KIA @coldhawaii World Cup – Day two: Howling winds and enormous waves thrashed Klitmoller’s coastline for the second day of competition, ensuring insane action and allowing Ricardo Campello to fly through the single elimination.

Relentless winds and waves pounded the world’s wave specialists for eleven intense hours of competition. Some of the most extreme conditions seen on the 2011 tour fuelled the wave fleet through the single elimination and all but the final eight heats of the double elimination. Waves reaching well over mast high and winds blowing over forty knots, put the sailors on their smallest equipment and ensured the spectators were treated to an action packed display of insane jumps, monumental wave rides and a number of spectacular crashes.

Single Elimination

Picking up the action from where they left off yesterday, the PWA crew kicked the day off at round two of the single elimination, where the top seeded sailors entered the mix.

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 / Maui Sails), 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 onto face the Brazilian Kauli Seadi (JP / NeilPryde), and despite his enormous jumps, it wasn’t enough to stop a very on form Seadi who having won the event in 2010 was very dialed into the conditions Klitmoller was delivering.

Also reveling in the crazy conditions and working his way past his opponents on his home ground, local legend Kenneth Danielsen (F2 / Simmer / Mystic) 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 extreme 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.

Winners Quote

Ricardo Campello (JP / NeilPryde / MFC)
“I am really, really happy, it has been a long time since I have won a single elimination, since my freestyle career. I am really pleased with my sailing in the last two heats; I really needed it, as Philip and Victor are so good. I landed a push-forward in both heats, which is so hard in the conditions today. It was super hard to stay upwind but I managed to work it out, there is a lot to go, but at least I am safe in the top two.”

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.

Kevin Mevissen (Mystic) took the double elimination by storm and sailed each heat like it was his last, hitting each ramp with as much speed as he good to launch into amazing pushloops and super stalled forward loops. Mevissen took down some of the finest of the international competitors including, Mussolini (Tabou / Gaastra) and Kai Lenny (Naish / Naish). Mevissen currently sits in ninth places and will move on to face Skye tomorrow.

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 Brit Phil Horrocks (JP / Gaastra) took him down with an amazing double forward loop.

Ojeda and Dany Bruch (Patrik / Severne / AL 360) each delivered two mind blowing performances to make their way into ninth 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. The pair will move on to face Danielsen and Williams respectively tomorrow.

Special mention also has to go to Christopher Friis, Stefan Gobisch (JP / Simmer), Ben Proffitt (Simmer) and Horrocks for working their way through the double elimination and raising their overall scores.

Wave of the Day

The highest scoring wave of the day came from Browne in his battle against Mads Bjornaa (Fanatic / Simmer). A fine choice saw Browne on one of the largest waves of the day, he opened up with two super smooth backside turns, an enormous backside 360 off the lip and an aggressive frontside hit to finish. Blown away by the insane ride, the judges awarded Browne straight ten’s for his remarkable sailing.

After an epic day on the water with eleven hours of competition completed in the insane conditions, the sailors were released for the day at 7pm. The final heats of the double elimination will continue tomorrow, kicking off with the skippers’ meeting at 10am and a first possible start to competition at 10:30am.

Results

1^st Ricardo Campello (JP / NeilPryde / MFC)
2^nd Victor Fernandez Lopez (Fanatic / North)
3^rd Philip Koster (Starboard / NeilPryde / Dakine / Maui Ultra Fin)
4^th Kauli Seadi (JP / NeilPryde)
5^th Kenneth Danielsen (F2 / Simmer)
5^th John Skye (RRD / RRD / MFC)
5^th Thomas Traversa (Tabou / Gaastra)
5^th Ross Williams (Tabou / Gaastra)
9^th Daniel Bruch (Patrik / Severne / AL 360)
9^th Phil Horrocks (JP / Gaastra)
9^th Kevin Mevissen (Mystic)
9^th Dario Ojeda (Tabou / Simmer / Dakine / MFC)