Gabriele Steindl: Professional Kitesurfer & Freelance Writer - Action, Lifestyle & Travels

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Blue Danube Vienna Festival 2006

It’s been many, many years since I’ve last been to THE annual mega-happening, the biggest outdoor festival in Europe – 3 million visitors !! – perhaps it’s even been a decade as I’m normally out of the country at that time of the season, the Vienna Blue Danube Festival.

This year, for the 23rd time, the event was packed with action: International superstars of the music-scene performing on a huge number of stages such as Fettes Brot, Silbermond, Heinz, Bob Sinclair, Mel C (hihiii)… etc. In addition there was a diverse program for sport-enthusiasts. Along the watersportisland” a number of ‘trendsports’ (amongst them: kitesurfing) were presented and interested people could even give it a go. Furthermore Austria’s best skateboardER, Roman Hakl, winner of the first X-Games in Barcelona, showed off his incredible talents by jumping over a car !!

Of course, Kitegabi had to be there too!! Unfortunately the first two days of the event, there was absolutely NO wind (not even enough for my 20m2 rhino and the rocketfish!!), however, during the last day, sunday, a soft breeze set in which became stronger during the day … coooool!!!

Kitesurfing on the Danube was certainly an unforgettable experience: once, one managed to actually launch the kite (in between all the bypassers), one mustn’t drop it on the way to the water, then jump over rocks into the Danube and on we went!!! The wind was suuuuuuper gusty and it was one of the greatest ‘rodeos’ that I enjoyed e v e r ! Screeming public from both sides (it’s about 50m from shore to shore with side-shore wind, i.e. as soon as you’re in, you can think about turning again … hihihih), super loud music, the subway passing on bridges very close to either side and the media-boat in the middle of the Danube … no prob, us kiters managed to come close enough and we got some cool shots!

Surely I will try to make it to this Mega-Happening next year again!

Check out the article that I published in Kiteboarding.de about the Blue Danube X-Challenge 2006!