The Women’s Repechage Rounds held on Saturday created a stir of a different kind today at the Gran Canaria Pro Am. These women on the APP World SUP Surfing Pro Tour are class acts, both on the water and off.
CANDICE & SHAKIRA FIGHT BACK INTO QUARTER FINALS
The day started with the formidable Candice Appleby taking to the water against Lara Claydon. The swell had dropped into the 5-8 foot range and looked more manageable than during the Men’s heats the day before. Candice took off on a bomb at the opening buzzer and kept that momentum going for the entire heat, catching multiple waves and finding turns and cutbacks that kept her in the standings. Lara Claydon wanted to go big before the heat and go she did. Lara’s significant wave was an outside set wave that the 5’2 Maui native marked with her own style and performance. Candice edged out the win, but both women showed great work out there! 7.46/ 5.2
TERRENE BLACK WRAPS UP GREAT SEASON WITH APP WORLD TOUR
In the next heat, Alazne Alonso matched up against Terrene Black. Terrene’s been having a smashing season on the APP World Tour including two third place wins in New York, one for racing and one for surf. She is a formidable opponent and clutch in those moments that need it the most. In today’s heat against Alazne, the busy Australian, who also competed in the ISA World’s a few weeks ago, could not find her wave and came up short to end her season. Later seen sipping a beer from the beer garden, Terrene had this to say, “After a long hard season, this beer is tasting pretty good.” Congrats to Alazne on a terrific heat and to you Terrene for a fantastic season! 10.74/ 7.2
WESTDORP V QVISTGAARD FOR THE WIN
The third repechage heat matched up recent ISA World Champion Shakira Westdorp and Denmark’s mobile Viking Annette Qvistgaard. Shak comes off several weeks of high intensity training and competition which paid off on her trip to China for the ISA competitions where she participated in both race and surfing events. After winning her surf title there, Shakira spent 4 days in Australia, her home turf, before jumping on a plane for the Canaries to compete in the APP World Tour’s Gran Canaria ProAm. Her approach against Annette’s precise turns and consistent effort was to Shak-attack, a win by pure energetic explosion on every wave. When this girl is on fire, she breathes it. A great heat by both, with Shakira for the win! 9.6 /2.6
TWO YOUNG HOPEFULS BATTLE FOR QUARTER FINALS
The final heat of the day came between two young hopefuls on the Tour, Gabriela Sztamfer and Dominique Miller. Dominique has been training hard, did well for herself in New York by placing third overall in the surf competition in Long Beach, and has a ton of skill & tenacity to unleash. Both girls earned their turns on multiple waves, charging out the back as well as picking up the reforms on the inside of today’s swell. Gabriela managed to overcome the young Hawaiian with a couple of stronger wave scores but both girls show an impressive amount of talent and commitment to this world’s stage on the APP World Tour. 4.47/ 3.8
SUNDAY’S QUARTER FINAL & SEMI FINAL ROUNDS: STAY TUNED!
Tomorrow’s Quarter Finals and Semi Final Rounds will see the action move down the beach from Playa de Canteras to the reeling right hand break at El Loret, a much anticipated move by the athletes. If conditions line up right, the final days of the APP World Tour’s competition should be an extraordinary show of sportsmanship, talent and will as the best of the best go head to head for the APP World Title.
Don’t miss this World Title action through the APP’s LIVE BROADCAST starting at 8AM on Sunday: www.appworldtour.com and @appworldtour.
Written by: Evelyn O’Doherty Online Editor / APP World Tour