SPICARE OMAEZAKI JAPAN WORLD CUP: BATTLE OF OMAEZAKI

After a tricky start to the 2024 Unified PWA/IWT World Tour in Japan we hear how the top sailors navigated the challenging conditions in Omaezaki, while embracing the Japanese culture and hospitality.

Words: Bernd Roediger, Marcilio Browne, Victor Fernandez, Motoko Sato, Sarah Hauser & María Andrés.

Photos: Fish Bowl Diaries

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BERND ROEDIGER  – 1^st – THE SAMURAI STRIKES AGAIN

I am extremely happy to have pulled off the victory in the dying seconds of the final. My last wave wasn’t much, but it was enough to get the job done. Deciding when to commit to the lip, when to face upwind, when to start down the line and how far in to chase a section, these were all intuitive choices we had to make on the fly out there.

I never had a ride where I felt like I completely understood what I was doing until the last wave of the final. Nailing that goiter felt like a way of saying “I came, I saw, and I figured out a way to put a cohesive wave ride together.”. My Hot Sails Maui sail is about 2.5kg lighter than it was, thanks to a new lightweight material, and that certainly made a difference in saving that goiter. But in a broader sense it allowed me to ride a little quicker in such gutless surf, and to ride comfortably on a smaller size sail, which is always my preference. Another noteworthy equipment choice was my asymmetric Flikka, built primarily for Ho’okipa, but versatile enough for some onshore float-and-ride. Equipped with my Black Project quads, it’s no different from the setup I used during the last Aloha Classic.

VICTOR FERNANDEZ – 3^rd – SPANIARD STRIKES BACK

I was riding my 93l Grip 4 D/Lab and 5.3 Super Hero SLS all day in every heat. The conditions were tough, but it was the only day on the forecast to run the event, so it was a good call to run it and get a result. The waves were quite big in the morning and closing out everywhere, so it was not easy to make it out. I was only just planing on my 5.3m, but actually when I made it out it was quite fun, in a choppy and challenging sense with solid size waves in side-onshore winds.

MARCILIO BROWNE– 2^nd – DEFENDING WORLD CHAMP ON TRACK

Second place is a great start to the season and a solid motivator for the upcoming contests. I was feeling really positive in Japan and my light wind gear was feeling like it could handle the conditions too. The day was all about having mobility in order to stay upwind and getting back out quickly to catch the waves.

The conditions were very light winds with big messy waves, so it was hard to get out and sometimes we would get caught and would be swimming for a while. I started with 5.5m and my Nitro 98, but after the first heat I changed down to my 5.3m and 92 Nitro – that combo felt really, really good. In the semifinal, I tried my quad 92, but that didn’t feel as good at generating speed on the wave, so I switched back to my Nitro, which felt a lot livelier in the light winds and soft waves.

In the final, I was not aware I was leading, but I felt like I was having a decent heat for sure. Obviously, everyone wants to win, but I had fun and was stoked to come second. That represents a great start to the season and for sure it will be a keeper come the end of the year. It will be a long season, so at the moment I am just focusing on improving my sailing, staying healthy, full of energy and not stressing about any rankings yet!

BACK ON THE PODIUM

I was pleased to make the final and to be back on the podium again as it has been a while – especially in conditions like this. When I compete on the World Tour my goal is to make it into the final heats, sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t. This time around I was happy with how I sailed throughout. I enjoyed each heat and felt comfortable with the conditions. I arrived in Omaezaki one week before the start of the event and I was windsurfing almost every day in a variety of conditions.

I had an incredible time in Japan. The hospitality from the locals was absolutely amazing. I would like to thank the Japanese Duotone distributors for taking care of me (Shinja, Yamada and Satomi), the organisers of the event and my sponsors for their support.

MOTOKO SATO – 1st – HOME VICTORY

The waves were about head and a half high, and the wind was super light and onshore, which made it difficult to get out. The conditions were such that I wouldn’t normally even go sailing. In every heat, I used the biggest equipment I have, which is a 4.7m sail and 78l board. I was honestly very happy that I was able to pull off the win in those difficult conditions. I am not sure if I can go to other events at the moment. Unfortunately one of the main reasons is that I don’t have enough money, but I also want to prioritise my family. I haven’t been able to travel overseas for a few years, so I’m glad I was able to compete with world class sailors here. I still want to get better at windsurfing, so whenever the wind blows, I practice my wave sailing. I trained a lot for the event, so I’m glad that I was able to secure the win.

SARAH HAUSER – 2nd – IMMERSED IN THE CULTUTRE

I had such a blast discovering Japan. What a completely different world it is, it’s amazing! I am also very happy to start the year with a second place. This is a good position to be in as the tour begins and I hope to continue to be on the podium at this year’s events. When it comes to windsurfing, I’m more of a surfer, so while we didn’t have enough wind to jump, we also didn’t have down-the-line wave sailing conditions – which are my forte. It was dead onshore the first day and side-on the second day with a very short period swell. I’m not used to reading those types of waves, dealing with a relentless shorebreak and wearing a thick wetsuit, but I was mentally prepared for the challenge and I had the perfect gear to face it – when it comes to wetsuits (Dakine) and windsurfing equipment (Quatro, Goya, MFC).

I was using my biggest sail – the 4.0 Banzai paired with my biggest 63l board, which is a Quatro custom that the Maui team made for me last year for Fiji. The more I use it, the more I find out how versatile it is.

CATCH-22

I know those sizes sound small, but I only weigh about 52kg. I could possibly try experimenting with some bigger gear to be more mobile, but ultimately if you want to win a final it’s not enough to simply catch a lot of waves, you need to actually ride them well, so there comes a point where it’s not possible to ride the way you want with really big gear as it’s not as responsive underfoot.

HOSPITALITY  

The hospitality is definitely a highlight of the event for me. I feel it from the well-organised event logistics to the welcoming vibes from the local riders. They are so happy to have us come and compete here when really I am just extremely grateful to be able to experience a little bit of their wonderful country. There is such a beautiful contrast here between the raw beauty of nature and the industrialised areas, the ancient culture and the futuristic amenities in the developed cities. And of course, the food is simply amazing too!

PACKED SCHEDULE

I plan on going to Chile next followed by Fiji and Peru before the finale later in the year in Maui. If I actually manage to make it to all of these events then this would be my biggest competition season ever. I’m super excited!

MARÍA ANDRÉS – 3RD – FREE SPIRIT

I have mixed feelings about my result. On the one-hand, Omaezaki is normally a high wind jumping spot, which really isn’t my comfort zone, so to have the competition held in lighter winds, and with only wave riding to count, it felt like an opportunity for me to make the most out of it. However, on the other hand, the conditions were not your typical waver riding day either. It was quite big, incredibly powerful and messy with a super strong current. All of this was mixed with confused swells and extremely light side-on winds, making it both scary and challenging, but we all were warriors. Even the younger ones gave their all! Believe me, just making it out to the line-up was already a mission!

A FIGHT TO MAKE THE FINAL

I managed to make it out and win my first two heats, finding some fun ones along the way, while scoring quite well. In the second heat, I was able to win against Omaezaki Queen, Motoko Sato, so I went to the final super stoked because almost anything could have happened. I could have got stuck in the shorebreak in the semis and lost the chance to progress into the final… but instead I made it. After winning my first two heats I felt confident. However, that’s when things started to unravel… twenty minutes before the start of the final I began to make my way to the lineup, but I was relentlessly smashed and rolled in the surf with almost no wind to escape, all while desperately trying to hold on to my gear! I thought I wasn’t going to make it to the final and I almost gave up.

BEING SELECTIVE

Thankfully, I didn’t give up and once I eventually made it out I regained my confidence and decided to be more selective, since I was all too aware of the consequences of riding a wave all the way to the shore or making mistakes. I had a couple of good ones at the very beginning and then to improve my score I wanted to find a peeling one. I tried to wait for it, but unfortunately I didn’t really find it. Meanwhile, Motoko and Sarah Hauser ripped their last waves apart.

HONEST APPRAISAL

I feel like I could have done better in Japan because I had won my previous heats – having the highest scoring wave of the girls, but I also feel like… hey, I almost didn’t make it out in the final with the shorebreak, so anything could have happened…

Starting the year with a third is great. Especially in a spot with conditions that I wasn’t feeling comfortable with. It’s good to have one solid result in the bag so early in the year. I was using the biggest gear I brought, that being the Duotone Grip 4 SLS 76 with the Duotone Super Hero SLS 4.7. The Super Hero SLS is incredibly light, so even though it’s a big size for me, it feels light and manoeuvrable, while still having power. I think I could have used a bigger board for these conditions and the Duotone Grip 3 DLAB 81 would have been great to help make it out over the whitewater as it was so hard.

A THRIVING WINDSURFING SCENE

Japan is incredible. The people, their culture, food, aesthetics… I am in love with the country. The people want to make you feel at home, they want to make sure that you can have the best possible experience. I have to say I feel very connected with them. I call them my friends and they are the main reason that will keep me coming back in the future. The windsurfing community is huge and passionate. There are hundreds of people sailing all along the coast, spread across different spots, practicing different disciplines. They windsurf in challenging conditions and the cold! It’s amazing to witness how the sport is so alive here! Here, the distributors take care of us, show us around and support us during the competition! Arigato Japan!

 

FREE SURFER AT HEART

This year I will probably participate in all the IWT run events, while I will also be doing the IWT social media. I really like the spots and the vibes and it’s been a while since I was in Chile and Peru, so it is about time! Maybe I will do Tenerife too if I am free, I enjoy the conditions and the atmosphere in Tenerife. Even though some years I do more competitions, I consider myself a free surfer. Every year I travel to a couple of cool places to discover and enjoy new waves and make an article for magazines about the trip. Besides competitions, I work alongside tourism agencies, brands and hotels to promote them. It is something I love to do and that needs to be part of my calendar as well. I am passionate about wave riding, I dream about clean peeling waves, and there is so much to explore! I don’t want to spend time in spots that I don’t enjoy while there is a whole world to discover.

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