Sunday, June 28, 2009

PWA COSTA TEGUISE WORLD CUP 2009









A couple of days ago I arrived to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. In a few days this island will host to the first freestyle contest of the PWA Tour 2009 – The Costa Teguise World Cup.
I managed to catch 2 nice windy days on the water with my team mates Olya Raskina, Antxon Otaegui, Ian Mouro Lemos and Andy 'Bubble' Chambers. First start is in 2 days and now the wind is not strong enough, but forecasts are pretty promising. I share a room with Philip Soltysiak from Canada – he is the most Northern participant from the West, I am the same from the East, so we are forming together Northern Sail Unit. :)
Yesterday the local windsurf shop Windsurf Paradise organized a Rookie Cup, a fun race for all. We formed a team of some of the freestyle competitors including Andy Chambers, Leo Ray, Phil Soltysiak and myself. We ended up finishing in 3rd place behind a team of old school English sailors and a team of kids who enjoyed rubbing it in our faces. At least we each got a 2 hour spa session as a prize to relax before our competition. :)
Canary Islands is a special place having plenty of wind throughout the summer, that’s why it hosts many free independent people from all parts of the world enjoying windsurfing.
Moreover – Lanzarote was the place where suspects and prisoners were sent to exile (remember canary-bird?;)) that is why the attitude towards freedom, wind and sea is very special.
Nowadays it is the tourist paradise inhabited by crowds of free positive people from Europe and today most of them are the freestyle fans including my close friends.
After the competition most of the sailors will move to Fuerteventura for training before the second PWA contest.
Every time the lead up to World Tour contests is like the day before X-mass. I am absolutely happy to be here. YIPPEE!!!!!

Keep your fingers crossed for me!!!!!

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

BACK HOME AND NEW VIDEO ON-LINE

My spring training is finally over.
I have finished one and half month training in Dahab, Egypt for almost every day. It was windy and we had shot a lot of pictures and video there. Andre Paskowski was shooting in Dahab his new video with Gollito Estredo and Marcilio Browne. And 3 Brazilian chaps were sailing there too what finally makes Dahab favorit spot for Latinos as well. Looks like everybody was training super hard and the levels grow really high, so the competition this summer would be very interesting!
This year I am planning to concentrate in PWA events only. Last year gave me good experience about training, travelling and competing. This year I would be better at Canaries.
Now I`m in Moscow for some weeks – I need to make my visa, meet my sponsors, organize my trip to Canary Islands for competitions and training, work with my pictures and video and to spend the remaining time at hometown St.-Petersburg.
My Russian sponsors are optimists. Yesterday we were talking for two hours that windsurfing industry is the best investment in the time of world financial crisis and global warming age :)).
So, now you can see my new action video, some of my latest pictures and the new beautiful video profile of Olga Raskina.

See you!