Oakley Pro Junior Global Challenge 2009
Keramas
October 7-17, 2009

Photos: Tim Hain

Sam Wrench (19 tahun) yang berasal dari Australia berhasil memenangkan final event bergengsi, Oakley Pro Junior Global Challenge 2009. Di ombak sekitar 5 ft, ia berhasil mengalahkan Marc Lacomare yang berasal dari Perancis. Dengan kemenangannya ini, Sam Wrench berhasil mengantongi hadiah sebesar 20,000 USD. Sementara total hadiah selama seri tahunan ini berlangsung adalah 75,000 USD— jumlah nominal terbesar yang pernah ditawarkan dalam kontes surfing profesional divisi Pro Junior tingkat dunia.

“Ini merupakan kemenangan pertama dan terbesar dalam karir surfing saya secara profesional. Saya senang mendapatkan kesempatan untuk surfing di ombak yang begitu bagus sepanjang hari selama event berlangsung. Ini merupakan salah satu event terbaik di dunia bagi para surfer muda.”, ungkap Sam Wrench seusai dinobatkan sebagai juara.

Sam Wrench sendiri berhasil menjadi jawara diantara delapan belas surfer terbaik di dunia yang berusia dibawah dua puluh tahun. Ia surfing dengan sangat baik terutama sejak dimulainya final, walau ia enggak memiliki sponsor besar yang mendukungnya. Ia terlihat sangat berusaha untuk menunjukkan bahwa ia layak untuk mendapatkan sponsor, dari hasil berupa kemenangan event ini.

Rip Curl Surf and Music Festival
Halfway Kuta Beach
October 24-25, 2009


Indonesian Surfing Championship Tour Longboard Open
Padma Beach
October 23, 2009

Photos: Tim Hain, Rip Curl

Thousands of surf and music fans packed Halfway, Kuta  Beach on Sunday to witness the closing of the 3rd annual RIP CURL SURF & MUSIC FESTIVAL.
The final day of Rip Curl Surf and Music Festival started at 7:30 am continuing with Round 3 of ISC Men’s Open. With clear blue skies 2 ft perfect waves, the action in the water matched the heat on the land with the best Indonesian surfers showcasing some great performances to the international crowd.
By mid afternoon it was local Balinese surfers Mega Semadhi and Raditya Rondi who progressed to the Finals of the main open men’s category fighting a close battle in the water. Ending up with one of the closest decisions of the year it was Raditya who clinched the win by a tenth of a point to claim his second ISC victory of the year, collecting a cheque for 8 million Rupiah plus 2750 points in the process.
Winning the 20-minute final by just a tenth of a point, Rondi was ecstatic. “This win means so much to me, because it’s at my home break in front of all my friends and family. I just got off the plane from the Philippines on Saturday afternoon, so was a bit tired from traveling, but as I hit the water this morning I felt great and wanted to win this thing!” he said with his big trademark grin a mile wide. “Mega was surfing so good that I knew I just couldn’t think about it, just try to find the best waves and surf my best.  So that’s what I did… so good eh?” he added.

Billabong Cloud 9 Invitational
Siargao Island, Philippines
October 21-27, 2009

Photo courtesy of Billabong

Australian surfer Garrett Parkes (Byron Bay, NSW, Aus) has taken out the Billabong Cloud 9 Invitational in the Philippines, beating Hawaiian Makua Rothman in a man-on-man final.
Cloud 9 didn’t quite turn on the epic conditions seen for the opening rounds of the unique specialty event, with finalists having to mix innovative, new-school maneuvers with aerials, on-rail carves and barrel rides in rising 3-4ft waves.

Parkes, who stitched up the Gold Coast’s Joel Nantes (Coolangatta) in the quarters before taking down local Carlito Nogalo in the semis, made the most of the smaller conditions to  bag two mid-range scores – a 5.50 and a 4.67- in the extended 35 minute final.

“It wasn’t exactly the real Cloud 9, not many barrels,” said Parkes, who collected USD $7,500 for the win.
“But I made do with what I had. I managed to get through a few heats this morning and just keep it going through to the final. I’m stoked.”
Parkes, who was a standout throughout the entire event, said he wasn’t fazed entering the final after Rothman beat event favourite and former Pipeline Master Jamie O’Brien  in semi one.

“I was trying not to think about,” he said.
“I just knew I had to get a few scores on the board. It got to the 5 or 6 minute mark and I got a little nervous. But he ended up coming in a minute early so I knew I had it.”
Rothman, who waited patiently for set waves, lacked rhythm in the high-stakes final, breaking two boards to finish with a 2.66 total to Parkes’ final winning tally of 10.17. Rothman surfing away with USD $ 4,500 for his efforts.

Quiksilver Open
Keramas
October 27 – November 7, 2009

Photos: Tim Hain

s of intense surfing competition at the 6-Star Prime Quiksilver Open 2009 at Keramas Beach in Bali, Tai “Buddha” Graham bested newly crowned 2009 Indonesian Surfing Champion Lee Wilson to boast his first Coca-Cola Indonesian Surfing Championship Tour win and top the podium to receive a trophy and the 20 million Rupiah winner’s check.
Graham, who also doubles as an announcer at most of the ISC Tour events and hails from the Gold Coast of Australia, was in shock when he returned to the beach. “This is unreal,” he said. “It’s gonna take a bit for it to all to sink in. I never expected to win an event like this….ever.  I was just happy to get to nab some big Keramas barrels with just a couple other guys out…but never dreamed I’d be atop the podium at the end of it all!” he added.
Graham surfed from Round 2 and was a standout in the big and hollow waves that were the rule during the majority of the event. And he did it all with a broken toe, sustained at Cloud 9 in the Philippines three weeks before. When asked how it felt, he laughed and replied “Hahaha….what broken toe? Can’t feel a thing now mate! But ya, at times I felt it a bit doing bottom turns, that’s why I mostly just went for the barrel. I couldn’t have ever imagined winning a heat like this in 3 foot windy Keramas, not to mention a final against Lee. Lee is my good mate, and it was good fun to be out there, just him and me. But to actually win the final…it’s unreal. I’m gonna have a party later for all the boys…yewwwww!
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