Chile World Cup
Mast high waves and strengthening wind welcomed the start of the Challengers round of the Chile World Cup. Twenty-four Chilean and overseas riders battled for just two positions in the main Pro Men’s fleet. Rounds 1, 2 and half of the Round 3 Quarterfinals were completed, with just 12 competitors now remaining.
Wave selection proved critical, with the best waves being the larger, peeling left handers that provided multiple scoring opportunities. Top competitors displayed solid rail to rail surfing in the pocket with aerial moves.
The day started with strong Round 1 performances by Diego Ducci and Vicente Gonzalez, who both picked some of the biggest waves of the day and showcased some excellent rail to rail surfing to progress straight through to Round 3. Gonzalez made it through his Round 3 quarterfinal, but Ducci wasn’t able to repeat his performance in the dying wind of the evening and was knocked out of the competition.
Round 1, Heat 3, was an entertaining heat for the crowd, with Cristobel Zegers choosing some excellent waves and Matias Vargas doing some of the most radical turns in the pocket. Both improved their form in Round 3 and had convincing wins to progress through into the semifinals.
Finn Mellon (Quatro / Goya Windsurfing) and Inaki Maturana pulled off some good aerials to get through their first round heats and make their way into the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, Tomer Shamgar (Future Fly / RRD Sails) quietly went about his business with just enough effort to get through both his Round 1 and Round 3 heats.
Jose Priewer won a close heat to progress along with Tato Molina. But finishing the Round 1 heats with a convincing win was Kymani Laurent (Guadalope), who read waves well and showcased a powerful surf style that turned heads on the beach.
Kymani afterwards said: “It was quite fun with pretty good conditions today. I’m really excited to have the opportunity to sail in the Challengers and hopefully also the Pro Men. It’s a really good experience for me to be a part of that.”
Crowd favourite and wave legend, Francisco Goya (Goya Windsurfing) missed his Round 1 heat, but joined the repechage round to get a beautiful, multi-turn first wave. He then followed it up with some mesmerising riding deep in the pocket to get the highest wave score of the day - 7-points. Goya continued his good form in the Round 3 quarterfinals with a rhythmic display of aerials and quality wave riding, but his heat was cancelled after he was well on his way to one of the highest heat totals of the day. The rerun was held in lighter winds towards the end of the day and Goya was unable to get a wave in that heat.
Other winners of the repechage round who still remain in the competition are Lucas Meldrum (Duotone / Duotone Sails) and Nelson Perez.
The Challenger rounds for men and women are expected to finish on Thursday, with Pro Men’s and Pro Women’s competition following.