Raise your hand if you weren't overpowered ... Great late summer Peler at Pra de la Fam, on Lake Garda, which gave the many riders present a mouth-watering windsurfing session ....

 

Windsurfing, report: Super Peler at Pra de la Fam, Lake Garda - 01/09/2021

Okay, that was expected (see predictions in the Waterwind forum). But this Peler definitely went above expectations!

And, in fact, just before 8.00, with Miki Silgoner, at the beach, we were already theorising about night temperatures in Bolzano, to explain why the Peler was lingering. But, once again, we learned that with the Peler, at Pra, you have to be patient, because, generally, it begins blowing around 8.00-8.30, and gives the best of itself after 9.00. And so it was, this time too. So, after 9.00, most of the fleet in the water found itself overpowered, in the midst of a 30-knots storm!

But let's go in order.

 

 

 

Wanting to conclude the test of the Ezzy Wave 4.7, 2021, and seeing that the wind did not seem to enter too strong, I rigged this sail, pairing it with the Tabou Pocket 94 2016, set as single fin, with MFC freewave 23. I took little equipment, to limit myself to the essential. But also this time the saying "less is more", as for windsurfing, has been questioned. In the best moment of the morning, for me, the right equipment would have been a 3.7 sail, and the 80 liters board, that I didn't have. Definitely learned lesson. With the Peler, don't mess around ....

I entered the water shortly after 8.00. At first, the wind was weak in the first hundred meters from the shore, while it became pretty strong offshore. The first part of the session confirmed my equipment choice. I started to maneuver well, and I enjoyed the wonderful panorama of the Prà, as usual. The water level, in this first part of the session, turned out really beautiful: wave sets, even one meter high, regular, which I had not seen at the Prà for some time, not disturbed by the few riders present in the water, initially.

At 9.00, as mentioned, when the sun shone brightly on the Brescia coast of the lake, the Peler made its powerful entrance over the spot, and with it the whole fleet of windsurfers, still mostly Germans and Austrians (at my waking up at the parking lot of the spot, it was difficult to hear a word of Italian!).

Whoever had seen long, and rigged the right sail, started the show .... Miki Silgoner started placing forward in front of my eyes.

At one point, I heard a whistle. I noticed a yellow Goya from a rider that I started following, and that amazed me with some clean 360 downwinds, in full glide. I then discovered with pleasure that the "phenomenon" was .... Marco Maywald, whom I met with pleasure, also always ready to take advantage of the best chances for Peler.

As far as I'm concerned, an hour of battle with the wind began after 9,00, in which I have done little and windsurfed badly, out of control. I must also say that the injured ankle in Denmark (read report) hurt me, and it affected me psychologically, quite a bit. Poor thing: it would require rest, and, instead, I continue to mistreat it ....

It is confirmed that I do not like overpowering, and when I find myself in such conditions, I should, without delay, get out of the water and change the sail and / or board. But with lake thermic winds, only lasting a few hours, this decision is not easy.

After having also taken a right call from Miki, for the weight stance too backward in jibe (typical defensive position when you are overpowered), I got out of the water to wait for a drop in the wind, and to take some photos and videos.

It must be said that the riders present really gave a show, showing a medium-high level. In particular, a guy - Stefan Morandell, with Gaastra sail and 99 board, who closed a really well executed Burner 720 in front of my camera (see the beginning of the video below). But in the video, and in the rich slidegallery, you will also be able to enjoy some other beautiful maneuvers.

 

 

 

 

At about 10.00, I returned to the water, with the same equipment, using at least the foresight to depower the sail very well. I must say that this Ezzy Wave 4.7 2021, although it is a 4 battens, is proving to behave almost as a 3 battens: powerful, but less stable, and more suitable for waveriding conditions among serious waves, than in bump and jump sessions. But I will tell more in the test that I will write shortly.

Progressively, with a slightly weaker wind, I got back to maneuvering decently, and I really enjoyed the end of the session, and it was really hard to get out of the water, at 11.30 to go back to the office. The Peler lasted a very long time, and at 12.00, while I was unrigging, it still allowed the last riders left in the water to glide with small sails.

It was really unpleasant to come away from Garda, also because the lake offered an amazing late summer day, sunny and still hot (28-29 degrees).

Aloha. Fabio

Click here, to enjoy the rich and beatiful slidegallery of the session.

 

 

 

The video of the session