Armide is out, Pierre’s got to rely on himself, Alexander is still in the competition, and everything will be decided on the last day.

October 19, 2024

October 19, 2024, Gáldar, Gran Canaria, Spain. The fifth and second-to-last day of the Gran Canaria Frontón King went down this Saturday at the legendary wave on the Gáldar coast, with an electric atmosphere and a packed crowd cheering from the stands and cliffs. They enjoyed this penultimate day of competition in the final event…

October 19, 2024, Gáldar, Gran Canaria, Spain.

The fifth and second-to-last day of the Gran Canaria Frontón King went down this Saturday at the legendary wave on the Gáldar coast, with an electric atmosphere and a packed crowd cheering from the stands and cliffs. They enjoyed this penultimate day of competition in the final event of the IBC World Tour for bodyboarding, where the world titles in Men’s Division and Junior Men’s Division are at stake.

The big news was definitely the elimination of local contender Armide Soliveres, who couldn’t get past his heat against South African Tristán Roberts and local William Luján. Luján showed off his best skills, including a great left backflip, finishing first with a score of 14.5, but then got knocked out in the next round by Frenchman Maxime Castillo, who made it to the quarterfinals. Roberts also secured his spot in the quarters with ease.

Soliveres still has a shot at the title since Frenchman Pierre Luis Costes needs to win the event to take it from him. However, it’s still within reach for Soliveres, as he advanced to the next round after a nail-biting heat with local Javi Domínguez and Frenchman Yan Salaun. With the crowd rallying hard for Soliveres through Domínguez, Costes once again proved why he’s one of the best riders in the world. In tough conditions, he managed his priority well and used his experience to wait until the last minutes to get the score he needed.

“I was really eager to see how things would turn out, but we have to wait for tomorrow, stay calm, and see what happens,” Soliveres said from the athlete area, surrounded by his family, hoping to see Costes get eliminated and potentially claim the title on the spot.

We also have to highlight the performance of one of the event’s surprises, Lanzarote’s Ricardo González, who entered the competition from the first round and is proving to be a solid contender for the Frontón King title, as he made it through both heats he had today and is now in the quarterfinals.

Big shoutout to Frenchman Amaury Lavernhe, a two-time world champ and three-time Frontón King, who totally nailed the move of the day with a spectacular aerial reverse. The judges gave him a perfect score of 10 points, and the crowd went wild from the stands and cliffs of the Frontón. Lavernhe made it clear with his performance—and in the post-heat interview—that he’s a serious contender for Costes and isn’t going to let the fact that they’re both from the same country affect him. “This is sports, and I have to do my job. My goal is to win the Frontón King. If Costes moves on, it should be because he’s the best. That’s the true spirit of sportsmanship,” Lavernhe said. If he beats Costes in their next head-to-head for a spot in the quarterfinals, it would make Soliveres the world champion. And since he’s based in Gáldar, he knows the wave like the back of his hand, so the tension is definitely going to be high in that heat.

Also, Saturday kicked off with the repêchage round 5 of the Men’s Division, where bodyboarding legend Guilherme Tamega, a six-time world champ from Brazil, got knocked out. He was competing as a guest in the IBC World Tour. In the Junior Men’s Division, the quarterfinals took place with six Canarian riders competing alongside Peru’s Micheel Yancce, the current Junior champ, and Hawaii’s Shaden Ahn. Yancce eliminated two of the local favorites, Jorge Hernández and Mauro Quesada, in his heat. However, Ahn fell in the heat against local title contender Alexander Montes, who handled it like a pro and advanced to the semifinals along with his fellow local rider Néstor Reyes.

Montes is still in the running, but he needs to win the final at the Frontón King to take the title from Chilean Mikelle Arriagada, who got eliminated last round and is now waiting to see what the Canarian does. With the local crowd fully backing Soliveres and Montes, Montes mentioned after his heat that while he appreciates the support and loves seeing how many people want him to win, “it’s still added pressure.” He added, “I’m not sure how much of it is playing at home and how much is just the competition itself.”

So, here’s the deal: Montes is still in the game, but he needs to win the final at the Frontón King to snatch the title from the Chilean Mikelle Arriagada, who got knocked out in the last round and is now waiting to see what the Canarian does. With a local crowd totally backing Soliveres and Montes, the latter mentioned after getting out of the water that, while he appreciates the support and feels happy knowing so many people want him to win, “it’s still added pressure.” He added, “I’m not sure how much of that is playing at home and how much is just the competition itself.” Montes has said before that his biggest rivals are the locals, his fellow competitors, and friends. “They know the wave better than anyone; in a split second, they can pull off some crazy stuff and totally crush it.”

Tomorrow, the organizers will do check-in at 11:30 AM “local time,” and if the conditions are right, it could be the last day of competition. Updates will be shared on IBC and Frontón King’s social media.

Photos: Richard Alemán “Secretpoints”

The Gran Canaria Frontón King Pro 2024, part of the IBC Bodyboarding World Tour, which also features a variety of music and food, is organized by Epic Events and promoted by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria through Gran Canaria Tourism, the Insular Sports Institute, and its brand Isla Europea del Deporte, along with the Presidency department and its brand La Isla De Mi Vida, and the Gáldar City Council, plus support from brands like Mercedes-Benz and Corona, along with Munchitos and Ozeano.

Make sure to keep an eye on the IBC and Gran Canaria Frontón King website and their social media. You’ll find all the info you need about this awesome event!

www.ibcworldtour.com

www.frontonking.com

@ayuntamientodegaldar @cabildodegrancanaria @grancanariadep @visitgrancanaria @visitgaldar @casacoronacanarias @corona @redbullesp @redbull @munchitos_felicidad @ozeano_ @louzao_mercedes_benz #grancanaria #islaeuropeadeldeporte #thiisliving #laislademividafrontonking #grancanariamegusta #laislademivida #galdar #louzao #ÚnicosComoNuestrasIslas #SaborCanario #MunchitosConElDeporte

#ibcworldtour #ibcworldtour2024 #bodyboard #bodyboarding #frontonking

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Athletes in this story

Armide Soliveres

ESP

Tristan Roberts

RSA

William Luján

ESP

Ricardo González

ESP

Amaury Lavernhe

ESP

Guilherme Tâmega

BRA

Micheel Yancce

PER

Shaden Ahn

USA

Jorge Hernandez

ESP

Alexander Montes Laitinen

ESP

Nestor Reyes

ESP

Mikelle Arriagada

CHI

EventGran Canaria Fronton King 2024

2024 bodyboarding ibc world tour gran canaria fronton king armide soliveres pierre luis costes amaury lavernhe galdar men's division junior wave barrel aerial reverse bodyboard

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