PKRA 2014 – Fuerteventura World Cup

Tijdens de eerste dag van de PKRA Fuerteventura World Cup was er sprake van een sterke wind met een typische sid-offshore richting. In de middag gingen de mannelijke freestyle rider het water op voor de eerste heats van het event. Lees onderstaand verslag van de eerste dagen, dat de PKRA met ons gedeeld heeft.

Uiteraard zullen wij je ook op de hoogte houden van het verloop van de wedstrijden, zoals je van ons gewend bent. Houd ook de Facebook-pagina in de gaten of volg alle heats zelf via de livestream.

Day 1 

As the day carried on, 17 men did battle for the remaining 10 spots in the main event. Using their 7-9 meter kites, PKRA riders provided an impressive show for the sizable crowd of spectators lining the beach. The spot at Sotavento is known for its incredibly strong wind that can prove to be quite gusty the closer one gets to the beach, proving the timing of tricks to be especially important. With this challenge comes incredible beach spectating action as the tricks unfold up close in the idyllic island’s clear waters.

In the qualifier elimination format, round two of the trials allows the first place finishers to advance straight into the main event, while the second and third place finishers must continue on to compete for the remaining four spots in round three. Advancing straight from round two was Maxi Gomez, Jerome Cloetens, Paul Serin, and Ozzy Smith, while some newer faces including David Tonijuan and Oscar Armstrong also moved on directly into the main event.

Throughout the trials, competitors displayed a wide range and variety of tricks. Standout maneuvers came from Tonijuan, who executed a very powered Crow Mobe 5 during his heat. Also, Julien Leleu stomped an impressive Front Blind Mobe, despite not advancing to the main event.

As the wind stayed up until late in the evening, riders took advantage of the remaining daylight to train and get accustomed to the conditions, keeping the crowds entertained well after the trials were finished. With so much at stake, the main event is sure to be a battle royal as the up-and-comers try their best to disrupt the top riders looking to advance closer to the world title.

Day 2 

The second day of the Fuerteventura Kiteboarding Grand Slam featured the exciting discipline of slalom, with a total of four rounds run for both the men’s and the women’s fleets. Bibiana Magaji swept all four races of the lady’s fleet and Julien Kerneur led the men’s.

Awaking to another sunny and windy day on the beautiful Playa Sotavento, it seemed like Groundhog Day as the side-offshore wind combed the azure waters in front of the event venue, yet again. To the delight of the spectators, the thrilling discipline of slalom took center stage as the first race got underway just before noon in 25 knots of wind.

The larger men’s fleet was broken into two qualifier heats of eight riders, with only the top four finishers advancing to a final eight-man race.  For the smaller women’s fleet, no qualification round was needed. With a fairly short course set, riders using twin tips enjoyed a slight advantage as those using directional boards found it difficult to lock in after jibing, before reaching the next mark.

After two rounds of racing, the course was changed, making for some longer reaches between marks. Some of the buoys were relocated closer to shore in the area prone to the punchy wind gusts. Additionally, small waves breaking at two of the inside marks added another challenge into the mix, making for some spectacular crashes and tangles.

The men’s fleet experienced aggressive racing with two general recalls due to over-early starts. Kerneur and Ozzie Smith seemed to dominate the starts, but saw some stiff competition with Ariel Corniel riding fast and aggressive, taking the win in race two.  Despite this first place finish, he wasn’t able to maintain the same momentum in the later races. Also, Paul Serin and Jerome Cloetens were consistently near the top of the pack and showed promise to be threats in later races.

For the all twin-tip fleet of women, it was Magaji who seemed to steal the show, making the hole-shot on each race and maintaining her lead all the way to the finish line. In her last race, she got caught up in another competitor’s kite and was unable to cross the finish line first. Rules for such a situation granted her a redress based on her prior results, giving her four bullets for the four races. Annelous Lammerts and Julia Castro battled each race for the second and third spots, finishing in a stalemate, until the running of the next races.

After such an incredible day of racing, the riders are very much looking forward to the continuation of the event; however, with the start of the single elimination of the freestyle set for tomorrow, mindsets have shifted towards the intense freestyle heats soon to come.

Bron: PKRA