PWA Pozo Izqueirda
Albeau – Tour de Force
The site of many make-or-break world title showdowns, this nuclear-strength wind and wave machine rarely fails to disappoint. The doors open from July 10th through 18th.
The 2007 multi-discipline Grand Slam will host Slalom Racing, Women’s Freestyle and Men’s and Women’s Wavesailing. The forecast is already indicating some great wind and swell is on its way to treat the crowds.
All the great names and more have signed-up for the cut-throat action at a location where the winners are perhaps the worthiest on tour. Pozo’s also home to a massive amount of world tour pro’s and the training ground for many more.
Slalom
The Slalom racing tour has shown a scintillating struggle so far in 2007 and the top names arrive fresh from Lanzarote with scores to settle. Tour leader and 2006 Champ Antoine Albeau (Starboard / NeilPryde) has to be the favorite after two straight event wins and a lust for stronger wind. He destroyed all in his path last season taking 11 from 12 races wins. Kevin Pritchard (Starboard / MauiSails) is another wily competitor who’s taken one event win already this year, and almost impossible to keep off a podium. Pozo local Bjorn Dunkerbeck (T1 / North) represents great danger for this talented fleet too. Unable to stop Albeau in backyard in 2007 the multiple champ will go all out to stand his ground in what promises to be some insane surf-slalom racing.
Women’s Freestyle
The women’s Freestyle contest is unique on the Gran Canaria leg. Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde) took first blood in Lanzarote with her bag of the latest tricks, but she will have to be on top form to hold down Daida Moreno (North) who’ll love the waves that other freestyle tour stops just don’t see. Massive Jumps and the new-skool tricks treat the crowds in Pozo’s beachside amphitheatre and Moreno will be fighting back more than ever after suffering defeat in the opening event. As the top 2 spar, Laure Treboux will be quietly working her magic and could well go all the way in these stronger winds and surf. Treboux shocked the freestyle world on her debut in 2006 and these conditions may be exactly what she needs to take the title.
Wave Sailing
The icing on the cake at Pozo is always its unique mid-summer wave fest. The pressure cooker atmosphere pushes everyone beyond their limits making the real winners the spectators. 40 ft high jumps are standard in winds of up to 50 knots. Tour leader Josh Angulo will have trained hard to defend his lead against his arch-rival Kauli Seadi (Quatro / Naish) who’s latest jumping innovations are rocking the windsurfing world. But Seadi and Angulo have their work cut out in suppressing last seasons Pozo champion Victor Fernandez (Fanatic /Simmer). Fernandez is also the form player and winner of the last event in Portugal.
Once again Pozo will favour the locals in the women’s wave sailing event. World Champion Iballa Moreno (North) will be a major threat if the swell is good and few will be able to match her sister Daida Moreno (North) if the bias shifts to jumping. But no-one can write-off multiple world champion Karin Jaggi (F2 / North) when the going gets tough.
Competition starts on Tuesday the 10th July from when you’ll be able to from then to follow the action with our live event ticker, daily news summaries, video footage, awesome photo galleries, online elimination ladders and more!