Maui Aloha Classic Tag 4

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Bereits zum vierten Tag in Folge liefert  Ho'okipa hervorragende Bedingungen, die Single Elimination der Damen wurde bis zu den letzten vier Surferinnen abgeschlossen. Weitere sieben Heats der Double Elimination der Herren wurden ebenfalls abgeschlossen, bevor der Wind dann zu schwach wurde.  Heute war der Wind insgesamt etwas schwächer, auch die Wellen waren etwas kleiner als an den Vortagen, allerdings waren die Wellen absolut perfekt, so dass heute spektakuläres Weltklasse Waveriding möglich war. Women’s Single Elimination The women kicked the day off at 11am with the resail of Heat 10 and Sarah Hauser (Tabou / Simmer) was the standout sailor as she won the heat ahead of Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde / Mystic / Maui Ultra Fins). Hauser showed excellent speed on the wave and she combined superb wave selection with fluid carving turns to progress, whilst Offringa was able to connect with a few powerful, vert snaps to end the hopes of Nayra Alonso (Fanatic / Severne) and Tiffany Ward (Starboard / Ezzy). Heat 11 featured Ingrid Larouche (Fanatic / North), Shawna Cropas (JP / NeilPryde), Jessica Crisp (Patrik / Hot Sails Maui) and Amanda Beenen (99NoveNove / Point-7). Larouche has made the podium at four consecutive Aloha Classics and she showed why with a combination of excellent wave selection and execution to win the heat ahead of Cropas. Reigning world and Aloha Classic Champion — Iballa Moreno (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) — took to the water for the first time in Heat 12 and she made no mistakes in what could’ve proved to be an extremely tricky heat with Fiona Wylde (Starboard / Goya Windsurfing), who finished second in last year’s Aloha Classic, and Alice Arutkin (Fanatic / North), who completed the overall podium in 2014, also involved. Iballa produced the performance of the day so far with the highlight seeing her earn a 9 point wave for a snappy turn off the top together with an aerial. However, it wasn’t either Wylde or Arutkin joining her in the next round as Anne-Marie Reichman (Starboard / Hot Sails Maui) proved to be the dark horse of the heat. The Dutch girl landed two powerful, late hits off the lip to earn 8.38 points and despite Wylde’s best efforts to overhaul her the 18 year old couldn’t quite find enough. Reichman and Wylde finished the heat tied on points, but Reichman won the tiebreak with the highest single wave score carrying her through. Sarah Hauser shone again in the first semifinal as she booked her place in her first PWA Winners’ Final to cap a fantastic day. Meanwhile, the fight for the remaining place in the final saw a close tussle between Vickey Abbot, Sarah-Quita Offringa and at the time current world tour leader Daida Moreno (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins). Britain’s Abbot clinched second place in the end as she consistently picked out the best waves before combining perfectly timed turns in the pocket to fend off Offringa by just quarter of a point. Offringa produced her best wave at the death, but unfortunately for her there was no time remaining to reverse the result. With Daida eliminated from the single elimination this opened the door for Iballa to assume control of the title race, but could she take advantage of the opportunity presented before her’? For Iballa to take control of the title race she would need to book her place in the final as a top four finish or better would be enough to see her overtake Daida, for the time being at least, and that’s exactly what she managed to do by winning Heat 14 ahead of Ingrid Larouche.  The final was started but had to be cancelled with the conditions deemed not suitable with three out of the four girls getting pinned on the inside. Before the cancellation flag was raised Iballa suffered a horrific wipeout which saw her air drop upside down into the pit of a pitching wave, but thankfully she survived unscathed. At the end of Day 4 Iballa sits at the top of the world rankings and the better she can do in the final the more pressure it will apply to Daida. A fourth place finish for Iballa would mean Daida would only need to improve one position in the double to move back to the top of the overall rankings, so the title race is still poised on a knife edge. Men’s  Double Elimination Ricardo Campello (Patrik / Point-7 / MFC) was the standout sailor in the double elimination today as he combined devastating full roundhouse cutbacks with late aerials and air taka attempts to consistently earn waves in the excellent range. Campello won both of his heats in emphatic fashion and looks to be one of the most dangerous sailors coming back through the double.  Heat 36 was probably the heat of the day as Keith Teboul (Quatro / Goya Windsurfing / MFC) went head-to-head with Kai Lenny (Naish / MFC), Bernd Roediger (Naish / MFC) and Antoine Martin (JP / NeilPryde / MFC). Teboul was in terrific form, but unfortunately ran into Lenny and Roediger, who were simply unstoppable. Teboul was qualifying until his two fellow countryman both destroyed their final waves with both landing massive aerials and vert snaps to secure the top two places.  Roediger and Lenny then both progressed again from Heat 40 ending the hopes of Josh Stone (Goya Windsurfing) and Robby Swift (JP / NeilPryde / Mystic / Maui Ultra Fins / SWOX) with more brilliant riding -- with Roediger also landing a perfect goiter off a smaller inside section, which is the first goiter landed in the entire contest.  Emotions ran high in Heat 41 when the heat was cancelled with Diony Guadagnino (Hot Sails Maui / MFC) leading and the Venezuelan was visibly upset and angry when he returned to the beach. At the time he and Ricardo Campello were qualifying with Victor Fernandez (Fanatic / North / MFC) less than a point behind, but the wind was deemed to have become too light to give the sailors a fair chance of being able to show what they can do.  The title race is still alive with Victor Fernandez fighting his way back through the double. The Spaniard produced his best waves of the contest so far and whilst he still has a long way to go to deny Philip Köster (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) a third world title, he still has a chance of completing what would be a heroic comeback, whilst he remains in the draw.  The wind forecast for tomorrow looks excellent, but the swell is forecast to drop so a decision will be made at the 10:30am skippers’ meeting for the days plan of action. The first possible start will again be 11am. Make sure you tune into www.pwaworldtour.com to stay up to date with all the latest news from the NoveNove Maui Aloha Classic via the PWA live steam and live ticker