Welsh Wild Card Kirsty is Queen of the Desert

The big news yesterday was that Dakhla resident for the last few years, Kirsty Jones, who is originally from Wales and has a vast amount of competition experience, including World Titles under her early career belt, won the women’s single elimination.

Kirsty

As the tour visits some really core kiteboarding locations through the year, there are always going to be some highly skilled riders motivated to enter certain competitions who are capable of causing an upset and disturbing the fight for the title. We saw the same with Jalou Langeree and Ninja Ricot taking the top two spots at Mauritius in the last round, while Kirsty showed an undeniable comfort and class here in these conditions at Westpoint, suiting her natural stance.

Kirsty, right at home and picking out the best waves

Women's and Men's action catch-up

Tour leader Carla Herrera-Oria’s highest seeding meant that she was drawn against the event’s wildcard rider, but unfortunately for her, that wildcard was a previous world champion with amazing local knowledge as early as round two. Carla now has it all to do in the double elimination coming over the next few days.

Carla - tough draw in round two!

Kirsty meanwhile went on to beat one of the tour’s most improved female chargers, Australian Peri Roberts in the semi-final and then France’s Charlotte Carpentier in the final, who is currently lying in second on the tour.

Women's single elimination podium

So, Kirsty left a real trail of destruction in her wake on Wednesday and in winning the single elimination has projected herself straight to the double elimination final.

WOMEN’S SINGLE ELIMINATION RESULT:
1st Kirsty Jones (UK)
2nd Charlotte Carpentier (FRA)
3rd Catharina Edin (SWE)
4th Peri Roberts (AUS)