Congratulations to Quiksilver’s Andy Nieblas for winning the Duct Tape Invitational this weekend in Zarautz, Spain! The 23-year old from San Clemente, California, stole the show in epic conditions on the festival’s final day. Andy impressed the judges with his one-of-a-kind mix of crazy manouvers and smooth style that was celebrated by an enthusiastic crowd in the picturesque Basque town. Winning through the final against Alex Knost, Taylor Warren and Ryan Burch, the Quiksilver rider did not disappoint with a standout performance in pumping 3-4 feet waves, raising the bar of modern day longboarding.
Starting off with two days of flat to small surf, the Atlantic come to life on the third and final day of the event, providing plenty of opportunities for the 16 invitational hand-picks to showcase where surfing is at these days. Mixing up fresh faces in the longboarding community such as local up-and-comer Nico “Niki Dora” Garcia, Levi Prairie or Kai Takayama with visionaries of progressive logging like Alex Knost, Tyler Warren, Ryan Burch or James Parry, the invite list couldn’t have been more diverse while the atmosphere of the event was as relaxed as it can get.
After already taking top honors on Saturday’s expression session, Andy Nieblas rocked the final with plenty of tip time and effortless creativity, bringing on radical movements when you’d least expect it, while showing off his signature style one can hardly put in words.
Chad Wells, Quiksilver US Team Manager, is excited about Andy’s win: “Andy is an amazing surfer! Stylish in and out of the water and visually pleasing on the eyes, you could watch him surf for hours and never get bored. I am super stoked to see him take the win at this event because the Duct Tape Format perfectly suits his surfing.”
Full list of Vans Duct Tape Invitational Invitees starting at the event:
Zach Flores
Ryan Burch
Andy Nieblas
Harrison Roach
Saxon Wilson
Tyler Warren
Justin Quintal
Alex Knost
Levi Prairie
Jordan Spree
Kai Takayama
Robin Falxa
James Parry
Adrian Lopez
Nathan Sadoun
