PWA Fuerteventura Grand Slam 2011 day 2 - All guns blazing

by PWA on 25 Jul 2011 The PWA Fuerteventura Grand Slam 2011 experienced incredible weather conditions on day two with 20 knots of wind, blazing sun and turquoise waters that allowed Jose Estredo and Sarah-Quita Offringa to bulldoze their way through the single elimination.

Consistent conditions allowed the remaining heats of the single elimination and the opening heats on the men’s double elimination to be completed. Having spent the morning tuning their equipment and planning for the heats ahead the sailors were fired up to hit the water when the green flag went up at 1:30pm.

The men’s fleet was first onto the battleground, picking up the action from heat twenty-one. The opening heat of the day witnessed Steven Van Broeckhoven (F2 / Gaastra) put a stop to Youp Schmit’s (JP/ NeilPryde / Dakine) advances in the single elimination, whilst Kiri Thode(Starboard / Gaastra) claimed victory over Phil Soltysiak (Starboard / Dakine).Despite not being against each other Van Broeckhoven and Thode went about matching each other move for move, working out each other’s weakness and planning for the next round.

In the following heat, style king Taty Frans (Starboard / MauiSails / Mystic / Maui Ultra Fins) slayed Quincy Offringa(Starboard) with a sky-high air chachoo, securing his place in the top four. Four time world champion Jose Estredo (Fanatic / North) started the day on a high, landing an enormous shaka-flaka and a monster air funnel to defeat the young Belgian star Dieter Van der Eyken (Starboard / Severne).

An incredibly exciting battle for a sacred place in the winners’ final saw Van Broeckhoven and Thode go head-to-head, unleashing their most insane tricks. Thode pulled a planing Kabicutchi and a perfect culo-spock, however Van Broeckhoven was on superb form, boosting super high into all of his moves and landing them with precision. Estredo continued with his routine of mind-blowing maneuvers to conquer Taty for his place in the final.

Both parties entered the men’s final with all guns blazing, determined to take the early advantage in Fuerteventura. Van Broeckhoven took the lead landing a colossal shaka-flaka and a planing burner. Estredo was quick to fight back landing a bolt upright spock-culo and future diablo. The pair was neck and neck until the closing seconds of the heat when Estredo separated the score sheets with a skopu into puneta, forcing Van Broeckhoven to attempt an astounding double burner. Estredo was announced the victor at the prize giving on the beach.

Heat twenty-three of the women’s single elimination saw the ladies battle it out for their place in the winners’ final. Laure Treboux (Fanatic / North) and Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / Gaastra /Mystic) dominated their opponents Yoli De Brendt (Fanatic / North) and Arrianne Aukes (RRD / Simmer / Dakine / AL360). The ladies went about landing their most consistent moves to secure their pass into the final, whilst De Brent and Aukes looked to be struggling with the conditions, and unable to perform their moves on the inside.

In the Women’s Final: With just seven minutes to perform their most impressive stunts, the duo immediately burst into action. Treboux opened the heat with a clean spock 540 and a planing grubby diablo in front of the judges. Eager to take control, Offringa launched into a perfect toad, a switch kono anda smooth funnel. Treboux attempted to fight back with a shove-it spock but Offringa was already too far ahead on the score-sheets.

Double Elimination: With the wind still howling and the crowds on the beach hungry for more action, the judges made the decision to continue directly in the double elimination. Providing the sailors that slipped up early in the single elimination to fight back and raise their overall scores.

The first round of the double elimination witnessed three exceptional heats from Jakub Kosmowski (RRD / Simmer / Dakine),Tilo Eber (JP / NeilPryde) and Levi Lenz (Dakine). The sailors each scored an amazing twenty-two out of a possible thirty points guaranteeing their passes into the next round.

The standout sailors from the double elimination and advancing through two heats each were, Eber continuing his winning streak, Edvan De Souza Pedro (RRD / Simmer), Andy Chambers (JP /NeilPryde), Julien Mas (Patrik / Hot Sails), Max Rowe (Fanatic / North), NicolaSpadea (Starboard / Gun), and Christofer Kalk (Fanatic / Gaastra). However the might of the sailors in the third round quickly put a stop to their rampage in the double elimination.

The only sailor to break through the barrier was the super technical Nicolas Akgazciyan (Starboard / Gun). Akgazciyan made sure he was awarded extra style points by landing an enormous ponch, a fully planing switch flaka and floaty kono, leaving Leo Ray (Naish / Naish / MFC) to question where he had gone wrong.

After an action-packed afternoon the sailors were released at 7pm. The third day of competition will kick off at 10:30am with the skippers’ meeting and a first possible start to competition at 11am.

First up tomorrow morning, in heat number 42, will be Davy Scheffers (Tabou / Gaastra) vs Yegor Popretinskiy (JP / NeilPryde/ MFC) and the cool Bjorn Saragoza (Starboard / Hot Sails) vs Israel’s Yarden Meir (Fanatic / Simmer).

Men’s Single Elimination Results

1st Jose Estredo (Fanatic / North)
2nd Steven Van Broeckhoven (F2 / Gaastra)
3rd Kiri Thode (Starboard / Gaastra)
4th Taty Frans (Starboard / MauiSails / Mystic / Maui Ultra Fins)

Women’s Single Elimination Results

1st Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard/ Gaastra / Mystic)
2nd Laure Treboux (Fanatic / North)
3rd Yoli De Brendt (Fanatic / North)
4th Arrianne Aukes (RRD / Simmer / Dakine / AL360)

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