Today’s conditions here in Pozo were out of control with winds screaming across the course area at times in excess of 50 knots. The closing heats of this years PWA, Grand Slam started at midday after the judges decided to wait for the pushing tide and the best possible wave conditions.

In his opening heats against Josh Angulo and Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Neil Pryde), Jonas Ceballos busted an amazing display of monster back loops all in excess of fifty feet. Some of the back loops from the Canarian young gun almost looked like they were simply going to be massive jumps but somehow Jonas managed to steer the rig around at the apex and float down into perfect landings. Both Angulo and Dunkerbeck battled hard against Ceballos but a mixture of his rocket aerial maneuvers mixed with radical wave 360’s and tweaked front side airs proved enough to take Jonas through to the final.

Jonas opened the final with yet another sick 50-foot plus back loop, moments later Jensen kept his cool and also nailed a high back loop. Choosing his ramps wisely during the ten minute final, Jensen filled out here score card with a Crazy Pete, double forward and finally, the one handed double which he saved until the dying seconds of the heat as his closing maneuver. He also managed to connect with two set waves which he rode from the point all the way through to the beach with a series of backside and front side airs. Jonas replied with more massive back loops and a tweaked out ninja table top but seemed to have difficulty finding the sets for his wave rides. After a tense wait for the judge’s decision the result was unanimous with a 5-0 verdict in Jensen’s favor.

The women’s competition boiled down to a major battle between Karin Jaggi and Daida Moreno. Jaggi stormed her way through the losers bracket by defeating Anne Marie Reichman (Naish) and Iballa Moreno (Mistral, North) for her deserved slot in the final. Moreno seemed to struggle in the first final and crashed heavily on several of her aerial moves. Jaggi meanwhile sailed a smart heat and racked up the points with a superb display of high jumps and aggressive wave rides. When the judges gave the decision to Jaggi, it meant it was all down to the last heat of the day to decide the ladies winner. This time around Moreno held her nerve and managed to link together a high scoring heat, action packed with push loops, table tops, one handed back loops and stalled forwards. Jaggi fought back hard landing a monster push loop but in the end Moreno’s local knowledge and mastery of her home spot here in Pozo proved enough to give her the victory.

Moreno’s win in the waves means that she has cleaned up here in Gran Canaria winning both disciplines in convincing style. Her sister Iballa has also had a successful event after finishing second in freestyle and third overall in waves. Karin Jaggi has also sailed exceptionally this week taking second overall in waves and third in the freestyle.

The men’s freestyle here in Gran Canaria was dominated by Brazilian sensation Ricardo Campello (JP, Neil Pryde) who took consecutive victories in all three rounds. His level of sailing literally blew the rest of the fleet away and was unbeaten during a single heat of the three Dingle eliminations. Kauli Seadi (AHD, Naish) of Brazil and Antoine Albeau (Neil Pryde, AHD) of France took the remaining podium positions with local sailor Victor Fernandez (Fanatic) taking fourth.

The wind is still howling in Gran Canaria but after a grueling week of intense competition, this years PWA, Grand Slam is all over. Tonight proceedings will wind up at the Gloria Palace hotel on the south of the island for the closing ceremony and no doubt there will be a few sore heads tomorrow morning.

The PWA tour now moves over to the neighboring island of Fuerteventura for freestyle world cup and super cross exhibition which commences on the 17th through to the 24th of July.

VIDAR JENSEN (North) : I am more than happy about winning today. I was watching the heats with Jonas against Bjorn and Josh and he was just going off and sailing incredibly. I managed to pull together a pretty good heat against him. I managed to pull together, I would say a pretty good heat and had all sorts of jumps. I did not land my one handed double as clean as I had wanted too. I think he might have been a little bit ahead on the jumps but I was quite far ahead on the wave rides. I think that is where I won it. I was unsure about trying doubles on a 3.3m because I did not want to hurt myself. I think I sailed a very good heat and I am very stoked right now !

DAIDA MORENO (Mistral, North) : In the first final I could not hold on to my sail and did not really land any of my jumps. After the heat I rigged the sail better and felt a lot more comfortable. I was more relaxed and used the whole ten minutes of the heat. I sailed my best and am really happy about the result.

KARIN JAGGI (F2, Arrows) : It was super, super mega windy. I was maxed out on a 2.8m. It was hard to wave ride with the small sail because I am not really used to it. In a way I love contests because I would never normally go as high in training.

MENS WAVE RESULTS

– 1. VIDAR JENSEN (North)
– 2. JONAS CEBALLOS (Gaastra, Fanatic)
– 3. BJORN DUNKERBECK (Neil Pryde)
– 4. JOSH ANGULO

WOMENS WAVE RESULTS

– 1. DAIDA MORENO (Mistral, North)
– 2. KARIN JAGGI (F2, Arrows)
– 3. IBALLA MORENO (Mistral, North)
– 4. ANNE MARIE REICHMAN (Naish)

MENS FREESTYLE RESULTS AFTER THREE DINGLE ELIMINATIONS

– 1. RICARDO CAMPELLO (JP, Neil Pryde)
– 2. KAULI SEADI (AHD, Naish)
– 3. ANTOINE ALBEAU (AHD, Neil Pryde)
– 4. VICTOR FERNANDEZ (Fanatic)
– 5. ROBBY SWIFT (JP, Neil Pryde)
– 6. TONKI FRANS (Gaastra, AHD)

WOMENS FREESTYLE FIRST DOUBLE ELIMINATION RESULTS

– 1. DAIDA MORENO (Mistral, North)
– 2. IBALLA MORENO (Mistral, North)
– 3. KARIN JAGGI (F2, Arrows)
– 4. NAYRA ALONSO