KIA @coldhawaii World Cup – event summary: Klitmoller lives up to its name of Cold Hawaii and provides insane conditions for the third stop on the men’s wave tour, allowing Philip Koster to claim the world title with one event spare.
Winds reaching well over forty knots and waves breaking over mast high thrashed the Klitmoller coastline for three days of epic competition. The ferocious storm brought with is some of the fiercest conditions witnessed on the world tour in 2011. The combination of the amazing conditions and the world’s most radical wave riders led to an insane show and the third stop on the men’s wave tour to be completed in record time. The crowds were treated to monster jumps, huge forwards and super-aggressive slashes as the sailors battled their way through each heat.
As the most interactive event on the tour, the 2011 KIA @coldhawaii world cup has broken records in the way that windsurfing is shared online, with live scoring for each heat, a live chat roll and all the action streamed live for thousands of people to tune in a catch the amazing show.
Single elimination
After a gentle morning spent registering and rigging on the first day, Klitmoller came alive, the waves started to peel over the reef and the wind blew up to twenty knots allowing the first seven heats of the single elimination to be completed.
PWA legend Lars Petersen (JP / NeilPryde), made his return to the competition scene with his perfect wave selection allowing him to sail past his opponent, along with Phil Horrocks (JP / Gaastra), Mikkel Asmussen (RRD / Simmer / MFC), Andreas Olandersson (Simmer, MFC), Adam Lewis (Point-7), Kevin Mevissen (Mystic) and Germany’s Florian Jung (RRD / Gun / Dakine / Maui Ultra Fins). The sailors looked super comfortable sailing on the North Sea and ready to face their higher seeded opponents.
The storm had really kicked in for the second day of competition, bringing with it really extreme conditions and forcing the sailors out on their smallest equipment.
With two wave rides and two jumps counting towards their scores, the sailors were fired up and quickly pulling their most impressive moves to fend off their opponents. The second round of competition saw many of the top seeded sailors quickly take their positions in the following heats and a few surprise exits from major players, Peter Volwater (Fanatic / MauSails), Eleazar Alonso (Naish / Naish) and Camille Juban (Gun / MFC).
The third round of competition saw exceptional sailing from Thomas Traversa (Tabou / Gaastra) to dispose of his team mate Alex Mussolini (Tabou / Gaastra). Traversa went on to face the Brazilian Kauli Seadi (JP / NeilPryde), and despite his enormous jumps, it wasn’t enough to stop a very on form Seadi.
Also reveling in the crazy conditions and working his way past his opponents on his home ground, local legend Kenneth Danielsen (F2 / Simmer) was flying high throughout the day, and ripping the waves to pieces to secure a well-earned fifth place. It took the might of Ricardo Campello (JP / NeilPryde / MFC) and his extreme double forward loops to put an end to Danielsen’s advances in the single elimination.
Brits John Skye (RRD / RRD / MFC) and Ross Williams (Tabou / Gaastra) were fighting hard in the tough conditions and both sailors made their way into the top eight, with Skye defeating fellow countryman Jamie Hancock (Tabou / Gaastra) with his precise jumps, and Williams slaying heavy hitting Dario Ojeda (Tabou / Simmer / Dakine / MFC), by picking up a gigantic wave and putting in one of the longest rides of the day.
It was no surprise, the top four spots were filled with the masters Seadi, the 2010 world champion Victor Fernandez Lopez (North / Fanatic / MFC), Campello and the current tour leader Philip Koster (Starboard /NeilPryde / Dakine / Maui Ultra Fins). Having finished in ninth place in Tenerife, Fernandez Lopez was eager to rectify his position and quickly went about landing perfect double forwards and delivering some smooth wave rides to secure his place in the winner’s final, knocking Seadi in the losers final.
Campello was the man on fire in the radical conditions, taking every opportunity to launch into his most impressive jumps. Campello wowed the crowds with a gargantuan double forward loop and a well-executed pushloop forward. Koster tried his hardest to make his jumps but he wasn’t looking his usual self against Campello. Campello was rewarded for his bravery and he cruised into the final, pushing Koster in the loser’s final for the first time this season.
A wild battle between Seadi and Koster saw both parties charging around for the largest ramps and finest waves to ride, Seadi had been selecting the best all day, but this time it wasn’t enough to stop Koster from taking the win. Koster nailed his jumps early on in the heat and then focused his attention on wave riding to take third place.
Winners Final
Campello’s winning streak continued into the winners final and he went onto defeat Fernandez Lopez with his astounding double forwards and an 11.5 point scoring pushloop forward. Fernandez Lopez tried to match Campello’s moves but he was unable to gain the same height in his double forward’s.
Double elimination
With the opportunity to improve their overall scores and a second chance in the competition, the sailors were eager to take advantage of the nuking conditions and continue straight into the double elimination.
Mevissen took the double elimination by storm and sailed each heat like it was his last, hitting each ramp with as much speed as he could to launch into amazing pushloops and super stalled forward loops. Mevissen took down some of the finest of the international competitors including, Mussolini, Kai Lenny (Naish / Naish), and Skye. However his rampage through the ranks was stopped by Danielsen with his enormous pushloops and backloops, leaving Mevissen in seventh.
Experienced competitor Volwater made up for his initial mistakes in the single elimination and conducted his heats with a well thought out strategy. Volwater ensured that he didn’t let the current wash him away and made sure he was always upwind to catch the biggest waves, the steepest ramps and most importantly he was in front of the judges. Volwater passed through three heats until Horrocks took him down with a well-executed double forward loop.
Ojeda and Dany Bruch (Starboard / Severne / AL 360) each delivered mind-blowing performances to make their way into ninth position and seventh position, with Ojeda throwing one of the only frontside aerials in the competition and Bruch squeezing past Marcilio Browne (Fanatic / North / MFC) with a double forward in the closing seconds of the heat. Bruch went onto sneak past Williams with a perfect wave in the closing seconds of the heat, whilst Ojeda was taken out by Danielsen.
The sailor that caused the most carnage in the double elimination was Traversa. Traversa made his way into fourth position by ripping the waves to pieces taking down Horrocks, Danielsen, and Seadi. Seadi put up a big fight, by selecting the largest waves in the heat but Traversa was obviously in his element and enjoying the onshore port tack conditions.
Having sailed four astounding heats, Traversa was still firing with all guns blazing in his heat against Koster, throwing big backside aerials and super aggressive frontside hits, whilst Koster spent the first half of the heat looking slightly underpowered. However in one swift minute Koster stormed into the lead with a perfect bolt upright double forward loop and a humongous backloop, allowing him to advance onto face Fernandez Lopez.
Just one heat separated Koster from the world title, if he defeated Fernandez Lopez he would walk away as the 2011 world champion, and if he lost, Fernandez Lopez would be in with a chance of taking the title. Not one to let the pressure get the better of him Koster sailed the heat of his life, with a planning double forward loop, a backside 360 and reverse on one wave. Shortly after Koster was awarded the 2011 world champion title, having won the heat with a 5-0 decision from the judges.
Final
However the battle wasn’t quite over and he still had to face Campello for first place. With the adrenaline pumping through his veins, Koster wowed the crowds with his scale-braking wave rides where he was awarded twelve points for one ride that included an insane one-handed goiter and a taka. Campello tried his hardest to slay the master with his double forward but there was no stopping the wonder kid. Aware of how the heat had gone, Campello made his way back to the beach to prepare for the super-final.
Super-final
The hard work still wasn’t over for Koster, in order to win the event; he had to defeat Campello for a second time. Obviously enjoying his moment, Koster went on to up his game even higher as he launched into a wave 360 where he landed back in the wave, and then he boosted straight into a huge double forward on the way out. Campello replied with a monster double forward in front of the judges, but Koster was on fire.
Having sailed four mind-blowing heats, Koster was awarded the world title and the event win to the cheers from the crowds on the beach.
Super-session
With the competition completed in record time there was plenty of time left to run a super-session. With heats made up of ten men each, the sailors had twenty minutes to launch into the most radical, and daring jumps to advance into the final.
As one of the finest jumpers on tour Campello was the man in charge throughout the super-session, seeing him win the final with a particularly impressive and perfectly landed pushloop forward. The new world champion Koster flew into second place with a spectacular double forward loop and Fernandez Lopez stole third with a double forward of his own.
The Kia @coldhawaii community SUP session
The fifth day of competition witnessed Klitmoller deliver perfect SUP conditions, with light winds and waves peeling in around waist high. Seadi and Bruch we quick to prove they had the skills on the surf, transferring their unique styles from windsurfing on to the SUPs, but it wasn’t enough to fend of the SUP professional Casper Steinfath (Naish).
What next?
The final stop on the PWA world tour will take the sailors to the brutal shores of Sylt in Germany, for the 28th anniversary of the event. Sylt is the largest event on the calendar and attracts well over 200,000 spectators; it will also witness the conclusion to the men’s slalom series, the men’s freestyle series and the men and women’s wave series. Make sure you tuned into the PWA website from the 23rdSeptember – 2nd October for ten days of intense competition.
The 2011 PWA KIA @coldhawaii World Cup Results
1st Philip Koster (Starboard / NeilPryde / Dakine / Maui Ultra Fins)
2nd Ricardo Campello (JP / NeilPryde / MFC)
3rd Victor Fernandez Lopez (Fanatic / North)
4th Thomas Traversa (Tabou / Gaastra)
5th Kauli Seadi (JP / NeilPryde)
6th Kenneth Danielsen (F2 / Simmer / Mystic)
7th Kevin Mevissen (Mystic)
7th Daniel Bruch (Starboard / Severne / AL 360)
9th Ross Williams (Tabou / Gaastra)
9th John Skye (RRD / MFC)
9th Phil Horrocks (JP / Gaastra)
9th Dario Ojeda (Tabou / Simmer / Dakine / MFC)
The 2011 men’s wave overall results (after 3 events)
1st Philip Koster (Starboard / NeilPryde / Dakine / Maui Ultra Fins)
2nd Ricardo Campello (JP / NeilPryde / MFC)
3rd Kauli Seadi (JP / NeilPryde)
4th Victor Fernandez Lopez (Fanatic / North)
5th Daniel Bruch (Starboard / Severne / AL 360)
6th Dario Ojeda (Tabou / Simmer / Dakine / MFC)
7th Thomas Traversa (Tabou / Gaastra)
8th Alex Mussolini (Tabou / Gaastra)
9th Marcilio Browne (Fanatic / North / MFC)
10th Ross Williams (Tabou / Gaastra)
Scope the action
For more information on all the entrants, and to keep up to date with every piece of the action, click on www.pwaworldtour.com
Here you can use our:
– Live ticker service for heat-by-heat bulletins
– Check live elimination ladders
– View results
– Read daily news summaries
– Browse awesome action photo galleries
Follow the event live, with top class commentary from pros and industry insiders and interact with the event on the dedicated website at www.worldcup.coldhawaii.eu
Follow the event on Facebook at www.facebook.com/coldhawaiipenguin and follow the Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/coldhawaii
