Seb Garat: PKRA Fuerte Report

PKRA Fuerteventura

Pretty hardcore conditions for this 2nd PKRa event in Canarias, Fuerteventura.

Wind already blowed pretty strong for the 1st day of competition. Between 35 and 40 knots, with gusts over 40… And wind very very gusty… as usual on this spot.

With no doubt, it’s the most difficult event of the Tour.

18 July:
1st good surprise for the first day. I’ve got nobody in the first round, since there’s only 26 riders registered. So I go directly in the 2nd round against one of the other French guy, «Thomas Paris». Even if I’m pretty confident in my riding, I failed a lot of tricks. I’ve got trouble in feeling this strong wind, and the gusts. At the end, I win this heat and go to the ¼ final against Youri Zoon. The competition ends for the day.

19 July:
When we have the skippers meeting, the wind is already very strong. So I pumped my 7, which is the smallest kite I took with me. I start to think that I should have a smaller one for this kind of conditions. All the others riders are on 5.5 or 6.
I still have pretty much trouble and can’t be consistent and land my tricks. I crashed a lot again, but this time, the Dutch guy takes the advantage. So I stopped in ¼ final of this single elimination. I will have to wait the double elimination and try to win some places.
Langeree won the single against Zoon in final, and Hadlow 3rd.
End of this 2nd day of competition.

20 July:
Starting of the double elimination. For this 3rd day, the wind is not that strong (as forecasted) when the first heat are done. I’ve a little bit of time before my round, since I won some places in the single. I look at some heats and the conditions look easier compared to first days of competitions.
I wait to know against who I’m gonna ride, and like I guessed, it’s against Cesar Portas that I will have to run. To try to keep my 7th place.
All the riders are out with bigger kites, so I pumped my 9. But less that ½ an hour before my heat, the wind increase progressively. So I prefer to prepare my 7 as well. And at the end, the wind didn’t stop to pick up, and I had to go against Cesar on my 7, pretty well powered!
I was really motivated, but still crashed several tricks in the beginning, and I see my opponent doing the same. I landed one Blind Judge, one Back Mobe, one Back to Blind, one Slim Chance and switch Slim Chance in my heat. I just seen Cesar doing a pretty big Mega Loop 3 with some others tricks. I come back to the shore not really confident, I know that the decision will be close… And I don’t know how the judges will count his trick.
And, unfortunately, it’s a 3-2 decision for Cesar Portas!

End of the competition for me at a 9th place! I’m pretty disappointed of this result…

To sum up, this event was really hard, I had not the right setting of riding. And had trouble to feel the strong and gusty wind even if I was really confident with my 2nd place on this event lat year. I will change and work on my settings, and I keep confident for the next PKRA event in Germany next week.

à bientôt
Seb