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Ulus kicks off

Owen Wright (AUS) advances to Round 4 of the 2018 Uluwatu CT after winning Heat 1 of Round 3 at Uluwatu, Bali, Indonesia.

Willian Cardoso of Brazil won Heat 9 of Round 3 at the Uluwatu CT, 2018.

The lineup prior to the commencment of Round 3 at the Uluwatu CT, 2018.

Connor O’Leary of Australia won Heat 8 of Round 3 at the Uluwatu CT, 2018.

Conner Coffin (USA) advances to Round 4 of the 2018 Uluwatu CT after winning Heat 5 of Round 3 at Uluwatu, Bali, Indonesia.

The Uluwatu CT, the make-up event for shark infested Margies commenced today with men’s Round 3 running through heats 1 – 9. Clean and pulsing 3-to-4 foot (1.2-1.5 metre) waves rolled through the Uluwatu lineup, offering up tubes and perfect walls for the world’s best surfers.

Californian standout Kolohe Andino (USA) hasn’t had the ideal start to his season, only making it beyond Round 3 once. Keen to make amends for his last-place finish at the Corona Bali Protected, Andino looked focused coming into his Round 3 matchup with 2018 CT Rookie Jesse Mendes (BRA). In a classic goofy vs. natural foot battle, the two went wave-for-wave, pushing each other to perform to their best. While both competitors posted good scores, it was Andino’scommitted backhand attack that saw him post an excellent single wave score of 8.40 (out of a possible 10), the highest of the round so far, to take the win.

“It felt good to be pushed and still be able to hold on to the win,” Andino said. “This year hasn’t really gone to plan, but it only takes one event to turn that all around, so hopefully for me it’s Uluwatu. I’m loving my time in Indonesia so far and I think the surf will be a lot better tomorrow. I’m really excited for the next round because this wave is insane.”

The biggest upset of the day happened when 2018 CT Rookie Michael Rodrigues (BRA) took down current Jeep Leader Italo Ferreira (BRA) in Heat 4 of Round 3. Fresh off a win at the Corona Bali Protected, Ferreira was the man to beat at Uluwatu, as he sets his sights on a maiden World Title. Rodrigues’ backhand was on point, going vertical through the critical sections to overcome his compatriot and set up a Round 4 matchup with Conner Coffin (USA) and Julian Wilson (AUS).

“That’s unbelievable — I’m so happy!” Rodrigues said. “I am so sad to knock Italo (Ferreira) out of this contest because I love him. When I’m in a heat I just go and do my best not to think about the competition or about what surfer I am up against, I just focus on myself and surfing my best. It worked for me today.”

After an Equal 13th place finish at the Corona Bali Protected last week, Owen Wright (AUS) was eager to push deep into the draw at the Uluwatu CT but before he could do so would have to overcome Keanu Asing (HAW) in Heat 1 of Round 3. Known for his pinpoint backhand Asing was always going to be tough to beat and he posted the first solid score of the heat. Needing a solid number to retain the lead, Wright scooped into a solid set wave and got barrelled all the way down the line to clinch the win.

“It’s great to be here competing in paradise,” Wright said. “I’ve got a lot of great memories surfing here as a kid on family holidays. Plus I competed here for a CT 10 years ago. What makes this place incredible is how many surfers it can support at one time, along this thin stretch of coastline there are so many waves. I love it here. It feels good to make that heat and I feel this event is going to change up the rankings a lot.”

Heat 3 was an all South African affair, as perennial title threat Jordy Smith (ZAF) took on 2018 CT Rookie Michael February (ZAF) in a historical matchup at Uluwatu. Smith’s experience paid off as he waited patiently for set waves to post a heat total of 15.33 (out of a possible 20) to his countryman’s 7.26. February struggled to find rhythm at Uluwatu leaving Smith to take the win and progress into Round 4 where he will matchup with Owen Wright (AUS) and Kolohe Andino (USA) in Heat 1 of Round 4.

“I’ve had to forget about the bad results at the start of the year and approached Keramas care-free and hopefully I can do the same here,” Smith said. “It’s tough coming up against another South African, I want to see him do well and I’m sure he’s going to get a big result soon, but this is our job and I had to go to work. We were calling that heat Zulu-watu because we’re both African surfers competing against each other for the first time on the CT at Uluwatu — there’s a lot of surf fans from back home here and you can really feel the support.”

2014 WSL Champion Gabriel Medina (BRA) had the unenviable task of taking on event wildcard Jack Robinson (AUS) in Heat 7. Medina kept busy catching 12 waves but struggled to post a score of consequence. Robinson did the opposite, waiting for the bigger set waves that would open up and barrel. Only needing a mid-range score, Robinson was unable to find the wave he wanted and gifted Medina the heat win.

“That was a tough heat for me,” Medina said. “Before today I hadn’t been surfing in that spot, I was surfing down the reef, so I feel like I was out of position or catching the wrong waves. Jack is an amazing surfer, he almost came out of a nice barrel, so I feel good to get into Round 4. I caught a lot of waves, but not many of them were that good — I love this place so much I just hope I can get a lot more waves in the next heat.”

Conner Coffin (USA) looked super comfortable out at Uluwatu, even finding a long barrel to post an excellent 8.00 point ride and dispatch Sebastian Zeitz (HAW) in Heat 5. Coffin will progress into Round 4 while Zeitz is eliminated in Equal 13th place.

After a shock Round 3 exit at Keramas, Julian Wilson (AUS) was pleased to progress through his heat against wildcard Kael Walsh (AUS). After the early exit of Italo Ferreira, Wilson will be hoping to regain his position at the top of the Jeep Leaderboard.

“I had a slow heat at Keramas which is a wave I love and now I had another slow heat at Uluwatu, another wave I love,” Wilson said. “Hopefully I am due for a heat with a lot of waves. When you come up against a rookie or a wildcard, you really want to perform so that you can show why you deserve your spot on Tour and in the event, but I wasn’t able to do much out there today. I love Bali, we are really lucky to have back-to-back events here. I’m not really thinking about the Jeep Leader Jersey right now, I don’t want it now, I only want it when it counts and that’s at the first event on Tour next year.”

Michel Bourez (PYF) was unable to continue his form from the Corona Bali Pro Protected, going down to CT sophomore Conor O’Leary (AUS) in Heat 8 of Round 3. 2017 CT Rookie of The Year O’Leary will progress into Round 4 as he hunts for his first major result of the season.

The last heat of the day was another all-Brasilian matchup with 2015 WSL Champion Adriano de Souza (BRA) taking on Willian Cardoso (BRA) who is fresh off an impressive 5th place finish at the Corona Bali Protected. Both surfers were evenly matched, exchanging big turns and the lead throughout the 30-minute encounter, but it was Cardoso who edged out the veteran by a mere 0.63.

Event organisers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 6:00 a.m. local time for a possible 6:30 a.m. start at Uluwatu.

The Uluwatu CT will be broadcast LIVE on the WSL’s Facebook page, WorldSurfLeague.com, and the WSL app. Also, check local listings for coverage from the WSL’s broadcast partners.

The Uluwatu CT event is proudly supported by Jeep, Corona, Hurley, Boost Mobile and AirAsia.

Surfline, forecast partner of the WSL, is calling for:

Medium size, mid period SSW swell peaks on Saturday morning, with an easing trend on Sunday. Moderate offshore flow (ESE trades) expected each day.

Uluwatu CT Men’s Round 3 Results:
Heat 1: Owen Wright (AUS) 13.43 def. Keanu Asing (HAW) 10.43
Heat 2: Kolohe Andino (USA) 14.47 def. Jesse Mendes (BRA) 14.33
Heat 3: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15.33 def. Michael February (ZAF) 7.26
Heat 4: Michael Rodrigues (BRA) 14.77 def. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 12.93
Heat 5: Conner Coffin (USA) 14.77 def. Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 9.16
Heat 6: Julian Wilson (AUS) 8.34 def. Kael Walsh (AUS) 7.27
Heat 7: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 10.50 def. Jack Robinson (AUS) 4.20
Heat 8: Connor O’Leary (AUS) 11.06 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 9.04
Heat 9: Willian Cardoso (BRA) 13.00 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 12.37

Remaining Uluwatu CT Men’s Round 3 Matchups:
Heat 10: Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. Yago Dora (BRA)
Heat 11: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Joan Duru (FRA)
Heat 12: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Mikey Wright (AUS)

Uluwatu CT Women’s Quarterfinal Matchups:
Heat 1: Carissa Moore (HAW) vs. Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA)
Heat 2: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) vs. Bronte Macaulay (AUS)
Heat 3: Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) vs. Johanne Defay (FRA)
Heat 4: Tyler Wright (AUS) vs. Lakey Peterson (USA)

Lakey Peterson and Italo Ferreira win Corona Bali Protected

Keramas, Bali/Indonesia (Sunday, June 3, 2018) - Lakey Peterson (USA) and Italo Ferreira (BRA) have taken out the Corona Bali Protected presented by Hurley, Stop No. 5 on the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT). The final day saw incredible performances in clean waves at Keramas on Bali’s east coast, allowing the world’s best surfers to put on a show at one of the most high-performance waves on the planet.

Peterson’s emphatic win sees her reclaim the Jeep Leader Jersey, continuing her red-hot form in 2018. The Californian had only two final appearances last season and settled for second on both occasions. After only four completed events this year, Peterson secured three finals and took top honors in two. Peterson’s wave selection and turn executions were on point at Keramas all week and the Final was no exception with the Santa Barbara native winning with a two-wave total of 14.33 (out of a possible 20) against two-time WSL Champion Tyler Wright (AUS).

“I’m over the moon, this is just so crazy. Seeing Steph (Gilmore) win in Brasil really lit a fire in me, and I came here and knew what I had to do. I’ve just been keeping calm all week. This is a really long year, so it’s been fun to be a part of it so far. To have a Final against Tyler (Wright) was cool. She’s been surfing so well and when she took off on that last wave, I was so nervous and didn’t know if she’d get the score. In the end it worked out for me. That chair up the beach was so cool. There are people dancing everywhere. This is crazy.”

Lakey Peterson

The Corona Bali Protected is the first-ever Women’s CT event in Bali, and it delivered all-time conditions. Peterson’s historic win today solidifies her status as one of the most progressive surfers on Tour and moves her a step closer to claiming the USA’s first women’s World Title since Lisa Andersen in 1997.

“Getting the Jeep Leader Jersey back is amazing, we are all here to have that on our back. I had it for a short second at Bells, then Steph has had it since, so it is nice to get it back from her and feel like the momentum is still with me. Everyone is surfing so well that it won’t be easy to keep. I just want to play my own game and almost act like I’m coming from behind still. I just want to enjoy every moment. I’d love to thank my fiance, my mum and my family for everything. It’s been a crazy few years and it feels like this year everything is coming together.”

Lakey Peterson

Today Ferreira cemented himself as a bonafide World Title contender by reclaiming the Jeep Leader Jersey and taking his second win of the 2018 season. Ferreira held the two highest single-wave scores of the event and three of the event’s top heat totals. The goofy-footer launched and landed massive aerials, attacked the lip with precision, and threaded backhand tubes throughout to prove himself as the worthy winner of the Corona Bali Protected.

“It’s really cool to get back the Jeep Leader Jersey, there are a lot more steps I need to take to win the World Title, so I will enjoy this moment, but I want to win more. The CT is full of amazing surfers, but I am feeling confident and I want to keep the momentum and extend my lead.

This wave is perfect; it reminds me of my home break, I have been paddling out when it’s dark every day because I love this wave and I want to get as many as I can. It was such a perfect day. Michel (Bourez) is a real power-surfer -- probably the best on Tour -- so I knew I needed to be at my best to win. Luckily for me, I found some good waves and was able to show my surfing.”

Italo Ferreira

Reigning, two-time WSL Champion Wright has had an uncharacteristically slow start to the season and had not progressed past the Quarterfinals until this week at the Corona Bali Protected. Wright’s powerful brand of surfing was back to its best, threading tubes and throwing loads of spray with every turn. In the Final, she was unable to find the waves to match Peterson’s excellent opening score, but she will now head to the Uluwatu CT with confidence.

Michel Bourez (PYF) and Keramas were a perfect match all week with the Tahitian’s tube-riding ability and powerful rail-game trumping everyone he came up against. Unfortunately for Bourez, he failed to surpass his previous second-place finish at Keramas (2013). Although disappointed with coming short, he was stoked to move to 4th on the Jeep Leaderboard and will now turn his focus to the upcoming Uluwatu CT.

In his Semifinal victory over Jordy Smith (ZAF), Ferreira scored the Corona Bali Protected’s only Perfect 10. Ferreira took off on a reeling right-hander and drove into a deep bottom turn, where he then launched into a lofty and technical backhand full-rotation aerial. The landing was clean and smooth, followed by two powerful turns and another technical aerial on the end-section.

On his way to the Final, Bourez dispatched event wildcard Mikey Wright (AUS), who was a standout all event and continued to take down some of the biggest names in surfing. Wright’s performance saw him finish a career-topping Equal 3rd position. Wright now rockets to 12th on the Jeep Leaderboard, giving the 21-year-old a huge chance of qualifying for the CT in 2019 as a full-time competitor.

The next stop on the WSL CT will be the Uluwatu CT, the event that will complete the cancelled Margaret River Pro. The Uluwatu CT holding period will open in the next 72 hours and close on June 13th, 2018.

Corona Bali Protected Women’s Final Result:
1 - Lakey Peterson (USA) 14.33
2 - Tyler Wright (AUS) 13.74

2018 WSL Women's CT Jeep Leaderboard (After Corona Bali Protected):
1 - Lakey Peterson (USA) 35,630 pts
2 - Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 34,235 pts
3 - Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) 26,105 pts
4 - Tyler Wright (AUS) 23,460 pts
5 - Carissa Moore (HAW) 22,065 pts

Corona Bali Protected Men’s Final Result:
1 - Italo Ferreira (BRA) 18.87
2 - Michel Bourez (PYF) 9.83

Corona Bali Protected Men’s Semifinal Results:
SF 1: Michel Bourez (PYF) 14.27 def. Mikey Wright (AUS) 5.67
SF 2: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 17.13 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 16.93

2018 WSL Men's CT Jeep Leaderboard (After Corona Bali Protected):
1 - Italo Ferreira (BRA) 24,995 pts
2 - Filipe Toledo (BRA) 22,820 pts
3 - Julian Wilson (AUS) 21,080 pts
4 - Michel Bourez (PYF) 19,375 pts
5 - Gabriel Medina (BRA) 17,860 pts

Wanted – Quiksilver Young Guns

Quiksilver is excited to invited the world’s best newcomer surfers to show their skills in another round of Young Guns, a one of a kind surf competition run almost entirely
on the internet. Meanwhile a household name in the surfing scene, the Young Guns franchise give the chance to rise and shine to any teenage surf enthusiast.

Groms from 13 to 17 years of age are invited to submit their best surfing footage via Instagram to qualify and get the chance to make any aspiring’s surfer dream come true. After several rounds of voting, mixing professional judges and the public, the lucky finalists will be invited to the surf trip of their lifetime, joined by Quiksilver team riders and professional photographers.
After exotic locations like Sumatra or Brasil, this year’s final will be held in no other then the world’s most talk about surf destination: The recently opened WSL Wave Ranch in Lemore, California. For a full day, this notorious location will belong to a small group of teenage surfers, hosted by Quiksilver Pro riders Leonardo Fioravanti and Kanoa Igarashi. To put the cherry on top, the winner will take home a 10.000 $ check and join the likes of Gabriel Medina and Mikey Wright by becoming a Young Gun

So how does it work?

Phase 1: Submit your entries
It couldn’t be any easier. From June 3rd, , 8 AM PCT, 2018 – June 18, 7:59 AM PST any surfer who is under the age of 18 by August 31, 2018, and at least 13 by June 4th, 2018 is invited to post a clip on Instagram, tagging @quiksilver and hashtagging #YGSurfContest. All entries will be viewed and evaluated indivudually by no one less than Leonardo Fioravanti and Kanoa Igarashi, both accomplished professional surfers and former ―Young Guns‖.
Judging criteria are based on technique, creativity and flow – entries can be a single wave or a full edit, as long as the clip is no longer than 60 seconds.
To reward up-and-coming creative talent, there is also an extra price of 1000 $ for the most creative video entry, regardless of the skill level. Have fun, get weird, get rich!

On June 23, we will announce the 8 finalists on our website and social media.

Phase 2: Voting period
Now it’s time for the public to get involved. From June 25th – July 2nd, we dedicate one day to each surfer in our Instagram stories on @quiksilver. Via the poll feature, votes can be given to your personal favorite. On top of the contestants with the highest numbers, Leo and Kanoa will pick an additional wildcard.
Phase 3: The final
That dream of showing up, surfing the world’s best man-made wave. This is where it comes true. The 4 finalists will hit Lemoore with Leo and Kanoa and spend an entire day at the Surf Ranch to battle it out. We’ll be sharing the experience on @quiksilver’s Instagram and publish a short film that’ll make you feel like you were there.
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THE JUDGES
Leonardo Fioravanti
Surfers don’t come any more well-rounded than Leonardo Fioravanti. He’s creative. He’s technical. And he’s completely fearless. Growing up in the spotlight, Leo knows what it’s like to be a Young Gun on the international scene. He first qualified for the CT at only 18-years-old and is currently a resident of the barrel. Plus, he may or may not be on a first-name basis with A$AP Rocky.
Tip: Go as big as you can!

Kanoa Igarashi
Kanoa is consistently surprising and surprisingly consistent. He quickly became a surf prodigy in Huntington Beach, CA and has lived up to every bit of hype. Only 20 years old and already in his 3rd year on the CT, he made the Pipe Masters as a rookie in 2016. Plus, he’s one of the best at the Surf Ranch — he made the final at the WSL Future Classic last year. Maybe he’ll give you a tip or two before your waves at the final.
Tip: If you link some big maneuvers, you’ll get my vote.

Groms shred in Jersey

Sunny skies, a small groundswell and offshore winds were on offer for the first event of this years’ three event Rip Curl GromSearch series. Jersey in the Channel Islands is a new event and organisers worked hard around the famously large tides to maximise the swell window with action happening between 8am and 9pm each day.