Day 8 was an action packed heat at Pozo Izquierdo. The wind machine was on gusting to 50+ knots. We saw competitions in the women, masters, U18 and U21 categories. In the end the Spanish windsurfing community had a reason to celebrate. Read some infos and watch the highlights from day 8 below.
U18 and U21 men double elimination – Escribano and Kiefer-Quintana win
Javier Escribano from Tarifa, who landed brilliant Back loops and Push loops, won the all deciding super final against German Peter Gobisch in the U18 boys category. Bjorn Olsen from Denmark finished in third place.
In the U21 men category local Carlos Kiefer-Quintana had a great day, ripping on his 3.0m sail. He defeated Greek hotshot Gregory Stathopoulos twice landing huge airwaves like Back loops or double Forward loops. Greg gave it all, but could not keep up with the local experience and skills of Carlos, who made in 13th place in the pro men category this year. German Anton Richter, a real high flyer, completed the podium. Both, Greg and Anton finished in 21st position in the men pro category. All three riders are looking to a bright future in wave windsurfing. We are sure that these names will reach the podiums in the men pro category one day.
47 year old Daida Ruano Moreno achieves a epic victory at her home turf (Photo: Carter/PWA)
Women double elimination – Daida Ruano Moreno wins again
After all heats in U18 and U21 men wer done, the top six women from the single elimination started their remaining double elimination heats. Maria Cabezo local Morales Navarro, who can go really high in their jumps, won in the first heat against Justyna Sniady by just 0.04 points, but lost in the next heat against Pozo local Alexia Kiefer Quintana.
Alexia managed to gain one position in the Double Elimination to secure the final spot on the prestigious overall podium to keep her podium streak going, which stretches back to Chile last year and spans six events as the 20-year-old continues to go from strength-to-strength. Alexia felt ready after she brought Maria Morales comeback to an end. She then defeated 15 year Sol Degrieck in the battle for the podium with a combination of big Back loops and dynamic wave riding combined with awesome wave selection. The conditions were excellent at that time of the day. Alexia wasn’t able to keep her good rhythm and Sarah-Quita Offringa destroyed her hopes to reach the final with an aggressive heat landing three perfectly landed jumps on the first run out.
Daida Moreno completed a dream return to the competition scene, after coming out of retirement for this event, to claim an unprecedented 23rd event title in Pozo, but she didn’t exactly have it all her own way as she was forced into a Super Final by Sarah-Quita Offringa. Sarah-Quita showed two brilliant heats defeating local Alexia Kiefer Quintana and 47 year old Daida in the final.
The all deciding Super Final also proved far from simple with Daida Moreno having to produce a massive performance in the second half of the heat to deny Offringa, which she duly did after an equipment change more than paid off. The local, who got support from Dany Bruch, Ricardo Campello and many more, switched from 68 to 62 liters far upwind in the bay. And this was a wise decision. With the smaller board under her feet she landed a big stalled Forward loop and linked a Backside air and a Frontside air (landed wet) in the dying seconds to earn 3.75 points, which proved enough to pip Sarah-Quita Offringa to the event title by just 0.31 of a point. Congrats to Daida and to all participants in the super exciting final of the double elimination.
Sarah-Quita Offringa congratulates event winner Daida Ruano Moreno after the Super Final (Photo: Carter/PWA)
For Offringa, this will be a bitter pill to swallow having been so close to finally defeating Moreno on her home waters – where she remains the undisputed Queen of Pozo. Offringa posted the highest scoring heat of the day in the final against Moreno – 23 points – and led until the bitter end in the Super Final, only to be denied by a buzzer beater. Second place here still represents the 25-time world champion’s best result of the season and gives her a solid foundation on which to build upon for the rest of the season as she goes in search of a fifth consecutive wave world crown.
Final results pro women (one double elimination):
1. Daida Moreno
2. Sarah-Quita Offringa
3. Alexia Kiefer Quintana
4. Sol Degrieck
5. Maria Morales
6. Justyna Sniady
