What happens when you round up four of the world’s best teenage surfers, set them loose at the world’s best man-made wave and give them a chance to win $10,000?
Well, the 2018 Quiksilver Young Guns WSL Surf Ranch Showdown.
The event started in June as an Instagram contest that drew over 1000 entries from all corners of the globe. The #YGSurf judges, Leonardo Fioravanti and Kanoa Igarashi, combed all the entries and hand-picked their 8 favorites. Those 8 Young Guns were subject to a public voting challenge and the top 3 earned tickets to the WSL Surf Ranch. Leo and Kanoa also hand-picked a wildcard to join them for the final in Lemoore.
And then there were four: Jett Schilling, 15, from San Clemente, USA, Samuel Pupo, 17, from Maresias, Brazil, Justin Becret, 16, from Seignosse, France and Marco Mignot, 17, who is from France but currently resides in Mexico.
The day of surfing started off strong — Justin described his first wave as the best wave of his life — and the Young Guns never looked back. The fun was infectious and the future of surfing was unfolding before everyone’s eyes.
The Showdown used an innovative format that broke the half-mile-long wave at the WSL Surf Ranch into three different sections. In a rotating order, the competitors would position themselves at different points along the pool. Each surfer would catch the wave and do their best before they had to kick out in order to allow the next surfer to get his section of the wave.
The new formula meant two things: the surfers got a ton of opportunities and they always went for broke. Towards the end of the day, each Young Gun also got to surf a few waves from start to finish to see what they could do when the legs start burning.
So, how do you take all that and pick a champion? Simple. The Young Gun who surfs the best wins. And of course, Leo and Kanoa had the final say.
At The Showdown, that kid was Samuel Pupo.
“I couldn’t believe how hard all of them were ripping,” said Leo. “In the end, Sammy did the biggest air and best carve. The new format worked really well and let all the kids open up, but Sammy was a standout all day.”
“They were getting better and better every wave,” Kanoa added. “By the end, I felt like I was watching them get to a completely different level.”
And here’s what Samuel had to say, while he was dripping wet and grinning ear to ear, “I’ve competed in this event for the past four years and even won it last year. It’s so much different from all the other contests. It’s always so much fun and I feel like it enables you to surf your best instead of surfing a normal heat. It’s crazy to finish my Young Guns career with a win here.”
Sammy also said that his eyes are now set on the US Open. If his surfing here was any indication, Sammy and all of the #YGSurf Finalists will be ones to watch out for.
Surfing superstar Bruce Irons (HAW) will join Brazilian livewire Alejo Muniz (BRA) 2001 WSL Champion CJ Hobgood (USA) and local wildcard Abdulla ‘Fuku’ Areef (MDV).
Former WSL Championship Tour (CT) star Bruce Irons (HAW) needs little introduction in the surfing world. Renowned for his technical brilliance in the tube, ability to land massive aerial manoeuvres and general all-around style, Irons is one of the most iconic surfers of his generation. After retiring from competitive surfing in his late twenties, Bruce has spent the last decade travelling the world hunting for perfect waves in the most idyllic locations. With a thirst for warm water reef breaks and an inbuilt competitive tenacity, Irons is sure to be one of the most exciting names added to the Champions Trophy competitors list in its 8-year history.
“I so pumped to be invited to this event,” Irons said. “The Maldives is such a fun place to go surfing with the awesome waves, picturesque Islands and clear warm water, it’s a surfing paradise. I’ve seen and heard things about the Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy in the past and think it sounds like the sickest event. I can’t wait to get over there and surf the different boards in those waves — It’s going to be amazing.”
Another former CT surfer who will be joining the likes of Burce Irons, Josh Kerr and Fred Patacchia Jnr will be Alejo Muniz (BRA), who burst onto the elite CT as a teenager and wowed the tour with his lightning-fast brand of surfing. Muniz will be taking a short break from re-qualifying to rip into the walls of Sultans with some of his idols.
“I’m so stoked and honored to get the invite to the Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy,” Muniz said. “It is a really cool event and such a great concept and the fact there is some of surfing’s biggest names coming is so incredible. I’ve followed it over the years and am ready to go and put on my best performance possible. I will be travelling to the event with my son and wife and to have them along to experience this luxury will make it all the more enjoyable.”
With multiple Maldivian Surfing Championships to his name, along with a string of WSL Qualifying Series event appearances, the 2018 Fours Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy event wildcard has gone to Abdulla ‘Fuku’ Areef (MDV). With a lightning fast backhand and superior knowledge of the waves in the area, Areef will be one to watch when he takes on his heroes this August at Sultans.
“I’m so excited to be invited to this event,” Areef said. “I’d like to thank The Four Seasons Maldives and Tropicsurf for this incredible opportunity. Surfing against some of my heroes will be such a great experience and especially on all of the different equipment. I can’t wait.”
With the unfortunate withdrawal of the two-time reigning event winner Taj Burrow (AUS) due to a knee injury, the door has been opened for 2001 WSL Champion CJ Hobgood (USA) to return in 2018. Hailing from Florida, Hobgood’s antics in big barreling waves is what gained him global notoriety, but it is his super stylish backhand that will make him a favourite at Sultans when competition gets underway this August. C.J. was a standout at the Champions Trophy last year, only just being edged out by eventual winner Burrow so was understandably stoked when he got the call up again in 2018.
“I honestly can’t believe we are going back it’s the best trip me and my wife have ever had and we’ve travelled a bit. Thank you Taj get better and hope they get you an injury wild card next year. I tried so hard to win last year but Taj wasto good and smashed me in that final last year. I still vividly rem those couple waves that came in they were perfect in that heat.”
Surfing superstar Alana Blanchard (HAW) has withdrawn from the 2018 Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy as she and partner Jack Freestone (AUS) focus on their newly born son Banks. The event will hope to see the Hawaiian sensation back to compete in the years to come.
So you want to know more about plastics? The truth will shock you. Social and material scientists have known this crisis was coming for a long time, but our habits, economic system, politics and big business have helped put the world population in a state of denial and now our mistakes are coming home roost.
In this amazing three part BBC pod cast series Professor Mark Miodownik, explores how we fell in love with plastic, why we’ve ended up with oceans of waste blighting the environment and what science and society can do about it.
We may not be on speaking terms right now. But we do have a love affair with plastic, in fact it can be all consuming. Adaptable, lightweight, cheap and hygienic – fantastic plastics started to win our affection back in the late 19th century. Bakelite was an early plastic invented to replace expensive wood. Celluloid was one of the earliest plastics, failing to replace ivory in billiard balls, but revolutionising the world as movie film. Plastic really did change our world. Plastic radar insulation played a role in helping the Allied forces win the Second World War and after the conflict, factories start to churn out cheap, mass-produced goods in the new synthetic polymers. But some of the key virtues of plastic may now have paradoxically poisoned the relationship. Being virtually indestructible, has led to a build-up of toxic micro-plastic in the oceans and environment. We’ve grown to regard many plastics as cheap and disposable, we take it for granted, rely on it too much, value it too little and are too ready to cast it aside after one single use.
Plastic waste has been a global crisis waiting to happen. To date it’s estimated that around 8.3 billion tonnes of waste plastic exists. That’s 25 Empire State Buildings or 1 billion elephants. Incredibly around half of this has been generated in just the last 14 years, despite mass production having begun in the 1950s. Events such as China’s recent refusal to take any more “foreign rubbish” and Sir David Attenborough’s graphic portrayal of the devastation that plastic waste is causing in our oceans, has prompted political and media discussion like never before. We are at a critical moment where, if we’re to turn the tide on plastic pollution, it will require science and society to come together to create real change. But it won’t be easy. One major area that needs an overhaul is recycling. In the UK only 14% of plastic collected is recycled. We, and the rest of Europe tend to burn our waste for energy, and plastic has a calorific value similar to that of coal. But proponents of the circular economy say we should never consider plastic as waste at all and we should think of it as ‘Buried Sunshine’ – a resource that needs conserving – by reusing and recycling again and again.
The solutions to the problem of plastic pollution and plastic waste lie in many directions. A global plan to stop littering will go a long way. But human behaviour change often needs some economic intervention. One idea by the UK government and many others around the world, is to give a little financial incentive in the form of deposits on plastic bottles, or taxation on single use plastic like coffee cups, food wrapping and plastic bags. Mark Miodownik investigates some of the scientific solutions such as alternatives to petrochemical plastic using microbes or plant materials, clever waste sorting technologies to help make the process easier, even using less plastic. And he hopefully untangles some of the confusing messages about plastic and comes up with ways to be plastic smart.
So, I had a two board snappage by Air France that turned the nose of one board into dup and, to be honest I have not really ever got over. But this… this is next level…
