Day 4 at the IFCA Grand Prix Austria
Vincent Langer and Amado Vrieswijk claim first Series Victory in the Slalom and Foil discipline at the first stage of the New IFCA Grand Prix Series | Surf Worldcup 2017 / Neusiedl am See
Despite the tricky conditions the Race committee managed with great effort to complete 2 full slalom eliminations and a 3rd elimination, up to the semi finals, as the wind kept making things complicated after several start attempts. Competitors struggled to get their boards trough the big wind lulls during the late afternoon.
The 2-time IFCA Slalom World Champion, Vincent Langer from Germany, remained on top of his game by winning the first series slalom competition. The ex RS:X sailor Luka Mratovic from Croatia on second place and the young and strong Jimmy Thieme from France on third place. The Austrian Matthias Holler landed sensationally on the fourth place whereas Marco Lang, Austria's favorite, who went into the competition with a bruised shoulder, managed to secured a 7th place.
Top 5 Slalom:
1. Vincent Langer (GER)
2. Luka Mratovic (CRO)
3. Jimmy Thieme (FRA)
4. Matthias Holler (AUT)
5. Marco Begalli (ITA)
Amado Vrieswijk Wins The IFCA Grand Prix Foiling Premiere
The Freestyler from Bonaire made an impressive performance on his Foiling board and took advantage of his extraordinary balance to win. Right behind him, Steven van Broekhoven from Belgium another top freestyler. The podium is completed with Jimmy Thieme from France who showed great skills and Austria's Thomas Böhm was ranked 5th in the foiling.
Hydro-foiling: Windsurfers managed to sail in super light winds with specialized boards and foil fins attached underneath their boards, they flew above the water at high speeds in wind strengths that were not suitable for competitions before. This in turn leads to a reduced of resistance and an increased speed and acts as if the riders fly over the water which is something new for the sport in terms of competitions. A true eye catcher
Top 5 Result Foiling:
1. Amado Vrieswijk (Bonaire)
2. Steven van Broeckhoven (BEL)
3. Jimmy Thieme (FRA)
4. Eric Thieme (FRA)
5. Thomas Böhm (AUT)
Freestyle is up next with the European Freestyle Pro Tour from 4 to 7th of May.