I don’t mind bit of kookiness, we can’t all be Kelly Slater, but as long as we are having fun and loving what we do, that’s the main thing.
BUT would if you were the sports biggest sporting body, determined to sell surfing as cool to mid America, you wouldn’t let your fourth on command wander down one of the busiest beaches in Bali for a surf with the fins in the wrong way way round would you…
Oh, apparently you would…
The poor soul having her mistake pointed out to her is Chief Commercial Officer Beth Greves. Luckily someone filmed the whole deal so she is currently appearing on “Kook of the day” .
Hey WSL, do you know anyone that could give Beth a surf lesson? Please…
If this can happen to top Japanese ripper Yu Tonbi Sumitomo then it’s only matter of time some gumbo hits a grom?
Anglet, France has banned any hydrofoiling 5km stretch of surrounding beaches in what they believe is a preemptive move to reduce the risk of injury to other bathers.
Source magazine (who speak French better than what we do) report
“The city of Anglet in SW France has released a local ordinance on 29th May, banning any hydrofoiling activity on its 5 KM stretch of beaches. No accident related to foiling has been reported yet, but nonetheless Anglet’s Town Hall put an emphasis on the risks bathers are facing due to the proximity of foiling enthusiasts, whether they are kiteboarders, surfers or SUPers. Any trespassers will face penal action.”
Local waterman and big wave charger Stephane Iralour isn’t happy with the mayor’s decision stated “there’s a lot of delusion surrounding foiling, although accidents are no more frequent than with [regular] surfboards”, adding the ban sends an awkward message for a town boasting its ‘ville de surf’ label.”
However having seen the damage done and the warnings given by surfers like Jamie Mitchell, we’d have to say its a good idea. Things are lethal the wrong hands. Given the average level of SUP’ing we witness on a daily basis here in the in UK surf, and the likelihood of someone with low board skills strapping a foil on the bottom, surely it’s only a matter of time the ban reaches other countries? I mean if this can happen to top Japanese ripper Yu Tonbi Sumitomo then it’s only matter of time.
Italo Ferreira (BRA) advances to the final of the 2018 Corona Bali Protected after winning Semifinal Heat 2 at Keramas, Bali, Indonesia. Ferreira posted a only perfect ten point ride of the event for a massive rotation aerial maneuver.
Lakey Peterson (USA) and Italo Ferreira have taken out the Corona Bali Protected. 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).
Italo Ferreira of Brazil won the Corona Bali Protected, 2018.
“I’m over the moon,” said Peterson. “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 (USA) is the WINNER of the women’s 2018 Corona Bali Protected after winning the final at Keramas, Bali, Indonesia. With the victory Peterson takes the Jeep Leader Yellow Jersey going into the next event.
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,” Peterson continued. “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.”
“It’s really cool to get back the Jeep Leader Jersey,” Ferreira said. “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,” Ferreira continued. “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.”
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.
“It’s been a great contest, we’ve had great waves and the level of surfing has been really high,” Wright said. “I’ve been watching Lakey (Peterson) all week and I knew she would be tough to beat. She got that 8.33 early in the Final and the waves slowed down and I couldn’t catch her. I am happy with my performance this week, and I’m looking forward to going to the Uluwatu CT and doing it all over again.”
Michel Bourez (PYF) finishes RUNNER-UP in men’s 2018 Corona Bali Protected after placing second in the final at Keramas, Bali, Indonesia. The results is the second runner-up finish for Bourez in a final at Keramas, in 2013 he finished second in the final.
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.
“It was a shame that the waves slowed down on Finals Day, but I’m still really happy,” Bourez said. “It was cool to come up against Italo (Ferreira) in the Final. He has been ripping all week. He and I have been the first ones in the water every morning and been on the same program. He is such a good guy, so I’m really stoked for him. A Final result is good but second is not enough. Winning would have really pushed me further on the rankings, but I can’t go backwards so it’s all good. I feel good heading to Uluwatu now. I really feel comfortable here in Bali. It feels similar to my island home in Tahiti.”
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.
Wildcard Mikey Wright (AUS) finishes equal 3rd in the 2018 Corona Bali Protected after placing second Semifinal Heat 1 at Keramas, Bali, Indonesia.
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. In the men’s event, 24 competitors remain in the field and competition will recommence with Round 3. In the women’s event, eight competitors remain in the field and competition will recommence with the Quarterfinals. Fans can watch all the action 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.
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.
Corona Bali Protected Women’s Final Result:
1 – Lakey Peterson (USA) 14.33
2 – Tyler Wright (AUS) 13.74
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
The Arica Pro has been pumping. The WSL Men’s QS 3,000 is held at the super heavy, shallow left lined with huge razor sharp mussels and scores every year.
The Corona Bali Protected has once again been treated to picture-perfect conditions. The event ran through the men’s Quarterfinals and the women’s Quarterfinals and Semifinals, leaving just four heats to go until the Corona Bali Protected victors will be decided.
The first competitor to solidify a spot in the Final was reigning two-time WSL Champion Tyler Wright (AUS) who took down event standout Silvana Lima (BRA) in Quarterfinal 1, then Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) in Semifinal 1. Wright seems to be building towards the final day as she has now guaranteed her best result for the year so far.
“These heats were a little slow for waves so I knew there wouldn’t be a lot of opportunities,” Wright said. “Wave selection was super important as you had to make everything count. I made a few mistakes in my Quarterfinal so definitely got lucky, but was happy to clean it all up in the Semifinal. The waves are really fun so tomorrow should be a great day.”
After Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) was eliminated in the Quarterfinals, Lakey Peterson (USA) saw a massive opportunity to take back the Jeep Leader Jersey. Before she could eye it off, she would first have to overcome Malia Manuel (HAW) in Quarterfinal 1, a tough task as Manuel pushed her to the limit until the final minutes. She then met event standout Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) in Semifinal 2 and put on a commanding performance that saw her dominate the Australian. Fitzgibbons began to fight back late but it was to no avail, giving Peterson her third CT final appearance of the year, where a win will give her the No. 1 spot on the Jeep Leaderboard.
“When I saw that Steph was out I think I let my emotions get the best of me,” Peterson said. “I was pretty aware of everything and watched her heat closely. I love the Jeep Leader Jersey and would really like it back. I hope to keep this rhythm going and get a good little run on but I’m also keeping things in perspective and if it doesn’t happen that’s fine because I’m having a lot of fun.”
Michel Bourez (PYF) started the men’s Quarterfinals with the daunting task of taking on the high flying rookie, Griffin Colapinto (USA). The lead went back and forth as the rookie and veteran exchanged tube rides and hacks, both surfers scored an excellent 8.50, but it was the Tahitian, Bourez, who had the bigger backup score and was able to advance into the Semifinals. Bourez finished runner-up here in 2013 and is looking set for another huge result in 2018.
“This wave sort of reminds me of a smaller Haleiwa, and I’ve won that event twice so I do feel like it really suits my surfing,” Bourez said. “That heat with Griffin was so much fun, we were just watching each other score perfect waves for 30 minutes. When I saw him get his 8.50 I was looking in the tube and he was so deep that I couldn’t see him, then he came out – I couldn’t believe it. Then I went out and got a really good one for myself too. I am stoked to be into the Semifinals, I can’t wait for tomorrow.”
Mikey Wright’s (AUS) dream run at the Corona Bali Protected continues. The WSL wildcard is through to the Semifinals after defeating Willian Cardoso (BRA) in a thrilling Quarterfinal matchup. The battle started slow, but the climactic finish saw the lead change multiple times. In the dying minute, Cardoso was in a commanding position, with Wright needing an 8.36 when a set wave approached. It seemed as if Wright was too deep when he took off and pulled into the tube, but he came flying out a few seconds later and finished the wave with a series of power gouges. The wait for the score was intense, Wright was with his sister Tyler when the score was announced and they celebrated the victory that saw Wright win by only 0.07 of a point.
“That was a really tough heat against Willian, he was surfing so good,” Wright said. “It felt like a really long time waiting for that score to come, I was on the beach, but was so relieved when it came through. The waves have been so good and there’s been so much good surfing in this event, I can’t really believe I’m in the Semis.”
Mikey Wright of Australia won Heat 2 of the Quarterfinals at the Corona Bali Protected, 2018.
“My strategy surfing against Filipe (Toledo) out here is to be on the best waves,” Smith said. “He could get massive scores on those smaller inside waves, so if I just kept to the bigger ones and got barreled I could have control. I knew the judges were rewarding the barrels so I knew that first one would be a good score. I was so deep and came over the foam ball and came out and heard the cheers which was awesome. Getting a solid backup against him was super important as he is capable of anything. I’m just really happy to have a guaranteed result now, I’ve had a slow start to the year and am I’m so sick of that third round and continuing to get all of these almost last-place finishes, so it’s really nice to get a roll on, especially in pumping waves in a beautiful place like Bali.”
The final men’s Semifinal spot went to Italo Ferreira (BRA) who was rewarded once again for his pinpoint backhand attack. Ferreira was up against Frenchman Jeremy Florence (FRA) whose instinct in the barrel earned him an excellent 9.00 point ride, the highest single wave of the heat. Flores struggled to find another wave of substance leaving Ferreira to take the win and progress into Semifinal 2, where he will take on Jordy Smith.
“That was such a good heat with Jeremy,” Ferreira said “When he got that big score I began to panic and really had to calm myself down a lot. It felt like it works for me when I stay relaxed. I just try and treat each heat like a normal surf and have fun. Being the last goofy-footer in the event could play to my advantage as this wave really suites the backside — I love surfing this place, it’s so much fun.”
Earlier in the day in Women’s Quarterfinal 2, a massive upset unfolded as six-time WSL Champion and current Jeep Leader Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) was eliminated by Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) in a down-to-the-wire matchup. Weston-Webb stayed as busy as possible in the slow conditions, while Gilmore waited for the sets. Needing only a 4.11 to take the lead, Gilmore found a medium set wave in the final minute, only to uncharacteristically fall on her first turn, leaving Weston-Webb to get the win and a Semifinal berth.
“Everytime I come up against a WSL Champion I just saver that moment as much as possible,” Weston-Webb said. “They are always the hardest people to beat and the hardest heats to make. Steph (Gilmore) is the most amazing surfer and I’ve always looked up to her, so to get a win off her, especially in those conditions feels really good. It was a slow heat and really nerve-racking. I felt for Steph having to wait with priority with no waves coming, but I’m stoked to make it to the Semifinals.”
Although she was eliminated in the Semifinal, Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), locked in the event’s top score yesterday, was in red-hot-form at the Corona Bali Protected, posting a solid 8.40 for another critical tube ride. Fitzgibbons dispatched 2018 Rookie sensation Caroline Marks (USA) in the Quarterfinals and her Semifinal finish was her best result of the 2018 season so far.
The WSL Commissioner’s Office will reconvene onsite at the Corona Bali Protected at 6:30 a.m. for a possible 7 a.m. start tomorrow.
The Corona Bali Protected presented by Hurley 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.
Surfline, WSL forecast partner, are calling for:
Successive pulses of fun size SSW swells will continue to roll in over the next few days, keeping up head-overhead sets for Keramas through the middle of next week. Conditions may be problematic for Sunday with onshore flow rising up quickly, but still fairly light early. Monday’s winds may be similar. Then light offshore winds show for much of the mornings over Tues/Wed. Watching for yet another fun size pulse by the 9th.
For more than a decade, the Masked Ball crew religiously researched the ingredients for the perfect home-baked festival.
In an age where throwing a load of big names on a poster, and dotting a few stages inside a fenced area seems to the conjure up the inventiveness of the modern music event, it’s soulfully refreshing to see small, organically-grown organisation like the Masked Ball buck the trend and offer something truly special.
Without sounding too much like someone who took a left at Woodstock and never came back, it’s the one-family vibe that earned the Summer Masked Ball the number one slot in the recent Guardian’s top ten best under-the-radar music festivals in Europe.
For the Summer Masked Ball creates an atmosphere of love, unity and friendship all under the pretext of a darn good party.
Sporting for the first time a coveted 24-hour license, the party didn’t stop – and revellers didn’t stop partying.
In what seems like a lifetime of organising events, the Masked Ball crew of directors Alec Short and Kelvin Batt (ably backed by a dedicated crew of seasoned festival hacks) have really come into their own in cooking up a summer festival as damn near perfect as it could be.
Set upon one of the most stunning locations in the Europe, the Summer Masked Ball is a playground for the most hedonistic party adventurer. Around every corner, is a feast of sensory overload. Where else does a dwarf invite you to enter a waist high tunnel leading to a camp disco hosted by a throng of scantily clad gyrating transsexuals? It’s a sight that will stay with the most seasoned partygoer for decades to come.
There was techno from Cornish bpm-masters SIN, gorgeous grooves from Jelly Jazz and even a Prince tribute band. The costumes were outrageous, resembling a cross between a South American Mardi Gras and a children’s fancy dress disco.
In every nook was a stunning surprise, a wonderland of secret venues, themed arenas and fantastic music and performers. This was an event with truly something for everyone. Entertainment-wise, there is so much to write about.
In the dozen or so venues, every genre of music was catered for from drum and bass to ska. The Saturday trip seemed to be a tour of all the arenas, finding a groove and atmosphere that suits your mood and sticking with it. Sunday was loose as a goose, where an infectious vibe of getting down filled the three remaining open venues with smiling faces.
Ball wingman Kelvin Batt said: “This is the best ball we have put on, a shoot back to the early days when it was all about the guests and the atmosphere.”
“It was a nice audience, and we were pleased with the extra stages. We would like to thank the crowd for being so brilliant. The new stages worked, it felt like a ball. The 24 hours worked well, no-where was too busy.”
Tickets for the Halloween Masked Ball, which takes place on October 27, are now on sale, with a limited run of just 500 tickets at £40.
