Storm Felix in Germany by Holger Beer

22nd January 2015

In mid January I took part on a “storm shooting” which was organized by Phil Schreyer, a young upcoming photographer from Kiel.

Storm Felix was on his way to hit the German coastline. I got the final call on Friday to fight against the storm with some other guys the next day in Dazendorf nearby Kiel. At 10:00 in the morning the spot was a big disappointment. It was relatively flat and rainy but already extremely windy with gusts up to 50 knots. The forecast predicted unsailable conditions in the afternoon so we decided to rig our smallest sails and we hatched in our wetsuits as soon as possible. Fortunately the waves kicked in very fast and we could show some moves. After a few hours the average wind speed was 50 knots with gusts up to 60 knots. I was maxed out on my 3.8 Mutant and could not even jibe anymore. For me it was time to accept the strength of Mother Nature and I escaped to the beach.

Although Mother Nature gave me a lesson I look forward to the next storm because it is always challenging and a great experience. For sure I should think of buying a 3.3 for my quiver. :-)

AlohaHolger Beer

Photo by phil-schreyer-fotography.de / facebook.com/philschreyerfotography