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| GRAN SLAM FUERTEVENTURA 99 | |
© photos: windgirls, text: Andy Aichinger; SSM/PWA
Karin Jaggi first women freestyle champ!
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Freestyle was back in Fuerteventura! Two
years after the first fun-event, Fuerteventura saw the first official women freestyle
competition. After some fun-events in Barbados and Zandvoort, Holland, greek champion
Antonia Frey was one of the hot candidates for the freestyle-crown. But with the
incredible Pozo-twins Daida and Iballa Ruano Moreno in her neck and watching Karin Jaggi
– the reigning world champion – performing more and more freestyle moves,
everybody knew that it would be a tough decision. Other sailors like Venezuelan "rookie of the year" Colette Guadagnino or "Queen of the Lake" Babsy Straßer from Lake Garda guaranteed that it would not be too easy for the favorites to get through the early rounds. On the second day of the event the first freestyle single elimination was held. The action was quite impressive: Air jibes, willy skippers, high forwards, push loops, duck tacks, backwind jibes, spock attempts and gu screws, carving 360s, radical waveriding and difficult sailtricks. The final was a battle between Colette Guadagnino, Tony Frey, Lucienne Ernst and Karin Jaggi with the 18-year old Guadagnino taking first place with her fluent style. |
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| After their disappointing performance in
round one the twins from Gran Canaria found their way to the final in the second freestyle
on the 4th day of the competition. Their radical jumping was outstanding, whilst Karin
Jaggi and Tony Frey showed a bigger variety of freestyle moves in their heats. A huge push
loop seconds before the red flag brought the victory to Karin Jaggi. After another victory by Karin Jaggi in the third freestyle the time was ready for Daida Ruano Moreno: She won the freestyles number 4 and 5 and underlined the outstanding role of the new freestyle discipline: "I am really happy to win one round here. I can't believe it, we are all about the same standard and it is really hard to demonstrate to the judges how good you are in five minutes. I am twohundred per-cent happier than when I won in Gran Canaria! It is so difficult here, I can't believe it, I am very happy!" |
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Karin Jaggi, Backwind Jibe: 1st place and Freestyle Champion '99! |
| Daida Ruano Moreno, Gu Screw: 2nd place |  |
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Antonia Frey, Willy Skipper: 3rd place |
Daidas twinsister Iballa got one third place, the other went to Tony Frey from Greece, who competed in spite a deep cut on her leg (Tony did some radical photoshooting with us the day before). With two second places in these last freestyles the winner of the PWA women freestyle Fuerteventura and therefore Freestyle champ '99 was found: Karin Jaggi from Switzerland!
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Karin: "It is definitely great, it is a
brandnew discipline and I am obviously happy to have won. I have had so much fun doing it
and have practised a lot. I think all the girls really enjoyed it, the conditions have
been excellent and I hope we continue with women's freestyle!" Second place went to two-times-winner Daida Ruano Moreno in front of consistant Tony Frey, one of the best allround sailors and one of the friendliest girls on the tour. Congratulations Karin and keep on smiling that way! |
The new freestyle champ in the men's section is Josh Stone after two first places here in Fuerteventura and on Lake Neusiedl, Austria. Finally "Mr. Freestyle" got his deserved title. We are happy with him!
Women - Freestyle (5 eliminations)
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and finally: Hard work and soft drinks...
(photos: windgirls; stehsegelrevue/Niedner)