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So far this year we have seen the slalom and freestyle fleets in action and now it’s finally time for the world’s most radical sailors to take centre stage as both the men’s and women’s wave fleets head to Pozo for the Gran Canaria Wind & Waves Festival, which kicks off tomorrow and runs until the 9th July.
Pozo Izquierdo is internationally famed in the windsurfing world due to its unrelenting wind and steep waves. The combination of these two factors creates the perfect playground for the world’s most extreme sailors to defy gravity and perform the biggest stunts on the planet. The local effects mean that even the slightest breeze can soon be accelerated to nuclear strength, with the wind peaking at around fifty knots. Don’t be surprised to see even the biggest guys reaching for the smallest equipment available, as Pozo looks to separate the men from the boys and the women from the girls.
Massive action in Pozo - Philip Köster
Ones to Watch
Women’s
The women’s division looks as though we’ll see another epic battle between the legendary Moreno twins — Daida Ruano Moreno (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) and Iballa Ruano Moreno (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) — who have dominated the top 2 for the past 15 years and neither of them look like slowing down any time soon. The last two seasons have seen Iballa pip Daida to the overall title, but Daida will still be favourite heading into the first battle of the year having only lost once in Pozo in 15 year, which was to Iballa in 2012. Both of the girls possess world class jumping with huge stalled forward, pushloops and one-handed backloops in their bag of tricks, while Daida also pulled off a double forward during last year’s expression session. The battle between the twins promises to be as intriguing as ever and it seems like a very large ask to anyone to defeat them such is their dominance.
Reigning World Champion - Iballa Moreno
However, Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins), may have different plans. The Aruban gem has made an encouraging transition into the waves and earned her maiden podium last year in only her second season in the wave division. Offringa is fiercely competitive and with 8 freestyle world titles and 2 slalom world titles to her name you would not bet against her being able to cause an upset.
Sarah-Quita Offringa
Amanda Beenen (99NoveNove / Point-7) - will be raring to go again with her aggressive, no fear approach capable of causing anyone problems. Beenen narrowly misses out on the overall podium in 2015 and you can expect to see her coming out with all guns blazing as she looks to make a positive start to the year. Expect to see big forwards, table top forwards and some seriously tasty turns as she looks to achieve a place on the podium.
Amanda Beenen
You can also expect to see a big performance from Steffi Wahl (Patrik / Sailloft Hamburg) who is one of the most consistent performers on the tour. Wahl always impresses with her stylish wave riding and has now added backloops to her jumping. A place in the top five looks a certainty for a competitor who thrives in the competitive ring.
Steffi Wahl
Elsewhere, keep an eye out for Alice Arutkin (Fanatic / North), who finished 3rd overall in 2015, however Pozo is not the French beauties strongest event and you can expect to see bigger performances from her later in the year, Justyna Sniady (Simmer / Simmer), who has now perfected forwards and backloops and could be a real danger. Caterina Stenta (RRD / RRD / Maui Ultra Fins), who appears to progressing all the time and also the emerging talents of Lina Erpenstein (Patrik / Sailloft Hamburg / Maui Ultra Fins) — who will be fresh from a winter of training in Western Australia and Maui — and last but not least 17 year old Nicole Bandini (Fanatic / North) — who has aspirations of breaking into the top 5 come the end of the year.
Justyna Sniady
Men’s
Philip Köster (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) will enter the opening event of the year as the favourite after claiming a 3rd world title last year at the age of just 22. Köster grew up in Gran Canaria and so far the German has proven almost unbeatable on home waters having already claimed 4 event victories here and it is going to take a monumental effort to dethrone him. Expect to see ankle-dry double forward, pushloop forwards and if the conditions allow we may even see him pull the triple loop trigger again as he looks to make the perfect start to the season in a quest for a 4th world title.
Philip Köster
Victor Fernandez (Fanatic / North / MFC) is consistently one of the top performers in the world and he finished last year as the vice-world champion, agonisingly missing out on a 2nd world crown on count back to Philip Köster — having finished the season level on 6,234 points. The Spaniard is a Pozo specialist and has not finished outside the top three since 2008, so looks a sure fire bet to be challenging for top honours again. You are almost guaranteed a big performance from Fernandez and he will not be far away come the end of the week.
Victor Fernandez
Jaeger Stone (Starboard / Severne) has made an impressive return to the PWA Wave World Tour — after taking a break for a couple of years to complete his studies and recover from injury — and last year saw the Australian deservedly earn a place on the overall podium for the first time in his career. Stone consistently earns the highest wave riding scores heat-by-heat and he’ll be even more dangerous than before if he’s able to start stomping doubles — particularly in the latter stages of the event. The 25 year old finished 6th here last year and could easily go further this time around as he goes in search of a maiden world title.
Jaeger Stone
2015 PWA Wave World Champion — Thomas Traversa (Tabou / GA Sails) — finished 4th overall last year and he’ll be on a mission to regain his world crown. On paper Pozo may not the TT’s favourite event, but he managed an excellent 5th place here last year and you’d think he’d be there or there abouts again. Traversa arrived early in Pozo this year to make sure he’s raring to go when the green flag goes up and has apparently been perfecting his double forwards, which would make him an even bigger threat. Traversa also possesses some of the silkiest wave riding in the world and as a result has the capability to take down anyone.
Thomas Traversa
Alex Mussolini (RRD / RRD) completed the podium in Pozo in 2015 with his repertoire of jumping and fluid wave riding doing the damage. The Spaniard finished last season in 6th overall and you can expect to see more stunning one-hand, one-foot backloops and frontside 3s as he looks to make a strong start to the season.
Alex Mussolini
Marcilio Browne (Goya Windsurfing / MFC) will be looking to write the record straight after a disappointing performance, by his high standards, here last year when the Brazilian had to settle for joint 13th. Browne has earned one wave world title so far and seems hungry for more and you can expect to see a polished display. Brawzinho is one of the sailors with perfect double forwards on tap and by the looks of it the 27 year old has added pushloop forwards to his repertoire as well as training shifties. If everything falls into place Browne will be a serious contender for both the event and overall title.
Marcilio Browne
Robby Swift (JP / NeilPryde / Mystic / SWOX) enjoyed another successful season last year with 4 top 10 performances from 5 events. The Brit usually sails well in Pozo and has one of the best pushloop forwards in the business, which will make him a real danger and at a minimum you’d expect to see him record top 10 finish with the possibility of going much further.
Robby Swift
Dany Bruch (Starboard / AL360) secured 4th place here in 2015 — 9th overall — and if the German can replicate that form he will once again be in the thick of the action.
Dany Bruch
Klaas Voget (Fanatic / North / MFC) completed the overall top 10 last year and with his competition experience he is always a danger. However, with the emphasis on jumping in Pozo the German’s best performances may come at later events in the year.
Klaas Voget
Outside of last year’s top 10 there’s an almost never ending list of sailors who are more than capable of beating anyone on their day such is the standard of sailing on tour at the moment. First and foremost the Pozo locals with be a major threat with the likes of Alessio Stillrich (Fanatic / North) — who has taken his sailing to another level again — Moritz Mauch (Severne / Severne / MFC) — who possess some of the best wave moves in the world. The only question mark will be with his jumping, Josep Pons (Simmer), who is one of the best jumpers in the world, Aleix Sanllehy (Tabou / GA Sails) and of course Dario Ojeda (99NoveNove / Challenger Sails) who earned back-to-back podiums here in 2011 and 2012.
Alessio Stillrich
Also the likes of Jules Denel (JP / NeilPryde), Leon Jamaer (JP / NeilPryde), Adam Lewis (Fanatic / North / SWOX) and Antoine Martin (JP / NeilPryde) will all be pushing for a place in the top 10 with the latter landing pushloops and backloops off the lip in the build up to the event.
Antoine Martin
Unfortunately the Gran Canaria Wind & Waves Festival has come a little too soon for Ricardo Campello (Patrik / Point-7 / MFC), who suffered a serious foot injury in April. Campello finished 5th overall in 2015 and his radical approach to sailing will be sorely missed. Everyone hopes to see him fighting fit for Tenerife and we wish him a continued successful recovery.
Ricardo Campello
The forecast looks a bit lighter on the forecast for the opening couple of days before kicking in strong from midweek, which should lead to plenty of mouthwatering action. Make sure you tune intowww.pwaworldtour.com from the 3rd-9th July to see all of the gravity defying stunts as they happen via the PWA live stream and live ticker.
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Youth's - Class of 2016
Alessio Stillrich getting lost in the clouds
