Lina Erpenstein and Dieter van der Eyken score a magical day in Chile
There’s something magical about rocking up to a place for the first time, especially when it’s as legendary pumping wave around the coastline of Chile. For Severne rider Lina Erpenstein, her first trip to this South American gem was nothing short of mind-blowing, specially when guided and coached by Dieter van der Eyken.
Accustomed to the onshore Baltic Sea waves, Lina bumped into a new world of perfectly clean offshore waves in Matanzas and Topocalma.
The Adventure Begins
“This was my very first trip to Chile and since I’m more used to sailing tiny onshore Baltic Sea waves, it did take me a few days to get used to the perfectly clean offshore waves of Matanzas and Topocalma,” Lina recalls. The excitement and anticipation were palpable as she and her coach, Dieter Van der Eyken, arrived early at Topocalma to catch the first waves before the crowds.
A Day of Learning and Growth
The wind conditions seemed promising, prompting Lina to rig her S-1 4.0. However, the reality of the light winds on the inside soon became apparent. In need of a bigger sail, she turned to Dieter, who was quick to lend her his 4.4. “Dieter Van der Eyken, who has been coaching me throughout the last year, was on the water with me and when I asked him if I could borrow his 4.4, he had to laugh a little, since I was already riding his board. Of course I could lend it!”
Adjusting to the larger sail came with its challenges. Lina almost broke Dieter’s mast on the first wave. But persistence paid off. With the extra power in her clew, she began to engage her rails and put power into her turns. The control and drive she felt on the 4.4 were spot on, making every second of the session unforgettable.
A Memorable Session
As the wind picked up, Lina switched back to her 4.0 S-1. The experience with the larger sail had significantly improved her technique. “With the experiences I had on the 4.4, I could now really drive my board through my turns and throw quite some spray” Lina mentioned. The session, filled with countless waves and increasing wind, was amazing.
Reflecting on the Experience
After a day of pushing and fine-tuning, Lina felt a good sense of accomplishment, in her own words; “I think Dieter was more than happy to see his sail come back to him in one piece. Nonetheless, one could say the coach was a little proud of his student.” The day’s experiences and the “click moment” she felt were key, significantly increasing her confidence and translating into improved performance in the PWA – IWT Chile World Cup competition. As a result, Lina left Chile with her first World Cup event win.
DID THE CLIP SPIKE YOUR ADRENALINE TO IMPROVE YOUR WAVE SAILING OR GENERAL WINDSURFING SKILLS?
Then check out Dieter’s windsurfing coaching camps all over Europe on his website: https://www.dieter-b35.com/windsurfcoaching/
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