Day 4: Event directors wasted no time jumping right into competition today. Shortly after the skipper’s meeting, the heat order picked up where we left off from yesterday. We progressed through Youth, Amateur, and Women’s divisions today – finishing up their single eliminations and moving into the double eliminations for some.
Here’s a recap of the Single Elimination results for the four completed divisions:
WOMEN: 1. Junko Nagoshi 2. Anne-Marie Reichman 3. Ingrid Larouche 4. Shawna Cropas
MASTERS: 1. Jeff Henderson 2. Giampaolo Cammarota 3. Yasuhito Ogasawara 4. Rob Funk
YOUTH: 1. Morgan Noireaux 2. Bernd Roediger 3. Zane Schweitzer 4. Ridge Lenny
AMATEURS 1. Jehyug Jay Lee 2. Neil Turpin 3. Jordan Reid 4. Nick Dudet
The Expert division still has three heats in round three, two heats in the semi-final round, and a final heat yet to run before their single elimination is completed. Postponing the Expert division is in hopes that the wave size increases and the wind remains steady – two factors that could make for a very exciting final heat.
People’s Choice Expression Session was today around 4:30 in the afternoon. Fans tuned in to watch online then texted their votes for the windsurfer they felt impressed them the most. Jordan Reid came out on top to become the first ever People’s Choice Champion. His prize package includes 2012 American Windsurfing Tour Event Registration, Dakine Wheeled Duffle, Chinook Pro Carbon Boom, and an afternoon Hookipa Photoshoot with high resolution DVD by Jimmie Hepp. Way to go Jordan!

JP Wave 75 Pro Edition – £1,399

The 2010 Wave line replaces the Real World Waves that have been around for the past few seasons. With this range, JP suggest that the same shape can perform in both less-than-ideal conditions and down-the-line sailing. JP say these new boards will appeal to a wider range of sailors and perform in all manner of conditions. They even go on to say that every team rider has one of these in their quiver for when conditions get difficult. The boards have a slightly reduced rocker, reduced tail width, and a wider, more rounded nose.

Design: With a max width of 55.5cm and quoted volume of 75L, the board is a pretty standard size for this group. It has quite a bit of tail rocker at 12mm – the most in this test, but not the most we’ve ever measured – and a 2cm point at 145cm, giving it a fairly standard length planing flat. There’s a small amount of double concave running throughout the board.

On the water: Despite that amount of tail rocker, the JP gets up and going fairly early. Once planing it’s very comfortable to blast on and sails upwind with ease. It feels extremely light in the air, making it one of the favourites for boosting huge jumps on. The board feels relatively large for its size when stationary, but turns out to be very comfortable when sailing fully powered and seems to perform better in conditions of this nature. The board really comes into its own when riding – it was very predictable and easy to drive hard bottom turns, keeping its speed well, and a allowing very vertical, tight and snappy top turns.

Fittings: The board was supplied with a 22cm G10 fin which felt a little bit stiffer than most. In common with all JPs it had extremely comfortable footstraps and excellent pads which help to create a great value off-the-shelf package.

Overall: The JP is an excellent all-round waveboard. It’s as happy charging down-the-line as it is getting vertical in less than ideal onshore conditions. The board has the great feeling of being extremely predictable whilst still being fairly loose. It was at its best when well powered on 4.7m, but would happily take a 5.3m. JP have done an excellent job here, producing a board that really does work in a variety of conditions – an excellent choice for any competent UK wavesailor.

Click here to read the BOARDS 257 Single-Fin Waveboard test in full…

Check out the third day of action from KIA @coldhawaii PWA Klitmoller, as Philip Koster secures the 2011 PWA World Wave title and the PWA Klitmoller event win ahead of Ricardo Campello in Denmark.

Read the full PWA Klitmoller day three event report here.

More at www.worldcup.coldhawaii.eu

Read the full PWA Klitmoller day two event report here.

More at www.worldcup.coldhawaii.eu

More at www.worldcup.coldhawaii.eu

PWA Cold Hawaii 2010

PWA World Tour Event Preview: Prepare to be amazed as the world’s most radical wave riders head to Klitmoller for the third battle on the PWA 2011 wave tour.

Following on from the success of 2010’s nail biting competition, the PWA are returning to the ferocious shores of Klitmoller in Denmark for the men’s wave fleets third contest. Savage winds and fierce waves are brewing for the next stop on the 2011 men’s wave tour and forty-four of the world’s most talented wave riders are ready to fight it out on the tempestuous waters.

Located in Northern Jutland, the tiny fishing village of Klitmoller is famed for the harsh conditions the North Sea conjures up and has earned itself the name of Cold Hawaii. Howling winds and firing waves make it the perfect stop for the international fleet to throw their largest aerials and slash the waves in a bid to win precious mid-season world ranking points and a cut of the prize money.

What’s the deal?

Seven days of extreme competition will take place between the 12^th-18^th September. The men’s wave fleet will be unleashing their most daring moves in order to outdo their opponents for a taste of the €30,000 prize purse and those critical world ranking points.

Who to watch out for?

Having lead the charge on the men’s fleet in the first two event in 2011, the double forward loop master Philip Koster (Starboard / NeilPryde / Dakine / Maui Ultra Fins) will be pulling out all the stops to maintain his position at the top of the table.

In second place sits the Brazilian, Kauli Seadi (JP / NeilPryde). Seadi’s unique style has allowed him to work his way past his adversaries in Pozo and Tenerife. Seadi is sure to be launching into super tweaked pushloops and ripping the waves to pieces with his super-style.

One of the most daring riders on tour Ricardo Campello (JP / NeilPryde / MFC), holds the title of the highest double forward loops so far this season. Expect to see Campello armored up and boosting into gravity defying aerials to work his way onto the podium.

After a spectacular performance in Pozo, Dario Ojeda (Tabou / Simmer / Dakine / MFC) has his hands on fourth place. Ojeda has been risking it all to impress the judges to far this season, pulling super late wave 360’s and amazing double forwards.

The 2010 wave champion Victor Fernandez Lopez (Fanatic / North / MFC), will be firing with all guns blazing in Klitmoller in order to break his way back onto the podium. Fernandez Lopez is famous for his super aggressive wave rides and faultless loops, expect to see a Fernandez Lopez tearing up every wave the North Sea has to offer.

Having finish in second place on his home spot in Tenerife, Daniel Bruch (Starboard / Severne / AL360) will be on the hunt for another high ranking finish. Fresh from injury Bruch is looking stronger than ever and if he has ironed out the creases in his double forward loops, he is sure to give the top five a run for their money.

Further down the ranks sits a very on form Alex Mussolini (Tabou / Gaastra), the Australian wave wizard Jaeger Stone (Severne) and the high flying Marcilio Browne (Fanatic / North / MFC), along with a whole host of hot contenders.

Also in the mix are the Klitmoller locals ready to test their skills against the world best. Tour regular Kenneth Danielsen (F2 / Simmer / Mystic / MFC) currently sits in 14^th place and he will be looking to take advantage of his home knowledge to work his way through the ranks. As will PWA veteran Lars Peterson (JP / NeilPryde).

With an epic forecast on the cards, the tension is mounting Klitmoller and it looks like it’s going to be an insane competition. Registration will kick off at 10-12pm, on the 12^th September with the skippers’ meeting at 12:30pm and the first possible start to competition at 1pm.

Live Streaming

We are proud to announce the 2011 Kia @coldhawaii Klitmoller world cup will be streamed live. Weather permitting PWA TV is scheduled to commence at 1pm, 12^th September.

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.

Interact with the event on the dedicated website at www.worldcup.coldhawaii.eu

Follow the event on Facebook at www.facebook.com/coldhawaiipenguin and follow the Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/coldhawaii.

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

Goya Custom Twin-Fin Wave 89 (2010) – £999

Goya are entering the twinser market for the first time with this line-up of twin-fin boards, available in 74L, 81L, and 89L. During development the guys say that they were riding closer to the pocket of the wave than ever before, and that the sensation they were getting was close to surfing. The new boards are said to bring more overall wave versatility by turning cross-on conditions into riding playgrounds. They have a much faster rockerline than the single-fin Wave Series, yet retain the ability to turn tightly due to the twin-fin concept.

Design: With a maximum width of 58.5cm and a quoted volume of 89L this was one of the largest multi-fins on test. It had very little tail rocker for a waveboard – only 4mm – and the 2cm point was quite far forward at 142.9cm, making for a reasonably long planing flat. The board had a small amount of single concave in the tail, turning into double concave towards the midsection.

On the water: The first thing you notice when you step on the Goya is that despite being just 1.5cm wider than the smallest twin-fins on test, it has quite a bit more float, which really suited the heavier riders. The board seemed to prefer to bottom turn with a wider arc and was therefore more enjoyable on bigger cross-shore days rather than in onshore mush. It wasn’t the quickest to plane, or the fastest board overall, but we found that the board was a little quicker when the fins were placed just back of centre. This also increased its jumping capabilities without hindering the turning radius. The relatively long planing flat helped the board to track upwind well, which was really noticeable when jostling for position at a point break, and in turn would easily increase your chances of getting more waves.

Fittings: It comes with two 16.5cm MFC G10 fins, which are quite stiff throughout and slightly thinner in profile then most. The new straps that come with the board are a 100% improvement on last year’s, and are now very comfortable, as are the pads.

Overall: The Goya would suit a heavier rider who needed that extra bit of float to get out through the white water on lighter wind days. Although not the loosest of boards, the Goya is extremely surefooted and has the ability to tail-slide as much as anything else out on the water. The fin trim system is absolutely brilliant. We think that all twin-fin manufacturers could look at what Goya have done here.

Click here to read the BOARDS 256 Multi-Fin Waveboard test in full…

RRD Wave Thruster 84 Ltd (2010) - £1379

Dubbed “the missing link” by RRD, the Wave Thrusters are the first tri-fins to hit the scene from a mass-market manufacturer for a long time. We’re told that they’re fast and early planing boards that will feel as secure as a single-fin, but ‘turny’ and radical like a surfboard. RRD also state that they’ll be a pleasure for both onshore and cross shore sailing. There will be three sizes available – 68L, 76L and 84L – and these will be built in RRD’s custom-made full sandwich construction.

Design: With a maximum width of 58.5cm, the RRD is slightly wider than most of the twins on test, but it’s not the widest. It has a quoted volume of 84L, which is not unusual for its width, and it’s of a standard length at 230.5cm. The Wave Thruster has a fair amount of tail rocker for a waveboard of this size (9mm), and it has the longest planing flat of any of the boards featured in this test, with a 2cm point at 151.5cm. It has a tiny amount of vee in the tail, and a similarly small amount of double concave moving forwards. The board also features a very small swallowtail.

On the water: The first thing you notice about the RRD is that it performs well in chop compared to other boards in this test. You never get the feeling that you’re going to spin out, making it great for blasting out to sea in search of huge ramps to get airborne. It doesn’t have the super-loose feeling that some of the other boards have, and therefore requires a little bit more skill and effort to drive a really tight turn when going frontside in onshore conditions. It does however hold its speed well through the turn and really grips, so long as you keep to the same arc that you initiated. Through the top turn the board also grips well, making it easy to throw a fair amount of spray when you get it right. It wasn’t the quickest to plane, but did have a good top speed once up and going, and was great for backside riding in onshore mush.

Fittings: It comes with a 17.5cm MFC central fin with a US box fitting and a nice flex throughout, plus two 8cm, relatively swept-back and thick thruster fins with mini Tuttle box fittings. The straps are very comfortable, and although the pads are slightly thinner than we’re used to from RRD, they’re fine as well.

Overall: The Wave Thruster is at its best in onshore conditions when just riding backside, or in moderate to powered conditions and well-sized cross-shore waves for frontside riding. It doesn’t quite have the snappy turning ability of a twin-fin, but it does have heaps of grip, making it a winner when it comes to do-or-die bottom turns, or boosting backside aerials. If you like getting plenty of air on the way out, and you’re not too fussed about tight frontside turns in onshore conditions, then the RRD may well be the board for you.

Click here to read the BOARDS 256 Multi-Fin Waveboard test in full…

F2 Concept 4

Well-established board brand F2 recently got into sailmaking too, and now announce their first 4-batten sail – the F2 Concept 4…

Concept 4 is our brand new 4 batten sail, a true freestyle-wave sail. Whether flat water tricks or big breakers, the Concept 4 is able to convince in all waters. This all thanks to its super-light handling and balanced riding performance.

In addition, enhanced with X-ply, the Concept 4 withstands hard landings and complex tricks. It is available in five sizes, while the sizes 4.8 / 5.2 and 5.6 represent the Rodeo Pro Models, which match our Rodeo World Cup board in terms of function and design perfectly. New school sailing – there is no way around the Concept 4!

Features:

• minimum mast concept

• short mast and boom concept

• use of extremely durable sailcloth in the luff and foot

• ultra-light handling with lots of power to stand any NEW school tricks

• many panels reinforced with X-Ply which is extremely durable

• extra large mast protector

• cover for batten tension

• low trim forces by trimming block Bigwheel

• strap-on for fixing rolled sail

Sizes:

4.0m | 4.4m | 4.8m | 5.2m | 5.6m

MauiSails 2012

2012 is in the news as a period of change and progression – and MauiSails are extremely positive about their latest offerings: We expect the solid appreciation for the way our sails FEEL will be widely known and we will reach more and more happy sailors. The changes to some of the wave and freestyle sails are driven by the need for softness and foil response as a means of expanding the efficient wind range, while still maintaining true performance characteristics of speed and pointing ability. Wave sailing and freestyle are disciplines that benefit from both, rewarding the sailor with better position in the lineup, making it easy to catch more waves for the energy expended. There is power to jump and maneuver to the max. Our first focus is on this total performance character.

In the value department, we have added a superb lightweight X-Ply™ material developed in conjunction with Dimension/Polyant Sailcloth. Through the use of lighter yarns and film and a tight yarn pattern, weight has been reduced while keeping the stability and durability. This well tested material is amazing for all but the very heavily loaded areas of the sail. Art has also been able to use a third color, or even to mix two colors, and this adds to the brightness and recognition of the designs. The staggered weight (6mil/5mil) open scrim window material is now part of the Loco range this year, adding to the durability and value.

There is going to be one difficult thing coming for 2012 though. You’ll have to make your choice among the great products to find out what we mean when we say “Cut the crap!”

FEATURES AND BENEFITS

• Custom lightweight (SmallYarn/Light Film) laminate SYLF … an imaginary being inhabiting the air
• Low profile batten tensioners with stainless steel screws
• INOX clew rings
• Finest U.S. manufactured laminates from Dimension Sailcloth
• ODL04 Technora™ (Ghost XT only)
• Durable but lightweight padded tack protection
• Brass wheel triple pulley for easy rigging
• Unidirectional Kevlar™ reinforcement structure on all edges, batten pocket seams for non-stretch stability
• Square cut boom opening to maximize height range
• Molded PVC seam and foot protection.

MauiSails Legend

2012 LEGEND – Maximizing your potential

Wave sailing is a race, even more so when there is a competition. You only have so much time to enjoy a good swell and only so much energy. To be most upwind, first in the peak, to have power through the whitewater, and to have speed to jump, you need maximum efficiency, power, and pointing ability. There is no start-finish line, but the needs are the same.

The Legend design has experienced significant evolution for 2012, fueled by a combination of technical knowledge gained during race sail development and a passionate desire to exploit the most critical sections of the wave. The Legend reaps the full benefits of daily development and testing, both in the loft and on the water, in the worlds best wavesailing conditions. A modified, shorter luff and higher cut foot outline combined with softer shaping has resulted in a sail that fits perfectly into any wave and will put you wherever you want to be. Light feel and smooth, balanced power allow the Legend to perfectly transition from driving hard bottom turns to flawlessly releasing during radical cutbacks and maneuvers.

The shortened luff length moves the forces down, and allows 10kg less tension on average for the softer luff curves. This translates into easy acceleration even on the most radical short wave boards, and unmatched ability to get upwind quickly. Catch more waves, in less time using less energy. A nearly straight foot makes all the aerial maneuvers and wave riding smooth and easy without interference.

The Legend is a full XPly™ wave sail made with the finest U.S. manufactured laminates, including for this year, a specialized Small Yarn/Light Film material used in the upper portions to keep the light feel and smooth handling necessary of tight turning down-the-line sailing. Adding a third color to Art’s bold graphic designs makes these new MauiSails most recognizable on the water, complimenting the amazing performance.

MauiSails Ghost

2012 GHOST XT – Barely there

Even though this whisper soft, wonderfully efficient, pure wave sail feels barely there, it has the substance to create more demand as the word spreads about how well it performs. The original goal was to make super light larger sizes that would carry well in big surf and light wind. As more and more people tried and liked them, they also asked for smaller sizes, simply because of the feel and the durability of the 100% Technora™ laminate (ODL04).

Now in its third year, the revolutionary, ultra light Ghost XT benefits from a new shorter luff and higher foot outline similar to the Legend. This results in the most unbelievably light handling and agile wave sail available. Not only is the Ghost XT light but the Technora™  fibers used in the Ghost laminate X-Ply™ are three times stronger than polyester yarns used in other “light weight” materials. Over the past two winters Art has been abusing his Ghost XT on the northshore’s biggest days, and not once has there been a torn sail body panel.

A complete unidirectional Kevlar™ frame and full XPly™ construction, including our custom 6mil window XPly™, guarantees shape stability and durability. And the new Legend style outlines make all aspects of surfing fluid and controllable. The Ghost… it feels like it’s hardly there. The lightness and response are so good the experience will haunt you in the best of ways.

In response to the Ghost XT’s immense popularity and customer demand for smaller sizes, we have also added an amazing new 4.5 to the range, designed and developed for the MauiSails SRS Wave 370 rdm mast.

What is Technora^TM

Technora^TM is a very strong and light para-aramid fiber. Its tensile strength to weight ratio is 3x greater than that of fiberglass, polyester or nylon yarns which are other common fibres used in laminate sail cloth. Technora^TM also has excellent fatigue resistance which means that it holds up very well to repeated loading, flexing, abrasion and UV. The Technora^TM laminate cloth used in the GHOST^XT provides the ultimate in light weight and stability with good durability.

MauiSails Global

2012 GLOBAL – Power for everything

The 2012 Global remains the design for getting the most out of what the world brings in terms of conditions. When you have punishing on-shore wind and need tons of power to punch through nasty whitewater and have to generate the speed to catch the wave, Global will deliver. If you travel to many places with varied conditions, the softness and controllable power will still serve well in side-shore or for blasting bump-n-jump.  Weight aloft is reduced by the use of our SmallYarn/Light Film laminate, and window areas of dual (5mil6mil) weight open pattern X-Ply™

Foot profiles are all slightly straighter, reflecting the use of the sails for smooth water freestyle, adding to the all-round versatility one would expect from top performing PowerWave sails. The Kevlar™ 1000 denier yarn skeleton structure adds ultimate strength to the attractive graphic design elements, are all considered to take the sailing loads and disperse them correctly.

MauiSails Loco

2012 LOCO – Quick, lively, total control

When Taty tells us what he wants, we want to give it to him so he can continue to advance his professional performance and maintain that magic smile. Nothing makes him happier than coming to Maui for the Spring tuneup to find his new sails exceed expectations. Based on his daily use of the sails in all conditions, we have learned about the special characteristics that make a freestyle sail excel. The rider must have total confidence the wing will react smoothly, be firm enough to support all the odd flying and leaping, yet be soft enough to quickly find the power and accelerate into maneuvers.

Although ‘softer’ and ‘tighter’ may not seem to fit together, and Taty’s request for a slightly flatter top added to that challenge, we took the logic for that and turned it into reality. The softness comes from slightly reduced total mast bend, with emphasis on the upper sections, and the tightness develops from changes to the body shaping to increase mid-leech tension. The result, to quote Taty, “SICKKKK! You got the POP!”

So I guess we did it.

This year the Loco has the added durability of our custom XPly™ window mesh to make it extra crash proof. The Kevlar™ structural skeleton, appropriate reinforcements, and integrated graphic elements, all add to the value and performance of this lively design.

MauiSails Switch

2012 SWITCH – Nothin’ but fun

If there is one sail in our line that speaks windsurfing, it is the Switch. That’s windsurfing without waves, as the tube/rod battens are not suited to wave crashing, but for everything else people like to do, it’s the tops. Speed blasting, bump-n-jump, power tricks, even a little freestyle, all fit with the specialized design character of this six batten joy to sail. Always light for the size, Switch feels perfect for hours of total fun.

Magazine tests, user feedback, and even some competition results, all verify the easy handling, excellent gust response, acceleration, and top speed. Fast is fun, and speed always derives from similar combinations of tension and twist, regardless of outline or other factors. Carving a hard laydown jibe or pulling out of a tight Spock all depend on this delicate relationship. Switch is now in the fifth round of refinement since it was initially developed for Super-X racing, and every year it continues to improve as we update the subtle shaping with new ideas that usually come from race sail development.

By adding our new Small Yarn/Light Film laminate to the upper sections, and elegantly integrating it into the graphic look, we add durability as well as weight reduction. Tube/rod battens are in tapered pockets to lower weight and keep the batten tips in column for best shape stability.

Switch will be the first choice for all around free sailing, doing best what windsurfers love to do.

More at www.mauisails.com

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