Issue 2004/2

For the light-minded

Life on the crest of waves

Milda Manomaityte

"Windsurfers are among those who do not fear the rain", Gintas Lapenas, the director of windsurfing club Vejas Galvoje said during the opening of windsurfing competition of Varos Group cup. Sixty windsurfers from Lithuania and Latvia, gathered to the Lithuanian resort Sventoji, were glad about the favourable wind and sharp waves of the Baltic Sea.

The strongest in Formula Windsurfing - Latvians

On the first day of the competition, when a slight western wind was blowing, the windsurfers competed in Formula Windsurfing class. This contend was born four years ago and today attracts the most participants in the whole world. Sailboards used are very light, broad (the width - 1 m) and carry up to 12.5 sq. m. sails. Even with a weak wind one can pick up a great speed, which would exceed the wind speed about twice. The rules allow a racer to use one sailboard, three sails and three flippers. During the competition it is sailed against wind and alee.
At the competition that lasted for two days, Latvian sportsmen Janis Preiss, Krisjans Tutans, and Maris Smiltenieks took prizewinning places. The best among Lithuanians was Gediminas Grescevicius, he won the fourth place.

SuperX - with a sailboard over obstacles

On the second day of the competition the windsurfers were happy about a quickly rising north-western wind that allowed for the first time in the Baltic coast to try the cross contend SuperX. According to competition organizers, Sventoji is a very good place fot this cross, because the wind of 10-15 m/s present here is namely what they needed for SuperX.
Cultivation of this contend started several years ago in the Canary islands. After a referee's signal, sportsmen run to the sea carrying sailboards, flying on the waves jump over the obstacle in the sea (a buoy of 10 m of length and 30 cm of width), perform some acrobatic feat, return to the shore and run to the finish line carrying the sailboard.
The best at the competition of a cross SuperX again was Latvian Janis Preiss. By the way, this sportsman arrived to Sventoji from the Baltic Cup competition in Finland, in which he won the second place. In 2003 Janis Preiss won champion's title of the Baltic States windsurfing slalom and Formula Windsurfing.
Lithuanian Viktoras Seputa won the second place in the cross SuperX, the third was taken by Maris Smiltenieks from Latvia.

Latvians - slalom champions

A strong and long anticipated north-western wind created ideal conditions to slalom competitions. The largest company of sportsmen competed for the prize of this competition, but the winners were the same as in Formula Windsurfing. Janis Preiss won the first place, Krisjans Tutans- the second, and Maris Smiltenieks- the third.
Slalom is a classic speed contend. Sportsmen compete on a race-route of the form of number eight, covering the route three times not far away from the shore. In straight segments the speed of 60 km/h is reached. Slalom competition is held at the presence of an average and strong wind - from 6.7 m/s.

A school in Elektrenai

The club Vejas Galvoje that organizes windsurfing competitions is glad about still increasing number of participants. According to Gintas Lapenas, 20 sportsmen gathered to the first competition held in Palanga in 1996. Striving to popularize windsurfing the club established windsurfer's school in Elektrenai, where all who wish can finish an initial course of 12-18 hours. G.Lapenas says, that buying the whole equipment for brand new windsurfers to would cost some 2-3 thousand litas. For professionals this sport cost a bit more - about 10 thousand litas.