The 2007 Mormaii Ibiraquera Wave Contest / PWA World Cup - Event Preview

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The 2007 Mormaii Ibiraquera Wave Contest / PWA World Cup - Event Preview and Form Guide

Brazil’s Surf-Rich Santa Catarina State will proudly host the PWA World Tour from 9th through 16th October.

The brand new tour stop is a full-status PWA World Cup. The fresh location will truly test the globe’s premium wave sailors in this bountiful season to justly produce the most worthy champion for some time.

PWA Wave Sailing

The wave sailing discipline truly is windsurfing’s most striking format. Marked on wave riding style and jumping ability, the event will see a maximum of one double elimination completed throughout the holding period.

Ibiraquera in Spring can provide thumping beach break surf with wind from either the North or South to test both Port and Starboard tack specialists, and regular and goofy foot riders alike.

Ibiraquera

Around an hour south of Florianopolis, the contest will draw crowds from nearby Uruguay and Argentina too, and is big news for windsurfing and watersports enthusiasts throughout South America.

Who’s coming?

The entire Top-10 and more have all pre-entered. Along with pride, crucial ranking points and a cutting psychological for the seasons end, the big names here will be scrapping for their share of the €30,000 Prize fund.

Please allow us to introduce them…

Kauli Seadi (Quatro / Naish) Brazil: It’s his home spot and he’s played a massive part in getting windsurfing noticed enough in Brazil to produce an event here. He’s the current tour leader, and knows this place like the back of his hand. Who’d dare pitch him as anything but the favourite?
Victor Fernandez (Fanatic / Simmer). Spain: The form player who’s beaten Seadi in the last two finals we’ve seen. He’s not really got any weaknesses in any conditions. Fernandez is always fascinating to watch; especially now as the title race gets interesting.
Josh Angulo. Cabo Verde: Another versatile all-round competitor. Angulo loves clean fast surf and he’ll want the wind to be lighter to limit the aerial ability of the youngsters. That said, he’s the only one of the older set still holding his own in this shark tank of young talent.
Jonas Ceballos (Fanatic / Simmer) Spain: This season’s surprise package. Growing in stature by the second, this hell-man has come of age in 2007 to show he’s got way more to just ruling in Gran Canaria to offer.
Vidar Jensen (North) Norway: Quiet and stealthy on land, his sailing turns the volume up if it’s port tack and windy, and especially if the waves jack up in size.
Nik Baker (Mistral / North) Great Britain: The definition of professional. Like many of the older guys, he’ll want the surf to pump to separate the men from the boys.
Kevin Pritchard (Starboard / MauiSails) United States: It seems the 2006 World Champion can just ghost his way onto any podium going. Pritchard will punish any errors by anyone. If he makes any himself he just loves to fight back through the double. Be aware. Very aware.
Julien Taboulet (F2 / Naish) France: Taboulet’s building momentum, and although he’s known for his trademark jumping moves, he’s a demon in good swell. He’ll be taking it heat by heat but he’ll be focused, intense and ruthless.
Levi Siver (Starboard / NeilPryde) United States: Hawaii’s most rated free sailor is deceptive. He’s already scored a top 10 finish this season and at a purist wave riding location like this he’ll probably climb the rankings – especially if it goes Starboard tack.
Alex Mussolini (JP / NeilPryde) Spain: A big name for the future who’s learning about contest sailing fast. A big result in the big stuff in Cabo Verde means he gets maximum respect from all, just as he does in Maui.Brazilian Talent - The Pick of the Host Nations Finest Home-grown Superstars

Marcilio ‘Brawzinho’ Browne (Mistral / Gaastra). Aged just 18 he’s the most rated all-rounder of the future who’s delivering on his promises already. A freestyle maestro and with a tour win under his belt already he’s now got a taste for victory. He came 4th in Portugal and desperately wants a podium in front of local support.
Ian Mouro Lemos (JP / NeilPryde): Another name who’s on the rise and already respected on the world scene. At this level everyone is given respect, but Lemos will have added motivation to boost his impressive arsenal of jumps and surfing ability.Outside bets you’d be foolish to discount…

Scott McKercher (Starboard / Severne) Australia: The shifty sand bottom waves will remind McKercher of his Western Australian coastline. The bigger the better as far as he’s concerned. Anyone who thinks they can shove past ‘Gramps’ will have to work that extra bit harder.
Ricardo Campello (JP / NeilPryde). Venezuela: 3 World freestyle titles and a desire to succeed in the waves. He’s Brazilian born and grew up surfing the beaches of Rio. Despite being in Margarita he’s sailed this spot plenty of times whilst staying with his close friend Seadi. A remarkable talent who, on his day, is breathtaking to watch.
Jason Polakow (JP / NeilPryde) Australia: Not a tour regular these days but a winner and an innovator. Jason’s also a goofy-footer but just loves clean fast waves on either tack. He’s got one 4th place finish already this year after an on-spec entry, and no one will really want to see their name next to his on the draw.
Thomas Traversa (Tabou / Gaastra) France: Lightweight, compact yet powerful. A top 5 finish at Guincho this season and a clear and present danger if the wind is light and the swell’s pumping.
Ross Williams (Tabou / Gaastra) Great Britain: A natural style, which improves as the surf does.For more information please contact the PWA office via info@pwaworldtour.com (info@pwaworldtour.com)

Š PWA / Brian McDowell

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Vom 2. Tag die News:


The 2007 Mormaii Ibiraquera Wave Contest / PWA World Cup – Day 2

It’s Home Sweet Home for Kauli Seadi as he takes a sensational Single Elimination victory over Levi Siver. Britain’s Nik Baker digs deep to score third ahead of a spirited performance from reigning World Champ Kevin Pritchard in the loser’s final.

Bright sunshine, steady wind around 20 knots, and half-mast to logo-high set waves allowed the completion of the single elimination, and the first two rounds of the double elimination.

A 14-minute heat duration was set with the best 2 rides to count – no jumps.
Phil Horrocks (JP / NeilPryde) proved his potential in the first heat of the morning when he disposed of Scott McKercher (Starboard / Severne) to advance to the third round.

McKercher couldn’t find any decent set waves while Horrocks racked-up several quality rides on some of the best sections going against the 2004 world champ.

Robby Swift (JP / NeilPryde) caused the day’s next upset when he ousted current world number 3 Victor Fernandez (Fanatic / Simmer) in a really close 3rd round heat.

The young Brit expertly hunted down the best waves against form player Fernandez, who’s won the previous two PWA wave events back-to-back.

Tactical wave selection and outright determination also helped Klaas Voget (Fanatic / NeilPryde) overcome stiff opposition in the form of Jason Polakow (JP / NeilPryde).

Polakow seemed to concentrate on the shorter more intense bowls, but the technique failed him as Voget found the longer walls and a larger variety of turns to beat the Australian legend and book his place in the quarterfinals.

Semi-Finals

The semis were so fiercely contested they could easily have been full-blown finals.

Baker started well against Seadi in the first semi with a mammoth long ride that mixed both aerial and turning skill in a spectacular blend.
But soon local knowledge paid off and Kauli Seadi (Quatro / Naish) replied with a stack of amazing waves featuring airs, cutbacks, big late hits, and some nice speed work to get around and over the white-water.
Levi Siver (Starboard / NeilPryde) and Kevin Pritchard (Starboard / MauiSails) had a slow to start to their semi-final, which was pretty light on decent surf at the beginning.
Eventually Siver gained the edge with a slightly more top to bottom approach and wave choice that allowed him to make more of the steep faces he’d sniffed out.

Loser’s Final

Master tacticians Baker and Pritchard went head to head in the loser’s final. Both had previously stayed upwind of the peak and used both backhand and front side turns to score high, as well as keep the option to scream down the line if the right ones opened up.
But this time, not wanting to get into a scrap for the priority and positioning, Pritchard stayed near the inside and cut loose, freeing his fins Brazilian style, whilst Baker stuck with linking the outside sections all the way through to the beach.
Keeping it tactical paid off and Baker took the win and third place ahead of the American who’d gone all-out to express himself and let rip.

Single Elimination Final

Both Siver and Seadi appeared to be in second gear at the start of the final. Siver was visibly not enjoying the stronger wind and Seadi, although showing flashes of his potential couldn’t quite get up top speed and find his natural rhythm.
Siver found some chunkier swells and scored a few nice thumps off the lip later on, but then Seadi pulled an insane contorted Goyta to finish a fantastic ride in the dying seconds.
There were no arguments as to who’d won and Siver could hold his head up high after one the most impressive showings we’ve seen from him in some time.
Seadi was cool and calm about his win when a lesser mortal could have let the expectation get to him whilst under the media spotlight.
‘It was like dream come true for me to win at home here in front of my friends and family’ said the down-to earth superstar. ‘Windsurfing is not so well known here in Brazil, so to have a contest like this and the chance to show this surfing-mad country what I do, and who I compete against is amazing. I tried to relax in the final and concentrate on my own game. I could see my house from the water and that comforted me. I knew Levi had sailed really well but I did my own thing and got some nice little waves and a really sick Goyta at the end!’
Seadi has gone about his business in a calculated manner so far and you get the impression that just isn’t going to change. Whoever surfaces at the end of the double elimination will have to bring something more than special to match Seadi’s electric and energetic style.
Later in the day the double elimination was started and the first two rounds completed. With a jump thrown in to count, the level of action went through the roof.
Heat of the day was without doubt Colin Sifferlen (Starboard / Simmer) versus Alex Mussolini (JP / NeilPryde). Sifferlen landed a 10-point air chacho bolt upright and Mussolini replied with a 9.5 super-high back-arched back loop. Sifferlen’s wave scores helped him squeak through.
So far it appears that McKercher is on the warpath and might have plans on a double elimination charge. Also surviving the second round was impressive youngster Camille Juban (Quatro) who took a mighty scalp when he defeated Marcilio Browne (Mistral / Gaastra). Who knows what the third round will throw up?

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The 2007 Mormaii Ibiraquera Wave Contest / PWA World Cup ? Day 3

Nik Baker ends Victor Fernandez?s dreams of a miracle comeback through the double elimination. Baker now faces single elimination winner Kauli Seadi for a mouth-watering finale to the PWA?s newest tour stop.

A third day of 20 -30 knots of wind and overhead surf allowed all but the final of the double elimination to be completed. A 14-minute heat duration was set with two waves and one jump to count.

The double elimination is all about attack and defense - who?ll charge back up the ladder? Who?ll stand firm and shut the door on any pretenders that didn?t make the cut from the single elimination?
Starting from with the third round today, the system didn?t disappoint and threw up some determined challengers intent on knocking the big names from their pedestals.
First out of the blocks was Norwegian Vidar Jensen (North), the current world number 5, who shrugged-off strong opposition from fellow Gran Canaria residents Jonas Ceballos (Fanatic / Simmer) and John Skye (F2 / Naish) before he was slapped-down by a particularly on-form Klaas Voget (Fanatic / NeilPryde) who was already seeded into the 4th round.
Jensen failed on his trademark double forward loops against the aerial skills of Ceballos and Skye, but won through on solid wave scores until Voget?s aggressive attack halted him.
Julien Taboulet was next on the warpath in an attempt to repeat his famous claw back at Pozo earlier this summer. He managed 3 heats, winning some tough encounters against Phil Horrocks (JP / NeilPryde) and Peter Volwater (F2 / North), using his insane, stalled, tabletop forward loops to knock spots of the other riders jumping skills. However, it was Taboulet?s riding that let him down when he finally fell at the hands of round 4 seed Robby Swift (JP / NeilPryde) who was on fine form in the Ibiraquera waves today.
Swift then caused heartbreak for wavesailing legend and team founder Jason Polakow (JP / NeilPryde). The young Brit comprehensively out sailed the Australian using precise and aggressive timing to his advantage in the punchier sections of the Brazilian beach break, as well as his vast range of jumping experience.
It was a bitter pill for Polakow to swallow as he himself had strung a good run together after defeating Camille Juban (Quatro), Thomas Traversa (Tabou / Gaastra), and Ross Williams (Tabou / Gaastra).
But the most impressive climb up the ladder today came from the shock-knockout from the single elimination, Victor Fernandez (Fanatic / Simmer). The young Spaniard, who was also the pre-event form player with two consecutive event wins, left a path of destruction that truly had the top 4 seeds waiting and watching on the beach for their turn in fear.
On his way, Fernandez slayed Scott McKercher (Starboard /Severne), Ricardo Campello (JP / NeilPryde), Josh Angulo, Klaas Voget, Robby Swift, and Kevin Pritchard (Starboard / MauiSails) before a mammoth showdown with Britain?s Nik Baker (Mistral / North).
Baker pulled-out all the stops to match Fernandez in the air but fully taught the youngster a lesson in wave riding to end his dreams of a hat trick of event victories.
By halting Fernandez, Baker, who finished 3rd in the single elimination, then had a shot at single elimination runner-up Levi Siver (Starboard / NeilPryde).
The 36-yr old veteran of the tour predictably put all his years of knowledge to tactically position himself during the heat, but in the end he won on pure style with long fluid rides that linked all the sections together. That crucial victory means he now faces Kauli Seadi for a shot at the event title and to really pressure Seadi?s world title campaign.
Baker seemed ecstatic with his result, which guarantees him at least second overall and vital ranking points. ?What can I say? I came here after not really sailing as well as I can, and without much port tack, down-the-line practice, so, to get this far is a real bonus. I?m even happier to make the final after we started counting a jump as that?s a real weak point for me on this tack too, especially when you go against guys like Victor?.
?Basically I tried to keep my riding really vertical and top-to-bottom, and to vary the types of turns and hits on the wave - which I know the judges like and that?s what the guidelines specify. I also made sure I concentrated and didn?t get sucked downwind of the peak so I could choose the best waves ? they always look better downwind, and I saw Levi riding well down that way but it paid off to be strict and stick to my plan?.
?In a way I?d have liked to carry straight into the final as I felt like I was on a bit of a roll, but on the other hand I?m grateful for a rest and the time to take stock and re-focus my approach. The locals all say we?ll probably end up running in it in at least the same type of conditions as today, or that we might get lucky and get better waves, we?ll just have to see. I?m just over the moon that I beat these guys and now get the chance to face Kauli at his home spot!?

The organizers hope to use the remaining time left in the holding period to cherry pick the best possible conditions for a fitting final to this classic contest.