WWEC 2011 Kaunas

The windsurfing season in Lithuania ended few month ago and the winter windsurfing season has began.
Last weekend Winter Windsurfing European Cup event was held in Kaunas. About 20 competitors from Lithuania, Latvia and Finland have come. The ice conditions on Kaunas lake was very good - smooth ice with few centimetres of snow over it. Wind conditions on Saturday were almost perfect - about 6 m/s, however, on Sunday the wind was only about 3 m/s during the competition and about 6 meters afterwards.
On Saturday 3 slalom elimination cycles were completed. Each cycle consisted of 4 runs - 2 qualification runs and Golden and Silver fleet run. Aleksandrs Leontjevs was leading all the time except the first Golden run when he crashed into his countryman Janis Preis - he was always second. The surprise of this competition was my friend Andrius Sliuburys from Lithunia. He took the third place in Slalom.

What about me - I was just trying to learn and to remember how to go with my ice-slides, because it was the second time for me on ice this year(season). During first 2 cycles I have learned how to make a good jibe, but during the last cycle the wind has dropped a bit and my slides weren't going very well. They may not be the best slides in the world but I feel that I could have pushed a bit more out of them. So after races were finished I have spent some time with bigger sail(7.8 - before I used 6.2) tuning equipment and my stance. I used GPS all day so in the evening I analysed my track and saw that I have gone 54km and my max 2sec speed was 21 knot.
And the rest of the evening I spent tuning my ice-slides.

Sunday morning started not the exact way I wanted - when I woke up I saw snow falling straight down - that means that there is no wind. When I got to the frozen Kaunas lake(sea)the wind has increased a bit - about 2-3m/s. Jury announced that Course racing competition will go on. It was not good decision for me, because I like a bit stronger wind, but .. jury is always right.
There were 4 heats at all. 4 heats of pumping. Again the same situation as yesterday I could put all the blame on ice-slides, but again I feel that I could been at least 2 positions better.

For bigger pictures - press on them
After the end of race I went out for a ride with my friends. The wind has doubled than :)

Now the event is over so I am looking forward for next, I hope I will do better than.
Congratulations to the winners.
Thanks for my mum and dad for help.
Foto and video(from GoPro HD Hero action camera) soon.
More info about event:
http://www.extreme-sports.lt/pages/posts/pirmajame-ziemos-burlenciu-europos-taures-etape-stipriausi-buvo-latviai576.php
http://www.winterwindsurf.com/