Success for Smith and the “Da Kine Junior&Girls challenge”

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Smith, the world’s leading brand of skiing and snowboarding sunglasses and goggles, presented the 2008 edition of the “Da Kine Junior&Girls challenge”, the competition for girl and junior athletes, including Alessandra Mauri, a Smith athlete for two years, who came in a spectacular second.
“The past don’t come back, Bear” is the famous, dramatic comment from “Big Wednesday”. And it was time - past, present and future – that distinguished this 2008 edition of Smith’s 2008 Da Kine Junior & Girls Challenge, the competition dedicated to the most promising girl and junior surfers. During the days immediately preceding the contest, absolutely nobody would have bet a cent on favorable weather conditions. Rain and strong winds were expected, but optimism and the organization’s spot-on weather forecast brought a good day with warm sun in the morning and smooth waves, perfect for the start of the heats. It was the usual atmosphere. Cars bumped to a stop on the dirt road at Banzai and unloaded a sea of kids and countless boards and wetsuits.
Contest Director Alessandro Marcianò and his right-hand man and head of logistics Danilo Conte, welcomed us with a great stage, lots of stands, music and Bio Champion cold drinks handed out to everyone by the lovely Laura. The top athletes in all the categories, plus some new names who, surprisingly, went ahead in the contest, were all there. Head judge Marco Gregori organized the numerous, professional members of the jury. Alternating judges were Toni Di Risceglie, Umberto Calipari, Roberto Bersani, Andrea Bonfili and that loveable Sardinian Luca Pilloni – a.k.a. “Onò?”. The inevitable, and numerous, novices were also there: Massimiliano Muzio, Mario Lombardi, Alessio Guain, Fabio Carroccia. In charge of the scoreboard and charts was the ever-dependable Stefano Rosignoli of the Santa Marinella Surf Club.
Athletes came from the most prestigious surfing regions in Italy: Tuscany, Lazio, Liguria and Sardinia. The under-15s began the first heats on a surf that was entertaining and a good height. After the screening of the first heats, Vasciaveo, D’Amico, Pacitto and Geracitano qualified for the first semifinal, and “Stankovic” – Stawoczyk, Profili, Fioravanti Leo and Giorgi for the other one. While I was snapping one of these kids, his father came up. I knew that face. I take another good look and realize it really is Pietro Pacitto, the Italian windsurfing legend for many of us who practiced the sport in the Eighties.
The sun was still shining when the first under-18s hit the water. But by 11, the wind began to rise. No sweat, the waves were still a meter and a half and the Banzai reef is always one of the best in Italy. The wave opened well on the inside, it was very high and some of the surfers were really exceptionally mature. At 12.30 the wind got stronger just when the first girls entered the water. The organizing club’s staff made sure the stage was secure and everything went ahead. Taking advantage of this, we asked some of the athletes for a comment. The first was Valentina Vitale and we asked her if she aimed at making up for losing the Italian championship at the last contest. “Maybe, but really I just want to enjoy myself, the waves are good and just right for a competition”.
We then spoke to Simone Simi, the center of a short, but civil, altercation with last year’s jury about a verdict that was not totally shared. “I always enter competitions in the hope that I’ll win” he said, “and to take part, but you need the right motivation”. This guy has the right attitude.
Antonio Libbi, the contest’s official spokesperson, continued to comment on the heats and the Indoboard area managed by Guido Virgulti was always stormed by the kids. Then came Valentina “Enigma” D’Azzeo. “Do I want to be Italian champion again? What I want more is to surf only at Banzai” she smiled and moved on. The wind became stronger and the athletes shivered as they passed their Lycra to the Beach Marshalls Elettra and Elisa. Suddenly, the sun came out again, the wind dropped and, like a vain woman, Banzai gave its most alluring smile.
Bonomelli, Montali, Modaffari and Guzzone qualified for the first U-18s final. And Simone Simi, Barria, Matteo Fioravanti and Inga for the other one.
There was a short break for lunch with mega-bowls of spaghetti for staff and judges. Alessandro Marcianò called two important guests onto the stage: Francesco Gulli, manager of Da Kine Italy, and Thomas Cravarezza, a Da Kine talent scout and a second ranker in Surfing Italia’s categories. “Congratulations for the excellent organization. We are very impressed by the levels in the water and we’re keeping an eye on a few kids…”
In the meantime, the girls continued with the threesome semifinal, respectively, D’Azzeo, Dalle Luche, Ronconi and Vitale, Bertolini, Mauri.
Conditions were still excellent at the start of the U-15s semifinal. The kids were very good, but Roby D’Amico, Stawowczyk, Vascianeo and Leo Fioravanti were the ones that stood out and were applauded. With excellent organizational timing, the U-18s entered the water for the semifinal. Guzzone, a local from Ideale di Civitavecchia, set off and placed the board vertically on the backside to the right of Banzai. Fast and precise, Bonomelli responded and maneuvered to take advantage of the wave all the way to the shore. The semifinal seemed to have been taken over by these two and that’s the way it was. I watched this stage of the contest near D’Amico, who applauded the athletes in the water and commented to his friends “What great waves, guys, just right for the contest. Roundhouse and off”. Maybe he was studying for the final. The other semifinal was really balanced. Because he knew the spot, Matteo Fioravanti choose the waves also on the inside and passed. Confident and decisive, Simone Simi also passed.
At 2 pm it was time for the women’s semifinal. In the first, D’Azzeo fairly effortlessly controlled new entries Dalle Luche and Ronconi. Dalle Luche also passed, but also because Ronconi had taken the wave and…wow! She fell badly onto the famous, jagged Banzai reef. Marcianò and Conte rushed to her aid and she was taken to the Croce Blu ambulance that’s always at the competitions, holding her shoulder. But shortly after she appeared on the stage and assured everyone that “I was taking a duck dive and I strained my shoulder trying to stay on the board; it’s just a contracture”. But although she won the heat, D’Azzeo didn’t seem to find her usual rhythm. In the other semi, the battle was tougher with the “Sirenetta” of Ostia, Valentina Vitale, dominating Mauri from Tuscany and Elena Bertolini, in that order.
U-15s final. An immediate super set. D’Amico set off in a two meter “hole”, one, two, three off, “spaccalip”, and finished on the inside. Rejoicing on the beach. Eight and a half, the jury shouted. At two minutes from the end, D’Amico detached the tail from the wave and finished in great style. A hands down win. Second came Leo Fioravanti who set off on the last wave and went to the inside with style, precision and speed. Applause from the beach. Somebody asked “How old is that kid?” - “Nine” - “Nine?!”. Yup, he’s only nine and he sure has what it takes.
<p><font face="Times New Roman"size="1">Stawowczyk, who did great last year, was also very good, as was Vascianeo