Sea, Sail & Surf news2002 PWA Freestyle Qualifier
Perfect Freestyle conditions today at Podersdorf
Neuesiedler See Austria
dimanche 28 avril 2002 –
The show went off and spectacular freestyle action could be seen. The 32 riders fleet showed a lot of classic moves due to the fact that a new scoring format was used including conventional tricks. But also top moves like Grubbies, all variations of Spocks and clew first Spocks and even flat water Goyters and an unbelievable new move from North Sails team rider Web Pedrick (North Sails/AHD) : a flat water Taka, he calls the Swazy, were performed.
A whole round was completed and the winner of the first round was the top seeded Dutch rider Remko de Weerd (Gaastra/AHD),followed by Diony Guadagnino (Neil Pryde/JP), Web Pedrick (North Sails/AHD) and Raimondo Gasperini (Fanatic). The head judge decided to go straight into the losers round, since it is a double elimination.
Late in the evening the wind dropped and only a few heats remain to finish the second round of the double elimination. The winner of the first round, Remko de Weerd (Gaastra/AHD), is waiting for one of the following riders who are still in the race to battle for the first place :- Martin van Geenhoven (North Sails/AHD), Diony (Neil Pryde/JP), Alex Humpel (Neil Pryde/JP), Michi Schweiger (Naish/Naish), Andy Pusch (Neil Pryde/JP), Raimondo Gasperini (Fanatic), Web Pedrick (North Sails/AHD).
Wind, sunshine and thousands of spectators made this an epic freestyle day.
The competition area was moved a little bit further out because of the wind direction from southeast. The wind picked up during the first hour of the competition and the riders decided to rig sails between 4,7 and 5,2 meters.
The mission of the day was to complete the six remaining heats of the double elimination. We saw a very strong performance from two Austrian riders Michi Schweiger (Naish/Naish), and Alex Humpel (Neil Pryde/JP), who got fifth and forth respectively.
It was a hard battle between the top three riders : Top freestyle rider Web Pedrick (North Sails/AHD), from the Gorge was, in spite of an excellent performance, beaten by Diony Guadagnino (Neil Pryde/JP), the young rider from Venezuela who showed amazing moves and amongst many others a perfect back loop on flat water. He then had to face Remko de Weerd (Gaastra/AHD), and was sailing at his best to beat the Dutchman in the first final.
Since Remko won the first round and Diony the second final of the so-called double elimination, another final had to be sailed to decide whom the absolute winner of this first double elimination was. This time the Dutchman showed all his tricks in a very clean and technically brilliant way and took the lead over Diony Guadagnino (Neil Pryde/JP), who seemed after so many heats a little powered out.
Result after one double elimination :
1. Remko de Weerd (Gaastra/AHD)
2. Diony Guadagnino (Neil Pryde/JP)
3. Web Pedrick (North Sails/AHD)
4. Alex Humpel (Neil Pryde/JP)
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