The excitement at the 2013 ICF World Freestyle Championships ramped up today, as over 70 men took part in 14 heats for the K1 Men’s division. In this event, the men have 45 seconds to throw a variety of tricks, such as McNasty’s, Loops and Helixes. Bonus points are awarded for entry moves and style, which certainly adds to the excitement of the event.
Not surprisingly, Dane Jackson (USA) is a heavy hitter in this event, and is in the lead going into Quarter-Finals, with a total of 2, 704 points. Close behind is Mathieu Dumoulin (FRA) with 2, 400 points, and Peter Csonka (SVK) with 2, 264 points.
Among the top 20 who advance to Quarter-Finals is 2011 World Freestyle Champion James Bebbington (GBR), who is currently in 9th place with a respectable 1,829 points. Paddling a carbon Dagger Jitsu 5.9, Bebbington was fairly conservative in his heat, where he was up against another big name in freestyle, Clay Wright.
“Today all the main competitors made it through comfortably, so no real surprises,” says Bebbington, “many of the top paddlers take it a bit easy on the first day to save their best for later. I was a bit nervous today, I think, so just wanted to blow away the first day anxiety.”
His first ride broke 1,000 points, which he was very happy with, while his second scored an impressive 773 points. “I really liked how my first ride was coming together, but my Lunar Orbit tripped me up at the end,” he says.
Going into the Quarter-Final, Bebbington is feeling confident, and is enjoying the challenge that 2013 Wave has to offer, “It’s tricky, but I actually really enjoy paddling in it. I’m satisfied enough with my rides today, but I’m also burning to get in there again and show my true capabilities. I’m much calmer now and ready to kill it!“
Tomorrow promises to be an exciting day again, with both Men’s C1 Heats and Women’s K1 heats on the roster. You can catch James Bebbington, along with the other Top 20 K1 Men in the Quarter-Final at 5:00pm EST tomorrow (September 6th) on the Live Feed.
