The 2005 Lanzarote PWA Grand Slam – Day 5

Thursday July 14, 2005
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Day 5 summary: After yesterday’s spectacular Super X finals, the Lanzarote Costa Teguise PWA Grand Slam 2005 continued today with the single freestyle elimination. The Canarian trades were gusting around 15 to 25 knots having most riders opting for their 4.7’s.

The last sixteen riders of the men’s contest saw some surprising absentees. Victor Fernandez (E-42, Fanatic) had to bow to Marcilio Browne (BRA-105, Naish/Naish) and didn’t make it through. Matteo Guazzoni (I-711) prevented Diony Guadagnino (V-69, Neil Pryde) from joining the final sixteen and Andre Paskowski (G-2, F2/North) knocked out Kauli Seadi (BRA-253, Quatro/Naish). Dutch freestyler Remko de Weerd (H-23, Fanatic/Gaastra) had to watch Kiri Thode (NB-61, Starboard/Gaastra) trick himself to the next round at the expense of the Dutchman.

In the next four action packed heats, the last sixteen battled it out for the quarterfinals. Securing their spot in quarter final one were Marcilio Browne (BRA-105, Naish/Naish), Douglas Diaz (V-34, Fanatic/North), Kevin Mevissen (H-79, JP/Neil Pryde) and Andre Paskowski (G-2, F2/North). The second quarter final featured Jose Estredo (V-1, Fanatic/North) vs Taty Frans (NB-9, Starboard/MauiSails) and Anthony Ruenes (F-85, Tabou/Gaastra) against Ricardo Campello (V-111, JP/Neil Pryde).

Douglas Diaz (V-34, Fanatic/North) was ripping hard today and eliminated Marcilio Browne (BRA-105, Naish/Naish) with a varied range of moves. Andre Paskowski (G-2, F2/North) was going full force ahead and took down Kevin Mevissen (H-79, JP/Neil Pryde) advancing to the semifinal. In the second quarterfinal Taty Frans (NB-9, Starboard/MauiSails) powered his way through to the semifinal leaving Jose Estredo (V-1, Fanatic/North) behind. And last to join the semis was Anthony Ruenes (F-85, Tabou/Gaastra), who stopped Ricardo Campello (V-111, JP/Neil Pryde) in his tracks.

In the semifinal Douglas Diaz was up against Andre Paskowski. Both riders are very familiar with each other’s style from training at El Yaque, Isla Margarita. The Venezuelan was virtually unstoppable today and although the German was pulling out all the stops himself, he couldn’t stop Diaz from advancing to the final. At the other end of the heat, Taty Frans (NB-9, Starboard/MauiSails) had his hands full on Anthony Ruenes (F-85, Tabou/Gaastra), but managed to beat the radical Frenchman in the end, moving into the final to meet Diaz.

Diaz and Frans both kicked off the final in gusty conditions with a spock coming in. Diaz smashed around a grubby before turning with a puneta 540. Frans went back out with a clew first spock 540 before continuing the repertoire with a flaka. Diaz went through all the moves, flakas, funnels and grubbies. Frans did some sick slider 540’s and his trademark full power switchstance chacho 540’s. Diaz added a semi voquech to his list, Frans a full voquech and a stylish switchstance flaka. Diaz stuck a shaka and went for the ponch, but couldn’t hold on landing it. At the sound of the horn it was Taty Frans (NB-9, Starboard/MauiSails) who came out the best rider of the day, taking the first freestyle elimination of the Lanzarote Costa Teguise PWA Grand Slam 2005. In the losers’ final Andre Paskowski (G-2, F2/North) came in third before Anthony Ruenes (F-85, Tabou/Gaastra) taking fourth place.

The first rounds had all the usual riders advancing to the quarterfinals. In quarter final #1 Iballa Moreno (E-63, Mistral/North) effectively dealt with Femke van der Valk (NB-05, F2) and Karin Jaggi (Z-14, F2) went through to the next round at the cost of Junko Nagoshi (J-11) who’s heat was disrupted by a broken mast foot. In the second quarter final Silvia Alba (E-67, Tabou/Gaastra) disposed off Nayra Alonso (E-4, Fanatic/Severne) and Daida Moreno (E-64, Mistral/North) was not about to miss out on the next round and beat Yolanda Freites de Brendt (V-26, Fanatic/North).

In the semi-final it was Iballa Moreno against Karin Jaggi and Daida Moreno against Silvia Alba. Jaggi was sailing more consistent than Iballa, who was not holding back, but crashed on one spock too many. It was the Swiss who advanced to the final. At the other end, Daida was blasting out moves like clockwork and though Alba muscled her way through a spock 540, Moreno took the heat with a stylish one-handed spock to finish things off.

Karin Jaggi opened the score of the final with a body drag coming in, while Moreno went for the spock but went down. Jaggi was then sliding downwind in a grubby attempt, but couldn’t pull it through. Moreno settled the score for her crashed spock with a clean spock going out, while Jaggi whipped around a forward on the outside. Moreno did her forward as well as adding a body drag and a body and sail 360 to her growing list of moves. Jaggi was going for her flaka, but where she normally smoothly slides it around, she went down this time. Meanwhile, Moreno powered her way through a grubby and rounded up her heat with a perfect spock coming in. It wasn’t to be for Jaggi this time, as she had to watch Daida Moreno take first place. In the loser’s final, Iballa Moreno took third place before Silvia Alba who got fourth.