This Tuesday, the competition was in “off” but not the show. The American Autumn Hays and the Hawaiian Tanner Hendrickson won the “expression session” and “air show” competitions.
The competition will start again on Wednesday at 12pm and a beautiful swell is announced.
Three middle schools had made the trip this Tuesday from Sainte-Luce, Diamant and Sainte-Marie to admire the performance of the athletes. Eleven surfers fought for victory during the session and it is the American Autumn Hays who wins the challenge. “It was super fun! I love the expression session because there is no pressure. You do not have to worry if you fall so you can dare maneuvers that you would not do in the competition,” she says.
The air show competition brought together 21 surfers including many Brazilians. They entertained the spectators with their most beautiful aerial maneuvers, reverse air, 360, superman. And the winner is the Hawaiian Tanner Hendrickson: “I had a lot of fun competing with the other Hawaiians and Brazilians who are all my friends. There aren’t the usual rules of the series of the competition so more freedom. The Brazilians are very good at this kind of waves and the aerial maneuvers and I managed to win so I’m happy.”
Autumn Hays and Tanner Hendrickson left with a prize money of 100 euros each.
The headliners are coming!
Weather forecasts announce a nice swell. The competition director, Jason Apparicio, will launch the series of events Wednesday afternoon. Depending on conditions and after some talks with the World Surf League, organizers and athletes, it will launch either the second round of women or the third round of men. This is the moment of competition where the best in the world make their entry …
And there will be beautiful people on the wave!
Among the favorites, ex-surfers of the elite (the Championship Tour) like the French Pauline Ado and the Australian Claire Bevilacqua. They will face serious contenders like Maud Le Car (St. Martin) and Philippa Anderson (Australia), young talents like Holly Wawn (Australia), Teresa Bonvalot (Portugal), Brisa Hennessy (Hawaii) or Neis Lartigue (France).
Among the men, several former players of the Championship Tour will be on the line-up: the Australian Ricardo Christie (winner of the 2017 MSP), the Brazilians Jadson Andre and Miguel Pupo, Nat Young (USA). They will face Leonardo Fioravanti (Italy), Hiroto Arai (Japan), Noe Mar McGonagle (Costa Rica), the Muniz brothers …
The French contingent remains important with the Reunion islanders Jorgann Couzinet (European Champion 2017), Marc Lacomare, Maxime Huscenot, Nelson Cloarec, the Mignot brothers, Tristan Guilbaud, the Guadeloupean Tim Bisso and Charly Martin, and Dimitri Ouvré from Saint Barthelemy.
7 wildcards are entering
Three Martinicans enter the running, Emma Leconte, Arthur Lassée and Alexandre Viguier who had won their wildcards (invitations) for this third round. Other wildcards are expected: Adrien Toyon from Reunion island, the American Kai Kobayashi, Costa Rican Leilani McGonagle and Garazi Sanchez from Spain.
None of the athletes will want to leave the contest and all will fight until the last second to get the highest score. And yet, out of the 96 athletes present at the end of these rounds, only half will remain!
Next meeting
Wednesday, March 21st, “call” at 12pm and resumption of the competition.
