Up to fifty knots of wind on the opening day
On the opening day of the PWA/IWT Cold Hawaii Youth World Cup, an early registration took place before the decision was made to move the contest to the Fish Factory due to the wind direction - where the youngsters were greeted by the wild, rough North Sea with gusts of up to fifty knots. The massive waves broke very far out, but reformed on the inside, allowing for some clean wave riding. In stormy conditions, the U20 men had to compete with their smallest equipment, which for most was a 3.0 sail paired with their smallest board. Due to the wild conditions, the youngsters from the U17, U15 and U13 classifications did not compete on the first day.
The high-flyers of the first round were definitely the German Marlon Maethner and Samuele Ferrero, who both seemed to feel comfortable in the wild conditions and deservedly finished in the top four.
Reigning Youth World Champion Liam Dunkerbeck came out on top in a close heat against local favourite Tobias Bjørnaa to advance to the final, where he faced Maethner. In the end, Dunkerbeck proved to be too strong, as the 19-year-old put in a brilliant performance and won the U20 single elimination final, taking the lead after the first day. Marlon Maethner took second place after a solid day, while Bjørnaa secured third place on the podium in the single elimination ahead of Ferraro.
Day two: Bjørnaa strikes back, but Dunkerbeck dominates U20 classification
On the second day the wind died down to a more manageable forty knots - coupled with clear blue skies and excellent waves, the Fish Factory in Hanstholm provided another solid day of competition.
After the conclusion of the skippers' meeting, little time was wasted to start the U20 double elimination. Hannes Gobisch from Germany made the comeback of the second round by winning four heats in a row.
Elsewhere, local favourite Tobias Bjørnaa secured his place in the final after beating Marlon Maethner, who had finished second in the single elimination. The final between Bjørnaa and Dunkerbeck proved to be an extremely close affair, with both riders surfing superbly and less than a point separating them in the standings...until Dunkerbeck was told by his caddy that he needed to land a double forward to secure the win. And lo and behold, the 19-year-old promptly delivered and not only successfully defended his victory from the single elimination, but also his U20 world title, while Bjørnaa finished second at his home event.
The U17s get their chance
As if that wasn't enough, the competition quickly shifted to the U17 division, which offered an incredibly high standard and great action throughout. The one who stood out was Carlos Kiefer Quintana. With a 10-point double loop, the young German, who lives in Gran Canaria, deservedly took the title ahead of Leon Maethner (the brother of Marlon Maethner from the U20 division) and Ryu Noguchi.
The Youth World Cup is not over yet
With five more event days in Cold Hawaii and two more classifications (U15 and U13) to go, it remains exciting. The wind forecast looks promising. With a slightly more moderate westerly wind, the juniors should continue today or tomorrow.
- HERE go to the live stream
Result U20 Boys PWA/IWT Cold Hawaii Youth World Cup 2023
1. Liam Dunkerbeck
2. Tobias Bjørnaa
3. Marlon Maethner
4. Hannes Gobisch
Result U17
1. Carlos Kiefer Quintana
2. Leon Maethner
3. Ryu Noguchi
4th Fernando Sottile
Also interesting:
