courtesy of: The Morning News
written by: Rosalie Klein
For Aruban windsurfing prodigy Sarah-Quita Offringa, each year on the PWA circuit is another opportunity to set new records and enhance her reputation. Not content to be the youngest Women’s PWA World Champion in Freestyle for three years running, since the age of 17, which made her the youngest in PWA history, she decided to pursue the title in Slalom Racing, and after being ranked 3rd last year, accomplished her goal during the Pegasus Airlines PWA World Cup in Alacati, Turkey. At the close of competition on Sunday, August 15, she sailed away with the title of PWA Women’s World Champion in Slalom, after having again secured the top spot in Freestyle during the Sotavento Fuerteventura World Cup taking place in Spain from July 20 to August 1.
Intense competition in the final Freestyle match in Spain against veteran competitor Laure Treboux had sports writers describing Sarah-Quita’s performance as “inspiring.” Though Treboux “was on fire” during her semi-final match, and “upped her game” when battling against Sarah-Quita, “she was unable to match the power and diversity of Offringa’s moves. Offringa was awarded the victory to the cheers of the crowds on the beach after an amazing season where she was unbeaten on the water.”
During the awards, Sarah-Quita demonstrated her gracious sense of sportsmanship; “It’s my fourth world title and I am really happy, I sailed a great heat landing all my biggest moves. It’s a great way to finish the year. I am really pleased for Laure, Yoli and Xenia- they are all sailing really well,” she told reporters.
From Spain it was on to Turkey for another ten days of competition to claim her first PWA Women’s World Champion title in Slalom Racing. “Offringa took charge on the first day of competition, powering her way through the first elimination and obviously enjoying the flat water in Alacati,” reports the PWA. On day six of the competition Karin Jaggi of Switzerland “sailed a faultless race in elimination ten to secure her place in number one and to finish the event on a high.”
Sarah-Quita took second place in Turkey, but her overall performance this year secured her the points to claim the PWA Women’s World Champion Slalom Racing, again setting new records and PWA history with two titles at the age of only 20.
