- The brazilian-hispanic, Leonardo Gimenes, with parents from Granada, won the national category
- The Gran Canaria Pro-AM competition concluded this Saturday in the Los Muellitos area of Las Canteras Beach with the awards ceremony, the screening of a film about the sport, as well as music and food trucks
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. A sábado, 7 de diciembre. The fifth day of the Gran Canaria Pro-AM 2024 crowned the latest champions of the APP World Tour Paddle Surf World Cup in the 2024 season. In the men’s longboard category, the Japanese Taka Inoue, the most inspired rider throughout the week in Las Canteras and who had already won the title in the absolute category, in the wave modality, could not prolong his streak, when he was defeated against the Frenchman, Benoit Carpentier, who could not contain his tears of emotion in his victory. Meanwhile, Kaede Inoue closed a triumphant week for the Inoue family in Gran Canaria, by winning her family’s third world championship and her own third in longboard, since she has won in this discipline in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Finally, Leonardo Gimenes, a Brazilian whose parents are from Granada and who competes with dual nationality, won the national championship, against Juan de los Reyes from Cádiz, thanks to a great final wave rated by the judges with eight points.
The Carpentiers’ little brother, Benoit Carpentier, competed in the longboard final with ambition and hunger. Winner in Gran Canaria in 2022 and two-time world champion in waves, he had a thorn in his side with the longboard in Gran Canaria. This discipline combines the classic and elegant format of longboards, the one in which the athlete seems to walk on the water, with the explosiveness of turns and jumps of wave competition. In his latest experiences, the Frenchman had always been on the verge of glory, with several second places. Benoit has not been missing in the five editions in Gran Canaria. He is considered one of the most important talents on the circuit in this modality along with Sebastian Gomez. But an inspired Taka Inoue and his ability to live at the top of the board, in an art that defies the rules of physics, was a complicated competence. Two of the most important maneuvers of the classic longboard involve moving along the board to reach the tip or nose and then extend one or two feet. Taka seemed to reside and have his own zip code in this area, he even rowed when the rest of his rivals returned to the rear area to avoid falling. He had a clear advantage, but the Frenchman matched him at all times in this art, even signing a hang five, with one foot out and taking out the other leg in a kind of back kick.
The difference for the winner was in the maneuvers that the Frenchman proposed related to the surfing spectacle. Powerful floaters, cut backs and vertical movements to lift the longboard above the crest of the wave. He even offered a helicopter or 360 when one of his waves ended, being on the tip or nose, raising the keel area with a counterweight and rotating 360 degrees to the delight of the public. In a short time he reached 15 points, which improved slightly with each new wave, ending with 15.90. His rival tried in every way, but he did not find a wave that would allow him to score 9 points, as he did in the semifinal round, against Mathieu Carpentier, older brother of the new champion. It was close: 14.43.
In the women’s category, the Inoue family, made up of three brothers and their mother, the charismatic Yuriko, added their third title. Taka, 24, won waves in the premier class. Sakura, at 16, achieved it in the under-21 category, and this Saturday, Kaede added the third world title on her account and the third for her family at the Gran Canaria event. Kaede faced Julieta Rodríguez-Villamil in the final, a 15 years old talent from Cadiz, who was third in the Junior category and who had an outstanding performance in the absolute category, called Performances. Julieta took her semi-final with just a few seconds left, in one of the great surprises of the day. In the final, he couldn’t beat his rival, with much more experience. Kaede was very active and connected perfectly with the rhythm of the wave in Los Muellitos. He had a great performance. With a wave of 8.50 points and another of 7.40 (the judges keep the two best in a 25-minute series).
The national championship was held last to close the Gran Canaria Pro AM 2024 program. Liam Dunkerbeck, current PWA windsurfing U20 world champion, joined the event, but after a return trip from Hawaii of more than 30 hours paid for the fatigue. He fought it and got into the final. Juan de los Reyes, Leonardo Gimenes, Guillermo Robledo and Liam Dunkerbeck faced each other in the final, with the first two taking center stage. The contest between the two was decided in the final seconds. Juan de los Reyes was in charge with four minutes left, when a change occurred in the sleeve. Leonardo tamed an excellent wave that earned him eight points, the highest in the series, closing a powerful turn to return with a practically vertical rentry. The Brazilian from Granada finished with 15.17 points compared to Juan de los Reyes’ 11.
The organizer of the Gran Canaria Pro-AM 2024, Björn Dunkerbeck, rated this edition as successful. “We have had good waves and a very good competition. We have young people who have been present in the final rounds, close to the top positions, and who guarantee the future. All the participants have told me that they want to come back next year and that is great. In addition, we have had a lot of smiles, which is what counts, so we have to get our act together and work well, together with all the sponsors, to return next year with more spectacle”.
