The Juniors are stepping up, and two title contenders are out!

October 15, 2024

October 15, 2024, Gáldar, Gran Canaria, Spain. • Chilean Bastián Venegas and Frenchman Louka Zaninoto got knocked out of the world title race, even though they were among the favorites to win. So, the surprises are starting to roll in at the Gran Canaria Frontón King 2024. ROUND 2 y 3 JUNIOR MEN DIVISION The…

October 15, 2024, Gáldar, Gran Canaria, Spain.

• Chilean Bastián Venegas and Frenchman Louka Zaninoto got knocked out of the world title race, even though they were among the favorites to win. So, the surprises are starting to roll in at the Gran Canaria Frontón King 2024.

ROUND 2 y 3 JUNIOR MEN DIVISION

The third day of the Gran Canaria Frontón King— the final event of the IBC World Tour for bodyboarding—was all about the junior division. After two rounds, the six title contenders were whittled down to four, with the surprising eliminations of Frenchman Louka Zaninoto and Chilean Bastián Venegas.

Today, the ocean calmed down a bit, and there was a southeast wind shaping the waves. The conditions were small but really nice. But as the event’s technical team reminded everyone before kicking off, “to be the best in the world, you gotta be versatile and know how to surf in all conditions, all types of waves—whether it’s size, wind, reef, or beach—and on both sides.”

Today was one of those days to show off those skills and adapt to the conditions, like local Ariel Cruz did, pulling off a great backflip and a pretty clean roll, scoring the highest total of the day with a 16.75. He’s definitely putting on a spectacular event, finishing first in all his heats and making it clear to the title contenders that he’s going to be a tough competitor to beat.

Another standout was Australian Jai Taylor, who also led his heat with an impressive performance, landing two solid invert moves that earned him the highest score of that round. In that heat, we saw one of the day’s big surprises: the elimination of Chilean Bastián Venegas, another title favorite who had come in second at the Iquique event in Chile. He got knocked out by Taylor, who had won in the Maldives, after a brilliant start on Saturday when he scored the best wave of the day.

The other big surprise was the elimination of French surfer Louka Zaninoto—who won the first event of the year in Morocco and was one of the top contenders for the title—who ended up losing to his fellow countryman Mael Martínez in the last second of the heat. With the tide coming in, the event organizers decided to take a break due to the bad conditions, and after waiting for two hours with no improvement, they decided to call it a day.

Now, it’s down to Mikelle Arriagada (Chile), Unax Pascual (Spain), Jai Taylor (Australia), and Gran Canaria’s own Alexander Montes, who will make his debut in the next round, the fourth one, which isn’t elimination. In this round, the athletes who have made it this far will face off against the top 8 in the junior world rankings, including Montes.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, the organizers will check in competitors from both divisions at 8:45 AM, planning to start around 9:00 AM if conditions allow. This way, they can assess the situation and make the best decisions for the competition. On the fourth day, we might see a showdown in the Men’s division between the two-time world champion (2011 and 2016), Frenchman Pierre Louis Costes, and local young gun Armide Soliveres, who’s leading the year’s rankings and could become the first Spanish world champion in history, as both will enter from this non-elimination round.

Photos: Richard Alemán y Jesús de León The Gran Canaria Frontón King Pro 2024, part of the IBC Bodyboarding World Tour, which also features a variety of music and food offerings, 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, the Presidency department with its brand La Isla De Mi Vida, and the Gáldar City Council, along with brands like Mercedes-Benz and Corona, as well as support from 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

Bastian Venegas

CHI

Ariel Cruz Melían

ESP

Jai Taylor

AUS

Mikelle Arriagada

CHI

Unax Pascual

ESP

Alexander Montes Laitinen

ESP

Pierre Louis Costes

FRA

Armide Soliveres

ESP

EventGran Canaria Fronton King 2024 EventMaldives Pro 2024 EventIquique Bodyboard Pro 2024

2024 bodyboarding ibc world tour gran canaria frontón king 2024 junior men bastián venegas louka zaninoto ariel cruz jai taylor gáldar gran canaria spain wave prone

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