Day 3 at the Gran Canaria PWA World Cup turned out to be an action-packed day, with both the men and women hitting the water for the first time in the afternoon, while the youngsters were in action earlier in the day. The waves remained relatively small, but every now and then a small hump popped up.
PWA World Cup - Women
The first 6 heats of the women's single elimination were completed by the end of day three and most of the top seeds survived unscathed. However, there was a big surprise when 12-year-old Belgian Sol Degrieck (Severne / Severne Sails) defeated Lina Erpenstein (Severne / Severne Sails) in Heat 11b with an outstanding performance for her young age. Degrieck deservedly received the highest single wave score of the day - 6.38 points - for a radical ride in which she even lifted her fins during an aerial. This was the deciding factor in her amazing success at her first PWA World Cup.
Daida Moreno (Severne / Severne Sails / Maui Ultra Fins) also seemed to be in good form and scored the second-highest score of the day with 16.88 points. This should make her one of the favourites again at the PWA World Cup at her home spot in Pozo.
PWA Wave Overall title defender Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins) didn't have it easy in Heat 12b, as Pauline Katz (Severne / Severne Sails) gave her a fierce fight. However, Offringa was able to improve in the second half of the heat and ultimately achieved the highest score of the day with 19.38 points. The Aruban will now face Maria Morales Navarro (Goya Windsurfing), who defeated Julia Pasquale (Fanatic / Duotone) in Heat 12a, in the quarter-finals.
Iballa Moreno (Severne / Severne Sails / Maui Ultra Fins) is also safe in the quarter-finals after overcoming the challenge of Lucia Trivino Delgado (Severne / Severne Sails). Iballa will now battle Marine Hunter (KA Sail) for a place in the semi-finals after the Frenchwoman eliminated Coraline Foveau (Starboard / Severne Sails).
Alexia Kiefer Quintana (Fanatic / Duotone), who previously won the first elimination of the U20 girls, will face Justyna Sniady (North Sails) in a tight quarter-final as both women know Pozo well.
Men
Josep Pons (CS Custom Boards / Point-7 / Black Project) put in a commanding performance in the first heat of the men's competition, defeating Simon Thule (Starboard / Sailloft Hamburg / Maui Ultra Fins). Pons currently has the highest score in the early stages of the contest with a 6-point double-forward. In the B field, Baptiste Cloarec (RRD / RRD Sails) prevailed in a potentially difficult heat against Eleazar Alonso Sanchez (Starfish) to secure a place in the top 32.
Moritz Mauch was the standout rider of the day and stood out above all for his wave riding. The 26-year-old was the only sailor to post an 8.5-point ride in the excellent range with his penultimate wave of the heat, while a solid 7.5-point wave as a backup score gave him the highest heat total of the day - 24 points. On the other side of Heat 2, Jose Romero (Challenger Sails) took a convincing win over Adam Warchol (Quatro / Goya Windsurfing) and also progressed.
In the only other men's heat of the day - Heat 3 - Takara Ishii (RRD / RRD Sails) won in a close duel against Victor Borlin (Loftsails), Antoine Albert (Goya Windsurfing) scored the second highest score of the day, when the New Caledonian beat Henri Kolberg (Naish / Naish Sails) by 23 points to secure a draw against Marc Paré (Fanatic / Duotone), while Ishii will face Julian Salmonn (Bruch Boards / GUNSAILS).
PWA World Cup Youth
Girls - U20 Final
Alexia Kiefer Quintana (Fanatic / Duotone) took the decisive win in the first U20 final of the PWA World Cup with a commanding performance against Isabel Trivino Delgado (Severne / Severne Sails) and Julia Pasquale (Fanatic / Duotone). The 17-year-old laid a solid foundation to build on with a 6.5-point backloop and a stylish forward loop. A 7-point wave ride secured her the victory. Second place went to Isabel Trivino Delgado ahead of Julia Pasquale.
Boys - U17 Final
Denmark's Tobias Bjørnaa (Fanatic / Duotone) took on Kiel's Anton Richter (JP / NeilPryde) in the U17 final and it turned into something of a jumping battle with increasingly difficult surfing conditions. In the aerial battle Bjørnaa kept the upper hand as he landed a well-executed 5.12-point forward loop while also being able to stand from a backloop, earning him the win at the PWA World Cup.
In the B final, Carlos Kiefer Quintana (Fanatic / Duotone) secured the last place on the podium for the time being with a narrow victory over Greece's Grigoris Stathopoulos (Severne / Severne Sails). There was almost nothing separating the two youngsters in the air, but Kiefer Quintana was able to make a little more of the waves on offer to come out on top.
Gran Canaria PWA World Cup - U20
Single elimination
1st Alexia Kiefer Quintana (GER | Fanatic / Duotone)
2nd Isabel Trivino Delgado (ESP | Severne / Severne Sails)
3rd Julia Pasquale (ESP | Fanatic / Duotone)
Gran Canaria PWA World Cup - U17 Girls
Double elimination
1st Maria Morales Navarro (ESP | Goya Windsurfing)
2nd Sol Degrieck (BEL | Severne / Severne Sails)
3rd Annagiulia Piccaglia (ESP)
Gran Canaria PWA World Cup - U17 Boys
Single elimination
1st Tobias Bjørnaa (DEN | Fanatic / Duotone)
2nd Anton Richther (GER | JP / NeilPryde)
3rd Carlos Kiefer Quintana (GER | Fanatic / Duotone)
4th Grigoris Stathopoulos (GRE | Severne / Severne Sails)
Gran Canaria PWA World Cup - U15 Boy
Single elimination
1. Peter Gobisch (GER | Fanatic / Duotone)
2nd Arthur Van de Brande (BEL | RRD / RRD Sails)
3rd Javier Escribano Toribio (ESP | Quatro / Goya Windsurfing)
You can see all the results and the livestream at www.pwaworldtour.com
Andreas Erbe
Chief editor surf