LIVETICKER DAY 1 (GMT-3)
Current discipline: Freestyle
Judging Criteria: Pure freestyle (4 tricks from 4 different trick families count from 7 attempts. Riders take turns to perform one trick in a minute)
Format: Dingle elimination. Men’s winners from round one advance to round 3, second and third placed riders compete in round 2. On the women’s side, the same applies, but when there are only three riders in a heat they all go through, but their heat results dictate their seeding.
Wind: 18 – 20 knots / high tide in the morning / improving chop conditions as tide drops and the wind picked up to over 22 knots around midday.
Note: Once the action starts, this liveticker automatically updates every couple of minutes if ticker is online!
Find all previous heat tricks and scores here.
Once the action is running, you’ll find the live heats, ladders and livestream by scrolling down this page.
Report: Jim Gaunt
15.50 – Competition has been called off for the day due to dropping winds. First possible start tomorrow will be at 09.00am (GMT -3)
15.00 – We went back to the men’s heat where the first heat of round three got underway but was postponed due to dropping winds. Stand by for more information… the stream is still running below.
14.30 – W-R2 HEAT 6 NINA FONT (ESP) / THERESE TAABBEL (DEN) / ESTAFANIA ROSA (BRA)
Brazilian Estefania Rosa made it to the final last year and dominated this heat showing good s-bend and hinterberger trick variations for her best scores.
Meanwhile, tour regular Taabbel had a nightmare, crashing five times in the chop, but she just about pulled her way through claiming second over Nina Font with just two tricks.
Congrats to young Nina on her first appearance at the GKA World Cups – we expect a big improvement from her next year.
RESULT:
Rosa: 18.13
Taabbel: 6.84
Font: 5.96 (out)
14.04 – W-R2 HEAT 5 ANGELICA FREITAS (BRA) / CLAUDIA LEON (ESP) / ALINA KORNELLI (GER) / RITA ARNAUS (ESP)
The two regular tour riders went through here according to their season’s rankings, with Rita looking super consistent, with four scores over 6 and her backside 315 earning 6.5. The Spaniard only found herself in round two rather than going straight through the semis because she finished her round one heat tied on points with Pippa van Iersel, but lost first place because Pippa’s best trick was better. Dry hair this heat for Rita though – she looks focused on at least equalling her best ever result this season, which was second in Mauritius.
Alina Kornelli had the chance on her last trick, but needed an 8.9. Sadly it was just a pop in the end.
RESULT:
Arnaus: 25.6
Leon: 20.04
Kornelli: 11.94 (out)
Freitas: 1.78 (out)
13.35 – Switching back to the women’s competition now with the two heats in round two.
13.34 – M-R2 HEAT 12 VICTOR EMANOEL (BRA) / XAVIER KIEBLER (GER) / MATEUS MENDEZ (BRA) / GUILHERME COSTA (BRA)
German Kiebler from Bavaria held the heat throughout, at times just by a fraction of a point over Gabriel Costa, a 16-year-old Brazilian who just won Duotone’s grom search and has a stack of good tricks in his bag.
All to play for after five tricks each with all riders still able to do enough to qualify for the quarter finals. Even coming into the last trick, Mendez in third needed only a 7.11 to take first. Sadly he crashed, just not getting the clean pop he required.
No big trick scores here, but a good, tight heat with each rider keeping pressure on the next and Kiebler in his first World Cup event was super stoked and never expected to win a heat. Can he carry that forward!
RESULT:
Kiebler: 20.64
Costa: 20.45
Mendez: 17.34 (out)
Emanoel: 10.01 (out)
13.05 – M-R2 HEAT 11 ARRON ROSSLEE (RSA) / ERICK ANDERSON (BRA) / RAFAEL MONTEIRO (BRA) / GABRIEL GALINDO (BRA)
Anderson was comfortably ahead coming into his last couple of tricks. Galindo was second and looking good to hold that position.
South African Rosslee had the best first half to a heat we’ve seen from him for while, landing four tricks from four and getting good height and speed and was winning after those. For his last three tricks though he was going for it so hard that he had some huge crashes!
It came down to Monteiro having a chance for second, but he needed a 9.78 on his last trick – he went for a double hinterberger but butt checked hard.
RESULT:
Anderson: 28.46
Galindo: 25.5
Monteiro: 20.13 (out)
Rosslee: 19.2 (out)
12.42 – M-R2 HEAT 10 DAVI RIBEIRO (BRA) / FRANCISCO PEREIRA (BRA) ALEX NETO (BRA) / ERISVERTON RIBEIRO
All Brazilian battle! Neto had this under control throughout and was nearly a full perfect trick score ahead of his closest rival with two trick attempts to go. (Just as well as his leash broke and he lost his kite on his last trick!)
Yesterday’s most stylish Brazilian Erisverton Ribeiro was holding second with some tight and consistent tricks, including a front blind mobe… however 11 year-old Davi Ribeiro needed just 2.76 to take the lead on his last trick and put the pressure back on Erisverton. He landed a back-to-blind air pass… it would be close… he got 3.23. So Erisverton still had one trick left, needing just 0.49 to take second. It looked like a foregone conclusion… but instead of doing something very simple he risked it and went for a KGB! Very cool. But great riding from 11 year-old Davi Ribeiro who landed all his tricks, including a heart attack frontside 5 and a slim 5. Remember the name!
Pereira didn’t ride to the best of his ability in this heat unfortunately, so he’s also out in fourth.
RESULT:
Neto: 26.04
E Ribeiro: 20
D Ribeiro: 16.38 (out)
Pereira: 12.95 (out)
12.15 – MR2 HEAT 9 JUAN RODRIGUEZ (COL) / RAFAEL DE SOUSA (BRA) / LUIS ALBERTO CRUZ (DR) / JAN BURGDORFER (GER)
Luis Alberto Cruz going higher and harder than the rest here and showing impeccable style, even making his single passes look amazing with solid grabs. Looked unhurried through all his tricks with quality over quantity. The Dominican raised the bar throughout the heat, each trick with absolute text book execution, peaking with an 8.3 for a massive slim 7. He landed all his tricks and his top four tricks from different categories gave him a decent 28.03 total, so although great to watch – the tour’s top guys are still managing to eek out more points, frequently breaking 30 points.
Before attempting his fifth trick the tour’s only regular rider in this heat already needed two huge scores just to have a chance of qualifying. He crashed a backside 317 again. The Colombian’s just not been able to pul it together at this event. It was Brazilian Rafael de Sousa who followed Luis through comfortably.
So Rodriguez is out and that’s the first upset of the event so far. Burgdorfer missed all his 5 and 7 passes, apart from right at the end getting a nice backside 315
RESULT:
Cruz: 28.03
de Sousa: 24
Rodriguez: 17.55 (out)
Burgdorfer: 13.47 (out)
11.52 – We’re back into the men’s heats now.
11.50 – WR1 HEAT 4 MIKAILI SOL (BRA) / ALINA KORNELLI (GER)
Formality heat here for Mikaili against an inexperienced German. Both riders go through anyway, Mikaili directly to the semis with two highest scoring tricks so far: 8.27 for a sim and 8.5 for a heart attack front side 3 – both bigger and more controlled than anything else we’ve seen today.
Kornelli’s high amount of crashes don’t do justice to the effort and hard riding she put in here, trying her biggest tricks against the World Champion.
RESULT:
Sol: 22.07
Cornell 1.37
11.40 – WR1 HEAT 3 NINA FONT (ESP) / RITA ARNAUS (ESP) / PIPPA VAN IERSEL (NED)
Pippa van Iersel and Rita Arnaus had a tight battle throughout here. Two of the tour’s top women and it was Pippa who had a chance to take the win on her last trick, needing a 5.93… she got a 7.03 for a heart attack and would you believe after 7 trick attempt each, 4 tricks counting – the score was tied: 23.3 each, but Pippa was awarded the win because her highest scoring trick was better than Rita’s. Solid riding from Rita though who has looked really good throughout the season – sadly for her though she has more work to do in round two, whereas Pippa’s into the semi-final.
RESULT:
van Iersel: 23.3
Arnaus: 23.3
Font: 2.1
11.15 – WR1 HEAT 2: A FREITAS (BRA) / TERESE THAABBEL (DEN) / BRUNA KAJIYA (BRA)
Pleasure to watch Bruna perform in this heat, rightfully respected as one of the most progressive and stylish female freestylers of her generation and still showing the younger riders how it’s done. Not the biggest tricks we’ll see from her at this event, but clean and clinical.
Taabbel always works hard, but couldn’t trouble the Brazilian. Freitas is a young first time entrant getting some experience under her belt.
All riders through again with Bruna direct to the semis.
RESULT:
Kajiya: 23.05
Taabbel: 18.23
Freitas: 1.17
11.00 -WOMEN’S R1 HEAT 1: ESTAFANIA ROSA (BRA) / CLAUDIA LEON (ESP) / PAULA NOVOTNA (CZ)
Paula was already in front with one more trick to come, so a parade lap for her on her last trick, and she pretty much saved her best for last with a heart attack 3. A couple of other very sweet tricks from Paula in that heat; a backside 313 and a slim 7 – her highest score of 7.17.
Local girl Estefania Rosa rode well (she actually finished 4th at this event last year), crashing just twice to beat one of this year’s most impressive young riders on tour, Claudia Leon – who has scored a couple of podiums in 2019.
Anyway, all riders go though – Paula directly to the semis, Estefania and Claudia to round two.
RESULT:
Novotna: 25.14
Rosa: 18.51
Leon: 15.26
10.41 – Men’s round one complete – we’re moving into round one of the women’s competition for four heats.
10.40 – R1 HEAT 8: GUILHERME COSTA (BRA) / RAFAEL MONTEIRO (BRA) / COHAN VAN DIJK (NED) / ADEURI CORNIEL (DR)
A champion-in-waiting performance from Adeuri Corniel showing the height, amplitude and peak performance tricks that we’re used to from him, executed well in these still lighter wind conditions. 8.7 points for a slim 9 was the second highest trick score of the event so far (second to his Championship title opponent Valentin who had an 8.77 for a KGB7). The Dominican was yards in front in this heat, though. A brace of Brazilians rode well to follow him through while, perhaps surprisingly, one of Naish Europe’s leading young riders van Dijk just couldn’t pull it together here and is out.
RESULT:
Corniel: 31.74
Costa: 22.34
Monteiro: 20.66
van Dijk: 16.64
10.08 – R1 HEAT 7: MATTEO DOROTINI (ITA) / MATEUS MENDEZ (BRA) / ROBBY JAMES (THA) / ARRON ROSSLEE (RSA)
Getting the day off to a start, this was a good opportunity for an unknown rider to push through. Biggest claim in the heat was sent to the beach from Brazilian Mendez for his hinterberger front side 5 for 6.07 points – the heat’s highest score. It was however Italian Dorotini with a marginally better average of four tricks giving him the win.
South African Aaron Rosslee goes through too, but won’t be pleased to have only scored three of his four allowed tricks. Not qualifying, Robby James had a shocker, crashing six of his seven trick attempts.
RESULT:
Dorotini: 19.54
Mendez: 17.94
Rosslee: 14.23
James: 2.27
09.37 – Looks like we’re heading for a start of round one heat 7 at 09.40.
MATTEO DOROTINI (ITA) / MATEUS MENDEZ (BRA) / ROBBY JAMES (THA) / ARRON ROSSLEE (RSA)
07.30am – Good morning everyone! Early start here to make the most of the better morning and early afternoon winds. First possible start is 08.30am (GMT – 3) which will see a re-start to men’s round one heat 7.
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Find day one liveticker notes here.