PKRA Dakhla 2014: Tack and Pulido Take Single Elimination
Christophe Tack and Gisela Pulido won the single elimination of the PKRA Dakhla Kiteboard World Cup in strong blustery winds. Today’s results play a crucial role in tomorrow’s double elimination as an early exit in the singles creates a long climb up the ladder to earn a top finish.
Overcast skies and strong wind set the tone for a chilly day of competition. With anticipation running high after two lay-days for the freestyle riders, challenging heats worthy of winner’s finals kicked off round one.
From the first heats on, riders riders were using 7m to 10m kites. Marc Jacobs began stomping his way through heats with his usual go-big style eventually beating out Aaron Hadlow in the highest scoring heat of the day (35.27.) Alex Neto reached the losers final with impressive execution and low kite position but finally gave way to the determined Hadlow earning fourth place.
Tack got off to a solid start early in the day eliminating Youri Zoon in the second round despite Zoon’s highest powerful riding and impressive Blind Judge 5 (7.87) which scored highest for the day. Continuing on his charge, Tack won against Speissberger and Neto with a strong arsenal of double passes and technical toe-side tricks, including the Crow Mobe 5 and Pete Rose.
About the finals Tack said “I came out of the water angry thinking that I lost against Marc. It was really hard to edge and get the right pop because the current was moving the same direction as the wind and it was so much different than in my earlier heats, but yeah, I was super stoked when I found out that I won.”
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Tomorrow’s double elimination will allow riders one more opportunity to advance up the ladder. A favorable forecast continues and riders will meet at 10 am with a first possible start of the double elimination at 11am.
