Some days, you simply don’t have your best stuff. Others, you merely think you don’t have it.
Cindy Mosey of New Zealand was a bit skeptical of her performance leading up to Tuesday’s freestyle kiteboarding finals.
But, fortunately for her, she was alone in that sentiment as the judges tabbed her the 2002 Ford Gorge Games champion.
“The kiting has been OK this week, but I’m not used to it being so gusty,” said Mosey, who outmaneuvered women’s Blowout champ, Renee Hanks of Stevenson, Wash., in the finals.
“It can be a bit demoralizing when you feel like you aren’t able to perform your best, but enough stuff was working and I was able to stay in there,” she said.
Joining Mosey and Hanks atop the leaderboard were Santa Cruz native Dana Pinto (third) and Rebecca Wothers of Paia, Hawaii (fourth).
Local competitors Julie Prochaska and Karen Bureker tied with Laurel Eastman (Kailva, Hawaii) and Sheldon Plentovich (Kailua, Hawaii) for fifth place out of a world-class field of 16.
“The standards in women’s kiteboarding have risen dramatically over the past couple years,” said Mosey, who will travel to the Canary Islands in two weeks for another elite event.
“This year’s Gorge Games probably had the highest standard I’ve seen to date,” she said.
Mosey took home $5,000, Hanks $3,000, Pinto $1,500 and Wothers $500.
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