Photo Courtesy of Hanna Poschinger of EFPT
Sigri is a unexpected nice place in Greece, Davy Scheffers got his revenge this time but i’ll always keep trying to kick his ass.
I learned my lesson about packing the right gear! Anyway, podium! And my respect for all sailors as the level was really nice down there in Greece. You havn’t been there? So you’re invited to read my Sigri diary:
On the 7th of August, just a couple of days after the PWA World Cup on Fuerteventura, I arrived on a windy island of Greece called Lesbos for taking part in the European Freestyle Cup (EFPT). Well, I did not really know what to expect from this spot because I had never been there before. I was telling Chris Pressler from continentseven.com that I would be going there so he showed me some pictures and an article that he had written about the spot. I was very excited to go there, but it was completely different than all I had expected but well, not in a bad way at all!
You might wonder why a guy from Bonaire is allowed to take part in the European tour, but Bonaire now is a part of Holland again and I’m born in Holland. That’s why I decided to add the EFPT contests to the PWA world cups in my schedule. Sadly so many PWA and EFPT cups have been canceled this year. Hopefully next year we’ll have more events! Have you ever been watching such an event live on the beach? You’d love it. Is such a crazy action and everybody is so energized. You’re welcome!
On Lesbos I arrived late in the evening and 2 friends and competition buddies, Davy Scheffers and Andraz Zan picked Adam Gavriel (from Israel) and me up from the airport. It was quite a long drive to the spot (Sigri), because it was dark and they did not know the way 100%. Well, somehow it was a funny freestyle tour! So on our way we picked up some local food.. Anyway, we made it to Sigri!
As I woke up in the morning I got to know the location Sigri a little bit. It was not windy but the forecast looked a little bit better for the coming days of competition. The locals say usually it is always windy the whole month of August but sadly we had a little bit of bad luck with the wind. I expected super strong wind so I had brought actually only my smaller sized sails, from 3,8 to 4,8. I did learn my lesson. You must be prepared for every situation.
My first impressions were that the local people of Sigri are very friendly, it kind of remind me of my island (Bonaire). It’s also a small community with just 14.000 inhabitants where almost everyone knows each-other, and helps each-other out. That’s the way I like it!
It was a very short event they had scheduled for the 9th until the 12th and sadly on the 9th we still did not have any wind but it was just the registration day. The day after on the 10th it had finally picked up a bit, and we were able to start the competition straight away.
In the single elimination I was able to work my way up to the 2nd place, which I was very happy with my 90l Freestyle and my 4,8! Only Davy Scheffers was in the way! Me and Davy have been competing a lot against each other lately, and I had been winning.. So I know he wanted a revenge, but now I will have to get mine again!
Also on day 1 they we’re able to start the first round of the double elimination, but there was more wind expected for the next day so the organizers decided to cancel when the wind dropped a bit at 4 o’clock and to wait for day 2.
On day 2 we we’re able to finish the first double elimination, I was able to defend and keep my 2nd place which I’m very happy with, especially in these challenging conditions. It was super nice and flat but the wind did not kick in how we wanted to, the wind was very gusty and light-wind, which I actually do not prefer. I like the stronger and wavier conditions!
In the quarter-finals I was against my very experienced team mate Tilo Eber from Germany, but I had a really nice heat and I was almost able to make my perfect routine against him. I knew that I had sailed a pretty good heat but, to be honest, I was still pretty nervous about the result. Luckily I made it!
Later on, I also sailed a really stupid heat against a Greek guy: I remember doing 4 times the same trick! Each time I was ducking the sail for a Kono or an Air Bob but each time I ducked I just automatically jumped into a Culo. It drove me mad! I wasn’t too happy with myself after this heat. I also did show all my switch power moves and sliding moves and like in every heat I did go for the biggest shovit-spock possible! Luckily I was still able to pass to the next round against Andraz Zan. Anyway, I sailed a really good heat against Andraz and did manage to pass to the finals.
In the double elimination’s semifinals I was against Adrian Beholz from Germany, who has been on Bonaire in spring for preparing the season. I remember the poor start of the heat and I did not have luck with the wind at all. So, I was pretty much standing still the first 3 minutes and I just only saw my friend Adrian pulling moves! That really got me crazy to go for it and come back! After a while I started to get some good gusts and was able to pull all my moves in a really short time. I could save my 2nd place and Adrian had a good result too.
Later on that day we could also start with the 2nd single elimination and almost finish the double elimination. It was quite hard for me to make it all the way to the final, as lots of guys were sailing very good against me and wanting to beat me, but I was able to make it all the way to the finals again and took a strong 2nd place against Davy Scheffers, the wind was not too strong in the finals but it was still fair. Davy was sailing very strong as well and was able to beat me again in the finals.
I was actually meant to be leaving on the 17th to Holland for the promotion event ”The mission”, but the forecast was looking too good after the 17th.. I had changed my ticket to the 24th! Meaning more crazy action here in Sigri. But I will also not still miss ”The mission” because that will be happening on the 25/26th of august.
To learn more about Youp, visit Sigri is a unexpected nice place in Greece, Davy Scheffers got his revenge this time but i’ll always keep trying to kick his ass haha.
And I did learn my lesson about packing the right gear! Anyway, podium! And my respect for all sailors as the level was really nice down there in Greece. You havn’t been there? So you’re invited to read my Sigri diary:
On the 7th of August, just a couple of days after the PWA World Cup on Fuerteventura, I arrived on a windy island of Greece called Lesbos for taking part in the European Freestyle Cup (EFPT). Well, I did not really know what to expect from this spot because I had never been there before. I was telling Chris Pressler from continentseven.com that I would be going there so he showed me some pictures and an article that he had written about the spot. I was very excited to go there, but it was completely different than all I had expected but well, not in a bad way at all!
You might wonder why a guy from Bonaire is allowed to take part in the European tour, but Bonaire now is a part of Holland again and I’m born in Holland. That’s why I decided to add the EFPT contests to the PWA world cups in my schedule. Sadly so many PWA and EFPT cups have been canceled this year. Hopefully next year we’ll have more events! Have you ever been watching such an event live on the beach? You’d love it. Is such a crazy action and everybody is so energized. You’re welcome!
On Lesbos I arrived late in the evening and 2 friends and competition buddies, Davy Scheffers and Andraz Zan picked Adam Gavriel (from Israel) and me up from the airport. It was quite a long drive to the spot (Sigri), because it was dark and they did not know the way 100%. Well, somehow it was a funny freestyle tour! So on our way we picked up some local food.. Anyway, we made it to Sigri!
As I woke up in the morning I got to know the location Sigri a little bit. It was not windy but the forecast looked a little bit better for the coming days of competition. The locals say usually it is always windy the whole month of August but sadly we had a little bit of bad luck with the wind. I expected super strong wind so I had brought actually only my smaller sized sails, from 3,8 to 4,8. I did learn my lesson. You must be prepared for every situation.
My first impressions were that the local people of Sigri are very friendly, it kind of remind me of my island (Bonaire). It’s also a small community with just 14.000 inhabitants where almost everyone knows each-other, and helps each-other out. That’s the way I like it!
It was a very short event they had scheduled for the 9th until the 12th and sadly on the 9th we still did not have any wind but it was just the registration day. The day after on the 10th it had finally picked up a bit, and we were able to start the competition straight away.
In the single elimination I was able to work my way up to the 2nd place, which I was very happy with my 90l Freestyle and my 4,8! Only Davy Scheffers was in the way! Me and Davy have been competing a lot against each other lately, and I had been winning.. So I know he wanted a revenge, but now I will have to get mine again!
Also on day 1 they we’re able to start the first round of the double elimination, but there was more wind expected for the next day so the organizers decided to cancel when the wind dropped a bit at 4 o’clock and to wait for day 2.
On day 2 we we’re able to finish the first double elimination, I was able to defend and keep my 2nd place which I’m very happy with, especially in these challenging conditions. It was super nice and flat but the wind did not kick in how we wanted to, the wind was very gusty and light-wind, which I actually do not prefer. I like the stronger and wavier conditions!
In the quarter-finals I was against my very experienced team mate Tilo Eber from Germany, but I had a really nice heat and I was almost able to make my perfect routine against him. I knew that I had sailed a pretty good heat but, to be honest, I was still pretty nervous about the result. Luckily I made it!
Later on, I also sailed a really stupid heat against a Greek guy: I remember doing 4 times the same trick! Each time I was ducking the sail for a Kono or an Air Bob but each time I ducked I just automatically jumped into a Culo. It drove me mad! I wasn’t too happy with myself after this heat. I also did show all my switch power moves and sliding moves and like in every heat I did go for the biggest shovit-spock possible! Luckily I was still able to pass to the next round against Andraz Zan. Anyway, I sailed a really good heat against Andraz and did manage to pass to the finals.
In the double elimination’s semifinals I was against Adrian Beholz from Germany, who has been on Bonaire in spring for preparing the season. I remember the poor start of the heat and I did not have luck with the wind at all. So, I was pretty much standing still the first 3 minutes and I just only saw my friend Adrian pulling moves! That really got me crazy to go for it and come back! After a while I started to get some good gusts and was able to pull all my moves in a really short time. I could save my 2nd place and Adrian had a good result too.
Later on that day we could also start with the 2nd single elimination and almost finish the double elimination. It was quite hard for me to make it all the way to the final, as lots of guys were sailing very good against me and wanting to beat me, but I was able to make it all the way to the finals again and took a strong 2nd place against Davy Scheffers, the wind was not too strong in the finals but it was still fair. Davy was sailing very strong as well and was able to beat me again in the finals.
I was actually meant to be leaving on the 17th to Holland for the promotion event ”The mission”, but the forecast was looking too good after the 17th.. I had changed my ticket to the 24th! Meaning more crazy action here in Sigri. But I will also not still miss ”The mission” because that will be happening on the 25/26th of august.
To learn more about Youp, click on http://www.youpschmit.com/
Hikers will be thrilled with the diverse options. My favorite hike, Ruta Dos Pos, takes you through the wild countryside of Bonaire on well marked trails. Every tourist who goes with me loves this late afternoon activity. The trail is for intermediate hikers and takes 1-1.5 hours. The trail takes you past a fruit plantation, Dos Pos–the local water source for neighboring farmers, and a myriad of animal life. If you are quiet, you will catch a glimpse of the wild pigs locally known as porko di mondi. See Watapana trees, a massive Tamarind tree, and some amazing rocks and geological formations. Cactus is plentiful with many varieties seen on this hike. In the distance near the peak you may see Lake Goto. Listen to the songs of the small chuchubi bird or the squawking prikichi. This is by far my favorite activity on Bonaire.
Other activities to do include caving, parasailing, geocaching, kiting, rappelling down a lighthouse, and, of course, boat tours and trips. Bonaire’s perfect climate for water and nature sports make this island perfect for the outdoor lover. The picture enclosed is Spelunk cave.
Travel Bliss 