BARBADIAN surfing prodigy Chelsea Tuach racked up another big win when she captured the American Pro Surfing Series Women’s Pro at Huntington Beach Pier last Saturday.
The 17-year-old Tuach put in an outstanding performance all day, posting the highest heat total of the women’s division in her quarter-final heat on her way to defeating some of the top pro surfers from the United States and Hawaii.
In the final, she faced last year’s winner of the event from the United States, Demi Boesterli, Anastasia Ashley and training partner and American junior team surfer Tia Blanco.
Tuach posted two solid scores early in the heat, an eight and a 6.5, leaving second-placed surfer Anastasia Ashley needing a score of 8.33 to overtake her for the win.
However, Ashley failed to make the required score and had to settle for second place behind Tuach. Boesterli finished in third position and Blanco fourth.
During the award ceremony, Tuach also won the award for Best Amateur Surfer Performance at the event.
“I am super-stoked to have won this event and the award for top amateur surf performance,” she said shortly after receiving her award.
She also thanked God, her coach Mike Lamm and her many sponsors for their support in helping her to win her second professional tournament of the year.
Tuach will be Barbados’ sole representative at the upcoming International Surfing Association’s (ISA) World Junior Surfing Championships, the “Olympics” of junior surfing, to be held in Nicaragua June 6 to 17.
She is currently ranked 11th in the world in the Under-18 Girls’ division. (RB/PR)
