Coming fresh off the last stop in Lakey Peak Sumbawa on the 12^th May where the Groms faced heavy barrels, Groms are now preparing for the mellow long rippable walls of Medewi.

Rip Curl’s Top Team rider Oney Anwar took time off in his busy schedule of the World Qualifying Series to help with the last event in his home town of Lakey Peak commenting; The Waves were pumped for the last event – the morning was perfect 3-4 feet and glassy giving the boys a good chance to show off their skills. The kids were ripping and having so much fun! The level of Surfing was really strong too. It’s good to be back in Lakey judging and enjoying the competition with the Groms from my home town!”

Competition was very tight in both divisions during the Lakey Peak leg of the series.  With first place in the under 14’s finally attributed to the powerful Ompu who steamrolled his way to victory with 11.5 points, followed by Arpad (10.4 points), Daniel (8.1 points), Irfan (7.3 points) Bronson (6.8 points) and Idris (5 points). The four first winners were rewarded with Rip Curl goodie bags, Stickers and Sticky Bumps wax.

In the Final of the “Under 16” division, around 20 Groms competed for the coveted prize of a spot in the National finals to be held in Bali in September. The day was not short of drama – During round 1 Dedi Supriadin charged one of the biggest sets of the day resulting in a heavy fall, broken leash and lost board.. After being pounded by the remainder of the set, Dedi finally made it to the channel where he was reunited with his board. One bonus was his beating won him the best wipe out of the day and some free goodies!

Riman from Lombok took first place in the main Under 16’s division (13.5 points) thanks to a combination of perfect turns and tube rides. Close behind Riman was Andre Anwar from Lakey Peak (11.6 points), Max De-Santis of Hawaii  (9.8 points) and Febri from Java (8 points).

Given that Riman already won a ticket to the National Finals at previous GromSearch event earlier in the series, the official winners who join National Finals are Andre Anwar, Febby and Finda from Lakey Peak and Febri from Java.

As far as the expression sessions were concerned, it is Gazalin from Lakey Peak who won the Best Wave thanks to a lengthy and well-maneuvered wave. Halik, also from Lakey Peak differentiated from others by an outstanding figure which brought him to win the best trick of the day.

In addition to the exciting performances in the water, Groms voluntarily cleaned up the beach fulfilling their commitment to environment helping preserve nature and make a great example to other locals and surfers in the area. The Grommets also enjoyed playing games such as a running competition and “the last chair standing” game in a very friendly atmosphere.

Rip Curl Team Rider and Contest Director Dedi Gun said: Everybody worked really hard to organize this GromSearch Series #6. Many thanks to the judges, Locals,  Sponsors and everybody that participated in making this GromSearch unforgetable !”

Rip Curl GromSearch 2013 Lakey Peak, Sumbawa, Contest Results:




Under 14’s Division (Boys):
1st – Ompu (11.5 points)
2nd – Arpad (10.4 points)
3rd – Daniel (8.1 points)
4th – Irfan (7.3 points)
5^th – Bronson (6.8 points)
6^th – Idris (5 points)

Under 16’s Division (Boys):


1st – Riman (13.5 points)
2nd – 
Andre (11.6 points)
3rd – 
Max (9.8 points)
4th – Febri (8 points)

Best Wave – Expression Session:
- Gazalin (Lakey Peak)

Best Trick – Expression Session:
- Halik (Lakey Peak)

Schedule of events for 2013:
26th May, Medewi, Bali
2nd June, Kuta, Bali
9th June, Padma, Bali

NATIONAL FINAL – September, Somewhere in Bali (TBA)

Photo: ASP/ Smorigo

Stop No. 3 of 10 on the ASP World Championship Tour (WCT), the Billabong Rio Pro utilized the entirety of the event waiting period, culminating in a high-performance showdown from the ASP Top 34 amidst a bevy of barrels and ramps of Barra Da Tijuca.

Smith showed an incredible variety of technical airs and turns in the Final against De Souza, launching a massive straight frontside air for a 9.33 and a stailfish air-reverse for an 8.50 to top De Souza for the win. The Billabong Rio Pro victory marks the third career ASP WCT event win for Smith and his first away from South African soil.

“This win feels unbelievable,” Smith said. “It’s another dream come true. I knew I could win a World Tour event, but I had to prove to myself that I could do it away from South Africa. Thanks to crowd and Adriano (de Souza). He’s been ripping the whole event. Thanks to all of my friends and family for all of the amazing support.”

Photo: ASP/ Kirstin

Smith’s run to the final was nothing short of amazing as the South African powerhouse defeated dangerous rookie Filipe Toledo (BRA), 18, and two-time ASP World Champion Mick Fanning (AUS), 31, en route to the Final. Smith attributed today’s success to his ability to adapt to both his competitors and the ever-changing conditions of Barra Da Tijuca.

“I knew it was going to be tough,” Smith said. “I was really nervous in the first heat against Filipe (Toledo). Luckily I got through that one and when I came up against Mick I waited for better waves. When the swell dropped against Adriano and he took to the sky, I knew I was going to have to do the same, but luckily I got a couple of scores.”

Smith now sits at No. 2 on the ASP WCT Rankings.

De Souza, 2011 Billabong Rio Pro winner, went on a rampage to advance to his second career Billabong Rio Pro Final, eliminating 11-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA), 41, and goofy-footer Gabriel Medina (BRA), 19, but was unable to top Smith’s devastating form in the Final.

“I did my best out there and thanks to the crowd for being behind me 100 percent,” De Souza said. “Congrats to Jordy (Smith). He beat me in the final from start to finish. I’m so happy to be here representing Brazil. Jordy was the best out there today and congrats to him.”

De Souza’s win at Bells Beach combined with his Runner-Up effort today at the Billabong Rio Pro vaults the hard-working Brazilian to the No.1 position over then rankings leader Kelly Slater, highlighting his chances to be the first-ever Brazilian ASP World Champion.

Gabriel Medina (BRA), 19, was incredible on the final day of competition, earning a perfect 10-point ride for a lengthy barrel-to-air combination in the Quarterfinals. The high-flying Brazilian was equally dangerous in his Semifinals bout against fellow countryman Adriano de Souza with a stout 17.50 out of 20 heat total, but fell just short of a final appearance despite a valiant last-second effort, finishing equal 3rd.

“It’s so hard to get that close to the final and lose, but it was a good event for me,” Medina said. “My ankle injury has finally healed so that’s good progress for my season and congratulations to Adriano on the heat win. Hopefully I can do better in Fiji.”

Mick Fanning (AUS), 31, matched his Billabong Rio Pro result from 2012 with a Semifinals finish. Fanning looked deadly in his Quarterfinals victory over ASP WCT rookie Sebastian Zietz (HAW), 24, but was unable to find a rhythm against Jordy Smith in their Semifinals clash.

“It would have been good to go one better, but the semis is good,” Fanning said. “This whole week was so tricky and it was one where you had your heart in your mouth whole time. I think I went out there and over-thought it. I got way too excited watching Jordy, Filipe, Adriano and Medina and tried airs and embarrassed myself. The waves I had at the start didn’t really allow turns so I thought I’d go for airs and find waves that allowed turns at the end and it didn’t work out. Congrats to Jordy. He’s been surfing great this whole event.”

Fanning, current No. 3 on the ASP WCT Rankings following his Semifinals finish, has been incredibly consistent throughout the opening events of 2013, is now hoping to carry the momentum from Brazil to the next event in Fiji.

“We saw upsets go down early and you come to this event and can’t expect anything,” Fanning said. “Last year we watched Gabe (Medina) go down in the first heat, so a Semifinals result here is good and I have three out of three keepers for the season. I’ve had a couple of good weeks.”

Kelly Slater (USA), 41, 11-time ASP World Champion and current ASP WCT No. 4, was near-flawless in yesterday’s action but was out of rhythm in the opening Quarterfinal of the morning against De Souza.

“I thought there were a lot more waves than there ended up being and didn’t make the adjustment during the heat,” Slater said. “Adriano (de Souza) did and that made all the difference. Quarterfinals is not the worst resul – it’s better than I went last year. It was a long wait this window and if I had waited that whole time and lost yesterday, I would have been bummed. I’ll take a 5th and look ahead to Fiji.”

The next stop on the 2013 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT) will be the Volcom Fiji Pro from June 2 – 14, 2013.

UPCOMING BILLABONG RIO PRO FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Jordy Smith (ZAF) 17.80
2 – Adriano de Souza (BRA) 16.34

UPCOMING BILLABONG RIO PRO SEMIFINALS RESULTS:
SF 1: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 17.64 def. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 17.50
SF 2: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 14.83 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 8.26

UPCOMING BILLABONG RIO PRO QUARTERFINALS RESULTS:
QF 1: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 15.33 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 12.30
QF 2: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 16.43 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 14.93
QF 3: Mick Fanning (AUS) 12.50 def. Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 12.37
QF 4: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 17.76 def. Filipe Toledo (BRA) 14.07

ASP WCT TOP 5 SURFERS (Following Billabong Rio Pro);
1. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 18,500 pts
2. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 18,250 pts
3. Mick Fanning (AUS) 18,200 pts
4. Kelly Slater (USA) 16,950 pts
5. Taj Burrow (AUS) 15,700 pts

The flat days are almost over. Photo: ASP/ Kirstin

Stop No. 3 of 10 on the 2013 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT), the Billabong Rio Pro has completed Round 1 of competition on the opening day of the event window and will look to resume as soon as tomorrow.

“Small surf continues today and we have called competition off for the day,” Rich Porta, ASP International Head Judge said. “The models are showing a swell arriving this evening and we anticipate more energy in the water for a possible recommencement tomorrow.”

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 7am to assess conditions for a possible 7:30am start. Organizers have placed Round 2 and the opening six heats of Round 3 on standby for a possible run tomorrow.

When competition resumes Taj Burrow (AUS), 34, will take on wildcard Gustavo Fernandes (BRA) Heat 1 of Round 2.

BILLABONG RIO PRO ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Gustavo Fernandes (BRA)
Heat 2: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Messias Felix (BRA)
Heat 3: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. Jack Freestone (AUS)
Heat 4: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Ricardo dos Santos (BRA)
Heat 5: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Yadin Nicol (AUS)
Heat 6: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 7: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Raoni Monteiro (BRA)
Heat 8: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 9: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Brett Simpson (USA)
Heat 10: Travis Logie (ZAF) vs. Kieren Perrow (AUS)
Heat 11: Alejo Muniz (BRA) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA)
Heat 12: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) vs. Filipe Toledo (BRA)

Sources: ASP

Photos: Harry Pieters

The swell was an ideal 2 – 3 feet and super fun, with the sun shining all day and light off shore winds, making for a perfect day to run the contest. Everybody was ripping and putting on a great show, for as a boardriders contest it was run by the competitors and their friends, a new experience for everyone.  All the crew pitched in to help, everyone from the grommets and juniors up to the seniors, working together solidly as a team.

With his win yesterday, Garut Widiarta is now ranked #1 in the Open Division, followed by Made Dedi Dwi Santoso taking second place, third went to Komang Sujaya, and Raditya Rondi finished last on the final round. The Expression Session junior division was nailed by Ketut Mega, who did two massive airs in a row, and Dhani Adinto brought home the Goodie Bag in the grommet division, so everybody was stoked and happy.

“We are looking forward to making some more events in near future,” says Rahtu Suargita, “and we are always focusing on the juniors and grommets, that’s why we created this boardriders club, so we can sustain and give the next generation of surfing in Kuta the right direction.  We want to educate and also train them, to help them gain their skills and mentality, not just in free surfing or contests but also things that more fundamental, always giving them a sense of awareness to what make surfing itself, what was there in the first place. THE OCEAN.”

If you want to see more photos or get more info about this and previous events, just go to Facebook and look up Halfway kuta boardriders

Sources: isctour.com | Text: Rahtu Suargita

Photo: ASP/ Smorigo

Wright dominated the Barra Da Tijuca lineup from start to finish, posting the high scores of each round with incredible progressive combinations on the punchy righthanders. The Australian’s efforts against Fitzgibbons in the Final were no different, as Wright unloaded committed forehand combinations and was rewarded a 9.33 and 8.50 to secure the win.

“This feels pretty good,” Wright said. “This whole event has been stepping stones for me. I started off a bit shaky and this is my first even where my family is not here with me. Brooke Farris was here looking after me and thanks to everyone for all of their support. After I lost that Round 3 heat I just wanted to catch waves and I stayed busy from then on. It’s just the way it worked out. I just love catching waves. I just kept building and building and I wouldn’t want it any other way. This is just fantastic to come to Rio, I love it.”

Wright’s victory in Rio marks her second of the season following a win on the Gold Coast and the two victories combined with two additional runner up finishes have launched Wright to the No.1 position over Carissa Moore (HAW), 20.

“It’s awesome to move to the top of the rankings, but I’m honestly not thinking about the World Title,” Wright said. “I’m just having fun surfing and enjoying each event and we’ll see what happens at the end of the year.”

Sally Fitzgibbons, defending event champion, put in an amazing effort in an attempt to retain the Colgate Plax Girls Rio Pro Title, seamlessly linking fluid backhand combinations on the Barra Da Tijuca lefts en route to another Final. Fitzgibbons ousted Oahu talent Carissa Moore in their Semifinals bout, but was unable to put a stop to Wright’s momentum in the Final to finish runner-up overall.

“I’m happy to progress though to the Final,” Fitzgibbons said. “It’s always exciting to come in to a final against Tyler (Wright) and I knew she’d be tough to beat out there. I love coming to Rio and I always get good results here. Unfortunately I fell at the last hurdle, but I’ll come back bigger and better next year.”

Fitzgibbons’ runner-up finish at the Colgate Plax Girls Rio Pro moves her to No. 3 on the ASP Women’s WCT.

Carissa Moore, 2011 ASP Women’s World Champion, donated another strong performance this season at the Colgate Plax Girls Rio Pro, finishing equal 3rd overall. The Hawaiian champion was looking dangerous for yet another Final appearance this season after defeating Laura Enever (AUS), 21, in the Quarterfinals, but fell to Fitzgibbons in their Semifinal match up.

“It was good heat with Sally, but there were just not that many waves,” Moore said. “We paddled all over the beach and sometimes it turns in to strategy and paddle battling and unfortunately I was on the other end of it today. It’s alright though and I’ll take this on to the next event.”

Photo: ASP/ Smorigo

Moore, who was leading the women’s ASP WCT rankings entering Brazil, has been relegated to the No. 2 position following Wright’s victory, but is still well within contention of the 2013 ASP Women’s World Title.

“I have never been thinking that I’m running away with the World Title at all,” Moore said. “I’m just happy to be in the race. I know it’s going to be tough if I want to win the World Title again and other girls want it just as bad.”

Bianca Buitendag (ZAF), 19, ASP Women’s WCT Rookie, earned the best result of her young career, finishing equal 3rd overall. Buitendag displayed crisp surfing on both her forehand and backhand while besting hungry American Courtney Conlogue (USA), 20, in the Quarterfinals, but was unable to surpass Tyler Wright in the Semifinal.

“I think it’s the best result of my professional career,” Buitendag said. “I’m really happy with my result and happy to be here in Brazil. It’s good to get my head above water for a change. I’d been in a tough mental space over the last few events and kind of putting myself down and this allowed me to think and surf smarter. Now that this event is over I’ll be able to go back and analyze my performance.”

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 7:30am local time for a possible start to Round 2 of Billabong Rio Pro Men’s competition.

COLGATE PLAX GIRLS RIO PRO FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Tyler Wright (AUS) 17.80
2 – Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 15.67

COLGATE PLAX GIRLS RIO PRO SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 13.90 def. Carissa Moore (HAW) 11.97
SF 2: Tyler Wright (AUS) 17.94 def. Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) 13.64

COLGATE PLAX GIRLS RIO PRO QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 13.50 def. Lakey Peterson (USA) 8.34
QF 2: Carissa Moore (HAW) 15.10 def. Laura Enever (AUS) 10.24
QF 3: Tyler Wright (AUS) 15.83 def. Malia Manuel (HAW) 13.74
QF 4: Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) 12.20 def. Courtney Conlogue (USA) 11.33

ASP WOMEN’S WCT TOP 5 (Following Colgate Plax Girls Rio Pro):
1. Tyler Wright (AUS) 40,000 points
2. Carissa Moore (HAW) 38,200
3. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 34,200
4. Courtney Conlogue (USA) 32,100
5. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 26,450

BILLABONG RIO PRO ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Gustavo Fernandes (BRA)
Heat 2: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Messias Felix (BRA)
Heat 3: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. Jack Freestone (AUS)
Heat 4: Jeremy Flores (BRA) vs. Ricardo dos Santos (BRA)
Heat 5: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Yadin Nicol (AUS)
Heat 6: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 7: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Raoni Monteiro (BRA)
Heat 8: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 9: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Brett Simpson (USA)
Heat 10: Travis Logie (ZAF) vs. Kieren Perrow (AUS)
Heat 11: Alejo Muniz (BRA) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA)
Heat 12: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) vs. Filipe Toledo (BRA)

The seaside town of Cimaja boasts arguably one of the most consistent and quality right-hand cobblestone point breaks in Java, and is one of the favorite stops on the tour for Asia’s pro surfers who look forward to competing on this wave that offers up great potential for a variety of maneuvers.

Bali’s Lee Wilson, a two-time Indonesian Surfing Champion (2007 and 2009) has won the last two competitions at Cimaja (Quiksilver Open 2011 and 2012) and is looking forward to making it three in a row.  “I love this wave,” says Wilson.  “It’s an open face wave that moves kind of slow, perfect for carves, but does have barrel sections and is good for airs too.  I always look forward to competing at Cimaja, it’s a fun place and a great wave.”  When asked what he feels has been the key to his success at Cimaja he replied, “I don’t know, I just get lucky there!”

Cimaja is also the hometown of 2008 Indonesian Surfing Champion Dede Suryana, who won the West Java Open in 2010 in front of his hometown fans, as well as home to up and coming brothers Sandi Selamat and Andre Julian who also compete on the ASC and ISC tours.

With Rp. 25 million ($2,500 USD) total prize money up for grabs in the 4 star Men’s Open Division, Rp. 9 million ($900 USD) for the 1 star Women’s Division, and Rp. 9 million ($900 USD) in the 1 star Longboard Division, together with valuable ASC/ISC championships to be gained, the West Java Surfing Championship 2013 event is sure to provide great entertainment for surfing fans as well as exciting competition for Asia’s best professional surfers from Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia and more.

For more information click www.asiansurfingtour.com

The VQS Flyingfish event was held at Halfway Kuta Beach last weekend. The location was changed to provide surfers with the best conditions as a big swell and strong current at Padma were considered too dangerous for the VQS Groms & Junior division. Although a few 4-5ft sets came through at Halfway, the currents were not too dangerous for the surfers.This year the VQS is collaborating with well known Bali environmental NGO “GUS” to provide environmental awareness education and encourage us all to keep the island and water clean.

The VQS event started at 8am with the Grom division, followed by the Junior and then Pro Am divisions. It was a Sunday of full action, heat after heat under the Bali’s sun. All the contestants were surfing as hard as they could trying to rack up points that would be essential for the final ranking. The Pro-Am division was the last division to start and they had a marathon of heats until the final, when a short break was given to the finalists while the Air show took place. It was a good break for the final battle where only one surfer was crowned the champion.

Results VQS Flyingfish 2013:

13 & Under

Rio Waida, 29.3

Febriansyah, 27.3

Ketut Agus Aditya, 21

Tenshi Ishii, 17.8

16 & Under

I Nym Mega Artana, 41.5

I Kmng Angga Bayu P, 32.5

Raju Senja, 29.9

Dede Sulaksana, 20.9

Pro Am

Jeren Kirin, 38.5

Mansur Ramli, 28.7

Ahmad Kamal, 23.1

Koko Mitsua Antara, 17

Air Show

Dedi Santoso, 32.5

Botak, 26.8

Betet, 25.5

Sandi S, 18.8

See the full result of VQS Surf Tour 2013, here

First to take the microphone was the Head of the Department of Culture, Tourism and Sport for the Mentawai Islands Mrs. Desti Seminora, who generously thanked the local people and listed all the sponsors who had supported the event.  She told the audience how proud she was of her staff and all involved who had been working hard to make this event such a success, as it was now a premium international event after only the third year. 

Jeff Anderson, Rip Curl’s CEO of South East Asia was next to address the crowd, and in fluent Indonesian thanked the local people for their hospitality in sharing their great waves and wonderful beach, and thanked Regent Sabbagalet and Mrs. Seminora for letting Rip Curl join with them for the second year running. 

Tipi Jabrik, President of the ASC, in his speech reviewed the progress that has been made since Mrs. Seminora contacted him over three years ago to help create the first Lance’s Right competition in 2011 and congratulated her
and her staff for the great job.  He also thanked the Katiet locals for their hospitality.  He then asked them to please take care of their beautiful beach and coral reefs, and not to let anyone bomb the reefs for fishing or do anything to destroy their great natural resource.

Lizzie Murray from A Liquid Future took the microphone next to express her thanks for the support from Rip Curl and the government for her NGO that is teaching the local kids how to speak English, about water safety, and of course how to surf.

Mentawai Pro presented by Rip Curl winner Oney Anwar from Sumbawa was asked to come up and say a few words, and he did. telling the audience how happy he was to have won the event and how he had enjoyed his stay at Katiet.

Next was the presentations of the trophies to the winners, but first 16 year old Harry Bryant from Australia was called to the stage and given a local backpack by the town chief, something personal young Harry could take back to his country and share with his friends and family.

The trophy presentations followed, with first the local trials winner Marvius and the other finalists being awarded Mentawai boatman’s paddles and some cash money as prizes, and then the main event winners receiving theirs as well.

After thanking Rip Curl, the ASC, Mrs. Desti, and the local village support crew, the Bupati (Regent) of the Mentawai Islands Mr. Yudus Sabbagalet had a special message for the local surfers in his closing speech.  He strongly encouraged them to keep practicing and believing in themselves, saying “You can see who won this contest, and he is an Indonesian just like you…so is there a reason why you can’t win?  I think not…so just remember to keep trying and soon it will be you on the podium!”

Then with the final pounding of the drum he closed the event, and though it may be over for this year the effects will be felt far into the future…in its positive impact on the local community, tourism in the Mentawais, and in the Asian
as well as the worldwide surfing communities.

Mentawai Pro presented by Rip Curl ASC Premium Men’s Open Results:

1.  Oney Anwar (Sumbawa, Indonesia) – Rp. 25 million (approx. $2,500 USD)

2.  Garut Widiarta (Bali, Indonesia) -  Rp. 15 million (approx. $1,500 USD)

Equal 3^rd:  Tipi Jabrik (Bali, Indonesia) and Gazali Hamzah (Sumbawa, Indonesia) – Rp. 8 million (approx. $800 USD)

Mentawai Pro presented by Rip Curl Trial Results:

1.  Marvius (Katiet)

2.  Dodi (Siberut)

3.  Henri (Siberut)

4.  Arjomen (Katiet)

Anwar currently resides on the Gold Coast of Australia but hails from Lakey Peak in Sumbawa, and was over the moon with his victory today saying, “To win this event is so important to me. I’m from Indonesia, and for Rip Curl Asia to put on this event in the Mentawais, in Indonesia, at one of the best rights in the world, and to win it, is a dream come true. Thank you to all the people of Katiet and the Mentawais for letting us come here and surf their beautiful waves. I can’t wait to come back next year!”  And when asked about how he felt getting a win over Garut Widiarta in the final he replied, “Garut is a really good surfer. We’ve been teammates at Rip Curl for a long time and gone on a lot of trips together. The final just came down to who got the really good waves. I just feel really lucky right now.”

Widiarta, the lightning fast goofyfooter from Kuta Beach in Bali, was very in form all day and certainly deserved his final’s berth.  He bested veteran Pepen Hendrik in Quarterfinal 1, then Oney’s older brother Gazali Hamzah in Semifinal 1 on his way to meet Oney in the 45 minute final, where both he and Anwar got 9 waves apiece. But when the horn blew, a very close score of 16.00 points (out of a possible 20) to 15.50 had Anwar the victor.

Lance’s Right is known to be an extremely challenging wave for a backhand surfer, especially for long barrels rides, but Widiarta was up to the task with several beautiful barrels as well as some incredibly tight vertical backside hacks, scoring the highest single wave score of the day in his semifinal heat, a 9.5 out of a possible 10 points.  When asked if he felt like the underdog in the final being a goofyfooter he replied, “I heard a lot of talk about how it was going to be a disadvantage for the goofies out at Lance’s Right, but I felt like it was really good for me as a goofy going backside, especially when the tide gets low, you can really wind up and do some big hacks.”  And about the event as a whole?  “We’ve spent the last seven days on the island and every day has just been perfect waves and nothing but fun. Well done to all the surfers, judges, event staff, and especially the locals here at Lance’s Right,” he said with a big smile.

The Mentawai Pro presented by Rip Curl was the first Premium Grade Asian Surfing Championship event, and the first event of the 2013 tour season, with the top 16 ranked ASC surfers competition against 8 international invitees.  A perfect start to the season in the world’s surfing Mecca of the Mentawai Islands, this event truly set the benchmark for quality waves in exotic locations.  Rip Curl SEA CEO Jeff Anderson had this to say about the event, “We could have chosen different waves to surf in the Mentawais, but given the opportunity to take the best right hander here we did, and with the support of the surfers, the government, and the ASC we are putting Lance’s Right back on the map.  Theses barrels are world class, and it’s a dream wave for any surfer that can ride a barrel, so this has been the best contest I’ve been to in my life. I don’t know how it could get any better than this!”

In addition to all the great surfing action that went down over the last three days out in the water, the Rip Curl crew has also been busy in the village of Katiet with some important Corporate Social Responsibility projects that will have a lasting importance way beyond just putting on a surfing competition.

Rip Curl, in partnership with the Mentawai government, is supporting three separate social development projects in the village of Katiet, on Sipora Island in the Mentawais. The first project is a donation of school supplies and toilets to the Katiet Elementary School. The second is a 30 million IDR donation to A Liquid Future, an NGO in Katiet run by Elizabeth Murray. A Liquid Future provides free English classes for local children, as well as surf and swimming lessons, and art classes.

Finally, Rip Curl is providing technical support and materials, in conjunction with A Liquid Future, to start a ding repair workshop in Katiet, owned and operated by the local villagers. Rip Curl has donated 5 million IDR worth of surfboard repair materials, including resin and fiberglass, and provided training and technical assistance to local villagers. The objective is to develop a sustainable cottage ding repair economy for the locals of Katiet, to repair visiting surfers’ broken boards.

Rip Curl and the ASC would like to thank the crew of the Indies Explorer, the official channel boat of the Mentawai Pro presented by Rip Curl. The Indies Explorer provided excellent angles for the event photographers and video lensmen to capture all the action from the 2013 Mentawai Pro presented by Rip Curl.

2013 Mentawai Pro presented by Rip Curl final results:

Final

1 – Oney Anwar (Sumbawa) 16.00 – Rp. 25 million (approx. $2,500 USD)

2 – Garut Widiarta (Bali) 15.50 -  Rp. 15 million (approx. $1,500 USD)

Semi Finals

SF1: Garut Widiarta (Bali) 17.50 def. Gazali Hamzah (Sumbawa) 15.05

SF2: Oney Anwar (Sumbawa) 15.90 def. Tipi Jabrik (Bali) 10.50

Quarterfinals

QF1: Gazali Hamzah (Sumbawa) 12.90 def. Putra Hermawan (Nusa Lembongan) 10.00

QF2: Garut Widiarta (Bali) 13.65 def. Pepen Hendrik (Bali) 6.15

QF3: Oney Anwar (Sumbawa) 15.00 def. Marlon Gerber (Bali) 14.60

QF4: Tipi Jabrik (Bali) 15.80 def. Wayan Susiana (Bali) 11.65

The arrival of a new swell had the competitors frothing to get started as the rising sun revealed 4-5 foot sets launching themselves onto the reef and offering up barrel after barrel in the early morning light.  Contest Director James Hendy had no hesitation in green lighting the start of the event at just after 8 am.  Though there were some periods of rain in the morning and a few quiet times in a couple of the heats, the consensus from competitors and the organizers alike was that “it doesn’t get much better than this!” For a surfing competition, anywhere in the world, it was a competitors dream, as the quality of the waves was indeed second to none.

The highlight reel is chock-a-block full, topped by Heat 7 of Round 1, which saw Bali’s Made Darmayasa post a 10 point score for a big and deep barrel, Nusa Lembongan’s Putra Hermawan rack up the highest combined heat score of the day, a 17.60 (out of a possible 20), and 16 year old Sunshine coaster Harry Bryant get one of the best contest waves of his life, scoring a 9.4 (out of a possible 10).

“Having no sleep and throwing up all night, I didn’t know if I could even surf,” said Harry. “But I went out to the boat anyway, and just watching those pumping waves definitely inspired me to get out. It’s funny too because I almost missed my heat, I was so busy watching the waves, but then noticed there were only two guys out, and somebody was calling my name.  So I paddled out after 6 minutes had already gone by, and I already needed 14 points, so was combo’d for basically the whole heat.”

He went on to describe the wave, saying, “So when I saw that wave coming I just took off, I didn’t know if it would be a good one or not before I paddled for it, but after I dropped in I just had 100 % confidence that I would get a good score.  Getting spat out and hearing the cheers from the crew on the boat, it was the best feeling ever. This is the best experience a surfer could ever get at the age of 16, especially with Rip Curl as my sponsor.  Getting to know all the Indonesian crew, and the local guys, I’m so lucky to be here.”

Fellow Aussie Jackson Baker from Newcastle, also 16 years old, was narrowly defeated in the final seconds of his Round 2 heat against 2011 Indonesian Surfing Champion Marlon Gerber from Bali.  Baker was leading until the last 30 seconds of the heat, when Gerber under priority needing an 8.1 score, locked into a beautiful tube ride that got him an 8.5 and the heat win. Baker was still smiling back on the beach, showing off a few battle scars from his Lance’s adventure saying, “Last night I paddled out at almost dark and got a sick one, then tried for a little one and got sucked over the falls and dragged along the reef on my belly, so this morning before my first
heat Matt George patched me up.  It stung like hell at first, but it I got a couple of ok ones in my heat so I was stoked. In my second heat with Marlon it still hurt but only until I paddled out, and then it felt fine.  I just wanted to get as many barrels as I could, and was leading the heat with an 8 and a 6.4, all the way until just 30 seconds to go, and then Marlon got a nugget under his priority so I could do was watch and hope he fell or something.  But this was such a good experience at such a great wave, it rates really high especially compared to contests back home.”

Getting the most intense heat of the day award was Heat 4 of Round 2, which saw the ASC’s top ranked surfer Pepen Hendrik up against local wildcard winner Marvius.  Marvius got right to work and posted the second highest score of the heat, an 8.25 out of possible 10, to jump into the lead. Hendrik had his work cut out for him, gaining the lead just to have Marvius snatch it away again. Finally Hendrik posted an 8.4 that put him into the lead again, and luckily for him Marvius couldn’t find another deep barrel before time ran out, so the heat ended with Marvius’ two wave total of 15.30 points narrowly short of Hendrik’s final total of 15.90. In the post heat interview it was revealed that some 10 years ago on a surf trip here to Lance’s Right, Hendrik had given a young grom surfer one of his surfboards and that grom was Marvius. No wonder Hendrik is such a legend to the local’s here!

To sum up the day, ASC Judge Billy Hangan has this to say: “It was a real pleasure to be judging at this comp with waves like this today.  From the very first barrel from Kaishu Tanaka in heat 1, through Darmayasa’s 10 pointer in Heat 7 of Round 2 and finishing with the last gasp tube ride from Tipi Jabrik in the final seconds of the day to pip Mega under his priority in Heat 8 of Round 2. Just a perfect day at the office!” Contest Director James Hendy has the Round 3 contestants on standby for a 7:30 am call tomorrow, as the swell is predicted to drop a bit but as Mother Nature has her own mind, best that everybody is ready for action at daybreak.

Round 3 matchups are as follows:

Heat 1:  Dede Suryana vs Putra Hermawan

Heat 2:  Rahtu Suargita vs Gazali Hamzah

Heat 3:  Made Widiarta vs Teiki Ballian

Heat 4:  Pepen Hendrik vs Made Adi Putra

Heat 5:  Marlon Gerber vs Sebastian Smart

Heat 6:  Darmaputra Tonjo vs Oney Anwar

Heat 7:  Made Darmayasa vs Wayan Susiana

Heat 8:  Mustofa Jeksen vs Tipi Jabrik

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