Press Release
August 17, 2021
Perfect conditions prevailed on Tuesday for the start of the Land Rover Kitesurf World Cup Sylt, with two-and-a-half meter waves and winds up to Force 8. These conditions were ideal for the Kite-Surf discipline, which encompasses Strapless Freestyle and Wave riding. This inspired the youngest German participant, Keanu Merten, who celebrated his German premiere at Brandenburger Strand. The 16-year-old from Saarbrücken, residing in southern Spain, immediately demonstrated his great potential in the first heat, decisively winning the all-German duel against his teammate Alex Middeler from Lübeck. The exceptional talent then rode as if unleashed, showcasing breathtaking tricks high above the North Sea to the cheers of the audience and captivating with spectacular wave rides.
Keanu Merten relentlessly won round after round, reaching the Round of 16. “For me, it was like the deepest Spanish winter this morning. I have never kited in such cool temperatures and this cold wind. Luckily, the water was relatively warm, so I felt really comfortable out on the North Sea. I became more and more confident, almost everything worked out, and the audience supported me wonderfully,” said the Spanish resident after his spectacular German debut. In the Round of Sixteen, after another strong performance, he was defeated by world number five Pedro Matos from Brazil.
The other German men also impressed. Six-time German Freestyle Champion Linus Erdmann from Hamburg fought his way into the fourth round before being eliminated after a great battle. “I am totally happy and would never have thought I could get this far in this world-class field. I actually ride Twintip, where you are connected to the board by straps, unlike Strapless Freestyle. That’s why this result is a great success, especially in front of the home crowd,” the 24-year-old concluded. Jörn Donat narrowly missed out on reaching the Round of 16. The 23-year-old from Borkum was defeated in the decisive heat by a margin of only 0.97 points, but was also satisfied with his performance: “It’s a shame that I failed so narrowly. But the absolute world class is at the start on Sylt, so everything simply has to fit together if you want to be at the front.”
In the women’s competition, Giulia Böhmerle provided a positive surprise. The 23-year-old from Lübeck showed no weaknesses so far and reached the quarter-finals. In the previous round, she won the German duel against Susanne Schwarztrauber from Regensburg, who celebrated a sensational third place on Sylt in 2019.
The competitions in Strapless Freestyle and Wave will continue on Wednesday.