Nuking Day 2 GKA Tarifa

asluis · 2021-06-25T10:19:13.000Z

Thursday 24th June Report: Sasha Jade / All photos: Samuel Cardenas / Video: Mintautas Grigas Good morning from the nuking shores of Tarifa! The wind blew the riders into action right away as the riders began to set up their quivers and were blasting their zone-in playlist upon arrival. Judging Criteria: 7 trick attempts, best 4 counting (2 freestyle 2 big air tricks) taking into consideration some big air elements but keep in mind this is a Freestyle event.We promptly picked up right where we left off, planning to power through as much of the ladder as the conditions allowed. Based on yesterday’s feedback from the riders, the judges have decided to thread the women’s heats between the men’s, intending on preserving all of the athlete’s energy throughout the day to ensure their best performance. Although the wind was nuking beyond expectations, bearing in mind this was a Freestyle competition the judges tried to maintain the Freestyle element as primary as they continuing into the Mixed format applied the previous day ( 7 trick attempts, best 4 counting: 2 Freestyle 2 Big Air tricks). “We will adapt to you, giving you more time based on the conditions. We are open to feedback about the new mixed format, and insist on open communication between us.” – Emphasises Juan Antonio (Race director) in the first skippers meeting. The Judges are doing their best to give freedom to the Riders as they introduce this new format into the tour. “Make sure you focus as much as possible in every category (Technical difficulty…). We are looking for the most complete rider; Quality over quantity. How much you stretch, how much you rotate, how much you grab, how much you tweak out. We really focus on the individual element, so express yourself to the fullest.” – Alvaro Onieva (Head Judge) The first riders on the water struggled with the outrageously gusty conditions on the inside as the wind continued to settle in. Although wind chop provides epic ramps, let’s not forget that landings can be pretty gnarly in these gusty choppy conditions. But it’s all part of the game in separating the best from the rest! Timing tricks are essential, these experienced athletes know how to ride the gusts and avoid the gust riding them. Nico Franco (ESP) and Robin Goetgebeurg (BEL) had a particularly tough time in the first heat of the day. The gust must have blown Franco’s confidence we experienced the previous day out of his system as he failed to land any of his tricks! Lorenzo Calcano (DOM) managed to keep his head together as he landed 5 of his 7 attempts relatively smoothly. France must have prepared Julian Krikken (FRA) well for these conditions as he managed to pull most of his tricks with that extra ‘umf’ he needed to score the winning points. There was nothing stable about the conditions of the shores today. The wind began gusting beyond the pro’s anticipation and the spectators were in between excited and nervous, as they attempt to keep their eyes open with the blasting sand storm. We experienced an undeniable difference in scores from the previous day. As the battlefield became gnarlier by the second, the battle shifted from in-between warriors to between the warriors versus the gusts! By Round 3 the Judges called the riders into a skippers meeting to adapt the criteria to the dominating Levante, leaning more towards Big Air favored elements. New rules: 1 Freestyle 3 Big Air tricks. But that didn’t last for long. The conditions continued making it extremely difficult for the riders to claim the stage with their Freestyle moves. The locally loved Manu De Pfyffer (CHE) wasn’t even used to the Strength of the Levante we experienced on the shores on more familiar to the training grounds in France than his very own shores of Tarifa. They are appearing to be more familiar with the training conditions our French riders have experience in, Arthur Guilbert (FRA) confirms with his performance, winning the points he needed to push him to the next round. The gusts made it extremely difficult for the riders to claim the stage. By heat 7 we had been blown out of the purple zone to the stratosphere! With the wind now gusting beyond measures, the judges decided to adapt the rules once again, completely blowing the remaining elements of Freestyle out of the focus. This is primarily for the safety of our brave competitors! New rules: PURE BIG AIR! 3 Big Air tricks count in the final score. Due to the extreme conditions, the judges decided to restart from heat 7, cutting the riders some slack, giving them another chance to adjust to the pure Big Air format. Scores were getting higher as we climb our way up the Ladder into heat 9. The conditions weren’t getting any easier, but the riders did an incredible job adjusting to them each time they were out on the water. The Dominican Adeuri Corniel really dominated the scene in heat 7 showing immense confidence in this new format with his Kiteroll Frontroll Board off. That was enough for him to claim him Heat

aan het laden…

Nuking Day 2 GKA Tarifa — door @asluis | Nieuws · Hanglos