On Saturday, 11th August, I started my way to Berlin in the afternoon for the fourth stop of the German SUP Challenge. I had mixed feelings because the race would decide about the preliminary win in the Fitness Class. I also had to defend my 2nd place in the Race Class. After a lot of traffic and construction sites, I arrived at the Wakeboard site Grossbeeren in Berlin. Naturally, the traffic had made me tired and bugged out. Visitors could test the boards of the different brands at the small natural swimming pool. At around 9p.m. the normal Wakeboarding site closed and the first race of the event started at 9.15 p.m. The races started with the two heats of the Fitness Class-Man. I started at the first heat and won with advance against my main competitor, Thomas Wendt. In the finale, I had to race against him again. After the start, I was at the first position and stayed there until the end of the race. This is how I secured the win in the Fitness Class and with that also the preliminary win even before the finale in Pelzerhaken.
After the Fitness Class, the Race Class races started, beginning with the women’s races and the men’s following. I planned on getting on the podium with the Mistral Proto 14”. I trained a lot and felt secure on flat water. Nevertheless, I didn’t know whether I was in good enough shape to race against others who didn’t have any other races that day while I already raced two. I knew that this would not be an easy decision. The 12”6- and 14”Classes started together and this accounted to more than 20 racers in the starting area. I tried to race right up to the fore and it worked out quite nicely. I was fourth at the first 450m part of the race. Andreas Wolter was in front of me. He was first in the overall standing of the Race class. I passed him after the first round and consequently was third in this race. In the fourth turn, he closed the gap and we fought about position three again. However, he fell of his board and was no longer a rival to me. Then again, just a few meters behind, Frithjof Sach was to be considered. The two races I had before slowly became noticeably. I still stayed cautious not to make any mistakes so I could stay on position three. This worked out and me and the Mistral 14” were on the podium for the first time. 1
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