Paki Gale photos and videos

Panama was present in the wave pool of the moment with the brothers Teo and Kai Gale and their friend Agustín Cedeño. Just the day after the Stab High, the first aerials event in a pool, was held, team 507 arrived at BSR Cable Park in Waco, Texas.

More than 1.000 kilometres from the Atlantic Ocean coast and more than 1500 from the Pacific Ocean, this pool has gained fame for its consistency and the fun sections it offers, for tubing or for flying.

It allows you to repeat the same movement over and over again, until you finally get it out. The three Panamanians will be in Waco for three days and will send us their daily report. This is yesterday's report, with his first impressions:

Teo Gale Grani: "When I saw the wave rolling, it was a dream come true"

What was your first impression when you arrived?
When I saw the wave rolling in, it was a dream come true, I couldn't believe it. Then I saw a couple of people surfing it, it was easy, barrels everywhere, left, right. What kid wouldn't want to be here? A dream come true for everyone and for me.

What was the first thing you saw?
I saw an artificial beach made of sand, a big blue mirror with nothing coming out, just water. Then a couple of people started to come in and the wave started to roll… 200 meters away I saw a wakeboarder, a huge slide, lots of fun things to do.

How does the pool work and what types of waves did you get?
The pool works in groups of three, there are three people or three or four groups of three. So Kai, Agustín and I formed a group. The first wave of the whole session is the cleanest and most tubular. We do three one-hour sessions a day and we take turns doing the first wave of the session. There is a machine that goes behind a wall that forms the wave, it sucks the wall and makes a tube.

What were your best waves of the first day?
It was a very long tube that I was able to get out of, a very good one and other attempted tubes that I couldn't get out of because I was going too deep, some good sticks.

Can there be bad waves in this paradise?
You can get bad waves, every wave is different. Aerial section, tube section. The first wave is a tube, the second wave is a stick and sometimes it's a tube and the third is all tube.

Was it helpful to see the aerial professionals who were at the Stab event?
Yes, it was very useful for me to see the technique, how they fly, where they fly in the section and how they use their body to project themselves upwards.

Agustín Cedeño: "The best of the day for me were the right ones"

What did they see when they arrived?
When we arrived at the pool here in Waco, Texas, the first thing we saw was the giant slide to jump off. We went in and there were still some Stab High riders there, we met some, then we went to the pool, but there were no waves. Suddenly a group came in and that's when we started to see the perfect, incredible waves.

How does the pool work and what kind of wave settings are there or did you get?
The wave pool works with a machine, left and right. At first there is nothing and suddenly the machine starts and the wave comes out of nowhere. Then comes a small wave that can't be caught, then another one comes out and generally there are three waves per set and there are groups of nine people, and then three each and they catch a wave and they take turns like that. The section that we had was the first section, sometimes it tubes, then it gives like two maneuver sections and it stays flat.

What were the best waves of the day?
The best of the day for me were the rights because I find them easier, as the left is a bit more complicated and has a bit of bumps depending on the wind. In the last session of the afternoon, for me it was the best because it rained and there was a glass and that's when the best waves started.

Kai Gale: "I couldn't sleep the night before because I was so excited"

What were your first impressions and how were you?
The night before I couldn't sleep because I was so excited and when I came and saw the wave I was breathless. The wave is so good, it looked like a lot of fun with a long barrel and I couldn't wait to get in.

What did they see when they arrived?
When I arrived I saw some people surfing a wave and I said, “This is the wave to surf.” So I started studying it more and more and I realized the tricks of the wave, how it moved, where the tube was and where the section to hit it was.

How does the pool work? What kind of wave set did you get?
The waves come in a set of three waves, so Agustín, Teo and I were waiting. First me, then Agustín and then Teo. There was a wave that I caught and then a small wave came that you can't catch, then Agustín came in the one behind, another small one that you can't catch and then Teo. We were riding the wave almost at the same time.

What was your best wave of the first day?
They were left-handers with some tubes or with some maneuvers or right-handers with some fun catches.