The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has today SUSPENDED the license for the cliff stabilisation works for a period of 5 months (until 31st January 2024) pending further investigation 🙌🏼
This will include, but not limited to a geotechnical review to be carried out by an independent party.👍🏻
This is a DIRECT RESULT of the ongoing work & activity from the Save Whipsiderry group, our instructed solicitors & the wider community 🔥💚
We have been continually putting pressure on the MMO, and other associated parties to review the license on the basis of “material change” to the cliff face, which means the basis on which the license was granted is now invalid (As well as health & safety issues and other license discrepancies.)
Whilst we are delighted with this news, this is a suspension and not a revocation, so this is NOT OVER YET!
We will be meeting at 6.30 pm next Thursday 7th at the Godolphin (Henver road) to celebrate this great news, and to discuss next steps – please come along and offer your support – we still need you! 🙏🏼🏼
This now means Save Whipsy Fest can be a celebration party of sorts, whilst we raise more funds for the next phase!! 🎉
Thank you from the bottom of of hearts, to all those that have offered their time, donated funds, given advice and shared our story – you know who you are ! We couldn’t do this without you 💚🙏🏼💚🙏🏼
(the license suspension notice can be found on the link in out bio – note, there is an error in the date 🤦🏼♀️)
Trying to ride a little between sets wave up the reef to exit the session. But end up being sucked across the near dry slab & dropped off into the keyhole gulley. RAW GoPro POV & land footage of being blasted against, up and out of the gulley. Escaping with a bruised hip, a snapped fin & a few dings.
Incidentally, in the hurry to get in the surf, I forgot to screw up one of the front side fins, only to realise out the back before the first wave. Fortunately it stayed in fine for the whole session.
The 2nd ride here gives another angle and perspective of the the sink hole to avoid getting caught in. Everything happens fast at once, this slow motion ride allows for time to also appreciate the backwash of the cliff, gurgles the entire way, the mass of barely wet reef in front of the wave, the backdoor section. Being on the outside rail in the tube counteracting the suck as it barrels, the bend in the wave that goes off the reef – Ian Battrick
After four days of incredible competition Joel Parkinson today completed a never-before-seen clean sweep of all three rounds and the grand final to claim a thoroughly deserved win at the Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy 2023.
After back-to-back lay days which saw competitors dive into the plethora of activities on offer at the resort, conditions at Sultans were pumping and pristine once again for the ultimate showdown, a world champ matchup between Joel Parkinson and Adriano de Souza. Yesterday the two men swam together with sharks, today the two apex predators of the Surfing Champions Trophy met up with prestige, prize money and oversized novelty cheques on the line.
After the ocean lay dormant for the entirety of Parkinson’s three-minute head start (determined by age) he eventually opened proceedings with a 7.0 for a string of vicious carves. A few minutes later de Souza replied with an 8.0 of his own, a powerful layback jam on the first section earning the bulk of his points. Parkinson struck back with a 7.27 before de Souza rode one of the longest waves of the event all the way to the coral beach and locked in a 6.57 to regain a narrow lead.
Parkinson turned his nose up at the first wave of the next set and de Souza went to work on the inside to record a 6.57. After a faultless week of wave choices nothing changed in the final and Parkinson’s elite ocean reading prowess proved its worth once again as the second wave stood tall, stretched out and allowed the 2012 world champion to unleash his expansive repertoire. Parkinson had locked in a 9.10 by the time he kicked out and started the long paddle to the top of the lineup.
With de Souza now in charge of priority he didn’t take long to play his trump card. A wide set saw him work through the gears, build momentum through his turns and finish on the inside with a big closeout jam to move back into the lead with an 8.07, but there were more twists to come.
De Souza quickly snuck into another wave and belted it from start to finish. Then came the moment of the final, with the Parkinson family and everyone onboard luxury launch the Kuda Princess seeing the large set that was looming on the horizon. With less than a minute to go Parkinson paddled into a long wall and tore into section after section, seemingly to take the win, an uncharacteristic claim after his last turn suggesting the Aussie definitely felt the same.
De Souza and Parkinson sat next to each other in the channel as the scores were read out. De Souza locked in his best wave of the final, an 8.6, and Parkinson’s requirement suddenly jumped up from an easily attainable 6.97 to a far more demanding 7.57. After a dramatic pause the judges deemed Parkinson’s last wave to be worth a 9.0, and on his second visit to Kuda Huraa he hoisted the Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy for the first time.
“Ten from ten!” said Parkinson, after his win. “I definitely didn’t expect that, and for it all to come down to the last minute of the last heat is as good as it gets. Imagine if I won nine of nine then had a shocker and lost the event! With the momentum I had and getting to know the break and where to sit, I still felt like I was in a good rhythm in the final even when Adriano got a few scores early. Thankfully the wave gods sent me a wave right at the end. I haven’t done a turn like that first one in five years, I had the section and jammed it. When I rode out of it I knew was on my way and just had to get the job done, and in the end I was lucky enough to get the score.”
“I can’t complain,” said a happy de Souza, “Just to get the invitation to spend a week here was amazing, I had the best time. Congratulations to Joel, he surfed so well in every division and it was such a pleasure to spend so much time in the water together again. I’ve never surfed a single fin before so had to work hard and practice so it was great to make the final, then keep it going with Joel on the twin fin and the thruster. This week was a 10, I had so much fun and the grand final just then was great. I’m not taking a trophy home, but a lot of happiness competing with Joel again, and Conner Coffin, and Mason Ho.”
First, second and third time lucky for Joel Parkinson at the Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy
Day three of the Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy followed a similar storyline to the previous rounds of competition as Joel Parkinson kept his incredible run of form going to once again top Adriano de Souza, in their third straight final of the week. After competing on single fins and twin fins over the opening rounds, performance levels jumped today as the field reverted to more orthodox thrusters (tri-fin surfboards) before tearing into three-foot, highly rippable conditions on offer at Sultans.
At an event function last night Parkinson spoke about his success this week being directly attributable to how much fun he was having with his family here on Kuda Huraa focussing on connection rather than competition, and he echoed the sentiments today.
“Surfing’s not meant to be complicated,” said the 2012 world champion, “I’ve really been trying to just paddle out and surf. Win or lose I would still be completely enjoying this event, it’s a bonus that I’ve had a few good results so far.”
World champs Parkinson and de Souza joined 2021 world number four Conner Coffin in the water for the first heat of the day, and performance levels immediately soared. Parkinson threw away a seven and an eight but banked a 9.0 and an incredible 9.87 for a series of sizzling turns and tubes to lock in an event-high 18.87 two-wave total. De Souza and Coffin both had eights, the unlucky Californian somehow finishing third with 15.93 points, narrowly shaded by de Souza’s 17.40 total.
“Only a few years ago that heat would have gone down on tour,” said Parkinson, “so it was pretty fun for us all to be out there in the jersey again.”
In the day’s second heat, Maldivian wildcard Hood Ahmed came up against Mason Ho and Coco Ho in the first ever heat between the two siblings.
“We’ve surfed against each at home on Christmas Day in some social events,” said Mason, “but nothing like this!”
Blood proved thicker than salt water when Coco joined Mason in the lineup for their heat, and he immediately felt obliged to ignore priority and let his younger sister catch the first wave that came their way.
“Mason told me ‘I had to let you go, what would Dad say if I didn’t give you that one!’” laughed Coco, “So it was a really funny advantage and put me in rhythm for the rest of the heat. I almost felt bad!”
Coco’s rhythm saw her lead from her opening wave to the final siren and earn a third straight slot in the semi-finals, matching brother Mason’s efforts for the week. While the waves slowed for the semis the order of play followed a familiar script and Parkinson and de Souza were hardly troubled on their way to the thruster final, dropping 13 and 15 point heat totals respectively.
When Parkinson opened the final with an 8.07 and backed it up before the younger de Souza had even entered the lineup, a feeling of déjà vu came over the event. Although starved of opportunity in the final, de Souza was happily back on a thruster, and philosophical after Parkinson added an 8.83 to put the final beyond doubt.
“The waves didn’t come my way but I’m so happy with today. The first heat with Conner and Joel was amazing, we had a blast. I almost had two nines, and it’s a good feeling when you get to perform like that at your best, that’s the highlight. And now I’m into another final with Joel, so let’s see what the day brings us. The trophy is still on the line!”
After the thruster final officials called competition off for the day, with just the grand final left to be surfed. After their powerful performances this week Parkinson and de Souza will square off in the event’s ultimate heat, and despite the 3-0 score line the winner-takes-all grand final while determine who hoists the Surfing Champions Trophy in 2023. Stay tuned for more updates from the Four Seasons Maldives at Kuda Huraa over the coming days!
Thruster Division Results
1. Joel Parkinson (AUS)
2. Adriano de Souza (BRA)
3. Coco Ho (HAW) equal with Mason Ho (HAW)
5. Conner Coffin (USA) equal with Hood Ahmed (MDV)
2023 Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy Leaderboard
1. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 3000pts
2. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 2700pts
3. Coco Ho (HAW) 2400pts
3. Mason Ho (HAW) 2400pts
5. Hood Ahmed (MDV) 2100pts
5. Conner Coffin (USA) 2100pts
One of the best comps of the year? Got to be right up there!
Another perfect Maldivian sunrise at Kuda Huraa set the scene for the twin-fin division of the Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy to run in non-stop four-foot waves at Sultans today, Wednesday August 23. Despite the flawless weather it was raining eights and nines in the water with Joel Parkinson walking away victorious over Adriano de Souza for a second day running.
Unlike the contrasting styles on show in yesterday’s single-fin final, where Parkinson hunted the barrel and de Souza tore into turns, today the two world champs went blow-for-blow both behind the curtain and in front of it.
“It’s harder to do turns on a single-fin but you can hide in the tube,” said ever-cunning competitor Parkinson, “whereas twin-fins are shaped so well now that you can surf them more like a modern board and be a lot more confident in attacking the lip and using the face of the wave.
“I’m a twinny guys these days,” admitted Parkinson, and his numerous excellent scores today support his admission that he feels an advantage on the craft he surfs more than any other. “It’s not going to last though,” he laughed, “I got lucky, but in the thruster division you’re going to see the field do some damage, and I might be the damage!”
Although Parkinson got off to a flying start in the final, dropping an 8.9 and a 9.63 to leave de Souza chasing a combination of scores, the Brazilian surfer came roaring back into the picture with a 9.7, the highest score of the event so far, for a deep, clean barrel that he backed up with a string of powerful turns.
With time running out and de Souza chasing an 8.83 he found the opportunity he needed and launched into one of the turns of the event on the first section, before the wave backed off a little. De Souza stuck with it and unleashed an arsenal of manoeuvres on the inside when the wave stood tall once again, and although he couldn’t have done more with the cards he was dealt the final score came in as an 8.47, agonizingly short of his requirement.
“That barrel was insane!” said de Souza, “I put on a show and almost got a 10, so even though I lost I’m proud of myself. Joel has been amazing, but tomorrow’s a new day, and I’ll be happy to wake up in paradise at the Four Seasons and go to work once again.”
In the earlier heats all of the Surfing Champions Trophy competitors put on a show, with Maldivian wildcard Hood Ahmed threading one of the longest tubes of the event on his backhand to lock in an 8.83.
“I was so happy with that wave!” said Ahmed, “I think I disappeared behind the foamball twice, and maybe if the barrel had a cleaner exit I might have been closer to a 10. After yesterday I knew tubes would be my best chance of good scores, and I’m proud I got the chance to show off what I can do.”
Once again Hawaii’s favourite siblings, Mason Ho and Coco Ho, threaded tube after tube with style to burn to find themselves in the semi-finals, where they lost to Parkinson and de Souza respectively.
“Lately I’ve been hooked on thrusters,” said Mason, “So I’m really loving this event because it’s reminding me how much I enjoy my single and twin fins. The roots!”
While all of the competitors feel fortunate to be enjoying life at the Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa, Conner Coffin might consider himself slightly hard done by in competition, finding himself one wave short of advancing in both of his heats so far.
“I’ve never wished I was older until this week so I could have a few more minutes in the lineup!” laughed Coffin. “I’ll take my thruster for a warmup this afternoon and might have a word with the wave gods while I’m at it! I’m loving this event, I’m so stoked to be here and am looking forward to another great day tomorrow.”
The Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy runs from August 21-28. The forecast is still looking pristine so stay tuned for more updates when competition resumes with the thruster division and grand final still to come.
Twin Fin Division Results
1. Joel Parkinson (AUS)
2. Adriano de Souza (BRA)
3. Coco Ho (HAW) equal with Mason Ho (HAW)
5. Conner Coffin (USA) equal with Hood Ahmed (MDV)
2023 FS Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy Leaderboard
1. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 2000pts
2. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 1800pts
3. Coco Ho (HAW) 1600pts
3. Mason Ho (HAW) 1600pts
5. Hood Ahmed (MDV) 1400pts
5. Conner Coffin (USA) 1400pts
After four days of incredible competition Joel Parkinson today completed a never-before-seen clean sweep of all three rounds and the grand final to claim a thoroughly deserved win at the Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy 2023.
