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Windsurfing / European Championship / A windsurfer's dream, for those who can afford it
By Nir Wolf
Tags: israel news

About 100 windsurfers have come to Tel Aviv for the 2009 European RS:X Championship, which begins today at the city's marina. From the sea, the Tel Aviv skyline is dominated by skyscrapers, Jaffa's minarets and the seaside promenade, an unusual panorama for windsurfers accustomed to tournaments in bleak suburbs. During the last Olympics, when everybody else was in Beijing, the windsurfing competition took place in Qingtao, a peripheral town resembling a gre version of Eilat. Tel Aviv in comparison, with its bars and girls in bikinis, must be an ideal location for the windsurfers.

But despite the benefits of holding the competition in Tel Aviv, some burdens prevented many competitors from showing up. Usually surfers just load up their trailers and drive to wherever the tournament is being held. The cost of flying their equipment to Israel and paying for hotel rooms meant many chose not to travel to the Middle East. Still, the competition is expected to generate much excitement over the next few days.

On Thursday, construction workers were still sprucing up the marina. A tent was erected in the marina's central square, and a large blue carpet was laid. Ma'ayan Davidovich, one of Israel's top windsurfers, sat on the carpet and attached a sticker of the Israeli flag to her sail. Bronze medalist Shahar Zubari sat by the other corner, surrounded by his friends.
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Suddenly an entourage of public figures headed by Ron Huldai and Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov appeared.

"All those who don't need to be in the photograph, please move out of the frame," one of Misezhnikov's aides said, as the minister posed with Zubari. Meanwhile, the rest of the windsurfers dragged their equipment toward the sea. A little device showed the wind was blowing at 6.7 knots, which means the sea is flat, according to one of the windsurfers. A minimum of 6 knots is required for the competition to be held, although sometimes exceptions are made. For Zubari, who grew up in Eilat, where there are strong winds, this is bad news.

A reputation to uphold

Meanwhile, more windsurfers arrived at the marina, and Zubari's coach placed buoys in the water for surfers to go out on a run. Chaos ensued, as all the windsurfers set out for the buoy at the same time.

Later on Thursday, a ceremony kicking off the tournament was held on the banks of the nearby Yarkon River. Huldai and other politicians gave boring speeches, but few actual participants attended. They are, after all, windsurfers, and must have preferred hanging out at their hotels.
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