THE 4TH DAY OF THE MASTER OF THE OCEAN 2023 WAS A DAY OF EXCITING COMPETITION IN THE COMPANY OF WHALES!
CABARETE, Dominican Republic- 26th of February, 2023
The fourth day of the Master of the Ocean 2023 started with another tropical morning with glassy small wave conditions. The first heat was at 9 am with the exciting Overall SUP semifinal with elegant surfing by Brian Talma (Barbados) coming in first and Daniel Weiss (Germany) coming in a close second in 2 to 3 foot waves. Two quarter finals of Overall SURF were next with Francis Gonzalez Martinez (Dominican Republic) and Bobo Gallagher (Hawaii) coming in first in their respective heats showing solid surfing maneuvers despite the small surf.
The morning competition immediately continued with two Team SURF semifinals with an incredible display of talent in small conditions by Team Cocotazo (Dominican Republic) and Team Edelweiss (Switzerland) placing them both in the finals. Team SUP followed with Team Edelweiss (Switzerland) and Team We Love Kite (Dominican Republic) placing 1st in their respective heats to qualify for the finals.
In the early afternoon, 2 Finals of the Team Wing Foil were run with Balz Mueller (Switzerland) putting on a show for the Sunday crowds and starting from the rocky point on a foil, picking up a surfboard on the outside of the reef and effortlessly surfing it in to the delight of the crowd! Final results of the Team Wing Foil will be announced on the 27th of February on the winners’ podium!
Balz Mueller was crowned Beach Culture World Tour Champion at the Master of the Ocean 2023 by tour director Brian Talma for his outgoing spirit and positive energy! Another award went to the We Love KiteTeam for teaching underprivileged kids of the Cabarete community how to kitesurf! Special recognition went to the Master of the Ocean 2023 organizers for their hard work and dedication to organic tourism and the community spirit! There was a festive spirit with flags and tropical beats while conferring these awards.
The afternoon ended in light winds with the Team Kitesurf Final with Dominican Teams We Love Kite and Mango House putting on an impressive show of surfing and aerial maneuvers for the large crowd in a paradise setting. Teams Cocotazo (Dominican Republic) and Condor (Germany) also wowed the audience with great surfing and air time accompanied by tropical beats from our local DJs.
After an intense day filled with action from four watersports, the 4th day of the Master of the Ocean 2023 wound down as the wind died around 4 pm. As the last heat ended, humpback whales saluted the competition from afar with jumps and tail slaps on the water! Nature always rules!
We want to thank our sponsors: Condor, Edelweiss, Copa Airlines, MITUR, Banco de Reservas, Corona, Millennium Resorts and Spa, Viva Wyndham Resorts, Natura Cabana, Tubagua and the German Embassy in Santo Domingo for helping us successfully carry out this 4th day of the Master of the Ocean 2023.