On day 3 of the KiteFoil World Series 2021 Gran Canaria, the breeze blew too hard for the riders to exit through the shore break at Playa de las Burras. Once again, so once again, no racing to be done and murmurs of disappointment from the fleet.

Someone who desperately wanted to get out was Denis Taradin. The rider from the Russian Federation needs a few races to fight for second place in this event as well as in the overall World Series.

In a storyline that beats who, British rider Connor Bainbridge takes over in the battle of the beards. Taradin’s beard may be longer, but the time to get past his British rival is getting shorter. Fortunately, the forecast for the final day’s competition looks lighter and from a more favorable and stable angle.

After training in Tarifa all summer, the difficult conditions today looked like a typical day for Taradin. “I have been kiting there every day for the past six months and have only used my 19 square meter kite three times. he said.

The “19” only goes out in light winds, and the kitesurfing and windsurfing mecca in southwestern Spain rarely offers mild conditions. He was seasoned at the worst of times. “Today I would be ready to race in these conditions, but you have to think of the whole fleet.”

Bainbridge, also more comfortable than most in strong wind conditions, was good with the decision. “Things can go wrong very quickly with such a strong wind and big waves. Said the Briton. “Today was on the margins, and it was the right decision.”

France hold the advantage for both men and women, with Axel Mazella winning four of the five races contested so far in Gran Canaria. The best woman is Poema Newland who has gotten better and better throughout the season. Winner of a silver medal at the Youth Olympic Games in 2018 on a twin tip kiteboard, Newland was persuaded to switch to kite-foil and aim for the Paris Olympics in 2024.

“At first, I wasn’t really motivated. When my coach called me and said: ‘There will be kite-foil for Paris, do you want to go on this adventure?’ I said, ‘Why not?’ But I did not fully commit to it. Then 2020 came, and it was a difficult year, with COVID-19 and a difficult situation. it gave me time to really think about what I wanted.

“Since January 2021, I have become really motivated and I really put my whole life into this goal. That’s why maybe I took a big leap with my performance this year.

Like Mazella in the men’s fleet, Newman is set to win the 2021 KiteFoil World Series, which would be the perfect way to end a year of great progress.

Six races are scheduled for Saturday at 12 noon. All the action will be featured on Facebook Livestream starting at 11:30 am.

Men’s results after 5 races, 1 gap:
1 FRA Axel Mazella 4pts
2 GBR Connor Bainbridge 7pts
3 RYF Denis Taradin 13pts

Women results after 5 races, 1 gap:
1 FRA Poem Newland 40pts
2 FRA Lauriane Nolot 54pts
3 AUT Alina Kornelli 59pts

Full ranking: https://www.kitefoilworldseries.com

Andy Rice / IKA media