One week of full power competition in Lanzarote has ended. This year I decided to go for my first PWA competition to test my skills among the other girls and gain experience, and also to know how to train for the next year. During the winter I have been training a lot and I felt ready for new challenges.


I decided to do just one stop this first year and I chose Costa Teguise in Lanzarote. I knew this place can offer a lot of different conditions, and I could be lucky to get to show a bit of everything there. Lanzarote turned out to be really on fire during this competition week, so my favourite Loco 4.8 remained nicely rolled in his comfy sail bag almost the whole week. In other words: it was super windy! Especially one day was really windy, and the girls would be on 3.0s and the guys flying high over the logo to mast high waves in the back on their 3.7s. This day I watched Team rider Taty Frans really on fire on his 3.7 Legend. Taty advanced a lot of heats in these strong conditions, and the heat between him and Gollito was just amazing. I had a hard time in these conditions, as my smallest sail is also the 3.7 Legend. I managed to do some moves though. The next day when the wind was lighter on my 3.7 I had a comeback and sailed some good heats. It felt good to see how my competition skills improved during the whole week, and I ended up sailing some pretty okay and close heats.  

I ended up in 10th position this first time, I wanted to do better and show more of my moves, but in my opinion it is acceptable for the first time. But my result was so much more than a position. Now, training in Tenerife, I realize that I have learned a lot from this contest, and I am even hungrier to improve and do better next year.


I am now in Tenerife for training some weeks before I head home to Denmark. The conditions were super good already when I arrived, and I went out for a session the evening I got here, with a nicely powered 4.8. My motivation after having been freestyling with all the other girls this week is big! I am hungry to learn new stuff and come back next year with a bigger bag of tricks.

…Today looks like another day on my 3.7, so I will head to the beach.

Thanks for reading,
Xenia Kessler, D-211  

Photos by Julie Kessler and John Carter/PWA