PWA Reno World Cup Sylt Grand Slam day 2 mind blowing tricks

by PWA on 26 Sep 2011 The PWA Reno World Cup Sylt Grand Slam has now completed the second day of competition in which freestylers took to the water and pulled their most mind-blowing tricks for the huge crowds in the Reno world cup tow session.

Thousands of spectators filled the event site for the second day of competition to chill out in the weekend sun on the beach, whilst light winds prevented the sailors from taking to the water for the official competition. However the glassy flat sea provided the perfect playground for some incredible action in the Reno world cup tow freestyle session.

The top sailors on the freestyle tour along with some special guests were seeded into four man heats and sent out onto the water to do battle. With a super-fast jet ski providing the power, the sailors went about pulling their most radical maneuvers to wow the crowds and earn their place in the final. The sailors were fighting it out for a taste of the €1000 prize money, and with only one sailor advancing through each heat, the action was astonishing.

Heat One: The newly crowned freestyle world champion Steven Van Broeckhoven (F2/ Gaastra), opened up the competition with an enormous air funnel on his golden board, providing him with twenty-five points out of a possible thirty from three judges. Bonaire’s Bjorn Saragoza (Starboard / Hot Sails) was next up, but luck wasn’t on his side and he went down on the run-up. Anthony Ruenes (Tabou / Simmer) pulled a perfect burner off a wave but also went down on the landing. Allowing an easy pass for Van Broeckhoven into the final, but looking confident and wanting to put on a great show he went on to up the game with his second run by landing a massive air funnel into funnel.

Heat Two: Taty Frans (Starboard / MauiSails / Mystic / Maui Ultra Fins) kicked off the second heat with a major crash, but he made up for it with his second run, pulling a clean air funnel. France’s Nicolas Akgazciyan (Starboard / Gun) was next up and he impressed the judges with an air funnel of his own. Rick Jendrusch (Starboard / Severne / Mystic) suffered one of the most spectacular crashes in the competition trying a burner, but it was Yegor Popretinskiy (JP / NeilPryde / MFC) that really blew the judges away by landing a floaty air funnel, securing his place in the final.

Heat Three: Heat three witnessed a guest appearance from the 2007 freestyle world champion Marcilio Browne (Fanatic / North / MFC), spinning his way around a perfect one-handed burner. The young Belgian Dieter Van Der Eyken (Starboard / Severne) displayed some incredible control by pulling a funnel even after his board had spun out. Andy Chambers (JP / NeilPryde) nailed a perfect one handed air funnel proving he had the skills in the light wind, however the four times world champion Jose Estredo (Fanatic / North) was the man on fire, pulling a huge burner off a ramp, followed by a maximum point scoring burner 900.

Heat Four: Heat four saw Tonky Frans (Tabou / Gaastra) first up and bringing a bit of diversity to the competition, with a switch kono. Phil Soltysiak (Starboard / Dakine) threw a funnel, and Julien Mas (Patrik / Hot Sails) pulled a double funnel, but it was Ricardo Campello (JP / NeilPryde / MFC) that amazed the crowds with a planing burner. However Tonky was hungry for his position in the final, upstaging him with his second run landing a super-clean air funnel into funnel.

Final: The action really stepped up a notch in the final, as the sailors were just two moves away from potentially winning the prize money. Van Broeckhoven nailed a 28.5-point scoring air funnel, Popretinskiy pulled an air funnel into funnel for 23.5 points, and Tonky nailed one of his own for 26.5 points. But receiving the highest score was Estredo with an insane one-handed burner into funnel. The victors were awarded their prize money and champagne at the prize giving on the beach.

The Reno world cup tow session results:

1st Jose Estredo (Fanatic / North)
2nd Steven Van Broeckhoven (F2 / Gaastra)
3rd Tonky Frans (Tabou / Gaastra)
4th Yegor Popretinskiy (JP / NeilPryde / MFC)

There is an epic forecast on the cards for tomorrow and there is certainly potential to complete a round of slalom and the single elimination in the freestyle or the waves. The judges have opted for an early start, kicking off the day with the freestyle and women’s wave fleet skippers’ meeting at 6:45am with a first possible start to competition at 7:15am. The skippers meeting for the men’s wave fleet and the slalom fleet will kick off a 9am with a first possible start at 9:30am.

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PWA Reno World Cup Sylt Grand Slam website