Iballa Morena gets airborne
The 2008 PWA Costa Teguise World Cup – Event Preview
Freestyle calls upon the Spanish town of Costa Teguise to serve up a feast of wind, waves and flat water for the annual World Cup, and first stop on the Canaries leg of the PWA World Tour.
Situated on the east coast of Central Lanzarote lies the popular tourist resort of Costa Teguise. The area is famed for its superbly consistent trade winds that blow throughout the summer months, attracting windsurfers from all over Europe.
No stranger to windsurfing’s elite, Costa Teguise has hosted both Super-X and Slalom battles in the past. However, 2008 will see freestyle’s hot shots hit town, for the inaugural stop on the Canaries leg of the PWA World Tour.
Launching into action from the 23rd-28th of June, both the men’s and women’s fleets will be giving their all in an effort to secure a chunk of the €45K prize fund.
The proving ground will be the infamous La Curcharas Point, where trade winds can hammer the shoreline at over 40 knots. And if howling winds weren’t enough, the venue also boasts an offshore reef, which frequently delivers mast high surf for competitors to mix into their repertoires.
In the men’s fleet, Venezuelan Jose ‘Gollito’ Estredo (Fanatic, North Sails) enters this event riding high on the back of his victory at the first freestyle event of the season, ahead of 2007 World Champion, Brazil’s Marcilio ‘Brawzinho’ Browne (Mistral, Gaastra).
Hot on their heels having claimed third and fourth respectively in Austria, are Everon ‘Tonky’ Frans (F2, Gaastra) and local boy Antxon Otaegui (JP, NeilPryde, MFC), who’ll be in his element as he guns for the top spot on his home patch.
Also lining up the podium positions in their sights are: The ever creative Kiri Thode (Starboard, Gaastra), Bonaire Stylist Elton ‘Taty’ Frans (Starboard, North Sails), Ex-World Champion Ricardo Campello (JP, NeilPryde, MFC) and French freestyle icon Nicolas Akgazciyan (Starboard, Gun Sails, MFC).
This event is the first opportunity for the women to strut their stuff in the 2008 season. Expect to see Freestyle World Champion Daida Ruano Moreno (North Sails) in a defiant mood as she fends off advances from the likes of Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard, NeilPryde), Laure Treboux (Fanatic, North Sails) and Nayra Alonso (Fanatic, Severne).
There are no easy heats in freestyle, and the hugely varied conditions at this venue have the potential to cause serious upset within the ranks. So, to make sure you don’t miss any of the action, stay tuned to www.pwaworldtour.com
