Settimo giorno per il Grand Slam di Fuerteventura e secondo giorno per il Freestyle. È stato completato il primo single sia per la classifica maschile che per quella femminile. Vincono Kiri Thode (Starboard, GA Sails) e Sarah Quita (Starboard, Severne). Il vento ancora una volta è stato un po’ sotto tono. Ma da domani le situazione dovrebbe decisamente migliorare e inizierà il double. Per quanto riguarda i nostri italiani nel tabellone maschile, Jacopo Testa e Francesco Cappuzzo fuori al primo turno. Mattia Fabrizi dopo aver passato il turno ieri, oggi perde al secondo contro Antony Ruenes.
Steven Van Broeckhoven e Gollito
Eva Chiocchetti (Starboard, Severne) ci aggiorna dal campo gara:
Abbiamo tutti un po’ di difficoltà col campo di regata. Oggi era molto rafficato in particolare verso la spiaggia mancava il vento. Cappuzzo è partito bene, ha fatto una Burner bella, Kono alta, Culo e Shaka in tutte due le mura. Tutto sommato la sua heat é stata costante, anche se purtroppo é passato Matissek.
Jacopo nonostante abbia provato numerose manovre, tra cui un double spock one hand, non é riuscito a dimostrare il suo talento in acqua.
Mattia, avendo già passato il turno ieri, oggi ha dovuto affrontare una heat difficile contro il francese Ruenes. Nonostante ciò ha eseguito manovre di alto livello come: Spock Culo, Air Flaka 720, Air Funnel, Forward, Shaka Flaka e per tentare di battere l´avversario, ha provato a chiudere una doppia Culo.
Per quanto riguarda il nostro tabellone femminile, personalmente ho fatto una bella heat e ne sono contenta: per la prima volta ho chiuso lo Shove-it, ma questo non stato sufficiente per battere l’avversaria Heleen che ha chiuso anche un bel Forward. Francesca Floris, l’altra ragazza italiana in gara, ha perso contro Maeli.
Eva Chiocchetti
Classifica maschile Single Elimination – Freestyle
1st Kiri Thode (Starboard / GA Sails)
2nd Steven Van Broeckhoven (JP / NeilPryde)
3rd Jose ‘Gollito’ Estredo (Fanatic / North / MFC)
4th Bjorn Saragoza (Starboard / Hot Sails Maui)
5th Balz Muller (Patrik / Severne)
5th Amado Vrieswijk (Starboard / Severne)
5th Taty Frans (Starboard / MauiSails / Mystic / MFC)
5th Adrien Bosson (Fanatic / North / Maui Ultra Fins)
Classifica femminile Single Elimination – Freestyle
1st Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / Mystic / Chris Benz / Maui Ultra Fins)
2nd Olya Raskina (JP / NeilPryde)
3rd Oda Johanne (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins)
4th Heleen Muijsers (F2 / Challenger / AL360)
FUERTEVENTURA PWA GRAND SLAM
Day 7: Kiri Thode and Sarah-Quita Offringa claim the single elimination crowns
The seventh day of the Fuerteventura PWA Grand Slam, hosted by René Egli, saw the freestylers truly explode into action as stronger, more consistent winds, enabled both the men’s and women’s single eliminations to be completed. After a fantastic day of competition Kiri Thode (Starboard / GA Sails) and Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / Chris Benz / Mystic / Maui Ultra Fins) were crowned the champions of the single eliminations after both producing amazing displays. They will be now hoping that they are able to defend their crowns over the next two days in the double eliminations.
Men’s – Single Elimination
Winners’ Final
Kiri Thode lined up against Steven Van Broeckhoven (JP / NeilPryde) in the opening winners’ final of the week and the duo enjoyed a hard fought battle. However, the reigning world champion was able to edge the duel as he claimed another victory. On his way to the top Thode pulled out his biggest moves from tweaked shuvit spocks to outrageous double culos and superb skopus, but he was still pushed all the way by his Belgian opponent. Van Broeckhoven landed an amazing pasko and kabikuchi, but couldn’t quite find the ramp he required to pull another bongka or pushloop as he did in the semifinal, which is what made the difference in the end. Van Broeckhoven will now have to wait until the double elimination to try and exact revenge.
Heat of the Day
Jose ‘Gollito’ Estredo (Fanatic / North / MFC) produced an outstanding performance in heat 21b against Balz Muller (Patrik / Severne) – who achieved his best result to date on the PWA World Tour as he claimed joint fifth alongside Amado Vrieswijk (Starboard / Severne), Taty Frans (Starboard / MauiSails / Mystic / MFC) and Adrien Bosson (Fanatic / North / Maui Ultra Fins). The five-time world champion earned the highest scores of the day from the judges – 54 points – as he launched into the most explosive and highest moves. The Venezuelan opened with an outrageous skopu-puneta 720 before also stomping a trademark pasko, clew-first backloop and an air chachoo.
Elsewhere Bjorn Saragoza (Starboard / Hot Sails Maui) also enjoyed his best day on the PWA World Tour as he broke into the top four for the first time after defeating fellow Bonairean Tonky Frans (Tabou / GA Sails) by way of a 2:1 decision.
Women’s – Single Elimination
Winners’ Final
Sarah-Quita Offringa produced one of the performances of the day against Olya Raskina (JP / NeilPryde) in the winners’ final. Offringa had looked in brilliant form earlier in the day, but in the final the lady from Aruba took things to a whole nother level, producing a performance that would have caused many of the man problems. Offringa didn’t crash once on her way to another comprehensive victory as she rotated through brilliant burners, culos and shakas, which gained plenty of cheers from the beach. Raskina landed spocks, flakas and puneta variations, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Queen of freestyle.
Oda Johanne (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) claimed her place on the prestigious podium for the first time after a terrific performance against Heleen Muijsers (F2 / Challenger / AL360) in the battle for third and fourth. The Norwegian, who is still only in her second season of competition, rotated through brilliant shakas, funnels and flakas to clinch third place.
After a fantastic day of explosive freestyle, the skippers’ meeting for tomorrow morning has been called for 10am with the action commencing from 10:30am. The forecast for tomorrow is even better than today, with stronger winds being predicted. Don’t miss any of the incredible action over the next nine days by tuning into www.pwaworldtour.com where you’ll be able to follow the event as it happens via the PWA live stream and live ticker.
If you’d like to know more about Fuerteventura or are interested in a windsurfing holiday then be sure to visit www.rene-egli.com. René Egli is a world class windsurfing centre, which opened an amazing new station in April, stocked with all the latest toys you could possibly desire.
