Men’s Double
The first heat of the day started at around 13:30h with the continuation of
the men’s doubles going into the final round. First up was heat #28 with
Mallory De La Villemarque (North, France) going up against Spain’s Alex
Pastor (Naish). Pastor was on a mission this time after being denied by
Hadlow the chance for a podium spot in the men’s single round last
Thursday. Pastor landed more technical moves including a front mobe 5,
regular and switched mobe, a mobe and a double handle pass while De La
Villemarque landed a regular and switched front mobe but rode with his kite
a little high and tripped up on a few landings, loosing the heat to Pastor.
In the second round of heat #28, Ruben Lenten (Slingshot, Netherlands) got
the best of United Kingdom’s Tom Court (North) and won the heat via more
powered and bigger moves. Lenten won the heat with a huge front mobe, mobe,
non-inverted slimchance and his trademark mega loop while Court tried his
best with a regular and switched mobe, kiteloop non-inverted slimchance,
blind judge and a front mobe.
In the second round of the 29th heat, the battle of the two Brazilians and
North teammates Reno Romeu and Victor Adamo took to the waters. Romeu proved
to be the better kiteboarder this time and managed to win the heat, landing
a mobe 7. Although his kite angle was fairly high, he landed several more
powered and technical tricks to take the win. So after winning both their
respective heats, Lenten went up against Pastor next, with the Spanish
kiteboarder nailing two regular and switched moves plus a double handle
pass, winning the heat with more powered moves and technical difficulty.
Lenten equally rode well but had limited technical moves and had no switch
moves which became among the deciding factors of the heat.
Romeu went up against Russian kiteboarder Petr Tyuskevich (Cabrinha) in the
30th heat going into the final round. The Cabrinha rider lost the heat
courtesy of an all-fired up Romeu, who was the last Brazilian kiteboarder
standing and had to carry the hopes of the host country on his shoulders.
Romeu managed to pull through with a solid display of moves including a
regular and switched slim, mobe, 313 5 and a blind judge with aerial handle
pass. Tyuskevich in return, tried hard with a regular and switched slim,
mobe and KGB but lacked the power and risk factor to beat Romeu. Then in the
next heat, all hopes went down the drain for Romeu when he lost the round
courtesy of an all-fired up Pastor, who went on with another display of
powered moves and superb technical riding. A mobe 7, switch mobe 5, huge
powered front mobe, 313, blind judge with aerial handle pass and a massive
kiteloop 5 made life tough for the Brazilian who managed a slim, mobe, front
mobe, 313, blind judge with aerial handle pass and big kiteloop-backloop.
Up next against Pastor was Italy’s Alberto Rondina (Cabrinha) who was
completely outshined in the heat with risk factors and variety. Rondina
managed to stomp some really nice moves including a mobe, hasselhoff and
s-bend to blind with air pass but were not enough to beat Pastor’s massive
kiteloop handle pass, mobe 7, slim and blind judge with aerial handle pass.
In heat #33, Alvaro Onieva (Best, Spain) came out firing against countryman
Pastor who started to show signs of fatigue and exhaustion after beating one
kiteboarder by another. Onieva nailed a massive mobe with the kite only feet
off the water and went on to land a huge kiteloop 5, a KGB and an s-bend to
blind with air pass before he took off for a front mobe and crashed his kite
into Pastor’s. In the wrong for jumping upwind of Pastor and tangling
kites, Onieva was disqualified. Pastor did managed to land a regular and
switched mobe, blind judge with aerial handle pass, front mobe and
butt-checked a mobe 7, a huge kiteloop handle pass and an s-bend to blind
with air pass.
As with any Freestyle final round, everyone was in for a show and the
Brazilian leg proved no exception. Pastor went up against the reigning world
champ Aaron Hadlow (Flexifoil, UK) in heat #34, for a chance at the top
podium spot. Pastor rode like a man possessed, running on fumes, landing a
front mobe 5 and butt-checked out of a mobe 7. Although he had a higher kite
angle on the mobe 7, he did two super technical moves. Hadlow rode fast and
with height in some moves which earned him favor for overall impression.
Pastor nailed a regular and switched mobe, regular and switched back to
blind air pass, regular and switched slim, a 313, kiteloop handle pass, a
massive front mobe off a big kicker out the back and a mobe to wrapped,
earning him favor for tech and switched moves. Although his kite angle was
higher Hadlow landed a double back to wrapped, mobe to wrapped, front mobe
to blind, a powered blind judge with aerial handle pass and s-bend to blind
with aerial handle pass, KGB, front mobe, 313 with another spin after the
pass, a mobe and a back to blind air pass. No switch moves and several high
kite angle moves proved to be Hadlow’s downfall in the eyes of the judges.
In the end Pastor won with a decision of 4-1 with greater technical
difficulties (double passes) and switch moves.
In the final round, Pastor seemed to gave all what was left of his remaining
strength giving Kevin Langeree (Naish, Netherlands) a run for his money,
pushing the games all the way. Pastor managed to land a regular and switched
back to blind air pass along with a blind judge with aerial handle pass,
slim, mobe 5, and a backside 360 off the kickers on the inside. Langeree on
the other hand managed to do his best also, keeping his championship title
hopes alive going with his usual bag of tricks including a 313, non-inverted
slimchance, double back mobe, mobe 7, kiteloop handle pass, front mobe 5, a
huge KGB, front mobe, a back side 3 and a blind judge with aerial handle
pass with the kite just feet off the water. Langeree won with more power,
technical difficulties, height and smoother riding.
Women’s Double
In the continuation of the women’s round, Susie Mai (Cabrinha, Germany)
defeated Wiktoria Boszko (North, Poland) in heat #14 which kicked off the
women’s freestyle event. A railey to blind, front to blind, double back
and kiteloop sealed the win for the German kiteboarder. Boszko managed to
land a railey to blind and a few other tricks including a railey and vulcan,
loosing the game with less variety and risk factor. In the same heat, Jalou
Langeree (Naish, Netherlands) won over Kari Schiebevaag (Ozone, Norway) with
a big kiteloop, vulcan to surface pass and krypt to surface pass. Winning
both of their matches, Mai went on next against Langeree who won via more
variety, technical moves and powered riding, landing a krypt to surface
pass, railey to blind, vulcan to surface pass and a huge kiteloop. Mai
landed a railey to blind and a double backloop-kiteloop. Audrey Meyer told a
different story in heat #16 and struggled in the waters trying to nail her
big handle pass move and went for a few big kiteloop and a front
loop-kiteloop while her opponent Langeree, landed a blind judge, vulcan and
krypts to surface pass and a kiteloop, winning via more variety and
technical difficulty. In heat #17, Ania Grzelinska (North, Poland) ended
Langeree’s aspiration for a podium position, landing a blind judge, a huge
frontloop-kiteloop, and a krypt to surface pass. The Naish kiteboarder
landed a krypt and vulcan to surface pass but crashed her blind judge and
therefore lost out on risk factor plus with a smaller kiteloop and high kite
angle, lost on power.
In the 18th heat, Grzelinska went face to face with Gisela Pulido
(Slingshot, Spain) who landed a 313, front mobe, a sent handle pass and a
slim, winning via technical difficulty for her air pass moves against
Grzelinska’s railey to wrapped, railey to blind, back to blind and
kiteloop.
The final round was equally a crowd pleaser as that of the men’s final
with Pulido going up against Karolina Winkowska (Naish, Poland) in two
heats. In the first round, Pulido landed her big moves while Winkowska
struggled to find her form of the singles. Pulido landed a front mobe, 313,
blind judge, sent handle pass and sent front mobe. Winkowska did land a slim
but crashed most of her other big moves which lead to a second round for the
overall win.
In the second round, Winkowska opened the heat with a blind judge but again
struggled on her smallest kite to nail her big moves. Pulido on the other
hand came through like a champ and delivered well, nailing a blind judge,
slim, 313, front mobe and a sent handle pass to win the Brazilian
championship crown for the ladies.
The wind continued out strong after the final rounds which wrapped up at
around 17:00h. Afterwards, there was an expression session with the
competitors hitting the water to be filmed and photographed by the media and
crowd on the beach along with a helicopter from the sky.
Final Results:
Men’s Double:
1. Kevin Langeree (Naish, Netherlands)
2. Alex Pastor (Naish, Spain)
3. Aaron Hadlow (Flexifoil, UK)
4. Alvaro Onieva (Best, Spain)
Women’s Double:
1. Gisela Pulido (Slingshot, Spain)
2. Karolina Winkowska (Naish, Poland)
3. Ania Grzelinska (North, Poland)
4. Jalou Langeree (Naish, Netherlands)
One interesting fact of information is that if Aaron Hadlow had come in 2nd
or 1st place today he would have enough points to be crowned world champion
for the 4th time. Kevin Langeree’s hopes are still alive so it all comes
down to the last event of the year in Chile from September 29 to October 6
for the World Championship Title. This is the first time in PKRA history
that the world champion title will be decided on the last event. Stay
Tuned…
Stay tuned and get the latest news from the PKRA World Tour 2007 only at
www.extremeelements.com.
For more information please visit or contact:
http://www.kiteworldtour.com