TEAM NEWS: MALO TAKES THE WIN FOR THE FIRST STAGE OF THE WAVE TOUR!

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20 february 2024 3

A magnificent long north-oriented swell has come to grace the exposed sides of the Cape Verdean archipelago, putting surf spots “on fire” with sets well overhead.

Wing foiler: Malo, GONG team rider, on Lethal FSP Pro, Neutra, HM92 mast, Surf-Freestyle S (600) front wing, Freestyle 39 stab, and a 1.5 rake shim.

Exceptional Conditions

A magnificent long north-oriented swell has come to grace the exposed sides of the Cape Verdean archipelago, putting surf spots “on fire” with sets well overhead. At the competition site, located southwest of Sal Island, lines as far as the eye could see, spaced about a hundred meters apart, animated the horizon. All this complemented by a light to moderate side-off wind, sufficient to kick off the competition.

The world-class point break perfectly lived up to its reputation, rhythmically sending long, hollow, and powerful rights. So, perfect conditions allowed competitors to carve long lines on the different sections rolling out before them. But beware of the bold moves as the rocks promise severe penalties. All the elements to make this event an epic rendezvous in the young history of the sport were present, with last but not least, highly motivated and talented competitors in the lineup including Malo Guénolé and Clément Hamon from team GONG, registered for the Wave Tour this year.

Top Score of Day 1 for Malo

The training sessions of the world’s best hinted at a solid event, but would the tension and stakes of the competition hinder some? The question was quickly answered by Malo, who opened his scorecard for his heat with a wave scoring over 8 points for ultra-precise, fast, and committed turns on the hollowest sections. A score he doubled a few moments later to obtain the highest score of the day with 17.90, ahead of the American Cash Berzolla, also in great form during his heat.

Facing Cash and Julien Bouyer in his first-round heat, Clément, 15 years old, missed direct qualification to the third round by just one point. In the repechage round, the U-16 Surf-Freestyle world champion faced the formidable Clément Roseyro in the waves. Like his first-round heat, Clément was clean and solid in his backside surfs but ultimately had to concede the heat victory to his elder who was more accustomed to surfing in these conditions.

Day 2, the Best Bring Their A-Game

On this second day, the conditions are still pumping with overhead sets groomed by a light offshore wind. Most competitors are on 600 setups with 5m wings to go upwind and ensure takeoffs. Malo switches from his HM85 to the HM92 to which he adds a 1.5 rake shim, allowing for more commitment on these hollow and massive waves. These conditions allow the best to bring their A-game.

Judges award the first 10s of the competition in the quarterfinals to the two favorites of the event, Malo and Cash, rewarding their commitment, fluidity, and daring maneuvers with perfectly landed airs in critical sections.

The Final

Perfect scores that testify to their domination throughout their respective rounds, resulting in a logical encounter in the final. This is already the third duel between the French and the American as they met in the two finals of the previous Wave Tour, in Brazil and Morocco. Cash emerged victorious in Morocco, Malo in Brazil.

A final animated by a healthy rivalry that is evident from the first waves. The two men string together spectacular carves, pushing the boundaries of correctness. Malo earned an initial 8.67, closely followed by Cash scoring a 8.63. With two very different styles, the two competitors trade blows. Malo scored 7.53 on his second best wave, while Cash scored 7.33. This results in a total of 16.20 for Malo and 15.96 for Cash. Allowing our team rider to clinch this first stage. A stage in Cape Verde which he couldn’t participate in last year due to the “Baccalauréat” (French high school diploma), so it’s a sweet revenge and a very beautiful victory for him, and for us.

Malo can now calmly consider the next stage, which will take place in Dakhla on September 27, stay tuned 😉

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