The 2003 Classic Toro Andaluz PWA Freestyle Qualifier Day 3

Overnight storms have created massive surf and a shore break that literally have brought destruction to the event site here in Tarifa this morning.

First priority for the Organizers this morning was to try and find the Judges tower, which had simply disappeared during the night. Having located what was left of the structure - concealed under about 2 feet of sand at the top of the beach, some 50 meters from where it was the previous evening - they then set about excavating the area to try and recover as much as possible. Efforts to salvage the tower were hampered still by the biggest sets washing up the length of the beach, swamping the dig site again and again.

After a morning of storms and torrential rain, the skies cleared letting the sun through to highlight some of the incredible Atlantic swell that was breaking offshore in the Straits of Gibraltar. The two sub aquatic mountains that lie south of the beaches of Tarifa cause the incoming swell to pitch up into massive, thundering, breaking waves that at times must have been reaching triple mast high today.

Slowly but surely the wind began to pick up, but with the massive beach break and the onshore direction getting off the beach was nearly impossible. The only man to try was local Christopher Ferraretto (AHD), who, after several times through the rinse cycle, made it through to the outside. Only once he reached the outside did it become clear just how big the break was, with the majority of sets over mast high. With the wind so onshore, it was difficult to really perform, but by simply being out there, Ferraretto earned maximum respect from the crowds on the beach.

The wind never really fulfilled its early promise and at 17.00 competition was abandoned fro the day.

Forecasts remain variable so anything could happen tomorrow.