KOBIE ENRIGHT AND SHANE CAMPBELL VICTORIOUS AT THE 2018 CARVE PRO.
Carve Pro. Heats Up at Maroubra Ahead of Tomorrow's Final Day
MAROUBRA BEACH, SYDNEY
Saturday, January 20, 2018
A super Saturday at Maroubra Beach has seen the field narrowed even further at the Carve Pro World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series (QS) 1000 event. With slightly bumpy 2-to-3 foot waves on offer, Men’s and Women’s round three were both completed setting the stage for what is sure to be an epic finals day at one of Sydney’s most iconic surfing hubs.
2017 Carve Pro Women’s runner-up Kobie Enright made her intentions clear in her round three heat posting an event-high total of 17.50 (out of a possible 20). Her excellent total came from a strong backhand performance on the small fast lefthanders on offer. She then went on to take out her Quarterfinal and book into the Semis. After coming just short of victory last year, the young Tweed Heads local is aiming for one better in 2018.
“To start my season with a win at this event would be incredible,” Enright said. “I don’t want to get ahead of myself at the moment I just want to take it one heat at a time. A lot of the higher seeded girls are in Florida at the QS6,000 so this is a great opportunity to make heats and gain some momentum heading into 2018. I’m just having fun here and am stoked to be back in a jersey – I’m pumped for this year for sure.”
Women’s top seed Ellie Brooks was a shock elimination in quarterfinal three when she came up against event dark horse Sophia Chapman. Brooks had been surfing well all event but was put on the ropes early by Chapman who opened with a couple of mid-range scores. She then posted an excellent 8.25 for a long right-hander which left Brooks hunting for a high score. She was unable to find this and is eliminated in equal 5th place.
“I’m really excited to be in the semifinals,” Chapman said. “I didn’t even realise she was the top seed and had never surfed against her so didn’t know what to expect. I try not to pay attention to that sort of stuff and surf every heat the same. I can’t wait to surf on Finals day.”
Top seed Ellie Brooks was eliminated in equal 5th position by Sophia Champman. Photo by WSL / TOM BENNETT
The first female competitor to book herself a spot into the semifinals was young Central Coast goofy-footer Kirra-Belle Olsson. Olsson has been in excellent form in 2018 finishing in third place at a recent Pro Junior event at Bells Beach and has now guaranteed herself another third place or better at Maroubra. She overcame Californian standout Alyssa Spencer in Quarterfinal 1 with a winning heat total of 13.85.
“This year my main focus is the Junior Qualifying Series,” Olsson said. “If I do well at this contest that’s awesome but I’m not chasing QS points this year. The waves are pretty fun today and It looks like holding in tomorrow so it should be a pretty exciting day of competition.”
Novacastrian powerhouse Jackson Baker had the pleasure of taking on one of his childhood heroes and former elite Championship Tour competitor Nathan Hedge in Round Three. Baker was aware of ‘Hedge’s’ fiery demeanour and was excited to embrace it. With small weak waves on offer it seemed the light and agile Hedge would have the upper hand but Baker had other ideas throwing down his own brand of heavy footed surfing to dominate the heat with a winning two-wave total of 15.25. Hedge was eliminated from the event while Che Allen finished in the second progressing spot.
“I was watching the conditions before my heat and did not think it was going to go to well for me,” Baker said. “I just went out and wanted to enjoy surfing a heat against Hedgey. He has been a hero of mine since I was 12 and I always looked up to his style and power. Winning a heat against him is definitely an amazing experience. I’m really happy with how I surfed today and would love to keep the momentum going throughout this event and the rest of the QS season.”
Feeling the support of the local crowd, Maroubra natives Jackson Giles and Blake Thornton went toe-to-toe at their local break, trading a barrage of impressive scores. Giles - who is coached by Thornton - managed to gain the upper hand over his mentor, thanks to a decent 15.75 two-wave heat for an array of giant backside snaps. Both surfers will appear again in Round Five.
“Having the support of the local surfers down here is such a good feeling,” said Giles. “Blake is actually my coach and being a former Championship Tour surfer he’s given me so many good tips on how to improve. I guess they’re working (laughs). Hopefully, I can keep the ball rolling and post a good result on my home turf tomorrow.”
Jackson Giles. Photo by Ethan Smith / Surfing NSW
Having spent the last three weeks in Australia following the World Junior Championship in Kiama, Cole Houshmand (USA) has developed a knowledge of the shifty Australian beach breaks. Houshmand put on a solid display of power turns on the wedgy left shorebreak to claim the victory in this round four exchange with a total of 14.60.
“I’m stoked to move into round five. I had a good result here last year, so hopefully I can better it,” said Houshmand. “The waves have been really fun over this event, so it makes the victories even sweeter. I’ve been here since January 1st, surfing in Kiama and Maroubra so I’ve managed to figure the banks out and a lot of the conditions. I can’t wait for tomorrow.”
Cole Houshmand. Photo by Ethan Smith / Surfing NSW.
The Carve Pro runs at Maroubra Beach from January 18 - 21 and will be broadcast live on the 20th and 21st at www.worldsurfleague.com and on the WSL App. Head there for more information, highlights and images.
The Vissla NSW Pro Surf Series was developed for Australian and International surfers to gain ranking points and prize money on the WSL Qualifying Series. The Series also creates a NSW coastal road trip for all to explore the variety of waves, visit local communities and enjoy NSW surfing culture.
The 2018 NSW Pro Surf Series will be proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW. The series will also be proudly supported by Vissla, Randwick City Council, Central Coast Council, Destination Tweed, Mid Coast Council and Tourism, NBN, Toyota, Coastalwatch, World Surf League and Surfing NSW.
Report by Tom Bennett / WSL.
Holmes and Farmer Lead Pack on Day 2 at Maroubra
Friday, January 19, 2018
Upon arrival at the beach on the morning of Day 2 it seemed Maroubra was continuing to provide the goods for the Carve Pro Qualifying Series 1,000-level event. It was glistening clean and the waves were peaky, 3-to-4 feet, and it seemed it was going to be a magical day of competition. Unfortunately for all involved, the dreamy conditions slowly returned to a classic East Coast Australia summer slop, the type of conditions synonymous with this time of year. But this mattered not as a pack of eager QS battlers ripped into the peaks that Maroubra provided, with Aussies Shane Holmes and Vittoria Farmer dominating the early rounds of competition.
Central Coast powerhouse Shane Holmes had a seemingly constant run of injuries throughout 2016 and '17 seasons. Having not competed since the middle of last year, he was apprehensive coming into the Carve Pro and was unsure if he still had his competitive nerve. Although he was nervous, he looked to be fine as he posted the highest heat total of the event so far. His two-wave combination of 15.50 came from his trademark display of power hacks and solid on rail surfing.
"I was really nervous before that heat which is strange for me," Holmes said. "The waves were looking really fun and I had a solid plan. Just before my heat the wind came up from the northeast and my plan went out the window. I eventually found a couple of decent waves so it all ended up working out, just not the way I thought it would. I'm so happy to be back in the water after doing my knee an then my shoulder. I feel like when the waves are small I can still find the power source and throw a lot of spray which the judges really like -- I feel comfortable competing in all sorts of conditions."
Shane Holmes is back after injury hampered his 2017 season and looked unstopable in his first heat of the year. Photo by Ethan Smith / Surfing NSW
As the day continued and swell began to fade, the action stayed fierce as women's Round Two hit the water. Vittoria Farmer and Kirra-Belle Olsson put on an epic display in Heat 3, with the two dropping excellent 8.50 point rides early in the heat. It then became a race for a backup score, which was eventually won by Farmer who finished the heat with a two-wave total of 15.00. Olsson progressed behind her in second place.
"It was pretty slow out there so getting that solid score straight away was an awesome way to start," Farmer said. "Kirra-Belle having the same score meant that it was a total battle of the second wave which was cool. The waves were super fun when they came but it was really slow."
Kirra-Belle Olsson posting an excellent 8.50 during Round Two of the Carve Pro Maroubra. Photo by WSL / TOM BENNETT
The opening heat of the day saw Victorian Cody Robinson return to competition for the first time in almost a year. Robinson took some time off the QS in 2017 to regroup after a string of average results. He's hoping to stay a little more consistent in 2018 and today he kicked off the season according to plan winning his opening heat with a total of 13.75 (out of a possible 20). Robinson even posted an excellent single wave score of 8.10 (out of a possible 10) for a number of backhand re-entries.
"It felt weird to be competing again I definitely felt a little rusty but it's all good because I'm just warming up," Robinson said. "I want to hang on to my seed and maybe head to the Indonesia QS events later in the year so this is the best place to get the ball rolling on that. I'm just going to see how I go in the next few months and try and enjoy myself. The waves have been really fun which is all you can ask for in a contest so I'm stoked."
Having spent the best part of a month in Australia after competing at the recent Jeep World Junior Championship in Kiama, South Africa's Adin Masencamp is feeling comfortable in his home away from home. Mesencamp is working on his QS seeding and hoping to break into the top 100 by the middle of the year. A heat win for his first QS of the season is just the start he was looking for.
"The waves are so fun today -- just head high and glassy, really perfect for an event," Masencamp said. "This beach is similar to places at home so I feel pretty comfortable here and it's my second time in Australia so it's all very familiar, I'm really getting into the rhythm of this place. I'm doing this run of QS events in Australia and am hoping to improve my seed heading into the mid-year cutoff."
One of the major international threats at the Carve Pro is Californian dynamo Alyssa Spencer. Spencer had just come of an equal 9th at the recent Jeep World Junior Championship in Kiama and was keen to impress early at Maroubra. Thinks didn't go according to plan however with the laser sharp goofy foot struggling to find a decent wave. Then with only a few minutes remaining, Spencer found a right and went to town on it, earning herself an 8.50 and the heat win.
"I spent a lot of time watching the waves and knew there were some good looking rights coming through," Spencer said. "I was planning on waiting for a right and it just wasn't coming, I knew it would eventually -- so I was staying pretty patient. Luckily I did, because I eventually found the one I was waiting for."
Event No.1 seed Ellie Brooks decided to turn down a spot at the Ron Jon Florida Pro QS6,000 to surf at some QS1,000 event at home. This could be a great tactic for Brooks granted she makes it deep into the draw here at Maroubra. Early in the heat Brooks seemed unable to find a score of significance and began to question her decision until right on time, a set popped up in front of Brooks and gave her two perfect sections. She posted a heat total of 11.85 and took the heat win.
"I was going to head over to Florida and then decided against it last minute," Brooks said. "It was a big call but there are other 6,000 events later in the year so it seemed silly to leave home when we have a bunch of events happening here. Staying here has given me the top seed for this event, which is cool but also brings expectation, which makes me a little nervous. It's all good though, I'm here with my boyfriend and we are having a good time so it's nice."
Report by Tom Bennett / WSL.
Pumping surf at maroubra for opening day of carve Pro.
Thursday, January 18, 2018
The 2018 Carve Pro World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series (QS) 1000 event has kicked off today in pumping waves at Maroubra Beach. With over 100 of the world’s most promising surfers on hand, Day 1 saw the completion of Men’s and Women’s Round One in clean 4-to-5 foot waves.
After winning his first QS event at the Taiwan Open at the end of 2017, Mitch Parkinson (AUS)vowed to have a solid shot on the QS in 2018. The stylish young Gold Coaster kicked off his campaign with a great showing in Round One at the Carve Pro. Parkinson revelled in the clean conditions on offer ripping into the lip and even finding a nice barrel to progress in second spot behind Kurtis Vaughan (AUS) with a heat total of 11.50 (out of a possible 20).
“Since Taiwan, I’ve just been cruising at home so I’m feeling pretty fresh coming into 2018,” Parkinson said. “There hasn’t been much in the way of surf at home recently but the last few days have been amazing so I feel pretty prepared for this event. It’s great to start the year with great waves like this, it feels really good to have the jersey back on.”
Kurtis Vaughan edged Mitch Parkinson for a win in his tight Round One heat. Both advanced. Photo by WSL / TOM BENNETT
Peruvian competitor Johnny Guerrero (PER) took his first heat win of the season over Aussie duo Lucas Wrice (AUS) and Zac Michael (AUS). Hailing from the land of long lefts, Guerrero opted to surf his backhand to post a winning heat total of 11.10. After an early round loss at the recent World Junior Championship, Guerrero was stoked to get a win on the board.
“It feels really good to get a heat win here,” Guerrero said. “I was disappointed after the World Junior Championship and have been really focusing leading into this event. I have been enjoying my time in Australia and am so happy there are great waves for this event.”
Jonny Guerrero on his way into Round Two at the Carve Pro. Photo by WSL/TOM BENNETT
Byron Bay prodigy Kyuss King (AUS) surfed a patient heat in his Round One match up. King picked off the nicest looking waves both left and right to top his heat with a total of 11.50. King overcame Victorian Xavier Huxtable (AUS) and Maroubra local Jake Scott (AUS) to notch up his first victory of the season.
“This is my second event of the season and it feels good to be competing,” King said. “I didn’t do very well at a recent Pro Junior event so I’m keen to make up for it here. Whether it is a Junior event or a QS I treat them the same and prep the same, every event I go into I’m searching for success and this time is no different.”
Brazilian Thiago Muller (BRA) is back in Australia for the first time in almost a decade. Being the first time competing here and his first heat of the year, Muller was understandably nervous. It wasn’t reflected in his performance as he easily dispatched of Joshe Faulkner (ZAF) and Ash Keillah (AUS).
Thiago Muller settling into competition nicely in 2018. Photo by WSL / TOM BENNETT
“The first heat of the season is always a scary one,” Muller said. “I’m glad to have it out of the way now and I can begin to focus on my next Round heat. The waves are so good today it’s perfect for competing. I can’t wait to get back out there in Round Two. This is my first event in Australia, which is really exciting - I love it here.”
Local favourite and Carve team rider Max McGuigan (AUS) looked super comfortable in his Round One heat as he progressed in second behind Jack Murray. McGuigan put it down to local knowledge and the familiarity of the Carve family at the event that helped get him through.
“This is definitely my favourite event to do,” McGuigan said. “I feel like I have an advantage at this beach as I’m familiar with banks here and surf here every day. It’s also cool having all of the Carve team and crew here. It’s a really enjoyable week.”
Having put her name to an NSW wildcard in the forthcoming Vissla Sydney Surf Pro, thanks to winning the 2017 NSW State Title, Sophia Chapman (AUS) treated her opening heat at the Carve Pro as a warm-up into what is looking like being a solid year of competitive surfing. Chapman played the patient game in her first round exchange, waiting until the final seven minutes to strike, posting the highest wave score of the heat and allowed her to claim the runner-up position behind Ellie Turner (GBR) who took the win. Both surfers will make their next appearance in the second round.
“The waves were really tricky out there, but luckily I got one good one that allowed me to get through,” said Chapman. “I waited until there were about seven minutes to go to get that score to get that score which wasn’t the best, but it still got me through. I’ve been training a lot with my brother Cooper lately, so hopefully, I can follow his lead on the Qualifying Series.”
The Carve Pro will run at Maroubra Beach from January 18 - 21 and will be broadcast live on the 20th and 21st at www.worldsurfleague.com and on the WSL App. Head there for more information, highlights and images.
Event dates and locations:
Event One: Carve Pro
Location: Maroubra Beach
Date: January 18th – 21st, 2018
Event Two: Mothernest Tweed Coast Pro
Location: Cabarita Beach
Date: January 31st – February 4th, 2018
Event Three: Vissla Great Lakes Pro pres by D'Blanc
Location: Boomerang Beach
Date: February 7th – 11th, 2018
Event Four: Vissla Central Coast Pro pres by Slimes
Location: Avoca Beach
Date: March 7th – 11th, 2018
The Vissla NSW Pro Surf Series was developed for Australian and International surfers to gain ranking points and prize money on the WSL Qualifying Series. The Series also creates a NSW coastal road trip for all to explore the variety of waves, visit local communities and enjoy NSW surfing culture.
The 2018 NSW Pro Surf Series will be proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW. The series will also be proudly supported by Vissla, Randwick City Council, Central Coast Council, Destination Tweed, Mid Coast Council and Tourism, NBN, Toyota, Coastalwatch, World Surf League and Surfing NSW.
Report by Tom Bennett / WSL.
