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TEAM NEWS: THE 2024 SURF-FREESTYLE TOUR KICKS OFF IN 50 KNOTS

Team News
Wing

10 april 2024 0

Day one of competition kicks off with a bang in Leucate!

The GONG team athletes competing in the Men’s surf-freestyle division went head-to-head with some of the world’s best yesterday at the inaugural stop of the Wingfoil World Tour in Leucate. Leucate is typically known for its flat water, so wave scores didn’t factor into this event, making it a pure freestyle competition. Stacked on 2.5 and 3m wings in the nuking winds of Leucate, Malo Guenole, Bastien Escofet, Francesco Cappuzzo, Clement Hamon and Max Robinson showcased their skills on the water, aiming for top honors.

Wing foiler: Malo, GONG Team Rider, with a Stunt FSP Pro, Droid UPE Aramid, an Ypra Surf-Freestyle front wing and Freestyle stab. Photo: GWA Wing foil Tour.

First rounds

Max, started the charge as the only athlete on the team not preseeded into round 3. In the competition format, rounds 1 and 2 are for lower-ranked athletes to progress to round 3. Winning his heat by a narrow margin, Max qualified for round 3 with his signature moves: a clean backflip, backflip spin, and frontflip.

In round 3, the action intensified. Malo dominated with a perfect backflip into a 360 combo, a huge Frontflip 360, and a powerful Backmob, securing a very high heat score for the day and advancing into round 5. Escofet also shone, showcasing impressive amplitude with his backflip, frontflip, and backflip spin, earning him a spot in round 5.

Clement Hamon, despite a challenging performance in round 3, rallied in round 4 with bold moves, including the first Tack Frontside 720 of the competition, securing his place in round 5. Unfortunately, Max Robinson and Francesco Capuzzo couldn’t match the intensity of their competitors and were eliminated in round 4.

Wing foilers: Clément, Malo, Bastien and Francesco waiting for their heats. Photo: GWA Wing foil Tour.

A buzzer beater moment in round 5

In round 5, the tension mounted. In a nail-biting finish, Malo edged out Clement with a Frontflip Frontside 360 on his very last attempt, securing his spot in the semifinals alongside Noe Cuyala. Bastien also delivered a standout performance, landing the highest-scoring frontflip of the day and securing the top spot in his round 5 heat, setting up a thrilling semifinal against Malo and two other riders.

As racing commences, Bastien, Clement, and Francesco, along with GONG team racing specialist Julien Rattotti, will take to the water once again, aiming for top positions in the Freefly Slalom racing discipline.

Follow our athletes’ journey in our magazine for updates on the competition.

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2024