The Legendary Tiree Wave Classic
The Video Evidence: Tiree 2004 Tiree gave the best conditions in years, especially on the last day where sailors were pounded by the Atlantic swells all in the name of competition. So enjoy the video evidence of the UK’s best sailors showing off and paying the price.		Pro Fleet Hype Amateurs, Youths & Ladies The Video Evidence: Tiree '04 Tiree Lodge Nights Breaking Points Speaking Out

MOVE: Double Forward
SAILOR: John Skye

Round....

and round....

again

VIDEO: Windows [316KB] Quicktime [589KB]

Doubles were few and far between because one, not many sailors can do them and two, the conditions weren’t quite right. However, our top ten PWA sailor, John Skye, sneaked this one in. Ok, a bit of a wet landing but to go for one in a heat, off not a very big ramp takes some courage.

MOVE: Stalled Forward
SAILOR: John Hibbard

Johnny Rock

goes

extreme

VIDEO: Windows [154KB] Quicktime [269KB]

A nice stalled forward from the Rock. Not the biggest of the contest, but clean and technically perfect, everything you expect off Johnny.

The Proffitt .v. Skye showdown. Who do you think won?

We bring you highlights of the infamous heat between John Skye and Ben Proffitt that was to decide the 2004 Triple Crown Champion.

SAILORS: Ben Proffitt vs. John Skye, Round 1

Duel #1: First run out and John thinks that Ben is covering him and preventing him from getting going. The result? John gets wiped out by a wave and first blood is drawn.

Ben & John

The windsurf men

Do battle at Balevulin

VIDEO: Windows [718KB] Quicktime [905KB]

Duel #2: Ben tries to take advantage of John’s wipeout but messes up a simple top turn at the end of his first wave ride whilst John pulls out a stalled forward.

Ben goes clew first

Opens up

Can he hold onto it?

VIDEO: Windows [289KB] Quicktime [554KB]

Duel #3: But Ben gets his act together with this forward where he went a lot higher than expected.

Spot your ramp

Go high

Go higher

VIDEO: Windows [245KB] Quicktime [393KB]

Duel #4: Ben also scored well for this backloop but Skye’s, later in the heat, was bigger.

Ben goes for a backloop

Spots the landing

And lands it clean

VIDEO: Windows [272KB] Quicktime [465KB]

MOVE: Front and Back Side wave riding
SAILOR: John Hibbard

Hibbard & his Evo

It's a beautiful thing

To watch them in action

VIDEO: Windows [368KB] Quicktime [671KB]

Away from the Ben and John controversy, John was slip sliding his Evo all over the shop. Here he shows how to rip on the inside breaking waves. Nice!

MOVE: Backloop
SAILOR: Andy King

Mr Andy King

The most consistent backlooper

In Britain

VIDEO: Windows [233KB] Quicktime [430KB]

Round 1 saw Andy King take victory and it was mainly down to his consistent jumping. Here he shows just how a backloop should be executed.

MOVE: Down the line wave ride
SAILOR: Phil Horrocks

Rhosneigr boy

Knows how to rip

On port tack

VIDEO: Windows [733KB] Quicktime [1.03MB]

It’s the final round at Balevulin when only the Pros were forced out to cope with the swells. Phil scored well in the bigger conditions with wave rides like this.

MOVE: A mast breaking wipeout
SAILOR: Greg Martin & John Hibbard

Oh, no Greg

Don't fall in there

Mast under warranty?

VIDEO: Windows [546KB] Quicktime [1.34MB]

What fun we all had watching the riders get eaten from the comfort of the cliff top. Poor Greg Martin looks like he is about to smack the critical section before he trips a rail and the wave pounds down on him and his kit. John could only hold his breath as the white water engulfed the pair. Greg broke his mast, whilst John was keen to avoid a repeat which saw a gnarly section snap his first mast.

MOVE: Down the line wave ride
SAILOR: Andy King

King proves

To the world

That he can wave ride

VIDEO: Windows [461KB] Quicktime [607KB]

Andy shows off his different style on the wave. The wave reformed for him so he was able to get more points and get through to the final.

MOVE: The one footed, half naked attempt to get through to the next round
SAILOR: Ben Proffitt

Ben strips

Scaring the locals

But he got his ranking up

VIDEO: Windows [1.72MB] Quicktime [5.49MB]

Ben had pulled out of the contest with a badly sprained ankle. By not competing on the last day, he was looking at a poor final ranking. So when he realised that the other sailor in his heat hadn’t turned up and he would get through just by going out, there was no stopping him. Check out his radical top turn!

MOVE: The winning smack
SAILOR: Chris Audsley

In the last minute

Chris spots his winning wave

And smacks it

VIDEO: Windows [338KB] Quicktime [320KB]

Going into the last final of the last round, two sailors could have emerged as the Tiree Champion. But it was Chris who stole the show with this winning wave ride in the last minute of the heat to take the Tiree Wave Classic.

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