An overwhelming success.
This is the assessment by one of the organizers of last weekend’s Sprite Soup Bowl Junior Pro and the McEnearney Quality Inc. Independence Pro, Louis Venezia.
Speaking to MIDWEEK SPORT, the treasurer of the Barbados Surfing Association, who along with BSA president Chris Clarke, conceptualized the event, noted that the event went way beyond their expectations.
Over 60 junior international surfers, out of a total of 100 foreign, world-rated competitors, including three-time World Champion Tom Curren, flew in for the two-star rated Association of the Surfing Professionals (ASP) North American event.
Had the event been given a higher rating, said Venezia, it was possible that over 300 competitors would have flown in.
“The vision that Chris shared with me in bringing this event here was to showcase our kids’ talents,” he said.
“It is so disheartening for our kids to go away and compete in mediocre waves and both Chris and myself decided it’s about we brought the rest of the world to Barbados to meet our kids.
“We were banking on 32 and we got 64 for just the pro and there were other kids that came to surf in,” Venezia added.
And the local surfers matched up, he said.
Bruce Mackie out-thought and out-surfed the three-time World Champion Tom Curren; Chelsea Tuach beat a field of international surfers to take the ASP Junior Women’s Pro and Tuach and Chelsea Roett did a one-two against surfers from the United States.
Twelve year-old Zander Venezia took the top spot in a final against surfers from Guadeloupe and the United States.
Venezia explained that the only difference between a two-star rated and a six-star rated event was prize money.
Therefore, the more money the BSA could raise, the higher the rating, he said. And the higher the rating, the more competitors that will come.
“We didn’t think we will get this many so it was an overwhelming success,” he enthused.
In addition, the waves helped to cement Soup Bowl’s reputation as one of the better surf spots in the Caribbean. It didn’t hurt that Pipeline, Soup Bowl and Parlour were pumped by a North Swell and light winds that sent smooth, glassy 12-foot or bigger swells their way.
“There is no doubt we have the best waves in the Caribbean for sure and we have the best waves on this tour [ASP North American tour] and this tour travels all over the east coast and west coast of the United States, some places in Europe and Hawaii.”
Meanwhile, Venezia has singled out international surf star Tuach as the local surfer who will open the door for other young talented surfers.
Tuach is just off a third place finish in the World Junior Championships in Brazil; ended the year as the reigning North American Junior champion and, on Sunday, was crowned the ASP Junior Women’s Pro.
“She has opened a tremendous amount of doors for our junior surfers and that is one thing that Barbados has above and beyond anywhere in the world – our youth,” Venezia stressed.
“We have about nine or ten kids who are following in [Chelsea’s] footsteps that are going to open everybody’s eyes in this island.”
Meanwhile, the BSA treasurer has promised that the November event will become a staple on the BSA calendar.