Koster on the team

Maui Ultra Fins – The Delta Concept

Rick spent the last 30 years as an Aerodynamics Engineer for the Aerospace industry. As a keen water sports enthusiast spent many holidays on Maui in idyllic conditions. Rick has been experimenting with fin shapes for many years and because of the ideal conditions quickly gained a reputation in the local area. Demand became apparent and soon the Maui Ultra Fins company was formed.

Many years later Maui Ultra Fins is an international company with a worldwide distribution network and many top international Pro team riders. The ability to push the envelope with new and radical designs makes MU Fins stand out. Some critics may have been harsh of some of the designs but the proof is clear.

In 2008 Rick made a major breakthrough with the X-Wave. This upright wave fin redefined the standards for wave fins. With a lot of scepticism MU pushed forward developing the concept and now the X-Wave has got its position at the top in the hands of many including top wave pro Robby Swift and Philip Koster. Maui Ultra now produces over 26 different fin models each designed to perform in its specific area. From Freeride designs in the form of the ‘Ride’ to specialist Weed applications and super fast Slalom fins, Maui Ultra has a fin for all abilities and conditions and with the addition of the ‘’Delta Series’’ everybody has been catered for.

Rick Hanke with the Delta Fins at the German Boot Tradeshow

An Interview with Rick By Dave Gollick of Windsurfingfins

Rick what was reason for designing such a radical fin?

The primary goal was to design a fin, which could be used in shallow water.

At which discipline was this aimed at?

Understanding the aerodynamic characteristics of this fin allowed me to adapt it for both speed and wave applications, which means it could be a general purpose fin. The short length gives it the ability to be agile in the Waves.

It looks extreme with a very high rake, short depth and very wide base. What is rationale behind this?

The shorter length gives the ability for the fin to be used is very shallow sports, particularly inland water such as the Netherlands. In addition, the rake angle of 55 degrees gives it the ability to shift heavy weed, which again is normally present in shallow water.

How does this radical design work as a speed fin?

Due to the wide base we were able to make thinner foils (3.5-5.0% relative thickness) the fin has enough absolute thickness to be stiff with no danger of break away. Thin foils provide less drag and allow high speed and this make for an ideal speed fin.

We have seen a shift towards more traditional shapes in the speed fins lately; low aspect, short and wide looking. What is the advantage of the Delta?

With a high angle of attack the Delta wings create a vortex, which separates from the leading edge and holds the flow on the surface. With flow separation at a very high angle of attack, around 30 degrees when compared to normal fins of around 10-12 degrees, upwind performance as greatly improved.

Rick, the Delta looks extra ordinarily wide, why does it over hang the box so much and what advantage does this provide?

As the fin depth has to be low the width has to be increased in order to give the required surface area to translate to the more traditional sizing. The lift curve (lift VS angle of attack) is only half of that of a traditional fin; this means we have to use twice as much angle of attack. But this is not a disadvantage because the fin is not so direct and the control is improved, especially at high speed.

So in short this fin can be used in shallow water situations, with or without weed being present, which gives many windsurfers in these areas the chance to get out on the water. Is there a size chart that gives us a conversion comparison to traditional sizing?

Yes.

The Final Product

With many requests for shorter fins for shallow and weeded areas and the combination of 12 months testing MU are proud to present the Delta Wing Series. The result is fins that can handle both shallow as well as weeded areas.  100 prototypes have been put through their paces in order to find the perfect outlines and profiles. A fleet of some 70 Pro’s and amateurs provided the feedback needed to perfect this radical fin. Generally the main advantage of the Delta wing series is to allow safer travel over windsurfing spots with shallow areas. This has allowed certain spots such as tidal channels to become used for speed sailing as well as general freeriding. A Wave version and multi fin set-ups are currently in trials and have produced some interesting results.

The wide base and shorter length allows the use of thin foils, which promote speed. This also gives the fin a stable ride and a good upwind ability. The slight negative with a fin of this type is that it does not plane as early as a traditional fin and additional training is needed to perfect slashy gybes.

On a positive note the speed Delta version has currently achieved over 80Km/h during testing last year. Roberto Hoffman the MU World Cup Slalom rider commented -

“The Delta fin is a great alternative to a traditional weed fin. The first feeling you get is slightly different compared to what you get with a traditional straight fin, but after a few runs the feeling is that you have a very solid, fast and agile gybing fin under your board. You have to use a little less pressure on your back foot when going upwind, but the down wind leg is fast and easy to control. I think the fins offer up new possibilities in sailing shallow water locations, having great performance and perfect control!”

The final word

In general the Delta Series is a general-purpose fin for any windsurfing spot that has shallow and/or weed issues. The different models cover Slalom, Speed and Freeride disciplines and give windsurfers in these areas the chance to enjoy their sport. The Delta series was never designed to compete with the traditional fin in normal sailing spots and if compared give a different feeling in both performance and control.

Thanks to www.windsurfingfins.co.uk

Philip Koster skying a backloop

The 2011 Pozo Gran Canaria PWA World Cup – Event Summary: Philip Koster and Daida Ruano Moreno storm into first place at the 2011 Pozo World Cup taking an early advantage on the 2011 world tour.

The internationally recognized location of Pozo, Gran Canaria played host to the world’s finest wave sailors are they embarked on the opening event on the men and women’s wave tour. Pozo is famous for its howling winds and steep waves that allow the sailors to perform their most extreme and radical maneuvers known to windsurfing.

Pozo lived up to its reputation delivering winds blowing up to fifty knots over six days of intense competition, allowing the completion of the single and double elimination and the king and queen of Gran Canaria to be crowned.

Men’s Fleet- Single Elimination

Spread over four days of the competition the single elimination quickly saw many of the big names unleash their largest moves to wow the crowds and to guarantee their advances through their heats.

Gran Canaria’s wave wizard Philip Koster (Starboard / NeilPryde / Dakine) stole the show on the first day of competition, reaching astronomical heights with his stalled forwards and one footed backloops. He caught both the crowd and the judge’s attention with his incredible moves, confirming that he is one to watch out for on the 2011 world tour.

Venezuelan wild flyer, Ricardo Campello (JP / NeilPryde / MFC), Robby Swift (JP / NeilPryde), Thomas Traversa (Tabou / Gaastra) and Daniel Bruch (Starboard / Severne / Al360) all looked to be on great form after a winter’s hard training, each working their way through their heats landing super tweaked pushloops and amazing the crowds with their wave riding.

Marcilio Browne (Fanatic / North / MFC) stormed through the quarter finals, taking every opportunity to pull his super stylish backside 360’s and forward loops off the lip, ensuring he scored maximal point for his wave riding against his opponent Kauli Seadi (JP / NeilPryde), who was unable to match him.

The semi-finals burst in to action with Koster, Browne and Victor Fernandez Lopez (Fanatic / North / MFC) launching into double forwards straight after the green flag. Campello missed the opening ramp however he quickly made up for it with the largest stalled double forward loop in the competition, he wowed the crowds with his incredible performance, however his board paid the price and snapped on impact with the water. Campello made a swift return to the beach to swap his equipment. The action continued through the heat seeing Koster land an ankle try pushloop forward and work his way around some smooth wave 360’s to secure his place in the winner’s final. Fernandez Lopez had his work cut out against Browne; however he was able to pull the win out the bag with his precise wave riding and clean table top forwards.

Men’s Final

The crowds were blown away by the radical action that arose from the men’s winners final as last year’s duo took to Pozo’s waves to do battle once again. Koster exploded out the gates and launched into a gigantic double forward loop in front of the judges, followed by a perfect pushloop forward and a one-footed backloop seeing him earn his jumping scores within the first thirty seconds of the heat. Fernandez Lopez chose to work his wave riding and went about his super clean backside 360’s and smooth cut backs. The following minutes were a rollercoaster ride of emotions for the crowd, hooked on the action as the heat unfolded. The sailors matched each other with a perfect pair of super stalled forwards and both went down on their following waves. Fernandez Lopez looked to be struggling to land his double forward’s providing super consistent Koster with the advantage and the single elimination win.

Women’s Fleet

First up was multi-talented Laure Treboux (Fanatic / North) versus new girl to the tour Sarah Bibby (Simmer) and on the other side of the heat Silvia Alba Orozco versus Karin Jaggi (Patrik / Severne). Treboux made the best out of the tough conditions and quickly collected her wave scores, whilst Bibby went hunting for aerials. Treboux caught a lucky gust and boosted into a forward loop, securing her win. Jaggi and Alba Orozco sailed a particularly close heat, with both sailors landing clean forward loops and working the waves for all they were worth. When the judges totted up the score sheets Alba Orozco won the vote over Jaggi with her superior wave scores.

Eva Oude Ophius (Naish / Naish) and Iballa Ruano Moreno (Starboard / Severne) dominated the second heat single, against their opponents Fanny Aubet (JP / NeilPryde) and Andrea Geierspichler. The women launched into action when the green flag went up, Iballa went for an enormous forward loop in front of the judges whilst Oude Ophius landed a backloop. The sailors managed to hunt down the few waves in the heat and milk them for all they were worth, whilst Aubet and Geierspichler looked to be under powered.

Newlywed Nayra Alonso (Fanatic / Severne) came into her own in the third heat, taking down Evi Tsape (F2 / North) with her stylish riding utilizing her local knowledge to pick the largest waves. Alice Arutkin (Starboard / North) chose a volume approach in her heat against Amanda Beenen (Dakine). Arutkin charged from wave to wave with forward loops in between, guaranteeing her victory.

The quarter finals saw the demise of Treboux to the consistent Alba Orozco. Alba performed perfect forward loops and maximized her time on the waves throughout the heat and advanced into the semi -finals. The other pairing in the heat had another close battle but Iballa was displaying an incredible set of maneuvers and took down Oude Ophius.

Next up, heat 22 saw Alonso go about her exceptional wave riding to slay Arutkin while Daida Ruano Moreno (Starboard / Severne) made her opening appearance on the 2011 tour. Daida burst into action with a stalled forward and continued with her rampage of mind-blowing moves throughout the heat securing her pass into the next round.

As much as Alonso and Alba Orozco tried to hold their ground, the Moreno twins ruled the semi-finals moving quickly from wave to wave and flying through their radical maneuvers. The pair took control on their home water and quickly guaranteed their position in the winner’s final.

Women’s Final

The Moreno twins have dominated the women’s fleet for the last decade, and their exceptional sailing made sure that 2011 was no different. Daida opened the heat with a colossal stalled forward however she was unable to hold the landing; Iballa quickly took advantage and landed her own. The sisters went from move to move in an attempt to outdo each other; however Daida looked to be the stronger of the two, working each wave all the way to the beach and making sure each tweaked move had maximal extension. Iballa took the moves up a notch and attempted the wave 360 to beat her sister; unfortunately she was unable to make it leaving the door open for Daida to claim the victory.

Double elimination

Spread over two days and with winds reaching fifty knots, mixed with pounding waves the crowds on the beach knew they were in for an action packed double elimination. With the opportunity to improve their overall scores, the competitors were ready and waiting for the judges to drop the green flag and take to the water on their 3.3 meter sails.

Men’s Fleet

Six exceptional sailors, Andreas Olandersson (Simmer / MFC), Boujmaa Guilloul (Starboard / Severne / Mystic / MFC), Aleix Sanllehy, Jamie Hancock (Tabou / Gaastra), Camille Juban (Gun Sails) and Jules Denel (Exocet) all stormed through their opening two heats raising their overall results significantly. However the big guns in round three all held their ground, putting a halt on their rampage through the double elimination.

The only sailor to break into the top sixteen’s fortress from round two was Jaeger Stone (Severne). The young Australian defeated John Skye (RRD / RRD / MFC), Kenneth Danielsen (F2 / Simmer / MFC / Mystic) and Klaas Voget (Fanatic / Simmer / MFC) with his enormous stalled forwards and aggressive cut backs earning him a place in round four.

Having held strong against their challengers in round three, it was time for Daniel Bruch (Starboard / Severne / AL 360), Marcos Perez (Exocet / Gun), Eleazar Alonso (Naish / Naish) and Stone to play the underdogs.

The sailors moved on to face Swift, Seadi, Alex Mussolini (Tabou / Gaastra) and Dario Ojeda (Tabou / Simmer / Dakine / MFC) respectively in the fourth round. Swift and Bruch had a particularly close heat however Swift managed to squeeze passed with a perfect double forward. Seadi destroyed Perez with his seamless riding, Mussolini defeated Alonso with an enormous backloop and a clean wave 360, while Ojeda finished Jaeger Stones winning streak nailing a tweaked pushloop and a sensational double forward.

Dario Ojeda (Tabou / Simmer / Dakine / MFC) earned himself the sailor of the day award, as he took the day by storm and sailed through four heats passed British sailor Swift and Seadi, Browne and Campello consecutively, raising his result from joint fifth to third. Ojeda high-risk wave riding saw him land wave 360’s in the critical section and huge double forward loops to secure his victories.

The largest wave score of the competition made an appearance in heat 50; Fernandez Lopez versus Ojeda. Fernandez Lopez caught the set and took that as his opportunity to put an end to Ojeda’s rampage, landing an enormous backside 360 on the steepest section of the wave and then turning straight into a shaka and then a frontside turn. The judges awarded Fernandez Lopez with straight ten’s for his exceptional sailing.

Men’s final

A huge crowd lined the beach to watch the action unfold for the men’s final, and the sailors certainly didn’t disappoint. Koster opened the heat with an ankle dry double forward loop, which was quickly matched by Fernandez Lopez’s own. The sailors then went about upstaging each other with a series of radical maneuvers, Koster went for a wave 360 and Fernandez Lopez chose a goiter. Disaster struck for Fernandez Lopez when his equipment failed after a monster back loop however good friend Francisco Casas Garcia (Starboard / MFC) helped keep his hopes alive and sailed new equipment out to him without a harness. Koster took advantage and continued to land his astounding tricks. The big crescendo came when Koster threw himself into a triple loop sending his equipment flying, however the work was done and Koster had earned enough points to secure himself the victory.

Women’s Fleet

Jaggi and Tsape were the standout sailors of the double elimination. Both women ploughed through three heats, defeating their opponent’s with their controlled jumps and wave rides in the howling winds.

Jaggi and Tsape went on to face each other, Jaggi started the heat like she meant business and launched into an enormous forward loop. Tsape caught a number of clean waves but Jaggi was on form, landing her moves with precision.

Having sailed from the opening heat of the double elimination, the fight for second place was particularly tough for Jaggi as she faced Iballa Ruano Moreno (Starboard / Severne) for the prestigious place in the final. Iballa didn’t mess around and launched into a huge stalled forward within the first thirty seconds of the heat, leaving Jaggi to play catch up for the remainder of the time. Iballa turned her focus to waves and flew into a backside aerial followed by several frontside cutbacks. Jaggi tried to match Iballa’s points but despite her best efforts the damage had already been done.

Women’s final

As witnessed many times at Pozo during the last decade, the incredible Moreno twins faced each other once again in the grand final; a tribute to their amazing skills here on their home waters. Iballa and Daida displayed an overwhelming level of control over their equipment in the ballistic winds, as they both landed stalled forwards and backloops to kick the heat off. Having been matched move to move Daida turned her sailing up yet another notch and initiated a double forward loop which she landed in waterstart position. She then caught a logo high wave and boosted into a front side aerial wowing the crowds and the judges with her mind-blowing sailing. Iballa attempted to fight back but Daida’s adrenaline was flowing as she rotated around a seamless one-handed backloop and then a taka, displaying her dominance on Pozo’s waters for the twelfth year.

The 2011 PWA Pozo World Cup Men’s results

(Overalls from 1 event)

1st Philip Koster (Starboard / NeilPryde / Dakine)

2^nd Victor Fernandez Lopez (Fanatic / North / MFC)

3^rd Dario Ojeda (Tabou / Simmer / Dakine / MFC)

4^th Ricardo Campello (JP / NeilPryde / MFC)

5^th Marcilio Browne (Fanatic / North / MFC)

6^th Kauli Seadi (JP / NeilPryde)

7^th Robby Swift (JP / NeilPryde)

7^th Alex Mussolini (Tabou / Gaastra)

The 2011 PWA Pozo World Cup Women’s results

(Overalls from 1 event)

1^st Daida Ruano Moreno (Starboard / Severne)

2^nd Iballa Ruano Moreno (Starboard / Severne)

3^rd Karin Jaggi (Patrik / Severne)

4^th Nayra Alonso (Fanatic / Severne)

5^th Silvia Alba Orozco

6^th Evi Tsape (F2 / North)

7^th Alice Arutkin (Starboard / North)

7^th Laure Treboux (Fanatic / North)

World Rankings

The overall standings for the PWA wave world tour are currently exactly the same as the event results from Gran Canaria due to this being the first event of 2011. This will all change however when the wave tour moves to Tenerife for round two.

Where Next?

The world’s finest wave sailors will now make the short journey over to the stunning island of Tenerife for their second stop on the 2011 PWA world tour. Tenerife promises slick waveriding mammoth aerials and insane stunts, the action will take place 14^th-20^th July.

Scope the action For more information on all the entrants, and to keep up to date with every piece of the action, click on www.pwaworldtour.com

Here you can use our:

- Live ticker service for heat-by-heat bulletins

- Check live elimination ladders

- View results

- Read daily news summaries

- Browse awesome action photo galleries

- Follow the event live, with top class commentary from pros and industry insiders.

Or for more information, please contact the PWA office via info@pwaworldtour.com

Philip Koster

The 2011 Pozo Gran Canaria PWA World Cup – day six: The Koster kid and high flying Daida Moreno reign supreme over Pozo’s tempestuous waters.

On the sixth day of competition the event flags were ripped to shreds by the relentless Pozo wind, the equipment battered and bruised and the sailors were silent as they eyed up the ballistic conditions before the final show down on the world’s toughest stage. With the strongest wind’s and the largest waves forecast for the final day of competition, the remaining six women and eight men were anxious to hit the water and kick off proceedings at 9am.

Head judge Duncan Coombs announced the format would remain the same; the heats would be twelve minutes long with the best three jumps and the finest two wave rides counting towards their scores. The competitors we well aware they would have to sail to the edge of their ability to outperform their opponents as nuclear winds gusted well over 40 knots.

Men’s Fleet

The opening battle of the day was separated into two heats with Alex Mussolini (Tabou / Gaastra) facing Brazil’s Kauli Seadi (JP / NeilPryde). Mussolini looked to hold the advantage with his wave riding however he lacked diversity on the jumping front, landing only a one footed backloop and a forward, leaving the door open for Seadi to storm ahead and into the top six. Next up Dario Ojeda (Tabou / Simmer / Dakine / MFC) claimed his initial victim of the day taking down British sailor Robby Swift (JP / NeilPryde). Swift opened the heat with a perfect double forward loop; however Ojeda’s high-risk wave riding and clinical jumps paid off allowing him to advance into the next round.

Ojeda put his local knowledge to use and sailed through three more difficult heats passing by Seadi, Marcilio Browne (Fanatic / North / MFC) and Ricardo Campello (JP / NeilPryde / MFC) consecutively, raising his result from joint fifth to third.

Seadi landed an incredible double forward to open the heat against Dario but took his wave riding a little more cautiously, and only focused on his consistent moves. Meanwhile Ojeda chose to wait for the largest waves to roll in and risk everything going for huge wave 360’s in the critical section. Ojeda managed to pull off an amazing 360 in the closing minute, winning the judges affections and his pass into the next round.

Ojeda continued with the extreme tactics in his heat against Browne. The powerful Brazilian dominated the jumping by landing super tweaked pushloop and a clean double forward but Ojeda’s superior wave riding saw win with a 5-0 decision from the judges.

The fight for third place against Campello was a much closer affair. Campello picked off the biggest sets and worked them for all they were worth; he also fought hard with a set of perfect double loops and a stalled forward. Ojeda once again managed to squeeze through by a narrow margin, landing a clean wave 360 and a taka on one outstanding wave.

The largest wave score of the competition made an appearance in heat 50; Victor Fernandez Lopez (Fanatic / North / MFC) versus Dario Ojeda. Fernandez Lopez caught the set and took that as his opportunity to put an end to Ojeda’s rampage, landing an enormous backside 360 on the steepest section of the wave and then turning straight into a shaka and then a frontside turn. The judges awarded Fernandez Lopez with straight ten’s for his exceptional sailing.

Men’s final

A huge crowd lined the beach to watch the action unfold for the men’s final, and the sailors certainly didn’t disappoint. Philip Koster (Starboard / NeilPryde / Dakine) opened the heat with an ankle dry double forward loop, which was quickly matched by Fernandez Lopez’s own. The sailors then went about upstaging each other with a series of radical maneuvers, Koster went for a wave 360 and Fernandez Lopez chose a goiter. Disaster struck for Fernandez Lopez when his board snapped after a monster back loop however good friend Francisco Casas Garcia (Starboard / MFC) helped keep his hopes alive and sailed new equipment out to him without a harness. Koster took advantage and continued to land his astounding tricks. The big crescendo came when Koster threw himself into a triple loop sending his equipment flying, however the work was done and Koster had earned enough points to secure himself the victory.

Winner’s Quote

Philip Koster (Starboard / NeilPryde / Dakine)

“I feel amazing, I couldn’t feel any better. The heat was really fun, the conditions were a little different in Pozo today but the wind was really strong. I was on my 3.7, I tried a pushloop forward and crashed really hard and hurt my knee, I also tried a triple at the end and crashed that but overall it was a brilliant final.”

Women’s Fleet

Karin Jaggi (Patrik / Severne) started the day like she meant business, launching to an enormous forward loop in her heat against Evi Tsape (F2 / North). Tsape caught a number of clean waves but Jaggi was on form, landing her moves with precision.

Jaggi advanced to face her nemesis from the single elimination, Silvia Alba Orozco. Revenge was on Jaggi’s mind as she took control in the tough conditions she slashed and turned her way through the heat to defeat Alba Orozco.

Nayra Alonso (Fanatic / Severne) was next in line on Jaggi’s list. The pair matched each other move for move, but Jaggi managed to squeeze an extra bit of height out of each jump and spot the larger waves ensuring she was awarded extra points to win the heat.

Having sailed from the opening heat of the double elimination, the fight for second place was particularly tough for Jaggi as she faced Iballa Ruano Moreno (Starboard / Severne) for the prestigious place in the final. Iballa didn’t mess around and launched into a huge stalled forward within the first thirty seconds of the heat, leaving Jaggi to play catch up for the remainder of the time. Iballa turned her focus to waves and flew into a backside aerial followed by several frontside cutbacks. Jaggi tried to match Iballa’s points but despite her best efforts the damage had already been done.

Women’s final

As witnessed many times at Pozo during the last decade, the incredible Moreno twins faced each other once again in the grand final; a tribute to their amazing skills here on their home waters. Iballa and Daida Ruano Moreno (Starboard / Severne) displayed an overwhelming level of control over their equipment in the ballistic winds, as they both landed stalled forwards and backloops to kick the heat off. Having been matched move to move Daida turned her sailing up yet another notch and initiated a double forward loop which she landed in waterstart position. She then caught a logo high wave and boosted into a front side aerial wowing the crowds and the judges with her mind-blowing sailing. Iballa attempted to fight back but Dada’s adrenaline was flowing as she rotated around a seamless one handed backloop and then a taka, displaying her dominance on Pozo’s waters for the twelfth year.

Winner’s Quote

Daida Ruano Moreno (Starboard / Severne)

“It was a really fun final and I’m looking forward to Tenerife, I landed really nice aerial on the set wave and a tabletop pushloop; I also managed to waterstart out of a double forward so I am really happy.”

The victors were crowned at an awards ceremony on the beach in front of a mixed crowd of proud families, sailors, locals and windsurfing fans.

The 2011 PWA Pozo World Cup Men’s results

(Overalls from 1 Events)

1st Philip Koster (Starboard / NeilPryde / Dakine)

2nd Victor Fernandez Lopez (Fanatic / North / MFC)

3rd Dario Ojeda (Tabou / Simmer / Dakine / MFC)

4th Ricardo Campello (JP / NeilPryde / MFC)

5th Marcilio Browne (Fanatic / North / MFC)

6th Kauli Seadi (JP / NeilPryde)

7th Robby Swift (JP / NeilPryde)

7th Alex Mussolini (Tabou / Gaastra)

The 2011 PWA Pozo World Cup Women’s results

(Overalls from 1 event)

1st Daida Ruano Moreno (Starboard / Severne)

2nd Iballa Ruano Moreno (Starboard / Severne)

3rd Karin Jaggi (Patrik / Severne)

4th Nayra Alonso (Fanatic / Severne)

5th Silvia Alba Orozco

6th Evi Tsape (F2 / North)

7th Alice Arutkin (Starboard / North)

7th Laure Treboux (Fanatic / North)

The world’s finest wave sailors will now make the short journey over to the stunning island of Tenerife for their second stop on the 2011 PWA world tour. Tenerife promises slick wave riding mammoth aerials and insane stunts, the action will take place 14th-20th July.

Scope the action

For more information on all the entrants, and to keep up to date with every piece of the action, click on www.pwaworldtour.com

Here you can use our:

- Live ticker service for heat-by-heat bulletins

- Check live elimination ladders

- View results

- Read daily news summaries

- Browse awesome action photo galleries

- Follow the event live, with top class commentary from pros and industry insiders.

Current weather conditions for Pozo Izquierdo www.windfinder.com/forecast/pozo_izquierdo

Or for more information, please contact the PWA office via info@pwaworldtour.com

Flying high over Pozo

The 2011 Pozo Gran Canaria PWA World Cup – day 5: Radical waveriding, extreme jumps and colossal crashes ensured the emotions were running high as nuclear winds powered the sailors through the double elimination.

Fifty knots of wind and pounding waves provided the perfect conditions for an action packed double elimination. The judges announced the heats would be twelve minutes long, and the best three jumps and two wave rides would decide the sailor’s fate. With the opportunity to improve their overall scores, the competitors were ready and waiting for the judges to drop the green flag and take to the water on their 3.3 meter sails.

The men were first to brave the challenging conditions, maxed out on their smallest equipment the sailors launched into their largest maneuvers at full speed. The world finest wave riders had to make sure each move was completed with faultless precision or they would suffer the consequences.

Men’s Fleet

The major upset from the first round saw experienced wave sailor Peter Volwater (Fanatic / MauiSails) lose out to local ripper Jose Romero (JP / NeilPryde). Volwater fought hard with huge forwards and a backloop; however Romero superior wave riding ensured he was awarded the most points.

The standout move of the day came early on from Moroccan Boujmaa Guilloul (Starboard / Severne / Mystic) in his heat against Florian Jung (RRD / Gun / Dakine). Guilloul caught a shoulder height wave and boosted into an incredible pushloop off the lip, landing straight back on the face allowing him to continue with his ride. The judges were blown away with his performance and awarded him maximal points for his efforts and a ticket into the next round.

Six exceptional sailors, Andreas Olandersson (Simmer / MFC), Guilloul, Aleix Sanllehy, Jamie Hancock (Tabou / Gaastra), Camille Juban (Gun Sails / MFC) and Jules Denel (Exocet) all stormed through their opening two heats raising their overall results significantly. However the big guns in round three all held their ground, putting a halt on their rampage through the double elimination.

The only sailor to break into the top sixteen’s fortress from round two was Jaeger Stone (Severne). The young Australian defeated John Skye (RRD / RRD / MFC), Kenneth Danielsen (F2 / Simmer) and Klaas Voget (Fanatic / Simmer / MFC) with his enormous stalled forwards and aggressive cut backs earning him a place in round four.

Having held strong against their challengers in round three, it was time for Daniel Bruch (Starboard / Severne / MFC / AL 360), Marcos Perez (Exocet / Gun), Eleazar Alonso (Naish / Naish) and Stone to play the underdogs. The sailors moved on to face Robby Swift (JP / NeilPryde), Kauli Seadi (JP / NeilPryde), Alex Mussolini (Tabou / Gaastra) and Dario Ojeda (Tabou / Simmer / Dakine / MFC) respectively in the fourth round. Swift and Bruch had a particularly close heat however Swift managed to squeeze passed with a perfect double forward. Seadi destroyed Perez with his seamless riding, Mussolini defeated Alonso with an enormous backloop and a clean wave 360, while Ojeda finished Jaeger Stones winning streak nailing a tweaked pushloop and a sensational double forward.

The action in the men’s fleet will kick off tomorrow from heat 46, Mussolini will take on Seadi and Swift will face Ojeda in a battle to decide who will advance into the top six.

Women’s Fleet

The women’s fleet took to the water when the wind was reaching its peak, however they didn’t let the challenging conditions prevent them from busting their moves.

Fanny Aubet (JP / NeilPryde) disposed of Andrea Geierspichler, with her slick wave riding, but fell victim to Alice Arutkin’s  (Starboard / North) forward loops in the second round.

Laure Treboux (Fanatic / North) also advanced through her initial heat passed Justyna Sniady by landing super tweaked table tops, and making the most of the waves in front of the judge’s tower. Evi Tsape (F2 / North) was ready and waiting in heat 46 and she wasn’t going to let Treboux spoil her day, Tsape charged ahead with a number of clean aerials.

Karin Jaggi (Patrik / Severne) and Tsape were the standout sailors of the double elimination. Both women ploughed through three heats, defeating their opponent’s with their controlled jumps and wave rides in the howling winds. The women will go head to head tomorrow morning, to determine who will move forward to face Silvia Alba Orozco and who will finish in sixth place.

The sailors were released at 7pm due to the retreating wind and waves. The Pozo wind machine is forecast to step it up yet another notch for the final day of competition. Make sure you tune into the live ticker for the skippers meeting at 9am for more insane action as the sailors approach the final heats of the competition. The first possible start to competition is at 9:30am.

Scope the action

For more information on all the entrants, and to keep up to date with every piece of the action, click on www.pwaworldtour.com

Here you can use our:

- Live ticker service for heat-by-heat bulletins

- Check live elimination ladders

- View results

- Read daily news summaries

- Browse awesome action photo galleries

- Follow the event live, with top class commentary from pros and industry insiders.

Current weather conditions for Pozo Izquierdo www.windfinder.com/forecast/pozo_izquierdo

Or for more information, please contact the PWA office via info@pwaworldtour.com

Philip Koster

The 2011 Pozo Gran Canaria PWA World Cup – day four: Pozo’s wind machine storms into action allowing Philip Koster and Daida Ruano Moreno to soar into first place in the single elimination.

Thirty knots winds and a building swell were forecast for the fourth day of competition, the judges were prepared and raring to go at 9am; however Pozo wasn’t quite performing and remained in its dormant state at low tide. Slightly confused with the gentle conditions, the sailors were released until 2pm, in hope that the turn of the tide would bring with it the much needed waves.

On returning back to the beach the contenders were greeted with a very different picture, Pozo had kicked into action, the wind was blowing a gale, and the waves pounding the shore. The judges wasted no time in announcing the start of the competition and picked up the action from where they left off yesterday, with women’s heat 20.

Women’s Fleet

Justyna Sniady and Heike Reimann (Hot Sails) went head to head in a particularly close heat, both women sailed to best of their abilities taking advantage of every wave and launching into their jumps, however Reimann managed to sneak ahead on the score sheets with her clean forwards.

The quarter finals saw the demise of Laure Treboux (Fanatic / North) to the consistent Silvia Alba Orozco. Alba performed perfect forward loops and maximized her time on the waves throughout the heat and advanced into the semi -finals. The other pairing in the heat had another close battle but Iballa Ruano Moreno (Starboard / Severne) was displaying an incredible set of maneuvers and took down Eva Oude Ophius (Naish / Naish).

Next up, heat 22 saw Nayra Alonso (Fanatic / Severne) go about her exceptional wave riding to slay Alice Arutkin (Starboard / North) while Daida Ruano Moreno (Starboard / Severne) made her opening appearance on the 2011 tour. Daida burst into action with a stalled forward and continued with her rampage of mind-blowing moves throughout the heat securing her pass into the next round.

As much as Alonso and Alba Orozco tried to hold their ground, the Moreno twins ruled the semi-finals moving quickly from wave to wave and flying through their radical maneuvers. The pair took control on their home water and quickly guaranteed their position in the winner’s final.

Women’s Final

The Moreno twins have dominated the women’s fleet for the last decade, and their exceptional sailing made sure that 2011 was no different. Daida opened the heat with a colossal stalled forward however she was unable to hold the landing; Iballa quickly took advantage and landed her own. The sisters went from move to move in an attempt to outdo each other; however Daida looked to be the stronger of the two, working each wave all the way to the beach and making sure each tweaked move had maximal extension. Iballa took the moves up a notch and attempted the wave 360 to beat her sister; unfortunately she was unable to make it leaving the door open for Daida to claim the victory.

Men’s Fleet

The men’s single elimination picked up from heat 19, seeing big names Marcilio Browne (Fanatic / North / MFC), Brazil’s Kauli Seadi (JP / NeilPryde), Alex Mussolini (Tabou / Gaastra) and world champion Victor Fernandez Lopez (Fanatic / North) quickly make it through their heats and into the quarter finals.

With the ever mounting pressure the sailors turned the action up a notch, Robby Swift (JP / NeilPryde) knew he had a challenge on his hands in order to make it past Pozo’s wonder kid Philip Koster (Starboard / NeilPryde / Dakine), as did Dario Ojeda (Simmer / Dakine / MFC) versus the mighty Ricardo Campello (JP / NeilPryde / MFC). Swift landed all his biggest moves; however he was no match for the consistent Koster, whilst Campello stole the show against Ojeda nailing a pushloop forward.

Browne stormed through the quarter finals, taking every opportunity to pull his super stylish backside 360’s and forward loops off the lip, ensuring he scored maximal point for his wave riding against his opponent Seadi, who was unable to match him. Fernandez Lopez put a stop to Mussolini’s winning streak defeating him with his slick wave riding and super tweaked table top forwards.

The semi-finals burst in to action with Koster, Browne and Fernandez launching into double forwards straight after the green flag. Campello missed the opening ramp however he quickly made up for it with the largest stalled double forward loop in the competition, he wowed the crowds with his incredible performance, however his board paid the price and snapped on impact with the water. Campello made a swift return to the beach to swap his equipment. The action continued through the heat seeing Koster land an ankle try pushloop forward and work his way around some smooth wave 360’s to secure his place in the winner’s final. Fernandez Lopez had his work cut out against Browne; however he was able to pull the win out the bag with his precise wave riding and clean table top forwards.

Men’s Final

The crowds were blown away by the radical action that arose from the men’s winners final as last year’s duo took to Pozo’s waves to do battle once again. Koster exploded out the gates and launched into a gigantic double forward loop in front of the judges, followed by a perfect pushloop forward and a one footed backloop seeing him earn his jumping scores within the first thirty seconds of the heat. Fernandez Lopez chose to work his wave riding and went about his super clean backside 360’s and smooth cut backs. The following minutes were a rollercoaster ride of emotions for the crowd, hooked on the action as the heat unfolded. The sailors matched each other with a perfect pair of super stalled forwards and both went down on their following waves. Fernandez Lopez looked to be struggling to land his double forward’s providing super consistent Koster with the advantage and the single elimination win.

The wind is forecast to build and build throughout the weekend, in order to take full advantage of the epic conditions that are expected, the skippers’ meeting will take place at 9am this morning with a first possible start to the double elimination at 9:30am.

Men’s single elimination results

1st Philip Koster (Starboard / NeilPryde / Dakine)

2nd Victor Fernandez Lopez (Fanatic / North / MFC)

3rd Ricardo Campello (JP / NeilPryde / MFC)

4th Marcilio Browne (Fanatic / North / MFC)

Women’s single elimination results

1st Daida Ruano Moreno (Starboard / Severne)

2nd Iballa Ruano Moreno (Starboard / Severne)

3rd Nayra Alonso (Fanatic / Severne)

4th Silvia Alba Orozco

Scope the action

For more information on all the entrants, and to keep up to date with every piece of the action, click on www.pwaworldtour.com

Here you can use our:

- Live ticker service for heat-by-heat bulletins

- Check live elimination ladders

- View results

- Read daily news summaries

- Browse awesome action photo galleries

- Follow the event live, with top class commentary from pros and industry insiders.

Current weather conditions for Pozo Izquierdo www.windfinder.com/forecast/pozo_izquierdo

Or for more information, please contact the PWA office via info@pwaworldtour.com

Oxbow Ride the Sky

Oxbow Ride the Sky presented by Naish will take the sport of windsurfing to world-record breaking heights on Maui in April. This event will be held at Ho’okipa Beach Park on the east side of the Valley Isle and its one-month holding period begins on April 1.

A celebrity panel of watermen will be judging this event: Maui windsurfers Mark Angulo and Baptiste Gossein, as well as 2010 ASP World Longboard Champ Duane DeSoto. They will be judging 20 of the world’s best windsurfers in Oxbow Ride the Sky presented by Naish in April. These professional athletes will be competing for highest air, best trick and worst wipeout. The highest air will be awarded a $100 per foot and $2,500 will go to best trick winner.

Oxbow Hawai’i is also proud to announce a list of alternate local sailors from Ho’okipa for this mind-blowing event: Leo Ray, Patrick Bergeron, Kevin Pritchard, Kai Katchadourian, Nathan Mashon, Nicolas Dramisino and Diego Femenias. If any of the primary invitees are unable to compete in Oxbow Ride the Sky presented by Naish then the aforementioned world-class windsurfers will take their place.

Oxbow Ride the Sky officials will choose the best possible conditions for the single day of competition. Competitors will utilize a GPS system on their boards, which will measure their amplitude, speed and height. These professional athletes will be competing for highest air, best trick and worst wipeout. The highest air will be awarded a $100 per foot and $2,500 will go to best trick winner.

There are 20 world-class windsurfers invited to this event, like Oxbow team riders Jason Polakow (AUS), Levi Siver (USA), Kai Lenny (USA), Phillip Koster (GER), Levi Siver, Jason Polakow, Kai Lenny and Phillip Koster but also Naish International’s Robby Naish (USA), its invitees and alternates, Julien Taboulet (FRA), Boujmaa Guiloul (MAR), Victor Fernandez (SPN), Marcilio Browne (BRA), Ricardo Campello (VEN), Robby Swift (UK), Francisco Porcella (ITA), Camille Julban (FRA), Kauli Seaudi (BRA), Graham Ezzy (USA), Antoine Albeau (FRA), Dale Cook (USA), Keith Teboul (USA), Alex Mussolini (SPN), Thomas Traversa (FRA).

This event will be held at Ho’okipa Beach Park on the east side of the Valley Isle and its one-month holding period begins on April 1. Oxbow Ride the Sky officials will choose the best possible conditions for the single day of competition. Competitors will utilize a GPS system on their boards, which will measure their amplitude, speed and height.

Follow the event on facebook here

To learn more about Oxbow, visit www.oxboworld.com

Victor Fernandez. All photos: PWA / John Carter

The 2010 PWA Pozo Izquierdo, Gran Canaria Grand Prix – Day Three

The king and queen reign supreme on day three as three times Pozo champion, Victor Fernandez takes down Philip Köster, and twelve times Pozo champion, Daida Ruano Moreno claims victory ahead of her sister in the single elimination.

A return of the relentless winds in Pozo allowed for a full day of sensational world tour competition with a single elimination completed for both the men’s and women’s fleets, and the first two rounds of the double down for the men. Competitors were maxed on 4.5s early in the morning enabling the competition to start on schedule at 09:30, and run right through to the early evening.

Men

King Of Pozo

Three times Pozo champion, Victor Fernandez (Fanatic, North, MFC) stole the show from local lad, and 2009 Pozo champion, Philip Köster (Starboard, NeilPryde, Dakine) in an epic showdown of world-class talent.

Fernandez flew through his early round heats taking the scalp of many former world champions, including the 2000 overall world champion, Kevin Pritchard (Starboard, Gaastra, Dakine) in the third round. Top contender from Tenerife, Dany Bruch (Patrik, Severne) who put up an excellent fight, and was on fire busting out his trademark one handed back loops with copious amounts of style, but couldn’t quite match Fernandez’s double forwards. He then beat fellow team mate, and former freestyle world champion, Marcilio Browne (Fanatic, North), who’s riding was no match for Fernandez, before going on to meet Köster in the final.

Philip Köster

Köster’s jumping wowed the crowds throughout the day, with whoops and cheers coming from every angle when he launched into orbit. His stalled doubles were some of the most impressive jumps ever seen in world cup competition, making him without doubt the standout jumper of the day. However, in the final he failed to match the insane jumps that had pulled him through his heats earlier in the day, and Fernandez was almost on a par with huge faultless doubles of his own. Fernandez was also milking waves for all they’re worth, flying round 360s, and adding takas with ease. Köster almost caught up, and could have claimed the final if only he’d nailed some technical turns along with his awesome double taka, allowing Fernandez to claim the crown on the narrowest of victories with a 3-2 decision.

Standouts Of The Single

Aside from Fernandez and Köster, there were plenty of other sailors that showed real promise throughout the early rounds. The first of these was Jonas Ceballos (Mistral, Simmer) who took down the young hotshot Alessio Stillrich (Fanatic, North) by sailing a calculated heat, timing the waves to perfection in order to bust out his best moves in the right conditions. Stillrich had moments of glory, but Ceballos’s experience shone through and won it for him.

Ben Proffitt

Britain’s Ben Proffitt (Simmer) was the next sailor to perform to an exceptional standard. He took down Frenchman Jules Denel (Exocet, XO) after a display of port tack prowess, to go head to head with former wave world champion, Kauli Seadi (JP, NeilPryde, MFC). Many thought that this would be the end of Proffitt’s game in Pozo, but the Brit hit it hard and destroyed the Brazilian sensation. To be fair, Seadi’s day didn’t start off in the best manner, being stopped by the police on the way to the beach. He then failed to perform to his usual high standard, and an on form Proffitt took full advantage. Following that heat, Proffitt almost took down Köster too with a 2-1 decision favoring the Pozo champ. Watch out for Proffitt in the double!

Experienced local ripper, Dario Ojeda (Tabou, Simmer, Dakine, MFC) sailed past a whole host of locals with some amazingly consistent wave scores and incredible jumps, before stepping it up a notch further in the quarter-finals to beat the 2009 Sylt Wave Champion, Alex Mussolini (Tabou, Vandal). Ojeda lost to Köster in the semi-finals, but then went on to take the scalp of the Brazilian, Browne in the loser’s final to claim a well-deserved 3^rd place.

The next sailor to turn heads on the beach was former freestyle world title holder, and triple loop dare devil, Ricardo Campello (JP, NeilPryde, MFC). Within the first 30 seconds of his heat he’d racked up two of the highest jumping scores of the day. You couldn’t start a heat in a more perfect way.

Last Chance Saloon

With plenty of wind, the single in the bag, and a promising forecast for Friday, head judge, Duncan Coombs decided to get straight on with the double elimination, which gives every sailor a chance to make up for their previous mistakes.

Those making amends included three times freestyle world champion, Jose ‘Gollito’ Estredo (Fanatic, North) who finally found himself a wave board, and with it some riding skills to go alongside his already awesome jumps. He’s passed through the first rounds and will now meet Klaas Voget (Fanatic, Simmer, MFC) tomorrow morning.

Another freestyler to break through in the double so far is Lanzarote local, Antxon Otaegui (JP, NeilPryde) whose awesome two scoops have seen him climbing the ranks. Eleazar Alonso (Naish, Naish) also stood out, showing off his excellent riding skills as well as some impressive jumping to advance to the final 16. And, finally Seadi found some form to fight through a few heats and go on to fight another day. If he starts to bust out his trademark push loop forwards, he could go all the way to the top. Only time will tell…

Women

Queen Of Pozo

The undisputed champion of Pozo, Daida Ruano Moreno (Starboard, Severne) took women’s wave sailing to yet another level today when she hit the water. Huge one handed back loops, and seriously tweaked table top push loops helped her to steal the show from anyone who dared get in the way. The only sailor to really challenge her was twin sister, Iballa Ruano Moreno (Starboard, Severne) who shared the limelight of the single elimination final with her. Iballa had the ability to bust out some awesome back loops, and link together some great backside aerials with frontside smacks, but Daida’s wave selection was far superior, racking up the points early on when the biggest sets came through. If the forecast is correct for tomorrow, and the women get to sail their double, it’ll be interesting to see if Iballa can steal her twin’s crown.

Standouts Of The Single

Steffi Wahl (Gaastra) showed plenty of promise during her heats with some excellent forward loops, and great wave scores to finish 5^th equal in the single. Nayra Alonso (Fanatic, Severne) also had some of the most stylish riding of the day, with some outstanding frontside hits that were second to none to claim 4^th. And, the fearless competitor, Karin Jaggi (Patrik, Severne) closed the gap on the Moreno’s with some huge forwards, and push loops to take the final podium position.

Results

Men

1^st Victor Fernandez (Fanatic, North, MFC)

2^nd Philip Köster (Starboard, NeilPryde, Dakine)

3^rd Dario Ojeda (Tabou, Simmer, Dakine, MFC)

4^th Marcilio Browne (Fanatic, North, MFC)

5^th = Marcos Perez (Exocet, Gun)

5^th = Alex Mussolini (Tabou, Vandal)

5^th = Dany Bruch (Patrik, Severne)

5^th = Ricardo Campello (JP, NeilPryde, MFC)

Women

1^st Daida Ruano Moreno (Starboard, Severne)

2^nd Iballa Ruano Moreno (Starboard, Severne)

3^rd Karin Jaggi (Patrik, Severne)

4^th Nayra Alonso (Fanatic, Severne)

Keep in the groove

For more information on all the entrants, and to keep up to date with every piece of the action, click on www.pwaworldtour.com

Here you can use our:

• Live ticker service for heat-by-heat bulletins

• Check live elimination ladders

• View results

• Read daily news summaries

• Browse awesome action photo galleries

Or for more information, please contact the PWA office via info@pwaworldtour.com

PWA/Paul Griffiths