Surf Caribe

Sparks

Surf Caribe — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:24:47 +0000

Enjoy this video of ”Chispa” surfing various spots on the island’s north and west coast.

Marejada de los Muertos

Surf Caribe — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 19:58:57 +0000

The 2011-2012 Caribbean winter surf season was a little slow getting started. While we did enjoy a relatively good hurricane season, October never really delivered like it usually does. And as Halloween approached a lot of surfers here in Puerto Rico were looking at each other quizzically wondering when it was all going to blow up. Then on the 4th of November we got a little bit of a bang that lasted right through the 6th, and on the 7th there was a swell explosion of nuclear proportions. Join Surf Caribe now as we relive a bit of the glory.

On the 4th of November winter finally arrived in the Caribbean, albeit a little later than normal. Photo: Eliezer Zayas

Locals like Carlos Cabrero knew exactly where to be to receive the new winter properly. Photo: Emil Mendez

As usual, Jorge Iglesias was right in tune with the new swell. Photo: Angel Vázquez

Outside! Photo: Angel Vázquez

Empty room, in a nice shade of blue. Photo: Angel Vázquez

Looks like Ricky Delgado gave Jochi Betancourt something "slim" to think about on this one. Photo: Angel Vázquez

You can be fairly sure that Otto Flores disappeared shortly after this image was captured. Photo: Angel Vázquez

By the 7th of November the real deal came to town. And you needed some serious sack to get into a wave like this one. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

Guys like local wonderkid, Brian Toth, had sack to spare. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

Wesley Toth had the necessary sack, but then went diving for lobsters a split second later. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

Sebastian Moreno was visiting from Florida and managed to stroke into some solid bombs. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

Another local that was charging for all he was worth was Dylan Graves. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

Slotted in a major green room, Dylan Graves was nothing but poise and aplomb. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

Buuuuuuuuuuuurp! Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

Wesley Toth slotting himself in a room with a view. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

But that was far from the only room in which Wesley slotted himself. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

Now would be a good time to know how to duckdive well. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

And when THE wave came, no one knew what to do with it better than Tothy. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

Yes, Brian got a lot of BIG waves this morning. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

And Brian emerged from innumerable barrels with the spit stinging the backs of his ears. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

Meanwhile, back in San Juan, there were some rideable walls before things got completely out of control. Photo: Eliezer Zayas

Pure floral perfection. Photo: Eliezer Zayas

More of the same. Photo: Eliezer Zayas

Through the plam fronds it almost looks tame. Think again, pardner. Photo: Eliezer Zayas

By the 8th the swell was on the wane, but still solid, and Shayne McIntyre rode this foam ball all the way to pay dirt. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

Dylan Graves was another local who pulled in clean and tight on a lot of barrels during the second morning of the swell. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

Tothy speed blurring into an overcast pit. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

Eduardo "Chu Chu" Roare on a clean little zipper. Photo: Emil Mendez

Through the last week of the month there were still some waves to be had, but nothing like that first week. Photo: Eliezer Zayas

Through a rusty hole, it's still possible to appreciate a morning of clean Caribbean surf. Photo: Eliezer Zayas

Three Queens

Surf Caribe — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 03:04:23 +0000

Hurricane season in the Caribbean can be hit or miss, feast or famine, win big or lose the farm completely. There’s really no way around it. So far this year we’ve seen three named storms deliver surf across the region; Irene, who was a bit of a biyatch (if you don’t mind me saying) for Puerto Rico, but not nearly as much of a wench as she was for the Northeast US, Katia, who delivered the goods from Windward to Leeward Islands and beyond, and Maria, who, although smaller and less buxom than her two siblings, did serve up some tasty morsels of wave energy. Join us now as we relive some of the highlights from what has so far been a reasonably good tropical weather surf season.

When Irene kicked back some swell after going by Puerto Rico, the lighthouse at El Morro was keeping watch. Photo: Angel Vázquez

From left; Sebastian "Binladen" Cabrera, Daniel Marrero, and Jeanmi gear up for a session in the shadow of El Morro. Photo: Angel Vázquez

Daniel Marrero was super keen on Irene’s smooth curves. Photo: Angel Vázquez

This unidentified logger took Irene for a walk on the nose. Photo: Angel Vázquez

When Katia started gearing up in the intertropical convergence zone, the lines pouring into the shores of Barbados on Friday afternoon, September 2nd, were clean as a whistle. Photo: Tarik Browne

The following day, Puerto Rico local, Brian Toth, was there to greet Katia on the East coast of Barbados, and found her quite to his liking. Photo: Tarik Browne

Another Bajan local proving his salt in the seriously round conditions was Andrew Rapson. Photo: Tarik Browne

Late that afternoon a certain reef in Bathsheba began to show some promise. Photo: Tarik Browne

By the following afternoon, Sunday, September 4th, Matt Capel was carving some old school arcs on a new age Rusty single fin. Photo: Tarik Browne

Come Monday the swell was really beginning to fill in along the shores of Borinquen, and native son, Babby Quiñones, was all over it with his 7D. Photo: Angel Vázquez

Although all the rain from Irene created some murky water, that didn’t keep Angel Vázquez from getting pitted with his housing. Photo: Angel Vázquez

By Tuesday the offshores had kicked in, grooming the swell into corduroy lines for this Puerto Rican local. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

Don’t believe the hype. This wave is really a gutless mushburger. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

Here’s another local cashing in at his local break on Tuesday morning. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

When Maria came to dance this local taina followed her right on to the Piñones dancefloor. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

But there were also lots of open faces to carve, as this local proved with a stylish cutback. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

Maria was just what the doctor ordered for Tommy Bursian to launch Flight 6381 on Piñollywood Airlines. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

This guy wasn’t just turning, but looking for pockets wherever he could find them, too. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

As Maria exited at stage left she pulsed a few last lines for the faithful, and now the wait is on for the next fetch. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

This unidentified local was intent on pulling into this little pocket. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

Dimension Surfboards shaper, Raymond Rosado, took advantage of Maria to do some research and design on a new template he recently mowed for himself. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

FSPR Masters Event

Surf Caribe — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 12:51:15 +0000

Juan Ashton had an impressive showing in qualifying for both Masters and Grand Masters categories and employing equipment that was tailor-made for the conditions on hand.

Isabela local, Joe Suarez, came to win on similar equipment, but despite a good display of talent could not qualify for the ISA event.

And the crowd goes wild!

Gustavo Betancourt threw his weight around (and lots of water) in qualifying for the Masters category of competition.

Another competitor that was showing fine form in qualifying for the team was Hector González.

Low tide Aviones is always good for some adventure on the reef.

In the Grand Kahuna category no one could touch Javier Gorbea, who floated his way right onto the team and a trip to Panamá.

Another Kahuna who’ll make the trip and hope for a big swell at Santa Catalina was Isla Verde’s own Alberto Licha.

The always-enthusiastic Maru Torres was on hand to help the FSPR staff make this event a total success.

Grand Masters competitor, Dicky Villanueva, took it to Aviones and will represent Puerto Rico in Panamá.

Between heats it was just another day at the beach for the Villanueva family.

It’s hard to believe that Pablo “Pache” Diaz is old enough to compete in Masters events, but getting old happens to everyone.

Just another beautiful day in paradise.

Gustavo Betancourt charging on his backside with style.

To the victor goes the… Medalla shower!

Gustavo and Juan, competitors and teammates.

Juan Palerm, at far right, addresses the qualifiers for the Puerto Rico Masters team. They are, from left; Dicky Villanueva, Hector González, Alberto Licha, Javier Gorbea, Gustavo Betancourt, and Juan Ashton.

By Steve Fitzpatrick

Photos by Sara Diaz-Velarde

This past Saturday, June 26^th, Puerto Rico’s best over 35 surfers met on the beaches of Piñones for a friendly contest to decide who would make the trip to Santa Catalina, Panamá at the end of August to compete on the national team in the ISA World Masters Championships.

Run by the new directive of the Federación de Surfing de Puerto Rico (FSPR), the event went off without a hitch and was blessed with very contestable surf conditions for this time of year with easterly wind swell creating waves of 3 – 5 feet at the renowned peak known as Aviones.

“This was a great event for our federation,” said Juan Palerm, FSPR President, “and I think we have a team that can make a serious run at the World Championships in Panamá. With surfers like two-time ISA Masters Champion, Juan Ashton, bringing the always important experience to our team, we also count on surfers in each category of competition who know how to charge waves like the ones we hope to find at Santa Catalina.”

According to ISA regulations each team will be composed of two competitors in the Masters, Grand Masters, and Kahuna categories, and one competitor in the Grand Kahuna category.

Surf Caribe salutes the FSPR for their tireless work in promoting surfing at every age level here in Puerto Rico and wishes the Masters team the best of luck in Panamá. Stay tuned to Surf Caribe for more coverage of the ISA event as it happens in August and September.

Results

Masters

Juan Ashton

Gustavo Betancourt

Grand Masters

Juan Ashton

Dicky Villanueva

Kahuna

Hector González

Alberto Licha

Grand Kahuna

Javier Gorbea

Surf EXPLORE Charges Haiti – Again

Surf Caribe — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 02:53:20 +0000

Photos and captions by John S. Callahan

Caribbean legend Zed Layson, morning session at Blue Point near Kabik.

Sometimes, those Google Earth hunches pay off. After several hours of brutal driving over a terrible road west of Jacmel, Emi Cataldi surveys a new Caribbean lineup.

Icah Wilmot of Jamaica is one of the Caribbean's top surfers. Here he gets his fins out at a Haitian rivermouth.

The hillsides of Pétionville above Port au Prince have seen a building boom since the earthquake with new construction everywhere. Let's hope president-elect Michael Martelly can bring better governance to Haiti than any of his dismal predecessors.

Emi Cataldi at Blue Point, a consistent right point in the Kabik area.

The limestone cliffs and left point setup may look like Indonesia, but it's Haiti in the Caribbean Sea. Emi Cataldi checks a new lineup near Aquin.

Icah Wilmot hits the lip as a crowd of villagers gather on the beach, most of whom have never seen surfing before.

Jamaica's Icah Wilmot, warming up for the ISA World Contest in Panamá at a punchy Haitian rivermouth.

With only ten or so active surfers in the entire country, Haiti has many unridden lineups like this one near Jacmel. The only problem is the terrible roads, which make travel difficult even with a 4X4.

Emiliano Cataldi lines up a barrel section at the consistent rivermouth break of Chevalier, west of Port Salut.

The once magnificent city of Jacmel suffered considerable damage in the recent earthquake - Icah Wilmot does some damage at Pistons, the local spot at the mouth of the river.

Sam Bleakley gets high in the lip at one of Haiti's many quality rivermouth breaks.

Still ripping, surfing new waves in Haiti, Zed Layson from Barbados.

Sam Bleakley pioneers a new right on Grande Caye de Aquin with a noseride for an appreciative audience.

With this left reefbreak spot only accessible by boat, passing passengers get a look at surfing for the first time as Sam Bleakley gets on the nose.

Icah Wilmot at Haiti's most frequently surfed spot, Pistons. A sunken ship at the mouth of the Grande Riviere de Jacmel makes a consistent sandbar.

Emiliano Cataldi with fresh Caribbean seafood for lunch after a morning surf.

Zed Layson give his Fish a workout at Blue Point.

Sam Bleakley at a new rivermouth near Jacmel, a good three-hour drive from town.

Early morning calm in Aquin as Emiliano Cataldi loads boards for a boat trip to distant Caribbean reefs.

Outer reefs like Caye Regale in Aquin are always bigger than the mainland spots, with crystal-clear water. Icah Wilmot levitates over the sea urchin fields below.

Local kids play in the shorebreak with wooden boards as Sam Bleakley gets on the nose on a rare glassy morning in Kabik.

Emiliano Cataldi, enjoying the empty lineup and juicy rights at Blue Point.

Emiliano Cataldi at Blue Point, working up an appetite for lunch at one of the many casual seafood restaurants in Kabik.

Sam Bleakley, on the nose in classic Caribbean conditions at Blue Point.

Sunset near Port Salut, Sam Bleakley back out for one more wave.

Driving Haiti's grueling roads can lead to new wave discoveries, but be prepared with water, food, and spare tires for many hours of bumpy travel.

Haiti often gets the short end of the stick when it comes to a positive international reputation. Violence, bad politics, disasters, corruption, and poverty is what gets portrayed by the reporters who fly in from Miami on a quick visit. A few hours filming the apocalyptic chaos in Cite Soleil in Port au Prince and they are on the return flight with a report for the US news.

Haiti is all those things, but much more as well. A vibrant culture of music and art, a sublime undeveloped coastline, and a resilient, self-reliant populace are rarely portrayed in any media. Haitian art and music are some of the world’s best, and the extensive coastline is one of the last undeveloped, unsurfed, and virtually non-touristed areas in the Caribbean.

On this, our third surfEXPLORE project in Haiti, we were able to explore several areas that have been on our group radar for quite awhile but inaccessible for many reasons. With only ten or so active surfers in the entire country, crowds are not a problem. The influx of international aid workers following the January 2010 earthquake has had a few surfers in the mix and we actually saw surfers we did not know in the water for the first time, in the Kabik area east of Jacmel.

As always, nothing in Haiti can be done without good friends on the ground and we would like to give a big “Merci Beaucoup” and a “Mesi Anpil” to Jean-Cyril Pressoir, Yanouchka Guerin, Vadim Behrmann, and Russell Behrmann, the Godfather of Haitian surfing, without all of whom a Haiti surfing project would be impossible.

“Piti, piti, wazo fe nich li” – “Little by little, the bird builds its nest”.

Icah Wilmot Wins 2010 Makka Pro

Surf Caribe — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 12:57:42 +0000

Juniors champion, Akeem Taylor was unstoppable in the small perfect lefts of Makka.

Repeat Women’s champion, bajan Chelsea Tuach, made a statement in taking top honors two years in a row.

Open Men’s champion, Icah Wilmot, was carried off by a group of young Jamaican’s to a hero’s welcome on the podium after the final.

The three champions, from left, Tuach, Wilmot, and Taylor were all smiles when the checks were delivered.

The 2010 Makka Pro came to a magnificent close on Sunday July 19, 2010 at the Makka Surfing Beach at Southaven, Yallahs Saint Thomas. Despite pro surfing entrants from Barbados, Trinidad, Philippines, Australia, and the USA, Jamaica came away with the purse in the Open Men’s division for the first time in the history of the four year-old event when Icah Wilmot walked away with the US$1000.00 on offer to the winner of the Open division.

It didn’t stop there either. Shane Simmonds took second ahead of third and fourth place finishers Travis Ajay of the USA and Che Lovelace of Trinidad. In the Junior division Jamaica had a clean sweep with Akeem Taylor, Shama Beckford, Garren Pryce, and Ivah Wilmot taking first to fourth place respectively showing that Jamaica has a bright future in regional professional surfing.

In the Women’s division, young Chelsea Tuach of Barbados successfully defended her 2009 crown and was declared 2010 Makka Pro Women’s champion with Jamaican’s Imani Wilmot and Elim Beckford taking second and third ahead of American Gillian Gensler who took fourth.

“The event was huge despite the intermittent rains over the two days it ran. Thousands of people turned out. It was impressive,” said JSA president Mr. Billy Wilmot. “This event has been growing from strength to strength. This year we had live radio broadcasts on Hits FM and RJR 92 FM as well as a live internet feed courtesy of DEKAL Wireless. We also had computerized judging and an Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) head judge.”

The Makka Pro has become arguably the largest public spectacle in Saint Thomas putting the Parish in the east on the world surfing map and commanding the local sporting spotlight with an extreme water sporting event unanswerable by the rest of the island. The local press has also embraced the sport of surfing and is now giving prime exposure to the efforts of the JSA to promote surfing as a sport of choice for all Jamaicans.

“Chris Dennis – Between Worlds” Premiere

Surf Caribe — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 03:22:24 +0000

By Steve Fitzpatrick

Driving the North Coast Road on the island of Trinidad with Chris Dennis is like being with a top-notch tour guide. With his intimate knowledge of every nook and cranny of this rugged coast, Chris will jam it down any number of dirt tracks to access secluded beaches with solitary peaks. And even while navigating many of these roads less traveled, and only hours from the craziness surrounding the world premiere of the documentary movie by local filmmaker James O’Connor about Chris’s long and arduous journey from rural Trinidad to a 2010 maiden assault on the WQS, Dennis exudes and eerie quality of calm and serenity.

The crew enjoying the first viewing of the final edit with Chris.

Somewhere along Trinidad’s north coast, Chris finds some time to breathe before the mayhem of the premiere descends upon him.

Fielding another call from a stranger asking for comped tickets to the premiere.

Movie Towne is Port of Spain’s biggest cinema.

The local TV media was on hand to interview Chris before the film’s first showing.

Right this way, folks.

Avid local surfer, tennis professional, and longtime friend of Chris, Anthony Awai, was on hand to introduce the film to the first audience.

Chris looking bigger than life.

The sold out house was hooting and hollering to the surf action sequences.

After the film’s first showing, James O’Connor said a round of thank yous with some of the production and administration crew.

Chris, at center, with from left, his brother, mother, Bernadette, father, Paul, and sister.

The after party rocked.

The second showing was another sellout.

Chris’s Cali connection, Debbie Aicklen, and girlfriend, Tova Miller.

Some of the production crew before the test screening, from left: James O’Connor, Anthony Fung, Dos Ramos, Michael, and Kacie Gonsalves.

Driving the North Coast Road on the island of Trinidad with Chris Dennis it’s hard to know whether you’re “limin’ it” or competing in a road rally. The curves in the winding mountainous road come fast and hard, Chris is never hesitant to pass slower traffic with his intimate knowledge of every bend, he’ll jam it down any number of dirt tracks to access secluded beaches with solitary peaks, and do it all while fielding phone calls and text messages from friends and strangers alike fishing for complimentary tickets only hours from the world premiere of the documentary movie by local filmmaker James O’Connor about his long and arduous journey from rural Trinidad to a 2010 maiden assault on the WQS.

“It’s been mad, dread!” commented Chris on the final hectic push towards the finish line of this groundbreaking and history-making project. “I haven’t even surfed in weeks, mon!!” he added.

But the road less traveled is nothing new for Dennis, who wasn’t even expected to survive a major surgery at one month of age, but yet rose against all odds to emerge from those humble beginnings in Balandra to finish ranked 340^th in the WQS last year. With only minor sponsorship (and none from the surf industry) and limited access to QS events, Chris made history as the first T&T surfer to create noise on the global competitive stage.

Not to mention the 450 lb. grouper he speared far from shore in 2007 with two friends, and single-handedly extracted from a cave and wrangled to the surface before then swimming it through a raging beachbreak in the dark of night to get it to shore. If Chris wasn’t already something of a legendary waterman in T&T at the point, the grouper story cemented his position in his country’s lore.

Or just weeks before the final edits of the movie, when Chris again went miles offshore in search of GoPro footage of a shark to compliment the film. Diving to 70 feet and finding a big Tiger shark amidst a cloud of other fish Chris’s BC began to malfunction forcing him to the surface only to realize that a raging current had pulled him far from his boat and dangerously close to an oil rig while his two diving buddies were still below. All three had to be rescued by a zodiac dropped from the drilling platform.

“Chris is a special human being,” said Executive Producer and owner of the jtography studio, James O’Connor, “and his story needed to be told. The entire crew that I enlisted to help were extremely dedicated to this project, and everyone invested hundred of hours of pro bono time and effort between our regular commercial projects,” he added. “In particular, cameraman Anthony Fung, who’d never as much as shot a single wave before getting involved in this project, learned on the fly and employed cutting edge technology from a steady cam arm to a remote control helicopter camera mount to produce amazing angles that show Chris and Trinidad & Tobago in a light never before seen in any local production.”

The two showing premiere on April 4 was completely sold out, another first for a locally produced film, and the first week promises to have more sold out showings including an entire day catering specifically to children from Chris’s region of the island that will be bussed into town and fed for free just to see the story of their hometown hero.

But most importantly, and unlike most surf films, “Chris Dennis – Between Worlds” is a story about much more than surfing or a single surfer. More than anything it’s a film about tenacity, persistence, good will, and inspiration, qualities that nowadays can often be in short supply in surf culture.

If you see only one surf film this year, or for the rest of your life, let it be this one. You won’t be disappointed.

Mackie and Burke Bros Shine at BJSC Event #2

Surf Caribe — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 02:30:56 +0000

A promising East swell filled in to South Point for the second event of the Barbados Junior Surfing Club’s 2011 Burkie Junior Surf Series sponsored by Tile Gallery. The junior event shifted location from what was to be the club’s first event at North Point to the opposite side of the island to take advantage of the great surf on tap at a familiar break to all the junior shredders. From a field of 30 junior surfers a number of familiar faces would stamp their mark on the final four of each division, but some shifting in the ranks between contenders would be the order of the day as it was the day for Dane Mackie and the Burke Brothers, Joshua and Jacob, to shine.

Young Andrew Rose surfed his way right into a 3rd place finish in the 10 & Under division with stylish backhand bottom turns like this one.

Un the 12 & Under competitions, Che Allan floated into a 2nd place finish.

But this was a day for Jacob Burke, who slashed his way to the top of the podium on both 10 & Under and 12 & Under divisions.

Darrian Pitcher is another young bajan with deep roots in surfing who will be one to look out for in the future.

Chelsea Roett was the top finisher in the Under 18 Girls…

…followed closely by Chelsea Tuach. The two Chelseas are constantly nipping at each others’ heels, and this event was no different.

Little Giselle Allan was stoked on her 2nd place performance in the 12 & Under Girls’ division.

Another young and rising girl surfer on the bajan scene is Isabella Venezia, who was the 12 & Under Girls’ winner on this day and the 3rd place finisher in the Under 18 Girls.

Dane Mackie was boosting all over South Point, all the way to the Under 18 Open title of this event.

Daniel Edghill is another young bajan frequent flier who finished 3rd on this day.

Josh Galt surfed well this day, but couldn’t finish among the top performers.

Zander Venezia was the 2nd place finisher in the 10 & Under division, right behind his good buddy Jacob Burke.

It’s surfing like this that earned Josh Burke top finishes in the Under 16 and 14 & Under divisions, while finishing 4th overall in the Under 18 Open. And it might be of interest that he also just landed a sponsorship deal with Billabong, Von Zipper, and Nixon.

Photos by Mark Harris (hotlink to mark_nick@yahoo.com)

In the Under 18 Open, Dane Mackie, who was electric on the day in his familiar home turf, would out pace the field of finalists to earn the #1 spot on the BJSC’s premier league podium. The young goofy footer Mackie would slay the Point’s long chest high left with his vertical fins free attack to the loud cheers from the crowd on hand. The margin between second and fourth place was narrow as other familiar names in the division battled it out. With only 0.74 points between them the lone female finalist Chelsea Tuach would take second on the podium with Daniel Edghill and the ratings leader, Joshua Burke, in third and fourth respectively. The win launches Dane Mackie into second overall in the U18 Open rankings hot on the heels of Burke with only 70 points between them heading into the BJSC’s next event.

But it was another Burke’s time to shine brightly at South Point on the day as young Jacob “Manrat” Burke would take both the 10 & Under and 12 & Under divisions with solid front side slashes and vertical backside reos. Jacob launched his attack from the first wave of the 10 & Under final scoring the heat’s highest wave score, and from that point could not be caught by the other finalists. Finishing second was the winner of the Club’s first event, Zander Venezia, and rising stars Yuri Scutt and Darrian Pitcher in third and fourth respectively. With two wins and two seconds between them Burke and Venezia now share the top spot in the division rankings.

Jacob would also rise on top of a close fought battle in the 12 & Under division where he would take down the division leader, and recurrent finalist, Che Allan, and third place finisher, Andrew Rose, with only 0.56 points between them. Evan Moll would finish fourth having just returned from a finals berth in the Volcom Catfish Series in Puerto Rico.

The 14 & Under finals witnessed the narrowest margin of victory with Josh Burke edging Dane Mackie on a wave count back after a tied heat. With both competitors logging a two wave total of 12.50, Burke’s highest wave score of 7.67 earned him the division’s number one spot followed by Mackie, Che Allan, and Daniel Edghill. Burke’s aggressive hacks and aerial assault in the South Point theatre would also elevate him against the field of Under 16 competitors. The judges were rewarding the junior surfers who displayed the most vertical and progressive turns and Burke fit the bill. He would take the top spot over Daniel Edghill, and move within 130 points of Edghill in the overall division rankings, third and fourth would belong to Dane Mackie and Che Allan respectively.

The Under 18 Girls would see familiar faces in their final ranks. Ratings leader Chelsea Roett would take her second win for the year displaying great flow between her backside hacks on the Point’s walls. Roett now extends her lead, but is not out of striking distance from namesake Chelsea Tuach who follows close behind with two second place finishes for the season. Our younger girls and future flag bearers for Barbados’ female surfers, Isabella Venezia and Chelsie Grant, would finish third and fourth on this day. Isabella “Bella” would also take the top of the podium in the Under 12 Girls and lead the division in the Club’s series over second place finisher Giselle Allan and Morgan Rice who finished third.

The Club now has a few weeks to wait before its next event the, Family Fun Day, on May 7th 2011. However, there will be no rest for its junior surfers as a number of the Club’s young shining stars will be competing in the Ron Jon Surf Festival in Cocoa Beach, Florida from 22-24th April as well as representing Barbados on the Barbados Surfing Association team heading to the ISA World Junior Championships in Peru on May 21st-29th 2011. The Club wishes those juniors great success – Ron Jon Surf Festival: Joshua Burke, Dane Mackie, Che Allan, Andrew Rose, Jacob Burke, Zander Venezia, Chelsea Roett, Chelsea Tuach and Isabella Venezia; ISA World Junior Championships: Joshua Burke, Dane Mackie, Daniel Edghill, Che Allan, Caelum Blandford, Chelsea Tuach and Chelsea Roett.

About Us

The Barbados Junior Surfing Club was established in 2010 with a mission to develop junior surfing in Barbados. The Club assists its members in developing their surfing skills through structured surfing events, advice and training on matters such as surfing competition, judging and all other areas particular to the development of our sport in Barbados. The junior divisions that the Club runs at its surfing events are 10& Under, 12& Under, 14& Under, Under 16 and Under 18, as well as a division specifically for the 12& Under Girls and Under 18 Girls in our quest for our future Barbadian girls champions.

For further information please visit our website at http://www.bdosjuniorsurfing.org or our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/bdosjuniorsurfing .

RESULTS FOR BJSC BURKIE JUNIOR SURF SERIES – 2011 EVENT #2 – SPONSORED BY TILE GALLERY

10 & UNDER
1. JACOB BURKE
2. ZANDER VENEZIA
3. YURI SCUTT
4. DARRIAN PITCHER

12 & UNDER
1. JACOB BURKE
2. CHE ALLAN
3. ANDREW ROSE
4. EVAN MOLL

12 & UNDER GIRLS
1. ISABELLA VENEZIA
2. GISELLE ALLAN
3. MORGAN RICE

14 & UNDER
1. JOSH BURKE
2. DANE MACKIE
3. CHE ALLAN
4. DANIEL EDGHILL

UNDER 16
1. JOSH BURKE
2. DANE MACKIE
3. DANIEL EDGHILL
4. CHE ALLAN

UNDER 18 GIRLS
1. CHELSEA ROETT
2. CHELSEA TUACH
3. ISABELLA VENEZIA
4. CHELSIE GRANT

UNDER 18 OPEN
1. DANE MACKIE
2. CHELSEA TUACH
3. DANIEL EDGHILL
4. JOSH BURKE

2011 BSA Championship Series Event #2

Surf Caribe — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 05:03:51 +0000

Little Che Allan was on a tear all weekend and placed in three separate categories.

Another young charger during this event was the explosive Joshua Burke.

On the girl’s side of things Chelsea Roett was not to be topped.

Chelsea Tuach was right on the heals of her friend and fellow competitor, Roett.

One of Barbados’ top young talents, Daniel Edghill, was throwing airs to take the Under 21 title and third in the Open Men, while walking the plank to a win in the Longboard division.

Caelum Blanford throwing chunks towards 5th place in the Open Men.

The waves may have been small, but they were considerably overhead for Che Allan.

One little pocket opened up for Joshua Burke, and he made the most of it.

Curtio Brathwait comes from Bathsheba, so he knew right where to be on every wave.

Open Men’s champion, Christopher Clarke.

The venerable Sam Taylor got away from the lobsters long enough to finish equal 5th in the Open Men’s division.

All Photos by Mark Harris

Bathsheba, Barbados’ Parlour beach scene was rocked over the weekend as the best Barbadian adult and junior surfers took to its warm waters. Head Judge Nicholas Donawa and Contest director Paul Heaselgrave said the waves were a timid chest high with a slight chop out of the north, perfect for all levels competing.

The conditions seemed right for Open Men’s champion, Christopher Clarke, whose experience in wave selection and smooth style were too much for the juniors who were nipping at his feet. Making his first appearance in an Open final, Curtio Brathwait, the only Bathsheba local junior, was a standout in his backyard surroundings. His committed turns were constantly a threat to Chris and he placed a commendable second. Daniel Edghill and Josh Burke seemed to lose their momentum in the final during which the waves became erratic and wave selection became critical to executing progressive maneuvers. Daniel eventually finished 3^rd and Josh 4^thwith only 0.2 points of separation.

The Open Women final again showed Barbados the intensity the local women surfers can bring. Not ideal conditions for the two radicals, who enjoy steep large waves, but the contest hungry duo left no wave to the imagination. In the end Chelsea Tuach found two stronger waves and bested good friend Chelsea Roett to take the top podium position.

In his first appearance in an Open Longboarding competition, Daniel Edghill took top honors as he defeated Surfer’s Point locals Andre Clarke and Brandon Frazier. Daniel’s transition from short board to longboard seemed effortless as he pulled maneuvers reminiscent of Hawaii’s Bonga Perkins. Andre’s smooth transitions and long nose rides placed him 2^nd, while Brandon’s off-the-lips placed him 3^rd.

In the Under 21 division, the kids pumped out their best maneuvers to stretch the judges imagination and open up their heat sheets. In this fierce battle, Daniel Edghill’s excellent display of aerial maneuvers combined with aggressive top turns left no doubt that this 14 year-old is the future of Barbados surfing, scoring a 10.07 out of 20. Joshua Burke, who placed 2^nd with 8.43, was a definite standout of the two day event. Consistent, accurate, and creative, he wreaked havoc on the nerves of everyone he went up against. And not shy of the boy’s talent, Chelsea Tuach showed she had just as much talent to compete with her Y chromosome friends, scoring a close 8.00 to place 3^rd. And in 4^th place the local representative, Curtio Brathwaite, who seemed to struggle for good waves, scored a 5.83.

In the Under 18 division, Caelum Blandford was a force with which to be reckoned, capturing his first win! With solid surfing and true dedication, Caelum sealed the deal, besting favourites Joshua Burke, Daniel Edghill, and Che Allan. Joshua surfed consistently, but some radical turns from Caelum sealed his fate. Daniel made the most of his waves, but couldn’t quite find the one he was looking for, while Che held his own to show just why he deserved to be in the finals.

In the Boys Under 16 final, Joshua Burke found his top rhythm and obliterated the competition with two high scoring rides totaling 10.67, the highest total in a final for the contest. Coming in 2^nd, Daniel Edghill managed an 8.57 showcasing his signature maneuvers. 3^rd place went to Caelum Blandford who looked strong leading up to the final but was unable to find a high scoring second wave to back him up. 4^th position went to 11 year-old Che Allan who found shelter in a mini barrel.

Girls Under 18 saw the familiar competition between Roett and Tuach, and Isabella Venezia and Chelsea Grant. In this exchange Chelsea Roett was the obvious victor. Scoring a solid 9 points out of 20, she was a clear 2 points ahead of Chelsea Tuach. Isabella in turn managed to grab one wave late in the heat to best friend Chelsea Grant in difficult conditions.

The high tide proved difficult for the Under 12s, who despite their small stature and hyper-activeness, found catching waves difficult in the 20 minutes allotted to them. Each competitor catching the minimum amount of scoring waves made the most of each ride. With conditions deteriorating for the young ones it was anyone’s win. Che Allan capitalized with a strong first wave, securing his first place finish. The Second and third battle was as close as they come. Neither Zander Venezia nor Andrew Rose were able to find a good wave out of their two and the judges call came down to a 0.06 difference with Zander taking 2^nd and Andrew 3^rd. In 4^th place the eager Jacob Burke fell victim to the difficult conditions and was also unable to find a strong ride. Taking 5^th,newcomer Liam Grant made a valiant effort to compete in the challenging conditions with the other seasoned under 12s.

In the super light division of the Under 10s, the dark water and long paddle out seemed intimidating, but with the help of caddies from the Barbados Surfing Association committee, they buckled up their courage and made a paddle for it. Hardly intimidated by anything, Zander Venezia, paddled ferociously at everything in his path. Solidifying him as the best Under 10 surfer on this day. Darian Pitcher found his secret spot in the line up catching two commendable rides to secure a second place finish. Caleb Rapson, who was eager to paddle out, found catching the set waves difficult and despite one great wave was unable to find a second. A big congratulations to these three brave young boys.

From young to old, the Senior Men’s division called on the more experienced surfers to strut their stuff in front of the Junior crowd. Christopher Clarke, who won the division, slashed and dashed around second place finisher Luis Venezia who held his own finishing within 0.5 points. A special visit by Barbados grown Geoffrey Tryhayne, who spends most his time in Canada but was on holiday at the time and took part in the event, was a highlight of the day. “My arms won’t work,” he claimed with a big smile on his face. “I need a few more days warm up before doing something like this”. Geoffrey came 3^rd in the end.

For the Masters, Carlos Wharton took top honors with fellow competitors Simon Coles 2^nd, Luis Venezia 3^rd, and Melanie Pitcher 4^th. The deteriorating condition proved a challenge but all said they had fun.

The weekend’s competition also showcased the first Monster Expression Session. Ambitious competitors were alowed to free surf, while the crowd cheered in encouragement of every radical maneuver. In the end it was Caelum Blandford who walked away with Monster’s prize of energy drinks by throwing a massive arial.

Sponsored by Banks, Aqua-loc, and Monster Energy Drink.

The Barbados Surfing Association would like to thank the local Bathsheba Community for allowing us to host this event and looks forward to future events in the area.

The next event will be the School Championships held at Drill Hall (“Brandens”) on April 16^th and 17^th 2011. Brandens, is a long left breaking wave with multiple sections perfect for acrobatic maneuvers. The Battle for top school is on!

About the Barbados Surfing Association:

The Barbados Surfing Association is a registered charity of Barbados created to promote the sport of surfing in all its forms within the island of Barbados. We will preserve sport and the unique culture surrounding it for the public, now and into the future.

For more information -

email: info@barbadossurfingassociation.org

http://www.barbadossurfingassociation.org

Official Results

Under 10 Points

1. Zander Venezia 1,000

2. Darian Pitcher 860

3. Caleb Rapson 730

Under 12 Boys Points

1. Che Allan 1,000

2. Zander Venezia 860

3. Andrew Rose 730

4. Jacob Burke 670

5. Liam Grant 610

Under 16 Boys Points

1. Joshua Burke 1,000

2. Daniel Edghill 860

3. Caelum Blanford 730

4. Che Allan 670

=5. Dane Mackie 597

=5. Che Cheezeman 597

=7. Gavin Fernandes 542

=7. Andrew Rose 542

=9. Josh Galt 481

=9. Dylan Downie 481

=9. Joshua Mayers 481

=9. Jacob Burke 481

=13. Oliver Milson 444

=13. Zander Venezia 444

Under 18 Boys Points

1. Caelum Blanford 1,000

2. Joshua Burke 860

3. Daniel Edghill 730

4. Che Allan 670

=5. Dane Mackie 597

=5. Curtio Brathwait 597

=7. Gavin Fernandes 542

=7. Josh Galt 542

=9. Nathan Allan 481

=9. Jacob Burke 481

=9. Dylan Downie 481

=9. Andrew Rose 481

=13. Joshua Mayers 444

=13. Oliver Milson 444

Under 21 Points

1. Daniel Edghill 1,000

2. Joshua Burke 860

3. Chelsea Tuach 730

4. Curtio Brathwaite 670

=5. Dane Mackie 597

=5. Chelsea Roett 597

=7. Caelum Blanford 528

=7. Nathan Allan 528

=7. Josh Galt 528

=10. Josh Mayers 475

=10. Che Cheezeman 475

=10. Dylan Downie 475

Under 16 Girls Points

1. Chelsea Roett 1,000

2. Chelsea Tuach 860

3. Isabella Venezia 730

4. Chelsea Grant 670

Open Men Points

1. Christopher Clarke 1,000

2. Curtio Brathwait 860

3. Daniel Edghill 730

4. Joshua Burke 670

=5. Caelum Blanford 597

=5. Sam Taylor 597

=7. Joshua Galt 547

=7. Dane Mackie 547

=9. Stefan Corbin 488

=9. Nathan Allan 488

Open Women Points

1. Chelsea Tuach 1,000

2. Chelsea Roett 860

Senior Men Points

1. Christopher Clarke 1,000

2. Luis Venezia 860

3. Geoffrey Tryhane 730

Masters Points

1. Carlos Wharton 1,000

2. Simon Coles 860

3. Luis Venezia 730

4. Melanie Pitcher 670

Longboard Points

1. Daniel Edghill 1,000

2. Branden Frazier 860

3. Andre Clarke 730

2011 Barbados Junior Surfing Club Event #1

Surf Caribe — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 04:13:06 +0000

Young Andrew Rose used a polished backside attack to take a second place finish in the 12 & Under division.

But Che Allen could not be stopped in that same 12 & Under division, and took the top honors.

On the girls’ side of things, Chelsea Roett was able to hold off her friend, some time nemesis, and fierce competitor, Chelsea Tuach to take first place.

In finishing second behind Roett, Chelsea Tuach wasn’t lost in any way, and displayed a progressive style of backside surfing.

In a busy day of surfing, Dan Mackie finished first in the 14 & Under, second in the Under 16, and fifth in the Under 18 Open division.

Daniel Edghill was another industrious young surfer on this day, taking second in the 14 & Under, first in the Under 16, and another second in the Under 18 Open.

Keep an eye on Giselle Allan, whose surfing pedigree is bound to produce some impressive performances in the near and not-so-near future.

As another smooth young backsider, Jacob Burke was able to finish 4th in the 12 & Under division.

Jordan Heaselgrave must have been off his game a bit on this day, finishing 6th in the Under 18 Open division.

Josh Galt made some great turns, but couldn’t finish in the top of any divisions in which he competed.

Bajan phenom Josh Burke continues to push the envelope on himself and the competition with this kind of progressive surfing, earning him 3rd place finishes in both the 14 & Under and Under 16 divisions, and the Under 18 Open crown.

Surprisingly enough, Nathan Allen was another surfer who was unable to place this day.

Zander Venezia won the Under 19 division and finished 5th in the 12 & Under.

12 & Under finalists.

To the victor go the spoils.

Under 18 Open winners.

Photos by Mark Harris

Barbados’ hottest groms assembled at Brandens/Drill Hall for the Lynch Insurance Brokers sponsored first Barbados Junior Surfing Club – Burkies Junior Surf Series event of 2011. The conditions were windy and choppy at times but some great waves were available, lining up at the famous left break, and these waves were taken to task by the junior shredders.

As the Club kicked off its 2011 season and the young groms battled in the water BJSC President, Mr. Alan Burke, offered an optimistic outlook for the Club which is looking forward to an outstanding year. Interest in surfing is increasing exponentially among young athletes in Barbados, The Club now has approximately 70 junior members, and the levels of surfing performance are through the roof. Coupled with the Barbados Surfing Association there are 17 surfing events between the two organizations who are both focusing on the next waves of junior talent in Barbados. “With such a focus on nurturing the juniors through a competitive environment there is unprecedented progress with many of our young surfers competing at international levels,” said Burke.

The Barbados Junior Surfing Club’s goal again this year is to send its team to various international contests starting with the Ron Jons Surf Festival on April 22nd – 24th and then onto the summer events on the US East Coast including the Rip Curl Grom Search, NKF Surf Festival and the largest event on the Eastern seaboard the East Coast Surf Championships. As Burke outlines “it is necessary for our juniors to get international exposure to develop competitively and attract potential sponsors to carry their surfing to the next level.” The groms were fulfilling their end of the bargain by mauling the left break to the delight of the beach spectators on the beach who were enjoying the festival atmosphere and show in the water.

In the premier division the Under 18 Open, Joshua Burke edged Daniel Edghill for the 1st place finish, both young chargers displaying an impressive repertoire of modern fins free surfing, hacks and airs. The finalists had to contend with a few non-competitors who entered the contest area before being alerted and instructed to move on. However despite the brief incident the junior contenders did not disappoint, the girls Chelsea Roett and Chelsea Tuach lay down an impressive performance to hold their own against the boys and cemented third place and fourth place respectively, followed by Dane Mackie and Jordan Heaselgrave completing the field of finalists.

The girls continued their long term friendship and rivalry into the new season with 16 year old Chelsea Roett besting 15 year old Chelsea Tuach with her first win for the season in the Under 18 premiere Girls division, the up and coming youngsters 12 year old Isabella Venezia and Chelsie Grant rounded out the girls finalists.

In the Club’s youngest division 10& Under Zander Venezia took top honors fending off second placed Jacob Burke. There is a wave of fresh new talent in the division Yuri Scutt and Axe Garrett placed third and fourth in the finals with Liam Grant and Darrian Pitcher taking equal fifth. It is impressive to see the development of the youngest competitors who are progressing rapidly, their love for the sport unrivalled.

In the 12 & Under Che Allan, the young goofy-footer relished in the fast moving lefts demonstrating his speed and flow to take top spot over the regular footer Andrew Rose, who mounted a charge and some impressive backside hacks late in the heat. Evan Moll and Jacob Burke took third and fourth spot in the final respectively, followed by Zander Venezia and Axe Garrett in equal fifth.

Dane Mackie, another speedy goofy footer would capitalize on the lefts with his patented carve and capture the prize over regular footers Daniel Edghill and Joshua Burke in the 14 & Under with Che Allan, who would feature in three of the event’s finals, rounding out the top four. Andrew Rose and Nicholas O’Neal placed equal fifth on the day in the division.

Finally in the Under 16 Boys would see Daniel Edghill take the prize followed by Dane Mackie, Joshua Burke and Che Allan completing the field of finalists. Chelsea Tuach and Caelum Blandford would finish equal fifth respectively.

The cards are in the air and the new season could belong to any one of the juniors. A fantastic day of surfing and fun on the beach was had by all, and the Club is excited about what the year has to offer both in Barbados and abroad. The next BJSC event is to be held on March 26th 2011 at North Point, Barbados, a final call on the location will be provided closer to event date. The Club welcomes competitors both from Barbados, the Caribbean and abroad to join and attend its series of events, see you on the Beach in sunny Barbados.

About Us

For further information please visit our website at http://www.bdosjuniorsurfing.org or our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/bdosjuniorsurfing .

RESULTS FOR BJSC BURKIE JUNIOR SURF SERIES – 2011 EVENT #1 – SPONSORED BY LYNCH INSURANCE BROKERS

10 & UNDER

1 ZANDER VENEZIA
2 JACOB BURKE
3 YURI SCUTT
4 AXE GARRETT
5 DARRIAN PITCHER
5 LIAM GRANT

12 & UNDER

1 CHE ALLAN
2 ANDREW ROSE
3 EVAN MOLL
4 JACOB BURKE
5 ZANDER VENEZIA
5 AXE GARRETT

14 & UNDER

1 DANE MACKIE
2 DANIEL EDGHILL
3 JOSH BURKE
4 CHE ALLAN
5 ANDREW ROSE
5 NICHOLAS O’NEAL

UNDER 16

1 DANIEL EDGHILL
2 DANE MACKIE
3 JOSH BURKE
4 CHE ALLAN
5 CHELSEA TUACH
5 CAELUM BLANDFORD

UNDER 18 GIRLS

1 CHELSEA ROETT
2 CHELSEA TUACH
3 ISABELLA VENEZIA
4 CHELSIE GRANT

UNDER 18 OPEN

1 JOSHUA BURKE
2 DANIEL EDGHILL
3 CHELSEA ROETT
4 CHELSEA TUACH
5 DANE MACKIE
6 JORDAN HEASELGRAVE