Gran Canaria was another stunning victory that saw the Starboard iSonic deliver Antoine and Kevin a classic 1st and 2nd finish in the PWA Slalom Championship. On the Freestyle course Sarah-Quita bagged a solid 2nd place after leading much of the event until the final days.
Below we have compiled some excellent video coverage of all the action. Firstly three clips by the budding Swedish videographer Margareta Engstrom as she captured Antoine and Kevin in their element as they complete the final races of the event. The second a cool summary of Sarah-Quita's week and rounding it off in her third clip, action from our wave riders.
Below that we have day by day coverage of each day's action courtesy of the crew at tonixpictures.com, along with the PWA summary and results.
We trust that you are enjoying all the extra content in these summaries, as we now prepare to do it all over again with the start of our next round at Fuerteventura from July 20-30.
Video action by Margareta Engtrom
Antoine & Kevin make it a 1, 2 finish
Click here to view
  
Sarah-Quita Offringa summarises her week
Click here to view
  
The waves-sometimes it doesn't always go your way, but that's not all bad
Click here to view
  
Summaries by Tonixpictures.com and the PWA
DAY 9-The Final Day
The 13th race was unlucky for some as quite a few top names struggled around the course. A lot of the top seeds played it safe in the final but one player was determined to make this race count. Dutchman Ben Van Der Steen (Exocet / Naish) lived-up to his growing reputation for gaining consistency by taking his virgin PWA race win. Bjorn Dunkerbeck (T1 / North) was cursed as he catapulted going over the start line and subsequently losing his final shot at the event crown.
Kevin Pritchard took a vital second place ahead of brother Matt to pile the pressure on event leader Albeau and to virtually eliminate Bjorn Dunkerbeck's chances of a podium finish
The tension was rife before the final of race 14 due to the hair- breadth point's difference between Albeau, and Matt and Kevin Pritchard.
The final was stacked full of elite names who gave their all to make the final. No one really pressed the line too hard at the start, but the fleet was even all the way along the first reach.
Race winner Kevin Pritchard however was a little more determined and that shone through as he screamed along every inch of the course to bag the victory.
Albeau rolled-in second to consequently take the Pozo event win and strengthen his grip on the tour lead, and Matt Pritchard bagged third to guarantee himself the runner-up's trophy. Kevin Pritchard's third place for the event slid him into second overall for the year.
Albeau once again showed that he can play the full deck of cards when it comes to competing, from total domination to a safe and conservative approach.
Day 9 Video
Kevin wins the final race
Click here to view.
Day 8
Fierce conditions whipped the ocean at Pozo into a frenzy early in the morning to spoil the party for the women's freestylers. Even with sails as small as 3.0 the ladies were left with little flat water or any chances of control to exhibit their skills. Sadly the decision was made to cancel the final single elimination.
However the predominantly heavyweight race fleet dared to venture out to the shorter 5-leg course, meaning technical skills at the marks and a level head where mandatory to succeed.
Race 11 - Many riders were on their smallest registered sails of 5.0 but the heavyweights muscled it out on larger rigs of around 5.4 to 5.8sqm.
The final was a brilliant example of high-wind slalom racing. Antoine Albeau (Starboard / NeilPryde) led the fleet down the first reach before tail-walking as he slammed-on the brakes approaching the first gybe mark to subsequently allow Dunkerbeck the lead, and consequently the race win.
Race 12 - This time a half-fleet format was chosen and the shorter course kept to really keep the pressure on.
Everyone's breath was held as Dunkerbeck and Maynard screamed along the last section of the first reach and around the critical gybe. Perhaps only a miracle prevented the two giants colliding as they skirted the buoy whilst Albeau cruised around wide and into third place. Dunkerbeck's fighting spirit was fortified with the extra wind and he made no bones about taking a consecutive race win here in his own backyard.
Day 8 Video
The winds stengthen as freestyle is cancelled and slalom riders turn to their smallest sails
Click here to view.
Day 7
Freestyle - The focus on day 7 zoomed-in on the women's freestyle event and the completion of the crucial 2nd double elimination. The hardest days work was probably Sarah-Quita Offringa's grueling 6-heat struggle back up the ladder (Starboard / NeilPryde). She finally fell exhausted at the hands of Daida Moreno.
Moreno marched onward into battle with smooth sailing Swiss stylist Laure Treboux. There was something different and more motivated about Moreno's approach today as she came out with all guns blazing to force a re-sail, whilst obviously loving the windier, wavier conditions.
Racing - In the afternoon strong steady wind and bright sunshine made for perfect slalom racing conditions. The course was adjusted from previous formats to have two long reaches after the start before some tighter zigzagging reaches nearer the beach to really test the full range of the competitor's skills.
Race 8 was a clear-cut affair and another perfect example of Albeau's flawless racing technique. There were good performances from French twins Sylvain Moussilmani (F2 / Simmer) and Benoit Moussilmani (F2 / Simmer) who made it into the final with another form player Taty Frans (Starboard / MauiSails) loving the gnarly conditions.
Race winner Albeau was over-powered on a 6.7 starting upwind but screamed ahead straight away from the pack in the choppy conditions in over 35 knots of wind.
With the strong consistent wind the call was to run half-fleet races for the rest of the afternoon on a similar course to the first race.
Race 9 - after a thrilling drag-race with Micah Buzianis (JP / NeilPryde) this time it was Bjorn Dunkerbeck (T1 / North) who gave everyone a lesson on how to compete as event leader Albeau blew-out in a pile-up at the first mark.
Race 10 - The wind was howling by now in typical Pozo style and that suited old hand at racing Matt Pritchard (Tabou / Gaastra) like a glove. The swell, especially at the outside marks became a crucial weapon for overtaking moves Moto-X style, which favored Pritchard's technique, especially being a former Pozo winner in similar heavy winds back in '99.
Day 7
Summary of the day's Freestyle action as Sarah-Quita climbed her way back up the ladder
Click here to view.
Day 6
The slalom racers were given centre stage in the morning to showcase their skills to the sizeable weekend crowd. Good wind of around 25-30 knots made for exciting racing and so three races were placed on the schedule
The race 5 final turned-up a few surprises as team mates Ross Williams (Tabou / Gaastra) and Matt Pritchard (Tabou / Gaastra) capitalized on confusion at the first mark to slip past and allow Williams the race win and Tabou/Gaastra team boss Matt a second.
Widespread nerves spread like wildfire through race 6 as many top names slipped-up under pressure, and once again Williams was primed and ready to pounce on the unwary.
The first blunder was from event leader Antoine Albeau who made an uncharacteristic mistake to miss out on a berth in the final. But the story had another cruel twist for his leaderboard rivals after final had to be re-started because Buzianis and Dunkerbeck were disqualified for premature starts.
Williams and Matt Pritchard were once again at the ready to make it count in the re-sail, and to try their best to deny Buzianis or Kevin Pritchard the chance to own any of the key podium slots.
The seventh race was run using the magnificent half-fleet format to treat the spectators to a spectacular sight of 22 racers streaking across the ocean and through the start line simultaneously.
After 2 qualifying heats all the favorites made it to the 22-man final, which brought a straightforward victory for Albeau. In a perfect lesson on how to race, The French racing force made a textbook start and built an unassailable lead all the way to the finish.
Freestyle - The afternoon meant a switch to women's freestyle and the start of the second single elimination.
Yoli De Brendt (Fanatic / North) came close to an upset against Daida Moreno in the early heats. Her off-season training nearly paid dividends when she forced a tie-break decision that edged the victory into Moreno's favor.
It was also a day to remember for Japan's Junko Nagoshi (F2 / Simmer). She turned heads when she elbowed-out tour leader Sarah-Quite Offringa in the second round. After the dust settled from the tough semi-finals the two finalists left standing were Daida Moreno and Laure Treboux.
Continuing the trend of the day it was another close call and a 3-2 decision from the judges that gave the Swiss freestyle specialist the win.Treboux successfully pulled a Puneta 540 and a one-handed clew-first Spock to impress with the technical difficulty scores.
Day 6
Slalom and Freestyle featuring Antoine Albeau
Click here to view.
Day 5 Freestyle - Once more the call on day 5 was to start with freestyle and the first double elimination, before reverting to racing later in the day.
After struggling in the single elimination Iballa Moreno (North) dug deep and battled through shoulder pain in a gritty double elimination fight back. After no less than 6 consecutive heats Iballa's assault on a place in the final was halted by her sister Daida Moreno.
In the final Sarah-Quita Offringa and Daida Moreno completed their familiar line- here on the Moreno's territory.
Daida came out of the blocks flying as Offringa fell a fair bit, and with home advantage showing, there was a re-sail to decide the winner under the double elimination system.
Moreno was perhaps over-confident in the re-match as she crashed many spectacular moves, as, with great support on the beach, Offringa's composure blossomed, especially after a perfect switch-chacho near the crowds boosted her to land everything and subsequently take the event lead.
Racing - The 4th race signified a landmark as the fleet earned their first discard and the chance to throw away their worst result so far. Albeau was in danger of blowing it in the 4th race final, but recovered well after a mistimed start. The French colossus gambled and took a 7.8, and after an awful first reach into the sun successfully chanced a 'Hole-Shot' at the first mark to make up lost places. He then snuck inside Kevin Pritchard (Starboard / MauiSails) and Finian Maynard (F2 / NeilPryde) at the second mark and stole Micah Buzianis' (JP / NeilPryde) wind on the third reach to take the lead and win the race.
Day 5
Sarah-Quita's action day Vs. Daida Moreno
Click here to view.
Day 4 On day 4 the Women's freestyle event finally got underway. Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde) struck early to take the event lead after a stunning performance against 2006 Freestyle world champion Daida Moreno (North) in the first single elimination final. Offringa was drawn early against last season's impressive debutant Laure Treboux (Naish / Naish) and survived to advance all the way to the final. Just like the wave event, this was a landmark in the women's sport as the tricks witnessed in the finals smashed all previous barriers. Lighter wind favored Offringa as she dealt with Moreno after completing moves such as air flakas, a switch-stance chacho, a Funnel, and a Cana Brabu.
Racing - Slightly more consistent wind prompted the crew to run slalom in the afternoon.
Antoine Albeau cut a clear and decisive victory in race 3. The tour leader, and 2006 racing champion successfully snaked Bjorn Dunkerbeck (T1 / North) who led from the start to record the race win.
The wind denied another race as it switched to a northerly direction. That meant the competition area became too gusty and scattered with large glassy patches of water unsuitable for fair competition.
Day 4
Slalom and Freestyle action with both Sarah-Quita and Antoine speaking about their successful day
Click here to view.
Day 3
The racer's got their first start on the third day and with two races completed the top seeds sprung into action to take the early bragging rights. Bjorn Dunkerbeck (T1 / North) showed form early by beating Antoine Albeau (Starboard / MauiSails) in the first race in a desperate bid to avenge his defeat at the Frenchman's hands here in 2006.
Not wanting to let Dunkerbeck have a key psychological victory Albeau pulled-off a perfect start and, despite strong challenges from Dunkerbeck and Matt Pritchard (Tabou / Gaastra), he kept his lead to win - the race event was on!
Day 3
Slalom action with Antoine Albuea interview
Click here to view.
Day2
More good waves meant there was no delay in starting the double elimination of the wavesailing event. Strong comebacks were made by Kevin Pritchard (Starboard / MauiSails), Marcos Perez (Exocet) and France's Julien Taboulet (F2 / Naish) but Seadi and Fernandez stood firm to fight through to another final to settle the event title. The conditions were not as good as the first day but another jumping-oriented final allowed Fernandez to seal his second consecutive event win and second successive Pozo crown.
Day 2
More action from the waves
Click here to view.
Day 1
Pozo Izquierdo immediately served-up a feast of wind and swell for the single elimination of the wave contest. A truly groundbreaking day saw both the tour leader and the current world champion ejected from the ladder.
Predictably some of the famous Gran Canarian locals such as Dario Ojeda (Quatro / Gaastra) and Vidar Jensen (North) prevailed before an historic final between Victor Fernandez (Fanatic / Simmer), and Brazilian Kauli Seadi (Quatro / Naish). That historic clash included perfect double forward loops and the first push-loop forward ever witnessed in competition. Fernandez took the honors in a close fought encounter, in which, despite both riders' aerial skills being near-perfect, the young Spaniards wave riding was superior.
The women's event was also marked a milestone in the sport. It takes more skill than ever before to compete at this level so, perhaps unsurprisingly; it was Pozo legends Iballa Moreno (North) and Daida Moreno (North) who emerged as the finalists. Both the twins ripped and threw double loops mixed with sick wave riding, but Daida Moreno took the victory after landing the fist ever Pushloop-tabletop seen in a women's contest.
Day 1
Wave and Freestyle
Click here to view.
Day 9 PWA Gran Canaria-1st & 2nd Antoine & Kevin close the event in style
As the 30-40 knot winds powered on, most riders were on their smallest sails (mostly 5.0's) as the nerve-racking final played itself out... and what a result it created! Starboard's Antoine Albeau (2007 tour leader and 2006 PWA Slalom Champion) maintains his overall lead in the points but not without heat from fellow team mate Kevin Pritchard. Kevin excelled in the extreme conditions with second place in race 13 and winning the final race ahead of Antoine. For the event Kevin finished second overall and is now in third place in the total standings.
With no freestyle today, so Sarah-Quita completes the event in a respectable 2nd place
Below is a quick summary of the final two Slalom races of the event.
Race 13
The 13th race was unlucky for some as quite a few top names struggled around the course. Those botching their attempts at making the final included Ross Williams and Patrik Diethelm. Benoit Moussilmani however made up for his shortfall by winning the loser's final ahead of his brother Sylvain Moussilmani.
A lot of the top seeds played it safe in the final but one player was determined to make this race count. Dutchman Ben Van Der Steen lived-up to his growing reputation for gaining consistency by taking his virgin PWA race win. Bjorn Dunkerbeck was cursed as he catapulted going over the start line and subsequently losing his final shot at the event crown)
The energized Van Der Steen described his approach to victory. 'I started a few places up from the pin-you just can't get near Matt Pritchard and Kevin Pritchard (Starboard / MauiSails) at the downwind end of the line. I'd heard from some people watching the starts that most of the guys were not really pushing it that hard so I went for it and crossed in first. I was surprised to keep the lead at the first mark as normally Antoine comes down on you from on top really hard there. I simply kept the lead from there. Kevin Pritchard took a vital second place ahead of brother Matt to pile the pressure on event leader Albeau and to virtually eliminate Bjorn Dunkerbeck's chances of a podium finish. 'I was just stoked to qualify' explained Kev. 'I fell at the first mark in the semi-final and had to gybe my way back up to 5th. In the final I got tangled-up with Antoine at the second mark and that kind of worked-out better for me than him. Then I saw Matt was overpowered and so I took him inside as he gybed safe and wide and claimed second'
Race 13 Results
Ben van Der Steen
Kevin Pritchard
Matt Pritchard
Race 14
The tension was rife before the final of race 14 due to the hair- breadth point's difference between Albeau and Matt and Kevin Pritchard.
The final was stacked full of elite names who gave their all to make the final. Of those missing out Cedric Bordes (Tabou / Gaastra) rounded-off a solid event by taking the loser's final win and putting his hand up as one of the PWA's future racing stars.
No one really pressed the line too hard at the start of the final but the fleet was even all the way along the first reach. Albeau was amongst the podium pretenders at the first gybe and in his words 'Just took it easy. I knew I had enough speed to be in the top 4 or so, so I rounded without any risks and stayed calm and tried to avoid any mistakes'
Race winner Kevin Pritchard however was a little more determined and that shone through as he screamed along every inch of the course to bag the victory. 'Bjorn had messed-up in the race before so the pressure was off, but still it'd all come down to the final race. I really needed a good start and to just beat my brother really. I was disappointed not to have scored a 0.7 for a first after 13 races, so, I switched-down onto a 5.1 which helped me gybe better. I got an OK start and kept the hammer down and we all rounded the first mark together but I came out of the turn fastest and away she went'
Albeau rolled-in second to consequently take the Pozo event win and strengthen his grip on the tour lead, and Matt Pritchard bagged third to guarantee himself the runner-up's trophy.
Race 14 Results
Kevin Pritchard
Antoine Albeau
Matt Pritchard
Matt Pritchard was over the moon with his final placing. 'Stoked. I haven't played with these guys for ages. I've really enjoyed grabbing some gear and doing well with equipment I know works great and I'll always enjoy coming in as the underdog' Kevin Pritchard reflected on his third place for the event, which has slid him into second overall for the year. 'It feels good to get podium and to now move up into 2nd for the year to date. I liked it when it came to pressure cooker time that I could step-up and take a bullet, as succeeding under pressure is always a good feeling. Next week in Fuerteventura I'm just gonna play my own game and concentrate hard on getting the points lead back'
Albeau once again showed us here that he can play the full deck of cards when it comes to competing, from total domination to a safe and conservative approach. 'I'm happy to have three wins in a row, plus I have third from Korea. With three events to go I don't feel too much pressure as I already won the title last season, so it's not quite as vital to me as in 2006. That said I'll be trying my hardest to win in Fuerteventura and to keep the momentum going' said the modest multiple world champion.
Summary above, photos and results below courtesy of the PWA.
Antoine takes a victory leap after winning the event and
maintains his overall lead in the 2007 PWA Slalom Tour
1,2,3 - Kevin Pritchard is elated with his race win in the final race,
securing him a second place in the event and third place in the 2007 PWA Slalom Tour
Race 13 with Australia's Jesper Orth seemingly in the lead
Action at the first mark
Julien Quentel finds time for some old school freestyle tricks in the middle of the Slalom course =)
Brother Vs brother, Kevin Vs Matt
Race organizers get thrown about in the conditions
Men's Slalom-Final event results
Women's Freestyle Results
Day 8 PWA Gran Canaria-Fierce conditions as the winds gain strength.
The strong winds saw Freestyle riders attempting to compete on sails as small as 3.0, but with little flat water the Freestyle single eliminations were canceled for today, more action on Day 9-hopefully. In the slalom most riders opted for their smallest sails between 5.0's and 5.8s as the fleet ventured out to complete a shorter 5 leg course. Antoine maintains his lead as Bjorn inches closer and closer in the overall results.
Despite the torturous conditions that forced many experienced riders out, Starboard's Taty Fans and Julien Quentel highlighted their stamina and skills. Taty moves up to 9th over all and Julien in 17th.
Race 11
Many top names struggled around the shorter course and a few fell victim to the tough conditions. Even experienced racers Finian Maynard, Steve Alle, and Cyril Moussilmani failed to make the final in the testing environment.
Taty Frans (Starboard / MauiSails) once again showed total windsurfing skill to qualify for another final-the Bonaire Freestyler showing his junior racing experience as others flailed around him. Another impressive finalist was youth racing champion Julien Quentel (Starboard / NeilPryde) of Guadeloupe who showed he's really got what it takes to compete at this level in his first full season on tour.
The final was a brilliant example of high-wind slalom racing. Antoine Albeau (Starboard / NeilPryde) led the fleet down the first reach before tail-walking as he slammed-on the brakes approaching the first gybe mark to subsequently allow Dunkerbeck the lead, and subsequently the race win.
American star Kevin Pritchard (Starboard / MauiSails) scrapped with Albeau for second all the way around the rest of the course but couldn't quite catch the Frenchman. 'I had a great start' Pritchard explained. 'I really thought I'd nailed it, and I didn't even see Bjorn or Antoine until right near the mark. I didn't want to risk too much playing catch-up so I stayed focused on finishing the job and claiming a top 3 finish'
Albeau was also sure to stay on the conservative side and prevent any drama on this the penultimate day. 'Yeah I slowed down a bit approaching the mark, and then went super-wide as Kevin tried to go inside. I didn't push-it after that as I made mistakes yesterday so I settled for second'
Dunkerbeck agreed that it was the windiest race of the event so far. 'I was on a 5.8 and I took it easy on the start. I could see Matt Pritchard and Kevin really on the gun, but I really wanted to be first at the first mark, especially in this type of short course race. I also knew Kevin was near me at the first mark. Luckily I came out well and the strong wind really helped me to accelerate away into the lead'
Race 11 results:
1. Bjorn Dunkerbeck
2. Antoine Albeau
3. Kevin Pritchard
Race 12
This time a half-fleet format was chosen and the shorter course kept to really keep the pressure on and the demand for skills high. Dunkerbeck's fighting spirit was fortified with the extra wind and he made no bones about taking a consecutive race win here in his own backyard.
Everyone's breath was held as Dunkerbeck and Maynard screamed along the last section of the first reach and around the critical gybe. Perhaps only a miracle prevented the two giants colliding as they skirted the buoy whilst Albeau cruised around wide and into third place. 'In the old days before the no-rules environment I'm sure Bjorn wouldn't have?? come down so hard from above me like that as before I would've had priority' said the Virgin Islander who finished in fourth. 'I fully clipped the mark and I'm sure he hit me as we rounded it just millimetres apart from each other. After that I struggled for speed as I'm not so fast on Port-tack in these super-choppy conditions.'
Albeau had to settle for second once again as his calculated strategy protected his narrow event lead. 'It came good for me really as I needed a good result-these were difficult conditions and so it was a great day for Bjorn who made no mistakes at all. It was scary during the last race as we had a couple of general re-calls, so that means your chances of making a mistake yourself are tripled with three separate starts. I'm not taking any risks tomorrow'
Dunkerbeck seemed pleased with his day's vital work. 'Finian and I arrived at the mark at the same time and we were pretty close to each other around the buoy. The wind was strong and consistent and I went easy on the start but as I'm confident in my speed I knew I could drive my way up to the top over the first reach. It's tight in the top 5 now. Tomorrow I'm going to play hard and try and avoid mistakes and see if the other guys can keep their cool'
Race 12 Results
1. Antoine Albeau (Starboard / NeilPryde)
2. Matt Pritchard (Tabou / Gaastra)
3. Bjorn Dunkerbeck (T1 / North)
4. Kevin Pritchard (Starboard / MauiSails)
5. Micah Buzianis (JP/ NeilPryde)
The podium race is still open and Albeau keeps a slim lead overnight. Be sure to check in tomorrow to see how the game plays out in what are forecast to be super-strength winds once again.
Overall Results after 12 Races
1. Antoine Albeau (Starboard / NeilPryde)
2. Matt Pritchard (Tabou / Gaastra)
3. Bjorn Dunkerbeck (T1 / North)
4. Micah Buzianis (JP /NeilPryde)
5. Ross Williams (Tabou / Gaastra)
Summary, photos and results courtesyof the PWA
Kevin chases Antoine for second
Men's Slalom-Final Results after Day 8
Day 7 PWA Gran Canaria-Another great day for action on the water
The pressure is really heating up in the Slalom, Antoine Albeau maintains his lead with Kevin Pritchard (3rd ), Matt and Bjorn chasing hard in a classic dog fight. In the Freestyle Sarah-Quita Offringa has climbed her way back up the ladder in the 2nd double eliminations. She is now in second place after being bumped off a few days earlier by Pozo local Moreno. As Moreno said below "It's not over yet"...as we all look forward in anticipation to see how this battle plays out.
When asked about her grueling climb up the leader board, 16 year old Sarah Quita commented 'Today was a new day with new chances, but it didn't start well. It went better after I changed down to a 3.5 but I was dead beat by the time I sailed against Daida. I'm still pretty happy with my result though!' old.
Moreno marched onward into battle with smooth sailing Swiss stylist Laure Treboux. There was something different and more motivated about Moreno's approach today as she came out with all guns blazing to force a re-sail, whilst obviously loving the windier, wavier conditions. 'In the first final I was on a 3.7 which was comfortable and I saw Laure struggle downwind while I made some one-handed spocks, and some forwards and I also got a nice flaka right on the finishing horn-I also tried a double for the judges just to make sure I had enough points. But in the re-sail I was struggling on that sail-I think Laure was on a 3.0 I tried my best and just did enough to take the win. So now basically after two double eliminations I've got a 1st and a 2nd and Sarah-Quita has a 1st and 3rd. It's not over yet'
Freestyle Results after 2 Double Eliminations
1. Daida Moreno
2. Sarah-Quita Offringa
3. Laure Treboux
Day 7 Slalom
Strong steady wind and bright sunshine made for perfect slalom racing conditions. Today the course was changed to have two long reaches after the start before some tighter zigzagging reaches nearer the beach to really test the full range of the competitor's skills.
Slalom Race 8
Race 8 was a clear-cut affair and another perfect example of Albeau's precision racing technique. There were good performances from French twins Sylvain Moussilmani and Benoit Moussilmani who made it into the final with another form player Taty Frans (Starboard / MauiSails) loving the gnarly conditions.
However a host of higher seeds failed miserably to advance. Arnon Dagan) Finian Maynard and Cyril Moussilmani all fell short of the mark in the windy choppy conditions. Race winner Albeau described the race. 'I was over-powered on a 6.7 but everything went perfectly, I started upwind and got ahead straight away. I've never seen it this choppy before-it was like 35 knots and actually really dangerous as you needed to fully drive-it all the way round'
Slalom Race 9-Half Fleet
With the strong consistent wind the call was to run half-fleet races for the rest of the afternoon on a similar course to the first race.
After a thrilling drag-race with Micah Buzianis this time it was Bjorn Dunkerbeck who gave everyone a lesson on how to compete as event leader Albeau blew-out in a pile-up at the first mark. 'I was error-free and blitzed it home' said Dunkerbeck.
'Luckily the wind stayed strong which is always good for me-it's one mistake and you're out in this game'
Albeau was left spluttering in the fabled racers wake and limped home in 12th. 'I was neck and neck with Bjorn arriving at the first mark-I saw him through the window of my sail. As I pulled my back foot out to gybe I catapulted really hard and thought for sure I'm going to get run over here really badly so I swam away out wide as they all came thundering around the buoy, and then I swam back in for my gear. It was a shame as I'd got a good start and was set-up nicely'
Second placed finisher Buzianis showed stunning speed over the mix of short and long reaches of the final which was probably the most exciting race of the day. 'Yeah I was on a 5.4 and my 69 litre board' said the heavyweight American racer. 'I started well in the middle and was kind of even with Bjorn at the first gybe, but he got away quicker than me while I got a clout from Kevin's boom! I was really pushing him on the reaches but couldn't quite get him around the turns. There's a lot of racing left to do. Antoine and Matt are consistent for now but in these conditions anything can happen-especially as its forecast to get even windier'
At this point Kevin Pritchard (Starboard / MauiSails) who finished-up third protected second overall until the 9th and final race allowed his brother to leapfrog him into second.
Race 10
The wind was howling by now in typical Pozo style and that suited old hand at racing Matt Pritchard (Tabou / Gaastra) like a glove.
Reflecting on a good days racing Pritchard talked us through the final 'I was fully lit-up on my 5.5 and tried to swoosh Micah as I didn't want to take no for an answer. By the second mark I decided to take him Moto-X style and set him up for an inside move. My board held well as it just goes where you want it to and took it home from there. Consistency is the name of the game here. I won Pozo back in '98 but now I don't do the slalom tour full-time. That means a lot of the guys are pretty worn out but I like to come and play with the big boys in the heavy conditions. Here in Gran Canaria there's chop, waves and wind aplenty and no follow-my-leader style racing like at other venues. I did alright in the wave event here too so sitting in second right now is the icing on the cake for me'
Albeau agreed that the outside gybe was 'Critical-and the key to taking paces at Pozo' He finished up second after Dunkerbeck buried the nose and crashed to score an unlucky 13th place finish. Buzianis kept his head after Pritchard snaked him to register third.
Also impressing in the final was Taty Frans who showed his all-round windsurfing skill on the reaches and turns to score a valuable 4th place finish in brutal conditions.
Overall Results after 10 Races
1. Antoine Albeau
2. Matt Pritchard
3. Kevin Pritchard
Get ready to rumble!!! Its all no rules round the mark.
All Tiki's down the right hand side with Kevin, Taty and Pawel
Taty discovers a new way to round the marker
Day 7-Women's Freestyle Results
Day 7-Men's Slalom Results
Day 6 PWA Gran Canaria-Surprising the crowds
The weekend crowds turned out in force to watch the days action unfold... and some action it was! In the 25-30 knot winds slalom UK's Ross Williams made another strong surprise charge winning two out of the days three races. Starboard's Antoine Albeau took the other win to keep him in the overall lead. Kevin Pritchard is in third overall as his brother Matt creeps up to take second place.
In the freestyle Japan's Junko Nagoshi made an impressive run and subsequently bumped Daida Moreno up to take the lead in the freestyle from Sara-Quita. The second double elimination starts tomorrow as things start to heat up.
Detailed summary of Sunday's action below with photos and results are courtesy of the PWA
Race 5
A few top names had trouble advancing from the qualifying heats. Finian Maynard (F2 / NeilPryde) suffered in heat 3 and just missed the last slot for a semi-final shot and Cyril Moussilmani (Fanatic / North) was also denied a crack at the final by Jesper Orth (Starboard / Severne) in the first semi-final. Pieter Bijl (Fanatic / NeilPryde) struggled in the second semi-final after suffering from concussion after a collision with Bjorn Dunkerbeck (T1 / North) earlier in the competition.
The race 5 final turned-up a few surprises as team mates Ross Williams (Tabou?? / Gaastra) and Matt Pritchard (Tabou / Gaastra) capitalized on confusion at the first mark to slip past to allow Williams the race win and team boss Matt a second. 'There was a big 'ol splashabout at the first buoy' explained Pritchard. 'I just roosted around the chaos and emerged in third place. After that I simply followed Ross around the rest of the course and of course I didn't want to push a team buddy too hard on a few of the marks!' winked the experienced American journeyman. Williams' victory had started a good day for him 'I had sick start with Micah below me and Bjorn above me. Micah Buzianis (JP / NeilPryde) gybed really tight to the mark and Bjorn started wide and rounded close to the buoy. Micah had left me space so I took him inside and pumped into clear air and accelerated away really quickly. I was on my Manta 54 and a 5.5 which worked really well. That board comes out of turns so quick so I could be sure to make all the rest of the gybes and keep the lead all the way to the finish line'
Race 5 results
1. Ross Williams (Tabou / Gaastra)
2. Matt Pritchard (Tabou / Gaastra)
3. Kevin Pritchard (Starboard / MauiSails)
Race 6
Widespread nerves spread like wildfire through race 6 as many top names slipped-up under pressure, and once again Williams was primed and ready to pounce on the unwary.
The first blunder was from event leader Antoine Albeau who made an uncharacteristic mistake to miss out on a berth in the final. The 2006 champ missed his boom after flipping the rig on the third gybe of his semi-final heat and fell backwards into the drink.
But the story had another cruel twist for his leaderboard rivals. The final had to be re-started after Buzianis and Dunkerbeck were disqualified for premature starts.
Williams and Matt Pritchard were once again at the ready to make it count in the re-sail, and to try their best to deny Buzianis or Kevin Pritchard the chance to own any of the key podium slots.
'I had a pretty average start really' explained race winner Williams. 'I was on the pin-end and at the first turn I could once again see an option to go inside and so I grabbed the opportunity and emerged in 4th place. I wasn't expecting to make many more places from there on but at the second last mark I saw Finian rounding and leaving a fair bit of space because Patrick Diethelm (F2 /North) had just fallen-off unexpectedly in front of him! So I gybed on a swell and cruised by both of them and knew Matt was behind me and had done the same so we made it another team 1-2'
'Yeah Ross stole my bullet' joked Matt once more. 'He and I both had poor starts because we thought everyone might have been over early. I came out of the first mark and played catch-up with some of the big guys like Finian, but then Ross snuck inside me after Patrick crashed!' This kind of super-fun racing we've had today is what it's all about!'
Race 7
The seventh race was run using the magnificent half-fleet format to treat the spectators to a spectacular sight of 22 racers streaking across the ocean and through the start line simultaneously. After 2 qualifying heats all the favorites made it to the 22-man final which brought a straightforward victory for Albeau. In a perfect lesson on how to race, The French racing force made a textbook start and built an unassailable lead all the way to the finish. 'I was happy as I'd made some mistakes earlier in the day' explained the modest Champion. 'I used the same sail all day a, 6.2sqm, and was determined to make this one count'
Following Albeau was Dutchman Ben van Der Steen (Exocet / Naish) who raced a blinder to seal second place. 'In the heat before I was so annoyed as Arnon Dagan (Fanatic / NeilPryde) ran into me and I only just recovered enough to qualify. Starting the final I said to myself that 'I'm just going to nail it' and I did! I reached the first mark in 2nd and held that all the way around. In a way Arnon helped me to achieve a top-3 race finish and my best ever PWA final result!'
Women's Freestyle Single Elimination 2
The afternoon meant a switch to women's freestyle and the start of the second single elimination.
Yoli De Brendt (Fanatic / North) came close to an upset against Daida Moreno in the early heats. Her off-season training nearly paid dividends when she forced a tie-break decision that edged the victory into Moreno's favour.
It was also a day to remember for Japan's Junko Nagoshi (F2 / Simmer). She turned heads when she elbowed-out tour leader Sarah-Quite Offringa in the second round. 'I just got lucky' said a sportsmanlike Nagoshi. 'I always try to do my best in any heat and I try not to think about who it's against. I don't think Sarah-Quita sailed very well by her high-standard but I used-up all the tricks I can do-I'm sure she can afford to let me win one now and then!'
After the dust settled from the tough semi-finals the two finalists left standing were Daida Moreno and Laure Treboux.
Continuing the trend of the day it was another close call and a 3-2 decision from the judges that gave the Swiss freestyle specialist the win.?? Treboux successfully pulled a Puneta 540 and a one-handed clew-first Spock to impress with the technical difficulty scores, but failed to land a clew-first Puneta.
Keeping it on a knife-edge, Moreno completed a stylish combo of Spock into a clew-first Spock, a one-footed forward loop, and a shuvit before crashing a ponch that may well have swung the decision to her favour.
An elated Treboux explained the final from her perspective for us. 'I tried to go into the clash relaxed and positive ???I also always listen to my favorite tunes because I sometimes get a little nervous against Daida. It didn't start well as I crashed my first trick, but somehow I relaxed again and strung some nice tricks together. I really hope I can stay focused and on top of the tree for the double elimination'
The first start tomorrow is at 10.30 and the plan is to run slalom in the morning and to start a 2nd freestyle single elimination in the afternoon.
Sarah-Quita celebrates with Laure Treboux
Kevin and Matt Pritchard-brother Vs. brother
Rounding the second mark
Chaos rounding the mark
Powering on
Antoine making his mark
The Tropical girls
Freestyle Women's Results
Men's Slalom Results
PWA Day 5 Gran Canaria-Sarah-Quita and Antoine have their goals in sight.
Saturday say a close and nerve racking battle in both the freestyle and the slalom. In the freestyle Sarah-Quita was up against the pumped and confident Moreno competing in front of her home crowd. Pulling off all her hottest moves, Sarah-Quita won the judges and maintains her lead. In the Slalom Antoine had mistimed his start and xcrossed the startline well under powered. He strategically made his way back up the course and winning the race. Below summary is courtesy of the PWA
Women's Freestyle Double Elimination
After struggling in the single elimination Iballa Moreno (North) dug deep and battled through pain in a gritty double elimination fight back. After no less than 6 consecutive heats Iballa's assault on a place in the final was halted by her sister Daida Moreno (North).
'Yesterday I had shoulder problems after an injury I picked up in Lanzarote' explained Iballa. 'I went to the Doctors straight away after competition yesterday and had some treatment. I was still suffering this morning, and feeling quite negative, but in freestyle you need to be really positive. Daida came and talked to me really full on and snapped me out of it by explaining that it's all in the mind and that I should focus my mental approach. It helped as I forgot the pain and just took it heat by heat and that worked really well for me. I'm super-happy to have performed better and gone that far'
In the final Sarah-Quita Offringa and Daida Moreno once more went nose-to-nose to settle their dual here on the Moreno's home turf.
Moreno came out of the blocks flying as Offringa fell a fair bit. Local knowledge prevailed this time and so, under the double elimination system, that set-up a re-sail to decide the winner.
Moreno's confidence may well have been too high as she tackled the technical moves but crashed allowing Offringa the final say. Reviewing the two heats the young Caribbean star said 'I didn't think I was nervous in the first final and I sailed OK but fell a few times and then became fairly anxious. I was on a 4.0 and fully powered-up and it was nice and flat without too many waves-saying that though I saw her get a ramp for a backloop. In the re-sail I thought 'This is double or nothing'. I had great support on the beach from Karin and Astrid and my Mother but I didn't start so well. But after I made the switch-chacho and heard them all screaming for a flaka, which I then pulled nicely. As heats go it was a solid one, but not as good as yesterday's. It's totally unexpected for me to be on top as I never thought that at Pozo I'd keep the tour lead'
Women's Freestyle Results after 1st Double Elimination
Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde)Daida Moreno (North)
Iballa Moreno (North)
Laure Treboux (Naish / Naish)
Silvia Alba Orozco
Slalom Race 4
Albeau was in danger of throwing the 4th race final away, but recovered well after a mistimed start. 'I was too early approaching the line in the final seconds of the countdown and had to slam on the brakes' the 2006 champ described. 'I actually crossed exactly on the green flag, but I was nowhere near top-speed going into the first leg. I was also far too upwind because the sun was in my eyes and I was aiming at the harbor instead of the first mark. That meant I had to point far downwind and when I saw the others rounding the buoy ahead of me I went for a gybe to take the inside line. I was really luck that there was any space at all and shot through the hole and accelerated away really well. I'd taken a 7.8 sqm sail and my 111-liter board, which was a wise choice in the end as I think most of the others were on 7.2's or so. At the second mark I snuck inside Kevin and Finian then took Micah's win on the third reach to take the lead and win the race'
The 4th race signified a landmark as the fleet earn their first discard and the chance to throw away their worst result so far.
Race 4 results
Antoine Albeau (Starboard / NeilPryde)
Micah Buzianis (JP / NeilPryde)
Kevin Pritchard (Starboard / MauiSails)
Bjorn Dunkerbeck (T1 / North)
Finian Maynard (F2 / NeilPryde)
Overall Results after 4 Races
Antoine Albeau (Starboard / NeilPryde)
Bjorn Dunkerbeck
Kevin Pritchard
Day 4 PWA Gran Canaria-Sarah and Antoine prepare to do it again!
Starboard's 2007 PWA Freestyle tour leader Sarah-Quita Offringa, strikes early to take the event lead in the women's freestyle after a stunning performance against 2006 Freestyle World Champion Daida Moreno... At the same time Starboard's 2007 PWA's Slalom tour leader Antoine Albeau slices through the slalom fleet to record victory in race 3 ahead of Pozo legend Bjorn Dunkerbeck. Starboard 2006 PWA Wave Champion Kevin Pritchard follows closely behind in third place.
Lighter wind than normal greeted the competitors this morning and the call was made to get the first single elimination of the women's freestyle underway.
Women's Freestyle
All the clear favorites advanced from the early heats, although all the competitors' skills were tested in the Pozo environment, which was certainly more demanding than the last event in Lanzarote.
The semi-finals threw up a tough heat with last year's impressive debutant and 3rd overall finisher Laure Treboux against the current tour leader Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde). Treboux seemed happy enough with the result. 'It's always fun to sail against Sarah-Quita. I think it was close and I don't think I sailed as well as the heat before but I enjoyed it anyway!' Offringa's off-season advancements showed through, and she advanced to the final to meet Pozo's Queen of the waves, Daida Moreno who'd survived a tough semi-final match against Spaniard Silvia Alba.
Adding to the tension, the wind backed-off a little before the end of the encounter, causing the final to be re-sailed with a longer heat duration. When it re-started the lighter winds didn't suit Moreno who was always going to rely on jumping maneuvers and wind blown ramps against Offringa's arsenal of sliding tricks.
Moreno pulled some impressive stunts such as a T-Bone switch stance forward and nice one-handed Spocks, but was unable to pull any of her classy flakas or flaka-diablos.
Offringa however, stepped into a league of her own. She stunned the crowds and judging panel with an amazing air flaka, a switch-stance chacho, a Funnel, a Cana Brabu and an E-Slider-all on top of regular tricks like Punetas and spocks.
'I was nervous before the final, but it was cancelled and the judges decided to give us a longer heat duration' explained Offringa. 'But, in the re-sail I was more relaxed and on a larger sail. I had time to get further outside, and give myself room to do all the switch-stance tricks that use-up distance downwind. I could hear the crowd on the beach after my switch-chacho, and from there I felt like I could land anything and stuck all the rest of my tricks sweetly. Stoked!'
The Aruban prodigy is coming of age in amazing fashion this season. The rest of the event, and the wider range of conditions forecast are likely to make a fantastic story for the top runners to play-out.
Results after Single Elimination
Sarah-Quita Offringa
Daida Moreno
Laure Treboux
Slightly more consistent wind prompted the crew to run race 3 of the slalom in the afternoon.
Slalom Race 3
Antoine Albeau cut a clear and decisive victory in race 3. The tour leader and Starboard's 2006 PWA Slalom Champion successfully snaked Bjorn Dunkerbeck who led from the start to record the race win.
'Yeah Bjorn had the best start' said Albeau, who's under the weather and suffering from a cold. 'He was in the middle of the start line, and I was upwind at the boat-end and a little late going over. I was fast to the first mark, but Bjorn made it there first. He was gybing safely and fairly wide, however I was high approaching the buoy and got an inside line and better acceleration away into the second reach. From there I was away and built a reasonable lead'
Results after Race 3
Antoine Albeau
Bjorn Dunkerbeck
Kevin Pritchard
Once again the wind denied another race as it switched to a northerly direction. That meant the competition area became too gusty and scattered with large glassy patches of water unsuitable for racing. The plan tomorrow is to run the women's double elimination of freestyle and continue with slalom.
The above summary, photos and results below are courtesy of the PWA
And the winner is...
Sarah-Quita tuning for the action.
Sarah-Quita making her impression on the judges.
Sarah-Quita's Flaka, one of her many moves that placed her at the top.
Full speed action as Antoine's iSonic keeps him in front.
There you go-that's two.
A comfortable view of all the action from the porch with a beer in hand-what a life!
Antoine chasing Bjorn before snaking past him and taking the lead in race three.
Mens Slalom-current standings
PWA Day3 PWA Grand Slam at Gran Canaria-Go Antoine!
It was all slalom action for day three and Antoine is in familiar territory at the front of the pack, with others in hot pursuit. Strong winds meant that even heavyweights like Antoine Albeau were on their smallest registered sails of around 5.0 -5.5 sqm.
Race 1
In an early show of form, all the main players advanced to the final after the qualifying heats cracked through at a blistering pace.
Bjorn Dunkerbeck convincingly won the final that streaked across the long, 5-buoy downwind course. 'I was on a 6.3 fully powered' the multiple-champ said. 'I made no mistakes at the start, and was pretty close to Antoine around the first mark-we were on the same size sail too. I was a bit quicker and pulled away, and once you're out in front it's a lot easier to stay in control all the way to the finish'
Race 2
Race 2 was a lot much more closely fought, and a brilliant example of Slalom skill put to the test. Class sho· 
 Cherry on July 18 2007 21:00:00
|
