PWA FREESTYLE 2002 – A CHAMPIONSHIP YEAR!

Matt Pritchard And Karin Jaggi Scoop The 2002 Overall PWA Freestyle Titles!

Wednesday December 18, 2002
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After a grueling year on the mens PWA freestyle tour with four incredible
events in Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Canada, and Bonaire Matt Pritchard
(Gaastra, AHD) has taken the PWA overall freestyle title. Pritchard has
been battling away on the PWA circuit for the last ten years and has
finally achieved one of his main lifetime goals by joining the elite as a
PWA overall Champion. The twenty nine year old Californian sealed the deal
on the sun-drenched beaches of Bonaire in the Caribbean after fending off
the challenge from his main contender Ricardo Campello (JP, Neil Pryde) of
Venezuela. Nik Baker (Mistral, North) managed to take the last overall
podium position for the 2002 tour despite a disappointing performance in
Bonaire.

This years freestyle action kicked off in the screaming winds of Gran
Canaria where Pritchard posted his win of the season ahead of Nik Baker in
second and Ricardo Campello third. Held in winds gusting between 30 and 40
knots the three rounds of competition were tough and the action spectacular.

The tour then moved over to the neighboring island of Fuerteventura where
it was seventeen-year-old Ricardo Campellos turn to raise his game.
Campello came out on top after winning the second of two rounds in a
riveting final against his good friend Kauli Seadi (Naish boards, Naish
sails) of Brazil.

With the title chase wide open it was all to play for in third event of
the season in Canada. The beautiful Magdalen Islands played host to the
tour and provided a variety of conditions ranging from light wind
freestyle to high wind wave orientated action. After taking the first
round in style Ricardo Campello was knocked out in the early rounds of
second the double elimination. His poor performance left the door wide
open for his rivals and the outcome in Canada was a joint victory for
Baker and Pritchard.

With the tension running high and the level of freestyle running going
through the roof the chase had boiled down to a three man battle at the
closing event of the season in Bonaire. The Caribbean island delivered the
goods in style as Pritchard, Campello and Baker battled it out in their
final showdown. After three double eliminations of insane action it was
Pritchard who held his nerve and produced the required results to clinch
the title. Despite local hotshot Tonki Frans taking the King of the
Caribbean title Pritchard managed to hold on to second place, which proved
enough to secure victory.

The standard of freestyle on the mens tour has risen to an incredibly high

level. Sailors have been nailing mind-boggling moves even in the height of
intense competition. There is also a lot of new blood joining the tour and
providing a formidable challenge to the old guard. Pritchard has
deservedly won this years battle but one things for sure&he is going to

have his work cut out next year to hold on to his title!

MATT PRITCHARD
It has been pretty grueling you know. We have had four freestyle events
that were pretty intense. It was a tough year&I am tired now! I was just

thinking that some day when I grow up I would like to tell my kids what I
did. If I could not tell them that I did not win then what good is it! At
least I got one under my belt am I am going to keep shooting for more.
Ever since 1998 when the PWA picked up freestyle I have been gunning to
win the thing. It hasnt really hit me yet that I won but I am sure it will
soon!

RICARDO CAMPELLO
I cant complain! I am still seventeen so I have a big career ahead of me.
I wanted to win but I didnt happen. Next year I will be better than this year!

NIK BAKER
Third overall not really what I wanted but too many thing went wrong for
me in Bonaire to win overall. I am happy I am still on the podium at
least. We have had a great season with lots of different conditions. We
had port tack, starboard tack and waves and I would like to say that Matt
was a very worthy world champion. He is a very good competitor so he
definitely deserved it.

MENS FINAL OVERALL FREESTYLE RANKINGS 2002

1. Matt Pritchard (Gaastra, AHD)
2. Ricardo Campello (JP, Neil Pryde)
3. Nik Baker (Mistral, North)
4. Robby Swift (JP, Neil Pryde)
5. Tonki Frans (Gaastra, AHD)

The womens tour consisted of three events&Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and

Bonaire. Daida Moreno (Mistral, North) opened up the season in formidable
style by winning the first event in Gran Canaria with Karin Jaggi (F2,
Arrows) fighting her all the way and taking second and Colette Guadagnino
in third. Unfortunately, Daidas twin sister Iballa Moreno (Mistral, North)
was forced to pull out of the event after sustaining a foot injury on the
opening day of the event. Moreno continued her winning by posting another
victory in the side offshore winds of Fuerteventura. This time it was
Colette Guadagnino and Karin Jaggi both shared equal second in an
incredibly close battle.

A tragic family bereavement meant that Daida Moreno was unable to compete
in Bonaire leaving the title chase wide open between Karin Jaggi and
Colette Guadagnino. The stakes were high&whoever won in Bonaire would not

only win the Queen of the Caribbean title but the winner would also become
PWA overall champion. Guadagnino set the pace by taking the first two out
of five rounds leaving Jaggi with an uphill struggle to fight back. Jaggi
somehow managed to raise her game and won the final three rounds to take
both the titles!

Next year both the Moreno twins should be back competing so it looks like
Karin Jaggi is also going to have to fight it out all the way to defend
her title!

KARIN JAGGI
It is very sad, this is kind of Daidas trophy in a way. Everybody is
really upset about the situation. I am positive she will be back next
year. I am going to train more freestyle this winter and do my best to
keep the trophy again. I will definitely be happy when Daida comes back!

COLLETE GUADAGNINO
I am happy with second. It was a battle until the end it was really close.
I did not have a good heat in the very last final. Karin deserved it she
sailed better than I did in that last heat. It was a bummer not having
Daida at the last event. The title should really have gone to her because
she was so far ahead. I wish she could have been here. The whole year she
trained hard and it is a great shame what happened!

WOMENS FINAL OVERALL FREESTYLE RANKINGS 2002

1. Karin Jaggi (F2, Arrows)
2. Colette Guadagnino (JP, Neil Pryde)
3. Daida Moreno (Mistral, North)
4. Tanja Emig (RRD)
5. Angela Martinez (Neil Pryde, Naish)