Day 1
This year this great event started on Sunday the 27th of July. Registration was from 1 till 5 pm on the event-site at Sorobon.78 competitors registrated. They came from Aruba, Curacao, The Netherlands, Hungary, Norway, Italy, USA, Estonia and ofcourse Bonaire. This year competitor could also registrate for slalom-racing. Due to lack of participants under 13 (where I belong too), the race-director made one big group of the U13 and U15 together. For slalom I registrated in the U17 group, it was a challenge for me after I did so well in Italy this year.
Day2
The day started with a Skipper’s Meeting run by Susie and Tinho Dornellas. They own Calema, a large windsurf shop and school in Florida and have been Race Directors for many events here on Bonaire. The trades were blowing a solid 20 this morning with promise for a great day of qualifiers.
Day3
Bonairean judge, Remsley Anthony and lead judge Nathaniel Mac Farlane from Aruba ran heats all day in the first ever Pro Kids Slalom Series. Event organizers are thrilled to have slalom introduced to the Pro Kids format. Eric Kling from IFCA was on hand to support the slalom heats that ran from 11 into the mid afternoon. The wind was suitable for slalom and the heats were run with a good pace allowing a smooth flow to the series. We had 3 heats and took 1st place in all of them in the U17 division. Bjorn Saragoza took top place in the U 20 division.
Winner slalom Boys under 17 years !!!!
Day 4 and 5
No winds these 2 days, but the small kids showed their tricks and the light-wind freestyle heats. It was very nice to see they all did their very best. The U13/U15 and U20 ran 1 round of heats. Rick Jendrusch from the Netherlands and I made the final. Rick did great and he deserved to win.
Day 6
The wind was almost perfect. All devisions had to compete today. Competitors were nervous, wanted to show their tricks near the competition-area and almost some of them got disqualified for disturbing the participant who had to run their heat at that moment. Again I made it to the final and now against Dylan Robbles from Bonaire. This time Rick became 3rd, Dylan 2nd and I won the second round in the Boys U15 division.
Day 7
A perfect day for all the competitors to show their moves. Perfect wind, everybody happy, lots of spectators on the beach and time to run the 3rd and last round of heats. I tell you, I was a little nervous. The first through the 3rd heat everything went smooth. In the final I had to compete again against Rick. A 4 minute final heat and both of us gave our very best. We had to wait in front of the judge-tower for our results and I thought it took forever. I was so happy when they finally annouced I was the winner. Rick and I shaked hands and both very proud of our achievements. If possible I will attend "the Mission" next year in August in the Netherlands at Brouwersdam which is Rick's home-spot.
Rick, thanks for the great competition and congratulations !!!
Click on the following link to see what Rick wrote in a Dutch newspaper :
http://www.pzc.nl/sport/diverse-sporten/3511867/Rick-Jendrusch-imponeert-op-WK-Bonaire.ece
1st place IFCA Slalom under 17 years !!!!!
1st place Starboard/IFCA Freestyle in Boys under 13 and under 15 years !!!!!
I' am looking back again at a spectacular event here on Bonaire. Thanks to Elvis Martinus and all the sponsors the 4th Starboard/IFCA Pro-kids Worlds Freestyle and this years also Slalom was a succes. I met a lot of new competitors from all over the globe and I hope I can stay in touch with them and meet again next year at the 5th edition. According the words of the organising commitee it must become even bigger and spectacular than it was in the past.
See you all next year here on Bonaire ????
A few links below to read more about the event and my achievements:
http://www.prokidsfreestyle.com/
http://www.star-board.com/main.php
http://www.star-board.com/2008/pages/news/news.php?readmore=397
http://www.extrabon.com/edishon/extra2008-08-05-1.pdf