That’s a wrap on day 2 here down in Dewey Beach! After a long day in the sun, ending with far out but glassy conditions, the pros gave quite the show!
Starting the morning off with the same 18 mph NE winds as yesterday, the Mini Boys & Girls, Legends, Senior Grandmasters, Grandmaster, Masters and Semi-Pros got to work in some trying but makeable conditions. Our guy, Alex Bevard had a bye, due to his top seeding on the SkimUSA tour, so he was sitting pretty eyeing up his competition for finals day! Both Semi-Pro heats were action packed and non-stop! With difficult conditions the mantra of the morning was high risk, high reward, which worked very well for Zach Rubin who we will see in the final tomorrow, not only in Semi-Pro, but also in the Men’s division.
Moving the day along we saw the Women’s division take the water and it was great! Kate did not disappoint and demonstrated not only why she is a force to be reckoned with, but a bright light and upcoming powerhouse! She skimmed some of her best of the weekend and rightfully has earned a spot in the finals! Next up, we saw the Girl’s and Boy’s divisions get to work while the long-awaited pros were warming up.
To end the day, we got quite the treat of a full afternoon filled with just the pros. Our lineup is one of the largest we have had all season, including Gerardo Valencia, Leo Freitas, Mason Broussard, Elian Juarez, Lucas McCoy, Zeke Williams, Eoin Lally, Dylan Duncan, and ET Beaugrand, on the men’s side, and for the women, Sydney Pizza, Nicole Phillips, Alex Yokley, and Emma Okoniewski. Team Zap was out in full force today skimming with smiles and enjoying the great vibes that Dewey always provides!
Starting off with the men, the wind was starting to die down, making the sets more reachable and the conditions glassier, and much more entertaining to watch. To no surprise Gerardo, Mason, Leo, Dylan, and Elian all made it out of the first round with style and finesse. Big ups to Eoin for his skimming today, not only was he on his a-game at home, throwing full 360-degree rotation airs, combos that made your eyes pop, and wrap to cover-ups that made everyone join him in the green room! Not only that, but he had the crowd going with him too, making it that much more invigorating to watch!
Moving into the Women’s heats ALL four of our powerhouse women put. on. a. show. Not only were they stylish and effortless on their boards, but they were throwing combos and tech that continues to push the limits of women’s skimboarding! Our girls made it through the first round and were into the second, as we saw Syd and Emma take on Rylea Sinex, and Alex and Nicole take on the newest pro, Eve Redefer. Syd unfortunately suffered a right quad injury and did not advance. Making it to the semi-finals ready for head-to-head match ups are Emma vs Eve and Alex vs Rylea. LET’S GO LADIES!
Back to the Men’s non-stop action, we saw all our boys do their very best and meet up with each other plus one. Getting the best of each match up and moving on into finals day, this year’s dark horse Mason, finals day regular Gerardo, and secret weapon Eoin. We are so proud of everyone’s performances and will be sure to check back in after finals day!
Words: Sydney Pizza
Photos: Devin Demenezes