LAAX OPEN 2023 – Europe’s most important freestyle event took place again!
Freestyle Snowboarding and Freeskiing at its best at the LAAX OPEN 2023 was a big show and the athletes performed brilliantly once again.
This weekend the L’Ormarins King’s Plate will be held for the first time at Kenilworth Racecourse in Cape Town, South Africa. It would have been the 162 running of the Queens Plate, changed for obvious reasons.
The historic race was first held in 1861 as the Queen’s Plate, in honour of Queen Victoria, before being run as the King’s Plate from 1902 to 1952.
With the ascension of King Charles III, the race has reverted to the King’s Plate.
Dual, LQP winner Jet Dark will be lining up once again for trainer Justin Snaith and patrons Nick Jonsson and Tommy Crowe.
The imposing bay arrives in fine form, having won his prep race after a short break.
However, he faces a strong field including potential superstar, the unbeaten three-year-old Charles Dickens for trainer Candice Bass-Robinson at Bass Racing Stables and Drakenstein Stud
Reigning European beach volleyball champions David Åhman and Jonatan Hellvig from Sweden had to go the long route to the finals over the play-offs, but they managed to become Kings for the second time in their career after winning in Utrecht 2021. In the women’s final there was no doubt as to which team was the best. Brecht Piersma and Wies Bekhuis from the Netherlands won already silver in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro last November, and managed to crown themselves as the Queens for the very first time.
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Men’s round four was the very close: Heat between Maxime Chabloz (15.93) and Francesco Cappuzzo (14.57). A scrappy fight for waves was separated by a marginal difference between two excellent front flips off kickers, in Maxime’s favour. But the most nail-biting heat, and perhaps most surprising result, given the predominant weighting towards wave riding, was the heat between Brazilian waterman and ex-windsurfing wave world champion Kauli Seadi, and French tour regular, Bastien Escofet.
Kauli had been first to take advantage with a good wave from left to right across the whole comp area early in the heat, before the two then traded good frontside waves. Six minutes to go in the ten minute heat and it was tight; 16.39 to 16.33 to the Brazilian. Bastien spent four minutes caught on the inside and had to paddle out past the shore break. He finally made it out and, with 90 seconds to go, landed a fully committed front flip that earned him a 7.23. He slipped into the lead while Kauli was caught on the inside and this was the best example of how the single freestyle trick could be used to make a crucial difference when wave riding more or less otherwise dominated proceedings.
This year's schedule boasts five stops in five different countries, with two finals events and a two-run format in Fieberbrunn, where riders' top score will count towards their result. To up the pressure even more, and to reward those with the nerves – and legs – of steel, 12,500 points for first place (instead of 10,000) will again be up for grabs in the FWT finals events.
So far this season, riders in every category have shown the world why they are the best of the best, pushing the limits and each other to new extremes. The ski men's category is extremely tight, with reigning FWT World Champion, Maxime Chabloz (SUI), sitting on top just 80 points clear of rookie Max Hitzig (GER). Ludovic Guillot-Diat (FRA) and Molly Armanino (USA) in the snowboard men's and ski women's categories, respectively, have narrow leads over the rest of the field, while Katie Anderson (CAN) – snowboard women – is sitting comfortably ahead after two spectacular wins.
The women were up first and Bruna Kajiya got the day started with her ever impressive clockwork style. But it was women’s tour leader and reigning world champion, Mikaili Sol, who hit the alarm for what was to come, opening her account with a huge stalefish slim 5 and then a 317 on trick four.
In the men's race, Manoel Soares had the chance to win his first world title. As the draw would have it, he faced second ranked rider Gianmaria Coccoluto in that quarter final, as well as Valentin Garat and a local ripper with a huge reputation, Erick Anderson. All Gianmaria Coccoluto could do at this event was keep winning his heats and hope that Soares would trip up before reaching the semi finals. Now it was in his hands, but even if he won the heat he’d need help from one of the others to push Manoel into third, and out of the competition. Coccoluto produced a performance for the ages. Attacking without fear, he ripped Taiba lagoon apart like never before. Soares led after two tricks, but started to slip as the Italian hit full beast mode, scoring two nines and then two tens in succession that sent goosebumps through the crowd and left the judges in awe. Having uncharacteristically caught a front edge on his third trick, Manoel started to look tense. He forced out a 319 and a 315 and then the backside 315 on his last trick attempt just wasn’t good enough to overtake in-form lagoon specialist, Erick Anderson, who went through to semis behind Coccoluto.
There are still three contenders for the title, but only two remain in the competition. Manoel now has to sit things out and wait to see if Gianmaria or Juan Rodriguez will win the event or not. Those two meet next in the semi-finals!
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