KIA @coldhawaii World Cup
The fierce winds of Klitmoller backed off for the fifth day; however the waves were still pumping, providing the perfect conditions for a SUP competition and a chance for the elite windsurfers to show off their skills in a different discipline.
With nineteen competitors signed up, a fleet made up of windsurfing professionals, local rippers and one SUP pro, ranked fourth in the world took to the waters for an epic show down. The riders were broken down into four man heats and were given fourteen minutes to impress the judges with two waves; the two riders with the highest scoring waves would advance through to the next round. A huge crowd lined the beach as the waves peeled into the event site and the tension mounted.
The SUP pro, Casper Steinfath (Naish) was quick to make an impression with the judges by catching an awesome wave, closely followed by wave sailing legend Danny Bruch (Starboard / Severne / AL360) with his super-fast transitions from frontside to backside. In the second heat it was Lars Petersen (JP / NeilPryde) and local hot-shot Oliver that shone through, with both riders picking the finest waves. Next up Brazilian wave rider Kauli Seadi (JP / NeilPryde) destroyed every wave he could catch along with one of the local kids, Peter. Alex Mussolini (Tabou / Gaastra) wowed the crowds with a head stand down the wave, but it wasn’t enough to see him advance. It then came down to Finn Mullen (Starboard / JP) and John Skye (RRD / MFC) to destroy their opponent’s with their super-fast paddling and control on the board.
Seeded the highest in the competition, Casper continued to wow the crowds in the second round and ensuring he was guaranteed a position in the final. Bruch, Seadi and Mullen weren’t far behind. With Seadi picking up one of the highest scoring waves in the competition, and Bruch riding one of the longest.
It was a fierce battle for first place in the final, with Seadi putting in an exceptional performance early on, putting him ahead of the rest for the majority of the heat. Bruch picked up some meaty waves and shredded them to pieces putting him in third, whilst Mullen looked to be struggling to find a decent wave. Casper came from behind in the final moments of the competition and he secured the highest scoring wave in the competition with a monster ride with four aggressive turns, putting him well into first place.
The KIA @coldhawaii community SUP session results:
1st Casper Steinfath (Naish)
2nd Kauli Seadi (JP / NeilPryde)
3rd Danny Bruch (Starboard / Severne / AL360)
4th Finn Mullen (Starboard / Severne)
With two more days left here in Klitmoller, there will be loads more going on to keep you entertained. There is a KIA car pulling competition scheduled for tomorrow, with registration at 1pm, with a first possible start to competition at 2pm. The Sailors will be fighting to see who is the strongest to win an iPad 2.
Scope the action
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