DAY 2 HIGHLIGHT LA SALIE PRO 2023

La Salie Pro 2023 saves all emotions for Sunday

France | Pro Junior
Lots of action, glassy conditions, and sun were the main features of the second day of competition at La Salie Pro 2023, which will reveal which of the 5 finalists will become the world junior pro champion.

After a first day dedicated to trials and respective non-elimination rounds, it was time to proceed with the event and determine which riders would be present in the final stages of La Salie Pro 2023.

The weekend started with the repechage rounds for both categories, Male Pro Junior and Female Pro Junior, and with them, surprises began. Let’s start with the female junior category, where the world title is at stake in this stage. Emiliana Gonzalez, until then the only Chilean representative with a chance to win the world title, was eliminated in the first heat of the day for the female category, falling short of her opponents, Bianca Simões, also competing for the title, and local athlete Mathilde Coudeyrat.

Moving on to the male category, the surprises continued to unfold. The first heat of round 5 of the Male Pro Junior was considered the theoretically toughest, and it turned out to be so. The elimination of Jorge Hernandez, who currently leads the ranking in his category, was certainly a surprise to everyone. Micheel Yancee from Peru, sharing the top spot in the ranking with Jorge Hernandez, and the standout of the day, local athlete Louka Zaninoto, were the main factors behind the elimination of the bodyboarder from the Canary Islands. In this heat, Louka Zaninoto achieved the highest total score of the day, 13 points.

After the male round, we returned to the Female Junior category, which marked the end of the day’s competition. It was time to compete for the world title. Luna Hardman, Bianca Simões, both from Brazil, Aarya Tabalno from Hawai’i, Hanna Savedra from Peru, and Luana Dourado from Portugal. All of them advanced through their heats and secured a spot in the quarter-finals, which consequently keeps them all in the title race.

Possible world tittle scenarios for tomorrow:

1- Aarya
If she makes it to the final and Hanna loses in the semi-final, Aarya will become World Champion. If Hanna also reaches the final, Aarya needs to win the title to become World Champion.
If all other contenders lose before Aarya in any round, Aarya becomes World Champion.

2- Hanna
If Hanna reaches the final and Aarya loses in the semi-final, Hanna will be World Champion. But if both Hanna and Aarya make the final, Hanna needs to win the event to become World Champion. Hanna cannot lose before the semifinals.

3- Luana
Luana needs to reach the final and hope that Aarya loses before reaching it. If Hanna also reaches the final, Luana needs to win the event.

4- Luna and Bianca
Both Brazilians are in the same situation. In order to win the world title, they need to win the event and hope that Aarya and Hanna lose in the quarter-finals tomorrow.

Considering the possibilities, Sunday will be the day of all decisions, a weekend full of intense emotions. The call will be made at 8:00 AM (local time). Stay tuned to ibcworldtour.com to find out who will be the 2023 world champion.