After two months of waiting, finally the day arrived: the organizers took the chance of the season’s first north-western storm at the Baltic Sea for the second edition of the Red Bull Big Days. It was a mixture of chilly eight degrees of air and water temperature, hailstorms, sunshine and choppy seven to eight wind forces. Normally no sane person would think about going windsurfing in such conditions. But the registered surfers for this competition awaited this day already anxiously.

32 starters went on the water in the morning of November 20, 2008 for the preliminaries. At high noon the main event started. The best 12 participants of the last year took on the 12 winners of the preliminary round.  

Right from the start, only 15 years old Philip Köster (Gran Canaria) impressed much. Even the most difficult moves were no problem for the young talent. Despite the fact that he had to change his familiar board shorts, which he wears in his adopted country Gran Canaria, for his thickest wetsuit for the icecold Baltic Sea. Andy Wolff (Munich), Matze Bade (Kiel) and last year winner Lars Gobisch (Kiel) kept on his heels during his chase for the title.

Though in the finals it was a battle between old against young, local against adopted Spaniard . After nine rounds of hard fight the most radical jumps brought victory to Philip. “That’s incredible, the level and the conditions were a lot better than I had expected. All the more I am happy about my victory. I will participate in the next year for sure. But then I will bring an even thicker wetsuit.” Philip Köster said after the ceremony.

To close the day properly, regatta chef Holger Lass sent all participants out on the water again for a collective super session. And also here a youngster made the victory, Leon Lamaer from Kiel, with an extremely high twisted pushloop.  

Therewith also the second real wave contest at the German Baltic Sea coastline was a great success. The Red Bull Big Days were a grand chance for the radical young windsurfing talents to show their skills impressively.

Ranking:

1. Place: Philip Köster

2. Place: Lars Gobisch

3. Place: Matze Bade

4. Place Andy Wolff

Please find more information at the Red Bull Big Days website: www.redbull.de/bigdays (German).