August 6th, 2008 
Sarah-Quita Offringa makes windsurfing world history…
Getting the V.I.P. welcome she deserves, young Sarah Quita-Offringa, who just took the title as #1, the World Champion in Women’s Freestyle during the Professional Windsurfing Association’s Grand Slam World Tour 2008, arrived home from Spain last night, accompanied by her parents, Esther and Ruud, and brother Quincy.
Sarah-Quita, who has been competing professionally since she was twelve years old, found the V.I.P. lounge at the Reina Beatrix International Airport filled with friends and paparazzi as Ramon Lee, Minister of Culture, Labor and Sport personally welcomed this outstanding young athlete home. In appreciation for the great honor and pride she has brought to her home island, and the fine example she sets for other young people, he presented Sarah-Quita with a plaque on behalf of the Aruban people.
Since 2006, Sarah-Quita has been pursuing the world title, and at 15, made the history books as the youngest woman to ever win first place in a world-class professional windsurfing competition when she took the trophy in Lanzarote, Spain. During two other matches in Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria, she came in second to reigning queen Daida Moreno of Spain, with similar results giving her the world-wide ranking of Sub Champion, and winning the title of “Rookie of the Year.”
However, not this year! “This year Sarah-Quita was determined to come out of the water the winner,” confided her mother Esther during the welcome party that awaited them at their home,” the last few years she couldn’t help being nice, that is how she is, but this year we decided “no mercy.” That determination has made Sarah-Quita’s place in history as the youngest woman ever to be world champion on the pro windsurfing circuit.
Ironically, Sarah-Quita and Esther nearly didn’t make it to the opening competitions in Landzarote, as Sarah had to complete her final exams at Colegio Aruban, but cooperative teachers and administrators allowed her to take her tests a day early, so they could speed off to Spain. If not, she and her parents were ready to dismiss the pursuit of the title. Sarah had no time to take any practice runs, or become accustomed to the conditions as the other competitors, as she and Esther landed in Landzarote the night before the tournament began, and it was off to the races and into the water the very next morning.
Sarah-Quita, relaxing at her home after her grand welcome, was sharing her adventure with friends with videos of her winning performance that can be seen at www.pwaworldtour.com. She expressed that conditions were “very difficult, a lot of wind and big waves,” and indeed, commentary reveals she battled over ten days of over 35 kph winds and increasing ground swells, but her spectacular performance won admiring commentary from European press. Sarah spent six weeks in Spain with her brother Quincy, who also competes, and Esther, with Ruud joining them for the last two.
Sarah-Quita established her hold on first place early in the tournament, but Daida Moreno was not ready to pass on the crown. “Unfortunately for Moreno… the subsequent brawl raised the bar of women’s freestyle to a whole new level. Both sailors went off, but the decisive blow would come when Offringa executed a massive air flaka. (Yolanda) De Brendt (who had beaten Moreno in her bid as first place contender-ed) had no reply to the epic move, granting Offringa the victory, and the first double elimination as hers,” reports the PWA.
Clinching her ranking as World Champion was a sweet victory and fitting birthday present for Sarah-Quita, as she and Esther quietly celebrated her turning 17 on July 4, the day she won the double eliminations at Gran Canaria, the second stop on the tour, and insuring her the crown. Arriving home in Aruba, her spectacular victory was celebrated by the entire windsurfing community that greeted her at the airport wearing tee shirts they had specially made for the occasion. Coinciding with her attaining the title, Sarah-Quita is featured on the cover of the August issue of Boards magazine, out of the United Kingdom. All this attention has not affected this sweet, unassuming young woman one bit, who, despite the possibilities, still puts her studies first.
Welcome home Sarah-Quita, World Champion!!
