AWT Hatteras Wave Jam action commences on day 3
by American Windsurfing Tour on 18 Sep 2014
AWT Hatteras Wave Jam 2014 - Day three AWT / Ruben Lemmens
Expectations for day three of the AWT Hatteras Wave Jam were high, as the Tuesday evening forecast showed good wind and a building swell for the upcoming day. Riders rose before dawn, and waited for first light after a night of thunderstorms and rain. The skipper’s meeting was set for 7:30am.
We were greeted with lighter than expected wind, and small well spaced waves. As every forecast showed high probability for wind and waves, we were still hopeful. The morning progressed, and conditions did not show much improvement. The decision was made to run a 30 minute Expression Session for both the Pros, and the Amateurs.
In the Pro Fleet, Kevin Pritchard showed his ability, nailing a clean 1-footed back loop. Right behind, were Morgan Noireaux and Russ Faurot, both of which crashed their back loop attempts, but each was able to put in some solid wave rides. All the pros sailed well, but none could pull a move to match Kevin’s stylish 1-footer, which took the Expression Session scoring an 8.5 out of 10.
In the Amateur portion of the Expression Session, riders were getting long waves, and riding them all the way to the shore. Ian Stokes rode some steep sections well, but in the end it was Dan Thomson taking the win. He had driven 15 hours straight through the night, all the way from Canada, arriving at 8am for the 9:30 start. Dan combined some great rides with a clean Forward, and a nice Shove-it to take the win. He celebrated by going straight back to the car, for a well deserved nap!
As the Expression Session came to a close, the conditions followed suit, and shut down. The early start had paid off, providing some good action in the morning. At 1pm, all but the Pro riders were released for the day. The high tide had completely killed the waves with just too much water on the sandbar. We were forced to wait until the tide started to suck back out, before any suitable conditions were to be had.
As soon as a few waves started to show up, riders ventured out to see if they could catch some good ones. Kevin and Morgan were putting on quite a show, so it was decided to begin the competition. Unfortunately the conditions did not last, as evening was fast approaching. The first heat went off without a hitch as Morgan Noireaux and Andy McKiney traded waves. Morgan really showed his skills as he put on a textbook display of aerials and powerful slashes in the peaky waves. Andy sailed well, but he could not match the on-form Morgan Noireaux.
The second heat between Russ Faurot and Ferdinando Loffreda started, but had to be called off with neither rider able to do much with the conditions at hand.
