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Вынесут приговор хулигану, застрелившему человека в Брянске

http://briansk.ru/incidents - 19. Январь 2038 - 6:14
В ближайшее время передадут в суд дело 31-летнего жителя Брянска, который из хулиганских побуждений застрелил одного земляка и ранил другого
Категории: Брянск, Новости

В Брянске провели ирландский фестиваль

http://briansk.ru/incidents - 19. Январь 2038 - 6:14
На сцене дворца культуры БМЗ выступили как местные, так и зарубежные коллективы, чье творчество посвящено культуре такой народности, как кельты
Категории: Брянск, Новости

В Брянске провели ирландский фестиваль

briansk-afisha - 19. Январь 2038 - 6:14
На сцене дворца культуры БМЗ выступили как местные, так и зарубежные коллективы, чье творчество посвящено культуре такой народности, как кельты
Категории: Брянск, Новости

Punta Conejo: the long and perfect Mexican point break

Surfing - 28. Март 2024 - 18:42

Oaxaca is one of Mexico's surfing treasure states. The south-facing territory receives privileged swells from the Pacific with a rugged coastline that produces all types of waves.

It's hard to believe that just 150 miles (240 kilometers) west of Puerto Escondido's Playa Zicatela, the Mexican Pipeline, there's such wonder of Nature like Punta Conejo.

We're talking about a longboarder's dream point break that can take surfers on a meditative and life-changing 300-500-meter ride.

Unlike its thunderous beach break sister, Punta Conejo is an elegant, smooth, and perfectly peeling right-hander that will get any wave rider paddling out, no matter the size, weather, or water temperature.

It's not the only pristine surf break available near Salina Cruz.

It's part of a nearby premier list of luxury surf spots, including Punta Chivo, Playa Abierta, La Ventosa, Punta Chipehua, and Playa Bamba.

Punta Conejo works best with an S swell and light cross-shore NE-E winds. Nevertheless, it also handles N-NW wind well.

But it's the ride that makes it unforgettable and addictive.

On a good day, you'll be greeted with a relatively fast ride and plenty of workable wave faces and lips.

Occasionally, you may find a barreling opportunity in the inside section.

The Mexican point break is relatively isolated, which could be good and bad news simultaneously.

Because it has no direct roads or parking lots, you'll probably need a four-wheel drive and a local guide to reach Punta Conejo.

Luckily, the remoteness also brings some quietness and a less crowded lineup, even though, with the right conditions, you won't probably surf alone.

The Oaxaca longboarders' hotspot works best at low tide and when Southern Hemisphere swells hit the coast from May to October.

In those conditions, you witness this natural surf machine pump perfect lines in the two-to-six-foot range.

Threatened Forever

Despite the importance of surfing for the local economy and the sensitive ecossystem that gravitates around it, Punta Conejo has been under constant serious threat from harmful human activities.

Non-governmental surf organization Save the Waves Coalition has been working for years to protect this stretch of coastline.

In 2019, the activists launched campaign #SalvemosPuntaConejo to stop the construction of a new industrial port project in the vicinity.

Save the Waves feared the renowned surf break could be destroyed and raised awareness for the need to protect the area around Punta Conejo.

The NGO worked with local entities to find alternative solutions to the port project that would have a lower impact on the surf ecosystem and the local economies that depend on it.

Technical studies were developed to propose the establishment of a Ramsar Site, a UNESCO initiative that lists wetlands of international importance.

However, in October 2022, Punta Conejo was hit hard by an ecological disaster.

A fuel oil spill originating from a Pemex offshore platform devastated beaches in Salina Cruz, heavily impacting the point break along with other areas.

The oil slick stretched for at least six miles (10 kilometers), reaching beaches like Playa Brasil, Playa Azul, and Playa Guelaguichi.

Reports also documented oiled birds as far as 65 miles (105 kilometers) away.

The spill significantly affected tourism, fishing, and the local fauna, raising concerns about Pemex's environmental practices and aging infrastructure.

Local authorities closed the beaches to tourism and fishing activities. The exact volume of oil spilled remains unknown.

Now, Save The Waves Coalition and local partners (Reservas de Surf Mexico, Wildcoast, and Union de Surfistas y Salvavidas de Salina Cruz) are proposing the first-ever coastal "Áreas de Protección de Flora y Fauna" (Flora and Fauna Protection Areas) in Oaxaca.

The Punta Conejo Protected Area will preserve and safeguard:

  • 3,503 acres of land;
  • 1,277 acres of mangrove forest;
  • 500+ fishermen and salt workers benefiting from the nearby lagoons;
  • 40+ species of bird;
  • 6.5 miles of coastline;
  • 4 local communities;
  • 4 species of turtle, including the endangered olive ridley;
  • 3 surf breaks: Punta Conejo, Punta Chivo, and Punta Escondida;

Punta Conejo's Guardian Angel

At the heart of this struggle is a local partner, friend, and defender of Punta Conejo: Uriel Camacho.

Uriel is originally from Salina Cruz, one of the towns nearest to Punta Conejo.

One of the first locals to ever surf, Punta Conejo was where Uriel and his friends learned to ride waves almost 30 years ago.

At the time, there were no tourists in the area and only a few local surfers like Uriel, who surfed the magical point break.

Despite the 3.7-mile (six-kilometer) walk from the nearest bus stop, it was the only surf spot he paddled out to for years.

"I want to see Punta Conejo protected because it is a wonder of surfing, not only in Mexico but in the entire world," explained Camacho.

"Our livelihoods depend on this ecosystem. Punta Conejo is part of our lives. We love this place with all our hearts."

"It must be preserved and protected so that it can be enjoyed by all human beings forever."

He has seen firsthand how the natural beauty of the coastline has benefited the community - the small local markets are thriving due to the visitors and surf guide services providing sustainable revenue.

Surf tourism has also positively impacted the younger generations, with a new wave of surf fever among the local community.

Uriel's commitment to the Punta Conejo Campaign is unmatched.

He is helping lead the local effort to protect Punta Conejo and the surrounding environment.

Today, Camacho is a surf guide and surf photographer in the area.

With two daughters, the Mexican has already taught his eldest to surf Punta Conejo and hopes the point can be enjoyed by future generations.

Punta Conejo, Mexico | ID and X-Ray

Location: Punta Conejo, Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, Mexico
Type of Wave: Right-Hand Point Break
Length: 300-500 yards (300-500 meters)
Best Swell Direction: S
Best Wave Size: 2-6 Feet
Best Wind Direction: NE-E, N-NW
Best Tide: Low
Best Time to Surf: Wet Season (May-October)
Skill Level: Intermediate and Advanced
Best Board: Longboard, Funboard, and All-Around Shortboard
Crowd: Moderate
Water Quality: Good
Hazards: Locals
Bottom: Sand
Water Temperature: 66-84 °F (19-29 °C)
Getting There: Paddle Out

Категории: Виндсерфинг, Новости

The art and patterns of naming waves and surf breaks

Surfing - 27. Март 2024 - 20:11

There is an informal universal rule in the surfing world that tells us that he who discovers a new surf break or secret spot has the naming rights to it.

The world isn't endless - it's finite and limited to the planet's boundaries. As a result, the number of surfable zones is also restricted.

With the advent of Google Earth and later Google Maps, surf travel's exploration factor and adventure elements were somehow cut short.

The digital world has undermined the magic of discovering a new wave, like when "The Endless Summer" crew unveiled the perfect right-hander at Cape St. Francis in South Africa.

Finding a secret spot is genuinely phenomenal.

It's exciting to know that you're about to or have just ridden a wave nobody else has ever cherished.

Despite all the print and digital mapping of the world's surf breaks, there is always a tiny corner, hidden behind a rock, where you can be the first and find freedom in an empty, exclusive wave.

Naming Rights to New Surf Breaks

The pioneers were the lucky ones.

Every time they discovered a new wave, peak, or surf zone, they had the right to name them.

Naming a surf break is an exercise of freedom and creativity - you can basically choose whatever you wish.

When it comes to associating a wave with a word or a series of words, several trends or concepts are taken into consideration.

The most popular are based on the following criteria:

1. Geography

It's common to name surf breaks after where they're located and landmarks in their surroundings.

It could be a village, a temple, a city, a road, or a neighborhood.

They're generally the less creative and funny.

Examples: Mundaka, Kirra, Bells Beach, Ribeira d'Ilhas, Jeffreys Bay, Church, Country Club, Cortes Bank, T Street, etc.

2. Ego/Tribute

Some waves are named after people.

They could be the person who discovered it or someone a local community or foreign surfer wants to pay tribute to:

Examples: Lance's Right, Bruce's Beauties, Corbyn's Cove, Dino's Left, Lindie's Point, Velzyland, etc.

3. Connotation

Many surf break nomenclatures get their inspiration from connotative ideas, items, or objects.

They could be - or not - directly related to the spot in question but generally invoke something in addition to its literal or primary meaning.

Examples: Apocalypse, Pipeline, Supertubos, Ghost Tree, etc.

4. Denotation

The surfing world map is also full of spots with terms directly connected to their surroundings.

They are similar to the geographically inspired surf spot designations but sometimes with a subtle twist.

Examples: Beach House, Casino, Cobblestones, Coconuts, etc.

5. Humor

Surfers often have an acute sense of humor. Or maybe not.

But at least they try to be funny and comic. Finding new surf breaks is a great way to put fine irony to the test.

Examples: Boilers, Boneyards, Bunkers, Destroyers, Gas Chambers, Graveyards, No Name, Hippies, Leftovers, Gums, Boobs etc.

6. Local Culture

There's nothing like honoring local culture and spiritual beliefs than naming a brand new surf spot using the local dialect and languages.

It could be the name of a God or Goddess, king or queen, angel or evil creature. Unfortunately, these designations are rare.

Example: Teahupoo.

7. Mood and Mechanics

The naming trend inspired by the surf spot's behavior is extremely popular among surfers.

It's also a way of characterizing the type of wave you should encounter way before you arrive on-site and paddle out.

Examples: Racing Lefts, The Wedge, Freight Trains, Backdoor.

Soon-To-Be-Discovered Surf Break Name Suggestions

Now that we've dissected the core and anatomy of the wave naming process, it's to suggest a few cool titles.

Have you found a secret spot? Are you unsure how you should name it?

Look no further. Here are our coolest suggestions:

Coral Caverns
Reef Reverie
Neptune's Nook
Surfer's Sanctuary
Olas del Oro
Foam Frenzy
Aqua Arena
Curl Cove
Breaker's Bliss
Closeout Combat
Palma Pacifica
Current Cadence
Barrel Bliss
SRF-Land
Surfer's Solace
Espuma Especial
Briney Beat
Splash Sojourn
Dreamy Dunes
Luna Llena
Shimmering Shallows
Misty Mirage
Echo Echo
Sunlit Surge
Velvet Vortex
Sol del Sur
Silken Swell
Pearl Perch
Sunset Sound
Goofyland
Shimmering Surf
Surfer's Army
Radiant Reef
Mystic Maelstrom
Ola Ocaso

Категории: Виндсерфинг, Новости

How are big waves formed?

Surfing - 26. Март 2024 - 15:37

Big waves don't just appear out of nowhere. The formation of abnormally large swells is a sum of layers, normally invisible to the human eye.

They start their journey in the ocean thousands of miles away from the coastline, where powerful storms brew and transfer their energy into the ocean in the form of groundswells.

Meteorologists, weather forecasters, and surfers alike closely monitor satellite data to monitor the development of these swells.

Four key elements come together to create massive waves:

  1. Wind speed;
  2. Wind duration;
  3. Fetch;
  4. Bathymetry;

When strong winds blow over a vast stretch of ocean for an extended period, they transfer their energy into the water, generating XXL swells.

So, if you get a 60-mile-per-hour (96-kilometer-per-hour) wind blowing nonstop for five days over 2,000 miles (3,218 kilometers) of ocean, you've got two good ingredients ready for the big wave cake.

Once generated, these wave trains travel thousands of miles across the ocean, gaining momentum along the way.

But how does wind energy translate into waves? And can they reach incredible heights only on some surf breaks?

Imagine the ocean's surface as a vast playground where the wind pushes and pulls the water, creating ripples that grow into waves.

These surface waves carry the storm's energy across the ocean, building in size and power.

Some of these storm-generated swells will then encounter the perfect conditions near the shore to produce near-shore XXL waves at places like Jaws, Teahupoo, Mullaghmore Head, Shipstern Bluff, Todos Santos, Cortes Banks, Mavericks, Nazaré, and several other surf breaks.

However, before these humungous waves break, they need to harness energy as they make their way to the beach.

The Slinky Effect

In deep water, even when the wind stops blowing, the amount of energy in the wave is fixed and conserved.

Now, the energy travels, but the water itself does not. The water is moving in a small circular motion, like if you play with a Slinky.

You can take it and flex it, and you can see that wave motion going up and down, but the metal or plastic part only moves a little bit.

If the wave energy below the surface reaches the bottom, the seafloor acts like a speed bump, slowing the wave down.

The exact amount of energy then gets compressed as the wavelength decreases. The only place for that energy to go is up, and the wave height intensifies.

All of the energy for that wave will be stored between the surface and a depth of about half the wavelength.

When the ocean depth reaches about half of the wavelength, the wave transforms into a shallow waterway.

So, as these large swells cross the ocean and reach the shore, they encounter various obstacles and features that shape their size and intensity.

One crucial factor is the underwater topography, or bathymetry, which determines how waves behave as they approach the coastline.

As the wave encounters the bottom and rises, its potential energy is converted into powerful kinetic energy that finally explodes as a breaking wave.

Channeling Energy: The Role of Underwater Canyons

In some regions, underwater canyons act as natural amplifiers, funneling wave energy into a concentrated force.

Take, for example, the Nazaré Canyon off the coast of Portugal, carved by ancient rivers and tectonic activity.

As waves enter this 230-kilometer narrow canyon, their energy becomes focused, creating the perfect conditions for giant waves to form.

Even though the underwater canyon is very deep, the waves have yet to touch the bottom, so they don't slow down.

Also, the energy from waves moving near the edges of the canyon gets pushed inside, making the waves even stronger.

The seafloor rises sharply near the shore, acting like a wall that squeezes all the wave energy.

It's like blocking most highway lanes so all the traffic goes through just one.

Refraction and Amplification

Near the shoreline, the seafloor rises abruptly, creating a natural barrier that compresses the wave energy.

This phenomenon, known as refraction, bends the waves and focuses/converges their energy into a single point.

At spots like Mavericks in Half Moon Bay, California, underwater reefs further amplify the waves, transforming them into towering walls of water.

Finally, the moment arrives when the waves unleash their full fury upon the coastline.

As they approach shallow waters, the waves slow down, causing their height to increase dramatically.

The energy stored within the wave reaches its peak, culminating in a breathtaking display of power as the waves come crashing down.

When these monster waves collide with the shoreline, they can literally shake the very foundations of the Earth.

At Mavericks, the force of the waves is so immense that they shake the North American Plate itself and get recorded on seismographs.

Категории: Виндсерфинг, Новости

A SUP adventure on Derwent Water, the 'Queen of the Lakes'

Surfing - 25. Март 2024 - 13:19

"I'm at the lake. The wind is forecast to pick up through the day with some moderate gusts, but we have a small weather window to paddle. I think it's fine!" pings a WhatsApp message one late April morning.

It's from Cal Major, veterinary surgeon, SUP record holder, ocean advocate, and founder of the charity Seaful - she is standing by the shoreline at Crow Park as I make my way north to meet her.

I have dreamed of today's paddle for so long - six years, to be precise, since I first met Cal at the Women's Adventure Expo in Bristol in 2017, and she inspired me to believe in my own SUP dreams. 

A short time later, we are on the lake, and I am beaming.

After being injured and poorly for much of March and April, I have only just returned to paddling.

An outing with one of the UK's most inspiring endurance paddleboarders is the best medicine I could possibly ask for.

We are on Derwent Water (or Derwentwater), one of the Northern Lakes, which is the joint third largest lake of the ten we can paddle.

That said, it is significantly shorter than the other large lakes; compared to the thin "ribbon" lakes - including Windermere, Ullswater, and Coniston Water - it is unique in being much more of an oval shape.

There are two voluntary no-boating zones in place to protect feeding and breeding birds, which I think are important to respect.

The first is around Lord's Island on the eastern shore near Strandshag Bay, and the second is at Great Bay at the head of the lake in the south. 

The lake has four larger islands - St. Herbert's, Rampsholme, Lord's, and Derwent - as well as the smaller Otterbield, Lingholm, and Otter. 

Rampsholme Island's name is derived from the Old Norse "hrafns holmr," meaning "wild garlic island."

A Special Place

Launching from the shoreline a few minutes walk from the bustling market town of Keswick, we head towards the private Derwent Isle together.

Joseph Pocklington purchased the island, previously called Vicar's Island, in 1778 and built a house, boathouse, fort, and battery, holding regattas and mock battles as he fired his cannon across the lake.

William Wordsworth was not a fan of the house or Pocklington's intentions.

It is the only inhabited island on the lake; the National Trust (which owns the island) occasionally organizes visits via canoe: nationaltrust.org.uk.

In the distance, we can see the 451-meter peak of Cat Bells; it was described by Alfred Wainwright as "One of the great favorites, a family fell where grandmothers and infants can climb the heights together, a place beloved."

To our right are Isthmus Bay and Isthmus Wood, and to our left are the foreshore landings with the beautiful wooden Keswick Launch cruises and rowing boats.

Beyond that is the viewpoint on the 162-meter hill of Castlehead and Castlehead Wood.

"The lake is very special to me," says Cal.

"I've spent a lot of time here in Keswick and trained for my 2021 challenge around Scotland on Derwent Water."

The challenge she is referring to is her 10-week, 800-mile SUP adventure around the coast of Scotland, exploring our human connection to the sea and the wildlife that calls it home.

An extraordinary three-part documentary about the journey called "Scotland Ocean Nation," filmed by her partner James Appleton, has been streamed on STV Player.

In 2018, Cal was the first person to paddleboard from Land's End to John o'Groats, for which she holds a Guinness World Record for the fastest time.

She is also the founder of Seaful, a charity that helps more people reconnect with the ocean and waterways for their mental health and to nurture stewardship of our blue spaces through activities such as snorkeling, beach clean-ups, and paddleboarding.

I am very proud to be an ambassador for Seaful.

Our weather window comes to a close and after hot chocolate at Elm Cafe + Kombucha in Keswick, we say our goodbyes.

While exploring Keswick, I serendipitously meet Ali Phillips, with whom I later paddle on Buttermere.

Cal was the first paddleboarder I heard speak about the possibilities for adventure, joy, and ocean conservation back in 2017, and today, six years later, I finally had a chance to paddle with her.

It was absolutely worth the wait.

As I wrote earlier, Derwent Water holds a special place in my heart, too, as the lake where I took my first lesson on September 24, 2016, with Bo from Lake District Paddleboarding.

Launching from Keswick

We launched on the north-western shore near to Nichol End, where a few weeks after my morning with Cal, I meet the founder of Northern SUP Race Club, SUP coach, mother of three and personal trainer, Anna Little. 

Our plan was to launch from Kettlewell, a beach on the south-eastern shoreline.

However, Anna's van with her hardboard on top wouldn't fit under the barrier at the car park entrance, so we hastily changed to Plan B (because in the Lakes, you often need a Plan B!) and were fortunate enough to be allowed a parking spot in the marina's small car park.

It is late June, clouds are gathering across the blue sky, and the wind is picking up, so for much of the time, we keep in the shelter of the bay while we chat.

Having paddled a lot on the Northumberland coastline and as a successful SUP racer, Anna is no stranger to paddling into a headwind, and I admire her technique and strength.

"Over there is Friar's Crag, where my husband proposed to me," she says, smiling and pointing to a promontory south of Derwent Isle on the eastern shore, which has incredible views of the lake and the Jaws of Borrowdale.

According to writer John Ruskin, his first childhood memory was being brought to Friar's Crag by his nanny; a monument to him was erected here in 1900.

Ruskin later described the view as one of the finest in Europe.

Anna also visited the Lakes as a child with her family, staying on campsites in their small tourer caravan.

When her own boys were small, they would come for summer holidays on Ullswater and Derwent Water.

One of her favorite memories is towing them along behind her on a board - no wonder she is so strong!

Her eldest son James, 17, now races across the UK, and Joey, 15, and Charlie, 12, love paddleboarding and racing too.

While we are still a relatively new sport in the UK, I admire how coaches like Anna are nurturing the next generation of paddleboarders through clubs and racing, and personally for Anna at home, too.

Like Cal, they are creating an inspiring legacy.

Surrounded by Beauty

In mid-August, I return to the lake and launch from Kettlewell, heading south to Lodore Jetty, where I can see the famous Lodore Falls.

It's a sweet little bay, but be aware that it is a landing spot for the Keswick Launch.

I then return north towards Calfclose Bay, along the wooded shores of Barrow Point and Barrow Bay. 

I paddle from Calfclose Bay to St. Herbert's Island; once inhabited by a hermit called St. Herbert, it was a filming location for the 2016 adaptation of "Swallows and Amazons" and featured in my first book.

I stop to look at the beautiful Hundred Year Stone, a geometric sculpture carved from a glacial Borrowdale boulder by Peter Randall-Page to commemorate the centenary of the National Trust.

Rising up behind Keswick, I can see the majestic Skiddaw; at 931 meters, it is the fourth highest Wainwright in the Lake District, and its slopes are gradually turning purple with the heather.

Taking note of the no boating zone near Lord's Island, I journey along the lake towards Nichol End Marine, mindful always of Keswick Launch boats and self-hire cabin cruisers.

After a quick cup of tea at the lovely marina cafe and a chat with the very friendly staff, I head south along the western shore, exploring the view I first saw back in 2016 which so captured my heart and imagination.

Much of this shoreline is private (belonging to the Lingholm Estate), and public parking is very limited, making it quieter than the eastern shore.

I relish the peace, the woods, the coves, and the views across to Walla Crag, Great Wood, and Falcon Crag from the water.

According to the National Trust, you might spot red squirrels, roe deer, or even an otter here.

Along with St. Herbert's Island, which Eliza Lynn Linton described as "the sweetest of all," this is my favorite part of Derwent Water.

Food for the Soul

Beatrix Potter spent her summers from 1885 to 1907 on the Lingholm Estate and neighboring Fawe Park after her first visit to the Lakes in 1882, when she stayed at Wray Castle on Windermere.

The area inspired much of her writing, including "The Tale of Mrs Tiggy-Winkle," "The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin," and "The Tale of Benjamin Bunny."

The National Trust even has a photo of her sketching on the shore of St. Herbert's Island.

A passionate believer in conservation and a friend of Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley, one of the three founding members of the National Trust, Potter bequeathed the charity 4,000 acres of land and 14 farms upon her death in 1943.

Where the Derwentwater Walk meets the shoreline and at the Keswick Launch jetties, I chat to the cheery hikers and holidaymakers.

The lakeshore further south at Brandelhow has public access and is a special place for the National Trust, which was its first acquisition in the Lakes in 1902.

An oak sculpture called Entrust or "The Hands Sculpture" by local artist John Merrill commemorates this significant milestone.

Further south, Manesty Park was acquired five years later.

In Brandelhow Bay, you will also spot some large spoil heaps, left over from when Cat Bells was mined for silver, lead, and copper during the reign of Elizabeth I in the 16th century.

I have planned a sunset paddle from Crow Park, where I met Cal, so I return to Kettlewell to write up my notes and nip to Booths, a local supermarket in Keswick, for a picnic.

I love the gentle hum of a late summer evening here as locals and holidaymakers queue for the Theatre by the Lake and friends relax on the grass.

With the Keswick Launch safely moored, I launch again and paddle around Derwent Isle and Friar's Crag, momentarily pausing to look across the view that Ruskin described as creating "intense joy mingled with awe."

Derwent Water is often referred to as "The Queen of the Lakes" because of the way it's cradled by the surrounding fells and has welcomed generations of visitors to its shores.

Eliza Lynn Linton described Derwent Water as the "gem of the whole. Whatever there is of beauty special to the other districts is here in its ripest fullness."

Derwent Water will always be special to me.

A lake that quite literally changed the course of my life. It is a gem indeed and one I hope you will treasure, too.


Words by Jo Moseley | Stand-Up Paddleboarder and Author of "Stand-Up Paddleboarding in the Lake District"

Категории: Виндсерфинг, Новости

Soup Bowl: the ultra-consistent barreling wave of Barbados

Surfing - 22. Март 2024 - 18:14

The small fishing town of Bathsheba in Barbados is home to one of the most surprising right-hand reef breaks on the planet. Here's what makes Soup Bowl such an incredible wave.

The east coast of Barbados gets a lot of Atlantic winter swells and wind, too. However, if there's one surf spot that truly welcomes onshore breeze it's Soup Bowl.

The most easterly Caribbean island nation is cherished by the British Commonwealth and famous for its holiday resorts, clear blue water, and white sand beaches.

Interestingly, it owes its name to the Portuguese ocean explorers who claimed the island between 1533 and 1536.

The name "Barbados" originates from the Portuguese word "barbudos," which translates to "bearded men."

The designation stemmed from the observation of the lush vegetation on the island, particularly trees adorned with vines, which somehow resembled bearded faces.

A Hollow Barrel Breaking on a Boiling Reef

Barbados' legendary surfing venue has been characterized in many ways.

Some have called it a "mutant, backless slab" that has "the ability to turn a two-foot wind chop into a steep, highly shreddable 'bowl.'"

Others say that "when it's big, it can make your heart jump out in your throat."

Thankfully, thanks to the strong, constant trade winds that generate year-round swell on the windward coast and regular winter N-NE groundswells, Barbados is constantly blessed by above-average waves.

Soup Bowl is special, though.

It's a particularly powerful, intense, and hollow right-hander that challenges the world's best surfers with its vertical drops, thick bowls, and thunderous shut-down sections that work even with the regular onshore trade winds.

Believe it or not, 11-time world surfing champion Kelly Slater once hailed it as one of his top three waves.

The Floridian stressed that Soup Bowl has a "really good curve that allows all sorts of maneuvers and airs."

In 2005, after a magical session here, Slater was flabbergasted. "If I could repeat this day for the rest of my life, I would."

The Barbados wave had such an impact that it made the cover of the champion's biography, "Kelly Slater: For the Love."

The iconic break's name hides significant data.

Winter N swells help shape the curvy, bowl-like barreling section, while the strong local rips that show up hit the shallow reef sections, generating boiling whitewater that resembles a bubbling soup.

The locals know this Caribbean gem well and when to paddle for the right set, but the good news is that its consistency will distribute wealth fairly.

Pumping 355 Days a Year

The problem comes when too much gets too much to handle.

XXL waves normally greet surfers with painful experiences and irreversible equipment damage.

Another unavoidable variable is the army of urchins ready to attack on the inside, along with the omnipresent NE-E trade winds.

Soup Bowl can also be gentle with the newcomers to the sport.

During windless mornings on low tide, beginner surfers have a chance to improve and progress their skills at the famous Caribbean wave.

With nearly 355 days of surf and warm water, it's actually difficult to miss good waves.

Nevertheless, when it comes to wave height, Soup Bowl accommodated three main stages throughout the year:

  • July-August: 2-3-foot waves;
  • September-October: 3-6-foot waves;
  • November-May: 15-foot-plus waves;

The tropical vibes are everywhere, from the palm tree standing tall near the shore to the friendly and welcoming social environment of Bathsheba.

The air and water temperatures are nearly constant all year round at 79 °F (26 °C).

Honoring the Island's Idols

Surfing in Barbados has a long history that dates back to the 1960s.

Wales-born Bill Thomson (1949-2017) founded the Barbados Surfing Association and initiated a series of competitive events on the island, culminating with the arrival of several World Surf League (WSL) contests, including the Thomo QS1000 and the Barbados Surf Pro.

The passing of local star Zander Venezia in the waves of Box by Box, a nearby spot just 1.1 miles (1.8 kilometers) north of Soup Bowl, inspired a new competition in his honor.

Live Like Zander Junior Pro in Loving Memory of Zander Venezia provides the platform for juniors to gain more experience at the world-class reef break while paying homage to one of the island's own.

"This event all started with an idea Zander had about having an event in Barbados, and I went along with Chris [Clarke] and said that I would help him," said Louis Venezia, Zander's father.

"Over a decade later, I feel really proud of what we've been able to put on. When I see kids who started coming here and competing against Zander, like Cole Houshmand and Kade Matson, they started here, and Soup Bowl helped mold their surfing in a world-class wave.

"Now I'm seeing them and the women like Caity [Simmers] surf Sunset, and it's amazing."

"We're welcoming the next kids and just want to show them what Zander was all about, so it's a very special time for all of us."

Soup Bowl, Barbados | ID and X-Ray

Location: Soup Bowl, Bathsheba, Barbados
Type of Wave: Right-Hand Reef Break
Length: 50 yards (50 meters)
Best Swell Direction: NE-SE
Best Wave Size: 3-10 Feet
Best Wind Direction: W
Best Tide: All
Best Time to Surf: Dry Season (November-May)
Skill Level: Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced
Best Board: All-Around Shortboard
Crowd: Moderate
Water Quality: Good
Hazards: Urchins and Shallow Inside Section
Bottom: Coral with Limestone Reef
Water Temperature: 79 °F (26 °C)
Getting There: Paddle out

Категории: Виндсерфинг, Новости

Kelly Slater and Kalani Miller are expecting their first baby

Surfing - 20. Март 2024 - 14:49

Kelly Slater and Kalani Miller announced they are expecting a baby. It's a boy.

The 11-time world surfing champion and California-born swimwear entrepreneur Kalani Miller are going to be parents.

The couple broke the news in a collaborated black-and-white Instagram Reel posted on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, to Ben Harper's "The Three of Us."

Interestingly, March 19 is Father's Day in many countries.

Slater, 52, and Miller, 36, will have their first child together. The soon-to-be mother will give birth to her first child in 2024.

The American surfer has a daughter from a previous relationship with Tamara Michelle.

Taylor Slater-Kelleher was born on June 6, 1996. She has gained recognition as both a photographer and a painter.

Kelly and Kalani have been dating since 2008.

They met at a Quiksilver booth in California when Slater was competing in Lower Trestles and Miller and her sisters were working in Roxy.

Miller once revealed she would love to have two or three children with the professional surfer.

          View this post on Instagram                      

A post shared by Kalani Miller (@kalanimiller)

A Business Couple

Kalani runs her company, Mikoh, with her sister, Oleema.

Their line embodies their vision of modern swimwear for women, drawing inspiration from their experiences living in bikinis and exploring oceans worldwide.

Oleema, a former professional surfer, leads as the creative director and designer of Mikoh, infusing her extensive travels since age 13 into the brand's aesthetic.

Meanwhile, Kalani utilizes her education to manage the business side of Mikoh.

The brand's name is a fusion of their surname, Miller, and the initials of the sisters along with their younger sister's name, Hana.

Additionally, "Miko" originates from Japanese, signifying "female shaman" or "female prophecy."

Kelly Slater is the greatest professional surfer of all time.

The Floridian holds the records for being the youngest (1992) and oldest (2011) men's world surfing champion at 20 and 38 years old, respectively.

Kelly Slater's business ventures include Kelly Slater Wave Co. (wave pools), Outerknown (apparel), Slater Designs (surfboards), Firewire (surfboards), Endorfins (surfboard fins), Solento Tequila (beverages), KLLY (sandals), and others.

Категории: Виндсерфинг, Новости

Top-to-bottom surfing: the art of drawing a line on a wave

Surfing - 18. Март 2024 - 19:11

Surfing is all about working the unbroken wave face and maximizing riding time. But how can you optimize and balance these two goals that cancel each other out?

Many things separate a beginner surfer from a pro surfer.

However, there is one that stands out immediately after each one takes off on a wave - the way they draw a line or trim it.

Unlike a snowy mountain, a wave is in constant mutation.

As a result, surfers have to adapt their riding to the shape and breaking of each wave differently, whether they're going left or right.

Drawing a line on a wave is choosing the ideal path or trajectory to get the most out of the clean, open face and riding for the longest time possible.

Naturally, if you're spending too much time on cutbacks, off-the-lips, and carving maneuvers, you'll lose the "train," i.e., you'll get caught by the whitewater and end your ride prematurely.

Waves don't wait for surfers. They're on their mission.

So, it's up to surfers to read them, adapt, make the necessary adjustments in real time, and then expect to squeeze the waves' potential to the end.

In other words, a perfectly ridden wave is all about timing the surfer's speed to the natural behavior of the moving water.

A common rule of thumb in surf coaching states that the difference between a beginner and an advanced surfer is the line drawn on the wave.

Vertical Surfing

A first-timer will draw a straight line from beginning to end, while an experienced rider will engage in the so-called top-to-bottom surfing.

Let's put it visually:

The yellow line represents the novice, who will catch a wave and ride it straight toward the beach without making the most of its available space.

In the book "Secrets to Progressive Surfing," Didier Piter calls the rider of the white line a "passive surfer."

"The surfer rides the wave's face passively sideways in a linear trajectory called 'trim line,' which enables him to keep balance," notes Piter.

"At this stage, the surfer uses the speed and energy provided by upward motion in the wave face. He uses more of the wave's energy and extends his trajectory over more of the wave."

This straight line could be easily improved by applying pressure on the inside rail, releasing pressure, and then applying it to the outside rail.

The result will resemble a horizontal, stretched S-line that sees the surfer generating speed across the wave face, as shown in the green line.

Experience will bring more dynamic and vertical, top-to-bottom surf.

At this stage, as seen in the orange line, sharper and more abrupt horizontal S-style lines will be drawn on the open wave face.

The surfers will start moving up and down the wave, taking the most out of the wave height, keeping close to curl and on the steepest section.

At the utmost level, represented in red, the line drawn on the wave will be a sum of extremes, going super low (trough) and super high (above the lip) and extremely tight and compact.

The advanced surfer is constantly compressing and uncompressing the body and shifting their body's weight in the right direction, driving off the bottom and eyeing the lip for vertical hacks.

Managing the Moments of a Ride

The concept of top-to-bottom surfing does not necessarily apply to every wave and every moment of the ride.

There are times when an advanced surfer has to choose a higher straight line, for instance, to find space inside the barrel.

And there are also times when a mid, curvy line is the right option to generate speed before launching into an air trick.

The only moment staying low on the bottom of the wave is the right choice is to set up an aggressive bottom that will slingshot the surfer to anything he wants to do next.

On a perfectly breaking wave, the surfer manages the space and time available, ensuring they never lose momentum and are always within close reach of the pocket, the main energy source in a wave.

Reading the ocean and choosing the right wave is, therefore, a prerequisite to advanced surfing.

"When paddling, reading the wave is mainly horizontal, to evaluate what it will do overall, to assess the speed and rhythm with which it will break," concludes Piter.

"Once up and riding, reading the wave also becomes vertical so that you can use the entire slope to execute maneuvers."

The ultimate goal of the surfer is to aim high and low, further and deeper.

Категории: Виндсерфинг, Новости

The historic swell of March 7, 2024 at Cloudbreak

Surfing - 13. Март 2024 - 15:16

On March 7, 2024, Cloudbreak delivered one of the most epic swells in Fiji's big wave surfing history.

The use of superlatives has become commonplace in journalism and writing in general, and sometimes, we need time to let the dust settle and process the information.

However, you can't ignore the facts and the footage as they, in this particular event, could easily replace the role of words.

Unexpectedly, for this time of the year, or maybe not, the famous small island of Tavarua was the center stage of a massive big-wave riding showdown.

The first signs of this anomaly issued an XXL Code Purple alert that put swell hunters on high alert. It was time to quickly book flights to the South Pacific Ocean archipelago.

Surf media followed, with a dozen photographers and videographers eager to shoot anything that moved inside the massive blue cylinders.

Remember June 8, 2012, and the "Thundercloud"?

If so, do know that March 7, 2024, nearly matches its grandiosity in size, energy, rawness, and perfection.

Early in the morning, Cloudbreak was firing 20-foot bombs down the reef.

Nathan Florence, Billy Kemper, Conner and Parker Coffin, and Benji Brand met at Tavarua and got in the boat to the infamous break at sunrise.

Soon, the lineup was invaded by around 30 souls wishing they could have a go at one of these turquoise gems.

Into the Blue

The minutes and the hours passed, and the waves only got bigger and bigger, hollower and hollower, heavier and heavier.

At 11:30, the tide and wind conditions were perfect, and the glassy giants paraded on the catwalk.

Timing the paddle-in was an exercise of geometry punctuated by grains of luck, though.

At a wave like Cloudbreak, triangulation is never quite possible, and Nature's acts of randomness make it impossible to find an optimal take-off position.

The liquid curtain that fell down on every swell pulse was thick and relentless. If a surfer were too deep, he would surely be punished.

But even if you found the sweet take-off spot, you could get engulfed by a faster freight train.

The view from the boats on the channel was mesmerizing and increasingly hypnotizing.

"Every single person that entered the water and rode a wave got one of the waves of their life," said Nathan Florence afterward.

The Fijian lefthander proved to be a dream big wave arena for the regular footers, but surfers like Parker Coffin and Che Slatter made goofy footers proud and inspired to push.

The blue skies and offshore winds were as enthralling as misleading.

Billy Kemper suffered one of the wipeouts of the day after free-falling on a huge avalanche of saltwater. But he was not alone in this league.

More than a succession of waves of a lifetime, everyone was somehow getting to the essence of what it feels like to be alive and of how life really is precious.

The strike mission to Cloudbreak was a resounding success.

Soli Bailey, Jai Glindeman, Mick Davey, Mark Visser, and many others were surfed out. They could only be.

"Today is a day that will go down in history," expressed Billy Kemper.

"I've been surfing for over 30 years now, and I can count on one hand how many days I've seen like that."

Waves of a Lifetime

For many surfers, it was the best day of their lives.

"Every hour, we were saying, 'How could it get any better than this?' And it just kept getting better. We all got the waves of our lives. I've never seen barrels that big and been in barrels that big," added Benji Brand.

Reality exceeded the surf forecast and weather models' best expectations for this Southern Ocean storm that popped off-season.

"We always expect this crazy thing from crazy numbers, and this one had small numbers, and way overperformed. It was epic," concluded Jojo Roper.

Laura Enever got some fresh Fiji tattoos but was more stoked than ever.

"To be honest, when I saw the first bombs come through this morning, I wasn't sure I was going to make it off the boat," confessed the Australian big wave charger.

"I ended up watching for a while, then giving it a crack!"

"I got to be in the front row of some of the craziest tubes I have ever seen. I got some visions, a wild beating, and lost my earrings."

Kohl Christensen, who seems to be everywhere simultaneously, took time to reflect on this "surreal" experience.

"Waves you dream about, the ones you would draw in your notebook while staring out the window in school," wrote Christensen.

"Beautifully shaped cylinders with the perfect lip line, running at the precise speed - no need to pump."

"Deep water swells hit the reef at the sweetest possible conjunction, and cyan caverns slow down time and space for those inside and out."

"It's' days like this that transform surfing into a transcendental experience."

There is a new entry in Cloudbreak's history. It's March 7, 2024, the day a few human beings had the best waves of their lives.

Категории: Виндсерфинг, Новости

El Buey: the big wave oasis of the Atacama desert

Surfing - 12. Март 2024 - 18:18

It's one of the world's most out-of-the-radar big waves and certainly one of the most exciting surf breaks in Latin America and the South Pacific. Bienvenidos a El Buey.

Arica is a well-known surf town in the north of Chile, which has been attracting surfers and bodyboarders for decades.

The region showcases a chain of exciting reef breaks, breaking close to the shore on the wave-rich Alacran Peninsula.

These shallow, hard-breaking lineups like El Gringo have achieved international notoriety since the Rip Curl Search landed in 2007.

At the time, even the world's best surfers struggled to tame the local tubes. Eventually, Andy Irons defeated Damien Hobgood in the final.

The truth is that Arica, the "City of Eternal Spring," is highly consistent for swell and light winds.

The small urban community is located in the coastal heart of the world's driest desert - Atacama.

The Bull

Despite the many options available in the vicinity, there's one gem that stands out. It's called El Buey or The Bull, in English.

It's not as famous as Chile's cold water temple, Punta de Lobos, located 1,365 miles (2,197 kilometers) south, but it surely demands respect and should not be underestimated.

El Buey is a big wave arena breaking 0.25 miles (400 meters) west of Arica's Playa El Laucho.

The offshore beauty is considered one of the best peaks in Chile, providing perfect, fast, and tubular left and right-hand waves.

El Buey can withstand any size swell. It reminds us of waves like Waimea Bay, Mavericks, and Sunset Beach.

The left-hander will focus S-SSW swells into booming barrels, while the right will wall up anything with more W in it and offer steep drops and roller coaster walls. 

The spot can hold 20-foot-plus (six-meter) waves, but there have been surfers lucky enough to take on 40-foot (12-meter) walls of saltwater.

El Buey is quite wind-sensitive, though, and needs an E offshore breeze to pop up in grand style.

Low and mid-tide are the best periods to surf this Chilean beast with sand and rock bottom.

A Heavy A-Frame Barreling Wave

Locals often check its conditions from Morro de Arica, the sand-covered hill that overlooks the Pacific Ocean.

Interestingly, El Gringo and El Buey seem to work coordinately; when the former is unrideable, the latter shines to life.

El Buey has always been low-key on the international big wave surfing scene.

Nevertheless, the Chilean surf break is home to the Santos del Mar Invitational, a competition that attracts international riders.

Ramon Navarro, Cristian Merello, Rafael Tapia, Gabriel Villaran, Miguel Tudela, Carlos Burle, Danilo Couto, Lucas Silveira, Rusty Long, Nick Lamb, and Kohl Christensen were only a few of the big wave riders invited to the prestigious event.

In 2022, Peruvian charger Cristobal de Col found a large, deep, and hollow cavern, stayed pitted, and found the exit to ignite the spectators of the event.

In the end, he stated that he waited 22 years to ride that wave.

The Long Paddle

If you plan to surf El Buey it is important to observe the positioning of the locals in the lineup and be accustomed to inflatable life vests.

A successful ride at the Chilean open ocean wave can take you 200 yards down the line, especially the right-hander.

The deepwater surf break is more consistent from April to August, i.e., autumn and wintertime, because the wave only starts breaking at eight feet (2.4 meters).

The left-hander will produce cylinder waves with S-SW (190-210º) swells. The right will work with swells coming from over 220º swells, that is, more westerly wave trains.

The best way to get to the lineup is by boat or jet ski.

Nevertheless, besides Playa El Laucho, it's possible to paddle from Hotel Arica's nearby parking lot or El Gringo.

It's a long paddle with occasional overhead closeouts, so it's always a tricky call.

Whatever your decision is, wear a helmet. A wipeout here could be nasty and potentially dangerous.

El Buey, Chile | ID and X-Ray

Location: El Buey, Arica, Chile
Type of Wave: Offshore Reef Break
Length: 150+ yards (150 meters)
Best Swell Direction: S, SW, WSW
Best Wave Size: 8-20 Feet
Best Wind Direction: E
Best Tide: Low, Mid
Best Time to Surf: Fall-Spring (April-August)
Skill Level: Intermediate and Advanced
Best Board: Shortboard, Longboard, Gun, Bodyboard
Crowd: Moderate
Water Quality: Fair
Hazards: Hold-Downs
Bottom: Sand and Rock
Water Temperature: 59-77 °F (15-25 °C)
Getting There: Paddle out, Boat, Jet Ski

Категории: Виндсерфинг, Новости

Does ocean water temperature affect wave height?

Surfing - 11. Март 2024 - 19:04

Is there any correlation between warmer or colder ocean waters and bigger waves? What is the influence of temperature on wave height?

When we think about power swells, meteorologists and surf forecasters look into the intensity of low-pressure systems on large oceanic fetches.

Then, they track waves generated thousands of miles from the coastlines and follow their energy-gathering pattern as swells travel toward the shores.

The intensity, duration, and area over which wind blows over the water's surface will dictate the power of a groundswell.

Nevertheless, these are only the essential wave train formation variables.

The existence, for instance, of an underwater canyon near the coastline can then dramatically boost the size of near-shore breaking waves.

One of the best examples is Nazaré's Praia do Norte, where local bathymetry plays a critical role in creating XXL waves.

Poles vs. Equator

But what happens when water temperatures increase?

Is there a difference in wave size or behavior in warmer climates where you can surf without a wetsuit?

Does a wave pool in England perform differently from one in Abu Dhabi? What exactly is the influence of temperature on the life of a wave?

When we look at the map of the world's biggest waves, there's not enough statistically relevant data we can extract to reach a conclusion.

Yes, there are big-wave surfing spots near the Equator line - Jaws/Peahi and Puerto Escondido - but we also have other extreme surf breaks closer to the poles - Mullaghmore Head and Shipstern Bluff.

Also, because of their different surrounding environments and bathymetric characteristics, it's impossible to establish any conclusion or correlation.

Temperature and Density

The only option is to ask science, and the answers are pretty straightforward.

When water undergoes heating, it expands, increasing in volume.

In other words, the greater the water's temperature, the larger the space it occupies, leading to a decrease in its density.

On the other hand, lowering the temperature of water reduces molecular motion, causing molecules to come closer together and occupy a smaller volume, resulting in an elevation of density.

The conclusion is that heated water is lighter than the same volume of cold water.

What about speed/velocity? Does warm water travel faster than cold water?

Does hot water move faster than cold water?

Oliver M. Sun, an oceanographer at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, Rhode Island, says it does.

The researcher wrote on the Physics Forum, "The speed of a wave in water is directly proportional to the temperature of the water."

"As temperature increases, the speed of the wave also increases."

"This is because warmer water molecules have more energy and can vibrate faster, causing the wave to travel faster."

Sun notes that "as temperature increases, the wavelength of a wave in water decreases because the speed of the wave increases, but its frequency remains constant."

"This results in a shorter wavelength."

Nevertheless, temperature is not a primary, critical factor in wave velocity.

The speed of water flow is mostly determined by external factors such as the force applied (wind or a wave pool pump), the slope of the surface it is flowing on (sandbanks or reefs), depth, and any obstacles in its path (rocks or islands).

It's worth noting that hot water can appear to flow faster than cold water under certain conditions due to differences in viscosity and density.

Hot water generally has lower viscosity and density than cold water, which means it may flow more easily.

You can witness it, for instance, by observing the flow of liquids in pipes or containers.

Global Warming and XXL Wave Events

Now that we've confirmed that warm water has more volume, occupies more space, and moves faster when compressed than cold water, it's time to dissect the impact of temperature on wave height.

The study of this combination of variables could help weather forecasters and surfers learn more about the ocean's behavior.

However, this unique relationship has never quite been the focus of attention and research from the scientific community.

Never - until recently.

Interestingly, the correlation between warmer world oceans and an increase in wave height is only indirect.

First, let's understand why it is not direct.

"The amplitude of a wave in water is not affected by temperature," Sun stresses.

"Amplitude is determined by the amount of energy that the wave carries, which is not affected by temperature."

"However, changes in temperature can affect the height of waves, which is a measure of their amplitude."

"This is because changes in temperature can cause changes in wind patterns, which can result in larger or smaller waves."

Precisely.

In 2019, Borja G. Reguero, an associate professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, released the conclusions of a study titled "A recent increase in global wave power as a consequence of oceanic warming."

The study analyzed a potential correlation between the evolution of wave power in the world's oceans and global sea surface temperature from 1948 to 2008.

The results indicate that both variables are strongly correlated.

"The effect of climate change in oceanic warming has been increasing the global energy transferred from winds to the waves represented in the GWP," Reguero concluded.

"The impact of climate warming on the wave climate can therefore be seen in the energy transported by the waves, measured through the global wave power as a long-term signal of climate change."

In other words, the increase of surface sea water temperature results in stronger winds, which in turn mean bigger and longer waves.

Категории: Виндсерфинг, Новости

Siqi Yang is the first-ever Chinese Olympic surfer

Surfing - 4. Март 2024 - 17:03

Siqi Yang is the first Chinese surfer to qualify for the Olympic Games. The 15-year-old will represent her country in Paris 2024 at Teahupoo.

It's China's best-ever result in an official international surfing competition.

Yang finished the 2024 ISA World Surfing Games in 15th place among over 110 female surfers and secured a historical Olympic ticket.

But the remarkable story of Siqi goes back to 2022.

In a surprising turn of events, China started emerging as a rising force in the world of surfing at the 2022 ISA World Surfing Games in Huntington Beach, California.

The youthful Chinese surfers, led by the then 13-year-old sensation Yang Siqi, shattered expectations and captured the attention of international media.

Traditionally, surfing powerhouses such as Brazil, Australia, the USA, and Japan have dominated the scene.

However, China's remarkable performance at the ISA World Surfing Games signals a potential shift in the sport's landscape.

At the time, Yang, the youngest member of the Chinese team, etched her name in history by reaching the fifth repechage round, finishing an impressive 29th.

Under the guidance of South African coach Wade Sharp, the Chinese team formed in 2018 and showed exceptional dedication and progress in a short period.

Sharp, who previously coached Team Japan at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, saw immense potential in the Chinese surfers, predicting future success on the global stage.

"They're very dedicated to their sports, and they take their training seriously," Sharp told the Olympic channel.

"I think a few years down the road, you're going to see China right up in the top earning medals, just like all the other countries."

Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which limited their training opportunities abroad, the Chinese surfers displayed remarkable adaptability.

Siqi Yang started surfing in 2018 when she was just nine years old.

"I was so scared about it at the very beginning, but after getting through that period, surfing has made me pretty happy."

Siqi's dedication and fearlessness in competition caught the eye of Coach Sharp, who noted she has a "super rad future."

In 2022, China's surfing head coach Wang Xiaofei set its sights on the long-term goal of making a mark at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

"Our goal for LA 2028 will be ranking into the top 8 of the Olympic Games," he stated at the time.

A Stellar Performance in Margara

However, the Chinese surfing dreams arrived a bit earlier, and the Asian nation will be represented in Tahiti's Teahupoo.

The year 2023 was a rehearsal for the upcoming surprise with a 31st finish at the ISA World Surfing Games among more than 120 women surfers.

In 2024, 15-year-old Siqi Yang stepped up her game.

In Round 2 of the World Surfing Games, the Chinese wonder kid beat two-time WSL champion and two-time ISA World Junior champion Tyler Wright.

Yang excelled in the waves of Puerto Rico's Margara with a powerful performance and one of the best single turns of the day.

"This is my first time surfing Margara," the young Chinese gun said.

"Before the event, it was totally flat, so we were surfing El Pico. This wave is amazing, and I just went with the flow."

"For me, I just keep a low profile to try and learn from the experience of surfing with a two-time world champion. Puerto Rico is beautiful. The waves are amazing."

Yang progressed through to Women's Repechage Round 7, where she was able to validate the ticket to the Summer Olympics in Tahiti.

"The Olympic dream is my dream, to qualify for the Olympics," concluded Yang.

"I'm super happy, super excited to accomplish this today. Thanks to my country for supporting me in getting here and to my coach for bringing me to this level. I'm so happy. I've been training so hard for this."

Категории: Виндсерфинг, Новости

Surfline revolutionizes beach monitoring with SurfZone AI

Surfing - 27. Февраль 2024 - 20:57

SurfZone AI is the new cutting-edge coastal surveillance and analysis product offered by the veteran ocean monitoring and surf forecasting company Surfline.

With a legacy spanning 35 years, Surfline has evolved from catering to surfers and beach enthusiasts with live condition monitoring to providing a comprehensive suite of services through SurfZone AI.

The new service Surfline\Wavetrak, Inc. aims to address a new market using the mother company's data science, machine learning, and camera installation knowledge.

The project has been collecting data labeled since 2019 at a rate of 24 billion frames of video per year.

This data allows for very specific analysis and outputs on paddling versus sitting time, tracking crest and trough to determine wave height, lifeguard coverage needs, etc.

But what exactly does this new venture make available to its customers? Are you about to witness the Big Brother of Surfing watching all over the surfing community?

Camera Installation and Management

SurfZone AI provides full-service camera installation and management, deploying high-quality 1080p-4K weatherproof CCTV cameras.

The system boasts internet connectivity, remote reboot, and control features, maintaining an uptime of over 98 percent globally.

With permanent staff strategically located in the US, UK, and Australia, the project manages installations worldwide, including diverse locations such as Costa Rica, Morocco, Portugal, and Indonesia.

People Counting and Beach Monitoring

A patented solution for accurate people counting on the sand and in the water sets SurfZone AI apart.

The system utilizes a network of beach cameras, independently verified for accuracy.

Lifeguarding organizations, local governments, state parks, universities, and more across three continents leverage SurfZone AI's technology for beach monitoring and risk analysis.

Surfer Tracking and Wave Monitoring

SurfZone AI's capabilities extend to tracking surfers and recreational water users, providing detailed data on amenity usage.

The system can identify ridden waves, paddling, sitting, surfing, and wading, offering high-frequency time series data, heat maps, and aggregate statistics.

Additionally, the platform excels in wave monitoring, delivering precise measurements such as wave heights and periods, breaking estimated bathymetry, and other wave statistics for the surf zone.

Predictive Modeling and Environmental Monitoring

SurfZone AI employs physical ocean modeling and machine learning to predict various parameters in the short or long term.

The platform's environmental monitoring extends beyond waves to include comprehensive forecasts and predictions for footfall and other relevant parameters.

Data Visualization and Analysis

The SurfZone AI platform also promises to shine in visualizing data and creating interactive heat maps.

With cloud-based data warehousing, the system ensures secure storage and backup while providing users access to data in bulk or near real-time via a modern API.

The in-house data science team offers bespoke analysis and research services, updating models, detecting different parameters, and providing detailed risk modeling.

How SurfZone AI Works

The core of SurfZone AI lies in its custom machine-learning algorithm designed for small object detection.

Trained on a vast archive of coastal imagery from a network of over 1,000 beach cameras, this algorithm outperforms generic object detection models.

It understands and segments scenes at the pixel level, enabling detailed data derivation on various aspects of the surf zone environment.

Also, risk models and extended analysis face a susceptibility to inaccuracies in detecting false negatives.

In instances where the camera encounters obscurities like fog, rain, dirt, or obstructions, the proprietary model recognizes these issues and marks the associated data as unreliable.

The system addresses challenges related to occlusion, where individuals may be concealed by waves or each other, by employing a date-led statistical averaging over time, combined with high frame rate analysis.

SurfZone AI could also be useful in surf economics research and coastal management.

How much of the new surf-oriented machine learning technology will be channeled to business and consumer markets is something time will tell.

Категории: Виндсерфинг, Новости

How are surfers seeded into WSL competition heats?

Surfing - 27. Февраль 2024 - 15:22

How are surfers distributed in heats? Can two top-ranked athletes match up against each other in the opening round of a contest? Here's how seeding works in the Championship Tour (CT).

The World Surf League (WSL) introduced a new competition format in the 2019 CT.

The goal was to fine-tune an athlete's past achievements while simultaneously rewarding performance in a running season.

Seeding is the process of assigning a rank or position to a surfer based on their previous achievements or current performance.

Seeding aims to create a structured bracket or draw for the surf competitions, ensuring that higher-seeded athletes are initially paired against lower-seeded ones, theoretically providing a more balanced and competitive progression throughout the event.

In modern competitive professional surfing, each elite surf contest features the following stages:

  • Seeding Round;
  • Elimination Round;
  • Round of 32;
  • Round of 16;
  • Quarterfinals;
  • Semifinals;
  • Final;

The Seeding Round

The Seeding Round (see image below) is the first competition heat and features 12 three-man man heats, i.e., 36 athletes.

The top two surfers from every heat progress directly to the Round of 32, whereas the surfer with the lowest placement in each heat moves on to the Elimination Round.

But what are the criteria for distributing surfers through the 12 heats?

Can two top surfers in the overall rankings meet in the inaugural stage? How do you set up a fair seeding?

For the seeding calculations, WSL designed a system with two variables:

  • Base Seed Points;
  • CT Seed Points;

The Base Seed Points apply to the previous season's CT athletes, the wildcards, and the replacements.

They are determined by WSL before the first CT event of the year and have a gap of 40,000 points between the world champion and the 34th-placed surfer.

The world champion gets 60,000 points; the last in the rankings gets 20,000 points.

The gap is determined by the precise percentage difference in rankings. 

For instance, if the 2023 WSL world champion Filipe Toledo holds 60,000 points and Ethan Ewing lagged 19 percent behind him in the previous year's rankings, Ethan will start the 2024 season with 19 percent fewer seeding points than Filipe.

Therefore, the initial seeding reflects each surfer's performance from the preceding year.

Then, all surfers will have 25 percent of those initial Base Seed Points deducted from each of the first four CT events of the season.

As a result, Base Seed Points will be zero from the fifth CT contest onward.

The goal is to reward performance and allow lower-seeded surfers to get rid of their initial handicap, if you will.

CT Seed Points are the sum of the Base Seed Points plus the current CT rankings points earned in the regular season.

The Brackets Formula

How are surfers seeded into the inaugural round?

Before each event, WSL assigns seeding to the surfers within the range of 1 to 36.

Subsequently, these 36 individuals, including the wildcards, are distributed across four brackets.

The initial bracket encompasses seeds 1 to 4, the second bracket consists of seeds 5 to 12, the following bracket includes seeds 13 to 24, and the last one comprises seeds 25-36.

Consequently, a surfer is confined to movement solely within their designated bracket during the competition.

This seeding system allows wildcards and replacements to have a chance to not draw the top surfers again in Round 32, something that happened before 2019.

In the past, a wildcard who beat a top-ranked surfer would have to meet him again in the previously designated Round 3, current Round of 32.

With the new system, a wildcard that wins the Seeding Round will not be up against a top-four athlete in the Round of 32.

In other words, performance and results are rewarded.

First Surfs Against Last

It's important to note that in the opening round, the highest-ranked surfer is seeded with the lowest-ranked athlete plus wildcards, the second-placed surfer is matched against the penultimate-ranked surfer plus a replacement surfer, and so on.

Only the order of heats was reshuffled mainly to avoid overlapping heats with top-seeded surfers who eventually battle in separate heats for the world title.

In Round 32, the competition adopts a horizontal pyramid-style, two-men, single-elimination format in which the winner advances through to the next match-up and the loser is eliminated.

It's important to underline that the Brackets Stage (see image above), from the Round of 32 to the final, splits the leaderboard into two sides (Heats 1-8 and Heats 9-16), meaning that the winner of each side's heat only meets the winner of the other side's heat in the final.

According to WSL, professional surfing's seeding does not follow an automated algorithm. Instead, heat distribution and organization are supervised manually.

The competitive surfing seed formula is not perfect nor always fair, but that's virtually impossible because the weight of the variables at stake is subjective.

For instance, how do you weigh the importance of winning the Challenger Series (CS) against placing last in the top 22 CS rankings?

Who should be seeded above, a 10th-place finishing CT surfer or a runner-up CS campaigner?

Категории: Виндсерфинг, Новости

Depression Louis triggers historic XXL swell in Nazaré

Surfing - 26. Февраль 2024 - 14:14

Depression Louis brought some of the largest swells of the decade to Portugal, Spain, and France, courtesy of the North Atlantic winter storms.

The extreme weather event raised national alerts and put big-wave surfers on hold on Europe's infamous XXL surf breaks.

Most storm-chasing fraternity converged in Praia do Norte, Nazaré, for another go at the Guinness World Record race.

The Portuguese underwater canyon has been the gold mine of many athletes and media professionals eager to ride and capture the sport's superlative stunts.

The Code Black swell brought a lot of wind, gusts, and heavy rain but also plenty of record-breaking opportunities for the usual suspects.

Three names in particular have been making a living in Nazaré in recent years: Lucas "Chumbo" Chianca, Sebastian Steudtner, and Rodrigo Koxa.

Whenever Praia do Norte fires its most brutal missiles, they're either strapped to their surfboard or towing someone into the massive avalanches of water.

The big wave surfing business has become a niche industry in the once quiet and picturesque fishing village.

Extreme surfers get the most out of the winter season the best way they can - free surfing or competing in events like the Nazaré Big Wave Challenge or the Gigantes de Nazaré.

The former is run by the World Surf League (WSL), and the latter by Brazil's TV Globo.

Gigantes de Nazaré is an invitational event that explores the monetization of online video content and broadcasting to large TV audiences.

A Potential New World Record

On Saturday, February 24, Nazaré witnessed the peak of Depression Louis, with the beach break detonating 80-foot plus (25-meter) walls of water.

Chianca and Steudtner had an informal duel in the heavy waters, with both the Brazilian and the German entertaining the audience at São Miguel Arcanjo fort and on the cliffs with some impressive runs.

They were towed into the biggest waves of the day by Ian Cosenza and Eric Rebiere.

Some say the current 86-foot (26.21 meters) world record wave has been broken, but no one dares to say by whom and on which wave.

The WSL officials will have the last word, using their fine-tuned wave height measuring method.

Once again, the safety rescue teams were busy driving jet skis around massive whitewater and backwash waves and taking their partners out of the impact zone.

The striking 360s and double backflips are becoming the playful standard for foot-strapped surfers descending long liquid slopes.

They're the signature tricks and bonus factor for the patient crowd watch from the safety of terra firma.

But surprises can happen, and throughout the week, as the swell's energy was building, other players emerged confident and audacious.

Lucas Fink, Balaram Stack, Eden Edwards, Alessandra Marinelli, Lourenço Katzenstein, Will Santana, Kalani Lattanzi, Michelle des Bouillons, Gabriel Sampaio, Manuel Fróis, and Vítor Faria also had their share of stoke.

They will definitely keep an eye out for when opportunity knocks.

The quest for the 100-foot wave is a work in progress, one that will require a flawless and rare combination of weather elements to take place.

Категории: Виндсерфинг, Новости

Indar Unanue conquers 10th edition of La Vaca Gigante

Surfing - 23. Февраль 2024 - 18:32

The 10th edition of La Vaca Gigante has etched its mark in history.

In a stunning display of skill and courage, 24 surfers, both local and international, embraced the formidable Cantabrian waves, reaching heights of over 23 feet (seven meters).

The waves crashed dramatically against the Cantabrian coast, creating an epic day of XXL surfing in Santander.

Ultimately, the day belonged to Indar Unanue, who emerged victorious, shaking the cowbell and hoisting the coveted milk jug that signifies triumph in this prestigious competition.

The day commenced under cloudy skies in Cueto, with minimal wind. The only sound disrupting the silence was the eager anticipation of waves awaiting their moment to shine.

As the tide rose, the La Vaca Gigante 2024 competition kicked off around noon with the trial round. Seven surfers vied for the last coveted spot in the main event.

The action commenced swiftly, featuring impressive waves and powerful surfing, notably by Frenchman Pierre Rollet, who dominated with 24.11 points, securing a spot in the final phase.

With the main event roster finalized, 18 surfers engaged in three heats of six riders each, competing for a prize pool of €10,000.

The audience swelled as spectators gathered at the imposing cliffs, eager to witness a day of electrifying surfing.

The competition format involved 45-minute heats, where surfers aimed to accumulate points from their two best waves, with the better of the two counting double.

The initial rounds showcased local talent, with Nico García and Nano Riego claiming the top two spots in the first round, earning them places in the grand final.

The second round saw a reversal of fortune, with foreign surfers Indar Unanue and Nic Lamb delivering exceptional performances, securing scores of 25.27 and 25.39, respectively.

A Perfect 10

In the third round, local Juan Merodio and Frenchman Pierre Rollet made their mark.

Merodio achieved a perfect score of 10 on his best wave, contributing to a combined score of 26.90.

Rollet, meanwhile, achieved the highest combined score in the qualifying rounds with 28.27 points.

As the final list of contenders for this year's title emerged, approximately 10,000 spectators crowded the cliffs of Cueto, eagerly awaiting the grand finale of La Vaca Gigante 2024.

With six finalists and an hour-long heat in a challenging sea, the riders faced a formidable challenge.

Patience, talent, and wisdom would be the determining factors in the championship's golden round.

Cantabrians Nico García and Nano Riego asserted their local dominance, securing third and second place, respectively, with combined scores exceeding 20 points.

Pierre Rollet, a standout performer, showcased his prowess with a stellar 9.77 score.

However, lacking a second wave, he narrowly missed a podium finish or the chance to challenge the unbeatable Indar Unanue.

Unanue, in a spectacular display, scored two waves above 9 points - 9.67 and 9.93 - accumulating an impressive combined score of 29.53 out of a possible 30.

The Basque surfer's achievements in this 10th edition of La Vaca Gigante are remarkable. After a hiatus from the competition, he clinched victory, having finished as the runner-up three times before.

"The organization has done a great job and has been right with the call for the event because it is a complicated wave to get the timing right," expressed Indar Unanue, the La Vaca Gigante 2024 champion.

"I came wanting to make a final, and I went for it once I saw myself there."

"I was very excited to win the championship because, after several podiums, I was really looking forward to it. Thank you to all the riders, safety patrol, public, and organization staff for making it possible!" 

La Vaca Gigante 2024 | Results
  1. Indar Unanue (EUK) 29,53
  2. Nano Riego (CAN) 22,21
  3. Nicolás García López (CAN) 20,61
  4. Pierre Rollet (FRA) 19,54
  5. Nic Lamb (USA) 17,99
  6. Juan Merodio Velasco (CAN) 2,46
  • Best Cantabrian Surfer: Nano Riego
  • Best Wipeout: Juan Merodio
Категории: Виндсерфинг, Новости

The 3D perspective of a wave and the tube

Surfing - 22. Февраль 2024 - 15:51

Robbie Crawford calls himself a multimedia specialist, but he's certainly more than that. Meet the 21st-century digital artist who has dreamed of waves since childhood.

He's been pushing the boundaries of graphical 3D wave simulation and sharing the developments with the world in the form of art and creative imagination.

Robbie is also a surfer and passionate lensman, two sides of his personality that surely help us understand his extremely popular work in social media.

However, the Huntington Beach-based imagery creator is not your typical professional surf photographer or videographer with a creative, hipster-driven vein.

Crawford operates mainly on the side of fantasy.

In the past couple of decades, the Californian has significantly contributed to establishing the compact action camera as a legitimate tool in professional media.

With the experimentations made with standard waterproof shooting devices showcasing their capabilities and features, Crawford's work has been featured in diverse media outlets such as the Discovery Channel and Thrasher Magazine.

More recently, Crawford started unveiling some of the results of his interactions with generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) software and programs like Midjourney.

His literally fantastic digital creations involve surfers and waves in hallucinogenic visions and LSD-inspired trips.

Robbie's supercomputer-based work around 3D environments, ultra-slow motion shots, virtual reality, and AI-immersed realities is unique and unparalleled in the surfing world.

Volumetric Video Waves

Crawford is fascinated by waves and their natural motion from birth to whitewater.

The fact that he "missed the glassy days in the summer when the sun is perfectly positioned in the tube" inspired him to "figure out how to make the 3D wave simulations."

Crawford vigorously defends his digitally-backed art.

"What some people don't get is that art doesn't compete with reality - art compliments reality," Robbie wrote on his Instagram account.

"It's real-world experiences that drive artists to translate feelings we have toward certain subject matter to a medium. These aren't fake waves - they're real art driven by a true love for the ocean."

While you can witness a progressive evolution of AI-supported creations in Robbie's work through time, there is something that captivates everyone's eyes - the 3D perspective of a wave.

In the real world, the motion nature of waves never quite allows us to pause them and look at their beauty from all possible angles.

It is nearly impossible. You’d need a multi-axis array of cameras at the right place and time shooting the passing and breaking of a wave.

However, thanks to the ever-growing technological advances, three-dimensional views of an ocean wave are now, shall we say, virtually real and possible.

And Robbie Crawford is enchanted by this possibility.

"If I took people on a trip around the volume of a single frame of one of my wave simulations, it might better convey what they actually are," added the digital artist.

"When I create them, I'm not really making them for cellphones. I'm creating them with a future vision when they can be translated volumetrically into augmented virtual experiences."

Crawford stresses that each simulation is so complex that it takes around 100 to 200 GB of data.

According to the multimedia magician, "we will have the ability to turn traditional media volumetric" by the end of the decade.

Can you imagine experiencing volumetric video of waves and swells using augmented reality (AR) headsets?

The 3D image contemporary artist even imagined and designed a wave pool with glass walls so people can see above and beneath the waves.

Computational Power for Seconds of Viewing Pleasure

But make no mistake: each rendering takes ages, and all mistakes have to be corrected and then re-rendered again.

This is something that takes time, patience, and up-to-date technology. All for a few seconds of viewing pleasure.

Water is a highly complex topic in the multimedia field.

The physics of ocean waves is one of the last uncharted territories of digital fluid simulation.

The behavior of a breaking wave has been simultaneously a mystery and challenge, for instance, for game developers and animated motion picture computer-generated imagery (CGI) specialists.

Despite progress in recent decades, waves always seem rather unrealistic on the big screen or in video games.

For his physics-based fluid simulations, Robbie uses Blender, a powerful and open-source 3D computer graphics software for creating animated films, visual effects, art, 3D printed models, motion graphics, interactive 3D applications, and more.

The evolution of Crawford's renderings is quite notable, but there's always room for improvement.

The Soothing Effect

Robbie Crawford's innovative digital artworks and cutting-edge multimedia content go beyond the contemplation.

They transmit a soothing effect and relaxing aura to the hundreds of thousands of fans who follow the Californian's creations on his Instagram space (@robbiecrawford).

The light, the hues, the speed and pace, the angle, and the journey into the heart of a wave - the tube - are somehow meditative and enthralling without ever losing appeal.

Next stop: 3D holograms of waves, please.

Категории: Виндсерфинг, Новости

Jack Robinson and Molly Picklum win 2024 Hurley Pro Sunset Beach

Surfing - 22. Февраль 2024 - 13:12

Jack Robinson and Molly Picklum claimed the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii.

The finals got underway in six-to-eight-foot perfect rights at Sunset Beach.

The proving grounds of Oahu's North Shore once again offered a real challenge to the best surfers in the world with solid waves and shifting lineups, but overall, plenty of opportunities to showcase their talent and kick off the new season. 

A monumental change in women's professional surfing happened over the course of the season's first two events, with the top 17 taking on serious conditions at Pipe and Sunset and some of the youngest competitors showing up with massive performances and commitment to raise the bar.

Picklum was an integral part of the charge in making history this month as she collected huge scores for her relentless approach to hitting the biggest sections of the waves, holding nothing back.

Today, she earned back-to-back titles at Sunset.

This win marks Picklum's second victory on Tour, out of four finals surfed, and the Australian will be wearing the yellow Leader jersey heading to Portugal for the next stop of the 2024 CT as the new world no.1.

"What a moment! Defending a title is so hard in our sport because the ocean is in charge," Picklum said.

"The ocean played its part for me, and I'm really, really happy it did that."

"Every event feels different, so I'm just taking it for what it is and trying to find the little fun moments in between it all."

"I definitely wasn't as confident in this event, but I always kept belief, and I think that's one of my strengths."

The women's final was a rematch of the second semifinal at Pipe last week between Picklum and Sakura Johnson, with a lot in the balance as the winning surfer would get to wear the rankings leader yellow jersey, leaving the Hawaiian leg.

Both surfers found similar waves to kick off the final, but the Hawaiian won the first exchange with better-timed turns in the critical sections for a 7.17 (out of a possible 10) over the Australian's 6.50.

Picklum backed it up quickly to take the lead midway through the heat and apply pressure to Sakura Johnson, who was surfing in her first-ever final on the CT.

But the Haleiwa local stayed patient, sitting in the lineup with priority, waiting for the right wave.

Her calculated approach, unfortunately, did not pay off as time ran down without offering any more opportunities for either surfer.

Picklum added yet another highlight to a spectacular four-week stint on the North Shore today with one of the biggest turns ever seen on the women's Tour at Sunset Beach.

Bettylou: The New Kid on the Block

In her semifinal bout against Brisa Hennessy, the powerful regular foot posted a near-perfect 9.67 for a high-risk, high-reward single maneuver on a double-overhead wave.

Bettylou Sakura Johnson reached her first CT final in her third year on Tour and has upped her game big time in 2024.

The 18-year-old posted some of the event's biggest scores, including a 9.17 in her first heat at Sunset yesterday.

One of the most confident surfers in the Pipe barrels and the big open faces of Sunset, the Hawaiian will be a force to be reckoned with this season.

"It's been an unreal last couple of days. We've been so fortunate to get good waves," said Sakura Johnson.

"I'm really just blessed to be home and to represent home, and have my coach behind me and have the confidence I needed to do well in this event. It's pretty unreal."

"Molly and I talked about it two years ago, and now we're doing it, and I'm really happy to be a part of it and to hopefully keep pushing this level, and it will be a new level of surfing for women's surfing in the next few years."

Robinson on Fire

Jack Robinson continues to build his legacy on the North Shore as he picks up win No. 6 on the CT, his first at Sunset.

After an upset loss in the Round of 32 at Pipe, the Australian bounced back in the best way with total domination all week, an incredible display of his signature carves, and the ability to find the deepest, cleanest barrels at Sunset.

"It was a crazy last few months at home; I had a baby and everything before coming here, and it's all new and just adapting," said Robinson.

"I'm just enjoying it so much today. I know I didn't start good at Pipe, but it didn't matter. I was just trying to enjoy it so much, and it's so special."

"It was a cool wave, almost bending, and I've never been tubed twice on the inside here."

"And to have a final with Kanoa, we've grown up together, and we've been doing this for a long time. It's a cool history and a lot more to come."

Two surfers with a lot of history, competing against each other since their early grom years, Robinson and Kanoa Igarashi met in the final after dominating all week at Sunset.

The Australian pulled the trigger first and wasted no time as his first wave went straight to excellence, an 8.17, to make his intentions clear to his opponent.

After an unlikely mistake on his first attempt, Igarashi fought back with a 7.33 to stay in fighting distance.

But Robinson kept building momentum and found an absolute gem, locking into two barreling sections after a massive carve and was rewarded with a near-perfect 9.87 to put the Japanese surfer into an 18.04 combination situation (out of a possible 20).

Despite his best efforts, the gap was too much for Igarashi to overcome, and Robinson claimed the win. The West Australian will leave Hawaii ranked second in the world.

Kanoa Igarashi was in need of a big result as well after a disappointing early exit at Pipe and found his groove on the big open walls of Sunset, where he could lay down his lightning-fast turns to overcome some of the toughest competition this week.

"Growing up in California, Hawaii was just one flight away and a place we had to come and train, and back when I was younger, I would dread coming over because it'd be scary to be here on the North Shore to surf bigger waves," said Igarashi.

"But, over the years, I would try to put as much time as I could, and I have a really good team in my corner. Thanks to them, they always pushed me, and I knew that if I wanted to be a top surfer on Tour, I'd have to get good results here. I'm really happy with my start so far this year and just want to keep it going."

2024 Hurley Pro Sunset Beach | Finals Men
  1. Jack Robinson (AUS) 18.04
  2. Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 15.16
Women
  1. Molly Picklum (AUS) 11.83
  2. Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) 8.67
Категории: Виндсерфинг, Новости
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