First day of PKRA Freestyle Competition was a full on windy day. The wind blew the dozen of national flags from all around the world on the beach averaging 25-35 knots under sunny skies. The wave conditions for the week are looking fantastic, which will be great for all the wave riders who are looking for World-Class wave riding.

Competitors from countries such as Spain, France, New Caledonia, Australia, Cabo Verde, New Zealand, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Poland, Serbia, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, United Kingdom, and Morocco to name more than a dozen made their way to the registration line this morning in hopes of getting their chance to battle it out against the best wave and freestyle riders in the world.

The freestyle trials got underway shortly after lunch. The competition level this season is very high, and most will have to step up their game in order to move up the elimination ladder. Riders struggled against the conditions that Mother Nature handed out. Advancing into the main event from the freestyle trials to the freestyle single elimination; Erik Volpe (Slingshot, ITA), Liam Whaley (Naish, ESP), Mario Rodwald (North, GER), Michael Schitzhofer (Best, AUT), Thomas Paris (North, FRA), Alvaro Onieva (Slingshot, ESP), Ariel Corniel (Ozone, DOM), Sebastien Garat (RRD, FRA), Alex Soto (F-ONE, DOM), Christophe Tack (Liquid Force, BEL), Nils Wesch (Naish, GER), and Robinson Hilario (F-ONE, DOM).