From PSTA – Special to TGI Seramur, 17, surprises all with first pro victory NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF. – It was a double victory for Kaua’i, as residents Andy Irons and Sena Seramur registered close victories in the men’s and women’s
From PSTA – Special to TGI
Seramur, 17, surprises all with first pro victory
NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF. – It was a double victory for Kaua’i, as residents Andy Irons and Sena Seramur registered close victories in the men’s and women’s finals of the Rip Curl Pro Newport Beach, a Men’s 4-Star and Women’s 1-Star rated ASP World Qualifying Series event and the fourth stop on the Professional Surfing Tour of America (PSTA).
In the men’s final, Irons defeated Australian and fellow WCT competitor Taj Burrow. Burrow’s second-place finish bolstered his No. 1 ranking on the ASP’s World Qualifying Series.
“California has been good to me,” Irons said, referring to his win one year ago at the WCT event at Lower Trestles. “Newport’s always been a fun wave for me, and we we’re lucky there were waves for the whole contest.”
The final clash culminated in a last-second paddle hassle between Irons, currently ranked No. 6 in the world, and Burrow, who finished 6th in the world in 2000, with Irons keeping the explosive Australian from catching a final wave.
“I got lucky in the end,” Irons said. “Taj could have caught a wave and won it easily. He needed a little score and I wasn’t going to let him catch that last wave. I knew I needed to sit on him to keep the lead. It was tactics.”
Irons won $6,000.
The women’s final was just as exciting. Veteran pro Jody Nelson, 25, set the pace. Hawai’i’s Yvette Bertleman also opened with a strong score in the bumpy lefts, while PSTA points leader and pre-contest favorite Julia Christian uncharacteristically started the heat slow. But it was Sena Seramur caught a 5.57 with only 15 seconds left to pass Nelson.
The 17-year-old Kaua’i native, whose first name means “Beauty of the Waterfall,” was as shocked as anyone with the win, her first as a professional. She pocked $2,000 for her effort. Her previous best was reaching the semifinals of the US Open several weeks ago.
“I didn’t even know what had happened at first. When the announcer said the surfer in blue was in the lead, I thought, oh, cool for her. Then I looked down and went, wait a minute, I’m blue! They blew the horn and it was like, oh my god. It hasn’t hit me yet, but when it does I will go off, definitely be ecstatic.”
Other Rip Curl Pro final day highlights included the late Quarterfinal appearance of Taylor Knox, who entered the water with only 10 minutes remaining in his heat. However, three strong lefts boosted Taylor into second place, and held it until only 30 seconds left on the clock, when Australia’s Lee Winkler caught a ultra-clean overhead left and carved a series of snaps that scored an 8.83, putting him past Knox by .79 of a point.
Irons also offered his thoughts about the emergence of the PSTA as a strong U.S. pro surfing presence. “It’s so insane, it’s a dream come true. I used to watch the PSAA [Professional Surfing Association of America] when I was a grom and it got me psyched to do contests. Hopefully they keep it going because I’m still psyched to do it!”
