As usual, the break in Nazare, Portugal was wild and unpredictable. The first round of the IFWA 2018 went down in the ever changing conditions of the big wave break. A new IFWA format made things even more challenging. Riders didn’t know what to expect with new director, Carol Anne Giustina at the helm and first time contenders Carve Composites were at contest venue that was new to them.
The team was finally able to make the trip to Portugal for this event and boy did they make their presence known! Dan Foy and teenage superstar Luis Sparkes showed up and threw down. Unfortunately for Sparkes, his craft suffered mechanical failure during the 1/8ths, where his impressive run ended.
Carve Composites team rider, Dan Foy was able to take the first round win in the unruly conditions that were on offer. It was a crazy contest with the waves going from soupy chop to 10 foot plus on Sunday, April 29th.
Foy, with his no holds barred attitude blew up in the huge conditions. He dominated and pulled off a trick the judges had never witnessed. The maneuver was a no hands launch that he landed and then he went straight into a barrel roll.
The trick led him to his win in the semis against Mark Gomez. Foy moved onto the final where he was pitted against Mick Anthony and there was no stopping Foy as he continued to go bigger and bigger with every heat. He pulled flex flips, rolls, and flat out big wave surf riding. Foy tore down records on his way to the top spot on the podium. He absolutely dominated the field with his victory in Nazare.
