Riptide Magazine

A Kat Loose in the Canaries - Trials - Fronton Pro

Last Updated on Thursday, 08 December 2011 10:44

Stadium bodyboarding? Check…With free giant invert…(top left corner).
All Photos & Text // Andy Lawrence Photography - Less Than A Second.

 

Wednesday Dec 7th
'Twas grey skies, light winds and large airbowls that greeted competitors checking in at Fronton this morning. Perfect flying conditions, some might say, as the world's best took to the air over the notoriously shallow reef.

The day got underway with the quarters, semis and final of the trials. There were nail biting moments aplenty as the remaining spots for the MWT next year were decided. Shattered dreams for some (commiserations to Adam Morley, Hugo Pinhero and Jones Russell, narrowly missing the cut), but elation for others, Andrew Lester in particular, sealing his place back amongst the competitive elite taking victory in the 2-5 foot bowls.

Needing top four finishes in the last two events of the year (Azores and Fronton) to make the cut, it was a giant task, but good things often come to those who deserve them and the stoke was palpable amongst the Aussie contingent for this comeback kid. Speaking to Andy before the final, needing third or better to seal the deal, he was amped, but nervous saying jokingly, “If I come fourth in this, I think I might be suicidal! “ He needn’t have worried, putting on an epic display of surfing to take the win ahead of Sergio Alonso, Mitch Rawlins and Tom Rigby.

With wedges still wrapping in on the reef it was straight into the first round of the leaderboard stage. The grandstand currently sitting atop the cliffs at Fronton makes for essentially stadium viewing for spectators and it was, at times, easy to become desensitised to the ridiculous level of bodyboarding going down. BOOM! Air reverse… WHACK! Huge invert… KABLAMMO! 720… Well not quite, but who knows, maybe tomorrow? As for highlights, well, I’ll try and keep them short and sweet…

Elliot Morales opened up his campaign with a huge floaty invert and a deep backdoor tube to take the first heat. GT looked uber comfortable boosting all over the shallow reef to take heat 2. Jared Houston dropped the move of the day, a flawless air reverse, on his way to the win in heat 3. Jeff Hubbard scooped in and flipped out for first in the fourth. Guillermo Cobo took another one for the locals flying high and riding deep in heat 5. Dave Winchester kept it simple with big rolls and solid riding, as the wind came up and the tide dropped out in heat 6. Airam Cabrera picked off and ripped the best of heat 7 and finally, Ryan Hardy showed no signs of jetlag, flipping his way to first in the last heat of the round.

Phew! With conditions looking slightly bigger and cleaner tomorrow, one can only imagine we’ll be seeing even more awesomeness in the Atlantic tomorrow. Be sure to check the full results, today’s highlights and of course, the daily webcast at ibaworldtour.com.

Hasta manana Riptide readers!

Trials finalists (top to bottom): Tom Rigby, Sergio Alonso, Mitch Rawlins and victor Andrew Lester.


Lester soaring left...


...Then flying on the right.


And reversing on the left… No problems with symmetry here!


Jerry takes to the media spotlight following the move of the day.


The Oz lads settle in for the day…


Sergio Alonso launching and tweaking…