Tarifa Wing Pro Day 02
As predicted in the forecast, the crew and athletes arrived to the competition site today to find strong south wind and rough sea conditions. Due to the wind direction, the competition area was moved to Playa Chica, on the Mediterranean side of Tarifa.
Highlight Video Tarifa Wing Pro Day 02
It was non-stop action from the very start, as we blasted through Rounds 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the Men’s Elimination. The level of performance from the men was high throughout each heat. With each round, the execution, performance, and difficulty of the tricks increased.
There were several standout performances from the morning. Maxime Chabloz from Switzerland who landed perfect backflips, and showed great general style, fluidity and variety.
Titouan Galea, who won our previous event in Fortaleza, Brazil, rode with great flow and style, adding height and speed in his tricks.
Balz Müller is a trick machine, and his performance today did not disappoint, proving once again that he is a true pioneer within this sport.
After a short break in the afternoon, it was time for the semi-finals, as the wind speed reached it’s peak at around 35 knots. Through strong wind and rain, the athletes continued pushing their limits, giving us glimpse at just how fast the sport is evolving.
The first semi-final of the day saw a superb performance from Balz Müller, landing an impressive backflip, and his signature trick – a toeside 720. He earned a well-deserved spot in the final.
Pictures of the Tarifa Wing Pro Day 02 action
During the second semi-final we saw two F-one team mates – Titouan Galea and Maxime Chabloz – face each other to see who could make it into the finals. It was a very close heat, but Titouan managed to knock Maxime out by landing a huge back roll, and rode with such speed and amplitude that he earned himself the much desired spot, and a chance to take the win here in Tarifa.
The wind speed was still increasing as the horn sounded for the Tarifa Wing Pro finals. It was Balz Müller of Switzerland facing Titouan Galea from New Caledonia. Balz landed a perfect Toeside Rad 7, which is a very technical trick, followed by a clean back-flip. Titouan rode smoothly with lots of style, but there was a bit too much repetition in his trick repertoire during the final, and this gave Balz the advantage he needed to clinch the win at this event.
The final results of the Men’s Elimination are:
1st Balz Müller (Switzerland)
2nd Titouan Galea (New Caledonia)
3rd Maxime Chabloz (Switzerland)
4th Fernando Novaes (Brazil)
The competition ended just in time, as the rain came pouring down during the prize giving ceremony. As expected, Tarifa served up perfect varied conditions during this competition, allowing the Wing Foil athletes to show what a varied and versatile sport it really is.
The official competition may be over, but tomorrow the action continues with an expression session, with first possible start at 13.00.
Words by: Gemma Hamaini
Global Wing Sports Association (globalwingsportsassociation.org)
Pictures by:
Javier Hortensio (@hortensiodiasclaros)
