AWT Maui Makani Classic – Bernd Roediger wins

16 year-old Bernd Roediger made the impossible possible. He was able to defeat Kevin Pritchard twice in the double elimination and took the title of the 2012 Makani Classic.

Bernd Roediger takes it all against KP and Marcilio (Pic: AWT).

We saw two tight finals in really light wind conditions, but clean waves. Bernd Roediger, who eliminated Marcilio Browne first, started already warmed-up his heat against Kevin Pritchard, who was leading after the single elimination.

First Bernd had to win heat number 49. Kevin landed a nice one-handed classic Aerial and made some deep powerful bottom turns. Bernd started his heat with a little wave ride, but then set up for a really powerful wave ride and finished the ride with an Aerial. Later he continued with a nice Goiter and landed another Aerial off the lip.

Kevin answered with a powerful Wave 360°, but missed some points for winning this heat and the event. Matt Pritchard announced Bernd as the winner of heat 49 at the beach and sent both out for another show-down.

Smoothest Aerial style at Ho´okipa by a 16 year old wonderkid (Pic: AWT).

SUPER FINAL

Kevin started off really strong with a perfect waveride just when the green flag came up. An excellent ride with two turns and an Aerial. On his next wave he went for a big floater above the white water. Solid! Bernd answered with a newschol waveride with 4 turns and landed two Aerials in between his ride.

The wind was light, 8 to 16 knots, which made it difficult to go upwind. Kevin, the much heavier sailor, ended up far downwind after one of his rides. In the meanwhile Bernd grabbed a wave, went for several nice turns and finished the ride with a aperfect Taka. Probably the highest rated waveride in this heat. Kevin landed another one handed Aerial and a perfect powerful Wave 360° a few minutes before the end of final number 2.

The decision of the judges was again the same. Bernd had the higher points on the sheets and claimed the victory. Big congratulations to all finalists and especially to Bernd, who impressed the whole windsurfing world with this victory at this young age.