• Absolute World Elite in Wave, Freestyle, and Slalom at the Start
• Lina Erpenstein and Lennart Neubauer Aim for World Champion Titles
• Extensive Sustainability Program Throughout All Days
• 40th Anniversary with Legends of the Sport
• Diverse Activations and World Cup Parties
• Royalty-Free Video Footage Available Daily

(Sylt) The world’s largest windsurfing event is officially open. Today, Friday, the Citroën Windsurf World Cup Sylt 2024 traditionally started with an atmospheric ceremony in the music pavilion in Westerland. Almost 120 athletes from 20 nations marched onto the stage with their national flags to the great applause of the numerous visitors. The immense anticipation could be felt among all those involved and responsible: “Sylt and the Windsurf World Cup have been together for four decades. We are very pleased to be able to welcome the world elite of this action-packed water sport back to the largest windsurfing event in the world,” said Peter Douven, Managing Director of Insel Sylt Tourismus-Service GmbH. Christian Okon, Managing Director of the organizing agency MMP Event, adds: “We are also particularly looking forward to a great and varied program, be it the numerous attractive exhibitors, the theme days with the anniversary or kids’ day, and of course the famous World Cup parties. We would like to warmly invite everyone to be a part of this event.”

Until October 6th, windsurfing and Sylt fans can expect breathtaking water sports action paired with a unique atmosphere and the aforementioned event program at the “Super Grand Slam” of the PWA World Tour. From a purely sporting point of view, the absolute world elite in the disciplines of Wave, Freestyle, and Slalom will once again come to the North Sea island. This year, visitors can once again look forward to the German and international stars of the scene.

Notably, two German sailors currently lead the World Ranking and thus the race for the World Championship in their disciplines. Lennart Neubauer from Bremen, Sylt winner from 2023, can be crowned Freestyle World Champion for the first time at this year’s Citroën Windsurf World Cup Sylt. After the 20-year-old shooting star sensationally became vice world champion on the North Sea island last year, he is now going into the race as the top favorite for the title. “It’s my third time in Sylt and I’m really looking forward to competing again. Last year we had really good conditions and a great competition, I hope this year will be the same,” said Lennart Neubauer.

In the Wave discipline, a well-known German face leads the current World Ranking. 27-year-old Lina Erpenstein is in first place in the race for the title in the king discipline of windsurfing. The Aschaffenburg native, who has already triumphed at the World Cups in Chile and Tenerife this year, is undoubtedly having the season of her life. “I’m really looking forward to the World Cup in Sylt. I love the North Sea and its rough windsurfing conditions and of course I hope to be able to use my home advantage,” said Erpenstein. Whether the windsurfer, who lives in Kiel, will secure her first world title will be decided at the end of October in Hawaii. At the penultimate tour stop in Sylt, however, she can definitely lay the foundation.

Fans and visitors can also look forward to the creme de la creme of the sport in the Wave discipline for men. The first eight from the top ten of the Wave ranking will start here, including the current top three in the world: Marino Gil Gherardi, Victor Fernandez (both Spain) and Marcilio Browne (Brazil). In fourth place and also still in the race for the World Championship is the name of five-time world champion Philip Köster. The 30-year-old, who had to take a break last year due to injury, was last at the very top of the podium in 2019. At that time with the crowning finale on Brandenburger Beach.

The entire top ten of the world rankings will also be on the water off Westerland in the men’s slalom. Michele Becker from Kiel comes to Sylt as the current seventh and, like Nico Prien (#11), will do everything to challenge the current top seeds. In the women’s slalom, the German Alisa Engelmann can calculate chances of victory. As the current fourth in the ranking, she is only behind Justine Lemeteyer (#1, FRA), Marion Mortefon (#2, FRA) and Blanca Alabau (#3, SPA).

The two wildcards this year go to the German wave riders and up-and-coming talents Nick Spangenberg (20 years old) and Anton Richter (17).

Anyone who loves Sylt and wants to actively shape the future of the island should mark the Citroën Windsurf World Cup in red on their calendar! Because this year, the sustainability tent on the Westerland promenade also invites you as a platform for creative, informative and interactive exchange on the topic of sustainability. The tent, under the motto “sustainable together”, is a cooperation of the Insel Sylt Tourismus-Service (ISTS) with numerous exciting actors on the island. “After the positive response last year, the program will be expanded even further in 2024,” emphasizes Kristina Kreiss as Sustainability Manager of the ISTS.

For over ten full days, the topic of sustainability will be vividly conveyed to locals and guests. The focus is on exchange, networking and the transfer of knowledge – and of course the creative participatory activities, presentations and diverse activities of the ISTS and its selected partners. Daily changing initiatives, companies, associations, authors and nature conservation organizations, all of whom are committed to a sustainable future with a lot of passion, jointly play the tent. The diversity of the actors is reflected in the varied program, which is not only informative but also extremely inspiring.

The complete program and all information can be found in the appendix or on the website at www.insel-sylt.de/nachhaltigkeit/gemeinsam-nachhaltig.

The Insel Sylt Tourismus-Service (ISTS) has been organizing the World Cup since 1983, and this year will be the 40th edition. Four decades on the North Sea island, which has seen great names come and go, in unforgettable competitions and countless special moments. From the dominance and the eternal duel between the legends of the sport Robby Naish and Bjørn Dunkerbeck in the 80s and 90s to the Spanish “Moreno Twins” in the 2000s to the victories of five-time world champion Philip Köster and many others from all over the world. As part of the anniversary from September 27th – October 6th, visitors can look forward to a diverse program on and off the water. This also includes some legends of the sport, who will come to the North Sea island on the first weekend (September 28th & 29th) for the 40th anniversary celebration and will be available for interviews. While the sport kicks off with three spectacular disciplines – Wave, Freestyle and Slalom – the World Cup Village on the over 500-meter-long promenade attracts beach shopping, pop-up stores, adventure gastronomy and parties with free admission. Various activations are also planned by the event partners, such as daily yoga sessions by Yogi Tea, daily Ehrmann Challenges or the Beach Clean Ups with HanseMerkur and Milram. The new title partner Citroën is starting its long-term commitment to the World Cup with Signature Hours and test drives.

Roman Franke, Head of Marketing Citroën Deutschland: “It is a great honor for us that Citroën can accompany the Windsurf World Cup in its anniversary edition, and we look forward to working together in the coming years. The competition has been a part of Sylt for 40 years and offers an exciting sporting event for young and old every year. We are all the more pleased that we, as a brand that stands for courage, passion and a thirst for adventure like windsurfing, will be represented and can support both the transport on site and the supporting program.”