LIVETICKER DAY 10 (of 10) – KITE-SURF DAY 5 (GMT+1)
Current discipline: Kite-Surf (Freestyle was completed in the first 5 days of this double discipline event before we moved onto kite-surf on Wednesday)
Judging Criteria: One freestyle trick (6 attempts) and two waves counting
Format: Double elimination final stages, 25 minute heats
Wind: Around 15 knots
Waves: The contest site is a little way downwind of the main spot at Westpoint to take advantage of a playable inside section
Note: This liveticker automatically updates every couple of minutes if ticker is online!
You’ll find the live heats and ladders by scrolling down this page and then scrolling right along the Men Kitesurf elimination ladder for the current situation
If you want to see previous individual wave scores, click here and scroll all the way down to Mens Kitesurf 2
Sunday 13th October
Report: Jim Gaunt
18.33 – SUPER FINAL: Mitu Monteiro V Airton Cozzolino (forced because Airton won the last heat and Mitu had to be beaten twice as the single elimination winner).
Great opening wave for Airton on what was in reality a small wave, completing five turns and then a popped 180 off the lip that he then completed into a 360. Very nice. 7 points. Big.
Mitu pulled in on the next wave and although he had less turns, he destroyed the last section. 4.87.
Airton was quickly into his second wave getting 5.67 to total 12.67 off just two waves. Strong.
Mitu made a beautiful air and somehow rode out of it in the white water, going on to manage a couple more hits. The reward a 6.07.
No wave was wasted as the set rolled in with some pretty good lines backed up. Mitu looked to be linking the sections for longer this heat, looping the kite at the start of his ride then smashing sections with multiple airs.
Airton made another good wave 360 on one wave and then what did he do on the way out? Picked a vertical kicker and landed a big, punted unhooked backside 3 – 9.17 points… it was almost perfect and couldn’t have been done better in wakeboard boots. Is that the killer blow? He was way out front on a massive 22.97 points, with Mitu yet to register a freestyle move on 12 points; that almost ten point freestyle trick making all the difference.
What a repertoire Airton has put into this heat already with 12 minutes still to go.
If anyone can come back though it’s Mitu… he just wasn’t managing to find the bigger faces that were a bit more downwind, but nevertheless was working the waves for all their worth. This heat, like the first, was action packed with these riders turning very average conditions into an exciting spectacle.
Mitu finally went for a trick out the back but missed it. He needed to get a good freestyle score pretty quickly and then hope for a good swell near the end of the heat.
Indeed a set came in, Airton was already on the second wave of the set as Mitu charged out to try to get the one behind. Airton cut a big spray, tail loose, big hack and let the tail drift 180.
Mitu again with a big air in the midst of a succession of very stylish hits. These boys are so inspiring to watch and it blows the mind to think what they’re doing with their kites as well as their boards to maintain such speed and flow. Mitu got an 8.3 for that wave – incredible. He was now within reach but with seven minutes to go needed to get busy with his freestyle attempts.
But yet again they went for waves, knowing that two high wave scores are very important compared to one freestyle score, but really Mitu needed to surely start going for freestyle, especially as Airton was now free to just go for waves – seemingly practicing his air 360 in the wave!
Finally Mitu had a front roll on the scoreboard – but it earned just 2.53. The scores were 24.17 to 17.45 in Airton’s favour. Mitu’s better wave riding had brought him to within around 8 points.
He came in on the inside, not looking for a kicker, working off the flats… he unhooked and landed a pop to blind and span 360 out… that’s a very good trick and Mitu has only recently been making unhooked tricks in the last year… it was clean but not as good as Airton’s. He got 6.16…
The score: 24.17 to 21.1. What more could Mitu do? Three minutes left…
Mitu found a set wave in the closing moments – could he improve on his lowest wave score of 6.63? He managed just three turns unfortunately and turned off the back… 50 seconds left.
Airton was heading in on another wave… but suddenly downwind and into the sunlight Mitu completed a neat backside 3!
Both riders did all they could and yet again have gifted us with an amazing show. What a joy they both are to watch and real all-round surfboard athletes. Airton’s two best wave rides were a 7 and 8 and of course his backside 3 had scored 9.17 giving him 24.76.
Mitu’s two best waves were worth 6.63 and 8.3 and then that unhooked backside 3 off the flats right at the end… got 7.83. So Airton had done it. One of the best comebacks we’ve ever seen, completing his eight heat comeback through the double elimination and beating Mitu Monteiro TWICE!
AIRTON WINS THE EVENT: 24.17 to 22.76
Airton: “I have no words, I was pretty nervous but I just went for it and I’m so stoked. Big thanks to my friends and everyone online who supported me, to my trainer and also my caddy for the day Francesco Cappuzzo! Amazing. Yes!”
Mitu: “Against Airton you never know what he’s going to do. It a shame we didn’t get bigger waves, but it’s always fun to ride with him on the water. So I’m happy and now I look forward to Brazil.”
17.47 – FINAL: MITU MONTEIRO (CV) V AIRTON COZZOLINO (CV)
Once again, as Mitu won the single elimination, he must be beaten twice if Airton wants to claim the event win.
Conditions this morning remained marginal with very small waves for long periods and then the wind swang offshore at hightide, so the contest went on hold from around midday until the start of this heat at 17.20. A great decision!
Both riders got into wave action within the first two minutes. Airton looks incredibly hungry, managing six hits on one wave, such is the intensity of his riding and how he can manage to pack in a succession of tight turns – pure surf style.
Mitu also got a pretty good wave – not as good, Airton 6.43 for his and 4.93 for Mitu.
Definitely some more sections than we saw this morning at the lower tide…
Mitu managed to land a butt checked front roll shuvit, getting 4.67 – not a very clean landing, but a very technical trick. Airton crashed a back roll tictac, so five minutes in and Mitu had a small advantage, but Airton yet to land a freestyle trick.
Airton’s two opening waves of 6.43 and 5.77 were very healthy, with Mitu’s two waves only 4.93 and 4.07 – not just due to getting lucky with wave choice and how the waves shaped up but Airton really murdered them once he decided to go down the line.
Way out the back Airton finally got his trusty back roll tic-tac on the scoreboard. Not the biggest, but very important to register a score in the first place. He got 6.33 points – and a great upper hand the fact that Airton has those in his pocket, almost on lock down and able to get very challenging scores from them.
Conditions may be minimal, but both riders in the meeting with the crew said ‘let’s just do it’ – they’re both always so keen to ride and compete, and remember if the heat didn’t run Mitu would win as the single elimination win… so credit to him for always being positive.
Mitu went to work on a little section, bam, bam, bam constant turning and with a wave 360 in the middle, great effort… gets a 7.33
Airton had a few waves back to back, but not breaking much above the 5 point score, so no change in wave scores.
Airton took off a kicker and landed a big back roll tic-tac to switch, should be another big score (it was: 7.27!). He landed and turned straight into a beautiful face… 3 turns, big hits.
Mitu tucked into another clean wave – the conditions far better than this morning – another few hits and another wave 360! The scoreboard had some catching up to do!
Airton looked to have a very narrow lead – would this go into another heat?
Both riders made mincemeat of some small sections on the inside towards the end of the heat, filled with hacks, fins out and airs…
Heat over. This was going to be close as the final scores hadn’t shown up on the livescore…
AIRTON WINS 20.37 to 17.43 – SO WE’LL GO ONE MORE TIME!
17.20 – Heat on in a moment – the final between Cape Verdeans Mitu Monteiro and Airton Cozzolino – one freestyle trick and two wave scores counting.
17.10 – Livestream will be on at 17.17
17.00 – Good news, looks like the heat is going to start soon…
16.30 – Next call 16.45 – first possible start 17.00 – conditions a little bit better…
16.00 – Next call 16.30 – first possible start 17.00
15.30 – Next call 16.00 – first possible start 16.30
15.00 – Good afternoon everyone. The crew are back in position and the riders are on standby, however we’re still waiting building conditions so the next call is at 15.30 with a first possible start of 16.00
12.00 – MEN’S FINAL MITU V AIRTON POSTPONED to 15.00:
The hightide has got just too mushy, so the men’s final has been postponed. Next announcement at 15.00, with first possible start 15.30
11.40 –
WOMEN’S FINAL
Kirsty Jones (UK) V Carla Herrera-Oria (ESP)
As Kirsty won the single elimination, she must be beaten twice if Carla wants to claim the event win.
On her second wave Kirsty took a big slam in the shore break on the inside pushing the wave for the last turn, BUT it didn’t put her off doing it again on the next wave! The Welsh women rewarded with a 5.7, far better than her first wave which was just 0.67.
Carla meanwhile found three smooth turns on a bigger roller that formed further from the beach and that was going to be the game. Patience again being key. Carla’s backside approach looked difficult in this shore break and Kirsty took the lead with sharper and harder turns. 6.37 versus 5.4 from the two best wave scores with 13 minutes still to go.
There was a long wait for more action as riders tacked in and out hunting out something that could turn into a wave. Suddenly they both hooked into two bits of swell, one ride each, but both closed out late and just a couple of small turns were possible. Very, very difficult here for the women.
Kirsty was still holding a 0.67 in her two best waves and managed to wiggle her way along a building mound before it hit the beach and crucially squeezed out a slightly higher score: 2.08 increased her twin wave combination score to 7.78. The pulses started to come in a bit more towards the end and Kirsty risked coming in close again and that lower second score increased again: 3.27 awarded this time and she stretched ahead: 8.97 to 5.86.
Carla doesn’t need to risk anything here riding too shallow because she’s already reached the final and is currently leading the standings, so will leave Dakhla with a bigger lead, so she’ll be happy enough with her result having fought back all the way from the bottom in the double eliminations.
Kirsty found a way to increase that lower second wave score again and in the end she has been Carla’s downfall twice at this event having beaten her in round one of the singles and now in this double final. The Dhaka resident proved a little braver when it came to catching those steeper sections in close.
KIRSTY WINS THE EVENT: 10.33 to 6.06
11.15 –
MEN’S SEMI-FINAL (Round 9, double elimination heat #34)
Reece Myerscough (CAN) V Airton Cozzolino (CV)
Criteria changed back to pure wave as the wind isn’t as strong as yesterday, so very difficult for decent freestyle. The wave conditions are small and it was a case of trying to make the most of the inside waves close to shore.
Airton’s second wave of 5.8 looked strong given the diminished conditions here on the last day of the event. Important to get a result though – we’ve had nine out of nine days of conditions here in Dakhla in both Freestyle and Wave, so can’t ask more than that and here on day ten it’s a scrap to take the crown. Time to get hands dirty because this tour has always been about finding the most complete rider, come what may.
On his fourth wave Reece just poked his nose out front with a 6 point wave that saw him milk it all the way up the beach! The two wave top score read 10.53 to 9.3. Remember Reece is riding the furthest he’s ever made it into competition. He’s already beaten Airton once at this event (something only a handful of riders can claim) and looking to do it again!
It really became a technical challenge to stay in the pocket close in to shore and then risk that last turn right at the very end. Early and mid heat the waves were offering the chance for two or three very strong turns before things got too shallow but those chances reduced towards the end of the heat.
Patience really was key as riders headed out back time and again, trying to see a hint of any uprising of swell that they could try to get priority on. Airton found a little lump to get a 4.2 score and pulled back a little margin: 10.53 versus 10 points to Reece. Seven minutes to go.
Airton then somehow sensed that a little pulse of energy was going to turn into something workable and it did. He fired in four turns in very close succession such is his ability to maintain pace and flow off such small waves – he got 5.23 for that one and took the lead: 11.03 to 10.53.
The scrap continued and it really was about hunting the best lumps available and getting them from out back for priority. Very difficult.
Reece then found one and made a super nice fins out hack but didn’t improve his score.
Both riders got desperate and started making their last turns in the exploding shore break and riding out on the sand.
One minute to go and Airton was still just in the lead…
Reece found a little lump and sadly it didn’t form up before detonating on the beach.
Completing his sixth win in the double elimination:
AIRTON WINS, JUST! 11.03 to 10.53
10.34 – HEAT ON: Reece V Airton
09.30 – Good morning everyone on this important final day of competition! We’re awaiting building conditions and then up first will be:
Men’s semi final: Reece Myerscough (CAN) V Airton Cozzolino (CV)
Women’s final: Kirsty Jones (UK) V Carla Herrera-Oria (ESP)
Men’s final Reece or Airton V Mitu Monteiro (CV)
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Find Saturday’s double elimination heat notes here.
Find Friday’s liveticker heat notes here.
Find Thursday’s liveticker heat notes here.
Find day one kite-surf liveticker information here.