Though the swell had dropped a bit overnight, the incoming tide pushed some very clean 3 - 4 foot waves through the Peak and sliding down the Racetrack to start Day 3 of the Quiksilver Uluwatu Challenge presented by Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia and the Australian Embassy Jakarta and sanctioned by the World Surf League (WSL) and the Asian Surfing Championships (ASC).
Nolan Reposa (USA) was happy to take the first heat win of the day as the action got started at 9:00 am with heat 14 of the Round of 64. "It was really fun out there, a bit smaller but still really good, so I'm glad to get through and get another chance to surf out there again tomorrow," said Reposa who hails from Los Angeles.
Wave selection was the deciding factor for Indonesians Dede Suryana and Raditya Rondi who failed to progress, going down to Australian's Tim MacDonald and Curtis Ewing. "I started the heat with two good scores to lead the heat, but I couldn't seem to find that one good wave that would give me the big score I needed," said Suryana. "I only needed a 5 to get from 3rd to 2nd, and I kept trying but just couldn't get it. Since this is my sponsor's event I really wanted to get into the final, but I just didn't happen for me today unfortunately."
Mega Semadhi putting on a show. - WSL
In the very next heat is was another pair of Australian's, Monty Tait and Jared Hickel, who advanced by knocking out former WSL Championship Tour surfer Damien Hobgood and local ripper Mega Semadhi from Bingin. "I've surfed this place since I was a kid and I love it," said Semadhi. "When Bingin was flat I'd come here to Ulu's and surf, because there was always waves here. It's one of the best spots in the world I think. I'm bummed not to make it through today, as I only needed less than 5 points to take over 2nd, but that's competition, right?"
Heat 6 saw Nick Vasicek choosing to sit up at the Peak all alone while Uluwatu local Alik Rudiarta got busy on the inside Race Track. As Rudiarta racked up heaps of smallish scores and the early lead, the others waited patiently and were eventually rewarded with the bigger set waves. With his first wave Vasicek took over the lead posting a 7 pointer, until former CT surfer Jake Paterson paddled up and proceeded to smash one to bits, earning him 8 points and second place. Then in the dying seconds he locked into another beauty that got him the lead and the heat win.
"I had a really slow start and the tide was dropping fast, and I was riding a step up so everything was going against me," said Paterson. "So I paddled up the point at he halfway mark and got that set wave that allowed me to open on that bigger board, I'm really glad the judges liked it!"
Last but not least, the one for the highlight reel was Kuta Beach's Garut Widiarta's miraculous last-minute, come-from-last-to-first win in Heat 8. After speeding all over the lineup and trying every combination of manoeuvre without putting many points on the scorecard, he was in last place needing a 9.1 to advance. The ocean was pretty much flat but then small bump but he took off anyway, and like magic it jumped up to give him a clean barrel section and a long wall that he ripped apart all the way to almost dry reef, earning him a 9.4 and the heat win.
"There were no waves for like 10 minutes, nothing," said Widiarta. "So there was like 2 minutes left and I actually just gave up already, but saw that little one and said what the hell, and it gave me a 9.4. I'm so stoked I get to surf again tomorrow!"
Tim Macdonald on track for a solid result. - WSL
After today's action, of the 16 competitors left to fight for the top spot on the podium tomorrow, 8 are from Australia, 4 are Indonesian, 1 from Brazil, 1 from Japan, 1 from Uruguay and 1 from USA.
Still in the hunt are: Jeames Young (AUS), Jaret Hickel (AUS), Tim MacDonald (AUS), Monty Tait (AUS), Curtis Ewing (AUS), Jake Paterson (AUS), Harry Bryant (AUS), Nick Vasicek (AUS), Dedi Santoso (IDN), Wayan Gobleg Suyadnya (IDN), Made Adi Putra (IDN), Garut Widiarta (IDN), Masatoshi Ohno (JPN), Jean Da Silva (BRA) Marco Giorgi (URY), and Nolan Rapoza (USA)
Competition will be completed tomorrow, with the four heats of Round 4 getting underway at 8 am, then moving on to the man-on-man quarterfinals, semifinals and the final in the afternoon.
The Quiksilver Uluwatu Challenge will run during a four day window from August 13-16 as part of the 8th annual Quiksilver and Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia, Bali's Big Eco Weekend Event, which takes place this year during Indonesia's Independence Day long weekend. Bali's Big Eco Weekend highlights the need to keep Bali's beaches clean and safe for everyone to enjoy as well as promoting an active and healthy lifestyle through the various surfing events and beach activities that take place through the course of the event.
More information available here.
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Damien Hobgood was eliminated before finals day.
- WSL
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Jake Paterson getting vert in the pocket.
- WSL
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Garut's last minute heroics.
- WSL
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Nick Vasicek floats the boat.
- WSL
Final 16 Decided on Day 3 of the Quiksilver Uluwatu Challenge
WSL
Though the swell had dropped a bit overnight, the incoming tide pushed some very clean 3 - 4 foot waves through the Peak and sliding down the Racetrack to start Day 3 of the Quiksilver Uluwatu Challenge presented by Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia and the Australian Embassy Jakarta and sanctioned by the World Surf League (WSL) and the Asian Surfing Championships (ASC).
Nolan Reposa (USA) was happy to take the first heat win of the day as the action got started at 9:00 am with heat 14 of the Round of 64. "It was really fun out there, a bit smaller but still really good, so I'm glad to get through and get another chance to surf out there again tomorrow," said Reposa who hails from Los Angeles.
Wave selection was the deciding factor for Indonesians Dede Suryana and Raditya Rondi who failed to progress, going down to Australian's Tim MacDonald and Curtis Ewing. "I started the heat with two good scores to lead the heat, but I couldn't seem to find that one good wave that would give me the big score I needed," said Suryana. "I only needed a 5 to get from 3rd to 2nd, and I kept trying but just couldn't get it. Since this is my sponsor's event I really wanted to get into the final, but I just didn't happen for me today unfortunately."
In the very next heat is was another pair of Australian's, Monty Tait and Jared Hickel, who advanced by knocking out former WSL Championship Tour surfer Damien Hobgood and local ripper Mega Semadhi from Bingin. "I've surfed this place since I was a kid and I love it," said Semadhi. "When Bingin was flat I'd come here to Ulu's and surf, because there was always waves here. It's one of the best spots in the world I think. I'm bummed not to make it through today, as I only needed less than 5 points to take over 2nd, but that's competition, right?"
Heat 6 saw Nick Vasicek choosing to sit up at the Peak all alone while Uluwatu local Alik Rudiarta got busy on the inside Race Track. As Rudiarta racked up heaps of smallish scores and the early lead, the others waited patiently and were eventually rewarded with the bigger set waves. With his first wave Vasicek took over the lead posting a 7 pointer, until former CT surfer Jake Paterson paddled up and proceeded to smash one to bits, earning him 8 points and second place. Then in the dying seconds he locked into another beauty that got him the lead and the heat win.
"I had a really slow start and the tide was dropping fast, and I was riding a step up so everything was going against me," said Paterson. "So I paddled up the point at he halfway mark and got that set wave that allowed me to open on that bigger board, I'm really glad the judges liked it!"
Last but not least, the one for the highlight reel was Kuta Beach's Garut Widiarta's miraculous last-minute, come-from-last-to-first win in Heat 8. After speeding all over the lineup and trying every combination of manoeuvre without putting many points on the scorecard, he was in last place needing a 9.1 to advance. The ocean was pretty much flat but then small bump but he took off anyway, and like magic it jumped up to give him a clean barrel section and a long wall that he ripped apart all the way to almost dry reef, earning him a 9.4 and the heat win.
"There were no waves for like 10 minutes, nothing," said Widiarta. "So there was like 2 minutes left and I actually just gave up already, but saw that little one and said what the hell, and it gave me a 9.4. I'm so stoked I get to surf again tomorrow!"
After today's action, of the 16 competitors left to fight for the top spot on the podium tomorrow, 8 are from Australia, 4 are Indonesian, 1 from Brazil, 1 from Japan, 1 from Uruguay and 1 from USA.
Still in the hunt are: Jeames Young (AUS), Jaret Hickel (AUS), Tim MacDonald (AUS), Monty Tait (AUS), Curtis Ewing (AUS), Jake Paterson (AUS), Harry Bryant (AUS), Nick Vasicek (AUS), Dedi Santoso (IDN), Wayan Gobleg Suyadnya (IDN), Made Adi Putra (IDN), Garut Widiarta (IDN), Masatoshi Ohno (JPN), Jean Da Silva (BRA) Marco Giorgi (URY), and Nolan Rapoza (USA)
Competition will be completed tomorrow, with the four heats of Round 4 getting underway at 8 am, then moving on to the man-on-man quarterfinals, semifinals and the final in the afternoon.
The Quiksilver Uluwatu Challenge will run during a four day window from August 13-16 as part of the 8th annual Quiksilver and Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia, Bali's Big Eco Weekend Event, which takes place this year during Indonesia's Independence Day long weekend. Bali's Big Eco Weekend highlights the need to keep Bali's beaches clean and safe for everyone to enjoy as well as promoting an active and healthy lifestyle through the various surfing events and beach activities that take place through the course of the event.
More information available here.
Quiksilver Uluwatu Challenge
Jared Hickel takes out the Quiksilver Uluwatu Challenge.
Cronulla up-and-comer wins big in Bali.
Action intensified as surfers battled for a spon in final 16 at the Quiksilver Uluwatu Challenge.
The favorable swell allows surfers put on a show on Day 2 of the Quiksilver Uluwatu Challenge.
Day two delivers the goods to crowds lined up the Bukit.
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