35th Gran Canaria Windsurf World Cup Pozo Izquierdo - Day 3
by Gran Canaria Windsurf World Cup 3 Jul 2023 16:13 PDT
1-9 July 2023
Enrico Marotti (CRO) leading - 35th Gran Canaria Windsurf World Cup Pozo Izquierdo © Delfour photographer
Pozo Izquierdo has come alive this Monday for the first time in 14 years with Slalom races reaching speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour, featuring over 35 riders in both the men's and women's categories. With calmer waves in the morning, the bay of Gran Canaria has become the perfect racecourse for this discipline, where the rider who reaches the finish line first after zigzagging wins.
"The conditions for Slalom have been so good that we completed five rounds in the women's category and three in the men's category, temporarily led by Sevillian Blanca Alabau and Croatian Enrico Marotti, both of whom used foils instead of traditional boards with fins," stated Luis Escribano, head judge of the competition.
Initially, the 28 male windsurfers took to the water, with Marotti leading the fleet. He managed to finish first in all the heats during the first and second rounds, maintaining a third-place finish in the final heat of the third round (0.7, 0.7, 3.0), currently leading the standings with 4.4 points.
"It went well, and it was a lot of fun. I was able to concentrate and avoid mistakes. The result doesn't matter as much to me; I just want to do my best," commented Marotti, who thanked the organization for making the event possible. "Thank you for welcoming us to the surfing paradise, one of the toughest spots in the world to showcase our skills," added.
Following closely behind Marotti is the current world ranking leader in the class, Polish rider Maciek Rutkowski, who also managed to cross the finish line in first place during the initial heats but was disqualified in the final heat of the first round. Nonetheless, the winner of the first PWA Slalom event held in Italy maintained the second-place position in the final heats of the second and third rounds (8.0, 2.0, 2.0). Another name occupying the third provisional podium position in Slalom is German Nicolas Prien. It is worth noting that all the riders on the podium used foils throughout all the heats.
In the women's category, Spanish rider Blanca Alabau has impressed in her races, despite not starting well in the first round. She secured two first-place finishes, albeit closely contested, in the final against Aruban rider Sarah-Quita Offringa. Additionally, she claimed a second place and a third-place finish in the following races.
"It has been a long day with very good conditions. The level is very high, but my intention is to enter the top 5. I hope to finish first overall here in Gran Canaria, and move up to the top position in the world rankings," said the Sevillian rider, who used a foil from the beginning.
Alongside the Spanish rider, Aruban Sarah-Quita Offringa also showcased her skills during the races, holding a provisional second-place position ahead of French rider Justine Lemeteyer, the current leader of the world rankings. Slalom is expected to continue on Tuesday and Wednesday until the overall winners are determined.
Fin vs Foil: which was the best choice to win Slalom races in Pozo Izquierdo?
One of the most interesting novelties in the Slalom races in Pozo Izquierdo has been the option to compete with traditional fin boards or windsurfing foils, a strategic decision during the early races, especially when the wind intensity drops. "Today, the foil was the best option, especially during the last heats when the wind dropped to around 25 knots," explained Francky Roguet, chief of the competition's protest committee.
According to his opinion, the spectacle carries a risk, and not everyone chooses the foil when the wind is very strong. "You have to control it very well if you go out with the foil. Today was the first time we had it here in Pozo, so it was like a laboratory to test it," added Roguet. During this first day of competition in Slalom, only 30% of the riders chose to compete with foils, although most of the podium positions are occupied by windsurfers who used foils throughout all the heats.