Sarah-Quita Offringa shines after a sensational day of freestyle
Sarah-Quita Offringa on fire
The forecast and the paradise island of Bonaire certainly delivered on the second day of the PWA Bonaire World Cup as the single elimination for the women’s division was completed in idyllic freestyle conditions.
The stars of today
The level on the water today was off the scale as every sailor pushed themselves to the limit in order to try and defeat their rivals. After a scintillating day of sailing it was eventually the reigning PWA Freestyle World Champion Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / Mystic / who came out on top.
Women’s
Single Elimination
Winners’ Final
The first women’s first winners final of 2014 saw last year’s top two - Sarah-Quita Offringa and Arrianne Aukes (RRD / Simmer / Maui Ultra Fins) - lining up against each other once more. Offringa had been in imperious earlier in the day and the lady from Aruba proved exactly why she has 6 PWA Freestyle World Championships to her name by the end of the heat.
Offringa kicked off the final with a text-book air flaka, before quickly adding a shaka flaka and a sick regular kono to instantly pile the pressure on Aukes. The Dutch freestyle specialist endured a tricky start to the final, but soon worked her way back into contention as she landed a flawless puneta followed by a perfectly executed double flaka.
With her confidence now growing Aukes laid down a trademark one-handed funnel to keep the contest well and truly alive. However, at this point Offringa took things to a whole nother level, firstly by tweaking a shuvit spock 540 before also landing a simply perfect double spock and an explosive culo.
With nothing to lose, but everything to gain Aukes attempted to respond with a regular kono of her own, but it wasn’t to be as SQ claimed her first victory of the season, whilst protecting her unbeaten record, for the time being at least.
Elsewhere in the single elimination Yoli de Brendt (Fanatic / North) called upon all of her competition experience to keep Oda Johanne (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra fins) at bay, as the Venezuelan claimed the final place on the podium with a fine display.
Yoli de Brendt claims third
Prior to the finals Maikke Huvermann (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) was the standout sailor as she produced a fantastic performance to dispatch of Fleur van der Burgh, before pushing Arrianne Aukes all the way. The sixteen year old was crowned the PWA Youth Freestyle World Champion in 2013, but she has clearly taken her sailing to another level this year, not only with greater consistency but also new moves. In her opening heat Huvermann wowed the crowds and made everyone standup and take notice as she landed stylish spocks, flakas, e-sliders, punetas and funnels, to prove she is one to watch.
The sailors took freestyle to a new level today, producing moment after moment of magic and the forecast looks as though we should be treated to three more days of mind-blowing trickery. After 8 hours of jar dropping sailing, the competitors retreated to the beautiful Sorobon Beach Resort to relax and refuel for tomorrow’s double elimination. The skippers’ meeting for tomorrow has been called for 9am with the first possible start at 9:30am. Don’t miss any of the insane action by tuning into www.pwaworldtour.com where you’ll be able to follow the action as it happens via the PWA live stream and live ticker.
Results Women’s Single Elimination - Freestyle
1st Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / Mystic / Chris Benz / Maui Ultra Fins)