Pump Foil World Tour // Fiander dominates opening day – Scheibler second overall at Lake Traunsee

The first day of competition at the Upper Austria SFT Pump Foil World Cup Traunsee is in the books. Despite a rainy start to Saturday, two Pump Foil races were successfully completed at the Rindbach recreational area. Overall World Cup leader Edan Fiander was in impressive form, taking victory in both races. Austria’s Jurij Scheibler also delivered a strong performance and sits second overall after the opening two races. The scheduled Austrian Wingfoil Championship competition, meanwhile, had to be postponed until Sunday due to a lack of wind.

After bright sunshine during Friday’s training sessions, Lake Traunsee showed a very different side on Saturday morning. Rain and cool temperatures greeted the athletes at the start of the first competition day. However, the conditions did not pose any major problems for the Pump Foil riders. Following the briefing, the action got underway with the time trials before the first two races of the World Cup final were held later in the day.

Text & Photo Credits: SFT

Fiander wins both races, Scheibler second overall

In the men’s competition, overall World Cup leader Edan Fiander underlined his ambitions for the overall title in impressive fashion. The Swiss rider won both races held on Saturday, further extending his lead at the final tour stop of the season.

The two races demanded very different qualities from the athletes. While the first was held on a shorter and highly dynamic course, a significantly longer course awaited them later in the day. “The second race was really long. I think it was the longest course we’ve had so far. It was really challenging in terms of stamina and on the legs, especially at the end of the day,” said Fiander.

Once again, he made his way through all the rounds before taking victory in the final. “After two wins, it’s obviously a very good position to be in for tomorrow. Now I just need to stay focused and avoid mistakes.”

From an Austrian perspective, Jurij Scheibler enjoyed a strong opening day. With second and fourth-place finishes, the Vorarlberg native sits second overall after day one. The cool conditions also presented a challenge for Scheibler, but he was satisfied with his performance.

His plan for the decisive Sunday is straightforward: “Just ride consistently, avoid mistakes and, most importantly, have fun.”

Text & Photo Credits: SFT

Bertram unbeatable in women’s competition

There was also a clear standout performer in the women’s competition on the opening day. Germany’s Marnie Bertram, who arrived at Lake Traunsee as the overall World Cup leader, won both races and heads into the final day in an excellent position.

For Austria’s Lena Oberperfler and Viola Lippitsch, however, Saturday did not quite go according to plan. After the opening two races, Oberperfler sits sixth overall, with Lippitsch directly behind her in seventh. Both will therefore be looking to make up ground on Sunday.

Nevertheless, Lippitsch took plenty of positives from the opening day: “It started off a little rainy, but we got going pretty early after the briefing. The conditions were really good and later the sun came out again. I still have some catching up to do, but the vibes were back and it was great.”

Text & Photo Credits: SFT

Not enough wind for Wingfoil – Sunday start scheduled for 6:00 a.m.

While the Pump Foil riders were able to complete their scheduled programme, the competitors in the Austrian Wingfoil Championship had to remain patient. The required wind failed to materialise on Saturday. For a short time, there was hope that suitable conditions might develop on the other side of Lake Traunsee, but the potential wind window did not last long enough.

“On lakes like this, we always depend on the thermal winds. If the weather doesn’t quite cooperate, the wind doesn’t develop as we need it,” explained Lippitsch. “For a short while, it looked like we might have a chance on the other side of the lake, but that disappeared again pretty quickly.”

As a result, Sunday will get off to an early start. The Wingfoil competition is scheduled to begin at 6:00 a.m. in an effort to take advantage of a possible early-morning wind window. Depending on the conditions, there could be another opportunity later in the day. With several athletes competing in both Wingfoil and Pump Foil, the remainder of the schedule will be coordinated accordingly.

More Information