GRAN CANARIA PWA WAVE WORLD CUP

The Waiting Is Almost Over

The waiting is almost over. The PWA wave tour is all set to kick off its
season on the windswept beaches of Gran Canaria. The event will be based
at Vargas, one of the islands most radical windsurfing spots. Registration
will take place on the 29th April with official action commencing on the
30th through to the 4th May.

Gran Canaria is home stomping ground of Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Neil Pryde),
Vidar Jensen (North), Marcos Perez, Jonas Ceballos (Gaastra, Fanatic) and
the Moreno Sisters (Mistral, North) who will all be out to post an early
season victory in front of their home crowds. Ex world champion Jason
Polakow (JP, Neil Pryde) will also be in attendance after making a full
recovery from an injury set back and will be looking to make a big impact
on his return to PWA wave competition.

Last year the wind refused to play ball at the event headquarters but
thanks to the co-operation of the event sponsors competition took place on
the northern coastline of the island in dramatic down the line conditions.
The event finished with two completed rounds leaving sixteen sailors
sharing the event victory. Later in the season Kevin Pritchard (Gaastra,
Starboard) secured the wave title at the Pozo after defeating Dunkerbeck
at his home spot in a thrilling final. Dunkerbeck will no doubt be out for
revenge and Vargas will be his first opportunity to set the record straight.

In the womens competition Iballa Moreno (Mistral, North) will be back in
action following her injury sustained on the opening day of the Pozo world
cup last season. Iballa will have to deal with challenges from her sister
Daida (mistral, North), Swiss ex world champion Karin Jaggi (F2, Arrows)
and Anne Marie Reichman (Naish) of Holland.

Vargas is a 4-5 kilometer long bay with the waves breaking on sandbanks
close to the shore. The winds are usually side to side/offshore and
generally work best on the northeast trade direction. Gran Canaria is
famous for its nuclear winds and when the Atlantic high pressure moves
into place, 40 60 knot winds are not uncommon.

The stage is all set and the tension is building. This is one of the
biggest and will no doubt be one of the most spectacular events of the
season. Keep up to date with the PWA web site for daily updates and
pictures as the story unfolds.