The freestyle fleet was put to the test over an intense competition that was compacted into a two-day extravaganza. The five-day event was cut short after a 45-degree heat wave dominated the Canaries, bringing an end to the wind, and forcing the contestants to accept the result after just one double elimination on day one of the freestyle competition at Sotavento Beach. Jose ‘Gollito’ Estredo and Sara-Quita Offringa were officially announced as the event’s winners at the packed beach.
Freestyle Queen and unbeaten style-mistress Sarah-Quita Offringa
As well as the event title, the most highly acclaimed award in women’s windsurfing went to Sara-Quita Offringa, who was crowned the 2009 PWA Women’s Freestyle World Champion for the second year in succession. This incredible achievement is made even more unbelievable when we consider the extent to which she has taken the world by storm since her debut last year: the style-mistress from Aruba has not lost a heat in two years.
Her colleague Nayra Alonso neatly summarized her astonishing abilities. Offringa was described as an untouchable, and the sort of talent that only comes around in sport on a very few occasions. To add to this already glowing report, she is also a wonderful person, always humble, always full of praise for her opponents, and always incredibly modest.
Jose “Gollito” Estredo again dominates the men’s fleet
The final was spectacular, both Frans and Estredo pulled of double and triple combination moves with speed and style as they went head to head. Frans continued to try his personal favorite, the forward-flaka, twice in the final but was unable to make the flaka rotation, therefore only scoring for a forward. In the end this was to be his downfall, as Estredo did enough to clinch the victory.
Congratulations to both Jose ‘Gollito’ Estredo and Sarah-Quita Offringa after their incredible achievements once again. As the dust settles at the end of the Canaries Tour, we turn our sights now to the next event in the PWA calendar: The 2009 Pegasus Airlines PWA Slalom in Alaçati, Turkey, August 10th - 15th, 2009.
Results Freestyle
MEN:
1. Jose Estredo (VEN)
2. Tonky Frans (NB)
3. Marcillo Browne (BRA)
WOMEN:
1. Sarah Quita Offringa (ARU)
2. Daida Ruano Moreno (ESP)
3. Yoli Freites De Brendt (VEN)
Links
Official website of the PWA: www.pwaworldtour.com
