The PWA leaves Costa Teguise reeling after a week of non-stop Slalom and Freestyle combat. Antoine Albeau (Starboard / NeilPryde) played a shrewd game to grasp the Slalom event title and build on his tour lead. Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde) and Jose Estredo (Fanatic/North) prove that the future is now in the opening Freestyle contest of 2007.

Day 1
Perfect freestyle conditions meant there was no delay in getting the first double elimination of the year underway. There were a few shock exits, namely the Frans brothers who couldn’t seem to perform to their usual standard, but, many were excited about the potential comeback of Ricardo Campello (JP/NeilPryde) who’d dipped below the radar in 2006 and fought his way up to the final stages, including an amazing Pushloop-Vulcan in the single elimination final.

However, despite a bit of a fright from Campello, Jose Estredo (Fanatic/North) dug deep to secure the win after another all-Venezuelan final in the double elimination. Kiri Thode (Starboard/Gaastra) fended-off any other pretenders to defend the third place spot.

Daida Moreno (North) fended off the new-wave of ladies freestyle talent despite the standard rocketing in the off-season. Aruban Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard/NeilPryde) sealed second place after halting Laure Treboux’s (Naish/Naish) remarkable fight back in its tracks.

Moreno was also using the sizable ramps on the Las Cucharas reef to her advantage as the younger girls focused more on technical sliding tricks.

Day 2
Some epic surf-slalom conditions and logo-high surf hindered the crew’s chances of safely setting a course. The decision to switch back to Freestyle was taken and a second single elimination was completed.

Anthony Ruenes (Tabou/Gaastra) and Marcilio Browne (Mistral/Gaastra) sprung into form but couldn’t displace Thode or Estredo who met in a tense final. Estredo was injured, but his combo moves gave him the win even though Thode must’ve notched-up a record amount of tricks in a heat.

In the women’s final Moreno fell a fair bit leaving Offringa to punish her with her impressive array of the latest switch-stance tricks.

Day 3
More solid surf made for a gruelling day with the maximum four races run across the reef on the third day. A mixed bag of results were thrown up but Bjorn Dunkerbeck (T1/ North) came out as the event leader after 4 separate race winners in Micah Buzianis (JP /NeilPryde), Dan Ellis (Fanatic/Naish) – the half-fleet race victor, Pieter Bijl (Fanatic/NeilPryde) and Dunkerbeck himself.

Day 4
An entertaining day meant both Freestyle and Racing were run for the spectators and there was even some leftover swell to throw into the mix. In the morning the second double elimination of the freestyle was completed and Campello’s hopes of a fight back to the final were dashed. He scrapped well through six heats to reach the last three, but young Kiri Thode spoilt the chances of a Margaritan party for the final.

Just prior to the final Estredo injured his foot but soldiered on to defeat Thode and still pull-of his trademark moves such as the one-handed burner through the pain to win.

Sarah-Quita Offringa and Daida Moreno met once more after Treboux failed to barge her way into the final. Offringa made it 1-1 between her and Moreno with a solid heat as Moreno floundered and fell.

In the afternoon’s Slalom racing Dunkerbeck wasn’t messing about and set to on building an event lead by taking two wins from the three races run that afternoon. Finian Maynard (F2/NeilPryde) won the third race as the stronger wind favoured the heavyweights. Tour leader Antoine Albeau (Starboard/NeilPryde) grafted hard to hang on to his smallest registered sail, (a 7.8sqm!), in wind of up to around 30 knots.

Day 5
Another Estredo vs. Thode final surfaced after the young Bonaire youngster brushed aside all pretenders. Once more, Thode’s work rate was exceptional as he performed an amazing array and number of tricks, but Estredo’s higher scoring moves and unique stunts awarded him the win.

The women’s final was controversial in that opinion on the beach was divided one who they thought had won, but the judges were unanimous in a 5-0 decision in Offringa’s favour. That settled the tie between her and Moreno and awarded her the event win and the tour lead going into the next event in Gran Canaria.

Day 6
Lighter winds than previous days made for ideal slalom conditions, but this didn’t exactly favour the heavyweights. Antoine Albeau finally overtook Bjorn Dunkerbeck to seize the event lead. Kevin Pritchard snuck into second overall after victory in two out of three of the day’s races – the third was won by Britain’s Ross Williams. That left Dunkerbeck in third overall as the final day approached

Final Day Report
First up was the completion of 11th race left unfinished in dying wind on day 6.

Race 11
This day of nerves started when Dunkerbeck couldn’t make it out of his semi-final heat. Both Kevin Pritchard and Jimmy Diaz (F2/North) enjoyed the lighter winds in the final, but it was another lightweight, light wind specialist - Gonzalo Costa Hoevel (F2/NeilPryde) - who won first race of the day.

Race 12
More anxiety got to the top names in the twelfth race. Even Albeau failed to make final and neither did Pritchard as the event lead was left on a knife-edge. In the rankings this also intensified the race for third as the final race of the event loomed. As the tension got to everyone there were several re-starts and disqualifications as no less than five of the finalists were sent back to the beach for premature starts. Eventually Dunkerbeck won easily, using an 8.3, he crossed before anyone and drove it home ruthlessly all the way to the finish line.

Arnon Dagan (Fanatic/NeilPryde) earned himself a consolatory win in the 13th elimination.

Men’s Freestyle Results:
1. Jose Estredo (Fanatic/North)
2. Kiri Thode (Starboard/Gaastra)
3. Ricardo Campello (JP/NeilPryde)

Women’s Freestyle Results:
1. Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard/NeilPryde)
2. Daida Moreno (North)
3. Laure Treboux (Naish/Naish)

Men’s Slalom Results:
1. Antoine Albeau (Starboard/NeilPryde)
2. Kevin Pritchard (Starboard/MauiSails)
3. Bjorn Dunkerbeck (T1/North)