Pistol River is one of those places where you expect the wind to be strong. Today was no exception. It was clear at the 10am Skipper’s that it was going to be a good day. Waves were pealing in front of the rock and the wind was already pushing 25 knots. Riders were quick to rig their small sails, and aside from a few early lulls, Pistol was pretty much on for the entire day. Sails ranged from 3.0 for some of the ladies up to about 5.0 for the biggest guys.

All divisions, save for the pros, were sent out to battle through heats. Riders impressed spanning about 50 years of windsurfing age from our youngest riders all the way up to the seasoned vets in the Grand Masters Division. 13 year old Pepe Krause looks primed to take on all the older guys in the years to come. Pepe was handling winds in the 40 knot range and riding well. You can see he has the drive to be a star in the windsurfing world in the years to come. Pepe managed a few great turns, and even put up some very respectable Rocket Air during competition. Other standouts included an incredible double forward attempt from Japanese competitor Ryosuke Fukui. While he did not complete the rotation, his commitment and form were quite impressive. Ryosuke is a young up and coming rider from Japan who is sure to turn heads in the future.

The Women continue to show their exceptional ability to handle wild conditions. Head Judge Duncan Coombs sent them out in the prime moments of the day. The waves were pumping and the winds just continued to blast like some out of control fan turned to high. In what may seem like a small upset Arrianne Aukes defeated reigning IWT champ and defending event champion Sarah Hauser relegating her to the repechage round while securing her own spot in the semis. Sarah was forced to do battle with the tough Kazuki Ishiihara. Sarah managed to get by Kazuki, finding her place in the top 4 with Maria Andres, Arriane Aukes and Vickey Abbott.

Enjoy a full photo album by Si Crowther on our Facebook page here.