2018 GKA Kite-Surf World Tour Prea, Round 6 - Overall
by Jim Gaunt 24 Nov 2018 12:50 PST
20-24 November 2018
Party time in Prea! - Final day - 2018 GKA Kite-Surf World Tour Prea, Round 6 © Ydwer van der Heide
Many experienced industry pros are already calling 'Prea Friday' one of the most exciting single event afternoons of action that we've ever seen in kiteboarding.
Revenge was sweet for Airton Cozzolino who beat single elimination winner Camille Delannoy twice to take the win here in Prea at round six of the GKA Kite-Surf World Tour. This crucial win puts the 2018 World Title beyond doubt for him as we look towards a terrific final event in Australia next month.
After three years of strapless freestyle competition it feels like this event is going to be a watershed moment in terms of how people perceive kiteboarding competition. In a year that the Air Games twin-tip competition launched, arguably it's the strapless freestyle riders who have come along and truly set a world tour big air benchmark.
We will come onto the men's contest in a moment...
Women:
The women's contest (eight riders) was equally tight and after surprisingly losing her first heat in the single elimination, tour leader Carla Herrera-Oria had to fight her way up through four heats just to reach the double elimination final against Jalou Langeree.
Carla would have to beat Jalou twice to claim the event win. Carla was a different rider to the one ejected early from proceedings on Thursday. Having focused on strapless freestyle as a discipline at a time when it's so new and fresh for women, this is a golden opportunity for her to claim a world championship.
Carla had been averaging a considerable 14 tricks per heat as she climbed her way back up through the doubles and was equally mechanical against Jalou, taking the win in the final, forcing a re-match. Come the final minute with the scores as tight as you like, Langeree found a big rodeo to sneak the event win and move ahead in the championship thanks to an event discard after five events.
It's now a winner takes all event at the final in Australia between her and Carla with Moona being injured and now having missed two events.
Prea Women's Result:
1. Jalou Langeree (NED)
2. Carla Herrera-Oria (SPN)
3. Sabine Beukeleers (BEL)
4. Marcella Wit (BRA)
Men:
There is literally too much to report on...
Mitu Monteiro described the daily 25–30 knot winds here in Prea as absolutely perfect for strapless freestyle progression, so let's pull out some heroes and key moments, beyond the usual high performers like Matchu Lopes, Keahi de Aboitiz, Jan Marcos Riveras and co. Check out the heat ladder at the bottom of this feature to see where those guys prevailed and lost in what has been an event full of highs in so many ways.
Canadian Reece Mysercough has been on tour all season and has improved so much, particularly in the last two months. A freshly bagged front roll shovit (which evaded many more successful riders this event) saw him achieve his best position so far in his career, taking down Paulo Aurelio, Pedro Matos and Alan Trancart at this event before finally losing out to American Evan Netsch in round four of the double eliminations.
Leonardo Da Souza entered the event as a wildcard but finished as the highest placed Brazilian; no small achievement. A super slick skate / surfstyle approach getting the business done for him against many a more experienced rider. You'll enjoy his heats on the livestream playback. His biggest scalp: 10th placed world tour rider and regular competitor Ralph Boelen!
Matt Elsasser entered the fray after a year off, as did fellow American and Cabrinha team mate Evan Netsch. Evan just making it one round further in the double elimination than Matt, but great to see these two Americans back on tour and riding without compromise in terms of style and, in the case of Evan, bringing in some of his wakestyle competition experience, too. We hope to see them again on tour soon. Matt eventually lost to Keahi and Evan to Gustavo Arrojo.
Gustavo Arrojo, like many riders, has found consistency in landings as well as height and amplitude. Let's not forget this tour is just three years old and in order for it to thrive it needs a hungry field of skilled athletes.
The Spaniard is quickly raising his game and is putting serious claims on a top five finish at the end of the season. He eventually succumbed to Matchu Lopes who had points to prove after losing in the single elimination quarter finals, but unfortunately finished fifth, someway short of his best, but at least we got two heats of magic from Matchu while his form was truly singing for the livestream. Good man.
James Carew is a man on a mission and bringing an explosive big game to the table. He stormed his way to third place in the single elimination and then beat Mitu Monteiro in his first heat of the doubles but crumbled in the second half of the semi-final against Airton.
Actually that's not entirely fair. Airton switched into a new gear, achieved an event high of 54.33 that included the first of his two 10 point trick scores of the day for a massive boogie loop (kite loop front roll). James himself admitted that he didn't care; that the riding level he was in the midst of was something very special.