A prova que decorre nas Maldivas, segunda etapa do circuito mundial de longboard continuou hoje de madrugada, com ondas a rondarem o metro, sempre perfeitas.
Segundo o longboarder Sam Beackley
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OXBOW WLT final - MALDIVES
Pasta Point – Chaaya Island
Wednesday 28th October 2009
The pressure was tense on Chaaya today, like a storm cloud ready to burst, as the remaining 16 surfers competed in round 2. Creating rhythm from chop was the secret on the infrequent, bumpy sets. Watching and competing in this contest, as I have done for many years now, I am struck by the increasing sense of adaptability of this group of longboarders to ocean conditions. With a rapid glance down the line, they power into an unfolding wave and read its future, reacting to the idiosyncratic way that Pasta Point folds, reveals a combed face, then decides to suddenly pitch. On a five foot face and a nine foot board, gracefully arcing out of a bottom turn to slightly stall, walk in a stately fashion to the nose, coolly hang ten under a threatening lip and walk back to suddenly whip a gravity-defying cutback, here, everyone is a winner. These surfers are no dropouts, layabouts, or shirkers of responsibility, but professionals, ocean lovers who have been bitten by a bug whose consequences are impossible to shake off and so have, imaginatively, formed a lifestyle and occupation out of this beautiful habit.
Antoine Delpero and Eduardo Bage kept their World Title dreams alive, racing into the quarterfinals and demonstrating mastery of the break, as style emerged out of skill. Kai Sallas and Ned Snow also scored brilliant wins. Ben Skinner was sensational knocking out Bonga Perkins, and Remi Arauzo was delighted to make it into the top 5. Each year, skill levels increase as longboarders push the envelope of what is possible on slivers of set chemicals. But the noseride is still in the mix. A famous surfwear company of the 1960s, Hang Ten, showed two bare feet as its trademark, and it became a symbol of surfing. Nearly 50 years later, all surfers know the semiotics – ten toes over. Like a tuberide or aerial, it still raises a cheer of respect. Oxbow is keeping this longboard statement alive and kicking. Ben Skinner performed an incredible, steaming hang ten just under the curl, imaginatively responding to the conditions. Through crisp, clean turns both Antoine and Ben rapidly and expertly summed up the wave shapes and forms, winds and currents, with power and poise today.
Taylor Jensen and Jared Neal committed to outstanding long hang tens outback with amazing timing throughout their heats. But on this occasion they lost out to Phil Rajzman and Harley Ingleby, both flaming through linked manoeuvres with World Tour titles focused firmly in their minds. If Harley beats Phil in the next round, he takes the tour victory. If he loses, Phil, Antoine, Eduardo and Harley can all steal the Oxbow World Longboard Tour. Winner or loser in the lottery of contests, everyone here is a proud professional at work in a beautiful sport and culture.By Sam Bleakley"
Aloha
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