These times Hookipa beach park is looking more like Klitmoeller and Sylt. It had been raining for one week, a lot of mud and "waterlakes" on the parking. The water grey, the sky grey, everybody dirty pants. But the ambiance was great, everybody had a big smile an his face, atleast the positive people. We were all happy to see each other again after the winterbreak, sharing some memories from our last trips, trainings good to be on the water again with all the friends from all over the world.

Daida Ruano Moreno in action

The first day there were just the trials for the men, top 16 got to the maincontest, the second day until round 24 of the men.The thirs day we started with the first girls heats in the morning. Conditions were like the days before. Some windswell, not real swell, but we had some masthigh waves, a bit choppy, wind for 4.2-5.0. All together we are 17 girls in the competition- a lot more than we are normally in Europe, - which is great. A part from that the level from the local girls is really great. There were some new girls competing, like the two pretty brasilian sisters- Juliana and Ivana Gomes de Farais, who unfortunately droped out in the first round. There was as well a new japanese girl- Kana Suzuki and an irish girl Shawna Cropas who also didnt pass their first round, but they will all get a second chance. I didnt see all the heats as I had to prepare myself, but what I heard the level in waveriding was already really good in the first round.


Uli, Tiffany Ward, Anne-Marie Reichman, Daida and Iballa Ruano Moreno and Uli at the beach

We had a "4 woman per heat and best two advance" format. Best two waves with factor 5 and best jump with factor 3 were counting. In the first two heats of the first round the advancing girls were wellknown names like Anne-Marie Reichman, Daida Ruano Moreno, JenniferHenderson and Junko Nagoshi, all showing their experience and beating girls like crazy Tiffany Ward, Shawna, the Canadian Anick Violette and Ivana Gomes. In the third heat Jennifer Ellefson, last year on the third place and Tatiana Howard, who made a great tabletop in her heat, advanced against Nayra Alonso and Fiona Van Ammers. The forth heat of the first round was won by Iballa with a great forward and second place was for Uli Hoelzl who cought two big waves were it seemed like her name was written on it. Dropping out were Morgan Fisher and Junko Nagashi.

Tatjana Howard, photographer Julia Schweiger, Nayra Alonso

After the second round the top four girls were the twins, like always they were really convincing with their jumps, Anne-Marie who improved a lot her waveriding and Jennifer who showed not the big moves but very solid secure waveriding. Out were, for my opinion one of the best girl-waverider of Hookipa, Jennifer Henderson, who messed up with a too small sail, the japanese Junko Nagoshi, Tatiana Howard not getting her jumps and Uli Hoelzl (I messed updoing two great fucking spinouts on two nice waves...) All of them sharing now the 5th place.


Anne-Marie Reichman and Jennifer Henderson

In the semifinals the twins both made it to the big finals, once again to be said..the only girls who can really jump with wind from that side, but also showing some risky moves on the waves. There in the big finals (I wouldnt want to judge it) Daida was more lucky with her waves and stalled some big forwards, but both showing a great performance.

So Daida won the first single elimination. The small final was the battle between Anne-Marie Reichman and Jenny Ellefson. Anne-Marie really showed that she is spending a lot of time here in Maui and knowing the place very well by choosing some nice waves and doing good aerials, Jenny also had a solid performance just not radical enough and taking the forth place.

Daida Ruano Moreno "no footed" frontloop, Iballa bottom turn

Tomorrow we will go on with our double elimination. The cards will be mixed again!! Ah, and the guys. They had to work hard to go to the top places. Incredible level, a normal good turn, cutback,.. isnt worth a lot. Just aerials, 360s, one handed and one footed somethings, etc. were counting. Kauli, already showing his skills the days before the contest, made it two the second place with one footed backloops, goiters and flakas on the wave. And old bastardo Josh Angulo showing his experience with one handed aerials, one handed huge backloops, won the first single. Read more: www.pwaworldtour.com

Josh Angulo one handed backloop, Kauli Seadi flaka on the wave