The 2004 Gran Canaria PWA Super Grand Slam Day 12

Allen and Shreeve consolidate Aussie dominance in Gran Canaria, as light
winds bring a relaxed finish to the first stop of the 2004 Nestea PWA
World Windsurf Racing Tour and the end of the 2004 PWA Gran Canaria Grand Slam.

Following on from another beautifully calm start to the day, the thermal
Southerly breeze built throughout the morning, once again providing enough
wind to just about tempt the sailors on to the water. By 15.00 however,
the marginal wind was not consistent enough in either direction or
strength to allow for championship racing and competition was cancelled
for the day and indeed, the event.

The results of the first days racing would stand with Australia taking
honors in both the men’s and women’s divisions in the form of the ever
consistent Steve Allen (Fanatic, Neil Pryde) and PWA newcomer Allison
Shreeve (F2) who has shown great potential in her first PWA Racing contest.

Antoine Albeau (AHD, Neil Pryde) was unlucky not consolidate his position
further after winning the first race, finally finishing third behind 2003
PWA Racing World Champion Micah Buzianis (F2, North Sails). Buzianis made
up considerable distance after winning race 2 by nearly a minute ahead of
the competition. Former World Champion Kevin Pritchard (Starboard,
Gaastra) dominated the final two races winning clearly, but could only
make it to fourth after disappointing early results.

None of the chasing sailors managed to hold it together enough to topple
Allen though, who took the event win with three second places, despite not
actually winning an individual race.

In the Women’s division, the strongest challenge to Shreeve came from Lucy
Horwood (Fanatic, North Sails) just ahead of PWA veteran Karin Jaggi (F2,
Arrows), with all of the top three having won a race each. The big
surprise in the women’s fleet was the less than expected performance from
2003 PWA Racing World Champion, Dorota Staszewska (Starboard, Gaastra) who
only finished fourth after retiring from two of four races, despite
finishing first and second in the remaining two.

Allen and Shreeve’s success has added to the amazing Australian success
story here in Gran Canaria with three of the six winners trophies heading
down under. Apart from the racers, wave guru Scott McKercher (Starboard)
will also be returning home, to the land of the Wallaby, in glory,
following his triumph at Pozo last week.

This years Gran Canaria Super Grand Slam is the biggest event on the PWA
calendar and is the biggest event in Gran Canaria to date. All three
disciplines – Wave, Freestyle and Racing – have enjoyed good conditions
and produced good results.

In Freestyle, Kauli Seadi (AHD, Naish) enjoyed a return to form winning
the event ahead of Taty Frans (Starboard, Gaastra) and Ricardo Campello
(JP, Neil Pryde) who retains his PWA Freestyle World Championship Title
for the second year in succession.

Daida Moreno (Mistral, North Sails) has demonstrated her absolute
dominance in Women’s Freestyle winning every round at Pozo with a standard
of sailing that is clear ahead of her closest competition. Karin Jaggi
once again clung on to second ahead of a hard fighting Iballa Moreno
(Mistral, North Sails) looking to reassert her own position in the Pozo
hierarchy.

The Wave contest saw a much deserved victory for Scott McKercher proving
once more that he is not just a big wave gouger, but also a true
competition all-rounder. Pozo locals Vidar Jensen (North Sails) and Bjorn
Dunkerbeck (Neil Pryde) maintained their bragging rights in second and
third respectively, with rank outsider Alex Mussolini (JP, Neil Pryde)
narrowly missing out on a podium position in fourth.

In the Ladies Wave contest, once again it as Daida Moreno who laid down
the law, landing table top forward loops, double forward loops and one
handed forward loops (moves that none of the other girls are making) to
show why she truly is the queen of Pozo. The second step on the podium was
rightfully filled by the other Moreno, Iballa putting herself firmly back
in the title race ahead of Karin Jaggi in third.

2004 is the first time that Gran Canaria has hosted a three discipline
event and it has been a great success in every respect. The PWA tour now
moves on to the Nestea PWA Hungary Racing World Cup and then immediately
on to Canada for the first Ladies only Freestyle World Cup.