WWST 2011 / Ocean Spirit Festival 2011 / 16th Report by Steve Farthing

Mundial de Waveski / Portugal Ocean Spirit / Último report de Steve Farthing directo de Santa Cruz...

Steve Farthing and Mel Hardy / WWST11 Ocean Spirit Festival by kayaksurf.net

Campeão do Mundo de Kayaksurf Masters HP e Campeão Mundial de Waveski Masters... é só para alguns ;) Steve Farthing, para além se ser um verdadeiro "gentleman", é um surfista de topo como muito poucos devem existir a nível mundial. Veio uma vez mais a Portugal ganhar um título Mundial (ganhou o anterior em 2009 no Mundial de Kayaksurf Ocean Spirit) e agora, antes de regressar à Austrália, ainda teve tempo de nos enviar estas imagens e o report 16... sem palavras. É um senhor.

World Kayaksurf Masters HP Champion 2009 and World Masters Waveski Champion 2011... this is not definetly for all ;) Steve Farthing is a real gentleman and also one world TOP surfer. While he was in Portugal, he wrotes for us 16 reports (!!). He and Mel Hardy simply made an awesome work... SINCERELY... THANKS!!!! Have a great trip back home and keep Ocean Spirit and Portugal in our minds ;)

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Ocean Spirit on my mind
by Steve Farthing
Report No 16

It was the last day of the waiting period, the swell was dropping, the fog had rolled in and we had 4 finals, 2 minor finals and 2 tag team events to complete before the high tide turned the comp site into a lake, talk about pressure on the organizers.

Another minor hiccup was some low life stole the computerized judging system the night before, so no live scores.

The senior’s final hit the water at 12:30; Rees Duncan had some unfinished business to attend to and blitzed it with another display of radical controlled surfing.

The master’s final followed and we had the pick of the swell window. It was all very close but the judges gave it to me this time, yeah.

The open final was another tough battle between Virgile and Pablo, Virgile reversed the junior result with his powerful style but it could have gone either way. In 2003, Virgile watched the World Waveski Titles in Guadaloupe. Eight years later his dream to be the World Champion has come true.

With the women’s final, after having come 2nd 5 times in the past and attending 14 world titles, Sandra Pinnear finally got her trophy but had to work hard to beat Jackie Dillon who threw everything into it.

After the women’s final the high tide took the waves away again and hence the minor finals and tag team events were cancelled. The awards ceremony kicked off at about 4 and yes a lot of people got wet in the pool and then the party started and let me tell you the Portuguese know how to throw a party.

A big thanks to everyone involved in putting this show together, so memorable in many ways. I can’t wait to come back and attend another Ocean Spirit event.

Good-bye Ocean Spirit, until next time.

Steve


The fog rolls in....midday in Santa Cruz


Ocean Spirit

Fernando and Luis Pedro, Mr.kayaksurf.net


Pablo and Virgile, two of the sports new stars


Steve Farthing after the Masters Final


Ben John after Seniors Final


Sandra and Jackie after the Women's Final


Rees Duncan, Seniors Champ with his biggest fans

TO READ ALL THE STEVE's REPORTS / CLICK BELOW:



THANKS!!!!! Great NEWS TEAM kayaksurf.net ;)


PHOTOS / OCEAN SPIRIT

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WWST 2011 / Ocean Spirit Festival 2011 / 16th Report by Steve Farthing

Mundial de Waveski / Report de Steve Farthing directo nas FINAIS de Santa Cruz


Pablo, World Juniors Champion

Report de Steve Farthing em directo de Santa Cruz ;) Enquanto aguardamos o recomeço da prova às 18.30, ficam as linhas do Master que em breve vai disputar a Final!

Report directly from Santa Cruz Ocean Spirit, Navio beach, where runs the WWST11. Steve Farthing, that soon will be in the water defending the MASTER categorie. Check out his latest report!!

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Ocean Spirit on my mind
by Steve Farthing
Report No 16

A quick midday report because we probably wont get time to do one tonight.

Action started 11am this morning straight into the Open Semi's. Pablo continued on a roll, taking out fellow Frenchman, Renan Leloutre. In the second Open semi, Virgile Humbert's last minute heroics scraped him through over defending champion Rees Duncan, leaving two French juniors into the open final. In the Women's semi's, Sandra Pienaar got the better of Melissa Hardy in the small conditions. While Jackie Dillon caused a major upset taking out one of the favourites, Coralie Jousset. In the all French Cadet final, Maxime Gaborit was too good for Nathan Le Bars, watch out for these two guys in the future. In a rematch of the French open title, Pablo got the better of Virgile in the Juniors final with some amazing aerial acrobatics close to the beach and into the sand.

Next call at 6pm for New Age, Seniors and Masters finals. It looks like the Open, Women's finals will be on tomorrow along with the Tag Team event.

The party is getting close, one more report to go, Ocean Spirit on my mind.

Steve

SOME PHOTOS FROM TODAY:


Renan LeLoutre


Open Semi's


Blair Moore


Team Portugal


Pablo in action


Pablo


Miguel Carvalho


Virgile Humbert


Pablo, World Juniors Champion

TO READ ALL THE STEVE's REPORTS / CLICK BELOW:



Thanks Steve and good luck for the FINALS ;)


WWST11 / FINALS

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WWST 2011 / Ocean Spirit Festival 2011 / 15th Report by Steve Farthing

Mundial de Waveski / Portugal Ocean Spirit / Report de Steve Farthing

Steve Farthing by Pete Copp

É o maior!! Steve Farthing, campeão do Mundo de Kayaksurf HP Masters, chegou à final na mesma classe no Mundial de Waveski. Há dúvidas que é um dos melhores do mundo? Claro que não. Fica mais um report que escreveu para o kayaksurf.net ;)

He's the man!! Steve Farthing, current Worlf Surfkayak HP Masters Champion, just got the Master's FINALS in Waveski Worlds. Is there any doubts that he is one of the best worldwide? Of course not. Check one more report that he wrote for kayaksurf.net ;) All the best for the Finals Steve!!

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Ocean Spirit on my mind
by Steve Farthing
Report No 15

Ground hog day…well it was low tide again, and the guillotine was there again and guess what they threw us out again, but not me…those poor new age guys, for once lucky I’m old!

Crunch time, top 8 in the open got their chance this morning to tackle this bloody wave (not challenging anymore just bloody). Renan Leloutre was a little too slick for Blair Moore. Pablo Arrouays met with big wave Ben John and the waves just weren’t big enough for Ben. Andre Burger met Rees Duncan and was third time unlucky. Rees was clinical and wasn’t prepared to take second place again. Virgile Humbert in his usual style carved his way to victory over Doug Copeland. And now there are four.

New age, juniors and cadets had their chance to make the finals. I was impressed by a young French cadet who did a crazy left hand aerial in the shore break followed by a reverse 360, watch out in Brazil. Two juniors need mention; Virgile and Pablo from France are both in the top 4 of the open and in the juniors final. The last time someone won a juniors and open title was in 1989 in the UK, guess who that was….Rees Duncan. Can these guys do it?

High tide came and guess what, lets have a break. They threw some body boarders out that were going into barrels into the sand, I thought we were crazy. Next the best SUP guys went out for an expression session and wow these guys were good.

So by 5.30, the tide was dropping, draining into the Atlantic and guess what, Waveski Time!!! Seniors and Masters semi’s, I thought I was safe but apparently not. Big wave Benny John (aka Rock Star) and Mike Orsmond progressed through and then Mike Cowan went for broke and landed a crazy 8 point aerial to clinch his spot in the seniors final with of course Rees Duncan.

Masters time, the defending champion Lance Milnes and Blair Moore progressed in the first semi and I lucked into the last sand dredging heat of the day. Poor Theirry Moraud from France took on one of the dredgers and never looked the same again. Myself and Doug played safe and progressed to the final.

I’m in a final and I’m going in the pool, yeah. If they finish tomorrow, its party time.

Ocean Spirit is back on my mind.

Steve

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TO READ ALL THE STEVE's REPORTS / CLICK BELOW:



Thanks Steve ;) Good luck for the Finals!!


WWST11

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WWST 2011 / Ocean Spirit Festival 2011 / 14th Report by Steve Farthing

Mundial de Waveski / Portugal Ocean Spirit / Report de Steve Farthing


RIP - Evidence of the Guillotine

Décimo quatro report de Steve Farthing! Um dia atribulado mas com excelentes scores pelo meio - foi assim o terceiro dia de competição.

One more report from Steve Farthing! It was a busy day but full of great scores - that's how it was the 3rd day of the WWST11 Occean Spirit. Check the report!

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Ocean Spirit on my mind
by Steve Farthing
Report 14

Got down to the beach today and the surf was heavy, 10ft faces smashing into the sand and the guillotine was back! The call was made to send the first heat out at 8am. An unlucky South African junior got absolutely smashed paddling out, lost his ski and was rescued with suspected rib injuries and was carted off to hospital…but he is OK. They certainly breed them tough in South Africa.

So the call was made to postpone the event until 10am when there some more water on the bare banks! The top 32 then got into it and whittled things down to the final 16 with some crazy radical surfing in some bloody tough conditions.

Next came some of the age divisions and I’m glad they didn’t throw the masters out again. Also the women’s repercharge was put out on high tide and man was it hard for some of the girls to come in through the massive shore break……in true Bay Watch style, Stefano Hasselhoff , sorry Berlotti came to the rescue.

Then the top 16 got their chance in the afternoon as the tide started to dredge out into the Atlantic again, talk about hard paddle out, I’ve never been so exhausted in my life. Some of the highlights of those heats would be Rees Duncan scoring a 9.65 on the biggest aerial I have ever seen in competition, one of the judges scored him a 10. Clement Gilbert put on a brave show but Rees was in another zone. Andre Burger also powered through his heat in solid form and comes up against Rees in the next round and this will probably be the heat of the event. Young Pablo also made the top 8 and in my eyes is looking like a potential finalist.

Waves are looking even bigger tomorrow; I hope I don’t have to go out, I hope they realize we still have 3 days left.

Ocean Spirit only just on my mind…………I need a beer.

Steve

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Pablo Arrouayss


Andre Burger


Master Blaster


Gwada Reggae Man


Andre Burger


More Gwada Reggae Man


Virgile Humbert


Clement

TO READ ALL THE STEVE's REPORTS / CLICK BELOW:



Thanks Steve! See you in the beach ;)


WWST 11

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WWST 2011 / Ocean Spirit Festival 2011 / 12nd Report by Steve Farthing

Ocean Spirit Festival / Mundial de Waveski / Report by Steve Farthing


Miguel Carvalho

Novo report de Steve Farthing. Início da prova com grandes ondas e altas performances. Nos portugueses, Miguel Carvalho e Pedro Castro afastados da classe Open. Bruno Melo continua e Francisco Saraiva entre hoje nos Séniores. Check in hoje às 6.30!!

New report from Steve Farthing. The competition started today with some great scores already ;) Check the report and, this wednesday, check in at 6.30!!

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Ocean Spirit on my mind
by Steve Farthing
Report No 11

The World Waveski Titles finally got underway today at Praia do Navio. The conditions were challenging for the open qualifying rounds and the Masters division with powerful 6 ft sets rolling through . Pablo Arrouays and Mathieu Jonneaux were outstanding but for me the highlight had to be Italian Stefano Bellotti. A top rated surf Kayaker who has only ridden a waveski a handful of times, first heat, first wave of the event takes on a bomb set launches into the air and lands a massive aerial, 7.5 , Go Italy!

The Masters also got their chance today. Blair Moore and Lance Milnes did not disappoint with solid performances . In a surprise upset, former Champion Kieran Davies was relegated to the rep round, and I just pipped Thierry Mouraud in a close one in the last heat of the day.

Honorable mentions should out to Melissa Hardy the only female to take on the tough surf conditions and Jeff Munson, a disabled rider who progressed through both his heats.

6:30 am start tomorrow with the seeded heats and other age divisions. Until tomorrow, Ocean Spirit on my mind.

Steve


Mathieu Jonneaux


Pablo Paillou


Lance Milnes


Jeff Munson


Thierry Mouraud




Steve Farthing

TO READ ALL THE STEVE's REPORTS / CLICK BELOW:



Thanks Steve ;)


WWST11 /Ocean Spirit

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