PWA World Cup Fuerteventura: Sarah-Quita Offringa and Yentel Caers win in freestyle
SURF
· 08.08.2023
Sarah-Quita confident despite nervousness
Sarah-Quita Offringa admitted that she was nervous on the final day of the freestyle contest, especially because Maaike Huvermann really upped her level in the second round. But the lady from Aruba has an uncanny knack of using those nerves to raise her own level - and that's exactly what she did again this time as she successfully defended her title, securing her 14th freestyle and 21st world title overall. Offringa was pressurised by Huvermann throughout the final, but managed to prevail in the last two minutes with a powerful air funnel and a pasko to win the competition!
Huvermann had looked a little unsatisfied in the single elimination, but the 25-year-old returned to her best form in the double elimination and rode an incredibly close heat against Oda Brødholt, in which they were separated by just 0.3 points. Huvermann scored the highest score of the competition earlier in the heat against Lisa Kloster with 28.1 points, ending the comeback of the German, who impressed the judges with a combination of Culos, Skopus and Shuvit Spocks. Huvermann thus ends the season as runner-up again.
German freestyle ladies
Lisa Kloster earned fourth place for 2023, improving one place compared to her last World Cup on Fuerte, where she finished fifth, while Lina Erpenstein took fifth place on her debut on the Freestyle World Tour. Lina would have liked a little more wave in the second round to be able to play to her strengths in jumping, as she did on the first day.
Caers beats Bosson back and wins deservedly
Yentel Caers was disappointed on the first day that he had missed out on a place in the final of the single elimination. But the Belgian was able to make the most of this disappointment when he went on a real run in the double elimination and secured his first victory on the World Tour. The 2019 world champion scored 51.1 points in the battle for third and fourth place, the highest score in the single elimination, while he also scored 47.2 points in Heat 33 against Amado Vrieswijk, the highest score in the double elimination. This makes him the well-deserved winner - especially after beating reigning world champion Adrien Bosson twice in a row to secure the top spot on the podium!
Bosson is a little disappointed that he had to give up the top spot on the podium, but it is still an excellent start to the season and keeps him in the running for the world title. The super final against Caers took place in gusty conditions and the Frenchman wasn't quite able to show the same combination of power moves as in the strong wind in the single elimination.
Antony Ruenes slipped down one place to third in the double, but the Frenchman will still be delighted with his first podium finish since 2014!
Testa and Neubauer's comebacks
Only Amado Vrieswijk completed Jacopo Testa's fantastic comeback in Heat 32, defending his fourth place from the single elimination, which means that the man from Bonaire took fourth place in both the slalom and freestyle at the Grand Slam on Fuerte. This proves that he is currently one of the best all-round windsurfers in the world.
Testa, meanwhile, pulled off the comeback of the second half of the season, moving up from last place to fifth overall! He took out the following riders one after the other: Nicolo Di Marco, Dieter Van der Eyken , Nicolas Akgazciyan, Balz Muller, Youp Schmit and finally Lennart Neubauer. Vice world champion Testa returned to his best form and showed a brilliant fightback. Testa also landed the best move of the day with a crazy chachoo into spock, which is highly demanding in the choppy conditions of Sotavento.
Like Testa, Neubauer also made a fantastic comeback, winning five heats in a row to finish sixth overall after also being eliminated in the first round of the single elimination. As already mentioned, the young Greek was only stopped in the end by a highly dangerous Testa.
Expression session planned
After the official men's and women's competitions have been completed, there will be an Expression Session today, the last day of the PWA Grand Slam 2023 in Fuerteventura, for which the Skippers' Meeting will take place at 1pm (GMT+1).
Results Freestyle 2023 Fuerte Grand Slam
Ladies
1. Sarah-Quita Offringa
2. Maaike Huvermann
3. Oda Brødholt
4. Lisa Kloster
5th Lina Erpenstein
Gents
1. Yentel Caers
2. Adrien Bosson
3. Antony Ruenes
4th Amado Vrieswijk
5th Jacopo Testa
6th Lennart Neubauer
7th Youp Schmit
7th Steven van Broeckhoven
9th Niclas Nebelung
9th Sam Esteve
9th Antoine Albert
9th Balz Müller
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