On the second day of the GWA Wingfoil World Cup Taiba, Team France rolled up the field - seven of the eight riders in the quarter-finals are from France.
Two wave rides and one freestyle trick each counted towards the score. Round 4 saw the first"Do-or-die heat" for Malo Guénolé. If Guénolé had lost, Gollito Estredo would no longer have been able to take the world title. But Guénolé kept his nerve and, after a few wobbles at the start, ultimately controlled the heat with his fluid wave rides, massive backflips and clean 720s.
I felt a lot of pressure in this heat, also because I had destroyed a wing in the shorebreak shortly beforehand. But I managed to put in a few good rides and now feel very comfortable here - three weeks of training at this spot are paying off.
The big surprise came a short time later when the leader in the World Cup, Gollito Estredo, came under the wheels in the Shorebreak, lost his wing and valuable time and was unexpectedly eliminated by the 14-year-old Frenchman Clement Hamon. For Estredo, the big trembling now begins. If Guénolé manages at least second place, he is guaranteed the world title.
Here's a video of all the highlights from day 2:
After a long wait, the women were also finally able to take part in the action on the second day, with at least the first round taking place. German-Spanish rider Nia Suardiaz also finished her heat victoriously, ending up with the highest score of all the women with 19.07 points and is one of the favourites to win the event.
The coming days also look promising - if everything goes to plan, the men's World Championships will be decided on the third day. We will report for you.
Info also HERE on the GWA website.
Manuel Vogel
Editor surf
