“ETL 2008, IMMESOUANE, OTTOBRE 2008"
Leaving France after the last two stops of the European Tour of Longboard, the contest caravan stopped in Morocco for its first time, just as it is used to be for the E.T.Bodyboard.
The Royal Moroccan Surfing & Bodyboarding Federation had chosen the beautiful town of Imessouane to hold the contest. Imessouane is a gentle harbour anchored on the wild coast of the cape Ghir, at about 90 Km north of Agadir. The village, solitary and enclosed in cliffs, was financed by Japan in exchange of fishing agreements. Road facilities, running water and electricity get organized fast thanks to these financings, and it is strong to bet that shortly Imessouane loses its reclusive nature to open to the tourists and surfers, such as Taghazout there is about twenty year. The point of Imessouane, one of the last advances of the High Atlas, is one of the best displaying to different arrivals of swell. It picks up the waves better than its Southern neighbour, Taghazout, and several spots are surfables, on any conditions of tides and swell.
All contestants of the E.T.L had chosen to arrive long before the weekend of competition to enjoy the sweetness of the Moroccan life and to appreciate the coast’s numerous pointbreaks.
More than forty contestants registered at the eve of the competition, in which numerous Moroccan who would eventually have to qualify for the main event through trial heats.
The best ranked surfers made the trip to this fourth event endowed with 3 stars, real challenge for whom wants to stay in the run for the title before reaching the final steps of the 4 stars Portuguese events in November and December, the most important ones of the season.
On Saturday morning the surfing conditions did not allow to start the first round on the main contest site: the pointbreak in the bay of Imessouane, decision was therefore made to run the event at the backup podium on the beachbreak of "the Cathedral ", in the main beach, enjoying more stable and easier conditions.
From the first series of the Trials the Moroccan surfing level proved to be particularly promising, locals competing to earn their pass and reach the main event. In waist-high glassy right-handers, all the repertoire of surfing could be used, which pleased both the contestants and the judges and allowed all the surfers to display their best skills.
Antoine Delpero, leader of the rankings before this event and big favorite in the heart of the Moroccans, went easily through this first round as well as U.K riders Skinner, Parry, Griffiths, Dudley and Bleakley. The Frenchies, confident on this wave they have surfed for all week confirmed all their actual dynamism and qualified for the second round.
The standout of the day was definitely Alexis Deniel, winner of the Vieux Boucau event and finalist in Biscarosse, who picked up the best waves and went absolutely nuts, combining huge radical commited maneuvers and classic noserides. He smashed off two waves, connecting to the shore from the outside section, and comboed his peers with a terrific 18.76 points out of possible 20.
On Saturday evening, the Top 15 took survived the first round, along with the gifted Moroccan Adil EL HARIF (Champion of Morocco 2005) carried by the local surfers and motivated to defend its flag furthest possible in the event of competition.
Sunday morning the swell was still there, no wind, but the pointbreak didn’t allow the contest to resume so everybody went back at the contest site of the day before, in 3 to 4 feet glassy waves.
The Frenchman Aurélien Meynieux, from Reunion Island, confirms his progress since the beginning of season and qualifies with James Parry for the first semi final. Alexis Deniel does not manage to find of second good wave in his heat and loses to Sam Bleakley and the always impressive goofy footer Rémy Arauzo. Damien Castera, the other goofy footer, leads his heat and goes through with fellow Frenchman Antoine Delpero, leaving the E.T.L 2007 Champion Ben Skinner the 3rd place, whom, such as Alexis Deniel signs here his second poor performance of season after Jersey. The hopes of the Moroccan Adil El Harif collapse during the last quarter final, unfortunately exceeded by in form Timothée Creignou and Adam Griffiths.
The semi finals are held in rather technical conditions, in effect the spot of " The Cathedral " proves to be capricious and sets become regularly shy, so the contestants have to chose really carefully their waves as they often lack of potential.
Frenchies Meynieux and Arauzo both qualify for the final, surfing on the best waves with commitment and flair. In the second semi final, Antoine steps up his level and gets a combined score of 15,60 points, qualifying for the final with Adam Griffiths, who overscored Timothée by the narrow margin of 0,25 points by the end of the heat. In fourth came Damien Castera, also from Anglet, confirming again his good season.
After these two semis, the contestants decided to call the contest on hold till the beginning of the afternoon, waiting for the tide to fill in and maybe score some better waves.
An enthusiast crowd gathered on the cliffs around the judges’ tent by the beginning of the afternoon to assist to the promising final: Antoine Delpero, the French style master, opposed to the British powersurfer Adam Griffiths, the skilled skinny Aurélien Meynieux and the only goofy footer and winner of the Jersey event, Rémy “Shawn” Arauzo.
Waiting for the tide to fill in was definitely a good call, as the waves got really better, peeling regularly from the outside section till the shore.
Antoine was again the standout, finding the best waves, committing in vertical turns and balance-challenging noserides. The Frenchman from Biarritz easily scored two near-perfect rides, forcing his opponents to get a combined score of 18.76 points out of possible 20. Adam Griffiths, with his usual power surfing, nearly reached the goal but ended up with a “little” 16.95 points, and ended up second. Rémy and Aurélien didn’t find the good waves on their inside option and couldn’t catch up with Antoine and Adam.
Antoine Delpero wins his second contest in a row, reinforces his first place in the E.T.L rankings and gains confidence before his participation in the World championships in Portugal next week and for the W.L.T of San Clemente in California in November.
The closing ceremony is then organized in the presence of the officials of the event, the sponsors, Mohamed Kadmiri, president of the Moroccan Royal Federation of Surfing and Bodyboard. Under an impressive and picturesque Berber tent. Antoine, winner of the event, wanted to thank all Moroccans for their reception and their kindness, Adam, in second declared himself very happy of what is the best result of his career for the moment.
After this event, nothing is decided for the title, with the last two events in Portugal, and the absence of the ranking leader on the next event at Faro, the run for the E.T.L title is not finished yet !
Another superb event for the E.T.L, blessed by nice conditions, a blameless organization and most of all a true human adventure for all European contestants who leave enriched with new friends, with splendid memories and especially with an overpowering desire to come back as soon as possible to this beautiful Kingdom of Morocco.
On behalf of all the staff of the European Surfing Federation, big thanks to the Moroccan people, for their kindness and their unbelievable reception, thanks to His Majesty the King Mohamed VI, thanks to all the sponsors and the volunteers of this event which was a real success.
Choukran to all and see you at the next event, inchallah.
Keep surfing,
Julien “Vico” Hamel
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