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COMPETITION DAY THREE: FREESTYLE DOUBLE ELIMINATIONS & FINALS and COURSE RACING (January 14)
By Freida Dario (KTA Philippines Correspondent)

As expected, winds were not as strong as the previous days, although this did not in any way dampen the high energies of KTA Philippines Competition Day Three, powered by AQUA BORACAY – Absolute Beachfront Apartments (www.aquaboracay.com)!

Starting off with the Skippers meeting at 9:30AM, Freestyle Double Eliminations were sounded off at 10:30AM and went all the way to the finals at 2PM, with champions Victoria Soloveykina (Russia) winning in the women’s category and Andrey Salnik (Ukraine) winning in the men’s category, after two heats of the finals, defeating his top contender with his powered kite loop tricks as well as mobe and slim 5. Here are other top rankers at the finals in the Men’s division: (2nd) Ben Bowd (UK), (3rd) Jaka Komocar (Slovania), (4th) Taner Aykurt (Turkey), and (5th) Ken Nacor (Philippines). In the Women’s division: (2nd) Susan Kay (New Zealand), (3rd) Ali Dudfield (Australia), (4th) Michalina Laskowska (Poland), and (5th) Nanette Van Der Snoek (Netherlands).

The highlight of the day’s Freestyle competitions was seeing local 14-year-old rider Stefano Ganugi, fighting his way through the Doubles with five wins in a row, all the way to 6th place where he got stopped by Taner Aykurt. We all caught a glimpse of the Boracay champ of the future as Stefano wowed the crowds and surprised everyone with his great skill and impressive new tricks such as the kite loop slim, kite loop mobe, shifty grab 313, and kite loop 3!

By 2:30PM, the competitions switched to Course Racing, with enough wind for both Twin Tip (TT) and Race Board (RB) racing. For the second set of races, the winds determined that it was time to switch back to RB, with two more successful races that ended another incredible day at 4PM. Here are the leading racers for the day: RB Men’s Course Race: (1st) Salih Cakir (Turkey), (2nd) Ken Nacor (Philippines), (3rd) Taner Aykurt (Turkey), (4th) Narapichit Pudla (Thailand), and (5th) Keewan Kwon (Korea). RB Women’s Course Race: (1st) Kathrin Bogwardt (Germany), (2nd) Aya Oshima (Japan), (3rd) Rahel Holliger (Switzerland), (4th) Astrid Berz (Switzerland), and (5th) Bilge Ozturk (Turkey). The Philippines dominated the TT Men’s Course Race: (1st) Anthony Martinez (Philippines), (2nd) Stefano Ganugi (Philippines), (3rd) Kerem Bailk (Turkey), (4th) Bobo Corniel (Dominican Republic), and (5th) Ryan Cahilig (Philippines). TT Women’s Course Race: (1st) Michalina Laskowska (Poland), (2nd) Rebecka Maudal (Norway), (3rd) Dina Muldasheva (Russia), (4th) Madli Olem (Estonia), and (5th) Berna Ozturk (Turkey).

In preparation for the final day of competitions tomorrow, no activities were scheduled for the evening, although surely that didn’t stop a few from taking on Boracay Island’s thriving nightlife! With Freestyle competitions done, expect a neck-breaking day of racing tomorrow!

Stay tuned for final announcements at 4PM from the Judges “tower of power”, before setting off to the Award Ceremonies at Sands Bar. For the uninitiated, you’re in for an incredible and out-of-this-world Boracay experience at the after party at Jungle Bar! Located at the southern end of Bulabog Beach, surrounded by nature and resounding in ethnic splendor, it’s a watering hole where people let their hair down, dance barefoot on the sand or bamboo ledges, and celebrate humanity through dance music, tribal drumming and fire dancing – rain or shine. Incredibly unique and purely homegrown, this is a party you won’t want to miss!

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no wind day:



Comp Day 3: