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POZO PWA SLALOM 2023 // SUPER SLALOM!

Slalom returned with a bang to Pozo at 2023 PWA Gran Canaria world cup; the top racers tell us how they battled the wind and waves.

WORDS – Enrico Marotti, Maciek Rutkowski, Pierre Mortefon, Blanca Alabau, Sarah-Quita Offringa, Marion Mortefon and Jenna Gibson.

PHOTOS – John Carter / pwaworldtour.com

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ENRICO MAROTTI – 1^st

It was intense. The conditions were hard, but I managed to put it all together. I won the event without having to sail the last elimination, which was amazing. I went out in the last race just to have fun and enjoy this beautiful place. The whole three days we had conditions that, even if they looked easy, they were not. It was super difficult. It was so easy to make mistakes or make a wrong tactical move. In the end I was so happy that I managed to stay focussed and pull off the victory. I was consistent through all the races. Just going in and out of the water with the foil was really different than any other place. It was possible, but it was just hard work. That was exhausting. Once you were out there you didn’t want to come back in!

So there was no chance to take water, food or sugar. It was not easy. I mostly used my 5.1m foil sail. It was a bit of a gamble at the beginning of the season. It was that or the 6.5m fin sail. I knew after four months in Tenerife I was faster on the foil and as a sailor more competitive in these conditions. It suits me more regarding my gear and my sailing style. So this was my fifth sail, it was kind of a gamble, but so far it turned out to be a good move. You need to understand that this year we have only two wings. Last year we were allowed three wings. We have even faster wings and we can go faster, but the point is that they limited us. In the current rules fin has the advantage when it is over thirty knots.

When it is thirty, thirty-five or forty, then the fin will go faster. They just need to get these conditions, which is not so often. With 25 to thirty knots you really need to allow the foil to have a third wing. That would be a game changer. Next year we will have only one foil board so we will see. Foiling is developing rapidly. We are learning. I felt comfortable in the strong wind. The rider’s skill level is rising also, so in the future we will be able to handle more wind. It all depends how much they limit us. Right now they are blocking the potential of the foil.

It was amazing to win in Pozo, it feels insane. I come from a flat location in Croatia, where it is gusty without waves. I usually sail 8.6m on a big board. I still can’t believe I won; I need to settle down and take this news in!

MACIEK RUTKOWSKI – 2^nd

I totally expected nuclear winds. The reputation of the place outgrew the reality. We have not raced here in fourteen years. I have never raced in Pozo, so I only heard stories. In the stories you always remember the most radical stuff. Back in the day in the conditions we had this year they would have been racing on 7.0m sails with a fin. Now that is still foiling conditions. It was a shame that we didn’t have at least one day of nuclear wind. We needed forty knots to get what we came for. In the end we raced every day. I used literally one sail, one foil and one board for the whole competition. I used a 5.5m with my smallest foil board and small wing. My wing had a 59 cm span, which is smaller than most other guys. I had a small but powerful front wing. Here in Pozo I did not feel so comfortable. I am happy with second, as I never found a rhythm or consistent speed. I was fast in spurts. I was not so fast on demand. I’ll take that result and move on.

The racing was intense because most of the time it was maxed out foiling. It was not quite fin, but maybe a little too strong for foil. I was on the edge all the time. At any moment you could have broke the water surface and crashed. It was kind of scary. That is why I raced conservatively for most of the week. There were guys like Amado who were super fast, but he crashed out a few times. He could not keep it together because he was over pushing. I’d rather go ninety-five per cent and make it count. In the end that is part of the reason I didn’t win. Quite a few heats I took a second or third. It is what it is. As for fins they need a solid thirty-knots at least. The thing is with the foil you are safe. If you are the same speed as fin in a straight line then you will be better out of the gybe. There was only one elimination where I thought I should have been on the fin. It was a tough three days and I didn’t expect all the racing would be back to back over three days during a nine-day festival. On the second day we had four eliminations. Foiling is not draining physically, but it was draining mentally. Getting in and out of the water was almost impossible. I am terrible with rocks. Both my ankles have been injured previously so they have zero stability. I slipped a million times. Mentally it was draining. Physically I think Fuerteventura may be more draining!

PIERRE MORTEFON – 3^rd

It was surprising. I wasn’t expecting this when I came to Pozo. I did not race here in 2009, I asked all the old guys and they told me it would be nuclear and that the water would be smoking. I was expecting to be overpowered on a 5.8m. We had some strong wind days before the event, but not really windy during our racing. In the beginning I was sailing on the fin. I was sure it was the best bet for the conditions. After the first day it was clear the foil had the advantage and I switched back to the foil. It took a bit of time to get used to these super high wind foil races. On the final day I was feeling much more confident. I just tried to stay calm on the water. You go fast and you can go high on the foil. It was very difficult and extreme.

It was not physically draining on the foil because I was much more tired after the day on the fin. But the foil was far more intense. You need to control your hands, your legs and watch out for every single bit of swell and chop. On the foil you normally don’t touchdown, but in these conditions we were right on the edge. The crashes were pretty gnarly so I wanted to avoid them. Compared to three races on the fin, three races on the foil were easier. Getting in and out of the water was a nightmare. The spot is not made for foiling from the beach, but on the water the conditions were perfect. When Jordy won the race on the fin, the gusts were up to 35 knots. That was when the fin was finally competitive. At the end of the race the foils were catching him, so it was just crazy. Foils were dominating. It would have been interesting if a race started on the opposite tack. Then it could have been a different story. The first leg was really perfect for the foil as you could surf a wave, but on the fin you had to really climb the next chop or wave. On the foil you didn’t feel it.

BLANCA ALABAU – 1^st

It was pretty exciting racing between the fins and the foils. The conditions were radical. It was really windy and choppy. I was able to foil in all the races. I have been training in these conditions in Tenerife and I knew that I am better on the foil than on the fin, so I was pushing with the foil in these conditions. It paid off, so I am really happy. I was using a Starboard X-15 Foil 78 board and 4.6 Severne sail.

In a straight line I was feeling in control. On the gybes I was a little bit scared to crash into someone so I was more conservative. I was really fast; I was as fast as the fins. I was touching down in the gybes though so I was not gaining much advantage there. Sarah-Quita was up there in second on the fin, so it is possible to race on the fin and be competitive. Jenna Gibson did some awesome races and she was really fast as well. I have been training on the foil and that is why I am better at that.

SARAH-QUITA OFFRINGA – 2^nd

When the slalom event was confirmed, I knew I had to be a part of it. I remember watching the men’s slalom back in the day. High wind conditions are not necessarily my strongest point, but I just wanted to have the experience of competing against the best women in the world. To be up there right now is insane. I only brought my small fin slalom board and three sails. I have not been foiling this year, so I was not ready for that. I am happy that I did all the races on the fin. Having said that I do think it would have been a different story if we were all on the fin at the same time. Jenna Gibson was putting it together on the fin and she was super fast. If everyone was on the fin I am sure Marion would have been hard to beat also.

Blanca played her trump card on the foil and no other rider controlled the foil as well as she did in those conditions. I think she made a good choice and I was super impressed with her foiling skills. In a straight line all the foilers have improved and they were getting as fast as the fin by the last races. They were getting faster and faster, but I think Jenna might have been the fastest on the water in general. I did not drop my gybes and that is how I came out second, and I was super happy to take second! The last day was stressful but I managed to hold on to my second place. It was amazing to be part of the slalom contest. Every race was exhilarating from beginning to the end. I did not expect to be fighting for the top spots as I don’t do much high wind slalom, but now after Pozo, I love high wind racing.

My best racing was on my NeilPryde 6.5 RS:RACING EVOXIV and Starboard iSonic 63. I felt that the heavier sail kept my board more stable on the water so I could really push without getting lifted like crazy. For me, the race really only started after the first gybe mark. From there on it was about pushing hard all the way to the end. I had to execute every jibe close to perfection to stay ahead, or not lose ground to the foilers. I pushed through every lull and held on tight in every gust. In a split second I had to choose what swell to go over or avoid. Everything felt really tactical and I loved every race!! After the first day I actually got more and more comfortable on the board and I started to really enjoy the high speed, bumpy rollercoaster ride out there. The foilers also seemed to get better by the race, so after 10 races I was surprised to still be in 2nd place, but also determined to hold on to that position. I only won 2 races out of 15, but overall had really consistent results finishing in the top 3 many times and I’m happy this got me on the podium. I think that choosing to go fin only, gave me an advantage over some other women as they sometimes seemed to be struggling to decide what gear to use. In the end I think it was important to have this event to really see how far the foil has developed. It was an eye opener for a lot of people. I don’t think we can put a fin against foils anymore. They’re simply two different “engines”. There’s been a lot of discussion about this since then and I just think it’s amazing to see how diverse our sport is in the racing discipline, whether it’s foil or fin. I just hope we can find the right format to make both disciplines and their dedicated riders shine in their own right!

MARION MORTEFON – 3^rd

It was not at all what I expected. I was thinking we would be doing strong wind slalom fin racing. In the end it was all about strong wind foil racing. The first day I thought I could compete on the fin but I lost a lot of places and points. I was not training so much in fin, so that did not work out for me. It was super hard to gybe. I should have gone on the foil from day one! In the end I am happy because I improved a lot on the foil.

I won two races on the final day, which got me into third overall, so I am happy with that. I had to fight until the end. It felt good to be on the podium. On the first day we were on our own and getting out on the foil was really difficult. We did not have any help from anyone. Blanca had brought a friend who helped her launch. The other girls were a bit alone. You could not get in and out alone at Pozo with a foil. It was a nightmare getting in and out three times a day. That was the hardest part. On the beach all the talk was about the shorebreak and not the racing!

JENNA GIBSON – 4^th

It was rough for me mentally. I went through a roller coaster ride of emotions. It was draining mentally but I managed to sort things out by the end and win some races. I finished on a high with two wins. I was going fast and felt I had better top speed than the foils on the first reach.

I used a 5.8m on the fin and on my foil I used a 4.6m. It was a shame it didn’t get any windier. It became clear that I had a mental issue when leading and getting consistency. I will work on that and see if I can come back stronger in Fuerteventura.