The very first edition of the Classique Vague à Guy, a competition of longboard festive event which brought together the best local river surfers, took place in a radiant climate, from every point of view. Many spectators came to admire the aquatic acrobatics performed on the standing wave, rewarded with beautiful trophies and the pride of this surfing community.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Stands with a capacity of 400 people had been installed so that the public could have a better view of the competitors. They were almost full, as we can see in this image, as surfer William Messier returns to the entry point after one of his attempts.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
The members of the jury, all seasoned surfers, were seated in the front row to appreciate the athletes’ performances. To decide between them, they had to evaluate the figures, the engagement in the wave, the creativity and the style, among others.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Virginie Pellerin won the women’s final, with convincing performances mixing cross steps (cross step) and movements towards the front of the board (nose riding).
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Finalist Simon Vallée delighted the audience, notably with several 180 degree pivots of his board at the end of the ride, and 360s on himself. He won third place.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
The two finalists shake hands, after breathtaking performances. Kiam Lemaire (winner, left) and William Messier (runner-up) gave Guy their all on the wave. Wow!
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Finalist Pénélope Coupal put on a solid show, performing crossed steps and twirls on her longboarda real nautical choreography with disco accents which earned him second place on the podium.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
For all those who have asked themselves the question, “But who is this famous Guy who gave his name to the LaSalle wave?” “, the answer was present in the flesh at the competition: Guy Tremblay, a pioneering kayaker who used the nautical site since the 1980s, came from Orford to attend the events.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
William Messier gave real lessons in positioning on the front of the board (nose riding), sometimes catching up on tricky situations where his surfing seemed to be stalling. We see him here making a hang 5an emblematic figure of longboard where the toes perch on the nose of the board.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
As soon as the competition was over, a Hawaiian dance troupe took over the site to set the mood. Four music groups then took turns on the stage, set up for the occasion.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Among the women finalists, Catherine Luneau chose to start from the second launching point, located upstream of the wave. Well encamped on the left portion, she followed a series of crossed steps (cross steps) with grace, which propelled her to third place.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Big winner of the women’s portion of the Classic, Virginie Pellerin obtained several rewards provided by the event’s sponsors, including a surfboard made by the Montreal workshop Molo.