Posted on 28th Jun 2011 @ 7:17 PM

Gaastra Dominate PWA Tour in Bonaire! Kiri Thode and Sarah Quita are King and Queen of Bonaire!

One of the greatest freestyle locations on the planet, Bonaire pulled through with conditions that the worlds top windsurfers live and  breathe for!

Local boy Kiri Thode came out the gates swinging on day one and let everyone know he was the real deal and meant business. Kiri has grown up in the warm blue waters and for him this event was a dream come true. “I have always wanted to compete here at my home beach! I just wanted to win in front of my friends and family! It was a great event and I am so happy!” said Kiri. So far 2011 has been good to Thode, he has racked up 2 event wins as well as a 2nd place leaving him at the top of the men’s Freestyle Ranking for 2011! 

Steven Van Broekhoven is also a man on a mission. Steven is a relative new comer to the PWA scene and he has stamped his authority and made his presence known. Come into the event Steven had this to say, “I knew in Bonaire it would be really hard to beat the locals, even the young kids are sailing good. The light wind also makes it more difficult for me against the lighter guys. I really wanted a podium finish, but I knew I would also be really happy even with a top 5.” He was also quick to point out the importance of his gear selection- “Another important part comes down to the equipment I was using.  During the competitions the wind was really light and I was using the new Gaastra PURE 5.4 in combination with the 107L F2 rodeo.  This combination is really special for light wind and fast planning.  It is super light which makes the power moves much easier and higher. Steven went on to finish an impressive 2nd place behind his Gaastra teammate, Kiri Thode. Steven currently sits in 5th place on the rankings after an injury at the first event in Vietnam- he looks strong and is well prepared for the long season still ahead.

Rounding out the top 5 was the dutch freestyle sensation, Davy Scheffers. Davy is no stranger to Bonaire and this clearly showed all his hard work and training time that he had put in. “I had a great time in Bonaire- I’m super happy about my result. I had to battle through the double elimination and work hard for it but my goal was to finish in the top 5 and I made it happen!!! I put together some of my best heats out there and really learned a lot. My new Pure Sails are helping me make all kinds of new moves and I’m stoked on how well my Tabou Twisters are working... .Thanks GUYS!”

On the women’s side of the scene, it was Sarah Quita Offringa easily convincing the judges that she was the one to beat! Sarah Quita showed her dominance early on and let everyone know she meant business. “When I saw that Bonaire was on the PWA calender I was really happy. The last time I was there to compete was in 2005 and we didn't have any wind so all I did was pray for wind!” Sarah Quita spent most of the time on her 5.2 Pure and 88 liter Starboard. The reigning World Champion got the job done and had this to say, “I was quite confident in this last final and didn't fall on any of my moves managing a funnel diablo, double spock, sw chacho 900, kono and an air funnel as my best moves.. Wooohooo

IT feels great when you finally put together a heat you've been dreaming off !  I really pushed my level. I was landing double spocks, bob's and kono's in my heat !

Laure Treboux has also stepped up her game which in my view made for one of the best womens freestyle finals ever.”

All in all a great show for the Gaastra crew of Freestylers. It is rather apparent they have the goods to deliver podium performance! Keep watching as there are more events coming all summer long!

Congratulations Team!!!

High resolution images of Freestyle Action & Lifestyle are available from the following link:

http://www.pwaworldtour.com/index.php?id=1454

2011 Bonaire Event Results Freestyle Men

http://www.pwaworldtour.com/index.php?id=193&tx_pwaevent_pi1[showUid]=178&tx_pwaevent_pi1[ediscipline]=530&cHash=3109767e1c

2011 Bonaire Event Results Freestyle Woman

http://www.pwaworldtour.com/index.php?id=193&tx_pwaevent_pi1[showUid]=178&cHash=6d33e5f0c8