GKA - Fuerteventura - Day 4 // Strapless Kitesurfing - Strapless Kitesurfing

GKA – Sotavento Wave & Strapless Freestyle, Round Two, Day Four

GKA WAVE & STRAPLESS FREESTYLE TOUR: RENE EGLI, SOTAVENTO

EXPRESSION BEST TRICK SESSION!

Sotavento, Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, Spain, 4th August 2016 day 4 highlight video.

Photos: Jim Gaunt / GKA (unless stated)

So, on to today, day four. After yesterday’s full bore sessions, that not only included the climax to the main strapless freestyle event, but also a full ‘Best Trick’ contest (both won by Airton by the way), we felt that as we have the luxury of continuing strong conditions at the awesome Rene Egli Sotavento spot, we could allow the contest to breathe by running an expression session. Riders were encouraged to really let go and show us their take on the sport, taking advantage of mixing small wave attack with an array of fun freestyle moves. The crowd would act as an extra judge for the final, and it was up to the riders to court their approval any way they could… as you’ll see.

Airton. Close enough? / Photo: Tom Brendt / Tillmanns Team

Not much more information required here in words, the riders’ action did all the talking. Their best tricks included Airton’s incredibly long, high speed barefoot, Paulino’s huge kite loop crazy horse, Jan Marcos’ signature full height front rolls with lots of style, Pisu’s impressive aerials off-the-lip, Matchu’s cool front roll combos mixed in with fluid wave turns and of course Luis Brito’s handstands, spins, crazy horses… and more!

We should have called this session, the ‘Who Can Have the Most Fun on the Water’ session! After three heats, six riders ended up in one big final that ran for 20 minutes.

expression session gallery:

Let’s start with a bang, or a smack! When the waves really kick in during the next part of the tour… Paulino Pereira is going to be all over it. His back hand snaps are something else.