Nayra Alonso, who actually is pregnant and will not compete at her homespot Pozo Izquierdo in 2012, hooked up with her teammates and interviewed them about their preparations plus their expectations for the event.
“The PWA Pozo Izquierdo World Cup has finally been confirmed. Our team has been down there in the Canary Islands for a little while getting ready: so I sat down with Victor Fernandez, Klaas Voget and Alessio Stillrich to catch up about how their first impressions have been. Last week it was blowing probably about 50 knots, so they have already had a proper taste of the place. Lets see what their impressions are in 2012.” (Nayra Alonso)
Klaas with a Backside Aerial. It´s a waveriding move, which will not miss in any heats (Pic: PWA/Carter).
Nayra Alonso: How was your very first impression when you first got on the water in Pozo this year? Did you feel fit for the place straight away?
Victor Fernandez: I’ve already sail at Pozo for more than 2 weeks so I feel good right now after 2 great weeks of good conditions. I came from AlmerĂa where I also trained on the water and at the gym. Pozo is one of my favorite spots during the years and it feels like my 2nd home!
Klaas Voget: It was like always. I was here so many times… First days you never get your feet right walking through those rocks, you slide into the gaps, one toe goes up, one down – you know how it is… On the water I felt ok from the beginning on, just the foot that I’ve broken last year started to hurt again in these onshore bottom turns.
Victor rotates through a Tabletop Pushloop (Pic: PWA/Carter 2011).
Nayra Alonso:Â Alessio, you have trained here the whole year. Are there any changes on your sailing-strategies to do better in competition?
Alessio Stillrich: Yes, for sure! I think that this year my wave riding will be better because I can combine all the new moves that I have been learning the whole year through… Apart from that, my jumping skills are better than last year also.
Nayra Alonso:Â What are you focusing more at the moment on the water, training your “overall” sailing, or are you “competition training”, I mean, preparing heats with specific moves on each of them?
Victor Alonso: In the first week I was training overall moves and longer time in the water, right now I do short sessions and more intense from the beginning of the session to simulated as a heat. I do it 2 or 3 times a day, depending on how I feel that day and how the conditions are.
Klaas Voget: I’m just trying to get some moves so dialed, that even the spoon in my coffee in the morning makes this move. I preparedmyself through some real heats this weekend during the Red Bull Soulwave in Denmark to get me in tune for competition then at Pozo Izquierdo.
Alessio Stillrich:Â At the moment I am just sailing for free and trying to do as much as I can in every session. But in the last week before the Worldcup I will do many 10 minute “heats” by myself to get in the competition sailing again as Pozo is the first competition of the year for me.
Nayra Alonso: Two weeks ago the conditions were pretty hectic. Pozo saw  strong conditions with wind up to 50 knots. How was your first contact with this type of conditions this year?
Victor Fernadez: It was great, very good waves & over 50 knots strong gusts! It was the first time I sailed on 3.4 m this year. The waves were as good as Pozo gets and it was very intense, great to tune up my small gear 3.4/3.7 and my small board.
Klaas Voget: I spent several days at Fuerteventura for a shoot for my clothing sponsor Chiemsee while this windy period. It was pretty epic there, too, but with totally different conditions. I was on a 5.0 making aerials in mast-high waves. When I came back to Pozo my first session was pretty crazy. I took the 3.7 m, but only for the psychological reason that I would be still able to rig down. I should have gone for the 3.4 m straight, it was over 50 knots. I must say it was still pretty fun.
Alessio Stillrich: It was sooooo nice to be back on the water overpowered with 3,4 m after nearly one year! I really enjoyed the last week as we had really nice waves too.
Klaas with a high Backloop in front of Pozo village (Pic: PWA/Carter 2011).
Nayra Alonso:Â Are these you favorite Pozo conditions? How do you prefer the place?
Victor Fernandez: Yes, I love it, when the waves are bigger combined with quite strong wind. I feel comfortable in this conditions because I can try different moves, which are much more difficult in light wind conditions and I can get higher on the jumps.
Klaas Voget: I think i like it, when it’s really windy, even though my chances to do really good in the contest would be probably better on a 4.5 with solid waves. For me, the bigger the waves the better. The local boys here are so dialed to strong winds and their smallest sails…
Alessio Stillrich: Yes, for free sailing these are definitely my favorite conditions at Pozo because I love to jump high, but I would prefer a little bit less wind for the competition, as it can be pretty hard to land every move in the heat if you are so overpowered.
Nayra Alonso:Â Every year while the Pozo Izquierdo contest we saw a new move that makes the difference (Table Top Pushloops a while ago, Pushloop forwards more recently, etc..) Do you know if there is any new move we will see for the first time this year?
Victor Fernandez: It´s possible to see new moves coming up! The local guys are ripping and pushing a lot each other. I really hope to see new stuff, because it´s always very attractive and it pushes everyone.
Klaas Voget: We might see something Philip has trained recently, a wave 360 into taka… But also Victor has done some crazy clew first wave moves in the last couple days that I’ve never seen before.
Alessio Stillrich: Yes, I am quite sure that we are going to see a new move if conditions are good.
Victor with a massive tweaked Backside AIr (Pic: PWA/Carter 2011).
Nayra Alonso:Â Which move will make the difference in the competition this year?
Victor Fernandez: I think the waveriding is always important at Pozo. All the wave moves and vertical turns will score a lot. In the jumps for sure more guys are pushing & we will see more Push Forwards, Double Forwords and other great moves.
Klaas Voget: I guess it will still be the Push-Forward, which will make the difference.
Alessio Stillrich: I have heard rumors that someone has made some triples already…So I think this is the key move to win the competition this year. Apart from that, the Push Forward will be counting high especially if you do it to perfection.
Nayra Alonso:Â What are you trying to “polish” at the moment?
Victor Fernandez: I’m working on the push forward and a few other wave moves, everyday is different so I do what I’m able to do depending on the conditions, always having fun!
Klaas Voget: I’m polishing my backside 360. Unfortunately I’ve had a few problems with my foot lately going frontside for takas and frontside360, hope that gets better again until the contest. Also I hope we’ll get a few more good jumping days, as I’ve missed the best of it while I was on my Fuerteventura trip.
Alessio Stillrich: I am trying to stick all my Goiters because I want to be sure to make them in the competition, apart from that I have learned the One Footed Backloops some days ago also. I will try to continue practicing Pushloop Forwards coming week as I have landed the last one two month ago and I need more practice so that I will land them in my heats also.
Alessio goes for a Goiter, a move he trained a lot whil eth epast months (Pic: PWA/Carter 2011).
© Nayra Alonso 2012, PWA/Carter 2011
