The 2008 Gran Canaria PWA Grand Slam – Day Nine

Junko Nagoshi fends off Laure Treboux to claim third overall in the freestyle stakes, and Ricardo Campello & Daido Moreno launch into orbit to win the final day’s wave super session.

Third place sail-off

Entering the final day of competition, Laure Treboux (Fanatic, North) and Junko Nagoshi (Simmer Sails) held the same number of points after two full freestyle double eliminations.

As a result, they were both tied in third position, meaning the pair would have to compete in a sail-off, to decide who would take outright third position, and who would drop down to fourth.

The tense decider got off to a shaky start, as both sailors struggled to find their rhythm in the monumental 50 knot wind. Tactically thinking, Nagoshi chose to cast the technical moves aside, instead opting for safer moves she knew she could land, and would notch up crucial points on the judges score sheets.

On the other hand, Treboux was becoming a victim of her own over ambition, as she continued to attempt technical, switch stance and clew first moves, but to no avail.

When the heat ended, the result was conclusive. Nagoshi had stolen third place from under Treboux’s nose, thanks to a tactically savvy sailing performance. Treboux would have to settle for fourth.

Wave Super Session

A €1500 prize purse lured the biggest players of the PWA wave fleet to the water for the much anticipate Wave Super Session. The innovative format pitches riders against each other in a jump only contest, where only the best jump from each competitor is scored.

Four, four-man heats, narrowed the fleet down to a heavy weight final consisting of; Jonh Skye (RRD, Naish), Kauli Seadi (JP, NeilPryde, Mormaii), Ricardo Campello (JP, NeilPryde, MFC) and Victor Fernandez (Fanatic, Simmer Sails, MFC), who had all pulled double forward loops to advance.

Armed with 3.5m-3.7m sails, the finalists launched into action. Within the first minute, four double forward loops had been pulled to a soundtrack of roaring applause from the capacity Pozo crowed.

The heat would take an unexpected u-turn, when Campello decided that two rotations weren’t enough. Spotting a towering ramp ahead of him, the famed double looper boosted a mammoth jump, and proceeded to accelerate around three forward rotations. The jump ended in a crash, but came tantalisingly close. Either way, it was enough for Campello to secure the victory (he’d also nailed the biggest double of the heat), leaving Fernandez to take second with a big double, and Skye in third, also with a double!

Not to be outdone by the men’s fleet, Daida Moreno won the women’s category with an insane double loop of her own. Filling out the remaining podium positions were Evi Tsape (Fanatic, NeilPryde) and Iballa Moreno (North Sails).

Marking the end of the event, this evening there’s a glamorous prize giving and closing ceremony at the Gloria Palace Hotel, the official event accommodation partner.

Congratulations to the winners; Daida Moreno (North Sails), Antoine Albeau (Starboard, NeilPryde), Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard, NeilPryde), and Victor Fernandez (Fanatic, Simmer Sails, MFC).

The tour now rolls on to Fuerteventura’s Sotavento beach, for the 2008 Fuerteventura PWA Grand Slam, from the 18th to the 28thof July.

Join us at www.pwaworldtour.com where you can follow the action with our live event ticker, daily news summaries, video footage, awesome photo galleries, online elimination ladders and more!

Or, for more information contact the PWA office via [email protected]


© PWA / Andrew Buchanan