2023 Porsche European Open: European Champion Sabrina Lutz tests kiteboarding conditions

Two top athletes, two sports and a quite different battle with the elements – Sabrina Lutz, European Champion and 13-time German Champion in kiteboarding, tested the kitesurfing qualities of the Porsche Nord Course in the lead-up to the Porsche European Open. In doing so, the Hamburg-local met up with Jannik de Bruyn at the venue of the time-honoured DP World Tour golf tournament. The up-and-coming golfer, himself a European Champion with the German team, is preparing for the event that is luring top international players to the grounds of the Green Eagle Golf Courses on Hamburg’s doorstep from 1 to 4 June.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever kiteboarded on a golf course. It was a brilliant experience and a bit more difficult than on a beach. The wonderful nature here limits manoeuvres a little,” said Sabrina Lutz who competes for Team Duotone. “It was incredibly exciting being able to let rip around the surroundings.”

Whilst Lutz got to grips with the 18^th hole with her kite, golfer Bruyn classically grabbed his clubs. “It was a new picture for me as a golfer – and it was actually so cool,” said Jannik de Bruyn, who will be making his third Porsche European Open appearance and who had the best view of his fellow professional athlete from the 18^th fairway. “As sportsmen and women, we’re generally very open to other sports. It’s why I really looked forward to meeting up with Sabrina. It was mega, a super experience.”

Also a tough challenge for golfers, the Porsche Nord Course is well-suited for an out-of-the-ordinary kiteboarding excursion. On 17 of the 18 holes, the incredible water hazards are a major test for the golfers. In flat northern Germany, wind often also comes into play. Both top athletes quickly recognised similarities and differences in their professional dealings with nature. Wind and water play a decisive role, both in kiteboarding and the game of golf. “For me less is more, for Sabrina it’s the other way around,” said de Bruyn, who as a result can do without both. Lutz on the other hand is reliant on both. “You can see that the elements can offer quite different challenges. It’s a nice lesson to take away from today, and a big commitment to sport in natural surroundings,” added the Hamburg-raised Lutz, who used a size 17 kite belonging to the limited Porsche Kite Edition over the water hazards on the 16^th and 18^th holes.

At the end of the spectacular excursion on the Porsche Nord Course, both protagonists did actually find something they had in common alongside their love of sport in nature.  “If my ball stays dry then I’m successful,” said Bruyn and Lutz added, “And if I stay dry then I have been really good and have successfully completed all my tricks.”

Porsche and surfing

Porsche has been involved in kiteboarding since 2021. As a part of its involvement, the company has been collaborating with amongst others Duotone, the leading equipment maker. In 2022, Duotone launched the first limited Porsche Kite Edition whereby the design was inspired by Porsche Motorsport and the history of the brand. Porsche also supports the kiteboarders Liam Whaley and Rita Arnaus. Additionally, Porsche and the technology subsidiary Porsche Engineering work together with Sebastian Steudtner, the world record holder in big-wave surfing. The newly developed surfboard dubbed "Caçador RS" was presented to the public in May 2023.

Porsche in golf

Porsche has been involved successfully in golf since 2015 as the title sponsor of the Porsche European Open, a DP World Tour event. In 2019, the automobile manufacturer expanded its activities in professional golf with automotive partnerships at tournaments on the US PGA Tour and the DP World Tour. Porsche can also look back on a more than three-decade Porsche Golf Cup history. The tournament series is one of the company’s most successful customer events. Held for the first time in Germany in 1988, the Porsche Golf Cup has developed into an international event in which, at its peak, over 17,000 Porsche customers took part in 261 worldwide qualifying tournaments. The Porsche Golf Circle is also highly successful. An international community for keen golf-playing Porsche customers, it was launched in 2017. Paul Casey has been complementing the Porsche family as the first Brand Ambassador from the game of golf since 2020.