The 2005 Gran Canaria PWA Grand Slam – Day 1

Wednesday June 29, 2005

Daida Moreno brings in the first home victory for the Pozo clan by winning the single freestyle elimination. In the final she proved too strong for Karin Jaggi (Z-14, F2). In the losers final, Daida’s sister Iballa Moreno (E-63, Mistral/ North) beat Silvia Alba (E-67, Tabou/ Gaastra).

The first day of competition started in the morning with the men’s wave performance. While the waves were small, the wind was fully pumping providing enough reason to get it on with the single elimination. Advancing in the morning session were Kauli Seadi (BRA-253, Quatro/ Naish), Levi Siver (USA-0, Starboard), Victor Fernandez (E-42, Fanatic), Regis Bouron (F-300), Robby Swift (K-89, JP/ Neil Pryde), Julien Taboulet (F-100, JP/ Neil Pryde), Bjorn Dunkerbeck (E-11, North), Matt Pritchard (US-10, Tabou/ Gaastra), Jonas Ceballos (E-40, Fanatic) and Dario Ojeda (E-211, Quatro/ Gaastra). After heat # 5 the contest was postponed due to lack of waves and it was the women’s turn to gear up.

At 13:00 the women were up for their first elimination of freestyle in 40 knot winds. In the first round, Nina Tjernberg (S-165, North), Uli Hoelzl (AUT-123, F2/ Neil Pryde) and Ruth Elliot (K-696, Starboard) advanced into the next round. In the first heat of the second round, Yolanda Freites de Brend (V-26, Fanatic/ North) took out Ania Ostrowska (POL-00, Fanatic) and Iballa Moreno (E-63, Mistral/ North) reminded Nina Tjernberg who’s in charge here in Pozo. The next heat was the passage to the final eight sailors for Junko Nagoshi (J-11) at the expense of Andrea Hausberg (G-212). In the same heat, Karin Jaggi hit Anna Jonsson (S-78) with everything she’s got, advancing into the next round.

At the other end of the ladder, Silvia Alba (E-67, Tabou/ Gaastra) knocked out Olga Malysheva (RUS-1) and Uli Hoelzl eliminated Nayra Alonso (E-4, Fanatic/ Severne). In the last heat of round two Marie Edlund Tjernberg (S-166, F2/ North) disposed off Femke van der Valk (NB-05, F2) and Daida Moreno (E-64, Mistral/ North) finished off Ruth Elliot.

In the quarter finals Iballa Moreno outgunned Yolanda Freites de Brend and progressed into the semi’s as did Karin Jaggi, who beat Junko Nagoshi with a clean flaka and then some. The quarters were the end of the line for Uli Hoelzl, who couldn’t beat Silvia Alba’s spock 540’s and overall strong performance. Last but not least to advance into the semi final was Daida Moreno, who was taking no prisoners against Marie Edlund Tjernberg with a big backloop and a one footed forward right at the start horn.

So the semi final saw Iballa Moreno against Karin Jaggi and Silvia Alba vs Daida Moreno. Daida went big with a massive backloop and a radical table top forward and while Silvia Alba threw out a spock 540 and a table top, it wasn’t enough to stop Moreno on her way to the top. Karin Jaggi made sure the final wouldn’t be an all Moreno showdown, by beating Iballa with shove it’s, flaka’s and an audacious shaka attempt. Moreno went all out with a full speed clew first spock attempt, but in the end it was Jaggi who took it.

In the loser’s final Iballa Moreno faced Silvia Alba. Moreno went big with a crazy pete attempt and nearly stuck an aggressive clew first spock 540. With solid forwards and a spot on willy skipper, the Pozo local was too much to handle for Sivlia Alba who was going for spocks and sticking some good forwards both going out and coming in. At the sound of the horn, Iballa Moreno claimed third place in front of Alba who had to settle for fourth.

In winds that were still howling, it was then time for Daida Moreno and Karin Jaggi to fight it out for the top spot on the podium. Moreno had a firing start with a sick spock right at the horn. Jaggi answered with a forward and a spock 540, while Moreno stuck a spock 540 of her own going out and threw a forward coming back in. Jaggi had no intention of going easy on Moreno as she pulled off a shove it and went for the flaka, but didn’t quite make it. Moreno was only getting warmed up and made a forward and a clean backloop and another spock 540. Jaggi retaliated with a backloop attempt and a flaka which she landed perfectly this time. But Moreno was unstoppable with two radical ponch attempts at the end of the heat, taking victory over Jaggi.

After the completion of the women’s freestyle single elimination, the men were back on as wavesailing conditions had improved sufficiently. In the heats after the break, Alex Mussolini (E-30, JP/ Neil Pryde) beat Ron Barel (ISR-60) with a tabletop forward right in front of the judges and a clean taka. Antoine Albeau (F-192, Neil Pryde) took out Michael Richard (F-7) with a big frontside 360. Ben Proffitt (K-800, Fanatic) moved into the next round with his tabletop forwards, as did Greg Allaway (KA-38, Mistral/ North) with a big backloop and a taka. Unfortunately the waves dropped again and that was it for the day.

Tomorrow’s skippers’s meeting is set for 09:30. Log onto www.pwaworldtour.com for all the results, news and pictures from Pozo Izquierdo as the Gran Canaria PWA Grand Slam 2005 continues.

WOMEN’S FREESTYLE SINGLE ELIMINATION LADDER
WOMEN’S FREESTYLE RESULTS

MEN’S WAVE SINGLE ELIMINATION LADDER