Surfing lessons from the world champion - DTM meets windsurfing
Westerland. A great spectacle during the world?s biggest windsurfing event. This weekend, Tom Kristensen, Mike Rockenfeller (both Audi) and Daniel la Rosa (Mercedes-Benz) visited the Colgate World Cup Sylt at Westerland. The DTM drivers had brought an Audi A4 DTM with them. During a pit stop demonstration on the boulevard, surf legend Robby Naish even picked up the airgun. ?Incredible how quick such a pit stop can be, even with my?, the motorsport fan said.
The DTM drivers were also excited. They signed autographs and gave interviews. Tom Kristensen used the chance to find out about the secrets of windsurfing from his compatriot, 35 times? world champion Bj?rn Dunkerbeck. Rockenfeller and La Rosa also were informed about windsurfing by Dunkerbeck and Germany?s best female surfer, Steffi Wahl. They found many similarities. ?In both sports, you need precision, concentration, top-level equipment and a good spirit to be successful?, Kristensen said. In return, Mercedes-Benz driver La Rosa invited Steffi Wahl to visit the DTM final at Hockenheim. ?There, I will show you the action we have in the pit lane?, he promised.
In the afternoon, the members of the Windsurfing Team Germany doubled up as mechanics. Bernd Flessner, Klaas Voget, Normen G?nzlein and Andr? Paskowski swapped their boards for an airgun and battled to find out who was the quickest to change the tyres on the Audi A4 DTM. No winner was established, but Abt-team manager Thomas Biermaier promised good chances for all of them of finding a new job after their careers in windsurfing: ?Surely we can use people with such a hands-on mentality?.
ITR board member for communication J?rgen Pippig made a positive verdict. ?The atmosphere here at the Colgate World Cup Sylt is unique. It is nice that we have been able to bring the DTM closer to the spectators here at Sylt. Now, we are looking forward to the grand final of the DTM.? That will be taking place at Hockenheim, October 14th. So far, some 60,000 tickets have been sold already for the final DTM round of the season, more than at the same time last year, when the race attracted a new record crowd for the DTM with 149,000 spectators.
