She’s only 17 years old. For three years she’s been starting in the professional windsurfing-tour; now she’s already got her first world championship title. Bold, curly-hair Sarah-Quita Offringe from Aruba wants more. Diligently emulating boys, she learns their tricks. Insiders already speak of a new level in women’s freestyle windsurfing. The young lady from the South Pacific already commands top tricks back to front. Ever since she had to admit defeat to dominating surf-legend Daida Morena in 2007 up to this day, she allowed no competitors next to herself in the 2008 season. She confidently won every match and every single heat. No matter under what wind conditions, no matter what kinds of waves.

Non-stop victories

“Yes, that was probably it. Finally. I am World Champion in Freestyle!” It is July 28^th 2008. Sarah-Quita is screaming with joy when she hears that she has finally got the title for sure. She had an exemplary successful season. During all three freestyle competitions, in Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura, did the laid-back curly head not give up a single run. “I won 32 Heats. Every single one that I challenged”, she said all in smiles. Not once did her nerves leave her or did the equipment break. Her moves always worked, at 15 and at 45 knots of wind and Sarah-Quita never made a mistake in the material.

Curly Sue

In 2007, the young lady from the ABC Islands often times reluctantly trudged into the water to do the competition. The 16-year old participating in the World Cup appeared overstrained and unhappy. “Although freestyle meant the world to me, I just wanted to go home. Away from Gran Canaria. I still had fun on Lanzarote, but afterwards everything just kept stressing me out”, she analysed today. In 2007 she lost the title just shortly into the final event on Fuerteventura. “In any case, the second placement in 2007 and the defeat, once-again to the Gran Canaria stemming Daida Moreno, made me very angry. [Note: in 2006 she was also runner-up after Daida Moreno]. I regained my strength from this and was completely focused on winning in 2008. And it worked! I enjoyed it so much more to compete against my rivals this time. Furthermore, I didn’t feel stressed-out at all! For this season, my goals were directed at giving a constant performance and a great show to the audience. She more than succeeded in this for sure.

There’s nothing like starting young

Sarah-Quita was already standing on a windsurfing board at the tender age of three years. Her great talent was confirmed as early as twelve years of age. Back then, she already landed ‘spocks’, a common freestyle manoeuvre in the men’s discipline in 2003. “There’s a great talent coming to the worldcup circus. Probably the most promising of all” the Austrian windsurfer Tanja Emig affirmed, who back then, was at the very front of the international freestyle event.

First international performance at the age of 12

At the first competition on international level in 2003, she got up to fifth placement right away. “My first PWA Freestyle event on Bonaire was awesome and at the same time very satisfying. I tried everything I was able to do”, said Sarah-Quita. From now on the competition between her, the Moreno twins, Karin Jaggi and Tanja Emig officially got started. Especially the very competitive-oriented twins from Gran Canaria gave Sarah-Quita a hard time. The 14-year older Spaniards were not only predominant from the surf-technique point of view. They often times made the inexperienced newcomer feel uncertain on land before she even got into the water in the first place.

First international victory at the age of 15 and „Rookie of the Year“

Back then, Sarah-Quita was already very ambitious, aiming for first place in the international-freestyle-circus. “The Moreno twins are excellent windsurfers but have to get their tempers under control. Additionally, they have to learn how to lose”, commented the 12-year old after her worldcup debut on Bonaire. Already 3 years later, as 15-year old, she won her first grand victory. At Fuerteventura, her favourite place, she defeated Daida Moreno and won her first freestyle event on the international professional tour in 2006. Her mother Ester, who would always accompany her daughter and her brother Quincy couldn’t believe it at first. In this year, the PWA awarded her with the ‘Rookie of the year’ title. She ended the season as runner-up.

From then on, Sarah-Quitta Offringa brought the lady’s freestyle windsurfing to the next level. In the following season, she had to admit defeat to Daida Morena for the last time. But sine 2008, the now 17-year old calls the shots in the lady’s professional circus. Sarah-Quita owes her technique to great endurance during her training. She is windsurfing on over 200 days a year. “If you live on Aruba, you can move forward in freestyle pretty fast”, she calmly explains. “We live 10 to 15 minutes from the huts, where our equipment is stored at the ‘Windracers Club Aruba’. Most of the time, we have pretty constant winds. Although I use a bigger sail when on the Canaries, around 4,7 to 5,2, this really helps me, as the tricks with smaller sails succeed much better afterwards.”