AWT Dream Tour, When I first heard about the potential for an American Windsurfing Tour stop in Cabo Verde, Africa, I was beyond excited. I have dreamt about traveling to this wave (Ponta Preta) for the last 10 years, and when the opportunity finally presented itself, I had no choice but to go. Ponta Preta has to be one of the best windsurfing waves in the world. The perfect bowling waves combined with cross-offshore winds creates one of the most perfect canvases I can imagine for windsurfing. I arrived a couple days before the competition was slated to start, and was rewarded with one of the best sessions of my windsurfing career. 5 hours sailing in prime conditions is hard to put into words how satisfying it is. Being dialed in on my gear at a new spot is always important. Fortunately, I have spent countless hours training and tweaking every little detail to get perfectly tuned. Working with OES Australia, has provided me with a wealth of options, allowing me to find the perfect setup. Having confidence in your equipments is hugely important at a spot such as Ponta Preta, where the rocks are right in front of the main break. During the competition we were dealt much smaller waves, and had to move the venue to "Secret Spot" just up the coast. The wave there is very similar to Ho'okipa in Maui, so I felt right at home sailing. I managed to win my first two heats, before stumbling in the quarters. The highlight of the first round was beating one of my all time windsurfing heroes, Kauli Seadi! Kauli, however got the last laugh advancing through our Round 5 rematch. He managed a second place to Camille Juban in an impressive final. The AWT has provided incredible opportunity for myself, and many others to travel the world in search of perfect waves. While this trip did not turn out to have an overabundance of waves, I did get to sample the goods. I will have to come back and give Ponta Preta another run.
Thanks to all my sponsors:Ezzy Sails ,OES Australia, Boards Black Project Fins , Chinook Accessories ,Dakine Accessories
Russ Faurot
