The desert is quiet, hot and dry - at least normally. In Namibia, on the west coast of Africa, there is a place where it is also hot and dry - but also extremely windy. Lüderitz, as the small town of 12,000 souls is called, has emerged as the perfect speed windsurfing spot. Here you can surf on the open sea if you are not afraid of the huge numbers of sharks.
But the real special feature of the place lies inland.
Here, resourceful speed surfers cultivate a narrow channel with a water depth of 30-40 centimetres, which allows you to fly over the water at speeds of up to 100 km/h. This may be life-threatening, but it is also absolutely unique. Although this is life-threatening, it is also absolutely unique. Every fall, all those windsurfers who want to break the world record in speed windsurfing gather here.
Here, resourceful speed surfers cultivate a narrow channel with a water depth of 30-40 centimetres, which allows you to fly over the water at speeds of up to 100 km/h. This may be life-threatening, but it is also absolutely unique. Although this is life-threatening, it is also absolutely unique. Every fall, all those windsurfers who want to break the world record in speed windsurfing gather here.
Our Wind Lounge team rider Nils Bach recently took on this very challenge. The trip, which cost an incredible amount of nerves (and euros), began with the flight to Africa. Naturally, he took several windsurf boards, sails, masts, booms, speed fins and accessories with him. Fun fact: transporting the luggage by plane alone cost several thousand euros.
Once he arrived in Africa, he then took a detour through the desert for many hundreds of kilometers before finally arriving in Lüderitz. Nils took four weeks to achieve an official rating on the canal. Why does he need four weeks? Well, even in Lüderitz the wind does what it wants. For the first two weeks, there were only minimal winds on the water, which was hardly enough for record attempts. In addition, Nils came down with a severe cold and was laid up for a while.
At some point, however, the wind came up and Nils was able to beat his own best times again and again. Still a long way from the world record, but at least a little closer. The experience of windsurfing at well over 80 km/h on a narrow channel can no longer be taken away from him. The club of desert speed surfers is small and exclusive - so we are all the more pleased about Nils' detailed reporting.
For details and exact information about the trip, the channel & of course the material, we recommend the video series produced by Nils on YouTube. We are proud to have supported Nils on his journey and hope that he will return to Lüderitz in the coming years. Then the mission is to break the 50 knot barrier and enter the top 10 fastest windsurfers!
