Fuerteventura XXL

The German sailor Christopher Bünger (28), who normally runs a windsurfing school on Sylt in Germany (Windsurfen-Sylt.com), scored massive conditions at Fuerteventura’s North Shore. Together with Yannick Anton and Stephane Etienne, he sailed huge waves at Puertito/Cotillo. Read his story about that day. 

A story by Christopher Bünger

I have been waiting for this to happen for so long. My last real big swell-catch has been on Maui plus a few mast high every winter in European local spots. On the 23th of January a 15ft swell hit the North Shore of Fuerteventura with a solid period of 17 seconds and enough side of shore wind to pull in to that. I chose my favorite Sail, the 4,7 Super freak ME and had a hell of a fun with it!

But before, I had to make the right decision to get into the water. After checking all possibilities how to get out without getting washed and destroy all my gear, I went to a beach located 2 km downwind from the reef-break. It didn’t look better than the other spots I checked out earlier, the only advantage would be, in case I’d be washed in it will not be over the reef. It took me three times trying and the help of a friend, who located arriving sets from the top of a cliff so that I could make my way through the mast high shore break.

In the water I realized that I am not the only one out there. To see Yannick Anton and Stephan Etienne just arriving the break just few minutes later gave me confidence and helped me feeling better out in that big waves. Stephan Etienne opened the session with a solid over mast high wave. In the few hours we have been out surfing he had always the biggest waves and really ripped it.

Yannick Anton also did great and had a few amazing waves on that epic day in Cotillo. Later he told me it has reminded him of the terrific day back in 2009, when the Fuerteventura Wave Classic took place on this little fishing village on the west coast of Fuerteventura.

Taking off on that big waves and specially going in to the bottom turn has been really hard work. Big chops just right in the face of the waves made our legs ache and made it difficult to hold the rails. Choosing the right wave wasn’t easier, we always tried to surf the biggest wave out of a set to don’t get surprised by jibing out of a wave and get washed on the rocks from an even bigger wave.

After all, it has been a solid session with a lot of adrenergic moments, no one get whippet out and we made our way save home before low tide arrived.

Story & Pics:  www.windsurfen-sylt.com