Japanese kiteboarders take top billing

Hisato Marumori and Mika Sakurai made the biggest impression on the shoreline judges, as the duo finished atop the field of men and women Kiteboarders in yesterday’s finals of the Marianas Open on the waters along Micro Beach.

Marumori out dueled five fellow tricksters in head-to-head competition to emerge first among the 13 member men’s division, while Sakurai edged second place Makiko Okamura and third place Rowina King in all three heats of the contest.

Marumori was the only professional in the division and is considered one of the best kiteboarders in all of Japan, though he modestly said that he is “only” among the top three in his home country.

The pro survived two consecutive Expression Sessions against Laurent Wainer of Guam in the semis and finals to take the title, mainly due to his aggressive style in the air.

He didn’t waste anytime showing off his skills, as Marumori took advantage of every gust that rolled over the Saipan ridgeline to gain as much distance as possible between his board and the crystal clear waters between the American Memorial Park and Managaha Island.

This is only the second time that he took on the challenge of the Marianas Open, and he made the most out of the less than ideal wind conditions. The last time that he was here was some five years ago, but Marumori plans on returning to the CNMI. With any luck the winds will be a little more cooperative. Next up for Marumori is the Ulsan International Windsurfing Championship in Ulsan, Korea during the 27-31 May.

Local favorite Jeffro Elliot finished the tournament in third place, and judging by the conditions, he felt that was all he could muster.

“That’s about right. The conditions were just not what we wanted them to be. The wind turned offshore. We need northeast winds to be good. Today it is east, and yesterday it was east. It was just a matter of who got the best gust at the right time,” said Elliot.

The good news according to Elliot is that it is easier to handle the gusty conditions while wind surfing, so the rest of the tournament should go off without a hitch.

This is the 10th time that Sakurai has been to the Saipan competition, but this is only the third year that she has been competing as a kiteboarder since making the change from windsurfing.

“I’m having a great time, and I hope to return next year, too,” said Sakurai.

Sakurai’s used her talent to land her tricks smoothly to her advantage, and the skill proved to be the deciding factor over her competition.

At the end of the competition, all of the entrants made their way into the water for a run from Managaha Island and back while being filmed by a helicopter. The fleet was followed by a team of wind surfers who were testing the winds and waves for today’s launching of the second segment of the Open.

This morning the competition will consist of a downwind slalom from Managaha Island, with the fleet of sailors crossing the line in unison and traveling downwind around a series of buoys to the finish line. The first across the finish line is the winner.

The Marianas Open is one of the longest events of its kind, and the five-day event still has plenty of wind in the sails.

As the fourth event on this season’s Asian Windsurfing Tour, it fits into the larger group of the region’s biggest windsurfing events, such as the Monsoon Madness in Kuantan, Malaysia, the Mana Mana Amslam in Bintan, Indonesia, the Boracay Funboard Cup in Boracay, Philippines, and the Ulsan International Windsurfing Championship in Ulsan, Korea during the 27-31 May.

Through the season competitors at each event earn points towards the overall Adecco AWT Championship and at the end of the season a new Asian Champion is crowned.
For more information on the Adecco Asian Windsurfing Tour visit their web site at www.asianwindsurfingtour.com.