The third and final stop of the PWA Summer Canaries events was the Playa Surf CBbC Hotel Tenerife El Médano Windsurf Grand Slam and the riders were met somewhat lighter winds after the blistering conditions of the past 2 events in Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura, and decent waves at the well-known spot of Cabezo.
WOMENS
Sarah-Quita came to Tenerife with her eyes set on winning this event which has proved illusive for her, with her best previous finish in Tenerife being 2nd place. She was prepared for the lighter conditions and pulled out her 5.3 on a couple of occasions, always looking fast and confident on the waves throughout every heat.
Due to the challenging conditions, the heats were run without jumps all the way up to the final and then in the final, there was enough wind to add in a jump. In both scenarios, Sarah-Quita looked calm and in control, selecting some of the best waves of every heat and riding them all with power and style.
In the final, the jump helped her further her advantage over the rest of the competitors and she claimed her first Tenerife victory with a healthy margin.
Congratulations Sarah-Quita on another incredible event in this amazing year you are having!
MENS
The men’s fleet was, as ever, extremely hotly contested and with short heats and very challenging conditions, Marino Gil put on several clinical performances on his way to the final, being one of very few people to land a double forward in every heat, consistently showing what a danger he is, especially in the air!
The semi-final was a nail biting affair for Marino with everything coming down to the very last wave-ride where he needed a 4 point ride or better on the last wave, which he caught right on the buzzer. He kept his cool and squeezed every bit of performance out of this last opportunity to secure his place in the final.
In the final, he once again produced one of his trademark doubles but since the conditions had deteriorated, it took him longer to find the double in this heat and therefore had less time to search for the best waves, but ultimately was able to find 2 decent rides, enough to see him finish in 3rd place for the second time this year, 1 place better than his finish in this event last year, so Marino was very happy with his performance!
Congratulations Marion on another excellent event and we can't wait to see how the rest of the year unfolds!
Photos: @rafasoulart / PWA
