Although Switzerland, which lies in the center of the Alps, does not have, like other important windsurf nations, direct access to the sea, it is even more surprising that this small country comes up with a broad range of top-class athletes.

The windsurf season 2008 started in March with the first PWA Wave Event at the Cape Verde Islands and was continued with Freestyle on a world-class level at the Austrian Neusiedlersee. Although at this level of performance only a few Swiss athletes are represented, they nevertheless play among the field leaders. 

Karin Jaggi, for example, manifold world champion in diverse windsurfing disciplines and unchallenged as fastest female windsurfer on water; her partner, Patrick Diethelm, speed world champion on serial boards and board designer at the traditional brand F2. Further, the newcomer Laure Treboux from Lake Geneva in the discipline freestyle. Daniel Aeberli, Baptiste Beer and Pete Scheuble also take part at times in international competitions.

However, all eyes will be set on Beijing in August, when Richard Stauffacher represents the Swiss colours at the Olympic Games. He already took part in Athens with the former Olympic material Mistral One Design and qualified with remarkable results for the Games of 2008 with the new RS:X equipment.

Of course we also decorate ourselves with the new Swiss sail number, the SUI-11, which belongs to the 35-fold world champion Björn Dunkerbeck since last year. He moved from the Spanish Canary Island Grand Canary to the Swiss Lake Silvaplana near St. Moritz, and since then does not start under the Spanish flag but under the confederate Swiss one instead.

However, the contests which are considered more important by the local windsurfing scene take place on a lower floor, at national level, where the riders already mentioned are also very often among the competitors. We would like to introduce their competition grounds during the regatta season, the TCS Cup, which includes the Swiss championship, together with the best riders in the following.
 

Windsurfing in Switzerland – „Regatteering“ on the Alp Lake

The exact number of windsurfers in Switzerland can only be estimated. However, it is a fact that the regatta scene with about 120 participants is rather small in comparison with the hobby surfers. Nevertheless, the TCS Cup with the three disciplines Race, Slalom and Freestyle is an impressive series of events for such a small country. In comparison with the German Windsurf Cup (DWC), for example, which can count on a broad supporting program and big parties, here the sporting competition takes center stage.   

Comparable to the TCS Cup, another big event is the „Engadinwind“, which takes place at the famous Lake Silvaplana. In 2007, this surf marathon was held for the thirtieth time and the whole world elite of windsurfing has already been there repeatedly. As an established big event on the international windsurf schedule, the Engadinwind has already been integrated as a tour stop into the most important international competition series, the European Freestyle Pro Tour and the PWA World Tour. In 2006, the world champions for series boards of the IFCA were actually ascertained there.   

However, windsurfing in Switzerland is not only possible at the Lake Silvaplana, although that lake is known far beyond the Swiss boarders for its steady thermal wind „Maloja“. At the Urnersee, for example, a part of the Lake Vierwaldstätter, where, at bright sunshine, storm-like winds come up especially at foehn conditions can be excellent.

Lake Walen, too, at the bottom of the Flumser Mountains offers good thermical conditions. Additionally, at Martigny a small quarry pond lies in the Wallis, which brings very choppy wind on a small area, however, and is therefore rather made for Freestylers.   

Moreover, you will find windsurfers at low pressure fronts or at Bise (North wind) on almost every lake, from Lake Geneva to Lake Constance. At these midland lakes, which do not offer thermical wind systems because of their mountainous topography, Formula and Slalom regattas take place, too, which count among the rankings of the TCS Cup or the international Lake Constance championship (Murten, Yverdon, Steckborn). Moreover, the TCS Cup doesn‘t stop at the Italian boarder either. Thus, a regatta takes place at Lago di Como, right behind the boarder.    

Switzerland’s best

Together with the already mentioned surfers, some elite riders, who also perform well on an international level, can be met at the national regattas. Valentin Zwygart from Neuenburg is the active international Swiss champion and for the most part successively competes against the competitive Basti Kördel and Florian Bandel from Southern Germany, who long since prefer the Swiss regatta scene to the long travels to the DWC in the North.    

Only if Daniel Aeberli is in the match, things become close for the three of them. However, if Patrick Diethelm, who, born in Switzerland and participating for Italy under the sail number ITA-20, has double citizenship, joins in as well, things again look different.  

Richard Stauffacher, the Swiss Olympic participant, too, not only performs well on the Olympic material, but also plays among the field leaders on Formula and Slalom boards. However, because of the preparation for the Olympic Games, he did not have the time to take part in national regattas for a long time. His sister, Franziska, nevertheless is a worthy substitute and she strongly competes with her hardest rival, the experienced Carmen Imhof.  

Supporting the Youth among Swiss

The fact that, along with elite riders, surfers of an advanced age take part as well and, like Kurt Imhof, Mario Ballabio and Urs Rohr, surprisingly have no problem at all to keep up with the significantly younger participants, is simply an essential part of the Swiss regatta scene. However, the new blood riders are of special importance. A lot of hope is placed upon the kids and juniors, who experience special support and training since the foundation of the Swyt (Swiss Windsurfing Youth Team) two years ago. Up to 24 young people count among this team, and that is remarkable for a small sport in a small country far away from any ocean.  

Slalom und Freestyle

Slalom has gained increased importance in Switzerland, too, since the pros of the PWA have changed from Formula Racing to Slalom Regattas. Here, too, this discipline has steadily become more important, because riders can do without the very big material of the Formula class and especially the young have to spend less money in material costs. However, interest among the young for the broad Formula board should be raised as well, because, for the bad wind conditions in Switzerland, with this material chances are best for frequent „regatteering“.   

However, wind conditions on the Swiss inland waters quite often hardly suffice for the biggest sails. Then the regatta distance is left to the kids, who can do races for the year’s ranking even at low wind. In those cases, the rest of the Slalom specialists do fun races without regular evaluation. And that is the secret of the Swiss windsurf regatta scene: fun takes center stage. Nevertheless, in 2008 already at three out of four regattas regular Slalom races could be done, and for the first time in this millenium, a Swiss championship in Slalom will be held.       

Freestyle has lost participants in the last few years, and only 10 to 12 young men fight to win at the end of the year. Years ago, up to 26 competitors participated and there was even a complete female competition on a regular basis, in which, by the way, Laure Treboux participated and won as well. Baptiste Beer and Pete Scheuble are currently the best Freestylers and shared first place at the TCS Cup in 2007.   

A special factor at Freestyle in Switzerland is the variable scene of a competition, which is announced not until Friday before the competition weekend by the head of the regatta team, Peter Aeberli, after consulting the wind and weather forecast. Then all the athletes have to take off to Flüelen at the Urnersee, Steckborn at the Lake Constance, St. Blaise at the Neuenburgersee, Silvaplana – or to nowhere at all – in case there is no wind expected anywhere.

In Freestyle, too, the new blood is supported none the less: workshops for the youth take place this year in Martigny and Flüelen and these pleasant efforts to support the youth at SWYT and Freestyle make the Swiss confident with regard to the future of windsurfing as a competitive sport in Switzerland.

Small country with great potential

In spite of the sometimes adverse conditions, along with all the hobby surfers, a flourishing regatta scene has evolved in Switzerland. With three world champions: Dunkerbeck, Jaggi and Diethelm (if he is counted among the Swiss) and a promising newcomer, Treboux, with best chances to play among the field leaders of the world elite, Switzerland has an impressive international team. Additionally, talents like Daniel Aeberli, Richard Stauffacher on the Olympic material and a growing generation of young bloods will not only populate the Swiss Lakes, but also play an important part in the international windsurfing scene.  

 
Links
Swiss Windsurfing Association
Swiss Windsurfing Platform soulrider.com
Portrait of Björn Dunkerbeck