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DEFENDING CHAMP POLAKOW IN FORM AT
SWATCH ALOHA CLASSIC
By Jodi Young
Ho'okipa Beach Park, Maui, HAWAII (Saturday, November 6, 1999) --- Defending Swatch Aloha Classic champion Jason Polakow, Australia, was easy to spot in the lineup today during the first round of the main at Ho’okipa, Maui, today. His rig, bearing the KA-1111, zipped back and forth through the break like Zorro as he carved his way across the waves with trademark speed and sharply executed maneuvers. Strong northeast tradewinds coupled with waves in the three to four foot range made for an action-packed day of competition.
Defending champion Jason Poloakow KA-1111 with Micah Buzianis before their heats.
Although the World Race Champion title has been sewn up by Dutch sailor Bjorn Dunkerbeck for the 12th year running, Polakow is still in with a shot at successfully defending the World Wave title which he has held since 1997. However, Polakow will be fighting from behind this week as Dunkerbeck is currently holding the lead in the world wave rankings and hopes to win it for a record 12 Overall World Champion titles.
In order to lock away a third World Wave title, Polakow, 27, needs to finish one place ahead of Vidar Jensen, Norway (N-44) and also needs Dunkerbeck to finish no better than fifth in this event. Dunkerbeck won his first round heat today, however Jensen has been relegated to the loser’s round.
Competing against Canadian Jason Prior (KC-0), who won his way into the main event with a wildcard from yesterday’s Simmer Trials, America’s Luke Siver (USA-OO), and local Hawaiian Rush Randle (US-321), Polakow advanced unimpeded today with one round under his harness.
Randle entered the draw despite announcing earlier in the week that he would be out of the event due to injury, but his failure to advance from today’s heat will see him cross over to the loser’s round. (The Swatch Aloha Classic is run using a double-elimination format.)
"These first rounds are just to feel it out, get into the competition and settle in," said Polakow. "The conditions were great, I had a really good time out there. The wind turned a little more side-shore before my heat and it was excellent. Even though the waves are small they’re just perfect. Plenty of waves and plenty of opportunity for moves. I’m a surfer also, so that helps a lot in developing the turns out there.
"It’s a double elimination format of competition, so I don’t feel that pressured at this point, but it’s always nice to go as far as you can by winning each heat."
Like Polakow and Dunkerbeck, British windsurfer Nik Baker won his way through to round three to keep his hopes of winning the 1999 World Wave Champion title alive. Baker is one of only four sailors who can accumulate enough points to win the World Wave title, along with Polakow, Dunkerbeck and Jensen.
The entire field of 64 men and 24 women took to the water today in a series of back-to-back 12 minute heats with the judges basing their scores on a combination of each sailor’s best three waves and best single jump.
Today’s women’s competition featured the defending Swatch Aloha Classic champion Joclyn Hrkach, Canada, (KC-80), who won the event in 1997; there was no women’s champion in 1998 as their division was not completed, but will face the loser’s round after a loss today. Also faced with the loser’s round are local sailors Cecily Kitts (US-36), Kelly Moore (US-6), Jenny Ellefson (US-129), Ceci Cleary (US-02) and Jennifer Henderson (US-7).
1999 women’s World Race Champion and current Overall Champion Karin Jaggi, (Z-14) was one of the winner’s to advance today, joined by Colette Guadagnino, Venezuela (V-711), Lucienne Ernst, Holland (H-444), Jutta Mueller, Germany (G-680), Antonia Frey, Greece (GR-1), Nicole Boronat, Spain (E-77) and Spanish twins Iballa Ruano Moreno (E-63) and Daida Ruano Morena, (E-64).
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