than this one I didn`t got anymore. After all we all know: The Netherlands is butter flat and … has nothing than a cosmetical layer of snow on a few rare lucky days the past years. (we call it poo grass kiting for the people still snowkiting in .. no snow, sand and grass..).
Launching a foil kite was also a while ago for me.. the last time was in September at the worlds of kitefoiling. There are many reasons why, the most important is that I didn’t quit hydrofoiling as a lot of you might think, no its actually the other way around. Only a bit more efficiency in the money needed for competitions, gear, entrance fee, training – to keep up with the quick developing Olympic Class – with a loooooooot just out of self support…..
“Nobody said it will be easy, but nothing worth having ever is”
Two years ago I won the long distance and became 3rd in the course race (for a stupid reason) at the Snowkite Worldcup at Lago Di Resia. From that moment I promised myself next time I win both! And so there we go back snowkiting at Lago Di Resia, three years later – 2022:
Last minute decisions are always the best, Sometimes I can be a bit impulsive but hey it keeps life exciting, isn`t it? Just as little as a few days before the reminder of the international snowkiting competition of the Rechensee – we though, what the heck, let’s go! Straight after my nightshift, we drove to the Reschensee. Right on time for an Italian dinner pizza and off to bed. The next day (Saturday) we had to register early morning.
Saturday and Sunday are planned to be competition days. Anyhow, Saturday looks really good, Sunday a bit difficult with a huge snow cloud coming in and different wind forecasts. I was a bit scared, not knowing what to expect and.. knowing I didn`t train any snowkiting. But isn`t it always like this..?
Saturday we started off with the long distance, which took us around two hours. It was fun to finally do some racing on the snow again with skies and a foil kite. Perfect conditions for the 18m. I made my first tacks and gybes again in the middle of the race after three years. Which was so much fun! After the start I had some trouble finding the downwind mark and remembering which side to pass it, not used to be up front. That made me doing some gybes too much, but rounding everything the right way, behind the first guys. The whole race I focused at myself and the people in front, to catch some of them and to be as quick as possible – without losing to much ground. When finally finishing with shaking legs I know maybe next time I need a little practise before… I didn`t know where I ended, on which place but the only thing I did know that I had a big smile! – I missed this –
After the long distance race, we started straight with the course races, because we never know what is going to happen on Sunday. The wind already became difficult. We started the first race in enough wind for the big kites.. 18m… and only the first 5 that were quick enough finished. I surprisingly finished as 4th. Some others finished the race running, walking and skating – respect! 😉
After a bit of waiting the next races were up, same story wind, no wind, wind, a lot of wind. And a turning direction, of the wind which made it fun, interesting and more tactical for some exciting port starts and not needed to gybe and rounding the mark in one straight line. Now you could see the differences in tactics. I even came first around the downwind mark from all competitors after a really good start. One race I specially screwed up for the discard.. I tried to gain some more high on the side of the lake which was a little steeper. When I tacked I did it way to quick and flew the wrong direction, my kite crashed ad tangled and turned and turned again. After all the dancing, pulling ropes and collapsing I could relaunch it and finish not last. After all it was nice racing, difficult and sometimes a bit of walking & skating. Hard to get speed and for me hard to pass the downwind mark sometimes, and even the finish mark, the other raced I crashed right on top of it in a time of no wind… sorry guys 😊 … after 5 races the day is over.
Sunday we played the waiting game, (which I secretly enjoyed, nice weather, nice view and still happy with the nice day we had yesterday – best day of the season already) the wind kept teasing us with going up and down and turning direction to direction. Almost on the end of the day the AP came up and we were supposed to start racing. Standing on the lake .. the wind disappeared again. Despite some people trying really hard, it didn`t work and finally we were released to the price giving & apple ceremony.
Finished the Long distance 1st and 8th overall.
Finished the course race 1st and 11th overall.
Thank you all for the fun racing again, and organizing the event which made it possible for everyone to race again!!
Now we are off to the next adventure: Rocarasso! Which will be the final stop of the world snowkite tour in long distance, racing and gps – winners will be the World Campions toooo. But first home for some night shifts and study.
