LIVETICKER DAY 1 (GMT+1)

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. Winners advance to round 3, second and third placed riders go to round 2 for their second chance
Wind: 25 – 30 knots / riders on 8m kites on average – strong! 

Note: This liveticker automatically updates every couple of minutes if ticker is online!
Once the action is running, you’ll find the livestream by scrolling down this page. 

Report: Jim Gaunt

19.16 – That’s it, light’s out. We’ll see you tomorrow for more. Skipper meeting: 09.00am / First possible start: 09.30 

19.15 – ROUND 1, HEAT 8
M Modrek (EGY) / J Ouahmid (MOR) / A Corniel (DR)

Coming into this event, 2015 World Champion Liam Whaley was up in the very first heat of the day and he laid down a heat score of 29.01 from his four counting tricks, which remained the highest round one score… until new tour leader Adeuri Corniel blasted out a 30.43 total in the last heat of the day!
The Dominican is getting the hang of stealing the rug out from under people’s feet with the last roll of the dice – having done it to Valentin Rodriguez with his very last move at round five in Mauritius. (It used to be known as the ‘Carlos Mario Mind-Game’, but perhaps it’s now the ‘Corniel Coup’!)

18.42 – ROUND 1, HEAT 7
L Pitot (FRA) / R James (THA) / V Bouceta (MOR) / N Delmas (FRA)

Nicolas Delmas is one of the most powerful riders on tour and had the competition of his life in Mauritius at the last event, getting amongst the highest heat scores we’ve seen all season, breaking into 35 point territory from four tricks! He crashed his first trick here in this heat however, catching a big front edge, but was soon into the groove, with 7.1 points for a 317.
Pitot was on it though on 19 points to Delmas’ 19.33 after four tricks and this was a good tussle between the two French riders, with Delmas finishing with his nose in front, just: 25.53 to Pitot’s 24.25
Moroccan Bouceta pushed Robby James into fourth, but this was really a battle between the top two riders, who pushed each other all the way to the last trick.

18.05 – ROUND 1, HEAT 6
J Burlando (ITA) / A Rosslee (RSA) / V Rodriguez (COL)

The top guys get so much height and the commitment to then go into powerful double passes is really impressive. Rodriguez missed out on the event win on the last trick of the event in Mauritius and finished in runner-up by just 0.01 points to Adeuri Corniel! This 17-year-old Columbian has proved himself to be a real title contender this year. A massive backside 317 scored 8 points on his second trick. Overall he looked controlled and committed in strong winds and without pressure took his foot off the gas a bit, finishing on 24.27 points.
Aaron Rosslee is doing all the competitions this year, solidly representing South Africa. No double passes for him, but he used his healthy strength to muscle out his landings in what he said were the toughest conditions of the year, but was almost ten points off top spot.
Jeremy Burlando is just 14 years old but has been competing in junior events. He struggled on his tiny 7m Core kite in these conditions and with lighter winds tomorrow, let’s see if he can show us some of the grabbed slims we know he’s got in his locker.

17.35 – ROUND 1, HEAT 5
A Moutaouakil (MOR) / R Giuliano (FRA) / G Coccoluto (ITA)

Coccoluto was owning the lagoon early on, with the best early heat performance so far, blasting his way up to 21.24 points from three tricks. His fourth trick backmobe 5 took him up to 27.27 – the highest heat score of the day and he still had three trick attempts come. He finished on 28.51.
Young French rider Giuliano had a good heat with plenty of stylish, stalled moments mid-rotation, but couldn’t get anywhere near Coccoluto’s power and height.
Moroccan Moutaouakil (high performing junior rider for a few seasons) put on the best performance of the locals, peaking with a 5.53 score for a backmobe 5.

17.10 – ROUND 1, HEAT 4
C Tack (BEL) / V Garat (FRA) / M Chabloz (CH)
Christophe Tack, 2014 PKRA World Champion, making a welcome return here to world freestyle after focusing on the Kite Park League in recent years. He had a big heat on with the Chabloz (currently ranked 2nd) and Val Garat who is a constant and very capable threat.

Tack is riding his big 150cm twin-tip, he’s a pure-pure wakestyler and brings all that power and might across with him. The Belgian was leading after four tricks each, Val was sitting in second, with Chabloz in last position; unusual for this year’s outstanding teen Swiss rider.

Garat went ahead with a heart attack on trick 4.
A stomped 6.17 for a front blind mobe moved Chabloz to second.
Tack-re-took the lead with a text book back mobe 5
These riders yo-yo’d up and down the order in the remaining few tricks… a very even heat, until a slim 7 put Chabloz on top with one trick to go, and he stayed there. Tack took second, but Garat was just 2.28 points behind in third.

16.45 – ROUND 1, HEAT 3
L Edderkaoui (MOR) / E Ulrich / P. Martinez / A Guillebert
Young French rider Arthur Guillebert made the semi-final stage in Mauritius at the last event – so he’s a definite rising star and remained in control throughout, with a steady and very consistent stream of scores in the five point range. Nothing spectacular, but none of the other riders could match his consistency.
Edgar Ulrich has also been performing well at times this year, was going big, but slammed down several times in the gusts on the inside. He was looking good, but crashed four tricks and his four individual tricks peaked with only a 4.47.
Poor Posito’s gear hasn’t made it to Dakhla (thanks airline!) so he was on borrowed gear. Two crashes on tricks two and four unsettled his usual flow. These guys are so dialled into their gear… but eventually on his sixth trick he scored a 7.37 for a 317 and propelled himself into second, 5.24 points behind Guillebert in first.
Great to see another local Larbi Edderkaoui entering their first world tour competition here on his home waters… and we’ll see him again in round two.

16.05 – ROUND 1, HEAT 2
E Anderson (BRA) / P Serin (FRA) / C Mario (BRA)
Great to see the current World Champ Carlos Mario back after having to withdraw after his quarter final heat in Mauritius at the last event (knee injury). After crashing his first trick, Carlos then eased in front with a brace of sixes.
Paul Serin just wasn’t finding his take-offs, leaving the Brazilian Anderson to make a good comeback on his third and fourth tricks with a front blind mobe and backmobe 5.
Mario opened the door with just a 4.03 for a slim 5 on his fourth trick and Anderson pounced with a 317 scoring 717. He was in the lead with 19.14 versus Carlos’ 16.8. Could he stay there?!
Carlos and Erik are both from Cauipe lagoon in Cumbuco, Brazil, but Carlos’ own 317 scored only 5.9. Anderson pulled away further with a double heart attack frontside 5 scoring 6.87 – a solid effort.
Anderson was holding it… Carlos went last and rocked a super constant backside 317. Where did he finish the heat? On top! Cruelly by just 0.4 points with his last trick. How many times have we seen him deal that blow? Many…

15.40 – ROUND 1, HEAT 1
O Perrineau (FRA) / L Whaley (ESP) / J Rodriguez (COL) / I Ittalad (MOR)
First heat out of this event and no upsets as yet on the edge of the desert. Liam Whaley was lying in second after three tricks, but once the scores evened out with the top four tricks counting from seven attempts, his crashes were soon eradicated and his much higher individual tricks scores peaked with an 8.8 scoring backside 317. (Liam said in his interview that this was a warm up heat for him, but was happy with a couple of double passes on his 8m). 
Juan Rodriguez has been a good performer this year in his rookie season. He finished in second, some distance behind Liam…
Perinea finished third and Ittalad in fourth. 

14.00 – First possible start delayed until 14.30. 

10.15am – Welcome to the liveticker for the first day of the Freestyle competition at the GKA Kite World Cup Dakhla event in Morocco. There will be livestream coverage for this double event running throughout the competition, which will be begin just before the action does. Note: The Freestyle competition will run at the Dakhla Attitude lagoon spot from today until Tuesday 8th October, then on Wednesday 9th, the crew move to the Westpoint Hotel wave spot to get the Kite-Surf competition underway. 

Here’s the agenda for this morning and early afternoon:

09.00-11.00h: Rider inscription
11.30h: Opening ceremony
13.00h: Skipper’s meeting
14.00h: First possible start

The GKA social channels will keep you juiced up with the behind the scenes action. Facebook / Instagram.