2022 GWA Wingfoil World Cup Lanzarote - Day 2
by Liam Dredge 8 Jul 08:33 PDT
6-9 July 2022
GWA Wingfoil World Cup Lanzarote day 2 © Svetlana Romantsova
After completing round one and half of round two in the men's division Wednesday, the competition continued yesterday with an earlier start.
A large 42-rider fleet meant the judges and crew were eager to start the competition at the earliest convenience.
It was a day no one will forget with exceptional heats from start to finish. Venezuelan powerhouse Gollito Estredo is the new GWA Wingfoil World Cup Lanzarote men's surf-freestyle champion!
Men's Surf-Freestyle
A solid 24 knots blew throughout the majority of Thursday's action and every heat was like a final with riders going bigger than ever before. Christopher Macdonald (USA) and Balz Müller (CHE) came into the competition as joint leaders but it was Gollito Estredo (VEN) that took the win and those all-important points at this stage in the tour rankings.
Big names were ejected early on and the competition was well and truly up for grabs. Riders were looking to make a name for themselves at this hotly contested event.
When the final came around Gollito Estredo (VEN) was up against Malo Guenole (FRA) who hadn't put a single foot wrong all competition. Gollito started off the heat with two huge scores both in the nines. A 9.10 back loop closely followed up with a 9.23 front loop sent Estredo into orbit! Malo fired the shot back with a front flip scoring 9 and a frontside 720 putting another 7.43 points on the card.
As Gollito looked to be winning Malo pulled the trigger and rocked a huge 8.60 back flip which sent the crowd into carnage towards the end of the heat! It came down to the all-important impression score, which often made the difference in these gripping heats!
It was a patient wait on the beach before Gollito Estredo grasped his first-ever GWA tour win, but certainly one he's been promising this season,, and boy did he celebrate. His crazy 37.79 was the score of the day, and needed to get the better of Malo's 34.50.
The mini-final produced a thrilling 8 minutes. Xavier Corr (ESP) faced Balz Müller (CHE) in a heat that had it all. Big scores from both riders got thrown with Balz Müller getting the highest from a back loop 7 scoring 8.43. In the end, Müller edged the win after missing out on Malo in the semis.
Men's Surf-Freestyle podiums
1. Gollito Estredo (VEN)
2. Malo Guenole (FRA)
3. Balz Müller (CHE)
4. Xavier Corr (ESP)
A day for the history books at the GWA Wingfoil World Cup Lanzarote. Crazy maneuvers, unparalleled height, multiple rotations, and tight scores put everyone on their feet! A huge congratulations to Gollito Estredo for taking the win and stirring up the rankings! The final witness yesterday has to be the best we've seen on the tour to date.