Fuerteventura PWA World Cup
The third day of the 2024 Fuerteventura PWA World Cup required a little bit of waiting around with the wind being on the light and gusty side during the morning. However, by 2:15pm local time the conditions had improved enough to allow the contest to resume and by the end of the day’s play only the top five women and top six men remain standing in the race to become this year’s event champions. Today saw lighter winds than the opening two days, but arguably the conditions were the best so far with a few playful kickers on the inside providing ideal ramps for the world’s best freestylers to show their aerial prowess.
Freestyle
Women’s
Lina Schmied (AUT | GUNSAILS) and Elena Dominick (GER | Severne / Severne Sails) fought their way back through the opening round of the double to setup a battle for fifth and sixth place against each other after defeating Bijou Shahmirian (Starboard / Severne Sails) and Marine Hunter (KA Sail), respectively. In Heat 31, Germany’s Dominick got the better of her Austrian rival to setup a tie tomorrow against Maaike Huvermann (Severne / Severne Sails / Maui Ultra Fins), who herself will be looking to mount a comeback having finished fourth in the single elimination.
Men’s
Youp Schmit (Tabou / GA Sails) brought Steven Van Broeckhoven’s (Starboard / GUNSAILS) comeback through the double elimination to an end in Heat 28a. The Belgian, who finished fourth overall in 2023, had started to gather a bit of momentum after firstly dispatching of George Grisley (Duotone Windsurfing), before winning a close tussle against Kiri Thode (Future Fly / GUNSAILS) to setup a dual against Schmit. The Bonairean sailed an extremely strong starboard tack heat - consisting of an immaculate double culo, a kabikuchi and a skopu, but both sailors struggled slightly on port tack, particularly Van Broeckhoven, who was left to rue counting a 2.8 forward loop as he was eliminated by just 2.2 points.
Antony Ruenes (Tabou / GA Sails) produced the highest scoring heat of the day, at that stage, to also halt former world champion, Amado Vrieswijk’s (Future Fly / Severne Sails) comeback through the double elimination. The Frenchman earned 37 points after producing a near faultless display with the best of a bunch of impressive moves being an exquisite pasko and a technical air funnel burner, which both earned the same scores. Vrieswijk was a little unlucky to have met an on fire Ruenes as the Bonairean’s tally of 35.5 points was the second highest scoring heat of the day at that point.
Ruenes’ victory in Heat 28b setup a battle between himself and Schmit, but after the fireworks in the previous heat unfortunately the wind didn’t really co-operate in Heat 30a, so it proved to be somewhat of an anticlimax with Ruenes failing to complete his scoresheet, while Schmit managed to do what was required to advance.
The 29-year-old will now face Balz Müller (Severne / Severne Sails) in the battle for fifth and sixth place after the Swiss-man came out on top of incredibly close heat against Jacopo Testa (WeOne / Point-7 / AL360). Come the end of their 8-minute battle, just half a point separated the two freestyle wizards, but crucially the decision went in the favour of Müller as Testa was ultimately made to pay the heavy price for a somewhat slow start to Heat 30b.
In his previous heat against Antoine Albert (Goya Windsurfing), Testa had set the highest scoring heat of the day - 37.5 points - after producing an impeccable display of sailing, wowing the judges with air kabikuchis and skopus, as well as a massive spock culo. Unfortunately though, Testa couldn’t quite replicate that level of performance against Müller - meaning he finishes in joint seventh for the contest alongside Ruenes.
While Vrieswijk may have been disappointed to have missed out against Ruenes, the Bonairean also rode his luck slightly as he needed a pasko in the dying seconds against U20 Youth world champion - Takumi Moriya (Severne / Severne Sails), who also sailed a great heat - to book his place in the top 10 - and his focus will now shift to the racing as he will compete in both Slalom X and Foil Slalom. Vrieswijk finishes this year’s Freestyle in Fuete in joint 9th alongside fellow Bonairean Kiri Thode, France’s Nicolas Akgazciyan (JP / NeilPryde) and New Caledonia’s Antoine Albert (Goya Windsurfing), who earlier in the day pulled off a superb comeback against Jose ‘Gollito’ Estredo (WeOne / GUNSAILS) as he produced an unbelievable finish to Heat 27b to turn the heat on its head and bring the 9-time world champions comeback to an end after landing an air chachoo, a bongka, an air funnel into burner and a kabikuchi in quick succession.
The forecast for Sunday looks a little bit lighter on paper again, but with a little bit of luck, and with only a couple of hours of the contest remaining, we should hopefully see the conclusion of the double eliminations. The freestyle fleets will meet again at 11am (GMT+1) tomorrow morning for the skippers’ meeting with the action commencing from 11:30am onwards. Make sure you tune in to see whether current event leaders Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins) and Adrien Bosson (Duotone Windsurfing / Maui Ultra Fins) can successfully defend their single elimination crowns, or if one of their rivals can mount a comeback to deny them at the last.
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Current Ranking Fuerteventura PWA World Cup - Women’s Freestyle
*Positions 1st-6th may still change
1st Sarah-Quita Offringa (ARU | Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins)
2nd Oda Brødholt (NOR | Starboard / Severne Sails)
3rd Lisa Kloster (GER | MB Boards / Sailloft Hamburg)
4th Maaike Huvermann (NED | Severne / Severne Sails / Maui Ultra Fins)
5th Elena Dominick (GER | Severne / Severne Sails)
6thLina Schmied (AUT | GUNSAILS)
Current Ranking Fuerteventura PWA World Cup - Men’s Freestyle
*Positions 1st-6th may still change
1st Adrien Bosson (FRA | Duotone Windsurfing / Maui Ultra Fins)
2nd Lennart Neubauer (GRE | Starboard / Severne Sails / Maui Ultra Fins)
3rd Yentel Caers (BEL | JP / NeilPryde)
4th Sam Esteve (FRA | JP / NeilPryde)
5th/6th Balz Müller (SUI | Severne / Severne Sails)
5th/6th Youp Schmit (NB | Tabou / GA Sails)
7th Jacopo Testa (ITA | WeOne / Point-7 / AL360)
7th Antony Ruenes (FRA | Tabou / GA Sails)
9th Steven Van Broeckhoven (BEL | Starboard / GUNSAILS)
9th Amado Vrieswijk (NB | Future Fly / Severne Sails)
9th Nicolas Akgazciyan (FRA | JP / NeilPryde)
9th Antoine Albert (NC | Goya Windsurfing)