Aloha Classic: Sarah-Quita is Wave World Champion, Antoine Martin wins Single Elimination
SURF Redaktion
· 30.10.2023
Patience, wave selection and the right positioning in the line-up were the keys to success in the "chess game" of the first round, as windsurfing legend Robby Naish called it in the live stream. The men's and women's single elimination was held on the second day of the Aloha Classics in solid, logo- to mast-high waves. Due to the weak wind, a lot of tactics were required - a wrong decision could have devastating consequences in the heat.
Four riders competed against each other in each of the 27-minute heats, with the best two waves per person counting towards the classification. In the given conditions, the waveriders only really started to slide on the wave, as the wind was not strong enough to slide out, let alone jump. So the first round was more like a surfing contest than a conventional windsurfing contest: dumping out, positioning, waiting for the set, choosing the right wave, pumping, and then trying to get the most out of the chosen wave, at best with one or two powerful turns on the lip and finishing with an aerial or rotation manoeuvre on the last section of the wave - that's what the judges wanted to see.
Sarah-Quita wins single elimination and secures her third Wave World Champion title
Sarah-Quita Offringa has now amassed an incredible 23 world championship titles. With her latest success at this year's Aloha Classic, she also holds the crown in wave riding since 2019. In the final, the Queen of Windsurfing was able to catch the best waves while showing a powerful variety of turns to deservedly secure the top spot on the podium.
Maria Behrens from Germany fought an intense duel for second place with Coco Foveau in the final, with just 0.04 points separating the two in the end. In the end, Foveau narrowly came out on top, while Maria Behrens will be delighted to have made it onto the podium at her first Aloha Classic - at least for the time being. After her success at the World Cup on Sylt, the young German from Lübeck is currently flying high - she seems to be particularly good at riding waves, which has enabled her to score well-deserved points at the last two events, regardless of whether the wind is blowing from the left or right.
Antoine Martin well on his way to event victory
In the final, 30-year-old Antoine Martin linked two waves in excellent territory - 8.53 and 8.43 points - to prevail over Bernd Roediger (2nd place), Marcilio Browne (3rd) and Camille Juban (4th). With this victory in the single elimination, he has done everything he can to put his name in the conversation for the world title, but as Marcilio Browne's podium finish in the first round means he will now take at least fourth place, the Frenchman is out of the running. Martin may be out of the running for the world title, but he is well on his way to winning his second Aloha Classic.
Excitement in the men's title race
Ricardo Campello's elimination in the semi-finals of the single elimination left the door open for Marcilio Browne to take the lead in the World Championship race, and that's exactly what he did when the reigning Wave World Champion finished third in the final. That means Browne would finish the season with 27,429 points as things stand, while Campello would narrowly miss out on his first Wave World Title with 27,253 points after leading the title race for most of the season.
But it's not over yet and the title race is still on a knife-edge!
Should Campello manage to defend his current fifth place in the second round, the 38-year-old would return to pole position, as a fifth place in the double elimination is worth more than in the single. In this scenario, Campello would finish the season with 27,473 points, while Browne would fall just short of the mark with 27,429. So if Campello were to finish fourth or fifth after the second round, Browne would have to improve in the upcoming elimination and finish at least second to win the title. Should Campello fight his way up to third place, Browne would have to win the event to challenge Campello for the title. Finishing ahead of Browne or in the top two would guarantee Campello the title. Otherwise, it is out of his hands and depends on where Marcilio Browne finishes.
So it remains very exciting! The forecast for tomorrow is for light to moderate trade winds again, and the waves are also expected to continue. The skippers' meeting is at 10.30 am in Hawaii (GMT-10) and the earliest we can start on the water is 11 am.
If you want to follow the live stream from Germany, you will unfortunately have to stay up late or pull an all-nighter.
HERE go to the live stream.
We will bring you all the information and the best pictures here on surf-magazin.de.
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