As if it knew it was time to stop, the wind dropped for the closing day of the 2012 Cold Hawaii PWA World Cup in Klitmøller on Sunday, after a week of tough competition between the best 43 wave windsurfers in the world. After three successful years of competition, Klitmøller, for decades a place of pilgrimage for the windsurfers in the know, is now firmly on the professionals trail.
“It’s an established part of the tour now,” Rich Page, the PWA tour manager, said. “Klitmøller was an event that that had been years in the development phases working with Rasmus Johnsen (head of new media and technology at the Active Institute at the University of Aarhus) and then later with Robert (Sand, the event manager). So that when it came to fruition it was very well organised.
The ‘T’s had been crossed and the ‘I’s dotted and that gave it a solid foundation. It was never going to be a flash in the pan. That hard work has paid off and we expect it to continue to grow.”
And grow it has, driving a digital revolution in the sport. In their inaugural year in 2010, the organisers of Cold Hawaii brought live streaming video technology to the windsurfing World Cup for the first time and this year the introduction of live scoring by the PWA has helped revolutionise the sport.
Day 6 of the PWA KIA Cold Hawaii World Cup saw the superstars of the wave sailing world deliver a spectacular display, as the City Lift Super Session took place at 1pm. Light starboard tack winds and small waves provided ideal conditions for the competition, as three heats were run before the final, with the top two men from each heat advancing.
The super session final consisted of three English sailors, John Skye (RRD / Mystic / MFC), Robby Swift (JP / NeilPryde / Mystic / Maui Ultra Fins), Jamie Hancock (Tabou / Gaastra), the Brazilian boys Marcilio Browne (Goya Windsurfing / MFC) and Kauli Seadi (JP / NeilPryde), and finally Spain’s, Victor Fernandez (Fanatic / North).
In the light winds and difficult jumping conditions Victor Fernandez was able to gain an early lead as he landed a tabletop forward, however his lead was short lived as Marcilio ‘Brawzinho’ Browne landed an amazing air chachoo. The Brazilian then went one better as he rotated his way through an outstanding one footed backloop to cement his place at the top. Browne’s fellow countryman, Kauli Seadi, completed the top three as he also landed a brilliant air chachoo to wow the crowds on the beach. The deteriorating wind in the final minutes of the heat meant that none of the sailors were able to land any more moves, and Marcilio Browne was crowned the super session champion.
Day fopur saw the completion of the double elimination with Thomas Traversa (Tabou / Gaastra) took on the 2011 and 2012 PWA Wave Champion, Philip Köster (Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins). Traversa took an early advantage scoring a nice wave with a super nice frontside, into backside followed by another frontside hit, as Kosters wave closed out. Traversa than scored his second wave, hitting hard with some backside smacks, than finishing it off with a smooth frontside. Kopster worked his way up wind, to score the wave of the heat, starting with a wave 360, followed by some front and backside hits, to score a 7.88. Traversa scored one more wave and edged out the current World Champion by 0.87 points.
Thomas Traversa had this to say after winning “I’m super happy, I managed to find one really good wave and then a couple of ok waves. The wind was very, very, very light, but for once I had the advantage of being light. It feels crazy and unreal at the moment.”
Top 5 of the 2012 PWA KIA Cold Hawaii World Cup:
1st Thomas Traversa (Tabou / Gaastra)
2nd Philip Köster (Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins)
3rd Victor Fernandez (Fanatic / North)
4th Ricardo Campello (JP / NeilPryde / MFC)
5th Kauli Seadi (JP / NeilPryde)
It is our pleasure to present to you yet another year of KIA Cold Hawaii PWA World Cup in collaboration with legendary BSP. This is the trailer for this year’s event. Greetings from them and us to you: lean back and enjoy.
