DANNY?EDGHILL?and Chelsea Tuach won the premier men’s and women’s open divisions when the Barbados Surfing Association held its fourth Surfer of the Year (SOTY) contest at Sand Bank, Cattlewash, last Saturday.
Competing in two- to three-foot waves, Edghill executed some powerful manoeuvres to make the finals of the three divisions in which he surfed.
Tuach, who is back in Barbados training for the ASP Junior World Championships to be held in Brazil next month, was equally impressive, also making the final in three divisions.
She won the open women’s division, the Under-18 Girls’ division and was second in the open 21 division where she competed against the boys.
An in-form Bruce Mackie was second in the open men’s division while top juniors Joshua Burke and Che Allan were third and fourth respectively. In the women’s division, Barbados’ other top female surfer Chelsea Roett was second, while young emerging surfers, Gabriela Gittens and Roma Bellori were third and fourth respectively.
In the boys’ under-12 division, Zander Venezia, who made three finals in the four divisions in which he competed with his fluid, progressive style of surfing, took top honours from another young, exciting surfer, Caleb Rapson. Third and fourth respectively were improving surfers Darian Pitcher and Axe Garrett.
Defending champion Dane Mackie continued his dominant form in the boys’ under-16 division to triumph over Allan and Venezia. Evan Moll, who also surfed strong all day, rounded out the top four.
Burke was firing in the under-18 boys’ division, displaying the smooth, radical surfing that is his trademark, to emerge victorious over Edghill, Mackie and Allan who were second, third and fourth respectively.
In the girls’ under-16 age group, Giselle Allan won convincingly from Roma Bellori, Olivia Warden and Gabriela Gittens.
Second to Tuach in the under-18 girls’ division was another up-and-coming surf talent, Olivia Warden, while Giselle Allan was third and Gittens fourth.
The curtain came down on the day’s proceedings with the exciting under-21 open division, which pitted Barbados’ top male and female talent against each other.
In the end, Bruce Mackie took top honours from Tuach who was second. Bruce’s younger brother, Dane Mackie, was third after surfing in two other finals while 12-year-old Venezia came fourth and Edghill, fifth.
The next event on the surfing calendar is the National Championships, which are slated to be held on October 12 at the Bathsheba Soup Bowl.
