Athletes were up early on day 3 of the 2019 La Ventana Classic, meeting at Las Palmas at 8:30am to load their gear into pangas and travel the 9.2 miles by boat across the Cerralvo channel to the island where they would compete to see who could kite back to the Hot Springs the fastest.
Photo: Jeff Bilodeau
While the wind was filling in for the kiteboarders on the island, the foil racers completed the Criss Cross event from the Hot Springs, around a buoy at Cerralvo Island and back to the Hot Springs again for a total of 18.4 miles. La Ventana local and 4 Elements Kiteboarding school owner Xantos Villegas used his knowledge of the area and its wind conditions to strategize and complete the Criss Cross event in 34 minutes, averaging 35mph and beating out UK and US hotshots Connor Bainbridge and Kai Calder.
As the foil kiters landed, spectators watched and waited for a pack of kites to appear on the horizon. The Crossing kiters began higher up on the island for a straight downwind tack to the Hot Springs, but when the cluster of kites finally appeared, leading the pack were two windsurfers, Tyson Poor and Wyatt Miller. Claiming victory for the windsurfers for the first time since his last win in 2009, Tyson Poor crossed the finish line first with a record time of 23:56. He was followed by fellow windsurfer Wyatt Miller who in an interview with announcer Grom Gormley after the Crossing, admitted that he was slow to start, where Tyson took and stayed in the lead, but once they got going it was fast and fun all the way downwind to the Hot Springs.
Photo: Jeff Bilodeau
For the kiteboarders, it was neck and neck when they arrived at the finish line. Although it was light on the inside, the Baja boys battled it out for first and second with La Ventana’s Luis Diego crossing the finish lines just in front of Los Barriles’ Mac Skaggs. In the women’s category, Justi Vonada crossed first followed by Rachel Callahan in second.
Amidst all the kite crossings, the SUP racers took off from the Hot Springs for 2 mini downwinders to Palapas Ventana. In the Men’s category, Macrae Wylde and Gerry Lopez finished first and second respectively, while Fiona Wylde led the women in both races, finishing her second downwinder in a record-breaking 32:24.
The wind let up in the afternoon and officials decided to call off freestyle and big air until the following day.
Foil Criss Cross Results:
1. Xantos Villegas (34:00)
2. Connor Bainbridge
3. Kai Calder
Crossing Results:
Windsurfers
1. Tyson Poor (23:56)
2. Wyatt Miller
3. Sammy Perez Hultz
Women’s Competitors (Kiteboard)
1. Justi Vonada
2. Rachel Callahan
3. Rachel Hettinga
Men’s Competitors (Kiteboard)
1. Luis Diego
2. Mac Skaggs
3. Reed Brady
Sportsmen
1. Jabe Harpote (27:38)
2. Jay Senior
3. Ichiro Igar
Women Sportsmen
1. Emanuela de A. la Porta
2. Megan Munroy
SUP Results
Race#1 Hot Springs to Palapas Ventana
Men
1. Macrae Wylde
2. Gerry Lopez
3. Doug Frank
Women
1. Fiona Wylde
2. Luciana Burger
3. Betsy Rudigoz
4. Alena Vrecek
Race#2 Hot Springs to Palapas Ventana
Men
1. Macrae Wylde
2. Gerry Lopez
Women
1. Fiona Wylde (course record 32:24)
2. Luciana Burger
3. Alenka Vrecek
Photos: @sebastiantronmedia
SCHEDULE UPDATE: Saturday, January 19th
Note: All skipper’s meetings take place at the main event site at Hot Springs Beach. *For spectators: condition dependent but discipline should start within the hour of the skipper’s meeting.
9:00am – SUP Las Cruces meet at Palapas Ventana
10:30am – Foil Course Racing Skipper’s Meeting
10:30am – Enduro Mountain Bike Race
12:30am – Kite and Windsurf Skipper’s Meeting for Slalom then Freestyle
7-11pm – BCDC Concert at Baja Joe’s with Black Velvet