Current Wave World Champion and NeilPryde team rider Philip Köster has won the German Action Sports Award for "windsurfer of the year 2011".

At 14 years of age, Philip Köster jumped with his windsurf board up to 18 meters and placed the world record. Since then 3 years passed and this year Philip won every contest and title that you could win. Germany has for the first time a wave world champion! Philip Köster is now the top of the windsurfing ranking.

This year Philip Köster won every PWA world cup as well as the Big Days. Because of his impressive effort everybody was talking about "That German guy living on Gran Canaria."
Even the men’s magazine "GQ“ voted him as the "Man of the year“!

"This year cant’ be topped." exclaimed Philip. "I won every PWA World Cup, got the trophy for the men of the year from the GQ magazine in Berlin, I won the Big Days where I nearly froze, and now I got the title, Windsurfer of the year 2011. It was hard, hard work. I hope next year I will also will show good results and still keep the fun of windsurfing. Stay relaxed – I think that’s the best to handle contests and soul windsurfing! I thank all my sponsors and everybody who likes me can watch the movie Minds Wide Open as I also participate in there."

The popular blue trophy of the Action Sports Award in windsurfing shows his efforts. Next to Köster, Daniel Bruch, Fabian Weber, Tilo Eber and Ande Paskowski were also nominated. The professional jury consisting of Fred Niedner (stehsegelrevue.de), Ingo Meyer (windsurfers.de) Manu Bechert (funsporting.de) and Matthias Regbert (DWC, choppy water) nominated the five athletes, after which the public could vote online.

Congratulations Philip!