Master of the Ocean 2021 Finishes on a High Note

CABARETE, Dominican Republic - The 17th edition of the Master of the Ocean was an action-packed extravaganza. All five days were filled with the hot tropical sun and catchy beats with varying wind and wave conditions that made completion of the event possible. Nature ruled and 40 elite water men and water women from 17 different countries took part in this unique event to put on a spectacular show for the crowd.

Local kite champion, Adeuri Corniel (youth Olympic freestyle champion), stole the show during the heats of the Kite Expression Sessions on Day 2 by putting on an impressive and exciting array of freestyle maneuvers and finishing in 1st place for the day. Increasingly windy conditions allowed for exciting wind sport action! Many Expression and Team Session heats were very international every day and saw Manuel Selman (Chile), a Tokyo 2020 Olympic surfer, taking the lead and scoring among the first three places in surfing, wing foiling and kiting showing much prowess with his water man skills. Veteran Luciano Gonzalez (4-time Overall Master of the Ocean champion) also scored in the top 3 consistently in SUP and Kite. Peri Roberts (Australia), Austin Kalama (Hawaii), Marius Herrmann (Germany), Diego Anta (Spain), Imma Nin Franch (Spain), Guillaume Authier (Canada), Samuela Mule (Italy), Gianmarco Oliva (Spain), Audrey Meyer (France), Tracy Shay (USA), Paola Novotna (Czech Republic) and Valeska Schneider (Germany) all showed a very high athletic level in their disciplines and gave the crowds adrenaline-packed days of action in all 5 water sports. The local presence of world-class athletes was also very strong with Papito Santana, Nicolas de la Cruz, Francis Gonzalez, Tony Garcia, Daury Reynoso and Alexander de la Cruz showing that Cabarete is truly the cradle of champions.

Manuel Selman heading out for his kitesurfing heat. | Photo courtesy: Master of the Ocean

The third day was dedicated to the community, hosting over 100 kids. They all joined to talk about the environment and ocean conservation thanks to Happy Dolphins DR. Happy Dolphins is a non-profit whose mission is to train the youth in lifesaving, swimming and water sports, with mindfulness for our wonderful, fragile ocean. Thanks to Happy Dolphins´ allies in the water, Inspire and Kymera DR, dozens of children and visitors enjoyed a lifesaving drill action. Inspire runs an ATC Program (Aquatics Training Cabarete) which provides professional swimming and lifesaving instruction. Kymera DR electric boards not only provided the gear for the drills, but also donated a rescue board to Happy Dolphins DR during the competition, in a generous gesture benefitting the Cabarete Community and the destination, to avoid drownings.

Happy Dolphins DR announced its exciting new partnership with the Starboard Blue Carbon Project which believes in a pathway to a sustainable future through the restoration of blue carbon environments by researching, exploring and simply enjoying them in order to promote marine conservation. The total carbon footprint of the Master of the Ocean 2021 competition will be effectively calculated by the Starboard Blue Carbon Project and will be offset by exciting developments in Cabarete through this partnership!

Dauri Reinoso in his SUP heat. | Photo courtesy: Master of the Ocean

Despite the varying conditions and nature ruling, the 4th day was also exhilarating with an impressive display of skills for the crowds to revel in. The day ended with a lovely cocktail party offered by the German Embassy at Villa Taina Hotel for the Master of the Ocean 2021 athletes, crew, partners and press. Ms. Katrin Werdermann, deputy head of the German Embassy in Santo Domingo, was present to greet the guests during a breezy Cabarete evening.

The winners of the expression sessions and team sessions were announced on the last day after live music by Van Avakian and beats by DJ Froggi. The 1st place winners are Valeska Schneider (Germany) for SURF women, Gianmarco Oliva (Italy) for SURF men, Tracy Shay (USA) for SUP women, Daury Reynoso for SUP men, Imma Nin Franch (Spain) for KITE women, Manuel Selman (Chile) for KITE Men, Paola Novotna (Czech Republic) for WING women, Manuel Selman (Chile) for WING men, Marius Herrmann (Germany) for WINDSURFING men and Team Carambola as the winners for the Overall Team Category.

Team Carambola. | Photo courtesy: Master of the Ocean

The festivities culminated with a creole roasted pig dinner at Kite Beach Hotel´s charming Mesa Taina Restaurant. Riders received $10,000 US in prizes and trophies. The funky beats continued into the night under a bright three quarter moon with many happy faces. Congratulations to Manuel Selman (Chile) for his well-deserved title of Master of the Ocean 2021 and to his Team Carambola for winning 1st place in the Overall Team category! The 2021 edition of Master of the Ocean was a full-on success with five action-packed days; nature delivered once again! Thanks to our main sponsors; the Ministry of Tourism of the Dominican Republic, Happy Dolphins DR, Condor, Natura Cabaña, Cable del Norte, American Airlines, Inspire DR, Kymera DR, Starboard, Millenium, Ultravioleta, Viva Wyndham, Corona, 321 Take Off, Gingerly Sunscreen and the valuable support of the German Embassy in Santo Domingo. The best waves are yet to come and we will see you at the 18th edition of the Master of the Ocean from the 22nd to the 28th of February, 2022!

For more information, please visit masteroftheocean.org and its social networks on Instagram and Facebook @masteroftheocean.