Aloha Classic Called ON! at Ho‘okipa, Maui

With the wind and waves building overnight, Aloha Classic head judge Duncan Coombs called windsurfing competition ON at Hoʻokipa for today, Nov. 1, 2017.  Riders are scheduled to participate in a 10 a.m. skippers meeting, with a first possible start for the pros men and women of 11 a.m. and the next call for all other fleets at 11 a.m.

Some of the world’s best will be joined by Maui’s biggest names including Kai Lenny, two-time Aloha Classic Champion, and current tour leader Morgan Noireaux and eight-time World Champion Kevin Pritchard for the final and biggest event of the 2017 International Windsurfing Tour season.

UPDATES are available at the following links:

HEAT DRAW (with summarized results)
ELIMINATION LADDER (with score detail)

The tour has progressed over the years, from AWT to IWT – providing competition for all levels of riders in some of the best windsurfing locations around the world.

“We are proud to run such a fantastic tour and provide our riders with a high level of competition and now, as an added bonus, some of the IWT events have been sanctioned as PWA qualifiers (the Aloha Classic this year and Morocco next year), giving riders with the aspiration of moving across to the PWA the opportunity to do just this,” contest organizers said.

Head judge, Coombs said, “This is the first year we are seeing some IWT events used as qualifiers for the PWA and I think it should work really well, especially as we have a starboard tack, down-the- line event coming up in Portugal in 2018; it gives riders the opportunity to qualify into a similar event on the PWA tour.”

He continued saying, “Both Hawaiʻi this year and Morocco next year will be used as qualifiers for the PWA tour and they will give lower or un-ranked riders the opportunity to gain recognition and potentially a spot straight into the PWA. I think this is a really positive step and something we have wanted to do for a while, but we didn’t really have the right canvas until now.

“We have previously looked at using other events and tours as qualifiers, but we needed to make sure that the events were up to a certain standard which we believe, with myself as a PWA representative at the events too, that the IWT events will be,” said Coombs.

According to Coombs, a sailor rep will be appointed by the PWA and they will have the final say on how and where the top, previously unranked, riders from the qualifiers will then compete.  “They may earn a
place into the PWA trials, or they could even earn a spot straight into the PWA main event – it
is a work in progress at the moment and will depend on the performance and level shown,”  Coombs said.

Although the PWA and IWT are different tours, with different focuses, contest organizers say they look forward to being able to progress windsurfing competition together and give even more riders the chance to compete on whatever stage they wish.

Full schedule

October 29th-November 12th: Contest running no more than 11 of 14-day window.
8 p.m.: Notice of contest the following day: yes/no/maybe
9 a.m.: Notice of contest yes/no/maybe
11 a.m.: Final notice of contest for the day: yes/no
Wednesday, November 1st: 10 p.m.: Cassanova: Ladies Night
Thursday, November 2nd: 6:30-8:30 p.m.: Charley’s: Mark Johnstone and Friends
Friday, November 3rd: 6-9 p.m.: Wailuku Town Party: Fall for Wailuku
Saturday, November 4th: 5p – 8 p.m.: Paʻuwela Cannery BBQ Hosted by Quatro/Goya
Tuesday, November 7th: 7 p.m.: Rock & Brews: This is Surf West Movie by Federico
Infantino
Wednesday, November 8th: 10 p.m.: Cassanova: Ladies Night
Thursday, November 9th: 6:30-8:30 p.m.: Charley’s: Mark Johnstone and Friends
Friday, November 10th: 6-9 p.m.: Lahaina Town Party: Paint the Town Pink
Sunday, November 12th: 6:30-10 p.m.: Maui Tropical Plantation: Closing Ceremony. Free
event to public/$20 dinner. Dinner included for riders and crew.
November 13th: 5 p.m.: Beach cleaned completely of all contest equipment and rubbish.

Kai Lenny at the Aloha Classic. Si Crowther/IWT

Duncan at the Aloha Classic. PC: Si Crowther/IWT

Aloha Classic. PC: Si Crowther/IWT

Aloha Classic. PC: Si Crowther/IWT

Aloha Classic. PC: Si Crowther/IWT