OnMount Maunganui Beach the first event of this year's Wingfoil World Tour is taking place. On the first day, the regatta organisers showed a certain amount of flexibility, as the conditions at the spot were not really suitable for a contest due to the offshore wind. The decision was therefore made to move to thePilot Bayto be able to start there with the surf freestyle discipline.
The fact that the World Cup is coming here to New Zealand is a dream come true for me as a local. Jeremiah McDonald
In the following picture gallery you will find first impressions of the location and the action of the first day. Take a look!
In the men's qualifying round, eight heats were initially on the programme, during which patience was also required. Heats had to be cancelled and repeated several times due to unstable conditions. Nevertheless, this strategy paid off, as all qualifying heats were completed by the end of the day. And last year's top riders seemed to have done their homework and showed solid moves such as front and back flips. Titouan Galea, Francesco Cappuzzo, Alan Fedit, Christopher MacDonald and world champion Malo Guenole reeled off their programme with aplomb. Newcomers such as Zane Schweitzer and Cash Berzolla were also able to make their first mark. So the 2023 Wingfoil World Cup will once again be exciting, as none of the established riders should be too sure of themselves - nobodies have taught the elite the hard way too often in the recent past.
The coming days also promise plenty of action Down Under - we will report for you on a daily basis. Here's the clip from day 1 - and it whets the appetite for more.
Manuel Vogel
Editor surf
