One event down on the PWA slalom tour and already we have a new face to watch out for: Point7’s Alberto Menegatti. We say new face, but is he really? Surely someone cannot come in and land straight at the top of the rankings? Of course not. Alberto is a very talented racer that has taken youth world titles and been in the top ten for over 10 years, so what has changed? How did 28 year old Alberto (or Bambi as he is, or maybe now was, known on tour) go from top 10 to leading from start to finish in Korea?

As you can see here it’s all about the winter training. 

Like many other competitors Alberto is a natural on the water, always known for his incredible early planing and smart tactics, plus at 194cm tall he’s built to race. This alone maybe enough to win a race, but taking an event win is a whole other matter. Alberto obviously decided at the end of the 2012 season to re-evaluate his training and take an even more serious look at exactly what he needed to do to win. In came more dedicated off water training, whilst on the water El Medano bay became THE slalom training ground with bouys, starts and many, many races held in all manner of conditions.

This wasn’t just some equipment tuning with a training partner, this was day in, day out, fully focussed racing on the water complimented with a completely structured, functional training programme off the water.

In short, putting the hours into a structured, focussed training plan has clearly worked wonders.

This begs the question, if more racers adopted an increasingly serious attitude to all aspects of their training could we see some further new faces at the top of the rankings? 

Just windsurfing isn’t enough anymore to win you need to be a true athlete, which obviously Alberto has come to realise. Who else could be at the top if they followed in his footsteps? Did the lighter winds of Korea play into Alberto’s hands, or was it a fluke win? Will Antoine and Bjorn reign supreme as the season continues?

Who do you think has the talent and determination to make it onto the podium in 2013?

And which riders have the potential but need to take a closer look at exactly how to make it to the top?

Share your views in the comments below!

Next time Boardseeker will take a look at how the 2013 PWA Wave tour is shaping up and how a whole host of new events could really shake things up at the top. 

Next up in the ‘Wave Tips’ series from Boardseeker, two men known for boosting some of the biggest backies talk you through the technique for this stylish jump…

Check the rest of the Boardseeker Wave Tips series and more here in the wave technique section.

Photos by: JePe van Popta

Wijk aan Zee is located middle/northern part of Holland, close to Amsterdam/ Haarlem. It’s good play ground with a wide range of wind directions. It works from South east to Side onshore from the left and also filters the waves/organises the wave really well. Is usually a easy wave with a bit punch in it and can get big up to 5m or so.

It is a quite a stable spot as the low pressures get filtered by Ireland and then turn up stable at northern Europe.

We scored a great storm there last week, which I knew was coming, but with that kind of storm hits it’s hard to tell when and how fast it will pass. It can change quit fast into a bad rotation and give a wrong angle of wind because it was a really small compressed pressure that went through the Channel. But I knew the direction would be good for Wijk; I always fall back to one main important weather site Theyr.com because this site is always one step a head..

Martin ten Hoeve

I prepared my small sails the day before then headed over with the locals and friends off Wijk aan Zee: Bas Molenkamp, Elton Eypma, Torben Tijms, Marco van Leeuwen, Pim, Harry and Edwin.

I used mine smallest sail what is a 3.6 Salt and a Goya quad 84L. I was still quite stacked on my 3.6; jumping wise I was able to get some backloops and straight jumps but not more than that as there was just too much wind..

But surprisingly enough I was still riding well!

Thomas Bouwman was also there to capture the day on film, we will have videos to come soon, but for now you can get an idea of the conditions with this short back loop clip.

Wijk is a great place because off the atmosphere; off a nice long jetty and in the background The Hoogovens/ Tata Steal factory and than nice Palfijooen Aloha for a fast chocolate milk or long hangout..

This together with all nice riders who pop up as soon the wind is there; it’s just perfect.

Martin ten Hoeve

The Boardseeker wave tips series continues as we bring you the ultimate guidance for spinning round a taka, from Adam Lewis and Phil Horrocks.

One of the easier wave moves the taka is an upwind 360 on the wave, preferably after smacking the lip! So have a watch and give it a go…

Photo: Dave White

Check out the previous technique videos on Boardseeker:

• Catching waves with James Cox
• Wave tips top turn with Jamie Hancock
• Push loop with Jamie and John
• Wave Tips with Ben Proffitt
• On shore bottom turn with Phil Horrocks
• Getting out in waves with John Skye
• Forward loops