NoveNove Maui Aloha Classic 2015

NoveNove proud sponsor of the 2015 Maui Aloha Classic
The countdown has already begun for the 2015 NoveNove Maui Aloha Classic, which is considered by many as the pinnacle event of the year. Over the years the Aloha Classic has developed the reputation of being the most prestigious prize in windsurfing, separating the men from the boys and the women from the girls — and this time around it is no different as this years event will ultimately decide the 2015 PWA Wave World Champions.

Ho’okipa (meaning ‘hospitality’) Beach Park, Maui, Hawaii is quintessentially the home of windsurfing. A place any windsurfer has hopes, dreams and aspirations of visiting at some point during their lifetime. What makes Maui so special is its clockwork like trade winds, which combine with some of the best waves on the planet to create the most spectacular windsurfing conditions — and all of this is then set against a stunning, luscious, tropical backdrop. It truly is a destination that every windsurfer must experience at some point in their lifetime.

NoveNove may have only been founded in 2008, but what started out as a small venture between Cesare Cantagalli (Brand Manager) and Gianni Valdambrini (shaper) has soon seen this unmistakably Italian brand develop into one of the most innovative and exciting brands in the windsurfing industry. With three decades of expertise NoveNove combine custom quality with everyday mass production, whilst sticking to their goal which is to ‘uphold the same level of accuracy and quality we have grown accustomed to in every single 99 board being made.’

Now NoveNove are taking things to the next level again by sponsoring this year’s Maui Aloha Classic. By putting their name to one of the most respected events in the windsurfing world, NoveNove have solidified their already established reputation as a serious manufacturer of top quality equipment.

The Title Showdown

The 2015 NoveNove Maui Aloha Classic will take place between the 28th October until the 10th November and at the moment the title race looks destined to be a two-man fight between Philip Köster (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) and Victor Fernandez (Fanatic / North / MFC) for this year’s men’s title, whilst things are shaping up for another epic all Moreno battle between reigning world champion Iballa Moreno (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) and Daida (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins).

A two week holding period almost guarantees epic action with the world’s best ready to combine gouging rail-to-rail turns with the latest aerial manoeuvres in order to earn this illustrious accolade in the home of windsurfing.

However, 99NoveNove’s own team sailors will be hoping to throw a spanner in the works. 3-time world champion — Kauli Seadi (99NoveNove / Hot Sails Maui / MFC) — will return to the professional competition scene after missing last year’s Aloha Classic through injury, and his effortless and fluid style will make him a major contender for the title, whilst Amanda Beenen (99NoveNove / Point-7) — who is in contention for a place on the women’s podium — will be hoping to use her winter training to full effect and make a major impact.

Cesare Cantagalli - Brand manager - 99NoveNove:

“We are proud and greatly honoured to officially announce our sponsorship for the 2015 edition of the NoveNove Maui Aloha Classic which combines the AWT (American Windsurfing Tour) with final event of the PWA Wave Tour 2015.”

“We trust it is a great contribution to our sport in view of supporting the PWA with what we consider being the most legendary event on Tour > Maui Aloha Classic.”

“We strongly believe that the PWA World Tour needs a wave contest performed in that typical Ho’okipa conditions, giving everyone a chance to perform at their full overall abilities combined with Euro events so producing a complete wave discipline winner.”

“On behalf of myself and my partners Gianluca Salvatore and Gianni Valdambrini we wish everyone a great performance and successful event.”

This year’s NoveNove Maui Aloha Classic runs between the 28th October until the 10th November. Are you ready for a clash of the titans as the biggest names in windsurfing prepare to go head-to-head to decide the King and Queen of the waves for 2015? The event promises to be another blockbuster and you’ll be able to follow all of the amazing action as it happens via the PWA live stream and live ticker @ www.pwaworldtour.com.

To see the entire product range from NoveNove visit @ http://www.99novenove.com.

Event Preview: It’s showdown time as the wave sailing elite head for Ho’okipa
This year’s PWA Wave World Tour is about to reach its climax and the stage couldn’t be set more perfectly with what is widely regarded as the most prestigious event on the world calendar deciding the outcome of this year’s world titles.

The elite of the wave sailing world are preparing to do battle one last time at the NoveNove Maui Aloha Classic, which starts on the 28th October and runs until the 10th November. Can Victor Fernandez (Fanatic / North / MFC) pip Philip Köster (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) to the world title? And can Daida Moreno (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) hold her nerve to regain her world crown? There’s only one way to find out and that’s by tuning into www.pwaworldtour.com over the next 13 days.

Ho’okipa (meaning ‘hospitality’) Beach Park, Maui, Hawaii is quintessentially the home of windsurfing. A place any windsurfer has hopes, dreams and aspirations of visiting at some point during their lifetime. What makes Maui so special is its clockwork like trade winds, which combine with some of the best, and biggest, waves on the planet to create the most spectacular windsurfing conditions — and all of this is then set against a stunning, luscious, tropical backdrop. It truly is a destination that every windsurfer must experience at some point in their lifetime.

Ones to Watch

Women’s

The Title Race

The women’s title race sees an exact replica to last year’s showdown. Just like in 2014 Daida Moreno enters the final event of the year with the tour lead — holding a perfect record so far this season with two wins out of two, but reigning Aloha Classic and world champion — Iballa Moreno (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) — remains right on her sister’s heels. A third place finish or better would guarantee Daida the title, but as last year proved anything can happen. For Iballa to retain her world crown she would need the following scenarios:

— If Daida were to finish 4th — Iballa would need to win the NoveNove Maui Aloha Classic.

— If Daida were to finish 5th — Iballa would need to finish 2nd or better.

— If Daida were to finish 6th — Iballa would need to finish 3rd or better, etc.

Meanwhile, Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde / Mystic / Maui Ultra Fins) and Amanda Beenen (99NoveNove / Point-7) will go head-to-head to decide who will complete the women’s podium. Offringa currently holds a narrow advantage, but there’s hardly anything between them, meaning there’s all to play for. Beenen will be hoping to use her training in Maui last winter to gain the upper-hand, but will have her handsful against Offringa who is becoming more and more dangerous at each event. Who do you think will win the battle for third?

The legendary Moreno Twins have earned the right to have things their way most of the time having dominated women’s windsurfing over the last two decades, but Maui is a slightly different beast such is the wealth of local talent on display.

Fiona Wylde (Quatro / Goya Windsurfing) burst onto the scene last year with a hugely impressive display on her debut appearance and she took the rest of the fleet by storm to earn second place, with only Iballa Moreno stopping her in her tracks. The eighteen year old is one of the most exciting talents in the wave sailing world and will be looking to show her excellent wave selection and execution again to achieve another podium finish. The real question is could Wylde go one better this year?

Nayra Alonso (Fanatic / Severne) hasn’t been seen on the competition scene since August 2013, but she’ll be raring to go when the green flag is raised in Maui. Alonso used to be a regular top four finisher at events making her potentially one of the most dangerous women in the fleet — particularly if the swell is as big -- as it is expected to be.

Other names to keep a watchful eye over include Ingrid Larouche (Fanatic / North), who finished seventh here last year and has achieved four podium finishes in a row in Maui during the American Windsurfing Tour (AWT) contests, Alice Arutkin (Fanatic / North), who completed last season in third place overall, whilst finishing fifth in Maui and Sarah Hauser (Tabou / Simmer), who now spends much of her time training at Ho’okipa and thrives in big waves. Any of the locals hold the potential to make the final and the competition is set to be more fierce than ever.

Men’s

The Title Race

The whole season has been building to this boiling point and as we head into the last event of the year there are only two men left standing with a chance of securing the 2015 PWA Wave World Championship. Philip Köster holds an almost unassailable lead at the top of the rankings and already has one hand on a third world title, but Victor Fernandez will be doing everything in his power to win the NoveNove Aloha Classic and steal the crown from the claws of Köster. Victory for Fernandez is the only option to stop Kôster, so the stakes couldn’t be any higher for the Spaniard. However, Fernandez will be more motivated than ever as he attempts to clinch a second world title. It promises to be an epic battle with both sailors willing to lay it all on the line in order to come out on top.

The Fight For Third

Jaeger Stone (Starboard / Severne) is eyeing up his first finish on the overall podium and whilst he holds a commanding position, the deal is not yet set in stone. Alex Mussolini (RRD / RRD) and Marcilio Browne (Goya Windsurfing / MFC) are the only men who could stop the Australian from achieving a first top three finish, but they face a tall order if they wish to rain on Stone’s parade.

Podium Scenarios

Mussolini would require a top three finish or better with Stone finishing sixth or worse to steal third place, whilst Browne would have to win the event outright with Stone again finishing sixth or worse. There’s no doubt that both men possess the talent to do just that so the battle for third promises to be an intriguing affair.

Away from the fight for the overall top three, the contest for the illustrious NoveNove Maui Aloha Classic title will be nothing short of epic as the elite of the PWA prepare to go head-to-head with the ripping Ho’okipa locals once more.

Morgan Noireaux (JP / Hot Sails Maui) enters the 2015 Aloha Classic as the defending champion and will be doing everything in his power to defend his title. The Hawaiian has grown up sailing Ho’okipa and showed his local prowess last year to link devastating wave, after devastating wave to see off the rest of the competition. Noireaux will be one of the biggest threats again and you can expect to see more perfectly timed turns in the pocket together with massive aerials as he looks to win back-to-back Aloha Classics.

However, he will face stern competition from the likes of the aforementioned sailors as well as the 2013 Aloha Classic Champion — Levi Siver (Quatro / Goya Windsurfing / MFC), last year’s world champion and runner up in Maui — Thomas Traversa (Tabou / GA Sails), Graham Ezzy (Tabou / Ezzy), Ricardo Campello (Patrik / Point-7 / MFC), Klaas Voget (Fanatic / Simmer / MFC), Kevin Pritchard (Starboard / Ezzy / MFC) and Robby Swift (JP / NeilPryde / Mystic / Maui Ultra Fins / SWOX) as well as many more such is the depth of talent on offer.

This year’s NoveNove Maui Aloha Classic will also see the return of three-time world champion — Kauli Seadi (99NoveNove / Hot Sails Maui / MFC), who missed last year’s event through injury. In 2013 the Brazilian took home third place and he’ll be hoping to conjure up another eye catching performance with more of his instantly recognisable wave riding.

The forecast currently suggests that the conditions will be absolutely pumping from the word go with a 2.5 metre swell at 15s together with trade winds being predicted for the innaugural day. Are you ready to see the world’s finest wave sailors taking on well over mast high Ho’okipa? It promises to be a show you can’t afford to miss, so make sure you tune into www.pwaworldtour.com between the 28th October until the 10th November — here you’ll able to stay up to date with all of the epic action via the PWA live stream.

Spannend auch, wer wird WM? Ich glaube leider fest, dass Philip Köster gar keine Chance hat nach den ausgefallenen Worldcups Sylt und Frankreich...

Ok, ich habe das noch nicht nachgerechnet. Aber da war doch noch ein Worldcup, oder nicht???

Nur Neukaledonien, Slalom. Hatte noch einen Event im Sinn, aber Wave ist dann auf Maui das Finale...

Ich glaube aber, das Victor deutlich vor Philip abschneiden wird. Stimmt ja, es gibt jetzt einen Streicher und keinen weiteren Event...

Da sind doch jetzt eh erstmal die Ausscheidungskämpfe, tagelang, oder nicht?

Das war Tag 1:

Day 1: Carnage ensues as double mast high waves bombard Ho’okipa
The forecast for the opening day of the NoveNove Maui Aloha Classic promised massive waves and it certainly didn’t disappoint as the biggest waves in almost a decade, during a PWA event, hit the Hawaiian shores of Ho’okipa to produce an epic start to the event.

With double mast high sets rolling into Ho’okipa it was somewhat of a lottery making it out the back with the waves frequently closing out from pavilions down to lanes. Some of the sailors were lucky and found a clean path through, but others weren’t so fortunate and suffered the full wrath of the Pacific Ocean, promptly followed by the rocks, which claimed various pieces of equipment over the course of the day. Today really wasn’t a day for the faint hearted.

Men’s

Single Elimination

The opening couple of heats in the single elimination were testament to just how tough and tricky the conditions were. In the opening heat Kai Katchadourian (Simmer) used his additional local knowledge to stay out of trouble, whilst accumulating a couple of solid scores to safely advance with Rudy Castorina, but Markus Rydberg (Simmer) was one of the unlucky ones who couldn’t find away through the over mast high whitewater.

Meanwhile, Heat 2 saw Keith Teboul (Quatro / Goya Windsurfing / MFC) advance as the winner despite missing most of the heat after being wiped out by an oncoming set, which resulted in a trip over the rocks. The American linked together a perfectly timed opening wave to progress with Ferdinando Loffreda (MauiSails).

Josh Stone (Goya Windsurfing) produced the wave of the day in Heat 3 to safely book his place in the second round. Stone showed his brilliant timing to unleash two stylish aerials, which put him firmly in control of the heat. John Skye (RRD / RRD / MFC) endured a horrid time for much of heat three after being annihilated by the lip by an incoming wave and being washed over the falls, but the Brit kept his cool to secure second place in the dying moments as he landed a big aerial out into the flats to deny Noguchi (Starboard / Severne) a place in the second round.

Kai Lenny (Naish) made things look comparatively easy in heat five as he dominated proceedings to book his place in round two. In the end — Marc Paré (99NoveNove / Simmer / Maui Ultra Fins) — won his baptism of fire (sailing Ho’okipa for the first time in his life) to claim second place and also advance from Heat 4.

In Heat 5 Robby Naish (Naish) used his extensive local knowledge and years of experience to full effect as the king produced a seemingly effortless display to advance alongside Florian Jung (RRD / Gun Sails / Maui Ultra Fins).

Aleix Sanllehy (Tabou / GA Sails) made a storming start to Heat 6 as he pulled off a critically late aerial to set the heat on its way. For a long time it looked as though Sanllehy was going to win the heat with Kauli Seadi (99NoveNove / Hot Sails Maui / MFC) being powerless for much of the heat due to being stuck on the inside. However, the former 3-time world champion found the wave he required with a few minutes to spare as he linked two rail-to-rail top and bottom turns with an aerial from under the lip to book his place in round two together with Sanllehy.

2013 Maui Aloha Classic Champion — Levi Siver (Quatro / Goya Windsurfing / MFC) — proved his title credentials in his opening appearance of this year’s contest as he blew away the rest of the competition. Siver racked up two waves in the excellent range in quick succession as he combined vert snaps with perfectly timed aerials to accumulate the highest score of the day. Also joining Siver in the next round from Heat 7 was Diony Guadagnino (Hot Sails Maui / MFC) with the Venezuelan narrowly edging out Jules Denel (JP / NeilPryde).

The final heat of the opening round saw Bernd Roediger and Dieter Van der Eyken (Starboard / Severne) advance.

Kevin Pritchard (Starboard / Ezzy / MFC) looked in fine form in Heat 9 — smacking the lip on several occasions to win the heat ahead of Kai Katchadourian. Meanwhile, Jaeger Stone (Starboard / Severne) experienced the wrath of Ho’okipa. Every time the Aussie tried to navigate his way out the back Ho’okipa promptly shut him down, but even a trip over the rocks couldn’t deter Stone from heading out again. When Stone did eventually make it out the back he laid it all on the line — aiming for a pitching lip that many would have backed away from, which resulted in him inadvertently rotating into a cheeseroll aerial and another long swim.

Heat 10 saw Thomas Traversa (Tabou / GA Sails) come flying out of the starting blocks as he quickly earned a 7.5 point wave, but after a solid start the Frenchman couldn’t back it up as he too experienced a trip over the rocks. However, with the conditions being so extreme one good wave was quite often enough to see you through and this was again the case as TT advanced in second place behind Keith Teboul.

Josh Stone continued his excellent form from the opening round to successfully advance again from Heat 11, whilst Marcilio Browne (Goya Windsurfing / MFC) sent out a few warning signals with his performance, which saw the Brazilian combine several powerful gouging hacks with a sick tweaked aerial. However, there was no place in the next round for Alex Mussolini (RRD / RRD) and the Spaniard now faces a huge task if he wants to complete the prestigious podium as he would need to fight his way all the way back into at least third place.

The final heat of the day saw the reigning Maui Aloha Classic Champion — Morgan Noireaux (JP / Hot Sails Maui) — in action for the first time and he looked every bit the champion again. Noireaux showed superb reading of the wave and his execution was equally as good if not better and for now he remains the main to beat. Kai Lenny looked as though he had the heat under control at the beginning, quickly earning a 7.5 point wave, but after getting caught on the inside the waterman began to run out of time. With only a few minutes remaining Lenny only needed a two point wave, until Klaas Voget (Fanatic / Simmer / MFC) struck with four raking turns to apply to the pressure to his American opponent. Lenny picked up his final wave, but unfortunately for him it never offered him the scoring potential he needed to advance as Noireaux and Voget marched on.

The forecast for tomorrow shows a slight drop in the swell size, but an increase in the period which should make for epic conditions again, with more emphasis on performance rather than survival. The latest forecast for Ho’okipa can be viewed via WindGuru. The skippers’ meeting has been called for 10:30am with the action commencing from 11am onwards. Make sure you tune into www.pwaworldtour.com to follow all of the amazing action as it happens via the PWA live stream and live ticker.

So siehts aus: