Bernd Roediger leads the World Wave Rankings at Mid Season
by International Windsurfing Tour 31 Jul 14:28 BST
Bernd Roediger © Fish Bowl Diaries
The Maui rider has made the perfect start to the season, winning every event he has entered so far. Victory at the Puerto Rico 3-STAR, followed by wins at the Maui Pro 5-STAR and the Fiji 4-STAR, have placed Bernd Roediger at the top of the World Wave Rankings at the halfway point of the season.
Throughout the season, Bernd has showcased the style that has made him one of the most exciting wave sailors on the planet. Creative, powerful and progressive, his surfing continues to push the limits with explosive lip hits and impossible lines, whether in classic starboard tack conditions at Hawaii's Ho'okipa or on massive port tack waves at Fiji's Cloudbreak.
At the halfway point of the season, and just before the Tenerife World Cup, HAWAII'S Bernd leads the rankings, but the title race is already heating up. BRAZIL'S Marcilio Browne is right behind after a superb start to the season with two podium finishes, while reigning World Champion SPAIN'S Marc Paré is also closing the gap after his runner-up finish in Gran Canaria. With four 5-star events and several 4-star events still to come, everything remains wide open.
At this stage, Bernd's ranking is built on victories at the Maui Pro 5-STAR and the Fiji 4-STAR. At the end of the season, each rider counts their best four results, making every event crucial.
A 5-STAR victory is worth 10,000 points, while a 4-STAR victory earns between 5,000 TO 6,000 points depending on the Quality of Field (QF) and the Depth off Field (DF), maximum points is roughly the equivalent of a sixth-place finish at a 5-STAR event. That is why the 4-STAR competitions should never be underestimated.
They feature world-class riders, epic conditions and enough points to make a decisive difference in the overall rankings. Strong performances and victories at these events can easily become counting results for the world's top riders.
With the way he has started the year, Bernd is in an outstanding position to achieve the best overall ranking of his career. His ranking is likely to drop from first position as the tour moves through his weaker events on the European leg of the tour that runs from June to September with Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Sylt all 5-STAR majors in cross-onshore jump and rider conditions.
However, he is expected to finish strongly with the Aloha Classic in October where he has won twice on his home break riding big down the line right handers, and with the Chile Grand Final in November where he has never made a final riding down the line left handers, but after his Fiji Surf Pro victory - which is a left hand down the line wave - he may yet surprise us all and be a serious World Title contender to take the title at the Grand Final.
It will all come down those final two blockbuster events of the year. TUNE IN!